Wednesday, October 14, 2009

a rainy day walk around outside

{I am thrilled to let you know that I got my camera back today. Big hooray! My mind did not rest easy until I was able to get home with it, insert the memory card, and start snapping away. It's amazing how attached to my camera I have become.}

It has rained for two days, but by this afternoon it had stopped and was clearing up. Here is what I saw . . .












Faithy took that last picture. And now for a Rainer update. Today we took him to Santa Barbara for his intrathecal chemotherapy (which used to be every month but now is every 3 months) and he did great. Everyone is so nice to him there. They always put him completely "out" so he really has no memory of the procedure and afterwards his nice nurse gives him goldfish crackers and diluted apple juice. And after that we had breakfast at Crushcakes--breakfast and cupcakes, of course. He'll be on steroids these next few days so I'll be staying home with him. My mind has been drifting so much to last year at this time, when everything seemed to be going wrong in his little body. It was so scary! Since this is the one year mark I keep flashing back to it and getting all stressed out. But in reality the chances are very high, like 90%, that he'll be cured completely, so I'm trying to focus on that and not the 10%. I actually do very very well most of the time. He is healthy and happy and about to turn three. Life is good.

32 comments:

jennifer said...

That is so great that he is doing well. The photos are lovely as well.

Emma said...

Congratulations - both on getting your camera back and and on how well your boy is doing :)

Nadine said...

Gosh Mary Beth, what a journey you have had with your little boy. It is so great to hear he is doing well! Well done on coming through all of that!
I can relate to your love for your camera. We were out on Monday night and got a call that our house alarm was going off, all I could think of was my camera on my bed! Thankfully it was a false alarm! x

Lilly said...

Carissima Mary Beth,ammiro tanto il tuo carattere,il tuo ottimismo e l'atteggiamento che hai nei confronti della vita,COMPLIMENTI,sei una donna eccezzionale!! Auguri e baci dall'Italia,ciao Lilly =^_^=

Elfin Goddess said...

Mary Beth that is a beautiful picture of Rainer & you! The little guy seems to be recovering beautifully as is evident in that sweet smile on his face :) Im so glad to hear he's taking to his treatments well. You are one awesome mommy! Avril

briar said...

isn't wonderfully amazing how resiliant sweet boys are!?...Bless you guys, am sooo glad for Rainer and you....90% is enormously fabulous. xx

Rachael @Mogantosh said...

What a beautiful picture that last is - a gorgeous little face on that boy. 90%! Fantastic odds!

xx

et lille oejeblik - a little moment said...

beautiful photos!

i am so happy to hear he's doing better. i can imagine it must be a thoughtful time for you.

Unknown said...

Such sweet times after a rain. 90% sounds like a beautiful number. So happy for you.

feather said...

i am so jealous of the beauty you found outside this afternoon. here in idaho, things are getting chilly and brown (but in that red/orange/yellow/green/brown sorta way).

i've been following your blog for a few weeks now and enjoy it. i did not know your son struggled with ... illness. i love that you are finding strength in the 90%. I will pray for that 90% for you, as well.

and seriously? the attachment we all have to our cameras? baaaaaad! like the attachment to our computers! what would we do without!?

Our Green Nest said...

You're amazing and he's adorable!!!

Rain said...

I'm glad your camera is back too! You both look wonderful. Those 90% odds are a very good number to focus on. And I am getting a serious hankering for crushcakes, but I'm all the way on the east coast.

Anonymous said...

The photo of you two is wonderful! I am so glad to hear this great news and am praying that this precious little guy will continue to do better and better!

Blessings,

Joyce

Lisa said...

I love that last picture too. I'm so happy to hear that he's doing better. It's so hard to think of little guys being so sick.

silverpebble said...

Goodness I didn't know you'd been through such hard times until I clicked your link from last year. What a brave boy he is. It's great to see him looking so well.

Julie said...

Your life is good, indeed! Glad to hear things are going well!

Denise C. said...

Bless the both of you. :)

Elizabeth (My Reading World) said...

Rainer does look so sweet! His hair is coming in nicely as well!

Holly C. said...

Hope the little dear continues to do well.

Sweet pic of the two of you!☺

Shannon said...

I hope Rainer continues to do well. Sending prayers your way.

hanna said...

Love the photos, it's so great to see Rainer doing so well. What a sweet boy, and what a sweet age it is isn't it. You are a fabulous mama.
xx
Hanna

Hannah said...

I must have been reading your blog for over a year now. I've been so glad to see Rainer gaining in strength in that time, I think of him often. I think you cope amazingly well and Rainer certainly looks healthy and happy.
As others have said 90% are great odds.

Glad to hear you've got your camera back too, I'd be lost without mine!

Nancy said...

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures and for giving us an update on your little guy. I love reading your blog and as a mom of little ones my thoughts turn to your family from time to time, wondering how things are.

Tava said...

I'm so glad to hear this great update on Rainer! I think about him all the time. I am wishing you all healthy, happy days.

Kellie H said...

Life is good...glad it is on the up & up for your lil guy.

lovely photos...I'd be oh so sad w/o mine- glad yours is bad.

Kellie H said...

..I mean baCK!

taisa said...

Yeah Rainer, you are amazing, sweet boy.

GiftofGreen said...

OMG, he is completely adorable!! I love the hair!!!

Lisa Renata said...

It is so wonderful to hear things are going great!
My best friend's little 3 year old is also struggling with cancer. She had a brain tumor removed successfully and though the cancer did spread to her spine, she has been such a little fighter through it all. This Monday she goes in for her 5th chemo session and after that a whole lot of testing to see how she is doing. We are all praying to get good news.
Now that I know one of your little ones is in need of prayer, I will pray away for that 90% to turn to a 100% free and clear!!! =)
p.s she is also in Cali.

Shannan Martin said...

Beautiful Fall images!

And your little guy - I don't know the back-story here, but it sounds so, so similar to what we went through/are going through with ours. Eerily similar. Right down to the initial extended, scary hospital stay when he was nearly 2 and the rounds of steroids thereafter.

Praying for R!

Anonymous said...

I am so happy for you guys X

... Em said...

Mary Beth,

I read your posts and I´m really happy Rainer is doing well these days, eventhough I don´t know him personally. He is a lovely boy, I wish him all the best.

I don´t have children, just a lovely dog (Cora) and a nice cat (Eliska), I am alone and few years ago I had a cancer as well. My treatment was successfull, but in the beginning it was hard to accept all those new stuff around, most of them limiting my everyday life. But it´s over and I hope I´ll have a family one day - I am 31 and since that time I enjoy all those small things around. My life leveled up to another stage.

I see you came to a similar point as well. Keep fingers to all of you - and mostly to Rainer to get absolutely healthy again.

Have a nice day!