Our Easter

Easter was good. Saturday, Tammy and the kids baked sugar cookies. Then Tammy and I stayed up until about 11pm putting together Easter baskets for them. Tammy and I were going to go to church Sunday, but Natalie has not been her normal self when she is at home. She does not have the appetite she has when her counts are high. Both Tammy and Natalie were worried about leaving Natalie home with just Tammy’s mom not knowing where her counts were at. When we left the hospital, her ANC was 410, but it has a tendency to go up and down. We decided to stay near the kids.

Easter morning, the kids ran downstairs and found their baskets, then ran back upstairs to ask if they could eat candy before breakfast. No, gotta wait. Tammy’s mom made breakfast, then we puttered around before we went to UCSF. Natalie needed her dressing changed on Sunday. When we called the hospital to let them know we were coming in, they said they wanted to draw some blood to see where her counts were at as well as do the dressing change. Natalie and Sean decorated the cookies and we brought them for the nurses. We got into UCSF about 2pm and stayed a couple hours, chatting merrily with Robin as she changed Natalie's dressing. Robin also brought Natalie a slice of ham and another nurse gave her a chocolate cupcake, which Natalie slipped to me. Robin mentioned that she made scalloped potatoes, but they were gone, so we didn't get any. When Robin was out, Natalie said she didn't want them anyway, but after I explained that they were cheesy potatoes, she changed her tune! Natalie wanted to stay at the hospital longer, then we reminded her that we still had the Easter egg hunt at home.

We picked up some Yummy Yummy special fried rice, then Natalie wanted to see the You See Sushi storefront, so we drove back that way. Finally got home about 5pm, then Tammy jumped right into cooking scalloped potatoes. Tammy’s mom made 5 spice chicken, using organic chickens. While the potatoes were browning, we had our Easter egg hunt. Natalie didn't want Sean to get a head start, so we hid a dozen eggs for Natalie in her room and a dozen in Sean's room. We cut them loose and they had a grand time.

Ate dinner, did dishes, gave Sean and Natalie a bath, then put a movie on for the kiddies. What a day! We are so glad that we got to be home together for Easter.

We also found out that night that Natalie’s counts had dropped to 270. Her counts are still low so it’s looking more like we go back to the hospital next Tuesday for her last round of chemo. We are praying that her counts go up. We are enjoying our extended time home as a family.