December Clinic Visit and Weekend Fun

We had a whirlwind of a weekend this past (actually last weekend, 12/15...took me a week to get this posted) weekend full of lots of fun, all capped off with a super awesome visit to the transplant clinic at CHOP!  Bill got back into town late Friday night from a business trip in Miami (yeah, I feel really bad for him too) and Saturday morning we started our fun adventure here in Virginia by taking Stephen to see Sesame Street Live at the Patriot Center (at George Mason).  This was the first time we attempted a "big" show since the time we attempted the circus when we was about 9 months old.  The circus was a bit overwhelming, so it didn't go so well, but thankfully, Elmo was a BIG hit!  It was so fun watching Stephen get excited each time all the characters came on stage to dance and sing and watch him groove along with the music.  I originally cringed when I saw what they were charging for tickets, but in the end, it was worth every penny to watch his little face and see his eyes light up with excitement!

Then it was back home to quickly pack up for a trip to Pennsylvania and to try to beat the snow.  We left at just the right time, because by the time we made it the two hours to York, the roads were completely covered with snow.  They ended up getting about 6 inches that evening, which made our special train ride the next day, that much prettier.  My parent's wanted to take all the grandkids on a special Christmas steam engine ride through the southern part of York county.  While Stephen was a bit apprehensive at first, once the train started moving, he got excited and had a fun time with his cousins.  Half-way through the train ride, we picked up a very special visitor all the way from the North Pole and Stephen got to see Santa for the first time this Holiday season, which made the ride even more fun.

And bright and early (6am) Monday morning, the three of us , Bill, Stephen, and I, made the trek to Philadelphia for Stephen's monthly transplant clinic visit.  It was so nice having Bill along with us this time and it definitely made the trip easier.  Plus, Stephen got to sit on Daddy's lap this time while getting his blood drawn, and I think that made it easier too.  I'm happy to report that all of Stephen's numbers were perfect this time! His BK virus levels are at an all-time low and his white blood cell count and ANC levels are at an all-time high; and everything else, his creatinite, BUN, and prograf levels are all stable.  These were the best results we've had since May/June!  And as a special treat and because Bill was along with us, we went to lunch at our favorite deli in Philadelphia after we were finished at CHOP.  Bill's parent's would bring us take-out from the Famous 4th Street Deli while Stephen was in the hospital and we fell in love with their decadent treats and awesome sandwiches.  If you're ever in Philly and want a great place to grab a bite to eat, breakfast or lunch, the 4th Street Deli definitely won't disappoint!

So all-in-all it was a great weekend full of fun, laughter, and totally awesome kidney numbers! And now we're just looking ahead to Christmas, followed by a special day on January 4th; Stephen's 3rd birthday!!

Stephen is in a Sesmae Street Live trance!