Your thoughts and prayers are working!!!

Your prayers and thoughts are working!!!!!!!
Alex feels great! She's eating, she's playing, and she's still cute.
Her last strep test came back negative, FOR SURE THIS TIME!
We celebrated with cupcakes!

Little chicken

She's happy! We've been going to the park, hanging out with her friends, and building forts!

Our baby chicken

Alex and I went to the zoo today. Her days have been filled with either not feeling well, or visits to the doctor. You see, starting in September, Alex spiked a fever, then lost her appetite.

The fever came down, but she never really got her appetite back. So we took her to the Doctor, and low and behold...STREP.

This has happened 6 TIMES in 4 months. Yup, 6 rounds of antibiotics, and each time, the symptoms and culture comes back positive. Then she finishes the antibiotics, and a few days later, symptoms return. IT IS MADDENING!!!!!!

Alex cannot play like she normally does, because she feels bad. She can't hang out with her friends, because she has strep, she doesn't sleep well because she has a fever...on and on and on.

She's lost weight, and she doesn't even want to eat ice cream.

Fast forward to today. We are awaiting the results of another strep test, and if it is positive, Lord help me, she will go on her last round of antibiotics for 21 days (instead of the usual 10), then a tonsillectomy. If it is negative, we hope and we prey that she has kicked Strep's ass, for good.

I am a total trainwreck on the verge of tears at any moment. BFF is about the same.

But like our Pediatrician said, "Your daughter does not have Leukemia. This has a cure."

(That's code for, GET A GRIP, AND KEEP PERSPECTIVE MAMA.)

Please keep sending your good mojo and prayers our way (and coupons to the Betty Ford clinic if you have them).

Tattoos

Alex's new favorite thing is tattoos. Here she is showing off her Lightning McQueen and Mater tattoos.

Where could she be?

Alex is getting better at the game of Hide-and-Seek. She remains quiet while we look for her.

She used to hide, and then when we would look for her, we'd say,

"Is Alex under the table?" (She would say, "NOOOOOOOOO.)

"Is Alex behind the chair?" (She would say, "NOOOOOOOO.)

Now she stays very still and very quiet. She's gifted I think.

Raspberry

Alex is the Mama Kangaroo. You can tell by the way she is carrying "Raspberry the Monkey" in her pouch. She then put Horton in a cage while the Mayor tried to get him out.

The story lines are getting more complex by the day.

January 2010

I'm sure that I've posted this video before, it's one of my faves. This was exactly 1 year ago...the stroller is no longer with us, and I think you know why.
All of your thoughts and prayers are working regarding Alex's health. She's battling a virus now, but it's not strep.
Big news, Alex is enrolled in Preschool for the Fall of 2011!
She has been on a waiting list for a Preschool that we really liked, for almost 2 years, and we just got the call today!!!!

bagels

The kids wanted to go fast, and do "bagels" (that's what Alex calls donuts in the snow).

Photo is courtesy of Ralph, the mail carrier.

"Alex want to sled Mama."

Alex LOVES sledding. She simply could not understand why, at 7:30 am today, I would not take her out sledding (it was 2 degrees).

Here's how it goes. She bring a couple of her stuffed animal friends, then sits in the green sled, eating snow, while one of her moms pulls and pushes her for a couple of hours. I need to start dressing myself with a camel back, and some cliff bars in my snow suit. After 2 hours I bonked...HARD.

Uncle Travis and the fort

Alex and Uncle Travis built a fort in the living room.

We try to keep clothes on Alex, but she's got a mind of her own.

Girls' gotta dance

When she feels it, she's gotta move. Alex felt the need to dance with the mannequins in Old Navy the other day.

"Mama, hold you!"

Alex is pretending that Hulk is holding her captive and won't let her go.
I am working 48 hour shifts now at work, and being away from this nappy-headed kid is super duper hard. I miss her guts.