by now...

You faithful blog readers know what Tuesdays are...and if you are really on top of things you know that today was Camryn's clinic appointment. :)

Yep, Camryn headed out bright and early with her Daddy this morning...honestly this girl is just the greatest, most amazing kid ever. Really, I think she is. She bounced out of bed, no tears, no fight...just I'm going to see the doctors today and when I get home then I have school and then I'm going to Grandma's house for dinner. Honestly, this girl is a planner through and through, wonder where she gets that? :)

As I said good-bye to Camryn and Jason again my heart just stops for a quick second. Ever heard that Kenny Chesney song "There goes my life?"...sometimes it's really as if I'm watching a little piece of heart drive away each time. As I turned around to head in the house there stood another part of my heart...my precious boy, Wyatt. Yes, over and over this morning as I prepared for my day I was thanking the Lord for these two blessings packaged in a really great, amazing, miraculous story. I feel a sense of awe and wonder when I think of my two kids...perhaps the most perfect, greatest gifts I have ever been given. And always I'm reminded that I hold them loosely, because they are the Lord's before they are ever mine.

I got to work and went about preparing for the day...I was a bit anxious because I was going to try an activity with my classes and I hoped they would participate well and it would work. But, more than that anxious to hear those words I long to hear every other Tuesday..."She's doing great!" As I was finishing up things in my classroom my phone rang and on the other end a darling little voice announcing..."No more steroids at night!" Can you believe it? At clinic Dr.A decided to discontinue her nightly dose of steroids and begin the wean of her morning dose. On Friday we lower her morning dose and then again next week and hopefully, fingers crossed Camryn will be completely steroid free soon. Most likely her doctors will keep her on a low every other day dose for a while just to keep the GVH in check. And you know I'm okay with that, because even throughout the weaning process so far we are seeing a slight decrease in the side-effects of the steroids.

Camryn's doctors continue to confirm that she is doing great, looks great and really is doing fabulous for being five months post-transplant. They are pleased that her GVH is under control and yet present. That her liver enzymes are well within control. That her body is responding well to cyclosporin. Overall, that Camryn is doing all the things she should be at this point...and doing them well. We got her labs this afternoon and again we are grateful for great numbers...honestly these labs are just such a boost for us. Her numbers are strong...and not really wavering which is fabulous! And to think Camryn has held these numbers without a transfusion post-transplant...Good Job Wyatt's marrow!

Once Camryn got home from clinic she had a quick lunch and then Ms. F came for school today. Camryn was super excited to have a doctors appointment and school all in one day...a busy little bee we have. I was lucky enough to make it home to observe and listen to Camryn and Ms. F interacting "doing" school as Camryn calls it. What a joy! Camryn absolutely loves school...she loves it! In fact the other day Jason and the kids dropped me off at Village for an open house and Camryn responded that she is in kindergarten, not kindergarten at Village; but sort of. And you know what? She didn't complain, or even comment that she wished it were different...she has settled into her normal, and it fits her and she is blossoming in ways that neither Jason or I expected!

Sometimes I really think that by now I should not be surprised by the variety of things that the Lord continues to bless our lives with...that by now I should be more confident, more assured, more...well, more content. I guess after this journey, a pro-longed one at that maybe I should have learned how to be all those things and more...and truth is I've grown a lot and yet there is so much more to learn and grow through...

How do we get to the morning, to the sunshine, to the joy? There is only one way. By waiting for it. We can't hurry the dawn, no matter how anxiously we pace the floor or how impatiently we watch the clock. And so the question is not do we wait or not wait, because waiting is all we can do. The question is, HOW will we wait? Will we wait well...or will we wait poorly?

~Ken Gire

By now...we have waited, and days we waited well and days we have waited poorly...and thankfully we are given grace to begin again and again.