Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Hawaiian Dance Party

They had a Hawaiian Dance Party at Ronald McDonald House at the end of August. The boys had a lot of fun and it was relaxing. Tyler loves to dance to begin with, but Dawson really hasn't much. It was exciting to see him really let loose and enjoy the music.





 Becky and Gabriel were having fun too

 Tyler kept trying to play with the decorations
 Pet therapy was there too, so Dawson was very happy to see the dog

 Gabriel wanted to go somewhere so bad, he just couldn't figure out how
 Tyler worked up the courage to pet the dog. If the dog moves his head or anything, Tyler will back up and wait for him to hold still again.
 They had some fun glasses to try on. This one is fish.
 Tyler wanted the orange glasses. He and Dawson both have matching sunglasses now. They didn't want to stay up well with the mask on though.
 I tried them on Gabriel for fun too
 Dawson saying "cheese!"
Here are some videos of the boys dancing. Tyler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-OfpWIhF6o and Dawson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA-jJqR1yYQ

Monday, September 5, 2011

Last Week at Home

We couldn't really go many places our last week, too big of an infection risk before transplant. So even though we were free, it wasn't complete freedom. Sure was nice being home though. Everyone was relaxed, the kids all got to play together, we got to watch a movie together in the evening. It was a nice treat.

 Gabriel loves his jumperoo!
 Tyler wanted to try it out too. He's under the weight limit, so I let him in it too. Legs are a bit long though!
 Gabriel's new crib. We did the trade-in event at Toys R Us and got 25% off a new crib for bringing our old junky one for trade.
 Tyler had found our stash of shopping bags and they were having a bag fight. Was so much fun watching and listening to their shrieks of joy and giggles.

 Part of being at home with Tyler, there are always meds to be given. This is his GCSF infusion.
 Having fun with Tyler
 He was getting goofy
 Then got tired and cuddly
 Dawson's turn!
 He's so cute, I really miss him. I rarely get to see Dawson anymore now that we're at the hospital and he's at the Autism Center.

 Gabriel's turn :)
 There is a child in there. Dawson did this all on his own. He likes to get completely under the covers and pull them around himself. That can't be good for oxygen supply! I try to uncover him but he gets mad. He seems to only do this when he's frustrated.
 Dawson after his bath and before his haircut
Tyler taking a sink bath. One of the only times I've seen him smile during a bath!
 Tyler was playing hard and got tired, but was still smiling and laughing
 Happy 6th Anniversary to us! We got to spend it at home, so my mom babysat the kids while we went out to eat at Olive Garden.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

We got to come Home!

Workup week is done, quite a relief! We took the shuttle on the last day, Tyler likes riding the bus and it saves on parking fees too! It's usually about $9 a day to park. It's hard to lose that freedom of going when we want to though. It can be tough timing the shuttle with appointments, plus Tyler doesn't do well with all that extra wait time. He doesn't understand why we have to wait 15-20 minutes for the next shuttle to come. There's a giraffe inside the rotating door at the hospital that Tyler likes to watch go around. The Child Life lady who was putting balloons around the hospital decided he was cute and needed a balloon. He was so excited to get one!

 Tyler usually doesn't sit still the whole bus ride. He starts out riding in the back, he thinks that's the cool spot to be. Then at the next stoplight he'll run over to me and sit either across from me or on my lap.
 Tyler was so excited when he saw this! It was go-kart day at RMH on Monday. We went out there not knowing what to expect. They had a go-kart, Lightening McQueen and a battery powered toddler ATV also. Tyler wasn't allowed to drive McQueen, but I asked if I could sit him in it to get pics. Dawson did drive this one. Well, he pushed the gas pedal, but didn't understand the concept of steering. Thankfully they don't go fast.

 So a nice girl gave them both rides on the ATV. They loved it! I was happy that she didn't mind me posting these pics too! :)

 Gabriel took a little nap on Daddy's shoulder. He looks so little in this pic!
 Tyler got a ride on a real go-kart! He was so excited when it took off, it was faster than the ATV.
 Tyler and Daddy watching other kids go around the path.

 Tyler had just thrown a ball to Daddy. This is the path they ride on, it goes in a circle, and also out to the parking lot, though the whole playground area is fenced off.
 Tyler was pretty excited to be home with the toys that are too big to bring with. He was supposed to be admitted to start the transplant process on Tuesday, but things were pushed back because of a stool virus.
 He wore himself out good that first day! He's been taking naps now, it's pretty nice.
 Dawson was happy to see his own bed again.
Dawson got out of bed a couple times that first night. He's used to sleeping with me, or Becky if Dan is staying with us. I went to check on them and found him sleeping with Tyler. Doesn't look like Tyler minded at all. :)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

BMT Workup Week

This past week was so busy, I really haven't had time for much of anything extra! Tyler went through a ton of tests, scans, meetings, infusions and bloodwork to make sure his body is prepared for transplant. I started with our pics from home since I didn't have a chance to post those either! We were too busy having fun. :)

Dawson has been so protective over Tyler lately, it's so cute! If you look at Tyler's neck, you can see his line that's in the vein in his neck. It has taken some getting used to, his last line wasn't that visible under the skin.
 Dawson has been giving lots of kisses and helping Tyler up when he falls.
 Playground! He really didn't get a chance to play on the playground before he was admitted in April, since I was pregnant, then he broke his leg, then he was admitted for chemo! They were so happy to run and play together. This is one of their favorite parks and thankfully it's not very populated.
 Gabriel seemed to like being outside too, he was in a great mood.
 I put him in the swing, just to see what he'd do. He was very amused! I think he also was wondering where his feet went, he's been obsessed with those lately.
 Dawson had so much fun playing. He does get outside more than Tyler, but he seems lonely without his brother to play with. It was great seeing him so happy while we were at home.
 Dawson was typing to Grandma on msn chat.
 Tyler playing with his earned prizes for doing so well with his CT scan and chest x-ray. He was excited to find a truck and a train.
 Tyler and Daddy passing the time during a 30 minute GCSF infusion.
 The new hospital! It's so pretty, it changes color with the light and different angles it seems. This is the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital. Tyler's room will be in that building on the 4th floor. The entire outer wall is all glass, so it really has a bright, open feel to the room, even though it's smaller than the new rooms at Mpls Children's.
 Feet! He's obsessed with those things lately, though he can't quite get them to his mouth, he has too much chub on his legs.
 Gabriel has perfected "the face". It gets even better than this too, but he gives us those eyes and then sticks out his lip. If that doesn't work, he'll reposition the lip and stick it out even further. I have no clue how he learned the lip trick, but it's just not fair!
Tyler likes the Oreos they have in the clinic. He only likes the frosting though! He also likes the crackers and cheese spread, but again, only eats the cheese.
The lobby has these cool holes in the wall with glass on the inside, so he can look down at the 1st floor from the 2nd floor. I was around the corner taking the pic.
 At RMH, Gabriel was sleepy from his long day at the clinic! He looked so comfy in there, I was a bit jealous of his nice nap!
 Dawson loves pet therapy day! Every Tuesday they have therapy dogs come in for the kids to pet.
 Sometimes Daddy is best! Especially when Tyler isn't allowed to eat and Tyler wants to nurse. I gave him to Dan and stepped out. It's so hard to just walk away when Tyler wants me, but it was for the better. He quickly settled down once I was out of sight, out of mind, then he fell asleep. He had woken up extra early that morning, so we went for a 2 mile walk down the river and back at 6am. It was very peaceful and it took up enough time that we were able to leave once we got back.
 Tyler was watching cartoons. Thankfully the clinic rooms here have a tv, some have dvd players too.
 Another day of working hard at the clinic. :)
 They have a play CT machine in the waiting room for Radiology. I thought it was a great idea, though Tyler knows what that is anyway and wasn't interested in them, real or fake! They have the newest version here though, it has light-up images of stars and other things. When they moved Tyler into the machine, he said "ooooh!" instead of screaming. It was a very nice change!
I'm go glad that week is over! It was long and frustrating. Currently we're at home having fun until Tyler gets rid of a stool virus, so transplant has been pushed back a bit for his safety.