Anna has made it through her third dose of chemo, putting us 25% of the way through the anticipated treatment. The joy of this milestone has been tempered a bit by the side effects being tougher on Anna this round than any of the previous.

This is how you go to Chemo on Halloween.

We met with Dr. Kaplan on Friday prior to chemo and he was, as always, a positive guy with positive things to say. He indicated that Anna's blood counts were really good which meant we could dial back the Granix shots (a wonderful change for Anna) from 7 to 3 days. The Granix has been prescribed to help Anna produce white and red blood cells faster as the chemo is doing its best to kill them off. It causes pain throughout her body as the bone marrow works overtime.

Another side effect that has gotten worse is the fatigue. We were aware the effects could be cumulative for the first 3-4 treatments and this is all within that scope. Anna is tired a lot from the treatment and having a very active 2.8 year old and a 2 month old on top doesn't help. Lots of rest is in order and we have been able to accommodate that with the help of friends and family. This brings me to my next point. We are thankful.

We are thankful these days for so many things. Shiloh is turning into a wonderfully chubby smiley little bundle. Dexter is growing into a loving big brother with boundless creativity and joy. Our kids have kept us centered during this wonderfully. Not much time left to dwell when they are around.

The Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood playing their parts.

We are also thankful for our immediate family. We have the support of the best kind in our them. They have given us time, effort, patience, childcare, and lots of love. While you would expect family to do these things, they have done more and better versions of it than we could imagine.

Speaking of family, there is something I took away from Hawaii that is coming to light now. In the islands most of the folks that live there use Auntie and Uncle as a term of endearment to explain close friends. It is sweet and appropriate as everyone there seems to be family in some way or another. As we have had more and more people around helping and giving us their best, I have been using the terms in our life. Not because I think I am Hawaiian after 12 months on Oahu, but because it is the best way to express how our friends have become our family.

When the news got out of Anna's diagnosis the outpouring of love and support was humbling. People came from all sides of our lives and gave their support. They called, emailed, messaged, and visited. We have had food cooked for us, gifts delivered, babysitting offered (and taken), house cleaned, cars found, kids placated, ears and shoulders lent.

Thank you, from everything we are, thank you.