How we're doing

I just wanted to share a little about how Clara Jean has been doing. And the rest of us, for that matter. CJ is amazing. She is doing so well in/at school. The last week that she had chemo was the week before last. On that Tuesday, for the first time all year, she told Mrs. Heep that she wasn't feeling well. I went to pick her up and she came home and crashed. On Wednesday she did the same thing. Then last week she went every day, all day! And she felt good the whole time! I was so excited. Her ANC was very high at her last treatment, almost 5000! No wonder she feels good. I mean, it was 220 the night she went into the hospital.

And at school she is doing so well. Her grades are great and she is controlling her emotions so well. She isn't getting into any trouble, at all. Not even for talking too much! She is still struggling a little at home with her emotions and her temper. I think that she works so hard at school that by the time she gets home she is just done. But even here, things are improving.

Monday is a chemo day. My sister, Kylie, will be here from Indiana visiting. CJ asked me if Aunt Kylie can come to chemo with us. She said, "I want Aunt Kylie to see how strong and brave I am. She is going to be so proud of me." Just precious.

The rest of us are doing pretty well. Tom is working two jobs and is hardly ever home. That is pretty hard on my girls and on me, but we are dealing with it. He has been working two jobs for a while but he started a new 2nd job about 6 weeks ago that is a lot more hours than the one he had before. And when I say a lot I mean he went from maybe 8 hours to 20-25 hours a week. Oh' and he did start working on his MBA again, so that is good.

Lillie is doing well in middle school. Straight A's. Boys. Make-up. New cell phone. You know, all the things that make 12 year olds tick.

Emma is also doing well in 5th grade. Ditto the above except the make-up and the cell phone. She has to wait a little while longer for those to kick in.

And of course Della is as cute as ever. She loves preschool and is just a little ray of sunshine. She truly is the happiest kid I have ever been around.

The three of them have been incredible sisters to Clara. Don't get me wrong, they still fight like sisters do. But they have been supportive and loving. And this hasn't been easy on them. It is scary to see your little sister, who is usually the spunky one, sick. And it has been hard on them too because we never know how CJ is going to feel or what she is going to feel like doing. It seems like every time we think about doing something or the girls ask to do something the answer is always, "I don't know, we have to see how Clara is feeling."