Going Down!

My numbers are now down to 27! At least it's not an obnoxious number like 6 or 10. But I am excited because I am going up to Utah for Woman's Conference this weekend. So, it should be a nice little break. Yee ha!

Meet Scooby Doo!

Well, we have a dog! We got him 2 weeks ago. Quincey has been obsessed with Scooby Doo the cartoon for awhile. And I have to admit, I actually enjoy it as well. I think Shaggy is hilarious. So, because of this obsession every dog has been named 'Scooby Doo' by Q for the past several months. Therefore, we could expect no different with our dog!

We have been really enjoying him. Q is great with him! So gentle, and so helpful. He runs around with him pretending he is Shaggy and saying, "Come-on Scoob, let's solve a mystery!'

For the first week, Maiya wanted nothing to do with him, and then like night and day she decided she loves him and so she has to always be trying to hold him. So, we are glad that Scooby has a hiding place behind our couch that he goes when he is sick of the kids.

Still seeing the light...

Yeah, not done quite yet.  My numbers on Tuesday were at 67.  So, certainly coming down.  But I had to get another shot yesterday.  So, again, hopefully next week will be zero... As far as my understanding most hospitals have a 'zero-zone' of 5 and under.  So, it counts as zero if it is 5 or under.  We joke that my numbers next week will be something like 10 or 6.... that would be awesome. (not) 

seeing the light....

You know, the one at the end of the tunnel?!  I am seeing that light! My numbers yesterday were in the two hundreds!!! (I would tell you the exact number, but I can't remember exactly.... I think it was around 240).  But, my dr. thinks the shot today should get me down to zero! So, we can only hope. 

Now, the news gets even better! I think we had a mis-understanding.  I thought she wanted me to get 2 more chemo shots after I was at zero.... but apparently she just meant two more weekly blood draws after I am at zero, and then I will go to monthly blood draws.  So, that means this could very well be my last chemo shot today!!! If it's not, that will be sad, so in my mind I will try to pretend that it may not be... but I certainly have my hopes up, because these shots really are not fun. I am so thankful for the technology and how fast they have been able to help, but It will be nice to be done with them and move on. 

Recipes to Recover by

I went ahead and started a new blog.  I am still working on the layout and such, but  I've been able to post a few things.  You may check it out.  I give you permission.  You are my friends..... The End.

metho.... not to be confused with meth.

So today is the day I go in for my 3rd metho injection, and this week I am a little more convinced of it's usefulness! My hcg levels have gone from 2730 down to 743 this past week, so down 2,000... now, that I can work with.

Yesterday, I went in to get my labs like normal, and then around 5:00pm last night I got a message from my dr. saying that they only pulled the hcg levels and not the blood count and liver levels like they are supposed to.  Those are important to make sure that my body is reacting okay to the injections.  So, I had to go back to the lab this morning at 7am.  I chose to go before the kids woke up, to get it done with.  So, I feel a bit extra sleepy today.  A little annoying, yes...But, hey! I understand human error, that's for sure.  I am pretty much the Queen of it.  The people at the lab really are so sweet.  Some of them are becoming my friends.  Maybe when all of this is done, I will invite them to come to Chili's to celebrate. ;)

Maiya is sure sleeping better, which makes me glad for more than a few reasons.  I really am thankful for antibiotics and that they are working.  So hard when babies are sick.  You can't reason with them.  They just cry.  

okay.... The End

Food Glorious Food!

Well, I told you about my little 'cooking new things' addiction right now, and I thought I would expound, for memory purposes. (if it gets too carried away, I may think about creating a separate blog.) I found this recipe online and it was suggested on the same blog to add ham.  And, of course, I had quite a bit of leftover ham from Easter, so that intrigued me.  I made a few changes and I think it turned out well! They had too much butter, so I adjusted the recipe to have 1/2 as much butter for next time... But they were oh so good and I love things in individual portions.  Perfect for potlucks. And Q and I had a lot of fun making them.

Here is a pic of my boy helping me assemble

And here is the finished project! Quite tasty looking.  (in case you can tell, I didn't have any parsley to make it look pretty, so I used cilantro... but I love cilantro on everything, so it's cool.)

Individual Scalloped Potatoes w/ Ham

• 6 whole Medium Potatoes
• 1/3 cup Butter
• 1 cup Shredded Colby/ Jack Cheese
• 1/4 cups onion, Chopped
• 1 cup diced ham
• 12 teaspoons Heavy Cream (half and half would work great or milk)
• Salt And Pepper
• Garnish with Parsley (optional)

Preparation Instructions

1. Pierce potatoes with fork, sprinkle with salt, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 10 minutes. Potatoes should be a little firm. Set aside and let cool to touch, then slice.

2. Slice butter into 12 slices and then cut each slice in half so you have 24 slices of butter.
Place a pat of butter in each 12 sections of a muffin/cupcake pan, then a slice of potato, salt and pepper, onion, ham, and cheese . Repeat layers twice: potato, salt & pepper, onion, ham, cheese. Top each section another pat of butter and then with 1 tsp of cream.

3. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and potatoes are brown.  Scrape around the edge of each with a knife directly out of the oven to loosen from the edge of the tin. Wait about 5 min. and remove. (I used a fork, which seemed to work well).

rainng and pouring...

Got a bunch of sickness goin' on here.  A couple of weeks ago (maybe 3), I took Maiya to the Dr. cuz she had this cough she couldn't get rid of (she had the cough even before I got my surgery).  So, we got some antibiotics and that worked. 

Well, about 5 days ago, I noticed a rash in her diaper area... and it really itched her.  Then this weekend starting around Sat.eve I noticed her getting a bad cough and runny nose again.  Sat. night and Sun night she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. 

SO, I took her in today and she has a yeast infection (caused from the last antibiotics she was on).  And now a very bad ear infection! So, more antibiotics.  I really feel so bad for her.  I hope she can get over all of this soon, and for good!  Because it seems all I am doing lately is juggling a million of dr's appointments! And Q has a well child exam this week as well.   But you know, things happen usually all at once.... so I guess we are no exception. 

You Know.... Stuff. (and updates).

Things here are going well.  Had a great Easter Sunday.  I made a monster of a ham, and it was very enjoyable.

Look at my cutie family.  I agree, I should have been in there.... but look how nice looking they all are.

I enjoyed listening to the General Conference talks this weekend.  The biggest things that stuck out to me are:

1. I felt hope in the possibility of raising my children in the gospel, and the importance to do so. 
2. The need to continue with family history.
3.  I can disagree without being disagreeable... the need to be kinder to those I associate with.

This week will be week 6 after my surgery and my 3rd Metho injection.  And just for the record...
Here are what my hcg levels have looked like:

2/22/10: 1,570,000

week 1:5500

week 2: 2200 

*went to the hospital because of heavy bleeding and numbers had gone up to 2400

week 3:1900

week 4: 2800

first Mtx shot

week 5: 2730 (so not a huge drop, but pretty normal to not see a huge drop after the first shot.)

I feel like I have been doing pretty well with the shots... not gonna lie they really do drain me, and it does not excite me to think I probably have at least a couple more months of this. But God is blessing me to feel extremely motivated to do all sorts of projects and try things that I haven't tried previously... mostly in the kitchen ie. the cake, the ham.  Cooking has had such a healing effect for me lately.  When I am busy trying to read the recipe and get together all of the ingredients I forget somehow about how tired I am.  And the rewards are amazing as well!

 I think the hardest side effect of the chemo, is I feel like I don't think quite clearly with it.  I forget things easily, my words don't seem to come as easily, I make people repeat things that they just told me, I have a harder time making decisions ie. at the grocery store.  I feel that I must be really annoying to be around right now... and I am sorry for you people who have to deal with me on a regular basis... like my children lol.  But, they hopefully are young enough to forget.