New Chapter

There are some big changes in the air!

We're moving!  We've been living with my parents for about 18 months.  It's been great to have somewhere safe and dependable to live while we recovered in many ways from the stress of Scarlett's diagnosis and treatment.  We started to casually look at available rentals in the area to get an idea of what might be out there, and the perfect place popped up!  We signed a lease, and we'll be moving February 1.  It's a very nice house is a great neighborhood; we decided that we could not risk the hard-fought IEP, so we had to stay in the same city (and IEP is managed by a school district, and would have to be renegotiated with a new school district).  We'll have plenty of space, a backyard for Scarlett and Cosmo to play and a lake across the street.

Keeping a non-eater occupied in a restaurant...sock hands!

Of course, moving is it's own brand of stress, but we're trying to stay focused on one small step at a time.  It's a huge change financially, so we have to be careful.  It will be tricky for a few months while we adjust, but we have a plan.  We are looking for a few things we don't have - a couch, washer and dryer are first on my mind - on Craigslist, in thrift stores and garage sales, and everything else will come together eventually.  Most of what we have has been in storage for a year and a half, so it will be like Christmas all over again as we unpack!

We're very excited, and feel like moving is the end of this recovery chapter.  When we moved in to my parents house, Scarlett was doing well, and we thought we were completely finished with the stress of chemo...just to have more tumor found a few months later.  Our recuperation took a bit longer than expected, but we still feel like we have made good progress in finding stability financially, medically and emotionally.  I don't know what will happen next - we're always wary of the chance Scarlett could relapse again - but we will just keep managing it as it comes.

Cutest protest nap in the doorway after a tantrum.

It's a new phase for Scarlett, too.  Her little body is still recovering, and we are all learning how to manage the long-term effects of the treatments she has endured.  Over the last month, we have been dealing with her immune system.  Everyone in our house has been sick, but she got a nasty infection that has lasted for several weeks.  She is on her second round of antibiotics with eye drops after both her ears and eyes were goopy.  She seems to catch everything that walks by her.  Despite the runny nose and all, she takes it like a champ and doesn't let it slow her down.

We're seeing her adjust more and more to life off treatment.  She is learning signs all the time - sh'es regularly asking for her iPad, saying "home", greeting everyone who comes in the room (over and over again!) and trying new signs she sees on Signing Time.  

Evidence of her pushing a chair to where she wants, climbing up and playing with the light switches and whatever she finds on the counter!

We're happily packing, planning and settling in to life.  We're busy like always, and still knee-deep in concerns, particularly around Scarlett's medical coverage that is in limbo right now.  We keep moving forward, and hoping that things will settle themselves if we continue to explore all avenues.