Nice shot

Annikka joined a third grade girl's basketball team this year.  Tonight she made her first basket in a game, and her first free throw!

From Nov/Dec2015

From Nov/Dec2015

The tree

We decorated our Christmas tree tonight, something the girls and I really look forward to. It's so fun to feel their excitement each year at Christmas time; Eila couldn't sit still watching me put the lights on the tree. And the smiles as they dart back and forth putting ornaments on the tree is a great way to set the holiday mood.

From Nov/Dec2015

From Nov/Dec2015

From Nov/Dec2015

This was the first year we noticed the ornaments were hung more evenly throughout the tree, a sad realization that we don't have a little toddler any more who clusters ornaments in an easy to reach spot. But it is also our kitty Sloan's first Christmas, and the girls loved watching her explore the tree with wonder and delight.

From Nov/Dec2015

Eila showing Sloan her favorite ornament on the tree - a jello salad plate, made by our dear friend Tia to remember all the wonderful potlucks we had during grad school.

From Nov/Dec2015

We are all very happy for Christmas, and happy to be done with chemo.

From Nov/Dec2015

Last chemo, take 3

Today was Eila's last scheduled chemo; it was just a clinic appointment for Vincristine and Actinomycin-D, like the old days.  It was nice have a short, simple visit again and hang out with her ipad and Dr. Thomas.

From Nov/Dec2015

The nurses were very sweet and brought Eila a special "last chemo" appointment gift.  She was very excited to get home to play with her new dress-up things.

From Nov/Dec2015

The last 7 months have been a long journey with many unexpected challenges.  We are so proud of how well Eila handled it all, she often did better than we did.  She is so incredibly strong and handled things with incredible grace (like not worrying about her hair falling out or starting kindergarten with bags attached to her).  She truly amazes us with all that she's had to deal with.  We are also proud of how well Annikka did through it all; she was asked to have understanding and patience much greater than her years, and she was a great big sister.  And now we're very glad to be on this end of it.

Eila goes back in 3 weeks for follow-up scans and to start the next stage of watching (and waiting).

Bubbles!!

Eila was finally able to take a bath again, and she was so excited to be surrounded by bubbles.

From Nov/Dec2015

From Nov/Dec2015

Her last bath was the night before her surgery in July, who knew it would be so long ...

From Nov/Dec2015

Next stop, the swimming pool.

Annikka's new holes

Annikka had started asking about piercing her ears again, so we headed over to High Priestess tonight. She was a little nervous but wasn't changing her mind.

From Nov/Dec2015

She was very brave, no tears. But she did tell me that she thought it was creepy to hear her ear ripping when the needle was pushed in - nice description, huh.

From Nov/Dec2015

Now she is very excited with her new earrings, sparkly turquoise gems.

From Nov/Dec2015

No more hole

Eila's penrose drain was finally removed last Friday, after 108 days.  Yes, it took 3 and 1/2 months; that's a long time to have a tube sticking out of your side.  So I wondered just how long it would take to close and heal.  But I'm happy to say it looks like it's healing quickly. 

From Nov/Dec2015

She is very excited to take a bath again soon (it's been 3 and 1/2 months).

Fourth one's done

Eila's fourth chemo stay has been surprisingly easy, considering all the time she's spent at the hospital lately.  She really enjoys getting to go to the 10th floor classroom and had fun this morning doing school work from her class.

From Nov/Dec2015

She hasn't had major issues with nausea this time, and enjoyed doing hallway ballet this evening while getting chemo.

From Nov/Dec2015

Oh to be 5...  We get to go home tomorrow.