1 year ago today....

 

Wow.  I still can't decide if this year has gone by really fast or really slow.  Depends on what I'm thinking about, really.  When I think about all that Carter's been through it seems reeeaaaaalllllyyyyyyy lllloooooonnnnngggggg.  But when I think that my baby is already almost 13 months old I think this year has flown by.  But tonight, I'm thinking about that stupid day one year ago when that dumb doctor (yeah, I'm hating the messenger) told us that our perfect little boy had leukemia.  I remember so clearly certain moments of that night but much of it is a blur.  I'm just glad we've put a full year between us and that lame-o night.  I've been thinking about the roller coaster it's been ever since and thought about taking you all on a photo journey of this year.  BUT, I don't want to.  It's still painful to look at pictures from last January.  And February.  And March... I think you see where I'm going with this.  So instead, here's some pictures from this past month.  Carter is doing so well.  It was very fitting that he included in his prayer tonight "I hope that I will never get a dragon again".  I hope so, too, buddy.  I hope so, too.

He has grown and learned so much through all of this.  He amazes me with his maturity and wisdom and ability to communicate his emotions.  He is even more stubborn now, but also very sweet.  He still talks about different things that he's had to do and still has to do and it's sad and kinda cool how he describes it all.  I like hearing his perspective.  He's gonna do big things with his life.

We are glad to (almost) be rid of 2011.  Bring on 2012!

two clinic visits

The week before his scheduled clinic visit, Carter had to make an unexpected trip to the hospital because of a fever.  He had a very minor ear infection.  They took blood to do a blood culture and gave him a dose of antibiotics and sent us on our way.  He's been totally fine ever since.  He did laugh really hard at the nurse when she called him "baby" and told her, "do you know why I'm laughing?  Because you called me baby, I'm not a baby!"  He laughed and laughed. 
Then last Thursday was his monthly visit.  He did really well and all looks great.  His ANC is down to 700 and his white count is down in the low teens ( I don't have access to his print-out right now), but all the other numbers are looking great.  This drop is ANC is most likely due to the higher dose of one of his oral meds.  They want it between 750 and 1500 so we'll so how it looks next month.  While we were there, we got to go choose a gift for each of our kids out of this huge bin of toys.  A family that had a child go through treatment there years ago donated 3 or 4 huge bins full of toys for the patients and their families.  I am so amazed and uplifted by the generosity of people I don't even know who have done awesome things for my family.

He loved painting while we waited for the sedation team to arrive.