A very busy day and a tired little girl...

Today was a very busy day for Annabel! First we met our cousin Callie who came in from Oklahoma and Carleen from Houston. We met for lunch with my mom, my godmother/aunt Eva, my sister and two of her high school friends,Candy and Michelle. Tara, myself, Annabel and Donna our nurse had a great visit with family. She was in her element with all the attention. Thank you Callie for coming in and making time to visit with us!
This evening we attended the ARC Holiday Cards for a Cause kickoff dinner which honored the artist of the Christmas card that went on sale today. This was Annabel's second year as an artist. It is a wonderful evening and again she was showered with so much attention. Ms. Ann, her teacher who always helps her create her card was there, and sat right next to her, so you can imagine how happy Annabel was. I actually brought my camera to lunch, but failed to remember to take pictures with Annabel's family. But tonight I remembered to take pictures even though they aren't all very clear.



                    Annabel the Artist     

Annabel got to meet Jay Bruce, who plays for the Cincinnati Reds 

Annabel enjoying Ms. Ann's company at dinner

Annabel's Christmas Card for 2011 (the letters PEACE are her little finger prints)

Annabel being honored as an artist being presented with a framed copy. A very proud mommy!

Annabel getting a HI and some sweet attention from one of her pediatricians Dr. H!

Surprise visit at school and more pictures of her week...

Tara decided to come home for a visit this weekend. She had two classes cancel and came in early and was able to surprise Annabel. Tara has not seen Annabel since she was in the hospital there in Houston.
Annabel's class also visited the pumpkin patch for their field trip and then the sunglasses picture from today was for drug free week...

School days in Pictures...

                                 Annabel dressed in Pink for PINK OUT Day for Breast Cancer!

                                                Went to school all day and had a great day!

Life with a central line....

Annabel is doing better, getting stronger everyday. She goes to school most days and is able to basically stay all day. School is such a happy place for her and I am very blessed that she is so loved and well cared for by everyone.

She is getting back into all her therapies. I am also so lucky for her dedicated therapist who continue to work with us even though Annabel misses so many appointments due to her illnesses.

I ccontinue to have three great nurses, Rebekah, Debbie and Donna that makes sure she gets great medical care and so much love and attention. I feel guilty so much of the time that I have so much help, but Annabels needs have changed so much with this central line...

Central lines....what can I say? It fills my mind almost daily. My feelings are so strong that she must get off of this central line. The reality is that she cannot survive without it. So the very thing that sustains her, can so easily take her from us. It has been 18 months, 1 1/2 years of TPN/central lines. We thought this ride would be so brief, basically to rest her gut.
So just this past Thursday night when her fevers rose to 102 and she began to have chills, I froze. Mel looked at me and said you better go pack your bags. I really couldn't imagine going back to Houston and the thought of what Annabel has just gone through. Annabel was very congested and my prayer and wish is that the fevers were coming from the cold/congestion. So she made it until Friday morning and we went to see Dr. B. We did blood cultures and by yesterday we knew her blood was clear. Thank you, Jesus!

I will never stop praying for her tummy to work again, but the reality is she probably won't be able to eat enough to get the central line removed. Her liver continues to be sick. This will not improve as long as she is on the central line.

I have to keep my thoughts on the fact that we have so much to be thankful for with Annabel. She continues to show us how to live life. It is simple in her book. She wakes with a beautiful smile and a heart that overflows with goodness and love. If Annabel could speak I know that she would thank everyone from her family very close by and far away and all the friends who faithfully continue to pray for her from everywhere.