Layin' Low

This weekend we didn't do a whole lot; it was really nice to relax and lay low. Yesterday Noah and I went to Oakridge Mall for a while and then came back to RMH to watch a movie. We were snuggled up on the bed when our room phone rang to annouce surprise visitors. It was John and Aleeda Vis, bearing homework!!! Yay! Noah is enjoying the SpongeBob typing tutor; he was quite excited about that. There are 3 novel studies, a grammar book, a writing book, some math games - lots to keep his brain busy! Thanks!
Today I really wanted to go to church so we decided to check out Vancouver 1st CRC, where my 2nd cousin Trevor and his wife Julia are the pastors. I am so glad we did! It is going to be a nice "home" for us while we are here. It is such a small world, though, one of Noah's doctors was there as well as a nurse from the ward! It was great to see them and discuss with them what is appropriate for us to be doing, eg, it is ok for us to go to church, but don't sit close to anyone and definitely no hand-shaking! Coffee afterward is also out, but that is fine; it was just nice to be there and to SING. It is crazy how after only 2 1/2 weeks that I would miss singing that much.... I just gotta get some good songs on my iphone and wail away!
Another person we met at church was Tom's dad's cousin, Alyce Stolte-Vaughan. She knew from her other Stolte relatives that we were here, but didn't know how to contact us. Then we showed up at church! It was funny, and she is excited to meet Tom sometime. Crazy.

This afternoon Uncle Ken and Auntie Helene and Hannah Jo came and we went for a walk on Kits Beach, where we turned over rocks and looked for little crabs, and picked up shells etc. It was nice but very windy. After that we drove around a bit, looking for a place to eat supper. We decided on White Spot and had a wonderful supper out!

Noah has just come back from his bedtime snack, yogurt and granola. He is so funny, he just goes down to the kitchen and walks around tapping his fingers on the counter, trying to decide what to eat. Hmmmm.... He is getting a bit of flak from the Night Manager for eating such healthy food all the time, lol. His cheeks (and his tummy) are starting to get a bit puffy, which is a side effect of the Prednisone, so he looks like he is gaining weight, but I am not sure that is true. On Friday he weighed 31.5 kg, which is 100g less than what he weighed when we arrived on March 4, but 100 g more than his weight on Wednesday, so that is positive. Apparently it is good to encourage him to eat as much as possible now because the next round of treatment will make him feel bad and he won't want to eat anything. He was already so thin - I hope he gains a lot the next couple of weeks, just not all in his belly and cheeks, ; )
Today we have also been playing some new games suggested by Jeff Anderson (and Mel) from the Appstore on my phone and Noah's ipod. Cat Physics and Urban Ninja are his new faves. (free for a limited time....) Very cool and challenging; a good time waster for tomorrow.
Tomorrow is another clinic day, hopefully just blood work, but they did warn us there may be platelets as well. With platelets there will always be Benedryl, because he had that allergic reaction the first time, so if he gets them, he will be tired when Tom and the girls arrive. The good thing about a platelet transfusion is that it only takes an hour, not three, like blood!
Tom and Emily, Miranda and Alyson left Smithers today at around noon and thought they would get as far as Williams Lake tonight, and drive the rest of the way tomorrow. We can't wait!