Happy to be home

I returned very early Monday morning, and the boys were still sound asleep.  I peeked in on Gavin in his crib, then climbed into bed next to Ty.  He woke up about an hour later and when he noticed me next to him he didn't say a word.  Instead, he wrapped his arms around my neck, pulled me in right up against his face and fell back to sleep.  I swear he was smiling, and of course, so was I. He slept so late, and for that I was grateful.  At that moment, I knew how much he missed me and it was a beautiful feeling.

It was a wonderful weekend getaway.  I needed to catch up with my girlfriends so badly, and they can make me laugh like no one else.  I also needed to get away from the every day stress of being home with Ty and Gavin for a couple of days.  I was happy to hear the boys were having fun while I was gone, and I got to speak to Ty a couple of times while I was away which really set my mind at ease.  That's me on the phone with Ty :)

A number of my friends on Facebook shared a "parenting" post from HuffingtonPost.com today.  Here is an excerpt that I especially enjoyed. I wish I wrote it.  The author of this article, Glennon Melton, has three small children and she is expressing how difficult day-to-day parenting can be.  Although I have experienced an entirely different level of stress being a cancer-mom and all that Lou and I have endured relating to those horrors can't be compared in this context, I have also experienced the normal but treacherous toddler behavior while waiting on line in Target or CVS and I appreciate this analogy. 

"I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up."

"Pain and drudgery" is a bit strong and a too negative in my opinion, but still I understand.  It isn't easy, but I certainly wouldn't trade it for the world.  I love my kids more than anything.  Worth every step of the climb. 

Ty is doing better, but not terrific.  As you can see above, he is showing off how he can pull his left arm up with his stronger, right hand.  He is trying so hard.  I am still so angry for him because he was clapping and holding books and cutting paper - all of those two-handed tasks - with ease just over a month ago.  I am impatient, I know, but I can't help it.  He finished his seventh cycle of metronomic chemotherapy on Friday and he started his Temodar over the weekend.  It has been giving him very bad indigestion, but luckily he still has a fairly decent appetite.  In fact, we reincorporated another food into his diet: turkey roll-ups!  The downside to the indigestion is that I haven't been able to get him out of the diapers since his incontinence last week (which is 100% better).  I just don't want him to get used to that, but I can't afford to put him back in underwear until his diarrhea subsides or he will ruin his clothes.  Hopefully this won't last the entire 21-day cycle like it did the last time. 

Here's a funny side note.  Gavin has been taking a toy to bed each night, but it is almost always a small Toy Story figurine or two.  Tonight, he absolutely insisted on sleeping with his reindeer.  This is a bouncy toy shaped like a reindeer that our friends Rudy and Lynda bought him for Christmas.  He bounces on it around the house saying "Giddee-Yup!"  Another funny thing... when I asked him what a horse says, he answered the same, "Giddee-up!"  He's so cute.  We spent the last two hours before bedtime wrestling today.  It was so fun.  We were both sweating.   No wonder he passed out so easily even though his reindeer didn't leave much room in his crib.  He was wiped out.  I hope I can sleep just as soundly tonight.  Goodnight everyone.  XOXO.