Spring Fever

Whew!  We had a scare with Caleb over Easter weekend.

Things started off great...

including a fun Easter egg hunt with his little cousins...

Then out of the blue, Caleb spiked a fever & we had to race home from his grandparent's home in Granbury in the middle of the night, in the pouring rain, to get him to Texas Children's Hospital.  We considered it an Easter miracle when his fever lowered & hovered around 100 degrees, which meant he didn't have to be hospitalized! 

Caleb's big monthly check-up went really well today.

His incredible and loving Oncologist, Dr. ZoAnn Dreyer, gave him a clean bill of health.  We could not live without this amazing woman.  She is remarkable!

To catch you up on Caleb, he was very touched when one of my co-workers shaved his head (again) for St. Baldrick's, in his honor.  

 Caleb even got to help do the shaving! Thanks, David Canada, for making a difference!  

The timing could not be more bizarre, as a few days later, Cal's hair started falling out in handfuls.  We still haven't figured out why that hurts so much to witness, other than as a parent, we feel completely helpless, and there's nothing we can do or say to stop it.  In fact, I had to choke back tears, as dozens of hairs fell onto his dinner plate and he had to put on a hat, to keep hair out of his food.  He's been scared to take a bath, because when he washes his hair, the entire bath fills up with hair and it's hard to get off of his body.  The whole family was reduced to tears the night we found him singing in the bathtub and writing his name on the side of the tub with all of his loose hair.  Of course, we just smiled and never let him know our pain.  It felt great to see him doing his best to have a great sense of humor about it!  However, we can't help but yearn for him to draw with tub crayons versus his hair.

As usual, Caleb is sensitive about his "lost locks" when in public. One of his classmates, his teacher, & Chaplain of the school teamed-up to pull off the most brilliant plan!!! 

Hats for the entire class!!!!!  That way, Cal doesn't feel different!  We are completely overwhelmed with the loving, caring attitude of these wonderful people. They even gave one to big brother Zach to wear!  THANKS Colton, Mrs. Ashmore, and Mr. Waters!  The hat says "Caleb's Cougars", in honor of Cal & the school's mascot.

It seems Caleb may only lose half of his hair this time, but it's enough for him to feel uncomfortable without his hat.  We keep telling him - it's perfect timing to help keep him cool during the HOT Houston summertime! 

At the end of the day, we are so happy that Caleb is doing well.  It honestly doesn't matter if he has one hair on his head.  He's alive & doing fairly well & is able to be treated in the comforts of home!  We see a lot of suffering from fellow cancer fighters and realize things could always be worse. 

Caleb wanted to go to a fundraiser yesterday for a little boy named Rhett, who is struggling at TCH from high-risk leukemia. Please pray for Rhett.  It was special for us to share Caleb's story with the crowd and thank them for their support to Rhett!

Caleb enjoyed meeting Houston Texans player, Jared Crick, at the event! We met one very strong mom, who now has an "angel" because of leukemia, and it makes us hold Caleb a little tighter. 

"Let me root, root, root for the home team"... Caleb is having a blast playing Dodgers peewee baseball!  He's had a few surprise visitors...

Angeli & her precious mom, Christine, cheered-on Caleb from the dugout!

Caleb's Pre-School teacher, Mrs. Sandra, showed up to surprise him!  (Caleb's up-to-bat in this photo.)

A few other highlights...

I got to experience my very first Mother-Son dance.  How fun to get my little guys all dressed up & dance the night away! 

Caleb & Zach enjoyed every moment of modeling in a Fashion Show, benefiting the Boys & Girls Harbor.  

We all enjoyed hanging out with actor/TV Host Mario Lopez at the event that raised money for a safe haven for children in crisis.

Caleb LOVES a good dog pile - and is smart about it... always on top (his number is #1)... to protect his port-a-catheter that is implanted in his chest for chemo.

 That's where we want to continue to see him - on top of the world, even while undergoing cancer treatment.  Because of loving doctors, teachers, classmates, friends, colleagues, and of course family members, Caleb has high spirits.  Thanks for all you do!  To my unbelievable parents, who answer my calls night and day, to lift us up on the hard days and celebrate the good ones, God bless you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The Joys of Taking a Hike!

Hiking over Spring Break is just what the doctor ordered, & it felt GREAT to leave the woes of cancer treatment in our rear view mirror!

   This peaceful trip to the Ozarks was wonderful for our hearts & souls!

 It was tough to come home though & have to face Caleb's all day hospital stay for his spinal tap and intravenous chemo. 

 Time for another round of steroids, too. It will be interesting to see what funny cravings he'll experience this time - that should keep us on our toes!

A few complications today meant many extra prayers over his sweet little body.

Caleb's blood levels are a little too good, so he'll be taking a stronger dose of chemo to keep those awful cancer cells away.  Spring baseball season starts this week, so it's going to be a big challenge for him to adjust to taking more chemo.  We hope it won't sap his energy too much! 

This unpredictable flu season has continued to be a challenge to protect Cal from the germs.  

 

Luckily, our darling friend & retired teacher, Mrs. McDonald, helped Caleb stay up-to-date, while he had to take more time away from school.  He loves working with her!

We are so proud of Cal.  He does his best to always remain positive and to rely on his faith on good and bad days.  I had to fight back the (happy) tears, when he received the Christian Character Award at his school.

 It was heartwarming to hear the whoops, as his name was called & to be reminded about how many wonderful children & teachers cheer him on each & every day, not just during an award ceremony.

 A big thanks to his teacher, Mrs. Ashmore, for allowing him the joy of this award.  It means so much to him!!!

 Back to that hike.  We just got back last night, and it was a glorious break on many levels.  It was yet another reminder about how important Caleb's faith is to him.   

As always, he found his inner strength & was able to push himself beyond belief.

Caleb always wanted to be in the front to lead the way & be the first to see each nook & cranny of the mountains.

Our "Cal-Boy" loved horseback riding...

& even a very dirty snowball fight brought out tons of smiles...

One of our most special moments was visiting this amazing chapel, tucked deep in the woods on a mountaintop.  Thorncrown Chapel has to be one of the most peaceful places on Earth.  Prayer always empowers our family, but we felt super-charged when we left there. 

It's intriguing that a child would be drawn to churches, but Caleb wanted to know all of the stories behind this historical church.

He also marveled at Christ of the Ozarks and loved hearing how much this almost 70-foot statue & its grounds used to mean to my grandparents, when they traveled here.

This statue couldn't be more fitting of Caleb's hero, the lion, this past year.  He braved a rainy day to pose in front of the Lion and the Lamb at the theater where we watched the fantastic production of Jonah.   His troubles seemed overwhelming in that whale's belly, a lot like we have felt at times on this cancer journey.

I truly believe that we can learn a lot from the "c" word. Cancer does have its advantages and makes you realize what is most important in life.  It's nothing money can buy.  It's not where you can travel.  It's your health.  It's your family.  It's your friends.  For us, it's certainly our belief in God. 

  

Caleb has been saddened today that his Great Aunt Nina left this Earth to be with the Lord, early this morning.  We feel at peace knowing this precious angel will be watching over our little boy.

God bless & RIP Aunt Nina.  We will always remember you so fondly and will always love you. 

A Restful Week

Caleb spent the past week, quietly at home, because of doctor's orders.  With flu in our area, his Oncologist wanted us to be pro-active and not take any chances. 

He's very well-rested now and more than ready to get back to school!

Caleb had a positive check-up this week at Texas Children's Hospital!

 Luckily, his appointment was on President's Day, and his big bro had the holiday off from school.

That means Zachary planned plenty of funny actions & distractions, to help keep Caleb's mind off of needles & medicine. 

Caleb has now undergone seventeen months of treatment.  He doesn't like to talk about cancer or sickness, so we constantly avoid the topic.  

As you can see, he still has a great sense of humor (silly boy at the Houston Zoo).

Caleb just started practicing with his new team for spring baseball.  He's been doing great, but is very frustrated that his little legs get so tired.  He has also gotten somewhat fearful of the ball, concerned it will hit him in the upper chest and smash into the port-a-caterer that is implanted there for chemotherapy.  David is helping coach his team and trying to help him overcome it. We'll soon be cheering on the Dodgers!

Caleb is also quite the Tiger Cub Scout this year and loves every aspect of it.  

The boys were given the challenge of baking & decorating their own cake with only their dad's help.

That was a fun mess, and they rocked it with their sweet racing derbies!  They were excited to win "most colorful cake". 

Caleb recently enjoyed a fun hiking & boating outing with his grandparents, though his legs failed him.  He had a hard time keeping up and asked to be carried most of the way.

It's hard for people who don't know Caleb's situation to understand.  I often get "dirty looks" from other moms who wonder why I'm carrying my "50 pound baby" in the store or why he has to sit down in the middle of an aisle sometimes to rest.  I try to shrug it off and think, "If you only knew."  We know, and that's all that matters.  I do know they'd feel really bad if they found out he was undergoing daily chemo and how tired he gets after a long day of playing at school or after pushing himself in baseball practice.  We've come to accept this side effect of treatment (tired, sore legs), and it never keeps Cal from at least trying anything & everything.  We believe that's because of his incredible support system and prayers from you.

Caleb's love of golf continues, so we're thankful for GOLF CARTS.  :)

Cal has two exciting events coming up.  He has been asked, along with our family, to model at a luncheon for the Boys & Girl's Harbor on March 28th at Houston's Omni Hotel. 

Then on April 28th, the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance is honoring Caleb as a "Courage of Light" at their luncheon at River Oaks Country Club.  We hope that his appearances will bring to light the prevalence of childhood cancer and how much we can learn from these little ones who are fighting disease.  Caleb has taught us so many life's lessons.  He seems to clearly understand that we all suffer from trials and tribulations, but no matter what, we have to overcome the obstacles.  Jesus can always "walk us through it", if we just ask for help.

Romans 12:12 is the perfect example:  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

God bless you all, and thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support throughout this loooong treatment process.