Daniel's saturday update

So today was pretty good! He started out with a bath this morning. Last night I decided I am taking some matters into my own hands! The doctors and nurses say that contact of the pox doesn't make them spread, so touching them and then scratching somewhere else. Caladryl doesn't help dry them out and changing his clothes and bedding frequently doens't help with the spreading of it. But I have decided whether it does or not, it is something I feel like I need to do and I am going to do it! I see Daniel with his blanket that he sniffs (he is a blanket sniffer) and all the pox that keep breaking out around his neck and chin. I have been trying to limit his sniffing, too and he has only gotten 1 pox there today. The arm he has his IV in and doens't touch anything with has hardly any poxes on it, too. So there hasn't to be some kind of connection. At any rate, I have asked and been allowed to bath, Caladryl and Benedryl him. He is a lot more comfortable today.

We counted poxes after bath and he had 124. I have only seen maybe 5 new poxes today. I continue to pray they stop popping up as that is sooner they start scabbing and the sooner we can go home.

His pox on his bum-hole is now getting an anti-baterial cream applied to it. After bath it didn't hurt him, but when he went poo-poo tonight it did. But when I applied the cream again it was about 1/3 of what it was yesterday. So that is great! I am hoping that tomorrow it will be gone. He really dreads having to poo...which I don't blame him.

He has enjoyed emails sent to him, thank you! He continues to color a lot. We play games. I snuck out to Target after he fell asleep last night to get some food and a few things. He has about eaten all my jerky. :-) So I am grateful he hasn't gotten any poxes in his mouth to limit his eating.

Somethings that we have to do new? I have to have him pee every hour. We can't have any more added pressure on the kidney, so he has to empty his bladder frequently. They have lowered his meds so his body can fight the virus. I am worried about his kidney, but Dr. Wong said that his kidney can take a little beating so the virus can get fought. But it needs to happen quickly so he can get back to being immunosuppressed.

Pretty good day overall. I am a little homesick as it's New Year's Eve and we always eat snack foods and play games with the kids. I am missing that. But grateful Kevin is doing it with the boyz.

Until tomorrow! Happy New Year!

Daniel Update

So I will start posting here for Daniel's updates to hit everyone. Today has been a pretty good day. We didn't get much sleep last night. Doctor's didn't make rounds until 2:30 pm as it being a skeleton crew with holiday weekend. Any rate, Daniel has started treatments of the anti-viral drug Aciclovir. It will prevent poxes from growing. He is having his 2nd dose right now. He has gotten about a dozen new poxes today. He has to be entirely scabbed over before we can go home. So hopefully Wednesday, Thursday.
The doctor's main concern right now is Varicella Pneumonia. Apparently the varicella can turn into that. Our next concern are other 'sleeping' viruses surfacing such as EBV, CMV and BKV. He'll be tested for those in the morning with the am labs.
He is in pretty good spirits. He does have a canker like sore (we are hoping it's a pox) on his bum-hole. It really hurts when he tries to poop, so he doesn't. It hurts every one in a while and he'll cry out. But he has been set up with some pretty amazing things from the Child Life program here. He has painted a wooden toy car, played Trouble & Connect Four that they gave us, currently coloring a black felt picture. He is a spoiled boy! I took pictures, but forgot the cord at home! Sorry!
thanks for all the calls, emails and prayers!

2 Weeks? Whatever!

So Monday (the day after Christmas) was the end of the 2 week incubation period for chicken pox in our house. I checked Daniel, he was clear. Then why am I sitting in Palo Alto, CA at 2:12 am with a son with chicken pox? Yep! Daniel has the chicken pox! We will meet with the doctors in the morning. He is in isolation and we are hunkered down for the long hall, but hopefully not too long! He is scabbed over, yet there are a few new ones, so who knows how long we will be here. He will have an anti-viral IV put in to stop the spread of the pox. Won't get rid of existing ones, but prevents more from growing.

Dumb me can only think about December 30th....starting our $3000 deductible (I thought it was $5000, but STILL!) and then as of 1/1/12 we start it all over again! But as long as he is healthy! That is all worth it!

Well, we are off to bed! IV is in and we are tired! More news tomorrow!

PS Any prayers you would like to throw Daniel's way would be grately appreciated, too! :-)

Giving and Receiving

Giving: Monday night we had a Bishopric Family Home Evening at our house for the widows in our ward. We only had 4 show up, but have figured out ways to get more of them here next time. (hold it while it's light out!) Anyhow, Jaques & Stokes families all came over and we had dinner and the kids all reinacted the nativity. It was fun. Didn't get pictures of our 4 guests of honor, but they had fun. We then had dessert and gave them a little Christmas present. They were extremely touched by the whole night and I learned that we need to do this more often. Sometimes I wish there more quiet in my house, now I am grateful for those I love surrounding me. Need to enjoy it while it lasts!






Receiving: Last night we received into our home our favorite missionary to ever serve in Fallon! (Tall order to fill, but he did!) Elder Downs was done with his mission Monday night and his parents came and picked him up in Vegas. They drove up here and we were so grateful that he came and spent some time with our family. How we love this guy, Daniel especially! He will be known as Uncle Jim when he is offically released.

Even though he is a Wyoming Cowboy, we are trying to convert him to be a Cougar! That way when we go to Provo we will be able to see him every time we go to Utah.



We made a 'shrine' to him. When he left Fallon he gave us a University of Wyoming Cowboy's t-shirt he signed for us. So it is only fitting that the U of W shirt/shrine be above the toilet! On the plate is a napkin he used once to wipe his mouth and a spoon he ate chili with. (not really, for those that are thinking we are REALLY obsessed with Elder Downs!)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the year......

I can finally saw that and mean it. This past week has been filled with making Christmas presents. I can saw (other than the eating portion of things) I am ready for CHristmas! YAY! These are what the kid's teachers are getting this year. Ryan's teacher is going to the HS to be Dean of students, so we did his in black/white/green for the Greenwave colors. This one is my favorite because of the argyle.


Monday we are having a Bishopric Widow's FHE at our home. I made these little handwarmers for all the widows/widowers in our ward. Bought the fleece scarves at Wal-Mart. Thirteen total pairs! (One for each hand)

Our "girl's night out" was spent during the day this time making SO many yummy candies! I have such great friends with yummy talents! Almond Rocha (my favorite), peanut brittle, pecan (maybe walnuts....I can't tell the diff) toffee, chocolate covered cinnamon besrs, orange gummies and caramels, wrapped caramels, raspberry thumbprint cookies, turtles. I think that was all and I think I named it all right!



39 quarts of raspberry and strawberry freezer jam. That should last us the year 2012.


So bring on the dinners, parties and birthdays (twin's)! We are ready!
Make sure you look at the blog below to see our 2011 Gingerbread 'house'

And the REAL winner is......

LaVell Edwards Stadium!

Our friends invited us over again this year for the annual gingerbread house making party. We, of course, have to be unconventional. We have done chicken coops, Hagrid's Hut and this year, BYU football stadium. It was a bit tricky, but we managed to get her done. Only thing not edible were the field goal posts, they are straws.

The question was posed at the beginning of the gathering, "Is this a competition?" No was the answer, but that is all Bryce needed to hear. It was ON! He would scout out what others were doing and how far along they were and then happily report back to us that there was no competition.

It was fun as always and we don't know how to top that (in our eyes), but we definately will try for something easier next year!

On the 11th day of Christmas.....

My Bryce-y brought home from school.....

9 chicken pox!

Yep! All the kids have been vaccinated and yet Bryce didn't become fully immunized from his shots. I guess it is not uncommon. He is currently at 76 pox, banned to our bedroom and bathroom and 'forced' to play Wii and watch Netflix. He is doing pretty good. Baking soda baths, Caladryl lotion, lots of popsicles for the ones on him both, benadryl and being waited on hand and foot is suiting him just fine. Wait until he is told he is sleeping on the laundry room floor.

I am sorry for anyone he has come in contact with over the last 2 weeks. I hope your families are ok.

Daniel is our main concern as it could hospitalize him. He was vaccinated pre-transplant, as it is a live vaccine and he can not have those anymore.

When the doctor told us I just begged for a virus or bronchitis as the answer. That has been our lot the las few months. Onto a new illness, I guess.