My Teenager

Didn't I tell you...I have a teenager....or so it seems! She's a complete grouch if you wake her up instead of letting her get up on her own naturally. Then she constantly wants to drive the car and wants keys to do it. She requires "different keys" as she puts it. Then she is always talking on the phone. She'll take my cell phone or a house phone or daddy's blackberry and constantly be "talking" to someone. You can usually tell who she's talking to, or trying to have a pretend conversation with as she starts the conversation, "hi, this is grandma," or "hi this is steffie," etc. I try to tell her that she's supposed to say "Hi, this is Makenna," but she doesn't get it...yet.

Today was really funny as she got my cell phone and I hear her saying, "Oh My gosh!" and then a hearty laugh would follow as if someone told her something unbelievable. Then she'd also say, "we'll talk about this later." I realize that she got that from me but I think it's funny that she's applying it to her phone conversation as if she doesn't want her "uncool mom" to hear her plans.

Plus, she takes my wallet any time she gets her hands on it. Off she goes taking out any money and credit cards....yup I'd say I have a teenager. Did I also mention that on occasion I catch her rolling her eyes at me!~

She can also repeat many lines from different movies that we watch. She's also into singing lately. I bought a CD of Primary Songs and every time we're in the car it's "church music?" So I have to put on one of the CD's and even if I think she's asleep I can change it for a break to regular FM, I hear in the back a weary voice say, "Church music?" I love hearing her sing the songs though. It's a good motivator too. I tell her that if she's doing something naughty that church music will not be heard in the car and she straightens right up...most times.

I guess as she ages physically to meet up with her "acting" age I'll have to come up with new things to "motivate" her with to fall into line.

One last thing I wanted to add that she did today (and once or twice in the past,) was to sing Old McDonald had a Farm....and on his farm he had an "Eli"....with a "wah, wah here and a wah, wah there, etc." I thought it was pretty funny and inventive.

I Know

Well Makenna is definitely on the mend. She's getting to be her usual 2.5 year old self - into everything, a pain in the butt (to which she'll attest to by saying, "you're a pain in the butt!~") but still cute as ever.

Today while getting ready for church I said to her, "Makenna, you're so pretty." She replied, "I know." I'm glad she knows. I hope that she grows with this confidence and self-assurance that never leaves her. Ever since she was a baby I've always told her that she was a smart, beautiful girl so that she gets it into her head. I always try to put "smart" first so that she recognizes that's a quality above others that she should be proud of. Lately, it's been a smart-alec.

She's into this whole, "It's mine not yours" phase which is a real treat. She'll take something that's not hers and repeat this phrase to get her way. Today she wanted grandma's (my mom) wallet. She likes to get into bags and purses, as most kids do, and she especially likes the wallet as that's where all the "pennies" are. When she starts flinging it around with it unzipped is when the restraints go on and then the fighting begins with, "it's mine not yours."

After the traumatic past week she's had, she also remembers about giving blood and going to the doctor's so most days she'll say, "Go to the doctor's to give blood?" When I tell her, "nope, we have a break for a while," she'll reply, "other kids turn." "Yes, other kids turn," I reply.

Yesterday we went to get her haircut again for a second time. She was NOT up for it in any shape or form. I was getting mine done at the same time and she relaxed enough to see that it didn't hurt me so while daddy was holding her in a chair (not the barber chair,) the beautician went over and just cut away. I'm grateful that Chris's blackberry kept her interested enough in sitting still so that it could be done. This was only her second haircut, the first being back around the holidays before we went back to England. Since she didn't sit still for that one either, there were wispy pieces always hanging in her face that bothered me, and her. This looks more evenly cut so I'm happier. Plus the back of her hair was getting so ratty.

Well, my goal this week is to try and at least write down if not blog daily some little thing that Makenna does/says. We'll see how I do...although some days may be combined but I definitely don't want to forget all the special moments that she creates for us whether good or bad.

Doing Much Better

Makenna thankfully is feeling much better. I love seeing a happy-go-lucky child who laughs and makes me laugh at her little quirky things. Plus, we know for a surety that she does NOT have leukemia which is such a massive weight off us.

Makenna had to give more blood on Monday and again yesterday (Wednesday). Her platelet numbers were up on Monday, but only slightly. Then on Wednesday, they were up from 64,000 to 84,000. They are still below average, as average is 125,000 to 200,000. They still feel that she had some sort of viral infection - a "mono cousin" as the doctor called it. He explained that it wasn't mono "exactly" but there are other infections that present like mono but are a variation, thus "mono cousin."

I had a feeling that she was getting better as a lot of the spots (patikieye - have no idea how you spell it) were disappearing. She still has some spots but they are faded. Plus, being a little "stinker" is a good indication that she's starting to feel better. We are just so grateful for friends and family who sent prayers and blessings our way to help us through this very scary time.

Later, the doctor called us at home to say that the specialist in Syracuse was glad to see the numbers improved but because they are still low, that she wants Makenna tested again in 4 - 6 weeks. At least this gives her fingers a chance to heal before they get more blood from them.

What was funny was Makenna still didn't like it but she cried a lot less, more of a whimper, yesterday. But each time she would say, "other kids turn?" her way of trying to say that she's trying to "share" the experience with other kids. She'd also add, "time to go" and "I want to go outside." Again, her ways of trying to get out of it. We would just be driving down the street of the hospital and she'd see it and start whimpering, "no, no, no." But like I said, she was a trouper yesterday.

Someone reminded me yesterday that I need to be more disciplined and write down all the quirky things Makenna does or says on a daily basis to remind myself and as a way to "torture" her when she's older.

So here are a few things from yesterday and today:

- She picks up her Iggle-Piggle doll (from "In the Night Garden" - a show in England) and looks at him and says, "Are you poopy?" "Are you stinky?" "You need your nappy changed?" "No you're not stinky, just wet."

- Stating, "God is good, God is great, ...." as we bless our food, in an English accent - love it!!

- Locking herself in my car today as she was "driving" and me trying to explain to her how to try and unlock it. She was trying to press buttons and then she told me, "hold on, just a minute," and she went over towards the passenger door and tried using that button. After five minutes, I relented and went inside and got the extra set of keys to get her out - now I remember why I don't give her the keys. Plus, she almost stuck the correct key into the ignition...I can only imagine if she learned to turn it on!

- Telling her cousin Elijah today as we were leaving, "I need a kiss Eli, I Love you."

- Yesterday in the doctor's office, riding in the boat and yelling, "come on stupid!" really loud as she's turning the wheel to the boat.

I'm sure there's more and now I will try and be more disciplined, because the person that reminded me is right...I don't want to forget these cute moments and as I look back at our other blog (chrisandterijo.blogspot.com) I realize that if it wasn't for writing every day, there would've been things I would've definitely forgotten. Plus, I need to get some pictures up!

Help Daddy, Help

Okay these two words when spoken by a toddler who needs a hand getting off the floor or walking across some balance beam is cute and puts a smile in your heart. But when spoken by a toddler who is screaming for true help to stop a painful thing happening to her just makes you cry. Especially when it's something you have to let her experience.

For over a week or so I've noticed a strange rash on Makenna's left arm in the crook of it. Then all of a sudden I've noticed it on her left leg. At first I thought it was a heat rash of sorts. When it started to get darker I got concerned. I took her to the doctor's on Monday who said that it may be some sort of allergy or it may be some sort of viral infection that is manifesting in this rash.

I kept an eye on it all week and bought and used the Hydrocortisone cream as recommended. She had a fever a few times through the week and then today we woke up and she had the rash all up her back. I called the doctor again and after a stressful visit he asked us to go to the hospital to have blood drawn for a CBC count along with a few other tests.

It was very hard to get Makenna calm enough to get through the exam with the doctor (as it was on Monday,) but now at the hospital and having them trying to get her to calm down enough to get blood drawn was down right horrific.

It seems that they could not get a vein to draw blood from and it didn't help that she was squirming all over the place even with a few people holding her down. They tried on both arms and eventually after 15 minutes or so were able to get some blood drawn. I was already in tears by that point.

She had been screaming, "Help daddy, help daddy," repeatedly. It just tore me up as it did Chris, who was one of the people trying to hold her down. Then she'd say, "outside," and "I think we're done." We tried talking to her about different things and even said we'd go to get ice cream after. She didn't care and she just wanted to be done.

When we finally got her home, she went straight to a nap, not surprisingly. We both said how we sincerely hoped that we wouldn't have to go through that again for many years to come--until she could understand. Well, that hope was short lived. The hospital called about a half hour after we were home to say that we'd have to come down and have her give some more as the blood for the CBC clotted and they couldn't get an accurate reading. We both cringed but said we'd be down after she woke up from her nap. At least this time they pin-pricked her finger and got what they needed. She still screamed and put up a fuss but it wasn't as bad. They also gave her a $10 Target gift card for having to do this again which I thought was nice and will go towards some toy.

After, we headed off to Sam's Club as Makenna kept asking for "Steak and sauce" for dinner. We realized once we got home and she was whining incessantly for food, that she hadn't eaten all day. She had been offered food various times but always refused so it was no surprise that she literally wolfed down steak. She still said no to ice cream though...she must be sick!

Well, the bad news continues as we have to go back yet again tomorrow to repeat the test as her CBC was low - something like 64,000 and I thought the doctor said it should be over 124,000. Chris heard over 200,000. Not to mention that the rash seemed to spread up to her scalp and her face a bit. That could be because of the straining and crying she was doing. The doctor said it was like little blood vessels are bursting and that's the spotting we're seeing. So it wouldn't be surprising if we saw more of it with all she'd been through today.

All I know is that we have said some prayers, had a blessing for her and will hope that whatever this viral infection is, goes away and that it's not anything more serious than that. I do find it a bit coincidental that this time last year in England, we were going through an illness with her. Of course, she was sick a lot in England but it seems like July may be a bad month for Makenna if this trend continues.