Hard Day

We slept in a bit more, got ready a bit later and didn't take as much time for food and water; and it was a rough one.  No blood was acquired from Jenna, as two attempts to draw, by two different nurses, resulted in nothing but a meltdown by our little lady.   The poor girl is so darn brave (hasn't cried at a blood draw for over two years), and she was caught off guard today for one reason or another.  I blame it on a lack of water this morning, and will get her up bright and early tomorrow to get her on the right track.  I pray all goes well tomorrow; that she doesn't hurt, and that she is able to overcome the trauma of today.  Our new friend (and trial coordinator) Xiao xiao, was very supportive and kind today--and made the decision to forego the bloodwork after two failed attempts; claiming that patient comfort is the most important thing of all.  He didn't like to see her upset; nor did Patrick, who fights with his sister constantly, but asked to leave the room and became rather frightened when she started to cry.  I am sure my headache right now is related to the stress of the morning.  We all react...just in different ways.

Jenna, Patrick and I bellied up to the counter at a place called "Slider Cafe" after their appointment and had breakfast sandwiches.  Our wonderful server (Mieka was her name), created a beautiful plate of strawberries and whipped cream for Jenna, who loved it enough to order seconds.  It was nice for Jenna to be so indulged after her rough go this morning. We also met Bob, a young MBA graduate who sold us his 2nd generation iPad as we ate breakfast...it was a wonderful adventure!

We planned to go to the beach and introduce Tucker to sand and surf; but I hit the wall.  We had a quiet afternoon, the kids did schoolwork with Grandma, and Jenna and I had an outing to the dollar store.  She spent $4 on a picture frame and lipstick for Grandma, crazy straws for Patrick, and a chew toy for Tucker.  Jenna was emotional all day today, and we were ALL exhausted.  Retail therapy did Jenna and me wonders--it was well worth the four dollars!

The kids and I miss Kevin and look forward to getting home tomorrow.  I realize after our first extended visit here that this will surely be a challenging couple of months; but will be well worth it in the end if our kiddos may feel better!

Love, T