Steve took Nathan, Meagan, and Noah to the airport at 4:45 this morning; they left me sniffling and crying in their wake. It’s hard enough to say goodbye to adult children that you love; however, if said adults also take with them a handsome, precious 10-week old charmer—well, tears are about the only response I could come up with.
I enjoyed Noah so much this week; what a little pal he turned out to be.
I was quite curious to see what Summer’s reaction to Noah would be; thankfully, she did very well, showing many signs of curiosity but none of jealousy.
It was funny to introduce them for the first time. I’m not sure that Noah was all that impressed.
We enjoyed having the three of them here so much despite the fact that all of us have been sick during the past week, even to the point where Nathan, Meagan and I had to take Noah to the emergency room due to some wheezing and congestion. Thankfully, he continued to improve as the days went by.
I finally took myself into the doctor this morning; my lungs were clear (with COPD, you can never be too careful) but my platelets have dropped almost in half from their previous already low level. The doctor who saw me said she was tempted to send me across the street to the emergency room to get some platelets but instead she put me on a steroid which should bump up the platelets a bit, in addition to helping with my lung function and laryngitis. She added that if I were to get a nose bleed or cut myself, I should get to the ER immediately.
Thankfully I’m already scheduled to see my rheumatologist next Tuesday so he will follow up on this latest platelet drop and see what needs to be done; we really can’t afford for them to get much lower.
But admidst all the illness and doctors and coughing and wheezing, we still managed to have lots of fun with our Floridian family. Case in point: these family pictures we took last night. In case you’re wondering, these are the ones that did NOT make the list of finalists.
Happy first day of a wonderful year!
I just knew that my mother cancer relapsed, and — can you believe it? One of the first person I thought about were you. I thought about your story, your courage and always positive attitude, your strenght. I will probably never meet you, but you taught me a lot.
Just wanted to let you know. 🙂
Olivia.
Olivia,
I already replied by email this morning but just wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you and your mom.
Happy New Year Smith family! Your pictures are always great; even the ones that didnt make it. I see a family that loves each other’s company and is having FUN! Wishing you many blessings in the new year!
LeeAnne,
We truly do love each others’ company and it makes things even more fun when a baby is stirred into the mix! 🙂
Love the family pictures! (Actually, I think I love ALL of your pictures!) Hope all of you are feeling better soon.
Sue Ellen,
I guess if you’re going to take some pictures, you might as well have some fun along the way, right? 🙂 So glad you enjoyed them!
Love the family pics…even though they didn’t make it, looks like everyone is having fun! Hope everyone is feeling better. When is your next chance to all be together again? Something to look forward to! Hugs to you all.
Linda in Pittsburgh
Linda,
Seeing each other again is always a complicated, expensive undertaking with jobs to juggle, long road trips, and expensive airfare. Now that the grand baby is here, it makes the time between visits seem especially long! Nathan is hoping to get back to Manteo for Sarah’s high school graduation, even if Meagan and Noah aren’t able to come. So that is something to look forward to!
Could the Methotrexate be the cause of your low platelets? I would wager a bet that it is; my son was on Methotrexate for cancer (it is a chemo drug) and had to be given neupogen shots to help raise his counts. Just a thought……
Kristi,
I’m hoping that one of my meds is causing the problem; MTX is certainly a strong enough drug to affect platelets. I’m sure my rheumatologist will be taking a close look at all the meds on Tuesday and figuring out a new plan for me.
I’m sorry your son had cancer; I know all too well what it’s like to be a cancer mom. Hugs to you.
Love those family shots at the end!!! They made me giggle!
Stefanie,
Giggling is good! 🙂
Have you and your hubby gotten any new sports cars lately?
The third one of the pictures that did not make made me smile 😀
Can I ask what platelats are? Hope you are well feeling better
Trine,
I loved that one, too!
Platelets are cells that circulate in the blood and keep us from bleeding.
Sickies here too. It’s awful quiet when everyone leaves. Do you have a set date to see them again? I don’t, in regards to either of my boys, and I am finding that especially hard. Baseball season is approaching, which ties them up more than ever (Jimmy coaches varsity high school in DC and John works for Major League Baseball in NJ ) Waaaaa. Noah is plumping up nicely, so cute <3
Lesley,
I think it’s so funny that babies are the only people we can say are “plumping up nicely” and have it be a compliment. 🙂 I love a plump baby!
I’m sure it’s very hard for John and Jimmy to get away with jobs like they have. Although I must say their jobs sound like they would be enjoyable! I agree, it’s hard not knowing exact specifics on when you’ll see them again and yes, it is terribly quiet when everyone goes home.
Hugs to you and Sarah; hope everyone feels better soon!
“These are the good ole’ days.”
Steve,
Yes, they are!
I feel your pain. My 3 sweet Grand Girls left last Saturday and the house is much too silent now. I hope you have plans to see them again–it always helps me when there is a definite date for the next visit on the horizon.
Happy New Year–
xoxo
Kim,
Three grand girls? How fun! (But not so much fun when they leave.) I know you enjoyed them so much over the holidays!
I just love seeing the fun your family has together. We had a lot of laughs over our holiday break, too. It makes it seem even more quiet when everyone leaves to go back to school, work, or home. We cherish the memories, though! I hope everyone is feeling back to normal soon!!
Gayle,
Laughs over the holidays are the best kind! So nice to have memories remain behind when everyone leaves.
I always love seeing the pictures that didnt make it 🙂 Always hard to say good bye – Im sure esp hard with little cuties like Noah. Hope you all are feeling better.
CJ
Yes, the pictures that don’t make it are the ones that are the most fun to look at. 🙂
I think most of are feeling a little better but I still sound like a frog. Such a lovely voice to listen to!