The Calm Before the Storm

Well, today was a pretty easy-going Saturday. We finished moving into our new BMT suite (and it is sweet) and finished cleaning our old unit. Nice to be moved in to our new home for the next 3-4 months. The unit is about 900 sq. ft. When you walk in, there is a vanity and full bath to the right. Straight ahead through a small foyer is a living room with a pull-out sofa, a glider, a dinette with 4 chairs, and a kitchenette complete with microwave, 2 small fridges, toaster, COFFEE MAKER, sink, and some counter space. If you turn left from the front door, you enter the bedroom, which has 2 queen beds, Bella's pack and play, a built-in bunk bed with ample storage underneath, two HUGE closets, and a nice-sized built in desk with built in shelves and drawers from which I am now typing. I said I'd video tonight, but I didn't get around to it, and I'm the last one up (I'm always the last one up... my quiet time), and I don't want to wake anyone with my video commentary. We LOVE our unit, and we LOVE this place (the Ronald McDonald House). It is so awesome. The staff is AMAZING, there is an endless river of volunteers, and the other families make you feel like you're not alone in your journey. Man, some of the stories I've already heard... like the guy whose 1 year old is getting a HEART TRANSPLANT. Yup. That's right. A HEART transplant. At 1 year of age. INTENSE! In addition to the non-stop activities for Ali, the constant flow of free meals is pretty sweet. I say that now while my pants still fit. However, tonight I began a program to help with that...

...I played in my first soccer game here! My man Maurizio called me today to invite me to play on a team he plays on. It was at Como Park, which is great because it's a huge park with a FREE zoo and kid's amusement park that is just BUILT for Ali! While Ali ran around and rode pint-sized rides, I ran around the soccer field after the ball. Ang tells me that not running or lifting weights currently may have something to do with why I don't move as fast as I think I should. I dunno. What do you think?

After, we came home, we drummed up some hefty leftovers in the RMH kitchen, then headed upstairs. Ali and I went out looking for bats with a glow-stick toy she was given, but was unsuccessful finding any.

Bella's dressing change went pretty well today as well. She watched Baby Mozart today. The toughest part right now is caring for her new Hickman Line. She screams a 10 out of 10 in pain when I clean around the line. It has 2 sutures holding it to her skin, and the skin is angry around the line. The chemical I have to use to clean it causes the poor girl to scream like nothing else has ever caused. Thank GOD we are here and not in an apartment complex. The cops would have been called by now FOR SURE. Here, everyone just understands. Whether someone's kid has Epidermolysis Bullosa, or any other type of disease, we all just... understand.

P.S. This "it stays light out till after 9pm" is really messing with our schedule! We haven't gotten used to it yet, and the kids stay up later as a result, so we get almost no time to ourselves as a couple. That's a drag, because I just miss my wife, ya know? The other thing about the light here... it's brighter than back home... like the glare has a more intense quality to it here. We think it's because there's no smog to diffuse the sun light. I'm only half joking here.

Well, it was the last Saturday of its kind for a long, long while. It was nice to not see any docs, nurses, tests, etc. Tomorrow is that last day like that for a while, too. Hope everyone sleeps in. That would make an EXCELLENT Father's Day Gift!

Thanks again for ALL the prayers and comments on the blog! It really touched us to hear from so many people we don't know personally. Those comments are like OXYGEN. Please, keep 'em coming.