Day 66- WE LIVED

This weekend was amazing. Red's counts were good and we got the ok from the team to do 'normal' things... so we made the most of it. 

We went out to breakfast at our favorite spot, met friends at the park for a small 3rd birthday celebration for our second son, and let the boys go to a sleepover so we got a nice quiet birthday dinner for Brian at our house. We went on family walks, and stopped to talk to neighbors. We went grocery shopping. And we baptized our little Red at church. (Once I'm able to go through the pictures I'll be sharing that whole experience with you... it was TRULY incredible.)

We CELEBRATED. We LIVED.

It was refreshing. We found ourselves laughing, relaxing a little, and feeling normal. But every normal moment was followed by fear for me. I cried a lot this weekend, wondering aloud to Brian 'Did we just make a huge mistake? Did we put him at risk?' The cancer bubble has been strongly engulfing us for so long now. Normal life feels strange and foreign. It's unsettling. It's downright frightening. 

Today was the first day of Chemo round 4. Our first moment of the day was complete victory as he weighed in at almost a pound heavier than he had a week ago. I scooped him up off that hallway scale and we did an absolutely ridiculous little happy dance. I was ecstatic.

Small victories, people.

His counts were still fantastic (in normal ranges!!), and chemo went very smoothly. The rest of the week includes 4 more chemo trips, an ultrasound to track the tumor's progress, a kidney check, and chiropractic visits. It's going to be a crazy week.

I just want to say a giant thank you to all those that continue to support us. It's truly amazing. Each time I get home a pile of mail and a meal is waiting for me. And in that pile are cards full of encouragement, packages with treasures for us and our boys, and bills. Oh, the bills. Family, old friends, brand new friends... your donations are saving us right now. We are staying afloat because of your generosity during this time. Thank you feels very weak in comparison to how we actually feel, but please know we are deeply grateful for you. 

Most of all, thank you for your prayers and love. We feel the support every day. And in the moments that are hardest, it is EVERYTHING to us to feel that we are not alone. 

Please continue to think of us and pray for us this week. We are struggling to balance parenting three kids, running them to their various obligations, Brian working, and Red's constant medicine schedule. This week especially is going to be a challenge, and we're both ready for Friday already. Actually, skip that, we're ready for that MRI scan in a couple weeks. We just want this to be over. We want the cancer GONE.

Many have asked for more pictures or more frequent updates on Red. Brian and I both have Instagram accounts that we update somewhat often. If you want you to follow, you can find mine here, and his here.