I Know... I'm a Slacker

But maybe some pictures will help make up for my lack of postings?? We have just been soooo busy lately, and when I'm not busy, I'm exhausted and resting. I've been meaning to post all week, and like most weeks, the time just got away from me.

Last weekend we traveled to Valdosta for the 4th annual Victory for Victoria Run. Victoria's family does this run every year to raise money for cancer research and families. This year, they collected toys for hospital patients and are giving all proceeds to help cancer families pay various expenses. It's a great event, and we're proud to be a part of it. Plus, it was nice to see Margaret Anne and meet her new pregnant belly! The weather was PERFECT, despite the snowy drive home the very next day! Saturday, the morning of the run, we were quite comfortable in light shirts and jeans. Cline ran the 5K and came in 1st in his age group and we think about 5th overall. Although he ran the thing so fast, I missed his big finish because I was entertaining Christa by the slide and bounce house. Christa and I walked the fun run, and Christa sat obediently in her stroller the whole time!! I make it through the whole thing and was quite proud of myself for walking so far at one time. I have really got to get back to the gym! (Seeing as how I put my membership on hold due to lack of use, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon:) Anyway, enjoy the pictures.

This is Cline and Margaret Anne at the awards ceremony after the run.

In other news, I put Christa's hair in pigtails for the first time last week. It's almost long enough, but still too fine to hold very long. It was cute while it lasted.

I'm still feeling better and tolerating 1st trimester fatigue. I've gotten used to the throwing up and am almost ready to just let myself eat whatever I want, since it doesn't seem to matter anyway. Christa is talking more and more every day. Last night, my mom and I took her to Chili's where she proceeded to chew on their ketchup bottle. I told her, "no, don't eat that, it's dirty." She replied, "no, dirty!" She cracks us up every day.

Well, that's all for now! Maybe if I don't promise to post again soon, I will actually post again soon :) Have a great day!

I'm Cheating

Alright - due to public pressure, I'm going to give y'all something to do until ASAP becomes a real possibility. Go to www.theworldaccordingtorileyemerson.blogspot.com to see pictures of Christa's recent playdate with our friends, Ali and Riley. (Which reminds me, how do I write "go here" and get the word "here" to take you to a link? Anybody??) We had a great time as you will see, although you will have to pardon the unflattering angle of me in one of the pictures :)
I have not taken any pictures of Christa since that day, but I will try to do it soon and post ASAP (i.e. probably at least a few days from now)!
I just found out that one of my announcements is going to have to wait a little longer. Sorry - it's beyond my control. It has nothing to do with Christa or the new baby, though, so don't stress out too much over it. It is good news, though.
My other announcement is GREAT news! Ok, I'll just go ahead and tell you since my child is occupied learning her alphabet and stimulating her mind with puzzles watching Veggie Tales. It does require a bit of an introduction, though, so here it goes.
Most of you would recognize the name "Margaret Anne." She comments frequently on this blog, is one of my closest friends, and is the mother of a favorite little patient from my Egleston days, Victoria. I practically lived in the hospital room with Victoria and Margaret Anne for 6 weeks during Victoria's first admission for an aggressive brain tumor, and then off and on for 2 years after that. We became fast friends/extended family, and Margaret Anne was the first one to arrive at the hospital when Christa was born. Victoria's story is at a link to the right, if none of this sounds familiar to you.
Without further ado, it is my great pleasure to officially congratulate Margaret Anne, her husband, Lee, and Victoria's older brothers and sister on their NEW BABY, a boy, due in June!!! In fact, the original due date was Christa's birthday, but that has since been moved up some. We are soooooo excited and can not wait to meet this precious little boy.
Alright, I've got to go take care of my child now, and I'm hoping for a nap soon. Thanks for checking, even though I haven't posted much lately! I will try to do better :)

Remembering Victoria

Please visit Victoria's page (link to the right) and leave a comment for her family. Victoria went to heaven 3 years ago, today. Read the November 6th post from 2007 for Victoria's story.

I miss you, sweet girl! I love you, Newsomes.

We Remember

Two years ago today I got a 6 am phone call. My heart broke before I answered it; I knew exactly who it was and what she was about to say. It was Margaret Anne calling to tell me her daughter, Victoria, who I adored, had been given a heavenly cure for her cancer - not the earthly one we were hoping for. She was 8.

Victoria's prognosis was poor from the start. Her cancer had already spread from her brain to her spine, and it was one of the more aggressive types. She went through countless complications and emergencies during the two years I watched her fight it. And yet she never looked sick. She looked bald and gained weight for a while from taking steroids. But I can't remember a time that I saw her where she wasn't smiling and playing like a normal 6 year old, then 7, then 8 year old. It's been 2 years since I saw her, and I remember her like it was yesterday that I hugged her goodbye. So today, I want to share some of my favorite memories of her:

- fetching midnight snacks of broccoli and cheese and spaghetti noodles
- being "shhhhhhed" by Victoria while her mom and I attempted to visit during her 100th viewing of Finding Nemo
- walking out of the hospital after a night shift, and passing Victoria and her mom on their way in. Victoria gave me the biggest smile, and said "Hey Jessica" from her wheelchair.
- walking into my ICU shifts to find nice surprises in my mailbox - some form of Hershey's chocolate, a note, and a picture colored by Victoria
- watching Victoria laugh for absolutely no reason, and then joining her
- standing at the end of the hall on 3 East with my arms outstretched as I watched her walk to me for the first time after she learned again
- giving her a hug at Chick-Fil-A where we had lunch the day she and her mom delivered the birdseed bags they'd made for my wedding
-having a panic attack the day I introduced Victoria and her mom to Cline at the hospital - I'd pretty much overstepped every other professional boundary with this family, and they wanted to meet my boyfriend since we talked about him a good bit. I don't know if it was "against the rules" per-say, but I'm pretty sure it was frowned upon. The day Cline came up to meet them, the medical director happened to be sitting at the nurses station! Cline struck up a conversation with her, and she loved him. Go figure.
- Victoria relapsed shortly after Cline and I were married and living in Augusta. She had to go to Egleston on a day we happened to be in Atlanta to get a spinal tap. She was really groggy from the anesthesia as we went into the room, so we visited with Margaret Anne while she slept. Aunt Martiele came in, saw me, and yelled "hey Jessica" with a big hug and smile, sort of ignoring Cline. When we had to leave, Margaret Anne gently shook Victoria and said, "Jessica's got to leave now." Victoria grumpily yelled, "NOOOOOOOO" and went back to sleep. Cline raised his hand and said softly, "um... excuse me, but I'm actually leaving too." We all cracked up laughing.
- sitting cramped in half a car seat while Victoria stretched out as we drove through the night to St. Jude after her relapse. I said, "Victoria, you're hogging the seat." She replied, "it's OK." She was right - it was OK.
- talking to Margaret Anne all night as I gripped the steering wheel when it was my turn to drive. Margaret Anne had a huge SUV, and I was used to driving a little sedan. It was late, dark, and the roads were curvy and narrow. I just knew I was going to wreck and cause Victoria not to get her treatment, and I was terrified. But Margaret Anne and I "enjoyed" our chatting as much as we were able to, and I was honored to be driving a sleeping Victoria to what we'd hoped would be life-saving treatment.
- meeting new colleagues at the hospital who, upon hearing my name, replied, "oh, you're Victoria's nurse. She talks about you all the time." I was very proud to be known as "Victoria's nurse."

Today, like her parents, I know that Victoria is fine. I am grateful that she is no longer suffering, no longer having to spend a birthday in a hospital room, and no longer fighting the monster that is childhood cancer. But I think about her often, and wonder what things would be like if she were still here. Would she have come with Margaret Anne to meet Christa the day she was born? What pictures would she color for me? Would she like Hannah Montana? What would we do together when we visit Valdosta?

Margaret Anne, today we remember and miss Victoria with you. While I would change the circumstances if I could, we proudly call you, Lee, and your children a special part of our family. Because of Victoria, I hug Christa just a little tighter and play with her just a little longer. Because of Victoria, Cline orders extra CT scans and MRI's on kids just to be sure he doesn't miss something. I know things haven't really gotten any easier, and so we still pray for all of you. We love you, and we love Victoria.

(The sign to the right says 'We Love you Victoria! "More than words can say".' It was drawn by a 10 year old boy and held up by her therapists on a street corner close to the cemetary the day of her funeral.)