Peachy Keen!

All things considered, Caleb has been "peachy keen" the past week.  Positive affirmations definitely seem to make a difference, including these shoes, of all things.  :)  

They're personalized and hand-painted by "Peach's Neet Feet".  We think they're adorable & special!  Peach's motto is "from our heart to your sole".  If you know of other sick children, who would enjoy them, you can check out:  peachsneetfeet.com   :)

Of course, they feature Caleb's fav - baseball.

He likes football too.  :)  Trinity Lutheran School in Houston sponsored the project & surprised us.  The shoes have Peach's signature "peach" on the shoestrings.  :)

No chemo today - we're waiting until Wednesday, to find out if Cal's counts are high enough for more treatments this week. 

It was an exciting weekend for Caleb!  Something so special happened to him, I simply must share it with you.  It's a heart-warming, beautiful tale of a 9-year old boy with a big heart!  One of Zachary's best buds, Ty, has been raising money, one quarter at a time, by making those popular "rainbow loom" bracelets, then selling them.  

 

Caleb, Ty, & Zach

Ty has been working on this project for weeks & saving every penny of it for Caleb!  He invited Cal to join his team, the (junior) Skeeter's, along with the actual minor league Sugar Land Skeeter's, on Constellation Field!  It was a magical Friday night for our fam.

Posing with THE Skeeter.  

Ty used his newly raised funds to buy Caleb a Skeeter's shirt, cap, and baseball.  Cal still can't believe how "cool that is".  Ty touched all of our hearts, and we hope he knows what a difference he made in Caleb's life.  Cal couldn't imagine saving that much money, so he really "gets" what a big deal it was.  There's no way it would've meant that much to him, if we had bought those items. 

Runnin' back, after the National Anthem, with the big and even bigger "boys".

Fun to see the players "up close and personal". 

 Cal also conjured up enough strength to play in his t-ball game Saturday morning! 

All smiles!  He LOVES being on that field!

We don't know where he goes "inside" to pull out the energy it takes to run those bases, because he had a hard time just walking back to the car.  It doesn't come naturally or easily, like it used to, but that sure doesn't stop him from going back for more. 

That determined look makes us so proud, & we know he has to "dig deep" to make it happen.  His coaches and teammates are very supportive.  It's very touching and helpful.

I believe Ty and Caleb are both great examples and reminders to us all, that we can do anything we set our minds to, especially when we look up to God and rely on Him to help us.  It reminds me of Galatians 6:9  "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."  Caleb is fighting the good fight.  Even on his sickest days, when he's suffering typical leg pain from chemo, is feeling weak, and has a very small appetite, he doesn't let any of that completely slow him down.

Because He Lives...

We can face tomorrow!  Easter must be just what the doctor ordered for Caleb!  He got to attend his first church service in seven months... because it was a sunrise service!

No usual concerns of germs for Cal's compromised immune system in this beautiful outdoor space.  Earlier, the sky was streaked with pink, birds were chirping, & it was a magical place to be, just picturing how Jesus rose again. We all needed that.

Our lil' Easter Bunny.

 Caleb also enjoyed the silly side of Easter & really had a blast with family!  

We dyed dozens of eggs.  Fun, fun.

Starring from left to right:  Cal, Zach, Mommy, & Daddy & all of our pets.

 It was a blessing to experience egg hunts with both sets of grandparents. 

Adventures with little cousins.

Thanks to both families for making it so memorable.

Caleb's blood levels jumped up this week, which is fantastic!  No more transfusions this time.  There was a chance it would take several more weeks for him to recover, but he's right on track.  What a blessing! 

Comforting a nauseous little guy.  Cal is enjoying his soft baseball blanket from one of my dad's high school friends.  Thanks, Doris.

Unfortunately,  it was a tough spinal tap today, but Caleb had his big brother there to help get him through it!

Some serious brotherly love.

Zachary even got to help peel off stickers from monitors, & Cal thought that was cool. 

"Dr. Z" lends a helping hand.

Zach was such a "little man" today.  I am incredibly proud of him, because it was a long, hard day, & he took it all like a champ.  He could've spent his last day of Easter break having fun with friends, but he chose family at the hospital first (Wow.) 

 Caleb got chemo injected into his spine and then two other types by IV.  He has slept most of the day, & Zach and I got plenty of snuggles. 

A few highlights from last week:  a new invention from a friend at the boy's school.  Since our hands get so dry with constant washing, he came up with this ingenious idea:  Soshen!  

 It's soap & lotion, all-in-one.  Gotta love that. Thanks, Ben. Beautiful handmade cross by his brother Grant. Great job guys.

Last but not least, Caleb got to meet up with his Kindergarten class for the first time since September at the Houston Zoo!!!!  That was huge for him.  He was a little shy about having to ride in a stroller, but just being in the wide outdoors and with people who've supported him so deeply, it was a perfect day for him!  

So fun to see his little buddies again.

After the zoo, they presented him with a scrapbook all the students in his class have been making for him all year long, so he will feel like he's part of the class.  Incredibly special to him. 

Caleb's nausea hasn't let up this evening.  Gripping his little bag in case he got sick, he said, "Mommy, can you please pray?"  I whispered quiet prayers in his ear until he said, "I think I'm going to be okay, now."  Yes you are, precious angel.  Your deep faith is going to make you MORE than okay.  He drifted back off to sleep and is still fast asleep now.  He looks so peaceful.   

The Gift of Life

We knew before we arrived at Texas Children's today that it was definitely time for another gift of life!

Caleb was in big need of another blood transfusion.  He has been very pale and hasn't felt like getting out of bed the past two days. 

Cal did not get his doctor's approval to play t-ball over the weekend, which ended up being a blessing in disguise - as he wouldn't have had the energy.  He says his legs are "just so tired". He was able to at least get pictures taken with his team yesterday, but he did ask us "How far will I have to walk from the car to get there?"  He made it & with a big smile on his face!  :)

As Caleb was opening some of his mail, he said, "Mommy, you should really blog about this." All-righty then... here we go!   :)  

This is a picture board that highlights one of the biggest distractors of cancer for everyone in our fam. 

Caleb wants you to meet "Little Al", a funny little lavendar pig, who is quite the adventurous soul and comes to visit us multiple times though the mail each week.  He has been very busy "competing" in "the Winter Olympics".

Cal loves Little Al's snow boots and all of his antics.

We never know what Little Al is going to do next! 

He's quite the downhill skier, as you can see.  :)

We were gravely concerned when Little Al had an unfortunate accident...

It was a big crash, but he survived this awful snowbank.

 ha ha. 

 This brilliant idea is all courtesy of one of David's long-time friends, Mike Bleier.  Caleb thinks he needs to write a book!  Thanks for the laughs, Mike.

Caleb also wants you to know how amazing his school is!  They have been sending him cards constantly since September... and EVERY SINGLE DAY the past 3 months, to help him get through the roughest rounds of chemo.

There are no words strong enough to thank Heather Mize for her efforts to mail these day-in & day-out and make sure they arrive on time.  I CANNOT imagine mailing something EVERY SINGLE DAY.  It's an incredible effort that has raised the spirits of our lil' man more than you could ever imagine. 

 Caleb has more amazing pen pals, who've been with him throughout this challenging time, and we'll try to introduce some of them in the days to come.

Speaking of September... it's hard to believe that seven months ago today, Caleb was diagnosed with leukemia.  (Though we knew the night before -the infamous Fri the 13th, it was probably cancer.)  

This was Cal, looking out his hospital room in September.  He had to be wondering - what in the world is going on?  Now he knows. Or perhaps he was just being a kid and thinking - wow, cool cars 9 floors below.  :)

  Our lives have changed so drastically since then.  Our social lives have come to a standstill.  We spend almost every spare second at home, mostly alone.  It probably sounds lonely, but honestly it hasn't been at all.  I can say we've had more happy days than sad ones.  I'll attribute that to the immense support from all of you, who read this blog & pray for us.

Caleb still struggles with his hair loss & studies this lil' guy, who is also a hairless cool dude. 

This is such a great learning tool for children. It's from an amazing young lady who encouraged toy makers to design these Bald & Beautiful dolls for young cancer patients or people with Trichotillomania, like her (which is the compulsive urge to pull out one's own hair). 

 I interviewed Chloe several years ago & never realized at the time how much she'd end up helping our family.  A special thanks to Chloe.  She has turned her struggles into a passion to help others.  I've learned so much from her.  Her story means more to me than ever before, because a few of the boys, who shaved their heads in Caleb's honor, are being made fun of, outside of school, from kids who don't know the meaning behind their bald heads.  It breaks our hearts.  If you ever have a chance, you can watch Chloe's & Emily's inspirational story from one of my newscasts:   www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DzbGbGIOXg  

At the hospital today, we sandwiched Caleb between two special prayer blankets.  Every square inch & stitch was prayed over during the making of them.  They make Caleb feel very happy and safe & secure.  A special thanks to my cousin, Gerri & her church for one, and an amazing teacher at Cornerstone Christian Academy for the other.  Caleb's strong faith lets him know that God is helping take care of him, just as much as his loving nurses.

Caleb's nanny Nicole joined us for added support today.

 It's touching to see how much these blankets mean to this little boy.  He takes the prayers very seriously and wants to make sure he's "covered up in the prayers" each night.  The fact that Caleb's faith is so alive in his own little heart has been one of the biggest rewards in this cancer journey.  We may have never witnessed it so clearly, if he hadn't been diagnosed with cancer. 

His attitude reminds me of a song I used to sing in Sunday school when I was a little girl, "Hide it under a bushel - No!  I'm going to let it shine!"  

"You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."  Matthew 5:14-16

We're going to continue to let our lights shine & also shine the light on the amazing, caring people in our lives whose great deeds deserve it.

It's a GOD Thing!

We were expecting this to be Caleb's toughest time, after receiving daily chemo the past few weeks. 

At-home chemo has become "more natural" for us all & has just become part of our bedtime routine.

David is "the rock" of our family.  His strength, faith, & support have never faltered a day.  I only realize that he is also vulnerable, when I witness the pain etched on his face while administering chemo to his baby boy; realizing the responsibility of giving these medications that will literally save our son's life.

We had been warned that Caleb wouldn't feel like getting out of bed this week.   Cal had different plans for himself.  I tried to keep fear at bay with this phase of treatment (but that was hard!) As my dad has taught me my entire life, most of our fears never come true.  He was definitely right, again!  Our Heavenly Father also encourages us:   "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."   Isaiah 41:10.  It feels as though God has been upholding Caleb with both hands!  He's actually had more energy than he's had in weeks.  It medically doesn't make sense, so we know it's from the power of all of our and your prayers! 

It's also been every mother's dream that Caleb has craved all things green & healthy this week!

 

Yes, dinner at its finest.

Caleb got to tag along at Zachary's Scout's camping trip over the weekend and actually got to go hiking! 

Cal walked more than a mile.  How can that be?

He was frustrated he didn't make it 2 miles with the big boys, but we were ecstatic to see him go as far as he did! 

Cal's sense of humor is still shining through.  We obviously got left behind from the group, but this is how he said he'd protect me from "Chupacabra" in the woods.  Funny boy.

Medical workers  are "scratching their heads" over his high energy level... especially since his blood levels have plummeted to a new low.  He spent the past 8 hours at Texas Children's Hospital today, getting a blood transfusion & for the first time, he had to receive a transfusion of platelets. 

This should give him a new burst of even more energy.

Since Caleb has hit his lowest level of neutropenia (extremely low white blood cells), he is at the greatest risk yet of infection.  We've been encouraged to wash our hands even more (as if they weren't already raw, ha ha), start scrubbing Cal's fingernails & cleaning surfaces in our home multiple times each day, trying to keep as many germs at bay, as physically possible.  We'll be praying he avoids illness & hospitalization during this vulnerable time.

All-in-all, it was a peaceful time of naps & snuggles & card games today.  We have found a way to make all-day clinic stays pleasant & "our new norm".

We appreciate your continued TLC, concern, & prayers.  It sure feels good knowing God is in control, & that everyone who follows this blog is "on our side".  God bless you all and everyone who is suffering from illness.