Happy Mother's Day

"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers." -- Jewish proverb

Wishing a happy mother's day to all the mothers in my life and a special thank you to everyone who has supported motherhood and helped me be a good mother.

Under Construction

We are having a bathroom renovated before we sell our house, so things are torn up around here. I will be (or at least I hope I will be) glad when it's finished!!

I apologize for the lack of updates lately. I am feeling very unsettled and it is hard to congeal my thoughts into coherent posts. I feel like we are living in limbo- we know that we are moving, but we haven't nailed down the specific dates, neighborhoods, schools, etc. In addition, we're trying to get our house ready to sell. I know I've said it before, but I really miss having our families close by during times like these. Don't get me wrong- I'm just going with the flow and not getting too stressed about it. I've had moments, but I'm too busy to worry too much!!

Mollie doesn't seem to mind everything that's going on- bathroom reno, potty training Lucy, and numerous other projects and tasks. She is full of energy and creativity. She is eating well. She has shot up like a beanstalk so I'm glad it is spring and she can wear shorts and skirts- her pants are certainly too short to wear. She does have a cough (so does Liam). A cold? Or allergies. Or both. It is not very severe and she seems to be fighting it off just fine.

I can't convey how thankful I am for these days. Just normal [busy] days punctuated by pills at night and the occasional clinic visit. I am so glad to be concerned about home renovations and meal planning instead of hospital procedures, blood counts, and fevers.

Good Week (on Steroids!)

This week seemed to fly by! Mollie was on steroids until Friday, but she sure didn't act like it. She was a little tired and I picked her up early from school twice, but she managed to go to nature club and her class field trip to a regional park. Actually, yesterday, the day after she finished her steroid pulse, was the most difficult. It was also hotter and much more humid than the rest of the week.

I had the opportunity to tell our story (Mollie's story) on Friday at a Walmart Associates meeting. Walmart is the largest local sponsor of the Children's Miracle Network and they kicked off their balloon campaign yesterday, May 1. Even though we live with cancer every day, it is always hard to tell the story of Mollie's diagnosis and how much time she has spent sick and in the hospital.

Yesterday, we went to the zoo and botanical gardens- it was a bit crowded and we didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would have liked, but I think the girls had fun. Every time we go, I end up thinking we should just skip the zoo and stay in the garden all afternoon.



Right now Mollie is busy doing a foam sticker mosaic (thanks Arn and Catherine) and we'll spend the day catching up with chores and getting ready for the week ahead.

Clinic Update

Mollie's chemo went great today. The morning was hectic, but once we got to the clinic, things went smoothly. Mollie was ecstatic to see Miss Kym and talk about camp!! The theme this year is "Over the Rainbow." Mollie's counts were great (ANC 2900) and she was very relaxed for the procedures. Ms. Kat, the art lady, arrived just as we were getting ready to leave.... so we stayed for an art project (paper strip sculptures). On our way out, we walked around the reflecting pool so Mollie could admire the beautiful water lilies.

She was in a great mood all afternoon, ate a good dinner, and played with Lucy afterwards. We'll take it! Now they are "camping out" on the floor of their room, sleeping on handmade quilts from my great aunt Nancy.

Wrapping it up

Well, we are wrapping up a great visit from my parents and another month of chemo. Mollie starts a new round tomorrow, with IV vincristine and 5 days of steroids. She is looking vibrant and feeling good; I hate to see that all change with the first steroid pill she swallows.

Here's a look into how we handle the medicines:

Matt is wearing gloves while he preps Mollie's medicine; this photo shows all the pills she takes
in one week (not including zantac/prilosec and zofran for side effects).

Matt and I have worked out a system for keeping track of everything chemo-related. Every week we prepare Mollie's medications for the week ahead and keep them in a pillbox with AM & PM slots. All of these medicines are manufactured in dosages for adults, so we have to cut lots of pills in half. The dosages and medications are different for every day of the week, so preparing them ahead of time saves time and cuts down on errors. It also helps us plan ahead for when we need to get refills and new prescriptions.

When we give her the medications, we note the time and the dosage in a daytimer planner. We also use the planner to make special notes of any pains/side effects and clinic & hospital visits. This way, we have our own record of all of Mollie's medical care. Plus, whenever we travel or need to visit the clinic or ER, we can just grab the "chemo kit" and we have all the medicine, records, a Huber needle for port access, and a thermometer.

I don't know how other families handle this aspect of the treatment (and I'm interested if anyone wants to chime in!). It is a tremendous responsibility. I wonder how many kids actually get all the correct doses of medicine?? It would be so easy to forget, give the wrong medicine, or give the wrong dose. And what if you forget to fill the prescription and you're out of refills at 9 PM? We have had only one mistake that I can think of (although we have forgotten the evening meds and not remembered until the wee hours of the morning). Unless I am completely exhausted, I can't fall asleep without double checking that I gave Mollie her chemo that night.

Enjoying spring

Haven't posted in over a week! I guess we've just been busy enjoying the spring weather. Mollie feels good (knocking on wood) and we went up to Charlotte this weekend to poke around and look at neighborhoods.

My parents are here visiting this week so Lucy and Mollie are extra happy (Liam is too, but he doesn't express it quite the same way).

Mollie wants to start her own store to sell things she makes, so I'm thinking about how to do that. Any ideas?

Spring Break

After a rough start, Mollie had a lovely spring break. She attended an art camp in Aiken, SC for 5 afternoons. She did some gorgeous artwork and had a good time. She did a great job adapting to the new environment and it was a positive experience for her. The theme was 'beach bound,' so the projects were all in wonderful bright colors. Here is a small sampling:


The weather was great (except for the pollen- it was the worst I've ever witnessed) so we also had a few picnics and frolics in the park. Mollie and Isabella spent almost the entire weekend playing outdoors at our house or her house. They said they wanted the weekend to last forever! It is so bittersweet for me since we're going to be moving- it really pains me that those two won't be able to play together whenever the mood strikes.



School has started back up just fine for Mollie and Lucy. Mollie is eating well, full of energy, and feeling great. Lucy & Liam are feeling a little under the weather with coughs and runny noses. The weather continues to be fantastic; I hope everyone feels better soon so we can enjoy it.