Catching up!

It has been quite a while since I have posted anything here.  For Christmas we made a trip to Logan and spent a week at Karen's parents house.

On Christmas Eve I took James over to the hotel where two of Karen's sisters were staying and we went swimming with the cousins.  James didn't really swim he just floated for a bit and got really quiet.  After he had enough, we went back to the house and enjoyed the family dinner with a little over 30 people.

James at the hotel getting ready to go swimming

Christmas was good with Karen and I both enjoying the kids opening their presents.  At least James has figured out how to rip the wrapping paper off.  Rebecca is still working on it out but James is more than willing to help out.

On Christmas we spent the morning with Karen's family and then went over to visit my family.  The few days afterwards were spent catching up with family and enjoying some time off and not having to think about Karen's next chemo treatment.  James was also able to play in the snow which hadn't really materialized before Christmas.

James trying to get out of the snow!

(Wearing his new hat and gloves, thanks mommy.)

Gratefully Karen's treatment schedule meant that the week of Christmas was an off week.  That also meant the week of New Years was a chemo week.  Karen's parents came down on New Years Eve and helped put together a small meal after which we watched movies.  To ring in the new year I took Karen to the hospital to have her chemo pump removed after her latest chemo round.

New Years Eve dinner.

Becca ready for bed on January 1st.

Since the Holidays we have been able to settle into a bit of a routine.  We did make another trip to Karen's parents over Martin Luther King Jr. day.  This week Karen had a CT scan that showed some more reduction in several of the tumors in her liver.  No change for the one on the lung but since she has been taken off of one of the drugs due to side effects that is great news.

Tuesday Karen headed in for her latest round of chemo and had her chemo pump off today.  The drug that she is no longer on causes problems with white blood cell count.  To counteract the effects she had been getting what they call a growth factor shot when her pump was removed.  I'm glad she doesn't really need it since one of its side effects is bone pain.  One less thing for her to go through.

Next month Karen is going in for a colonoscopy.  Originally we had thought we would have to go up north but it looks like we can have it done locally.  It makes it easier on her and the kids when we don't have to drive an hour each way.

James and Rebecca are doing great, especially considering everything that is going on around them.  James is running around everywhere and even likes to sweep and vacuum (when we let him) while Rebecca is 'motating'.  Not quite crawling but doing more than just rolling around on the floor.  A few more weeks and she will be crawling which means a gate at the top of the stairs again.

Becca with her cousin that is just a few weeks older.

James playing with mom's glasses.

Braden