Prayers...

In April, 2010, when Andrew was 2 1/2, a tumor was discovered behind his eye. The tumor was removed, but it was found to be an aggressive cancer. He endured seven months of chemo and six weeks radiation. In December of 2010, the day after his last treatment, he was rushed to the ER with an almost fatal bacterial infection. He survived.

He is now seven-years-old!! I don't visit here much, because during the ordeal, this is where I dumped everything--my rage, my fear, my sadness, my ugly, my hope, my everything. But I want all of you who supported and prayed for us to hear his updates. You helped me survive, and I am deeply thankful. Every once in awhile, I will check in to let you know how he's doing. Please continue to pray that cancer will never return to his body. Thank you.



Thursday, June 10, 2010

Look at me Mama!

"Look at me Mama!  Look at me!!" he says, as he stands perched on the pool edge, holding my finger, getting ready to jump.  So of course, I look at him.  With an excited grin, he jumps, and lands in the water, completely submerging his bald little head. Watching his smiling face emerge from that water is a slice of heaven.  Stretching from ear to ear, I can see pride, elation, joy, relief, and exhilaration beaming out from inside his little soul.

So we do it again.  "Look at me!!  Look at me Aaron and Sammy!  Aaron and Sammy look at me!!!" and amusedly, but slightly annoyed they look up at him and say (for the 30th time) "We see you Andrew!  Do we have to watch you EACH time?"  and, although unspoken, the answer is, "yes."  Because EACH time, he demands an audience before he jumps. So even if it is for the "wrong" reasons, (i.e. they just want him to jump and leave them alone) they look.  But, then he returns the favor as they practice their new dives and painful looking front flips (which often land them smack on their backs).  They cheer for him, he cheers for them.  It is sweet.

His smile is so bright, and so proud, and so darn happy I cannot do it justice with words.  It makes me SO wonderfully happy to see him enjoying himself and not running in terror from a mouth treatment or sitting on a hospital bed.

I am ready to spend ALL DAY in the pool, holding his trusting little hand while he jumps, telling him what a brave, beautiful, amazing boy he is. 



7 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you're having these fun days!! That is the smile of a HAPPY kid!

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  2. It's nice to know that there are so many fun and sweet and normal moments.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  3. These boys are so blessed to have you as their mama.

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  4. They're so young, but they teach us so much about how to really live, don't they? Hope you, Andrew, and the boys have a wonderful weekend!

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  5. ENJOY you weekend Julie :) make wonderful, playful memories with the boys!

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  6. Andrew is amazing and we're all cheering for him!

    Julie, you guys should spend all day, every day at the pool!!!

    PS: Awesome hat!

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  7. Isn't it wonderful when he can be annoying again? It's so... normalizing! Love that Aaron and Sammy are kind enough to look again and again... because I know how hard it is to keep up with a preschooler. =)

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