Sweet Ella Grace

Checking In, Finally!!!

2011-08-25T11:45:00.001-07:00

Actually, this isn't really much of a checkin as I don't have time to write very much but I thought I would see if anyone even still checks my blog. Most people have already seen this photo on facebook but I figured there are still a few of you whom I am not friends with there that may have missed it. This pretty much shows how "well" little Miss Ella is doing these days (Yes, she wrote on the wall!!!). She is full of beans and we "love" it!! Also, her blood counts continue to be wonderful and she is remaining very healthy!!! Soooo thankful for that!!

Ella Eating

2011-06-12T19:21:00.001-07:00

We finally got some video of Ella eating. This was the first time in a while that she has let someone actually feed her with a spoon :) Emma was doing a great job of making her eat while doing animal sounds. There is also some footage of her "sort of" feeding herself......go Ella!!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Where is Ella's Ball????

2011-05-30T19:32:00.001-07:00

Having a little fun with Ella the other night. I am so very proud of her very clearly spoken sentence at the end of the video :)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ella Watching the Roller Coaster

2011-05-27T11:53:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One Year Ago Today!!!

2011-05-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

One Year Ago

One year ago today, we found ourselves in the oncology clinic for what we thought was just a blood transfusion because Ella's hemoglobin was low. But when they took her blood that day, they saw the dreaded leukemia cells that we had been waiting to rear their ugly head. Instead of going home that night, we were sent over to the hospital where Ella stayed for the next 28 days. It is almost sureal to imagine that it has been a year since that day already. Of course I am so thankful that she remains cancer free at this time and I can only hope that before too long, we will be celebrating one year of her being cancer free and then hopefully five years etc.

I know this blog has been sort of neglected lately, but as I come back to it, I can't help but remember how important this blog and all of my dear blog friends were to me during all those months spent in the the hospital. I am forever grateful to everyone who was able to visit in person but also equally so to those of you who were there with me in spirit and with their supportive words. Thank you!! And, please, every once in a while, would you mind saying a prayer for Ella and that she continues to remain cancer free!!

Today!!

(Darling outfit courtesy of Darlena Lehnick)

A VERY Special Meet Up With Carly's Parents, Joany and Paul

2011-05-01T13:25:00.001-07:00

Wow!!! What a day yesterday was!! Ella and I along with Zoey and her mom, Heather, separately made our ways north to Bakersfield. Awaiting us there were Joany and Paul George, the amazing parents of the sweet and beautiful Angel Carly. They were in California for a much needed getaway. You see, just one year ago, they lost Carly unexpectantly. Obviously this past year has been an unimaginable one for them full of so much sadness and loss. Joany has been such an open book to us all in sharing her sorrow and I know that I personally have learned a great deal from her. My heart has been so weighted for them all year but finally getting to meet them in person truly gave me a renewed sense of hope. Yes, they are still full of pain and No, the loss of Carly has not gotten any easier BUT they were still glowing with life and it showed in every bit of attention that they gave to Ella and Zoey throughout the day. Life does continue to move forward for them although it will never be the same. Carly was very much alive in our conversations and tears yesterday and I am now even angrier that she was taken so soon because I have seen, in person, what wonderful parents Paul and Joany are and what love they have to give to their beautiful daughter. They should still be giving her that love!! I just hope that they realize what a lasting impression they made on us and that we will always treasure the day we got to spend with them. They are amazing people who have been dealt a horrible blow in life. But I truly believe that Carly is shining through them more than they even realize. Thank you so much Joany and Paul for sharing this day with us. I don't think you have a clue as to how special it was to us!!

Paul warming up to Ella and Zoey at lunch

The Mamas, Heather, Joany and Myself

Ella getting ready for her adventurous afternoon

Ella and Zoey....LOVE these two girls

Paul and the girls

The whole group....what a special day we had!!

Ella saw a gopher pop its head up and waited at least 5 minutes

for it to come back

Ella and Paul waiting for that gopher

Still waiting.......

Now they have moved on to a snake :(

Ella is VERY interested in it.

Ewwwww!!!

The picture that makes me cry every time.....Paul and Zoey

just hung out here for quite some time!!

Ella at the end of her very adventurous day....she needed

a complete clothing change!!

Ella's Birthday Party (and lots of other goodies)

2011-03-23T13:29:00.001-07:00

Oh what a fun, whirlwind weekend we had!! Ella's party was all I hoped it would be. It was so amazing to have all of these wonderful families together in one place. And what fun it was to stand back and see people meet for the first time who have only known each other online. There is an instant connection that can't be explained between us all. I mean, how often do you see people flying hundreds of miles to visit someone they have never met....and even stay in their house!! Stephanie and Faith and Jennifer and Abby (no blog) took a gamble on us and came for a visit. And what fun it was!! That was the original impetus for planning Ella's party and then it just grew from there. Next Cammie and Addy made plans to come out for Spring break and to stay with Heather and Zoey. Then Lacey and her family decided to make the trip from Utah. As chance would have it, Bethany and her friend Linda were out here at the same time for a conference and then so many of our Southern California friends who are friends with all of these out-of-staters were able to join us. It was awesome!!! But I do have a few regrets. I feel like I hardly got to spend any quality time talking with anyone. Just a few chats here and there, but I guess that is to be expected when you are the host. I hope no one takes it personally. My other regret is that I didn't get any pictures of all of us Moms or of the Moms holding their cuties. Oh well....can't change that now. In lieu of gifts (although some of you didn't listen :) we raised some money for Lera instead. I am happy to report that we got over $250 in cash the day of the party and I know that in addition, a few people donated directly to Lera's website so hopefully we made a little difference. Although, rumor has it that Lera is going to be getting a large donation and therefore may be fully funded. Once that is confirmed, we will choose another family to donate our money to if Lera's family no longer needs it. How awesome would that be.

The day after Ella's party, Stephanie, Jen and I took our 3 girls on an adventure to Los Angeles. I say adventure because it was literally raining cats and dogs the whole way there and back. But it was worth it because we met up with Heather, Cammie, Addy and Zoey at the Hard Rock Cafe in Universal Studios. It was wonderful to sit at a table with our 5 special girls and be so proud of each of them. After lunch, we did some typical tourist stuff like driving around the big homes of Beverly Hills and driving down Hollywood Blvd looking at the stars in the sidewalk. It was raining so hard and the little ones were either sleeping or crying so I just drove along and every once in a while Stephanie and Jen would jump out to take some photos. It was an exhausting day but definitely worth it. We had hoped to meet up with some other Ds moms for dinner that night but the kids weren't on board with that at all.

Ella wasn't really herself at her party, just not as social as usual. And then the next day when we drove to LA, she was a grumpy mess!! I think she cried almost the whole way home while we inched along in the pouring down rain. This is so unlike her and by Monday, we realized that it was because she was in the midst of getting a yucky cold. Bummer but thank goodness she wasn't a snotty mess at her party. (hope everyone wasn't exposed).

All of our guests are gone now :( and I guess we must get back to life. Tomorrow is Ella's IEP meeting for preschool. Hopefully it will go well. I am not going in looking for a fight. My view is that it is only preschool and my main goals are for her to get some regular socializing with her peers and to start learning how to follow rules in the classroom. I know they will be working with her on some of her therapies and that is all I really ask for. Our Spring break is the following 2 weeks and Ella will turn 3 during that break so will most likely start school on April 11th....I can't believe it!!! She seems so small!!

Anyway, now for a ton of pictures from the party and various events afterward. Thanks again to all of you who were able to make it and to those of you who weren't, you were definitely missed!!

The first spot everyone plopped down to get to know each other

Pure Sweetness.....Jax and Addy

My daughter Emma and her friend, Megan

Ella and her new friend, River (he is a couple

months younger than her..I think she is small)

Ella and Sweet Pea

Ella and her favorite person (herself)

Our resident Ds model, Arina

One of many attempts at getting a picture of the kids....ha ha!!

Ella's cake

Ella and me with her cake

Trying to get her to put her fingers in the cake

She finally touched it but didn't know what to do with the

frosting....silly girl, she has so much to learn!!

Jax and Arina and their family came back to our house for a

bit after the party so we had the opportunity for more Arina pics!!

Sweet Tanner loving on Ella like he always does :)

At the Hard Rock....this pic kind of sums up Ella's day in LA!!

I am not sure if Zoey was annoyed by Ella's crying or showing signs

of her own oncoming cold.

Cammie, Addy and I....a picture we missed the last time we

got together!!

My favorite picture!!! All of us moms and our beautiful daughters!!

Ella, Faith and Abby wearing their matching Old Navy sweatshirts

from Stephanie...love it!!

Girls in pink!!!

Stephanie had these shirts made for us with a wonderful

Ds quote and a picture of daughter on it.

She also had these Tshirts made for our girls since they

were turning 1, 2 and 3 respectively...all within a 2 week period.

This one had better smiles but you can't see the numbers

on the shirts as well!!

So thankful to get to spend so much time with these

beautiful little angels!!

Ella and Faith also had these matching jammies...of

course another failed attempt at a cute picture...but whatever!!

Lookin Good in Green!!!

2011-03-17T15:40:00.001-07:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

It's Almost My Birthday Party!!!

2011-03-15T08:18:00.001-07:00

Hmmmm...me thinks that it is almost my 3rd birthday!! And ALL I am asking for is that you would be kind enough to give a few dollars (literally $5 or $10) to the family that is trying to save my friend Lera from life in an institution. You can donate directly here http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorhigbie It would make my day!!

We look forward to seeing soooo many of Ella's friends this weekend. The only thing that would make it better is if the rest of you could make it :)

Love!!!!

2011-03-08T23:36:00.001-08:00

Fun At Zoey's Party And Other Things!!

2011-03-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

First off, for the few of you that I may not be friends with on facebook, here is my current most favorite picture of Ella. I won this tutu from a raffle on Olga's blog and it couldn't be cuter!! Of course I am a little partial to the model as well :) We had a fun little photo shoot in it!!

Here is a picture of Ella and Daddy...thought this was a sweet one!!

We had Abbey's end of season basketball party tonight. I always
like to get a picture of the girls with their coaches as a memento.
And I am proud to say that Abbey made the All Star team for the second
year in a row :)

Here is Emma with her coach after their championship game. Unfortunately,
they lost by 2 points but they played awesome and still got a trophy
out of it!!

Emma also made the All Star team for the second year in a row.
Do you think her height has anything to do with it????

Today we had the pleasure of attending Princess Fairy Zoey's 4th birthday party. It was so nice to get to spend some time with this wonderful family again. It was only the second time that we have been together without either Zoey or Ella being in the hospital which as you can imagine makes the visit so much more enjoyable. I had a heck of a time getting a good picture of Ella and Zoey together as you will see below. Zoey definitely had more love for the adults than she did with Ella today. She would give us all kisses goodbye but then flat out turn away when we brought Ella near.....gotta love her spirit :) Ella had the time of her life though. She spent the entire time we were there on the move exploring. It was new territory and she didn't want to miss a thing. She got to wear a pretty tutu that Zoey gave her and had fun interacting with the other little ones. Unfortunately she thought the fairy wand was a weapon and wasn't always behaving with it in her hand :) Thanks again to the Needham family for including us....we all really enjoyed ourselves!!

Isn't Princess Fairy Zoey just magical???

This is the best shot I could get of the fairies together......

But Zoey was right at home with Abbey and Abbey loved
every minute of her snuggle time.

First time I have ever seen Zoey up on her legs. She

actually moved them from one room to the next. I was in awe and

of course missed the best pictures!! She was so proud of herself.

Zoey and her big sister Caitlyn sharing their cake.

Zoey preparing for her big kiss

And there it is......a big Princess Fairy thank you!!

This is just a cute picture of Ella asleep on Daddy with

Elmo asleep on her :)

Do you think that maybe I am having just a little

too much fun dressing this child?????

Where's Ella???

2011-03-03T15:53:00.001-08:00

This is what you do to entertain people in the waiting area at the lab. You can actually hear some other people saying "Where's Ella" if you listen closely. Don't you love the belly??

So here we are again, almost due for our monthly oncology visit. I can't believe that it has already been a month!! We go in on Monday but did the blood draw today since we have a busy day tomorrow. Ella looks and acts fine but I still find myself getting anxious to make sure that everything is fine. Prayers are welcomed for continued good health!!!

And thanks to anyone who was able to contribute to Olga from my previous post. "A Day for Olga" has raised about $5000 so far...amazing!!!

***edit** I was inpatient so I called the oncologists office and asked them to fax me the blood results and everything looks GREAT!!! So now I don't have to worry about it all weekend :)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Day For Olga!!

2011-02-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

**a beautiful post written by another blogger, Patti**

Dear friends,
So many of you already know this beautiful little face....

Olga turned five last month. She has spent the last five years in an orphanage in Eastern Europe, without the love of a mommy and daddy- simply because she arrived in life exactly as God designed her. One chromosome too many, and her fate was sealed from birth.

Sealed, because in Eastern Europe, babies who are born with Down syndrome are deemed unacceptable at birth. They are discarded as cast-offs of society, and when they turn five they leave the only home they've ever known...

And I wish I could say that for most of these children, leaving that home meant going to a place of safety, a place of happiness, a place where they would finally know the love of a family...know what it meant to be cuddled or sung to or read to, tucked in at night, prayed for, loved.

Instead, they are taken to a place that most people wouldn't leave their family pet.

A place of living hell, where they will never know the tenderness of a parent, never know the security of being raised in a family, and there they will stay, one ugly, pain-filled day at a time...until they die.

I read a post last December that stayed with me to this day. It was called from baby dolls to bedstraps.

The blog author wrote about Elizabeth, an orphan on Reece's Rainbow who had been transferred to a mental institution, waiting for a family to step forward for her. Her words still haunt me.

I wonder where she thought she was going as they led her out of the orphanage that day. Did she think that maybe it was finally her turn? That they were taking her to her forever Mommy and Daddy?

And when they instead took her inside that dreadful place, when they shaved her head and tied her to a too-small metal crib

when they turned their backs and

walked

away…

when they left her confused, terrified,

in a room where the wails of schizophrenic adults echo through the cold air

what was going through her young mind?

Did she wonder if she was being punished?

How long did she hold out hope that this was only temporary?

That any minute, they would come and take her back to the baby house

to her baby dolls and teddy bear,

to her best friend, Angelina?

Did she long to free her arms from the restraints

to cover her head with her hands to drown out

the scary noises

the scary sights

the scary smells?

That could be my Lily….

It could be your child.

And what if it were?

What if you woke up one morning

and by some hellish, twilight-zone twist of fate

your child wasn’t still tucked into that warm bed down the hall,

what if your child was trapped

across the dark sea

in that nightmare that is

the institution?

What

would

you

DO?

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. Proverbs 24:11

Elizabeth is being rescued today, thanks to the efforts of that blogging mama, and others like her.

Olga is being rescued today, thanks to so many of you...you gave so much and created such a large grant that a family was able to step forward and start the process of adoption.

The Abells have done so much already, towards rescuing Olga. I can't even imagine all the paperwork and prayer and emotion and finances that goes into an international adoption. They have done numerous fundraisers, and will continue to do so until they can bring Olga home.

Through the help of so many, a grant of over $13,000 has been raised for Olga's adoption. That grant is set aside for the final travel costs and fees that it will take to bring Olga home. It will take every penny of that and then some.

Right now the Abells are in need of raising the $7,000 that is needed to submit their dossier for Olga. Without that dossier we don't even know if Olga has been transferred yet. Here in America you just pick up the phone and ask these questions. But here in America we don't tie five year old girls to cribs to keep them from climbing out.

The Abells need to submit that dossier as soon as possible- at the very least to find out if she has been transferred already- because I know an army of prayer warriors who is going to want to know that piece of information as well. And at the very most, it could be able to hold Olga at the baby house until the Abells can rescue her. I wish I could say with certainty that she won't be transferred- truthfully we just don't know that.

Olga has been so heavy on my heart for months- friends, I want you to know that I DO trust that God has a plan here.

I prayed like crazy for a way to help the Abells. I truly believe that there is a network of people who love Olga here in blogland...a net that is woven by God and is stretching out across this blessed country we live in, and even beyond to generous hearts in other nations. I really cannot express enough how thankful I am to be a small part of what God has already done for Olga, Peter and Kareen. But I don't think our job is done.

Olga needs us.

I don't want her to spend one more forsaken day in that place than she has to.

We're not doing a giveaway here today. I don't even think we need to do one- I know so many just have a heart to help and to give, and prizes were never the real reason we all gave anyway.

So I'm just asking- for one day- for you to do whatever you could to help Olga. Whether that's $10 or $20 or even a hundred...if you are able to help raise this money for the dossier, please do so HERE...

This is the link for the Family Sponsorship Page on Reece's Rainbow...every single dollar goes to the Abell's adoption fund, and every single dollar will help.

We're calling this A Day to Save Olga, because there are about 17 of us blogging mamas who have set aside this day to blog, post on Facebook, pray, give and spread the word to SAVE OLGA.

Will you help us?

I know you will:)

Ella's Mirror Performance

2011-02-26T08:31:00.001-08:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Surgery Update

2011-02-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I am happy to report that Ella is officially Central Line free!!! We arrived at Loma Linda hospital at 8:15 where they promptly tried to tell me that I had a 10% copay of $365 dollars. I told them that I had an HMO which was making me come to this hospital and therefore I shouldn't have any copay. If I wanted to pay 10% of the procedure, I would have used my PPO which requires me to pay 10% and I would have stayed with CHOC like I would have preferred. Of course she deferred to the billing office and sent us on our way with an envelope to send the payment in later. I called our insurance to figure out if we should be paying 10% and they said absolutely not!! But no one in registration was available to take the time to call them to clarify this so.......looks like it is up to me to get it straightened out. I guess that sometimes having good insurance that allows us to use either our HMO or PPO can be a bad thing because there can be confusion, but I hate it when people are too lazy to do THEIR job!! Anyway, so then the gal at registration gives me some paperwork and says to go to the 2nd floor to the 2800 unit. So we go upstairs and to a nurses station. After standing there waiting for a few employees to finish their own personal chats, someone finally asks me if they can help me. I said I was told to come to the 2800 unit. She says "This whole floor is the 2800 unit, where are you going" Uughh!! Just ask me what we are here for and direct me, don't play games!! Of course I was in the right place and they checked us in. Once we got back to the observation/recovery room, people finally seemed to start acting normal and nice, thank goodness!! Don't take that to mean that everything was fast and efficient though. Yesterday I mentioned that Ella has had an ongoing runny nose and we weren't sure if they would be willing to put her under anesthestic or not. So the nurse checks her out and then the nurse practicitioner who will be doing the procedure. Of course due to her crying whenever anyone touches her now (yes, she has finally had enough of medical people!!) she was quite full of nasal congestion and proceeding to throw in quite a few coughs in front of people. Anesthesiologists don't like coughing so I was really worried that they would cancel her. But on the advice of Heather, I just kept saying how we think she has allergies and she only coughs when her nose gets stuffy etc. etc. THREE AND A HALF HOURS after arriving there, the anesthesiologist finally looks at her and decides that they will proceed. Can you imagine how upset I would have been if we spent all that time there for NOTHING!! So finally after another hour passed, they took her in and did the procedure easily. She was tired the rest of the day but got back to herself fairly quickly. When I tried to feed her for the first time that evening, she threw it all back up but at bedtime I gave her just a small amount of formula and some water and she seemed to hold that all down and she isn't awake yet this morning so hopefully all will be well today. Thanks for all your prayers and support once again!!

The Brown Outfit (and a quick prayer, please)

2011-02-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

I truly believe that next to my own kids, I am in love with Ukrainian Princesses more than anyone else. These little girls (and boys) who are made to live in an orphanage simply because they were born with Ds just breaks my heart. I am so thankful for the families that step out in faith and do WHATEVER it takes to bring them home to a family. Someday maybe our family will be able to bring one home but until then, I do what I can to donate and love on them. When the ones that I first fell in love with (Dasha and Sofia) started to come home, I couldn't help but want to send gifts. I found this cute little brown outfit at Costco and started buying them for all the little ones that were on their way home. Thankfully all of their nice Mommies were kind enough to send me pictures of them wearing their outfit. Of course I had to buy one for Ella too since they are all her special friends. In fact, we have been lucky enough to meet them all in person except for Dasha but I guarantee that it will happen in the near future!! Ella has a picture that Dasha sent her wearing the outfit that she carries around with her and says "Asha". Makes me melt every time!! So, of course, the inventory of these outfits at Costco is long gone so I can no longer purchase them for all of the new Princesses who are coming home. So we have all decided that these outfits should be passed along so that we can get a picture of them all in these outfits :)

Sofia was the first one home (since I started following)

and what a gem she is. Her family was definitely blessed

when they found her!!

We call Dasha, Ella's soul sister, they are only 8 days apart!!

She was my first love!! I have made it my mission to get

her and Ella together soon!!

Darya has quite a little story. Hers was the first of,

what I hope is many, amazing fundraising stories. An

11 year old girl raised the entire amount needed to
bring her home (and then some) in just 8 days!! So

many people fell in love with little girl from afar!!

And then there was Arina. Her forever family found

her hidden among the many faces on Reeces Rainbow and

I don't think many people had noticed her before. But, let

me tell you, this is one beautiful little girl!!! We are hoping that her family

will be moving near us very soon and we look forward to getting lots of loving

on her!!

And of course, here is my Sweet Ella. The inspiration

for my love of these Ukrainian Princesses!!

Okay...so here is the next Princess that needs to come home!! Her family will be traveling in less than a couple of weeks and they are still $4000 short. Please try to give a little something if you can. Every little bit will help and poor Lera has been waiting for sooooo very long!!! Please go to this site to donate...it is tax deductible! http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorhigbie

And finally, a quick prayer. Ella is scheduled to get her central line removed tomorrow morning. I am so anxious to get it out so that we can stop worrying about infection but I am a little worried that they won't want to put her under since she has had a runny nose (forever!!) We talked about it over the phone and they said they can't make the final decision until they see her in person. I guess it depends on the amount of congestion or something. So please pray that (1) she can actually have it done and (2) that there will be no complications. We feel that this will be one step closer to normalcy for us. And besides...don't you think she needs a few less tubes hanging out of her body????

Updates and Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I cannot believe how neglectful I have been of this blog lately. I think it is because life has been soooo wonderfully boring, that I don't even know what to write. We have been home from the hospital for almost 2 months now and I just can't believe how nice it is. I find myself not wanting to venture away very much because I appreciate being here so much. Ella has just been in heaven being able to spend her days cruising around the house freely. I literally cannot keep up with her CONSTANT mess making and you know what...I don't mind. She is doing great and feeling great and rarely will we find her without a smile on her face!!! We had our monthly follow up at the oncology clinic last week and her blood counts looked awesome. I find myself questioning that her numbers are too high now because I was so used to them being so low all of her life. I guess this is what things look like when the bone marrow is working like it should. For example, her platelets were rarely over 100 before and now they are 400!! Keep up the good work Ella. I will admit that the day we went in to get results, I found myself very nervous to hear what the results were. I don't think that this feeling will ever go away but at least for another month, we can relax.

And in other good news....in my last post, I made a plea for the Plummer family who are very close to bringing little Barbara home from EE but they still needed $17,000. Well, I am happy to report that they are now only in need of about $1,500. Unbelievably, a complete stranger to them sent a check for $13,000!! Can you believe that!! So between that and many other people giving what they could, they are very close. If you are still able to help them out, please see my previous post for the link. And thank you to those who have already donated.

Ella's birthday party/celebration of life is going to be on March 19th. Anyone who is going to happen to be in Southern California on that day, please let me know so you can come :) We already have some special visitors flying in and we would love to have more.

Here are some random pics from the last couple of weeks since I have posted.

Ella is practicing for preschool in a couple months

A crayon in her mouth but no food...hmmm!!

Check out all this new hair!!

Pretty in blue

Giving the horse a kiss

Still not interested in riding the horse though!!

Barbara's Family Needs Our Help Now!!!

2011-02-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

Sweet Barbara is sitting in an orphanage in Eastern Europe waiting for her family to come and get her. Her family is VERY close to traveling and still have quite a bit of money to raise. Some of their back up plans are falling through so they are literally relying on the generosity of others to bring this precious girl home. I know everyone has been so wonderful to donate so that kids with no families yet can have a large grant but I feel so strongly that we can't abandon these families that have already committed to bring a child home either. PLEASE consider donating something, anything will help. Just click here and on the right hand side of the blog, you will see a donate button. Thank you so much!!!

Heartbroken!

2011-02-03T07:46:00.001-08:00

Sweet Lois earned her Angel wings today. She fought a tough battle with leukemia and is finally at peace. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers!!

Living Life One (Play) Day At A Time (A visit with Darya and Abby)

2011-01-27T15:57:00.001-08:00

It has been one month since Ella finished her last chemo treatment. This is a strange place we are in right now. We are beyond thrilled to be done and be able to be home but at the same time, we always worry about the leukemia coming back. It is as if I am afraid to get too comfortable or it just might rear its ugly head again. But then I remind myself that we can't worry about the what ifs, we just have to live in the day. Ella has been feeling great and just making gains daily in her activities and speech. That is what is so nice about being 2 years old. Ella NEVER thinks about "what if the cancer comes back." She just has fun every single day! She is happiest if she can get outside or if she has a little friend to play with. I am so enjoying seeing her learning to be social. We had her first transition meeting to talk about her going to school I can't believe that she will be going in just 2 months! She seems so little to me but yet, I think she will love having friends to play with all the time.

We finally received the insurance authorization to get her central line removed. Of course, now I have been waiting for the past 2 days for the hospital to call me back about getting it done. I will feel so much better and worry so much less if she were to get a fever once we get that line out.

Today, we got invited for a playdate sy Abby and Jocelyn's home. They live on a ranch and have the cutest little pony. Ella loved the pony until it was time to get on its back. She didn't really like that. Abby is typical and is a few months older than Ella. She has a baby sister who has Ds. It is so neat to watch Ella with Abby. They seem to really enjoy each other. Now, if only Abby could convince Ella how much fun it is to eat!!

Ella getting ready to go to Abby and Jocelyn's

Abby pushing Ella in the swing

Ella was enjoying the tricycle...if only her legs were just a little bit longer!

Ella won't eat food, but apparently she will eat dirt

Giving the pony a kiss

So not liking this pony riding thing!!

But it sure does feel good to run your hands in the dirt!

She really does like the pony from the ground level

Is he going to eat my flower, mom?

One more attempt to ride the pony

A couple of weeks ago we were blessed with a very special visitor. Little Miss Darya, another Ukranian Princess was in town visiting from Florida. We were fortunate enough to have them visit us. It was beyond delightful to get to meet this beautiful little girl and her amazing family. She and Ella were so cute together and she is just as adorable in person as you would think. I only wish I could have caught the cuteness on camera...they were always too busy moving around!!! Thank you so much Fick family for taking the time to stop by!!

Darya attempting to show Ella how this eating thing works

I had to squeeze in a quick moment of loving from the sweet one

Going for a quick drive around the neighborhood.

This is an wonderful keepsake that was brought back from the Ukraine.

Don't let these pictures fool you.....she wasn't really eating the chocolate cake. However, she did get a few bites near to her mouth so that is some progress. But this just goes to show you the uphill battle that we have. If she won't devour chocolate, what hope is there ;)

So Frustrating!!!

2011-01-26T13:27:00.001-08:00

Just look at the great feeding skills that Ella has. Yep, she can hold the spoon nicely, and make it all the way to the mouth just fine. Unfortunately, it isn't HER mouth that it is going to. Nope, she is feeding Elmo beautifully but has absolutely no interest in feeding herself. Oh well, we will continue to wait...and hope....and pray!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ella Says Her Friends' Names

2011-01-24T20:52:00.001-08:00

This is one of Ella's friend posters from the hospital. She looks at it all the time and has started to identify some of her friends. She now says "Oey" (Zoey) and "Asha" (Dasha). I love how excited she gets over seeing her friends.

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Great News!!! And Picture Overload!!

2011-01-14T15:57:00.001-08:00

I have been needing to do this post for quite some time but was kind of waiting for one final bit of information before writing it. As you know, Ella finished her last round of chemo on December 20th. Then the following week, she had one final bone marrow biopsy to make sure she was definitely in remission. Part of what they look at in the bone marrow biopsy is called Cytogenetics which basically is looking at the chromosome of the bone marrow cells at the molecular level. If there are still some chromosomal abnormalities at this level, then that can mean that the treatment didn't completely work. We got the primary results on the marrow back last week and everything was clear but we were still waiting to see if she was in remission at the molecular level as well. This would tell us if the treatment was successful. Well, I am happy to report that SHE IS IN REMISSION IN HER BONE MARROW AND THE MOLECULAR LEVEL!!!! I definitely breathed a big sigh of relief today followed by many Thank You God prayers!! I know that it is completely normal during this transition period to worry about the leukemia coming back and we will never be able to stop worrying about that as nothing in the world of cancer is certain, but for now, all is good and we are planning on settling in here at home. In my heart, I knew that Ella seemed so full of life and energy and looked better than ever. But then my mind takes over and you talk yourself out of feeling very confident. I pray that I will be optimistic more than not from now on but of course relapse will never be far from my mind as is the same with any parent of a child with cancer.

So now what? We are waiting for a referral from our insurance to get her central line taken out. This will be an outpatient procedure but she will need to be sedated. I am hoping that this will be able to take place in the next couple of weeks as the worry of a line infection is always present. How nice will it be not to have to flush her lines everyday, change the dressing once a week and worry about it getting wet in the bath. Without her central line, she will be able to enjoy the swimming pool and beach. Unfortunately for me, this means that I will have to put on a bathing suit this summer :( No more excuses!! Right now, Ella has three lines of tubing under her shirt. Two for her central line and one for her G-tube. It will be so nice to only have one to deal with and then hopefully, someday when she decides to eat, she will have none!!

Once again, I thank EVERYONE for all of your support, love and prayers through this whole process. We seriously couldn't have gotten through this without you. But please continue to keep Ella in your prayers as we need to fight against this nasty cancer forever!!!

Now on to a major overload of pictures to catch you up on the last couple of weeks. Hope you don't fall asleep by the end!!

I call this her "Staying Alive" pose

Ella has taken to feeding herself already :)

Don't you just love the true happiness on her

face in this photo?

Nothing beats riding on Daddy's shoulders!!

All snuggled up after a bath

My new outfit from our local Ds group.

Ella's nun pose

Ella delivering home improvement flyers door to door

Daddy and his mom who was visiting from Montana

Our three girls

The girls with Grandma Vollmer

Ella and Grandma...this was her first visit to meet Ella

The "OH MY GOSH" pose

We reorganized the living room and now Ella has a play area.

Sisters swinging!!

Ella had a playdate with her friend E-V who is a few months

younger and also has Ds. They were so cute together but were

very hard to photograph as they rarely stopped moving!!

Ella being silly for E-V's mom's camera.

Just barely sitting down on the couch...

Here E-V, would you like me to read this Elmo book to you?

No? Well then I guess I will read to Elmo instead.

Taking a stroll out front

Enjoying lunch at Applebees.

Boy, are we tired!!!

Ella giving her big sisters a big squeeze!!

Ella and "that thing" settling in on her new Dora couch/bed

(anyone know the name of that thing from Dr. Seuss?)

Ella really likes this "thing"

I mean, she REALLY likes this "thing"

These days at home sure do wear a girl out!!!

Speech Therapy Or A Translator?

2011-01-11T21:50:00.001-08:00

Ella has definitely found her voice lately. Unfortunately, we aren't sure what language she is speaking. In this video she is "running" around trying to find her sister and yelling the whole time. But she will talk away like this in the car, the store, all day long. There are some English words thrown in there and there are definitely some consistencies in her other language words. I would just like to know who is teaching her this language....does anyone else's child speak this language :)

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Ella Up To Her Funny Antics

2011-01-04T22:00:00.001-08:00

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Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

To all our friends, near and far, we wish you a Happy New Year!! May 2011 be your best year yet!! Of course we are sure looking forward to a fresh start to our year, hopefully leukemia free!! If I haven't said it enough, we can't thank you all enough for all of your support during the last 8 months. We couldn't have made it through without you!!

There Is So Much Hope........

2010-12-27T22:09:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I read two blog posts that simply made my heart happy!! They were about two little girls whom I fell in love with a year ago. Two little girls who lived in an orphanage only because they were born with Down syndrome. I donated to their Reeces Rainbow accounts and wished so much that it was our time to adopt one of them. But God had other plans, he already had two families picked out that he wanted to raise these beautiful little girls. As much as I would have loved to adopt either one of them, I am so thrilled that the Sanchez and Smith families were chosen for them. After donating to Reeces Rainbow, I received these beautiful ornaments with Sophia and Dasha's pictures on them and I will cherish them FOREVER!! For these two little girls have opened my eyes to the wonderful world of adoption and that these precious kids who have been all but forgotten in their countries do indeed have so much hope.....all they need is a family to love them. Just see for yourselves below!!

My ornament of Sophia hanging in the middle of our tree

Sophia spending her first Christmas with

a family...can you even imagine how
much her life has changed!!

Here is the very precious Dasha. She was the first face

I fell in love with and I will always have such a special

love for her!!

Look at Dasha now...she has only been home about a

month now but she got to celebrate with a family

who loves her very much this year. I just can't

stop smiling!!

Ella Rocking Out With Abbey and Auntie

2010-12-26T22:59:00.001-08:00

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Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T15:55:00.000-08:00

What Has Ella Been Up Since She Got Home?

2010-12-23T01:49:00.001-08:00

I tell you what! The child has been raking in the gifts this week! Some were waiting for her to get home and some arrived the last two days. So she has been having fun playing with ALL of her new things. The child literally has not stopped moving other than to sleep since she got home. I guess that is what happens when you are confined to your crib for 3 weeks at the hospital. I am not kidding, she just walks around the house and goes from one thing to the next the whole day. I think the only time she sits is when I put her in her high chair to feed her and she is watching TV. She is absolutely loving being home and we are loving having her here. Here are a bunch of photos of Ella with her new things. There is a video at the bottom and I know sometimes it doesn't show up so just click refresh and hopefully it will appear then.

Here is Ella enjoying her new purple octopus from

Ruby's family...it makes a great pillow.

or a great hat!!

Could this cupcake hat be any cuter??? It was

a gift from Addy and her family

Ella is kissing her new Pillow Pet from Anna and her family

Nothing new here, I just thought this was a cute picture :)

I wasn't able to get a good picture of Ella reading

the books so here are some gifts and an adorable

sign from William and his family.

This is Ella's new thing to do with her DVD's. She walks around

with them on her index finger. Kinda smart like she knows

you shouldn't get your fingerprints on them.

This is an immediate favorite Playmobil set given to Ella

from Maggie Rae and her family

Okay...this is where things get interesting :) This is an

adorable Tutu given to Ella from her soul sister in Rhode Island,

Emmie and her family

Apparently, this is what big sister Emma thinks the tutu is for

Is this right, sissy? (Don't you just love the bald head?)

I think we have it right now!

At first glance, one would think that Ella is doing great with her

occupational skills in being able to successfully open this present. However, there

are two problems here. First of all, it isn't Christmas yet and secondly, this gift isn't for

Ella!!! She just grabbed it from under the tree and opened it up...sigh!!

And finally, here is a video of Ella playing the piano with Joe's mom who is

visiting from Montana. This is the first time she has met Ella. I think Ella does

a pretty good job with those high notes!

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Guess What??????

2010-12-20T22:49:00.000-08:00

A certain little bald headed darling has been released from the hospital, hopefully once and for all. Her counts started coming up from zero on Friday and as of yesterday her ANC was 260. The doctor said that as long as she had a decent jump up today, she would get to go home today even if she wasn't quite at 500. Well, today the little Angel's ANC was 806!!! She was good to go and after a red blood cell transfusion (hers were just a little low and they didn't want to have us need to come back before Christmas) we were sent packing!! In true Vollmer fashion, we stopped to eat on our way home. Ella didn't seem to miss a beat and acted as if she has been living life freely forever. When she got home, she spent quite a bit of time exploring the newly decorated house. Needless to say, we all have great big smiles on our faces.

We will have to go in for a bone marrow biopsy the week after Christmas just to make sure everything looks good and then make clinic visits, weekly, monthly and so on for quite some time. But as long as we can stay out of the hospital, we will be singing praises for a long time!! Thank you to everyone who was praying that Ella would be home in time for Christmas. They worked!! My only complaint is that I didn't get my wrapping done which will now be a little bit trickier with my "helper" home.

They gave Ella a little 'Happy Last Chemo Party' today

before we left.

Enjoying the Christmas tree

"Who is this new person who is almost my size?"

Hanging out in sissy's bed talking to her peeps!

Getting some piano practice in

And The Winner Is..........

2010-12-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

The lucky winner of the Reeces Rainbow quilt is Alicia Vanderwall. Thank you to everyone who entered. Megan is now $350.00 closer to her goal. Since I was in the hospital yesterday and today, I had to improvise. So, as you can see below, I used a barf bowl to hold the drawing papers. Don't worry, it was clean!!

Thank you once again for everyone's generosity. If there is anyone else who would really like a Reeces Rainbow quillow, they can be purchased in whatever colors you prefer for $50. You can contact Megan directly at blond2435@yahoo.com and put "quillow" in the subject line.

And a quick Ella update: She is doing well today. Her cold seems to be settling down with only a few coughing fits today. And her g-tube site hasn't gotten any worse. The ultrasound was negative for any abscess and the GI doctor tried loosening to tube a little to see if that was causing the irritation. Hopefully it will look better tomorrow.

Uugghh!!! And Thank You!

2010-12-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who donated money towards little Sophia's family to help cover the initial costs of her adoption. We were able to raise over $350.00 which is wonderful but is just a small dent in the $2000 that they still need to cover home study costs. So, if there is anyone who would still like to donate money for initial costs, please go to Megan's blog at A Journey of the Heart and you can use her chipin button. I know this is a tough time choose who to donate to with so many great causes out there but I so appreciate those that chose to help Sophia. Megan is really going on faith that God will provide the money necessary for her to complete the adoption and I know that God is using us to help her. We will be doing the drawing for the Reeces Rainbow quilt today or tomorrow and I will announce the winner shortly after.

Now, for an Ella update. Ella has been fighting a cold since we first started this round. It seemed like it had gone away this past week but then it seems to have come back with vengeance the last few days. They have determined that she has something called the Adenovirus which can cause respiratory problems. Her chest xray looks fine and her lungs sound good so far so they are just keeping a close eye on her and doing breathing treatments a couple times a day. Because of this, we are basically in isolation now so we can't leave the room which is a bummer.

She has also had some abdominal tenderness the past few days. Whenever we would pick her up, she would whine and pull her legs up towards her chest. Today her G-tube site looked kind of red and swollen. I am thinking that this could be the cause of her pain. They took her down to do an ultrasound of the area to make sure there there isn't an abscess so hopefully we will get those results later tonight. So, although we aren't dealing with super serious things at this point, we aren't quite sailing through this round like we hoped to. I guess the good news is that we would be in the hospital right now anyway waiting on her counts so she is in good hands and we aren't being delayed at this point. Speaking of her counts, they are almost down to zero, hopefully we will hit it in the next day or two and then wait for them to start coming back up. We are still very hopeful that we will make it home in time for Christmas. But we would sure appreciate continued prayers for none of these little things to turn more serious and keep us here any longer than necessary.

Here is Ella being wheeled down to get her ultrasound.

Here is Emma getting her Honor Roll recognition

These are a few attempts at getting a

Christmas picture of Ella. It was the first

day she was free from her IV lines last week

and she wouldn't stop moving for anything!!

I Feel All Warm And Fuzzy!!!

2010-12-11T00:20:00.001-08:00

Boy, I must say, you guys really have come through for me. I really feel loved again and my faith in you has been restored!! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who took the time to donate for little Sofia so her family can start the process of bringing her home. (Sorry that I had to play the guilt card the other day but like I said, I am competing against people raffling off electronic gadgets!!) THERE IS ONE MORE DAY TO GO IN THE RAFFLE........IT WILL END SATURDAY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. And for those who haven't been able to donate, let me tell you that many people only donated $5 and we are up to over $300!! See how those small amounts add up if everyone chips in just a little.

So, for anyone who may still want to donate, scroll down to the two previous posts and find the chipin....I promise that it will be quick and painless. And once again, for those who may need a little more incentive, here is another picture of Ella to entice you a little. Remember, for those that donate, you get the added bonus of a kiss from Ella :)

Does No One Love Me ??? :(

2010-12-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

I feel so unloved!! I can't believe that none of my dear, treasured blog friends have donated $5 to try to win the Reeces Rainbow quilt and more importantly to help Megan bring Sophia home. When I saw the quilt for the first time, I told Megan that we had to raffle one off.....everyone loves the RR kiddos and would love a quilt of their own. Was I that wrong? And in case you were wondering, yes, I am playing the guilt card. I need some kind of competition against everyone who is raffling off Ipads and Itouch etc. PLEASE!!!! It's only $5. And I know that all of your hearts are with raising money for these kids so they can have a family step up for them. But Sophia already has someone who loves her but needs some help getting the ball rolling. Maybe I should use Ella to draw you in :) I know you all love her! And she will send you a big kiss if you donate too.

So.....if you feel so inclined to donate, see my previous post or click here

Reeces Rainbow Quilt Raffle

2010-12-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

I know many of you have already fallen in love with Sophia from Reeces Rainbow. Well, I am happy to report that Sophia has found her forever family and they have committed to her. Megan from Journey of the Heart has taken a big leap of faith and committed to Sophia and is now desperately trying to finish raising the initial funds needed to get the whole adoption process started. Megan makes these beautiful Quillows and actually made one for each member of our family and we love them. When I saw the one she made with the faces of kiddos from Reeces Rainbow, I told her that we had to raffle one of those off. Megan will make one for the winner in whatever colors that person prefers. Look at those faces, who wouldn't want to snuggle under a quilt with them.

For every $5 you donate through the chipin button, you will get an entry into the raffle. If you donate $25, you will get 5 entries...you get the drill. Come on people, here is an orphan with a family that really wants to save her.....let's help Megan get this process started!!

A name will be drawn Sunday, December 12th.

Round 6 Has Begun!!!

2010-11-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

This is Ella's look upon arriving back at the hospital today. I am amazed yet so thankful that she doesn't mind being here at all. I am sure that part of it is that she gets so much attention all the time.

To catch you all up on our last week's events, Ella has done fine with the G-tube. She was definitely a bit sore to the touch for a few days and I think the feeds bothered her some as her stomach would be stretched causing some pain. But she is doing great with it now and we have worked back up to 7 ounce feedings (the goal is 8 ounces). The biggest problem now is keeping her from pulling the feeding bag attachment out of the tube and spilling her milk all over the place. We tape it like crazy but she has become quite proficient with working the tape over these last few months of having lines all over her body. So if anyone has any suggestions for reducing the amount of mess, I would greatly appreciate it.

We were released from the hospital last Tuesday and were home for a total of 7 hours before Ella decided to get a fever. When you have a central line, a fever can mean there is an infection in your blood and therefore you MUST come in to the hospital to receive IV antibiotics. So, we came back in through the ER about midnight. Her fever at home was 101 and in the ER was 100.5. They gave her Tylenol and we never saw the fever again. Of course nothing turned up in the lines but we can't take any chances. Thankfully, they didn't keep us the full 48 hours and let us out around noon on Thanksgiving day. We only had 3 days at home but we accomplished alot during those days and had some good times. This round will be exactly the same as her last round. Seven days straight of chemo and then sit and wait. Please pray that this round will be much less eventful than the last round. I really hope we can be home for Christmas!!

This was my favorite Black Friday purchase!!

Our new way of feeding Ella. I still can't believe

that I have an IV pole in my house. We try to keep

Ella occupied by watching TV and let the bear sit on her feeding tube so

that maybe she won't try to disconnect it!!

Ella's new poncho made by my Aunt Judy.

We had some special visitors on Saturday. Melissa and Claire from Moos Crossing (and her husband) were visiting from Colorado so we planned a little get together at my house. Laura and Ashley (and family) from Dear Laura, Love Sissy also joined us. We had a wonderful time and I can't wait to see them all again. The girls were quite funny together. Once again, Ella was a bit of a brute, finding it humorous to push Claire over from the sitting position. But she also tried to love on her as you can see below. Unfortunately, I didn't get many good pictures as my battery was dying and most of them came out blurry. (If you go to Ashley's blog above, she has much better pics)

Ella and Claire getting a little TOO friendly!!

Ella is showing the girls how to play with diapers

It was actually quite cute as they were all passing them
around like they were playing hot potato!!

Ella and Laura...aren't they the sweetest little Puritan

girls you have ever seen??

Trying to get a picture of all three of them together was

kind of a joke...this was the best I got.

G-Tube Update

2010-11-22T13:22:00.001-08:00

Well....Ella officially has a G-tube now. I think the most traumatic thing was prior to the procedure when I walked in to the procedure room and she seemed to know that something was up. But once they gave her the magic drugs, she slept peacefully. Within 15 minutes, the doctor came and got me from the waiting room. Ella was still asleep when I came in the recovery room but within a few minutes, she woke up and I think this was easiest wake up from a procdure yet. She started watching her video and talking to me like everything was fine. She is back in her room now and just hanging out. She doesn't appear to be in any significant pain. She was asking to get down on the floor but she has a drain coming off the G-tube for the next 10 hours or so and therefore I think we will need to stay put for the rest of today. So hopefully we get through a day or two of some pain and then we will be able to enjoy the benefits of having a G-tube. The plan is to give her a feed early tomorrow morning and as long as she tolerates it well, we should get the all clear to go home after that. Then we will have a home health nurse come out with supplies and get us all set up. Thanks for all the advice and support over this pain in the butt issue.

Here she is just minutes after the procdure. Still sleeping

peacefully in the recovery room.

Here she is about 30 minutes later back in her room

and watching movies.

Please Don't Be Jealous!!!

2010-11-22T01:13:00.001-08:00

But we got to meet the beautiful Arina Rugg today (well actually yesterday as it is after midnight as I post this). Can I just tell you that I am so in love!!! What is it about these precious kids that are adopted from Eastern Europe that just melt my heart!! Little Arina is the sweetest, most gentle little girl. And boy is she tiny!! Lacey always said that she was but you just don't get the perspective until you see her in person. Her family is doing Disneyland for a few days and happen to be staying less than 3 miles from the hospital. After their day at Disney today, they came to visit Ella. Unfortunately, Ella was a bit grumpy at that time. We went down to the lobby to visit with them and she was simply unsettled. So Lacey and I brought the girls up to Ella's room so we could get a few pictures of them. Ella was very sweet and gentle with her at first, then they shared the DVD player for a bit and then Ella decided to have some fun. Arina was sitting right next to her and mind you, she is just getting good at her sitting. Well, Ella gave her a little loving nudge and Arina just sort of fell over to the side. Ella thought this was quite funny and kept doing it over and over again. They were in her bed so it was a soft landing and to be honest, I don't think Arina minded at all :) Have I mentioned that I am in love!!! After their hospital visit, we left daddy here at the hospital with Ella and the big girls and I went to have dinner with the Ruggs and then went back to the hotel to hang out with them for a while. Since I didn't have Ella, I got plenty of snuggles in with Arina and got to sit on the floor hanging out with Jax too. Are you jealous yet? If not, here are a few pics to help you fall in love with her too!!

Checking each other out.

If you look closely, you can see a black and white polka dot

arm back there, giving Arina a little hug.

Attempting to get a picture of the two of them looking...ha!!

Probably the best attempt....

Watching TV together

Abbey holding Arina...she is in love too!!

Ella will be having her G-tube surgery at approximately 10 am pacific time so please keep her in your prayers that everything will go smoothly like they think it should. Then hopefully another 24 hours and then we can break out of this place for a few days. But it will likely be less than a week as she is all ready to start the next round. But we are kind of okay with the short break as it will give us a fighting chance at being home for Christmas. Tomorrow the big girls are going to Disneyland with the Ruggs and I am hoping to meet up with them once Ella is out of surgery and awake. We will also get to see Emily and her family too!!

Update And A Whole Lot Of Pictures!!

2010-11-18T22:01:00.001-08:00

I just couldn't bring myself to start off this post with the yucky pictures so I decided to put my new favorite one up first. Anyhoo........here is where we are with Ella and the feeding issues. It was decided a few days ago that we were going to go ahead and put a G-tube in Ella. For those who are unfamiliar, this is a tube that goes from her abdomen directly in to her stomach. Yes, this is a more invasive surgery than just putting a tube down her nose but since it would be in the stomach area, it would be much easier to cover it with clothing just as we do her central line. And besides, who wants a tube covering up that cute face of hers!!! This is where it got a little bit complicated. In order to put a G-tube in, they need to do an Upper GI scan just to check to make sure everything is okay in her abdomen area. Well...in order to do an Upper GI, you have to drink a contrast fluid. Ha!! Isn't the whole reason we are doing this because she won't drink anything??? Sooooo, today, they decided to sedate her and put an NG tube down her nose so that they could give her the contrast that way.

Well, they had to wait for her to wake up before they could give her the contrast so that she wouldn't accidentally aspirate the fluid into her lungs. How, you ask, did they keep her from pulling the tube out as she was waking up? By putting no-no's on her as shown here...

and here!! (notice she is managing to carry that

darn diaper though)

Basically, the poor thing can't bend her arms up to reach her face. But my mom said that it hasn't seem to bother her much and that she has figured out how to do almost everything she wants to. Unfortunately, she isn't able to blow kisses which is a real bummer as that is what everyone in the hospital looks forward to when they see her. By the way, I mentioned above that "my mom said" and this is because, once again, this mother of the year wasn't at the hospital today. They weren't planning on doing this so soon but her numbers were coming up and they hoped there might be a chance of putting the G-tube in tomorrow so needed to get the Upper GI done today. All in all, today's procedure lasted about 10 minutes and it wasn't much more than an xray so I didn't miss much. They have decided to leave the no-no's on overnight so they can try to give her a few feedings through the NG tube and get her stomach working again. I believe they will take them off tomorrow and see what happens in regards to her keeping the tube in or not. I don't think there are many people expecting it to stay in very long but you never know.

So yesterday her ANC was 20 and today it was 175!!! Unfortunately the surgeon wants it to be up to 750 to put the G-tube in so it is highly unlikely that they will be able to do the surgery before the weekend. At this point, they have her scheduled for Monday morning and then we would probably stay in another day just to make sure everything is healing okay. Then they will show us how to feed her using the tube and barring any complications, we should be home before Thanksgiving.....God willing!! We will still be working like crazy to get her eating by mouth but this will be our back up until she does and also to make sure her stomach keeps on working.

Is this not the most pathetic picture you have ever seen? I don't think she is really this sad, I think the photo just caught her this way. She received yet ANOTHER Build a Bear today through a different organization. I am sure it was just the right thing to make her feel better.

Now for some catch up from the last week in pictures.

This is one of Ella's feeding therapy sessions. The
therapist is using Elmo to help Ella want to eat. They

started off with a hug.

And then a "high five"

Now Elmo is attempting to feed Ella her bottle

Pondering whether or not the strawberry formula is

acceptable or not.

Now it is Ella's turn to feed herself. I believe she is praying

for the strength to make herself stick the bottle in her mouth.

Sorry for the bad quality of this picture but I thought it

was too cute to pass up. Do you notice Ella and Elmo's

matching "diaper" hats???

Eating at Spaghetti Factory with my cousin Robin who

came in for a visit from Oregon last week.

Here is Robin visiting Ella at the hospital. She hadn't seen

Ella since she was 3 months old.

Emma and her soccer coach

Abbey and her BFF Cami

"Mr. and Mrs. Baldie"

I would say that her energy is coming back,

she is moving so fast that she is blurry!!

Hanging in the sink with Build a Bear

number 1

A completely adorable hat made by a friend of a friend

just for Ella. The generosity of people never ceases to

amaze me!!

I just loved this outfit on her and tried my

best to get a decent picture of her in it. Not

very easy these days when dealing with a

moving target!!

Awww.......

2010-11-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

Hmmmmmm....

2010-11-14T16:18:00.001-08:00

Do you notice a theme here???? Diapers (don't worry, they are clean ones) seem to be Ella's latest comfort "blankie". She literally wants to be holding one all the time and goes to sleep clutching it as if it were a warm, fuzzy blanket. This child is getting stranger by the day.

No real progess on the eating front. She seems to be working better with her feeding therapist but there hasn't really been any great success in eating that would allow her to get off of her IV nutrition. They have weaned her down to about 12 hours a day so at least we can unhook her for a while each day. Her counts hit 0 yesterday and today was at a 14 so realistically we could be looking at going home by the end of this week. Normally I would be so excited at this prospect but because of these darn feeding issues, I find I am kind of hesitant. It sounds like they would more than likely send us home with the IV nutrition and she would be hooked up to for 12 hours a day...which at least we could do at night. But it sure takes away the excitement of the freedom at home. I keep hoping that maybe she will just start eating once we get home but I don't know if that is realistic. Other than that, Ella is doing well so I guess we should be thankful for that. Thanks again to everyone for all the prayers and supportive comments. They mean everything to us!!!

Notice Anything About This Face?????

2010-11-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

Yep!! You got it!! There is NOT an NG tube attached to it. That's right, attempt #2 was a complete failure!!! I am pretty sure that it was a record for the least amount of time a child has left one in. They got it placed in okay and put a few pieces of tape on and then let her rest because she was SCREAMING so hard while we held her down. While she "rested" she pulled it right out..immediately. Don't think it lasted a minute!! Oh, and did I mention that Ella was on Versed, a sedative, at the time. I was holding her arms down and it took all I had to keep her from moving around...I don't think the sedative worked!! Oh well....on to other things. Other things like praying that she will just start eating when she feels like it. Mouth sores are common in kids with chemo and although Ella hasn't had any before and we can't see any in her mouth, they can go all the way down the throat and into the stomach. So maybe she has some we just can't see that are causing her discomfort. Our other option is hoping the feeding therapy team can make some progress but I am not real hopeful on this account as Ella is quite resistive to them. Time will tell I guess.

Petechiae

2010-11-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

We started off the day thinking we were going to get a NG tube put down Ella's nose in order to be able to get some food in her stomach. We only ended up with petechiae!!! We haven't seen petechiae hardly at all since before Ella was diagnosed. For those not familiar with the term, petechiae are little red spots that show up when your platelets are low and there is strain in your body such as from crying. As luck would have it, Ella's platelets are quite low just due to her counts dropping and she was crying hysterically while we tried to do the NG tube. Ever since starting treatment, Ella's platelets hold very well other than when her counts are low and I guess she hasn't had any reason to cry so hard during any of the previous rounds when her counts were this low. So, although there is no reason for concern at all at the sight of these pesky petechiae, it still is no fun to see it on her face. You may have to enlarge the pictures to be able to see it very well.

As for the failure of the NG tube, as soon as we had her lay down on the table and held her down, she started crying pretty good, then as they quickly placed the tube in her nose and pushed it down her throat into her stomach, she went hysterical. With her having tiny passageways to begin with, once she started crying, things got real tight and they had a hard time getting all the way to her stomach. Then it would kind of push itself back up as she gagged and cried. They tried it twice and then said that's enough!!

Today has just been kind of a rough day all the way around. It seems like ever since we tried to do the NG tube, she has been grumpy off and on. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. However, we may try the NG tube again tomorrow using some heavier sedation so that they can at least get it placed correctly. Standby for that outcome!!

As for mommy, I am feeling a little bit weary!! Tonight I had to miss Emma's playoff soccer game and it is times that this that it sucks to be stuck here at the hospital. I just look forward to being able to take care of my whole family in the same place again!!

Silly Ella

2010-11-07T23:59:00.001-08:00

Ella's dear friend Landon has been requesting a video of Ella, so tonight we had a little fun with the camera. Ella still doesn't want to eat but at least she is getting a little bit of her humor back!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Small Progress

2010-11-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Don't let these pictures fool you, she isn't actually drinking her bottle yet. I decided that maybe it would help if I put her in her favorite place in front of the mirror to try to get her to take her bottle. She would at least hold her bottle up to her mouth but as soon as I tried to tilt it enough for her to actually get some milk, she would push it away. But at least she was willing to put her mouth on it again. I am really starting to get worried that she will never eat again!!!

As for her rash, it is looking MUCH better!! Don't know if you can tell from the picture below but the redness has definitely subsided. I am really hoping that this is a step in the direction to recovery.

We have gotten out for a few walks today but she definitely doesn't have her full energy at all. It's not surprising since she isn't eating anything, I would have to imagine she is pretty weak. Since Ella was pretty much holed up in her room the past few days, everyone was sooooo excited to see her in the hallways. You would think she was a celebrity or something. Below are just some random pics that we took while out and about today.

Resting her head on a bench. I just thought her
profile looked cute here!!

Hanging out on the bench

Bandaging up Pooh.

More bandaging....look how gentle she is!!

Hanging out in the hallway...at least she is smiling!

Good And Bad!!

2010-11-04T23:28:00.001-07:00

Let's get the bad over with first. In answer to everyone's question......NO LUCK ON THE EATING!! She simply refuses to let that bottle pass her lips. When daddy got there today, he held her and I tried to "gently" force the bottle in her mouth but all she would do is cry and let it sit there with the milk falling out. So we gave up for now. The doctors agreed with me that it would be a waste of time for us to try to NG tube so they decided to start her on IV nutrition called TPN. Basically this will give her some calories and protein and the hope is that she will start to get her appetite back and then we will be able to stop it. The bummer is that she would have probably gotten to get unhooked from the IV if she was eating but now will be hooked up indefinitely!! Her energy level seemed to have dropped again today and even though we got out for a walk, it was mostly walk a few steps, sit down for a bit, walk a few steps etc. etc. And the rash on the back of her head doesn't really seem any better either. They took a swab of it today to see if it is a fungal or bacterial rash but we won't know anything on that until at least tomorrow. Please pray for her to turn around soon!!

Now on to the good stuff. We got a visit from Reid and his mom Cheri today. And I am happy to report that there were no injuries suffered this time (see this post) Reid was a little shy today so mostly wanted to hang with mommy and Ella was not herself either so it was a very quiet visit. I am sure that Cheri and I should be thankful as normally we probably wouldn't have been able to visit at all because we would have been chasing the kids all over the place. We had no luck getting a picture of the kids by themselves so of course the mommy's had to be in the photo too. Thanks to my old co-worker, Erica, who also came by to visit and was the certified photographer of the day as well as the child entertainer (of all the kids who were out playing on the floor). I have also attached a picture of Reid from Halloween so you can see his "true" personality. Isn't he the cutest!!!

While we were hanging out in the hallway for hours today, it was like social hour for all of the cancer warriors. Here is Ella hanging out with one of our new friends who has quickly become one of our favorites. This is Delilah and she is battling Neuroblastoma. We are madly in love with her and her wonderful family. It has been cute to watch the girls get to know each other. This is one of those pictures that has me realizing the differences in my life right now....Ella and her friend both hooked up to IV's.

Feeling Better.....I Think!!!

2010-11-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

When I walked back into Ella's room after being at home for a few days, I got a really nice welcome. She seemed happy to see me and was definitely much more lively today. We went on a nice long walk and visited friends that she hadn't seen in days. People actually noticed that Ella hadn't been out and about for a few days as she is usually out ALL the time!! So, even though her energy was back, our first attempt with a bottle was unsuccessful!! If she doesn't take one tonight or in the morning, they will be attempting to put a tube down her nose (NG tube). I can GUARANTEE that the tube won't last a minute so the girl had better get busy with some eating.

Now, on to my other concern. This rash on the back of her head. I don't know if these pictures do it justice but it is quite red and quite large!!! The Dr. doesn't seem to know for sure what it is for sure because normally this "chemo rash" is found on the hands and feet. But as numerous people have said today, they stopped trying to figure things out with oncology kids a long time ago....everyone is sooooo different.

We had a quick visit today from Emily and her mom Sara. Ella was totally fine until Emily got to laughing so hard that she was kind of screaming.....and Ella doesn't like screaming kids as shown in the picture below. But other than that, we had a very enjoyable visit with them. Thanks guys for making our day go by a little bit faster :)

This Is The Ella I Want To See!!

2010-11-02T20:40:00.001-07:00

Oh how I wish for this smile on her face again. The poor little one is still not feeling well and doesn't want to eat. They were talking about maybe sticking a tube down her nose to try to feed her today but I am just sure that she would hate that and just pull it right back out. My mom is there right now and I think that they agreed to wait until she finishes the chemo tomorrow evening and see if there is any change in how she feels. She had to get a red blood transfusion today as her hemoglobin was getting a little low and my mom said that she seemed to pep up a little bit after that. She hasn't left her room since Sunday which is completely unheard of for her. So, please continue to keep her in your prayers as we really want the old Ella back.

I know many of you have seen these pics already if I emailed them to you (except the one of Ella and Abbey which we just took the other day) but I wanted to post them for those who haven't seen them because I think they are just the cutest kids ever!! (I know, I am biased)

This is Emma's 10 year picture

And since I had a matching shirt for Ella, I decided

to sneak in a couple of sister shots. Don't you love
this one???

So, not to leave Abbey out, when we went

back the other day to do our Christmas pictures

before Ella went back in the hospital, we did

the quick change and I got this picture of
Abbey and Ella together (I think it is a bit

early to show you the Christmas pics :)

Poor Ella!!!

2010-11-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

Can you see it in her face? I think round 5 has finally gotten the best of my little Angel. This picture was taken on friday when we went down to the lobby for the hosptial Halloween party. She seemed okay then but shortly after this we were up in our room and a friend stopped by with her newborn baby. Whenever the baby would let out a little cry, Ella would bury her head in her arm. This isn't that unusual for her as she hates it when other kids cry or scream. But the next thing we knew, she had fallen asleep with her face buried. At the time I was quite amazed as she NEVER just falls asleep if there is anything going on. In fact, she rarely takes a nap at the hospital because someone is sitting in the room with her. But from that point on, she just slept or lay in her bed watching her videos. She wanted nothing to do with drinking her bottle and hasn't wanted a bottle since (this is Monday). The doctors and nurses don't seem the least bit worried as I guess this is pretty much the norm with most kids while they are getting chemo. We just aren't used to it. She is getting IV fluid so I guess they aren't worried about dehydration.

Today, she also had sort of an itchy rash on the back of her head. I guess it can show up with the chemo as well and they are just keeping an eye on it. They gave her some Benadryl to help with the itching. Her spirits have been pretty good and her energy levels aren't bad either but she still doesn't want to eat. She will (finally) be done with her chemo on Wed. at 5pm so I really hope that she will start to feel better by then. I know we have been so fortunate with just cruising through the chemo in the other rounds and this really isn't very bad but she just isn't the Ella that we are used to :(

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is ABSOLUTELY, BY FAR my most

favorite picture of my three girls, EVER!!!

Abbey, 11 1/2 Punk Rock Fairy

(oops forgot to bring her wings to the photo shoot)

Emma, 10 60's girl

Ella, 2 1/2 Scrariest Witch Ever!!

Pumpkin Patch Photos

2010-10-28T20:37:00.001-07:00

Bone Marrow Results

2010-10-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I forgot to add this to the post I did last night!! We got Ella's bone marrow biopsy results yesterday and she continues to be in remission. Thank you God!!

And as an update to my 7 days of Ella being hooked up to the IV......it already sucks!!! We are fine when we are out for a walk in the hallway but it is when we are in the room that she goes stir crazy being in her crib all the time. It is just too hard to let her roam free because there are too many things to get tangled up in when we are in the room. While we were out for our walk earlier, we saw a little 3 year old boy who Ella went right up to. It was kind of funny because she kept approaching him and he was very unsure about her and kept backing away and she just kept chasing him around. She was probably at least 6 inches shorter than him so it was kind of comical to see him running away from her. My tough little girl!!!

Back In The Hospital For Round 5

2010-10-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Round 5 is officially underway as of 5pm today. Ella will be hooked up to the IV receiving chemo for 7 days. I fear that it will be a long 7 days having her hooked up but we have no choice but to push through it. Yes, she is getting chemo for a much longer period this round but thankfully it is a much lower dose than previous rounds so hopefully she will still tolerate it well. As you can see from the picture above, Ella came right back in with a smile on her face. As I pushed her in the stroller from the parking garage, she literally waved at every person we passed. And then when we got back up to the oncology floor, she walked around saying her hellos until the nurse finally made her come back in the room to get checked in and hooked up. I am so thankful that Ella is young enough not to understand exactly what is going on as I am sure the transition to come back in would be so much tougher each time.

Below are a couple of pictures from when we were home. We weren't home long enough to accomplish much but we did at least get to the pumpkin patch but I will post those in another post.

This goofy girl is walking around holding

a diaper (yes, it is clean) under her chin. I

really have no idea why!!

We attended my step sister's wedding this past Saturday

and I was able to get a decent pic of the three girls. Ella

wasn't the most cooperative though.

Trying to get a picture of Emma and Ella after Emma's

soccer game (at which she scored all 3 goals :) but once

again, Ella wasn't exactly cooperating!!

If You Are In Southern California.........

2010-10-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Remember a few months ago when a gal at my husband's work did a fundraiser for us? Well, she put on the most amazing event and it was a huge, wonderful success!! She is at it again. Only this time, she is helping a wonderful woman raise money to adopt through our very favorite REECE'S RAINBOW!! Megan is a single lady who has a huge heart for special needs and adoption. She hasn't officially committed to a child yet because she is still working on coming up with the funds you need to commit which is a few thousand dollars. Hence the fundraiser. It is being held in Santa Ana, CA so if you live in the vicinity, please consider attending. IF you are unable to attend, you can still help. Megan has started a blog and she has a chipin button that you can donate money on. It is very simple. Please visit her blog at http://myjourneyoftheheart.blogspot.com/ (for some reason with my blog design, the link isn't highlighted but if you run your cursor over the website, it will show up and you can click it to jump to her blog)

I know many of us follow these beautiful orphans as they find their way to a family. I just love that Megan has the heart to venture out on her own to save one of these precious babies. Even if you can only contribute $5, please do. If you are unable to contribute at all, please offer up prayers that this fundraiser will be a success so we can get another child out of an orphanage.

Bone Marrow Biopsy Complete!!

2010-10-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today we had to go in to the clinic to do another bone marrow biopsy. They require one to be done at the end of round 4 for the study she is on. It is done using "conscious sedation" which means that she isn't put completely out but she is pretty much motionless and doesn't know what is going on and doesn't feel any pain. In the picture above, she is just coming out of her sedation. The Dr. gave her a little more than usual for some reason and it took her quite a while to wake up. Then it takes her about 30 minutes of flopping about before finally gaining some control of her body. It is actually quite hilarious to watch her as she wakes up. First she just started talking but her body wasn't moving at all. Then she keeps trying to sit up and her head is just flopping around. It literally seems like she is drunk. Of course, I never like my daughter having to have any procedure but let me tell you, it is no big deal at all now that we have the central line in. So for that I am thankful. I used to dread this procedure strictly because of how hard it was to get an IV into her arm. We won't get any results for a couple of days but the doctor doesn't feel there is any hint of anything being wrong in her bone marrow. Of course, I will never let myself get quite that confident when it comes to this horrible disease so please continue to keep Ella in your prayers.

All of her blood counts looked great today so they are planning on us going back in to the hospital on Wednesday to start round 5. This will be our shortest stay at home yet but that is okay since we are just anxious to get it over with. The biggest bummer is that she will be getting chemo for 7 days straight which means being hooked up to the IV the whole time.....which sucks with a toddler!!!

Since our weather has finally cooled down (for California anyway), I had to get all of Ella's "winter" wardrobe washed up and ready to wear. I feel like we have so many new things to choose from which of course means fun new pictures to take. However, I am quickly learning that getting pictures of her isn't very easy anymore since she NEVER stops moving!! Below are a couple of photos in her new leopard attire.

Well, That Was Short Lived!!

2010-10-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Ella has gotten quite good at recovering her blood counts. Well at least she has gotten good once we are OUT of the hospital. Last monday, when we left the hospital, her ANC was 276. Three days later, her ANC was 2,587!!! It had to reach 1000 in order for her to be ready to start the next round of chemo. Normally this has taken her almost 3 weeks to do which meant 3 weeks at home. But this time, it took her three days???? So as of now, we will be doing a bone marrow biopsy on Monday which is protocol at the end of round 4 to make sure she is still in remission and then assuming her numbers are all still good, we will go back in for round 5 on Wednesday. It is hard to believe that we are starting round 5. In some ways, it seems like we just started round 1. We are starting to see the finish line, but just barely. I find that I am more nervous about this bone marrow biopsy than I ever was of any in the past. Before, I always kind of knew what we waiting for and it wasn't much of a surprise. But now that Ella has officially been diagnosed with AML and is in remission, the fear of relapse is always going to be there....probably forever!! But since we can't dwell on that, we will dwell more on the fact that Ella will now most likely be in the hospital for Halloween. Not that she has any idea what she is missing, but I am a little bummed that she won't be in our Halloween night photo. The good news in all of this is that I think the timing may work out better now for us to be home for Thanksgiving and ultimately, finish this whole thing that much sooner.

This photo was taken after Ella's blood draw yesterday. Now that she is walking, she wants to walk EVERYWHERE!! So we spent some time walking around the Medical building and she found this little table to sit at. As always, she enjoyed making faces for mommy's camera.

Just wondering if anyone else can find any food on her actual mouth. I see it almost everywhere else but there.

Where is Ella???

There she is!!! (Oh wait, now there is some on her face)

My Beautiful Cowgirl!!

2010-10-20T20:49:00.001-07:00

After 26 Days, We Have Been Freed!!!

2010-10-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

It was a close call, but the powers that be decided that we could go home today. Ella's numbers have been climbing up the last few days and her hemoglobin and platelets looked great in addition to the fact that she never grew any bacteria in her blood. So even though her ANC was only 270 today, they decided to cut us loose. So round 4 finally comes to a close and now we hope that her numbers don't climb too quickly in order to allow us a decent amount of time at home before starting the next round. We were all packed and ready to go for over an hour but were stuck there waiting for the darn flu shot to come up from the pharmacy as they wanted to give one to her before she left the hospital. But finally, at about 2pm, we were free!!

Daddy was working nearby so we were able to meet for a quick hello as he would get home after she went to bed and have to leave in the morning before she got up. As you can see below, she was very happy to see her daddy!!

Of course, you must spend a little time being a fashionista when you get home as mommy is having a little too much fun buying hats right now. I was a little bummed though because she seems to be slipping back in to her old patterns of yanking the hat off her head almost as quickly as I get it on. I hope she breaks this habit quickly as I just ordered a few colorful knit caps for the Fall/Winter season!!

Signing In The Sink

2010-10-12T21:54:00.001-07:00

Of course we couldn't quite sail through this round as easily as last round. This morning, Ella's blood pressure was running low a few times in a row. She hasn't had any fevers but apparently the low blood pressure CAN be a sign of an infection in her blood. So they are being proactive and have given her some extra fluids and started some antibiotics. Her blood pressure has normalized since getting the fluid but now we wait a 24 to 48 hours to make sure that nothing grows in the blood cultures that they took this morning. We have been through the same thing in rounds 1 and 2 due to fevers and nothing materialized so I am praying that this will be the same. The good news is that she is feeling 100% fine and acting her usual self. The bummer is that we are now hooked up to an IV again which as you can imagine, sucks with a toddler!! This video was taken in her new favorite place to be (besides the hospital hallways), the sink in our room. I think she just likes looking at her self in the mirror. Hope you enjoy the video!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Throwing Things Out Of The Crib

2010-10-12T21:32:00.001-07:00

What else are you going to do when you are stuck in your crib!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Round 4 This and That

2010-10-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Couldn't they be sisters???? The top picture is Ella and the second one is little Arina/Makayla who is being adopted as we speak from across the ocean in the Ukraine. This picture of Ella doesn't show her eyes as well but I had to use this one because of the matching hats. But both girls have the same eye color and skin tone. Oh we can't wait to meet her when the Rugg family gets back with her!!

Today is day 17 in the hospital for this round and we were really hoping to match the last round and go home at 17 days but no such luck. Ella's numbers are low but she hasn't hit that turn around spot yet so it looks like it will still be a few days. We are hanging in there though. The truth is that Ella doesn't seem to mind terribly being there. It is a constant social hour for her.

I found that this was the round that I really started getting to know other families. Some that we have been seeing around the last few rounds and some new ones. This is really an eye opening experience as we learn about so many different types of cancer. It is also yet another chance to show me how truly fortunate we are. Again, I know this sounds strange when we are battling leukemia, but thankfully, with Ella, we haven't seen the true evil that cancer can cause. But some of these other kiddos are SOOO sick and have tumors in their heads that have caused a complete loss of abilities OR caused a disfigurement in the face OR caused the kids to be so sick that they can barely get out of bed. Yes, we have joined yet another club that we never thought we would join. However, this one, unlike the Down syndrome club, is not one that I am glad we have joined. But it is what it is and every day I see patients going about their day the best they can. The other day I saw two teen girls meet up in the hallway and one of them asked the other if they wanted to go hang out in the teen room. As I watched them walk in the door, both of them with IV poles tagging along beside them, it really hit me that we are all definitely in a club together (The IV pole gang). Again, I am so thankful for how well Ella is doing and I truly do see why the nurses say she is the bright spot on the floor. I just pray (and I hope you all will too) that this will continue until the end of our treatment!!

Here are a bunch more pics from the last few days.

Just hanging around....

Trying to run???

Picking up friends in the hallway..I don't think

that her "friend" is too sure about this though

Just being Ella...but check out the new pink

high tops!! They come in purple too (as you will

see in another picture) and can be found at

Babies' R Us

Feeding therapy.....nothing new to report here!

I just took this picture because Ella matches the

train perfectly AND it shows off her purple

high tops!!

Aren't these shoes the cutest? I just ordered them thanks to this post from Laura at Anne and Whitney

Of course after reading her post in which she talks about the great sale that Bugaboo shoes are having, I had to order a couple pair for Ella.

***I am not sure if it is the current wallpaper that I have on my blog or what, but for some reason, when I link things for you to refer to, they don't highlight on my blog. However, if you put your cursor on them, they will show up as an underlined link. Has anyone else ever had this problem?

Ella Update and Disneyland

2010-10-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry that is has been awhile since my last update. Ella has been doing just fine recovering from this round so there hasn't been much to write about. She had to get a red blood transfusion yesterday and her ANC has dropped to 154 so I am hoping that things will be turning around in the next few days so we can get the heck out of here. This round is exactly the same drugs as last round and she was only in the hospital for 17 days. Well, today is day 14 so I am really hoping that we only have 3 or 4 days left. However, I am trying not to let myself get too set on that yet. Here are some random pictures were taken the last few days.

Mommy and Ella being silly

Hmmm....what to do with this sock?????

Since I won't eat any food, might as well eat the sock!!

Ella is sitting on my bed with her new blanket

that our friend, Megan, brought by for her.

Megan is selling these "Quillows" in order to

raise money for an international adoption.

Please click on her name and check out her blog

Last thursday and friday, I took Emma to Disneyland for her birthday. We had a really nice time just the two of us. Below are some pics from their new AMAZING water show. I am hoping to entice some of my far away friends to come see it so that we can meet up :) Pictures don't begin to do it justice!!!

Finally!!! We Have a Working Button!!!

2010-09-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Okay.....another try at posting this button correctly. It looks right on my preview but will it look right when I hit "publish post" ...that is the question of the day.

Thank you so much to Kele from Giles family of 5 and Adrienne from Our Unexpected Journey who worked so hard to make this button. Now if everyone could please post it on their blog so that little Emily's face will be seen everywhere and people will remember to pray for her. Tomorrow (Thursday) is the day they will go in and get started on this big battle to beat leukemia. Please remember to visit their blog regularly to offer your support!!! Just click on the picture below to get there.

Button For Emily

2010-09-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Can someone PLEASE tell me how to put the little box under it with the code so that everyone can copy and paste this code to their blogs. I really want to get her face out there so that everyone can start praying.

DAMN LEUKEMIA!!!!!

2010-09-28T21:11:00.001-07:00

Leukemia has struck yet another member of our Ds community. But little does it know what it is up against. Little Emily is one tough cookie with parents who have a strong faith in God and a huge army across this nation and beyond who are already praying for her. Just like Ella before her diagnosis, Emily's doctor has been watching her blood closely for a few months because it started to show some anomolies. She frequently had low platelets and in the last month or so, her Dr. started to see some leukemia cells showing up in her blood. Another bone marrow biopsy was done yesterday and it showed that there were now enough leukemia cells present to officially diagnose her with AML (the same type of leukemia that Ella has). She will be admitted to the hospital on thursday to get her central line put in and then she will start chemo on friday.

Oh how I wish this precious Angel didn't have to go through this, but I am so thankful that her parents have such a positive attitude about it. It truly makes all the difference in the world. Please go to her blog and read the amazing post that her mother did in regards to this new journey they are about to set out on. You will be amazed at her faith. http://livinglifewithes.blogspot.com/ Please let this family know that you are there to support them. I can't tell you how much it helps me to have so many people supporting us!!

PLEASE PRAY FOR A SMOOTH START FOR EMILY THIS WEEK AS IT WILL BE THE HARDEST!! Isn't she just the most beautiful little girl you have ever seen?

Can anyone either help me with or tell me how to make a button? I want to get this face out there for everyone to pray for!!

Round 4 Chemo Is Done!!!

2010-09-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

Chemo finished yesterday around 5pm and they immediately unhooked her from the IV since she is doing a good job of drinking her bottles. I didn't realize how hard it was to have her attached to the IV pole until we got to go for our first walk FREE of all wires!! As you can see from the pics below, she had a WONDERFUL time!! Thankfully she only had that one bad day of feeling nauseous. Now we will wait for her counts to go down and come back up. I am really hoping that it will be a little shorter round like the last time. One can hope, right!! Thanks again to everyone for all the kind words and continued prayers.

How Is The Chemo Going This Round????

2010-09-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Day One and a Half....Feeling good with the Music Man

Day Two and a Half.....Not feeling so good, nauseous and even threw up once :(

Day Three and a Half.....Feeling good again!!!

My Confidence Has Been Shaken!!!

2010-09-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

We are back in the hospital and have started round 4 of chemo. But I have to admit that my positive attitude has been wavering a bit lately. A few days ago, another sweet girl with Ds, Lois relapsed. She had just completed the same treatment that Ella is undergoing a few weeks ago and was moving on with her life. Then suddenly and unexpectedly, she relapsed. She cruised right through her treatment just as Ella is doing with very few complications. She was considered 100% cancer free just 3 weeks ago. Now her family is dealing with how to get her back into remission and trying to find a bone marrow donor so they can do a bone marrow transplant. Of course the logical side of my brain tells me that this doesn't mean that the same thing will happen to Ella but this has definitely given me a reality check. Yes, our kids with Ds do generally fare better than their typical counterparts when it comes to winning the battle against leukemia, but there are no guarantees in this ugly world of cancer. So please, continue to pray for Ella to stay in remission as well as for successful treatment for darling Lois. And just as important, please register to be a bone marrow donor. It is very simple just go to this website and sign up. You never know who you may be able to help.

Please pray for this precious little girl!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Are You Seeing A Trend Here???

2010-09-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

Yep.....my child who had the quickest hand I ever saw at removing a hat from her head, is all of a sudden wearing hats. It all started with the witch hat to her costume. For some reason when she saw herself in it, she liked it and now she will wear a hat. She doesn't really NEED to wear a hat yet, she does still have some hair left although it has gotten quite short and thin and worst of all, I can't do her signature pony tail anymore :( So most of these pics were taken when she was just wearing a hat for heck of it. I feel like I want to keep her in the habit of wearing one as much as possible.

Can't remember if I posted about this last week or not but when we went to the oncology clinic for Ella's follow up last week, all of her blood counts looked great except for her ANC which had dropped down to 20!!! (She was 525 when we left the hospital the week prior). Anyway, for her to start her next round, her ANC needs to reach 1000. I was hoping that this week she would be over 500 so I would feel better about her immunities but not quite to 1000 so we could have a little more time at home. Guess what her ANC was yesterday.........3600!!!!! The little stinker jumped from 20 to 3600 in a week. So I had to beg and plead with the doctor to let us wait until next week to start round 4 because my mom is out of town right now and we need her to be around on my husband's work days. So as of right now, we will go back in the hospital next Thursday, the 23rd to start round 4.

I continue to be amazed at just how full of life Ella is. She is completely walking now, is almost always happy (except if she doesn't get her way)and continues to bring joy to those around her always. This amazes me so much because she is in the middle of chemo treatment!!! But I really think that it has much to do with her wonderful spirit....something that Ds kids are so blessed to have. A friend did a blog post yesterday about this very topic and I think she says it so much better. Please click on this link to check it out.

http://ourdailysmiles.blogspot.com/2010/09/if-heaven-is-perfect.html

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T09:42:00.001-07:00

Just Pictures!!

2010-09-13T09:58:00.001-07:00

We decided that we had better take advantage of our time home and get our Halloween costumes picked out. Especially since I do a picture of them every year and want to get it done before it gets too busy at JC Penney's as I don't want Ella near the crowds. Abbey is a self designed fairy, Ella the cutest witch ever and Emma is a 60's girl

I wasn't even going to buy a costume for Ella this year but when I saw this, I just couldn't resist....best $20 I have ever spent!!!

Yesterday was my nephew, Ethan's 11th birthday.

This adorable, reversible dress was handmade by Erin, a blog/facebook friend. It was sent along with a HUGE care package for Ella and me from a group of Ds moms in Michigan.....you guys are awesome!!

Ella getting an unwanted kiss from a dog my sister was dog sitting!!

Ella continues to practice playing the drums while she is at home.

Enjoying a nice night out to dinner :)

For those of you who don't know what a broviac line looks like....here it is!!

Another gift from a wonderful blog friend, Tracy. She also sent me a big button that I have attached to my purse.

She's A Real Walker Now!!

2010-09-09T20:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Ella finally started walking EVERYWHERE!! It was as if she finally got up the guts to start trusting herself. It simply amazes me how just like that she went from mostly crawling with the occasional walk thrown in to walking almost constantly.

You may notice on a few of her closeups that he hair is REALLY thinning now. She lost quite a few big clumps this last week and now I can no longer do her signature water spout pony tail. We have regressed back to just sticking a bow in her hair but let me tell you, it is literally hanging on by a thread!!

She seems to be feeling great but we have to be very careful with exposing her to anyone because in the last few days, her ANC count has dropped to almost zero, something that usually we would still be in the hospital for. This round is definitely alot different from the previous rounds as her platelets and hemoglobin are still looking great. Just another day in the life of the medical mysteries of a child with Ds!!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Guess Who Is Home...........

2010-09-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

I am......hahahaha!! (sorry for the horrible pic...it is my quick attempt at a joke)

Okay....well maybe this little one joined me as well :)

Yes, Ella got to come home today, just in time for the Labor Day Weekend. This round was so different than the first two. Normally by this time into the round, Ella's counts would be sitting at zero. Well a couple of days ago, we noticed that everything was starting to go up and it had never gone down to zero. In fact the lowest her ANC went was 490. Whatever the reason, the doctor said that due to the fact that her platelets were making big jumps the last few days and that her ANC is up to 544, her bone marrow is definitely recovering. I have no idea if she will get back to 1000 faster than usual or if her complete recovery will still take the standard 3 weeks, but I do know that we are just that much closer to getting to the end. Her timing couldn't have been any better since the big sisters are home for 3 days and now we can all just be home together.

Here are a few pics from the last day or two at the hospital....just having fun.

When we take our walks around the 3rd floor hallways, these animals are painted on the wall outside the OICU and Ella loves to stop and talk to them and then she ALWAYS walks away waving good bye and blowing kisses.

Here she is making her "ROAR" face

And this one is her "GRRR" face

This hat was sent to us from my husband's cousin. A friend of hers made a few of them for us to give to some of the girls on our floor which Abbey and Emma handed out last night. They had fun doing it. These pics are our attempt at getting a cute picture of Ella in it. But as usual, she doesn't cooperate much when trying to get a picture of her in a hat.

We Are So Blessed!!!

2010-09-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

I know this may be a strange title to have while we are knee deep in leukemia treatment for our 2 year old daughter, but the truth is, that sometimes it takes rough times to realize your blessings or to see the selflessness of others. Most of the big blessings we have received, I have already blogged about such as our wonderful and successful fundraiser. But today I wanted to write about the little things that some others have done that have really touched my heart.

This blanket was made by a gal who has never met our family. She is the co-worker of the husband of a friend of mine whom I worked with years ago. This gal happened to start reading my blog after my friend's husband shared about Ella being diagnosed with leukemia. She then made this blanket for Ella. I am just amazed at the generosity of someone to spend so much of their personal time making something for someone they don't even know. Just another Angel who walks among us!!

This is Sophie. She is the daughter of one of my dear friends. She only met Ella once when she was just a few months old but since Ella was diagnosed, her mother has told me that they have been regularly praying for her. Her school does a recycling drive where they see which class can bring in the most cans and bottles. The winning class then gets to use part of their winnings and gives away part of their winnings to a cause. The kids all suggested various things that they could do with their "give away" money and then they all voted. Well Sophie suggested that they could give the money to "a little 2 year old girl who was battling leukemia". They voted and Ella won!! How cool is that!! What I especially liked about this was that Sophie thought of this all on her own without her mom's suggestion. Below is a copy of the letter she sent to me along with a check for over $50!!! THANK YOU SOPHIE!!

This is Emily and Sydney, daughter's of another one of my dear friends (Don't I have great friends!!) One day they asked if they could do a lemonade stand out in front of their house and give the money to Ella. They live on a fairly quiet street so no one thought they would get very many sales but they persisted anyway. They made these very sweet signs (oops, Ella is only 2 years old) and flagged down everyone they could. When it was all said and done, they had collected approximately $35!!! Not bad for a quiet street, huh? I am thinking that there is some pretty good parenting going on in my circle of friends to be raising such thoughtful and caring kids who want to do for others!! They have definitely inspired me to want to make sure and encourage my own kids to do for others any chance they get. THANK YOU EMILY AND SYDNEY!!!

I have said more than once recently that I believe that part of the reason that my family is going through these rough times is to teach us some things about ourselves. The thing that has stuck with me the most is that I am realizing how many people out there are willing to do for others without expecting anything in return. For example, a neighbor bringing us dinner more than once, another neighbor sharing their gardener with us every other week or friends and family keeping my older kids for days or weeks over the summer. I know I could go on and on about the little things that people have done for us and I certainly don't mean to omit anyone's act of kindness, but these are all things that I don't think I would have necessarily thought to do for others before going through this trial myself. Something else that I have learned is that it is so VERY hard to say yes when someone asks if they can do this or that for you. Even if I know it would be a great help, it is hard to say the word, "YES!!". So, from now on, when I know of someone in need, I will do my best to just arrange and do the task that I want to for that person without asking them and making them give me that very difficult answer. Another lesson learned!!!

Now on to this little stinker.........

I decided that I can't always post adorable and sweet pics of her. Once in a while, we need to show the tough and rumble side of her. I really hope that she ISN'T practicing a very naughty "F word" in this picture though!! And Lori...if you are reading this, that pillow case you sent Ella has been one of the biggest hits!!!

I am not getting my hopes up too much yet, but from 2 days ago til today, her numbers have actually gone UP!!! Yes, UP!!! We need to see what her numbers look like tomorrow, but it could be that she isn't going to go all the way down to zero this round and she may already be starting to go back up. If tomorrow's numbers are up versus down, we may be looking at home in the VERY near future. I had been expecting at least 10 more days in the hospital....

12 Days In The Hospital And Still Smiling!!!

2010-08-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Hospital Fun

2010-08-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

So I was home for the last four days and was anxious to get back to the hospital to see Ella. I anticipated a big smile when I walked in the room, which I got, but it didn't begin to compare to look of excitement she had on her face when she saw her "friend poster" that I was finally able to bring in. Seriously she made the biggest "O" face and I am pretty sure she was jumping up and down in her bed. She loves looking at the pictures of all of her blog friends. While we were in between rounds, I got smart and had the poster board laminated so I could hang it down low so she could touch the pictures all she wants. I have a bunch more pictures that were hanging on the wall around the poster board last round that I am in the process of placing on a second poster board along with all of the new ones we have received. So soon she will have two of them to look at.

Here, I am not sure if she is kissing Addy or Max :)

OT wants us to give her some pureed food twice a day so here she is working with some applesauce. The stroller with the bear was sitting nearby so she pulled it up close and was feeding the bear too. It was so sweet!

Here she is taking a little bite

Maybe it's not so bad...either that or it is sour!!

We hade to take a ride down to xray because the PT asked the Dr. if we could get an xray of her hips and legs as she turns one leg out a little when she crawls and maybe a little when she walks. It is definitely easier to get things done while inpatient.

Since her ANC is over 500, she was able to go down the rehab center to do her PT. There are a lot more fun things to do down there that you can't do in our room.

Trying to climb up the slide

The little Princess requires two people to tend to her needs (putting her shoes and braces on...which we also received while inpatient)

Tea party anyone???

So many veggies to choose from.....

Playing with stickers on the mirror while practicing standing

Trying to walk on the treadmill

Maybe it is okay.....

NOPE....don't like it!!

"I am DONE!!!" See...Ella isn't ALWAYS smiling and happy.

Practicing walking on the stairs.

So, as you can see, today has been a funfilled day (for being in the hospital, I guess). Her ANC only dropped a few points since Wednesday....870 but her Hb has dropped down to 8.9 so we will probably be getting a RBC transfusion in the next day or so.

Nothing Much To Report...(which is a good thing!!!)

2010-08-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Just another picture of my very silly girl!! Ella's chemo finished this past sunday and now we are waiting for her counts to drop. Her ANC was 1500 on Monday and had dropped to 860 yesterday so they are starting to head in the right (or wrong if you really think about it) direction. She hasn't needed any transfusions yet but I am sure they are just around the corner. So far she has been feeling great but maybe just a little less energy. I have actually been home for the past three days as my older two girls have had Back to School night's (two different schools this year). But all reports from Grandma and Daddy have been good so we just pray that the good news continues.

I was blessed with having my house cleaned the other day!! One of the things that had been recommended to us (thanks Heather) to do with our fundraiser money was to get a housekeeper during her treatment so that I wouldn't be spending all of my precious home time stressing about trying to keep up with the house. The gals (all 5 of them) came for the first time on Tuesday and were seriously like a tornado going through my house doing the initial deep cleaning. I can't tell you the peace it has given me to feel that my house is REALLY clean and I can focus on other things. Hopefully we will be able to afford to continue to use them throughout Ella's treatment as I can already tell that it will make a big difference in my mental state. I can't wait for Ella to come home and be able to crawl and walk around without getting such dirty feet!!!

Round Three Has Begun

2010-08-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

Round 3 of Ella's chemo is well underway now and as you can see from the above picture that was taken this afternoon, she is not letting it get her down!! At the time of this post, she is about 56 hours into her 96 hours of chemo. It hasn't seemed to bother her at all so hopefully that will continue to be the case. It has been a little harder this round because she is hooked up to the IV constantly as the infusion of chemo is continuous. This means that she can't really get down out of her crib and just play like she usually can. We have been able to take some walks with her pushing her baby stoller and me trying to keep up with her with the IV pole. I was nervous to do this at first because I thought she could keep trying to drop to the floor but last night we walked around for almost an hour before getting tired. It is so cute because every time she sees someone, she waves and says "hi" before moving on and then turning around to say "bye" and blow a kiss. The chemo will be finished on Sunday afternoon and then we will just sit and play the waiting game again....waiting for her numbers to drop down and then come back up!! Here are some pictures of her first couple of days.

She is still smiling!!

Taking a walk with our IV pole by our side

How Ella has to spend a lot of her time....watching Barney, Elmo or Signing Times

Where's Ella?

There she is!!!

Ella is trying to escape with Teddy, hoping that no one will notice!!

Hanging with a great friend.

And another

Awww...big hugs!!

Things You Can Do While You Are OUT Of The Hospital

2010-08-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

****A sequel to Things You Can Do While Stuck IN The Hospital.....

You can catch one of Cousin Ethan's footbal practices

You can kiss a cucumber (doesn't everyone do this?)

You can help mom shred important documents (don't worry, it isn't turned on or plugged in)

Help my mom by putting my diapers away

You can practice drumming (the music therapy guy will be impressed by my improvement)

You can kick back while at the mall school shopping for big sisters

You can have lunch with Grandma...Splenda anyone?

Who knows where I am here?

You can practice your golf swing.

You can enjoy the great outdoors...I love it!!!

You can help with the vacuuming (dang my mom makes me do a lot of chores!)

You can play a round of checkers.....who's next??

You still have to keep up with your blog friends.

Visiting Downtown Disney is a must!! (especially when you are meeting special friends)

And finally, you can sneak a peek of your sister while she is trying on clothes :)

But, I am sorry to say that the fun is over for now. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we head back in to the hospital to start round 3 of chemo. We are dreading going back but the longer we stay home, the longer this whole thing will drag on. Best to just get it over with. Once again, anyone local, don't forget to visit us!! And those that are far away, don't forget to pray for another uncomplicated round of chemo.

Odds and Ends

2010-08-14T12:53:00.001-07:00

This is Rosie meeting Ella for the first time. Rosie is the person responsible for our wonderful fundraiser. This gal convinced us that we should do the fundraiser when we were too proud to think that we should and she made a GREAT night out of it. We had so much fun and they raised an amazing amount of money for us. We simply couldn't believe how generous everyone was. Back to Rosie....she did all of this for us without having ever even met Ella. I was finally able to stop by her office with Ella the other day so they could meet. After a short warm up period, Ella enjoyed her visit very much. Of course, do you think I could get a decent picture of the little stinker with her. Thanks again Rosie for EVERYTHING!!!

We have some Tshirts left and I have them at my house now. I know there were some people who mentioned in previous comments that they were interested in getting one but I simply don't have the energy to go back and find them. So, if anyone is still interested, please let me know ASAP so I can get one sent out to you. They are $10 each plus $5 if they need to be shipped. Unfortunately, there are only a few left with Ella's picture on it (4 XL and 1 2XL) The rest are all of the prints shown below.

Also, for anyone who was interested in ordering one of these adorable hats (or many other styles) here is the website for them http://www.etsy.com/shop/theumbrellagirlshop

Our Visit With Baby Sofia (and her family)

2010-08-13T18:40:00.001-07:00

I AM IN HEAVEN!! We got to meet Sofia and her wonderful family today. They happened to be spending a few days at Disneyland and we happened to have to be nearby for Ella's Dr. appointment today. We went over and met up with them in Downtown Disney for a little bit. I have been in love with Sofia since I first found her on Reece's Rainbow. I was so excited when I found out that a family from California was adopting her because I just knew that somehow, someday I would be able to meet her. I sure didn't realize that that day would come so soon. The only problem is that now I want more!!! She is so darn cuddly and affectionate and loving and smart!! The Sanchez family is truly blessed to have her. We also got to meet her big brothers, Joaquin, Mateo and Diego. Joaquin is the same age as Ella and also has Ds. He is a walking maniac!! Between him wanting to take off walking and Ella doing her walk/crawl thing, I am surprised that we got any pictures of the kids together.

****Update...I forgot to mention that Ella still isn't quite ready to start her next round of chemo yet. Today her ANC was 644 so she still has a little way to go.

I just love this picture because it shows how much Ella liked Sofia. First of all, she is tolerating her sitting on her in the stroller and also she put her arm around her.....sigh!!

Me with the girls.

Moms and kids

All the kids.....sitting down together and ALMOST all looking

Ella getting a kick out of Joaquin turning on his charms.

Ella's Words and Signs

2010-08-11T23:52:00.001-07:00

I feel like all I have been posting lately are videos. Maybe because life has been so hectic this last week or so and posting a video is quick and easy. We are still home from the hospital at least through next monday. Remember how, when we are in the hospital, we are waiting for Ella's counts to hit 500 so she can go home? Well in order for her to start her next round, her counts have to be at 1000. Last round it took her 3 weeks to build up to 1000. Right now we are sitting at 2 1/2 weeks but as of this past friday, she was only at 515. So who knows. We will have her blood drawn again on friday and if it is high enough, she will go back in on Monday. But she is doing great. Still praciticing her walking and so far staying very healthy. Praying that this continues.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ella Walking

2010-08-04T23:16:00.001-07:00

Today was the day that Ella finally decided it was time to take steps. She has been crusing all around the house while pushing her baby stroller and then all of a sudden decided it was time to take steps on her own. Way to go Ella!! And to think she is being treated for leukemia right now!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ella Talking On The Phone

2010-08-01T23:11:00.001-07:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

***Kelly, you said Landon wanted another video of Ella....here you go***

Check Out These Pictures

2010-07-31T12:26:00.001-07:00

These are some pics that a photographer who comes to the hospital once a month and takes pics of two kids took of Ella a couple of weeks ago. He will give us a small album of his favorite pictures. And he does this all free of charge. I love people like this!!! Just click on the link to view them. Then click on the first picture and it will enlarge them. They are just proofs and it says that on the photo so you have to kind of look through that.

http://www.darrenography.com/vollmer/

No Words Necessary!!

2010-07-30T00:33:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home!!!

2010-07-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!! After 27 days in the hospital, we got to come home. Yesterday Ella's ANC count was 247 and she was suppose to get to 500 before we could come home. Since it had gone up the past three days, the doctor said that as long as it went up again, even if it didn't hit 500, we could come home today no matter what. Of course I didn't dare pack up anything for fear that I would jinx it and Ella's blood counts would do a tumble. But Ella did her job and hit 533 today!! The nurse walked in first thing and said "Do you want to go home?" I don't think I have ever moved so quickly!! We met daddy for lunch on our way home as he was on his way into work. Once we got home, I don't think Ella stopped!! She was working on her walking like crazy. Pushing her walker, holding my hands (even sometimes only holding one hand) and even attempted a couple steps on her own. Of course she also immediately set to making messes all over the house. But I didn't care, we were home and she was free.

At this point, we will be home until her counts hit 1000. I am going to ask for at least two weeks whether she makes counts or not. I think we need it for our mental health. It's late and the little stinker is still going strong so I better cut this short and go try to get her down. But I just wanted to catch you up on the excitement as well as give God a quick shout out for getting us home!! Here are a few random pictures from the last few days.

Playing on the neighbors swing...aahh to be outside!!

I just love this picture of her playing peek-a-boo

under the sink in our room..I think her face just

looks so sweet!!

Mommy making her model her funky outfit

Abbey and Emma and a couple counselors heading off
to Camp Ronald McDonald. What a wonderful charity
that allows the siblings to go tocamp free of charge as well.
I can't wait to hear how it was!

Me and the girls right before they left

Ella actually put herself in this position with her blanket

and Elmo and her favorite dolly. She was sitting this

way and watching T.V.

These next few pictures are of our new friends who live

near the hospital. We met on facebook and our girls are only

a couple months apart. I can't believe how much bigger E-V

is than Ella! E-V's daddy made me a yummy cake since I was

in the hospital for my birthday and didn't get a cake. He also

made these cute little dresses for the girls using 2 bandanas

and ribbon. I couldnt get over how cute they were when

they were interacting on the floor!

Out Of Communication...uugghh!!!

2010-07-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is a very quick update. I had a whirlwind day and a half at home with very little time to update my blog and my husband informed me last night that our computer at the hospital stopped working so they took it back and we are now on the waiting list for another one. Who knows how long that will be. So I know I won't be doing any updates on my blog or facebook for a couple of days.

Ella's bone marrow is definitely in recovery mode. She is making platelets and hemoglobin. Her ANC started to go up and then dropped a bit but that is expected and I am hopeful for some big jumps in the next few days. I am heading in to the hospital as soon as I drop Abbey and Emma at the Ronald McDonald house to catch the bus to camp. Because they have a sibling with cancer, they are eligible to go to this wonderful camp, free of charge. These are the wonderful things that come out of your donations of change when you go to McDonalds. I will never not donate my change again!!!

I am hoping and praying that my next update will say that Ella is home!! For now, here are a few pictures of some gifts we have received that I finally got pics of.

Mickey hat handmade by Aubrey's mom

Adorable flower hat given to Ella by Lindsey and her mom

Rockstar blanket given to Ella from Preslie and her mom

****Anyone know how I can get that stupid "Cutest Blog on the Block " logo out of the middle of my post title? And how do I get my header picture to fit correctly?****

We Will Miss You Kristen!!!

2010-07-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Kristen went home to heaven today. She was the biggest warrior I know who fought and beat leukemia time and time again. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be this time. She was an inspiration to all of us and she will be missed terribly. Please say a prayer tonight for the Kirton family as they have bravely fought this fight right along with her and there is bound to be an emptiness in their lives that can never be filled. Her mother's faith has never wavered through all of this and she has set an example for us all. FLY HIGH, SWEET KRISTEN!! We love you.

Some Very Special Visitors

2010-07-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Okay.....for those of you who are bloggers and know the love you have for all of these kids you have never met but feel like you know, I want you to remember that jealousy is one of the 7 deadly sins!!! I say this because I GOT TO MEET ADDY!!! And at the same time got to spend some more time with out dear sweet Zoey!! I know you can hardly stand it, but just try to control yourselves :)

Out of the blue, Addy's mom mentioned making a quick trip to California on facebook. I asked her where she was staying in hopes that it was somewhere in So. Cal. When she told me where, I couldn't believe that is was halfway between my house and the hospital. So Zoey's mom, Heather and I quickly made plans for us to all meet up. We met at the hospital with the intention of having the moms take turns going up to see Ella and I would get to see Addy and Zoey downstairs. I was a little bummed that I wouldn't be able to have a picture of all three girls together as we didn't think they would let the little ones go up to Ella's room. I decided to take my chances and ask and was beyond excited when they said "YES!" They could go up. We left all the big kids down in the lobby and up we went for our picture taking session. My poor husband was surrounded by females but he didn't seem to mind too much. I don't know what we were thinking when we tried to get a picture of multiple kiddos looking at the camera but just seeing them all three together made my heart melt. Addy was the cutest thing ever and I couldn't believe it when all she wanted was to sit on my husband's lap. When I look at the picture of him with Ella and Addy on his lap, it makes me think of what could be if I could only get one of those little angels from Reeces Rainbow. Who knows, maybe someday!! Anyway, after our chaotic photo session, we left Ella and her daddy in the room and the rest of us all went to lunch. I had the best time as always with my dear blog friends. I just can't explain the connection I can have instantly with someone I have actually never met in person. It happens over and over again each time I meet a new blog friend. And it was the same this time with Cammie. It really is like we have known each other forever.

As for Ella, her bone marrow is showing signs of producing the good cells again. A few neutrophils are starting to pop up and so hopefully things will get into full swing in the next few days and we can go home within a week or so. Last week she spiked a fever ONE TIME and they automatically put her on antibiotics in case there is an infection in her central line or something else big going on. The biggest bummer about this is that she has to be hooked up to the IV alot more so she can get these IV drugs. Can you imagine a busy toddler being hooked up to a machine with mabye a 3 foot tether....IT SUCKS!! Luckily yesterday we were able to cut out one of the drugs since she has shown no signs of any infection and she can now be off the IV for an 8 hour break during the day. We are praying for her to remain fever free and to get that ANC built up to at least 500 so she can come home for a little bit.

And for anyone that may have missed my last quick post about the Tshirts....the check needs to be made out to me (Denise Vollmer) not the police department. If you have already sent it, just let me know and I can pass it on to the gal in charge. She will need you to reissue a check unfortunately as this needs to be kept completely separate from the department. Sorry for any confusion.

Now for all the pictures......(remember don't be jealous :)

Me and precious Addy

Abbey had so much fun playing with Addy

Abbey and Emma with Addy in the hospital lobby

Ella and Addy....haven't quite noticed each other

Wait...could they possibly be......

...going in for the hug?.....you betcha!!

Joe and his girls (can't you just picture him with two :)

Ella giving Cammie a kiss (you'd think her mom would

make her hair look prettier for company, huh)

Believe it or not, this was the best picture I got of all

3 girls together. I don't care...they are all together!!

Awww...Ella like Miss Heather

Once again, the best picture I got...the girls just weren't

cooperating!!

I just love this picture of Zoey. She was actually posing

for me.

I am pretty sure that they are talking about how lame

their moms are for taking all of these pictures.

FINE!!! We will look at the camera...AGAIN!!

All the kids together!!

Sorry Heather and Cammie but this was the best I had

and I simply had to put one of you guys together.

And one last picture to make you jealous....Zoey and me!!!

Clarification on Ella's Fundraiser Tshirts

2010-07-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Since I can't keep track of who I have given the tshirt information to, I wanted to do a quick post in hopes of reaching everyone in time. Apparently the checks need to be made out to me (Denise Vollmer) and not the police department. If you have already sent one off, just let me know and I will give the lady a heads up but she will need you to reissue it. Sorry for any confusion.

I will do an update on Ella when I get home in a few hours as it is to hard to do from the hospital as I can't put any pictures on.