P is for Pool, Peas and Potty

And P is also for Diddy who is playing a defense attorney on the CSI Miami episode we're watching on TiVo. Michael and I are unwinding from our first AFP Monday in which we get to sweat out the 24 hours until we get the results of Sylvie's blood test. That aside, it was a GREAT day filled with swimming, eating vegetables sort-of, the first real bath in 6 months and peeing in te potty! A monumental day in the Hughes Household.

I took Sylvie to the clinic before 9 am and despite having to do a diaper change in the trunk of my car and fearing Sylvie had C. diff again (it's the TPN and Magnesium), we had an awesome morning. Sylvie was in a GREAT mood and was even nice to Carmen who took her vitals. 35 inches tall; 22.6 lbs. Terry came in and Sylvie was psyched to see her. Terry was not supposed to be working but saw Sylvie on schedule and came into the clinic. When I'm carrying Sylvie and she gets excited by something, her legs start "running" while I'm holding her. It's very cute. They were going a mile a minute at the sight of Terry. We went to an exam room and Sylvie and Terry together drew about 5 vials of blood. They're a little team. Odd as it may sound, it is very endearing watching them sit side by side while Sylvie inserts the colored vials into the syringe-thing and helps draw her own blood yelling "C'mon blood! C'Mon blood!"

Then we went to the playroom where Jette and her dad Paul were hanging out. It was a full house today. Siobhan was there and I thanked her for coming to the MRI last Thursday with us. Sylvie's favorite cute-girl volunteer, Stephanie, was playing with the Play-doh veterinary kit. She's the best Play-doh maker ever, next to Sibel who is crafty at everything.

We met with Dr. Harris and Annette and once again, Sylvie was incredibly cute and nice to them. She proceeded to eat cottage cheese, mozzarella and Pirates Booty at a record pace in the middle of the exam so Dr. Harris declared that if she can have an appetite like that, even if it's sporadic, then she no longer needs TPN. We talked a little about the Alpha-fetaprotein count and at 26.5 we can't kid ourselves that something may very well be brewing but remain very hopeful.

Annette removed the port, despite Sylvie's protests, and we were on our way!

En route home we stopped off at the big Whole Foods in Paramus where Sylvie picked out some frou frou key lime cheesecake with pink flowers on it. Sibel had lunch ready when we got home and Sylvie chowed down. Immediately following, they went to Samantha's so I could catch up on some work. Sibel called me to see if they could go to Graydon Pool. My first thought were the microbes in water and my total support for The Pool Project in building a clean, clear water pool. Then I figured that Sylvie would never even dip her toe in the water and would probably just eat some ice cream and head home. So I armed them with sunblock, an SPF 50 bathing suit, an Ariel towel and kickboard and off they went. I called Tracey to reschedule Sylvie's physical therapy and she happened to already be at Graydon Pool. Sibel and Sylvie ran into her so Sylvie was very intent on impressing both Tracey and Sibel with her moves. In no time, Sylvie polished off a Strawberry Shortcake ice cream bar and was kicking along the stone wall in the kiddie section of the pool. She kept telling Sibel to not touch her and that she knew what she was doing. I kept texting Sibel that Sylvie had no sense of balance and couldn't swim and not to let go! They had a ball.

Michael came home from work and Sylvie spied the bottle of Virgil's Cola on the counter. I told her that in order to have some soda with dinner, she had to eat some peas. My new rule, effective immediately. Must try new healthy food items in exchange for eating the crappy ones, beginning with the peas. Michael was annoyed at me because Sylvie went from great to psycho during his first 5 minutes home but I was hellbent on not letting Sylvie drink the coveted soda unless she tried the peas. In Sylvie fashion, she said "Later! Later!" and so I acquiesced. Michael grilled some salmon for her and while she was chowing down, she looked at me and said, "Mom, I'm ready for the peas." I was so excited! She ate about 10 which are ten more than she's had in a year. Last time she ate peas, was over a year ago when she put them up her nose and sneezed them out. We had then switched to edamame because they were too big to fit up her teeny nose.

Michael and I then went out for a run and when we returned, I ran a bath for Sylvie-- her first "real" bath in over six months! Imagine that for a second. Sponge baths for six months... More recently, whenever we'd even suggest the tub, Sylvie would get hysterical. But tonight, she practically leapt into the tub and was swimming away, floating on her belly like a mermaid. And playing with her Princess action figures. She was having a ball. It was her longest bath ever. The only good thing about her having only a few strands of hair is that it dries in about ten seconds. She kept looking down in the tub and finally said, "Mom, can I sit on the potty and pee?" Indeed this was a big moment! I wrapped her in a Cinderalla towel, put her on the potty and for the first time, she went to the bathroom! Michael and I picked her up and had a big family hug.

"Can I have my Hello Kitty present now?" Sylvie asked matter-of-factly. My girl means business!

She was so proud of herself. She couldn't stop smiling. Neither could Michael nor myself.

Swimming, Peas, Bath, Potty-- you may take these things for granted but they were the highlight of the day- the week- maybe the past month.

Sylvie fell asleep a very happy little girl and hopefully we'll have some good news tomorrow.