Mercedes and the Girls

Today is decorating day for the shower my mom is hosting for a friend's pregnant daughter.  We are hauling out the balls from Leiden's baptism, and getting some more use out of them!  They really are so pretty.

This does mean, however, that I am up on the 16 foot ladder, precariously perched and swaying, trying to pin in the fishing line.

We avoided mishap, and got them all hung.  Because of the backlight, it's almost impossible with my limited equipment to get a decent picture of them...they are so pretty floating around the room, but I can't capture it with my camera. 

This evening, after the climbing around, we went out to dinner and got pizza.  Mac did great!  She has been eating very little, in fears of hurting her throat, but she managed to get down some macaroni and cheese tonight, which is a major accomplishment.  The doctor told me to expect a weight loss of 5-10 lbs!  Mac doesn't have 1 to lose, let alone 5-10!  So I've been trying to get calories in her like crazy...but she doesn't like a lot of the stuff that would help her.  We tried Pedia-Sure, full of fat and calories for kids...she doesn't like it.  Ice cream, full of fat and calories, hurts her throat.  (?)  She is subsisting on popsicles and the odd chocolate milk, and a couple other things that just don't do the trick.  So I was VERY encouraged tonight to see her eating.  Aside from the obvious nutritional dilemmas, we have been very blessed.  I was told to expect a peak in her pain either yesterday or today.  Brad had relayed that he would wake in the night with unmanageable pain...the worst he's ever had.  I have the narcotic filled, as well as the anti-nausea that they have to take with it for the upset stomach it causes, but she hasn't needed it!  She will occasionally get a little teary eyed and tell me her throat hurts, but it's almost always time to give her regular Tylenol or Ibuprofen at those times, anyway, and a popsicle seems to set her up quite nicely.  When I check back with her, she says it doesn't hurt.  I was also told to expect her voice to change a little and become higher pitched and squeakier, but that hasn't happened, so it's not likely to.  Anyway.  Mac is doing great, and we are even doing okay in the same bed at night!  Go Mac!