Logan starts treatment

Logan just hanging in his hospital bed, with his new haircut; Logan showing me his port (no photos of that, too graphic); Logan and mommy (my sis); Logan and Sierra (he calls her Cuz!).

Logan's chemotherapy begins tomorrow (it was delayed due to testing to determine his staging) but he's already been in the hospital for two days. Yesterday he had surgery to put a central line in his chest for the chemo and today he had both brain and bone scans. He is doing really well, but even recovering from two surgeries and with a morphine drip he wants to be up and active, so he's very bored and keeping him sitting or lying in a hospital bed is nearly impossible!

Also keeping him from pulling the port out of his chest will be quite a feat. It comes out of his chest, but is taped all the way down to his belly. He tries and tries to pull it out. He doesn't tolerate the IV's either (his chest was too small for them to fit two ports in his chest so he still has to have an IV for non-chemo stuff) and keeps trying to pull that out as well, at times becoming completely hysterical over it.

However, so far the hospital stay is going as well as could be expected. We are all dreading tomorrow since the way he responds to the chemo is an unknown. He will have three chemo drugs and we have been told they are some of the most difficult chemo drugs in terms of side effects and in terms of pain while it goes in. We are hoping that with sedation it will be ok.

The photos below were taken the day before Logan went into the hospital. We had a "Logan Day" where we got together and swam (even though the water was too cold!), ate hot dogs and chips and his favorite cookies made by Sierra and just played. Several of my friends gave us toys, books and cards so we went through all of that and he and Samantha had a great time playing with and fighting over all of that! I have been overwhelmed with how many people have sent cards and gifts or their prayers and well wishes for me to pass on. I have some fabulous friends in the real world AND online!

"LOGAN's DAY" before the hospital...

Swimming is his all time favorite activity. Here is his "getting" Sierra with his "hat splashing" - if you look at photo#2 the water really got her, which he thought was just great! He then came after me and Samantha (we were next to, not in, the pool) but I managed to escape, poor Samantha was not so lucky!!


Golfing is one of his favorite activities, although I wouldn't say he actually golfs! Sierra does know how to golf but that is not possible with these two close by!

Reading and snuggling are other favorite activities!

Some of the gifts and cards that were sent to Logan this week and they keep coming. We are overwhelmed.


Sierra and Logan then and now - at two hours old and at two years old!! My how they've changed! I am putting a little photo album together for Logan for the hospital and when I was going through the photos these two just caught my eye. It feels like Logan was just born and Sierra was just rushed over from swimming (I had been in the delivery room all day) to meet her first baby cousin, which is when I took this photo. Doesn't he look like a little elf?!

Smile Award

Tiffanie over at http://blessedwithsweetpeas.blogspot.com/ posted that I deserve the Smile Award. Although I haven't been smiling much lately the fact that someone actually thinks I deserve any kind of award did make me smile and has given a little lift to my otherwise very distressing day. Thank you so much Tiff!!!



Here are the Smile Award rules:
1. The recipient must link back the the award's creator
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must choose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself.
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.
Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude (not necessarily at all times--we are all human).
2. Must love one another.
3. Must make mistakes.
4. Must learn from others.
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world.
6. Must love life.
7. Must love kids.

I wish I could award the smile award to Tiffanie because she is honestly one of the most supportive, thoughtful and kind people I have ever "met" online or in real life! However, I suppose I'm supposed to choose other people. I am not very good at linking things so if I don't actually link anything like I'm supposed to please excuse me.

Everyone I picked to get a smile award meets all of the characteristics. I wish I had more time to expand but I will quickly say one or two things about each mommy~

Sara/Sofa - http://preciouswondersandlittlemonkeys.blogspot.com/ - Has been super, super supportive about Logan and has sent me emails that helped me tremendously. Also gave me food tips for Logan.

Megan - http://kimberlynwilliams.blogspot.com/ - Was a wonderful and helpful friend for the 8 months I waited after referral to pick up Samantha and then we met in Taiwan and since coming home has always, always been supportive and helpful. Gave advice about Logan to pass on to my sister, which really helped ease her mind.


Holli - http://becksfamilyblog.blogspot.com/ - Always has a kind comment and has always offered help and support to whomever needs it. Also has been kind and supportive about Logan.

Lora - http://waitingforalliegirl.blogspot.com/ - Has always been very kind and supportive about Samantha and has been very supportive and thoughtful about Logan.

Ramona - http://twobabybos.blogspot.com/ - Brought us pacifiers from Taiwan when she didn't even know us! Also has been kind and supportive with regard to Logan.

LOGAN

UPDATE:
Logan was found to have cancer and will start chemotherapy tomorrow (Spt. 23rd).

As most of you know Logan has had a medical emergency and what was supposed to be a minor procedure on some sort of fluid filled cyst (hydrocele) was in fact a tumor, so a minor medical procedure turned into a very serious and very damaging surgery. While he is going through an extremely painful and difficult recovery we are awaiting the results of biopsies and blood panels to find out what we are dealing with. I have tried to call or email everyone who knows Logan or who I know would want to pray or send good thoughts to Logan but I am sure I missed some people. I don't want to put too many details here so if I missed you I am sorry. Please email or call me. For now we have decided to concentrate on good things and think good thoughts (MUCH easier said than done)! So, here are photos from Logan's second birthday, which we celebrated last week (9/4) as well as some other current photos and photos from Logan's first birthday and from his actual birth day!

Logan's 2nd Birthday -






Logan did not want to wear his hat (neither did Grammy, Grandpa or Uncle Jeremy so Sierra wore all of the extra hats...all three kids opened presents together and Samantha seemed to think they were hers...Logan was afraid of the cake being on fire so cousin Sierra and Dad (whom he now calls John John) blew out the candles. He was not averse to eating cake though!


"huh???"

The sandbox is soooooo much fun!





Because of antibiotics Logan takes for his kidney defect he has to wear a sun suit and hat - he does not like the hat!



FIRST BIRTHDAY - LAST YEAR:

First birthday with our family only and then the big blowout bday with relatives from both sides.





NEWBORN LOGAN:


Sierra was thrilled when Logan was born and he will always hold a special place in her heart. My sister and I are very close and Sierra is very, very close to her as well and Logan is her first cousin (on my side of the family) and only the second baby in our family (Sierra was the first) so he is OUR baby!

Disneyland and American Girl...

We took a quick three day trip down to Disneyland and, of course, we stopped at the American Girl store on the way home. Both Sierra and Samantha had a great time. Sierra and her friend (we went with friends) had a great time going on the rides while Samantha had a great time running around, looking at things and spending lots of time with Mama (her favorite thing to do these days!). Sierra was also excited to take Samantha on several "baby rides" since Samantha had never been on any rides before. At the AG store Sierra had her own money - she's been saving for over a year - so it was a struggle for her to decide what to buy and what to wait to buy until next year! She got some cute stuff and we got two of her dolls fixed up with fancy hairstyles and clean faces! Enjoy the photos and if you haven't seen it yet take a look at the last post where Sierra wrote about Samantha's 6 month anniversary in our family.

THE DRIVE:

Heading out and then FINALLy arriving - driving with a baby sure adds time to the drive time!

DAY ONE:

Two breakfasts for Samantha - one at the hotel and one at Disneyland (she wouldn't eat at the hotel because she's VERY picky but she loved the Disney breakfast!).



Samantha's first ride with Jei Jei and friend Elizabeth...playing with the water ball...meeting Cruella DeVille and just having FUN!!!


Sierra's favorite ride is Autotopia...second fav is Pirates and third is Indiana Jones!


Running from the Indiana Jones Ball of Doom - Samantha thought this was very strange and very funny and wanted to do it again and again!


Rainforest Cafe dessert...as soon as Samantha heard us order dessert she quit eating her dinner!

DAY TWO:

California Adventure...even Samantha has some of the California songs memorized now (ironically we listened to some on the drive because the only CD's we could find were the oldies!),


Samantha & Sierra on the bug ride at CA Adventure A Bug's Life


Sierra and Samantha in front of Mickey at Disneyland in their matching Disney shirts! First Samantha had a tantrum and then she smiled pretty for the camera!




Waiting for and then watching and then waving to the parade! The wait was a bit difficult but once the parade arrived they were all happy!

The three princesses in front of the Castle - I've been to this castle in real life in Germany. The one there is much prettier and much bigger!!


Sierra and Samantha's on Samantha's favorite ride of the day - Casey the train.


The last of Disneyland for 2008!!

DAY THREE:

Lunch at the Farmer's Market across the street from the AG store.


Sierra, and Samantha, deciding what to buy and what to put back...Samantha then having a tantrum on the floor because Jei Jei wouldn't give her the boxes to open!


This is what daddy did at the AG store. He tried to keep up with Samantha but alas she out-ran and out-smarted him all afternoon!


It's over...Sierra chose well and will have lots of fun new things for her AG to play with and to keep Samantha from getting her hands on!


Now for the drive home...which took 9&1/2 hours, instead of the normal 6&1/2! Samantha couldn't/wouldn't sleep and she gets very upset if she can't see Mama and since Mama was driving for the first few hours (and she faces backwards) well, lets just say it was a rough trip, especially for Jei Jei who sat with her and comforted and tried to entertain her!! We got home at 2AM - Samantha finally fell asleep at 10:00 after J and I switched and I sat in the back with her. Sierra finally fell asleep at midnight. The drive, as usual, was the worst part of the trip! I took these photos because I realized that after making this drive hundreds of time, beginning as an infant and heading from SoCal to visit relatives in NoCal, I've never taken any photos. Most of the drive is orchards, vineyards, crops, cows but I ended up with two photos of grass!