Genius!

Eleanor is 7 months old today! It's crazy to think that 7 months ago today I was just down the hall, huffing and puffing and swearing at all the nurses. Don't get me wrong; it was the best birthday I have ever had and my angel baby was the greatest gift I have ever received, but that labour stuff hurts! Today also marks 1 month in hospital. I haven't been home in a full calendar month, and I probably won't for many more. Aside from my dog, there is nothing there for me. My home is with my baby, and for now we live in the hospital.

She's had a rough couple of days. The chemo has hit her really hard and she is so nauseous. We seem to have figured out the best way to settle her tummy, and it involves 4 different anti-nausea drugs, 1 stool softener and an occasional bolster of morphine. I feel like it wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't for the damn Mitotane. She takes it 4 times a day and it makes her so sick. It's basically rat poison/insect repellent that blocks steroids and is only used for adrenal cancer, and since children and infants never get adrenal cancer, none of the nurses here have ever administered it or understand the side effects. So anything that is hard to explain or is out of the ordinary is blamed on the Mitotane. Her counts have also bottomed out. They should stay low for a few days and then start picking up again. The doctors are really happy with how she is doing, so we are too. It's hard when she is so sick, but knowing that the chemo is attacking the cancer as aggressively as her fast-growing cells brings a small amount of comfort.

In an effort to encourage Eleanor's development, we have been getting her up in a tumble-form seat. It's quite tiring for her at the moment, so we sing songs and play with toys to keep her amused. Then Kris thought to bring over her Baby Einstein DVDs. We have a stack of them at home, courtesy of Grandma Dana, but I must admit I was skeptical. Despite the fact that they are insanely popular and have made Disney a TON of money, I wasn't sure how I felt about putting a baby in front of the tv. Well, after spending a month in hospital that's all out the window! These things are CRAZY! It's just a video of different toys set to classical music, but it's like crack-cocaine to the baby. She is 100% transfixed on the screen the whole time! She loves absolutely loves them, and it's great to have lots of quiet activities we can do in her room. Well done, Disney! You win this round!