Week 3 of Delayed Intensification

I do not like to post with out pics, that is one of the biggest reasons I do not post more often. I know I enjoy seeing pics on all of your blogs, so I assume you are looking for the same thing. However, I do want to keep you informed on Bella's progress as I know you care and your friendship and prayers mean so very much to us.

Bella's most recent chemo treatment was last Thursday, her next chemo is scheduled for Friday afternoon. She continues to baffle the Doctors with all her hair, she thinned out a tiny bit more last week, but it's still hanging in there and I am dolling her up every day with piggy's and bows. Overall, she is happy and eating REALLY well. Of course, she only eats about 5 foods, of which only 2 are really healthy for her. McDonalds chicken nuggets are her favorite! We make at least one daily trip to McDonalds for a 4 piece chicken nugget, the last 2 days, I have been there twice! Her other 4 favorites are deli turkey rolled up, pizza, apricots and eggs, that's it. Unfortunately, she has had a few effects from the chemo, not to worry, its only circumstance, a side effect of the chemo and she only has 6 weeks left of this chemo and were done and back to bone marrow aspirations! She has been nautious and making her wonderful gagging sounds again, she also has diarehia and it burns her little bottom pretty bad. I change her diaper as soon as I realize its there, but it still get's her pretty good. Bella's Oncologist invented a prescription diaper creme that the hospital calls "Magic Butt Cream", and it truly is, clears things up really quickly for her. Next week she gets a break from chemo before starting up again. Her counts are expected to drop so we will be laying low at home and allowing her little body to recooperate. We do our part in keeping Bella safe from earthly attacks to her immune system, but we take great comfort in knowing that we have done our best and the rest is in God's care and His promise is restoration, protection and healing.

The boys are great, busy in basketball, music and school. We are all starting to count the weeks till Memorial Weekend when we "open the cottage". I am on my 5th week of training for the 5k and I really am starting to get in to this. I actually find my self thinking through out the day when I will get to run, I can see why this gets a little addicting. I can now run 3 miles with only 4 minutes of walking breaks and this is only because the "trainer" tells me too. I am not burning out, so I want to stick with what I have been told to do. Courtney and Jen, you too keep me going, it can do 25k's and marathons, I can certainly handle 3.2 miles. I have also started back at Real Estate, slowly but surely.

I will update this weekend with pics and a video of Bella laughing, its so cute, she laugh's non stop at her boys.

Blessings