The Good Kind of Busy

Yesterday was Chelsea's first day back to therapy. She had evaluations for OT (occupational therapy) and PT (physical therapy). On the drive yesterday morning, it dawned on me just how long it had been since we had been there. I remember the date like it was yesterday. September 26, 2007. I remember b/c after we left therapy that Wednesday morning, I had turned the corner with both kids in the back seat of our car and headed towards the highway.

Less than a mile from the therapy building Chelsea's pediatrician called me. Yep, the doctor called me on my cell phone. I'll never be able to get his words out of my head. "We need to talk. Where are you?" My reply, "okay, ... should I bring my husband?" "Yes." And that was our conversation. I was very calm, very collected, I knew why he was calling. I knew my baby had leukemia. Strangely enough when he called not only was I close to her therapy, but I was 2 blocks from the doctors office.

It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. You know how the rest of the story goes. Yesterday brought back that flood of memories driving in the area again. To think the last time we were there she was so sick, and she has grown and changed so much in the past nine months. She was barely walking at our last session. I remember telling her PT I was worried b/c she seemed to be regressing. Either her PT truly thought I was a overly worried mother, or she was just helping me stay calm about the whole thing. She reassured me everything would be fine. And it is. It just took us a while to get here.

We have been extremely busy the past few days, but it isn't the overbooked, crazy hectic kind of busy. After therapy yesterday we took our sandwiches to the park and played and rode the carousel. Chelsea made two little toddler girls cry at the park. She just can't resist loving on them when she sees little kids her size. Both girls bursted out in tears when Chelsea wrapped her arms around them, squeezed their necks, tilted her had, and said, "awwwww." Yes, she even does the 'awwww, that's so cute' noise us adults do when we see two kids hugging. Everytime the train passed by the playground Chelsea would climb down from her play area and run out into the grass, sign 'train' to me, point, and wave at all the people. She just waved and waved. Her innocence shines in everything she does. Later after the kids napped, we filled up the baby pool and played in the sunshine for a while.

Today we had Jazzercise in the morning again, and after class I looked at the kids and said, "do you want to go to the pet store?" Seriously, what kind of a question is that? We walked across the street to the pet store and did some window shopping. Seeing Chelsea in there so full of life made me the happiest mom in the world. She was captivated by the little puppies jumping up and down behind the plexi-glass begging for her attention. She ran back and forth past all the puppies and would stop and squat down next to them every so often and let out a shriek of excitement. I must have been beaming. I'm sure others in the store thought I was crazy. Why would I let my kid run all over like that? Why would I let her be so loud with excitement? Does it really matter, no. I was just enjoying the moment. And I anticipate many more moments like this.

She was zonked by the time we get home, but I was determined to keep her awake until she ate lunch. Oops, I missed her 'window.' By 12:45 when I tried to lay her down, she was having no part of a nap. She was completely exhausted and I persisted. Finally at 2pm, she crashed. At 2:30 the tornado sirens were going off. **sigh**

Now it's late and I've just returned tonight from subbing another Jazzercise class and am in desperate need of shower #2. I was dressed in my Jazzercise gear and Logan told me tonight when I put him to bed, "Mommy, you're doing a lot of Jazzercise today." Yes honey, and I'm sure I'll pay for it in the morning.