Life's a BEACH!!!!!!

Edward was able to go on two vacations this summer!  Michael, Edward, and I spent a week at Kiawah Island, SC with the Johnson family.  We had a great time relaxing with family, laughing over late night stories and drinks, and watching Eddie play with his Johnson cousins. Eddie loved eating chocolate cake with Papa Johnson, somedays even early in the morning, but hey, it was vacation. He went on bike rides everyday with Daddy, even though he protested wearing his helmet, he still enjoyed it. And, Eddie learned how to be a big angry giant at the beach by stomping on sand castles only seconds after construction.  He thought it was hilarious.  And he loved the ocean.  What a little fish!  He kept saying "Daddy go out more, go out more!" as he wanted to go deeper in the ocean!  Just like Mom and Dad, he loves the beach!

Running......

 More running.......

And more running..... "Eddie, come back!" no answer.... no look back....no stopping! What a stinker!

 Laughing after we chased him down the beach!

Wrestling and splashing with Daddy!

At the Charleston aquarium.  He was able to hold a hermit crab and a starfish!                                                   

 Burning off some more energy!  This kid does not stay in the stroller for long anymore!

Edward's new books from the gift shop!

Completely delirious, as we drive home after running wild in the aquarium. NAP TIME!

 Going down the huge bouncy slide at the Kiawah Family Night Festival.

 And riding the the train with Mommy!

And, Eddie and I just returned from our visit to Ocean City New Jersey!  We spent another week hitting the beach and visiting with the Schusters!  Besides the actual beach, the big hit of the week was going to the boardwalk to go on the rides.  Because last summer was spent getting chemo and feeling so sick, we were never able to take him to the rides.  He loved every minute, and after each ride he would say "Another one Mom!  Another one Mom!"

 Yep, I burst into tears when the boats started going around!  He looked like such a big boy!

 Cheese!!!!! My best boy! My big boy! Where did the time go?

 Loved watching everything going on all around him :)

 Driving the boat like he had done it a million times.....

 Annnnnnddddddd the glasses are off!

 Riding in the sparkle car!  Beeping the horn and laughing!

 Oh. My. Gosh.... Are you sure that was a kiddie size cone Uncle Danny?

 Edward didn't let anyone take that cone from him!

 

This is what happens when you bite off the BOTTOM of the cone first! He does it EVERY time!

 Having popsicles with all of the Valasek cousins!  What a picture!

 Can't believe they all sat on the steps together for that long!

Summer love!

 Went with the girls to the fire station in Stone Harbor to see the trucks, but Eddie said, "Wait Mom, I gotta give him knuckles." Haha, my Eddie, you are a funny boy! By the way it's a STATUE!  He obviously doesn't get this concept yet, because when we went to the zoo, he also thought the monkey statue was real. Haha so funny!

 Eddie and Emily! Two little preemies, growing up too fast, and constantly surprising us all :)

 Eddie, Emily and Sarah, sitting on the front of a fire truck! SO cool!

 And we have fireman helmets!

 MELT DOWN...... This picture is so funny!  Eddie is a disaster after a no nap day, Emily is confused as to why Eddie is crying, Sarah is smiling for the camera, ignoring everything else, and George is saying, "Oh Geez, what is wrong with these kids?"

 We also went to the Cape May Zoo one morning and Edward and Pop-Pop were able to get their annual giraffe picture!

 Watching the giraffes eat lunch!!

 Zebras!  And Eddie kept saying "What they doing Pop?  WHat they doing Pop?"  And he pretty much said that over and over again every time we stopped to see a new animal.

 Watching the ducks with Aunt Nicole!

 Using his brand new BLUE shovel.... Although this shovel actual IS blue, Eddie says EVERYTHING is blue....

 Splashing in the 58 degee water.  Grammy is having so much fun....

 Haha! Or she is FREEZING!

 Digging with Aunt Nicole.  Eddie loved when we filled it with water. And he also loved bossing me around. He would hand me a bucket and say, "We need more water Mom!"

Digging for sand crabs with Uncle Danny.  We lost a few sand crabs, and by lost, I mean, Eddie squeezed them a little too tightly and they, ugh, floated, back into heaven, I mean, the ocean..... Yeah, we are working on this....

Thanks for my lollipop Uncle Danny.  Danny bought Edward about 7 or 8 lollipops.  I told Danny when Eddie's teeth start falling out, I am coming to find him!


Uncle Joey was trying to ask Eddie about his new house in Cleveland.  He said, "Eddie, where do you live now?" and without skipping a beat Eddie replied, "At the beach!" Haha, too funny! Of course you do Edward, or at least you think we live at the beach!  But so far, this summer is way better than last summer :) We are almost 1 year post chemo, and life's a beach!  Just ask him!

CLEVELAND!

Well, let's first update you all on Edward's eye exam with Dr. Shields on May 8th. He was first case that morning, so 6:15 a.m. arrival time.  Eddie slept horribly the night before, waking up anywhere from 5-8 times.  This sounds weird, but I think he knew...He wanted milk, which is not allowed after midnight.... He asked and asked, and I said no over and over again. I  offered water.  He didn't want it. It was a long, long, night for my Mom and I.  And when our alarm clocks beeped at 4:30 a.m., we were barely able to roll out of bed.  But, we hustled into the car with our coffee mugs full, and a sleepy head in his car seat and drove into the city.  A few blocks away from Will's Eye Institute, my Mom recognized my nervously tapping foot and asked, "What's wrong?" and I said, "I feel like I am going to throw up."  It doesn't matter that we haven't been there in 5 months.  It doesn't matter if it has only been 1 month since our last appointment.  I feel sick to my stomach every time, fearing the unknown, fearing a silent regrowth, fearing the rug being pulled out from underneath of us... again.   Upon arrival and check in, Edward started sobbing and clung to my neck. He knew exactly where he was, and he knew exactly what was about to happen.  Eye drops, nasty tasting versed, doctors checking him, poking him, nurses carrying him away from us and back into the OR, and from then on IV sticks, until finally a vein is deemed okay.  A mother's grief.... to not be able to soothe and ease the fears of your child... Ugh, and then the waiting...... Finally they called us back after his surgery, and Dr. Shields told us he is STABLE.  Both tumors look the same.  The same is good. The same is great! They are never going to go away, so the same is good.  No new growth.  No seeds. No fluid. A six month pass until our next appointment...

Me (in total disbelief): Six months?
Dr. Shields (smiling): Yes, six months, he is doing great!
Me: No really, we can come back sooner.  Six months seems like a long time.
Dr. Shields (aware of our upcoming move to Cleveland):  Look, even if you lived across the street from Will's, I would still give you a six month pass.
Me (tears spilling over): Really?
Dr. Shields: Yes.
Me (as awkwardly as possible): Can... I.... hug, you?
Dr. Shields (as awkwardly as me): umm... Sure!

Thank goodness my Mom was there to kick me under the table to knock some sense into me and to get me to pull myself together.... MUSH... I am all MUSH these days... and yes I take anxiety medicine to sleep... because without it.....I wouldn't sleep.  These past two years have been rough, and I am constantly worrying about the next "rug" that will be pulled out from underneath our feet.  I hope as time goes on, Edward's eyes will remain stable, and we can "move on"?  I don't really know if those words are the rights words, but I would like to live a life that is less full of anxiety and more full of excitement.  I definitely know I worry more than I should, but I just can't help it.  I am hoping to get back to my old self... my tough Philly girl self that can take on the world while multi-tasking a million things, and still laughing my head off at silly jokes.  And I am hoping CLEVELAND is our new fresh start, where the "rugs" will.... well.... stay put! haha! Forever and ever!

And so we have moved, we have Ohio driver's licenses, we have a backyard, we have SPACE, we have a Shaker Heights address, we have a few new friends already, AND we have a playground we can walk to,  and Edward already loves it!

We would like to thank both of our parents, Matt, Melissa, and Nicole for arranging plans so that they could come to Cleveland to help us move!  We couldn't have done it without your help!  I have many more pictures to post.  I have to show pictures of our Kiawah beach vacation, the Cleveland Zoo, and more pictures of our house!   Next post, coming up sooner rather than later! Love, Katie