Since I posted last time we were able to go home for the weekend. While we were gone:

• Michael grew taller than Nathan
• Derek lost his two front teeth!
• Norah began to talk so much more and so much clearer
• Merian grew enough to put the dishes in the upper cabinets away
• Peter missed the kids and the kids misses Peter. They loved being together again.

While we were home we took Derek, Eliza, Norah and Peter on a bike ride and Emma and Merian to Adventures Underground. We tried to do something with Megan and Michael, but teenagers have busy schedules. Hopefully we'll get to go home again and do something.

Monday morning we left for the UW Medical Center. There, Nathan received Hyper CVAC part B. He was discharged on Friday. While he was there Nathan had an MRI that did not show any brain tumors. The chemo he received should penetrate into his spinal column and, along with the lumbar puncture with chemo, hopefully will rid his spinal fluid of cancer cells. We will find out the results of his Monday LP today and he will also receive another one. 

Nathan enjoyed the food at the hospital. I wish they were serving the same thing in the cafeteria. It was hard to find anything healthy there. It seems counter intuitive that a hospital should sell so much junk. While we were there, Peter and I went on walks around the beautiful UW campus. I look forward to showing the castle-esq buildings to the kids when they come visit.

Nathan's blood pressure was low when he was discharged so we have spent everyday since then in an infusion room for him to receive liquids and transfusions as his counts have fallen. Sometimes we are there for seven hours. When you add that to the other appointments, that makes for a long day at the clinic. Nathan has had a couple of rough days being sick and in pain, but all the fluids and transfusions are helping and he is looking better. Hopefully he'll be ready for transplant soon and we will get a short trip home while we wait.

Peter loves all the attention he gets from nurses and people in elevators. We spend so much time in elevators! I've probably ridden more in the last month than in my entire life!

I miss the kids but I'm glad they are having a fun summer. I can't believe it's already August. Seattle is cold and gray a lot of times so it feels like we are skipping summer this year.

I'm glad we've been able to go back home a couple times, but it feels like I am living a double life. When I am home, Seattle seems like a dream and, when I am here, home seems so far away. I look forward to things settling down and having the kids visit.

Wednesday was Harry Potter's birthday. Since it is in between Emma's and Merian's birthdays they decided to have a combined birthday party then. It sounds like it was a success. I'll have them write about all the details.

Peter is waking up so I'd better get him ready for the day and meet Nate at the clinic.