Pictures of Brady Bash

Here you go folks:

Mommy steals a kiss from the guest of honor


Party tent


Candy Buffet



Photo Display and Picture of Brady that the guests signed



The HUGE pile of donated items for the Ronald McDonald House!



Bounce House!


Collin jumping and sweating!


Cara Beara jumping around!


Mugsy! The amazing clown and artist! Check out her work:)





Thank you!


Grandma Sandy, Eli, and Brady. This is the only shot of Eli that we got! He never stops!


Cara Kathleen


She got a little hot!


Then she climbed in the bounce house!


Allie Elizabeth was there too!



All of this to celebrate one very special little boy!

Brady Bash Behind Us...

What a day! The party was a really amazing time!!! We had 140+ people!!! It was so very hot today which made setting up tough, but with the help our family, we got everything done.

I think my kids had fun. I honestly didn't see them much at all! Brady was quite reserved from what I saw, but he chatted up a storm once he was safely tucked into his crib tonight. And by the end of the night all I saw was an almost-naked Cara bouncing in the bounce house, having a ball! At one point I tried to pick up Eli and he just said, "DOWN!" and went about his way.

Sadly I have to report that I did not take 1 picture! I was WAY too busy all day. BUT, my wonderful sister-in-law-photographer-extraordinaire took over 200 pictures I think. Once we figure out a way to get them to me, I will share, I promise!

We want to thank the following:

1. Our parents, my brother, sister in law, sister, brother in law, and their families for all of the help setting up, during the party, and afterwards. Couldn't have done it without ALL of you!!!

2. Lynn and Wes for coming early, helping set up, holding babies, and for helping with food!

3. Keith and Karen Ogles for donating the use of their super-cool bounce house. I think this was the big hit of the party.

4. The terrific clown that came. She did the best face painting I've ever seen. (Her name has totally escaped me...thanks mom for "inviting" her!)

5. My friends Niki and Robin for letting me borrow their roasters!

6. Jen Kirkum for the 125 fabulous cupcakes!

7. Vanessa Zeches for the adorable gifts for the kids!

8. The Della Penna family for the terrific bubble bucket!

9. Paige Landers for coloring that beautiful picture for the kids.

10. The Peters and Egan families for the gorgeous flowers.

EVERYONE who came and brought items for the Ronald Mc Donald House. We collected over 25 grocery bags full of food items!!! We are so grateful that everyone joined us in giving back to this wonderful organization:)

Thank you for celebrating Brady's journey and his life. I'm sure that God was smiling down on us today as we gathered to celebrate the miracles He has performed in our Brady's life.

Tomorrow is the Day!

First, some great pictures of Seabreeze!

Brady splashing!


The only shot of Eli in the water that I have! He NEVER stopped moving!


This girl was a wild water baby!


The girls, Allie and Natalie, destined to be buddies!


It took Brady a while to warm up to the idea, but he LOVED riding the carousel!


Cara with cousin Evan (thanks for riding the kiddie rides with the triplets Evan!!)


Cousin Aubrey and Eli in his ever-present red sunglasses and striped hat!


Cara giving Auntie Lissa a big SMOOCH!


My pretty girl...


How's my hair Aubrey?


This picture is one of my favorites of summer! My two amazing boys...


Sweet Brady


Okay, this next picture deserves an explanation. You'll notice Eli is crying his little heart out. It went something like this.
Eli and Brady are riding next to each other in a boat, each has their own steering wheel in front of them.
For some reason, Eli doesn't see his steering wheel (the round thing directly in front of him!) so he proceeds to push Brady over and reach for his.
Brady (being the ever-so-willing-to-share-boy-that-he-is) says "NO NO ELI" and pushes him.
Eli continues trying to scoot over.
Brady hits Eli, Eli starts WAILING!
The entire crowd surrounding the ride (including everyone in my family) are trying to yell and motion to Eli that he has his own steering wheel!
Meanwhile, Brady continues to push and smack Eli, now Brady starts wailing too!
Finally, with both boys screaming and pushing, the ride operator stops the ride and makes everyone get off.
I was laughing so hard that my sides hurt! I think the other parents weren't as amused!


We had a wonderful day for sure! Matt and I spent much of the ride home talking about how grateful we were that Brady was there, walking, riding, splashing, laughing, climbing stairs, and just being his Brady-self. I had several of those moments I'm always talking about...being the only mom crying behind her sunglasses watching my kid ride the carousel, or splash with his grandma in the water. Nothing makes my heart happier than to see Brady enjoying the life that God has so graciously given him.

Which brings me to...

THE BRADY BASH!

It's here! The tent is up, chairs are set up, food is prepped...WE ARE READY TO PARTY!

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL HERE! A few have asked about parking. Parking is available on Drake Street and Irving Parkway. You can also park at the Little League Park or the Town Hall Parking Lot just 2 doors down.

3 Days to Go!

Things are coming together for the party! Today had me going to a local farm stand and buying 75 pounds of potatoes. I was wondering if the lady working there was thiking,"That wacky Williams' lady is trying to feed that huge family of hers:)" The weather forecast looks sunny and 85! Yikes! I had better not forget the ice!

My mom and sis took the kids to playgroup today and I headed off to get potatoes, borrow a roaster, and buy shelves. Did I mention we have been giving our living room and dining room a slight rehab? Matt and I always give ourselves home project deadlines when we have parties planned. Certainly adds to the stress level, but also prompts us to work hard and finish projects. Things are almost done...both rooms repainted, pictures hung, shelves in place...if only the piles of toys would find somewhere to go!

We decided to stay home tonight while the family took a trip to Ontario Beach Park. The Williams kids needed a bath in the worst way, laundry had to be done, and we knew it would be an early day tomorrow. Allie has her 9 month check up and Brady has PT, both at 9am. I'm taking Allie, Matt is taking Brady. Then we will both drive home, grab a quick lunch, then off to Seabreeze! The kids have no concept of this place, but all day Brady kept saying, "Mom, Brady ready to go Seabreeze now!" If I remember correctly this was the same boy who last year cried and screamed throughout every ride! We are hoping that he lets his silly side run wild tomorrow:) Last year we carried him on and off every ride, this year...just can't wait to see him walking around!

I hope you are enjoying these summer days!

6 Days to Go!

We have a really busy and exciting week ahead! My sister and her family are en route as we speak from Minnesota. They will be staying with my mom through next week. When they are visiting we always have a great time doing many of the things summer has to offer in Western New York. Of course all of this in the midst of getting ready for the party. 6 more days to go! I just can't wait to see the kids' faces when they see the bounce house, the candy buffet, 125 cupcakes, and the balloons! I don't know who is more excited?!?

Please keep a friend from church named Alice in your prayers tonight. Her husband James passed away today...

Have a great week!

7 More Days!

Woo hoo! A week from today that Brady Bash will be here! Okay, the latest weather.com report says 80 degrees, scattered thunderstorms, and 30% chance of rain. Sounds like our whole summer!

AND...our Alex's Lemondade Stand is less than 1 month away! For all of my volunteers and bakers, I will be in touch next week to finalize our plans. One big event at a time.

Perhaps the biggest laugh I had this weekend? I opened my mail today to find....A JURY SUMMONS! I figure it was my time, or someone over there at the county courthouse is a blog reader and read my post bragging about how I have never had jury duty. Either way, my date is August 31 which could possibly tie me up the whole week before our Lemonade Stand. We wouldn't be the Williams family without a little stress now would we?

Enjoy your Sunday!

Jury Duty, Playground, and Party Supplies!

Matt had jury duty, again. I think he has been summoned somewhere around 4 times since I've known him, while I never have. So after a whole day of sitting and waiting, he was not chosen for the jury. Whew! He had a whole, "my kid has cancer and we have a very important appointment on Thursday" speech prepared, which he did not have to give.

After dinner we went to check out the new community playground. It is was nice, but made of metal. I SO prefer the heavy duty plastic ones. They are much easier on toddlers, especially on Brady boy. They haven't yet filled in the gravel underneath, so was quite a reach to get to the bottom step. Brady, with his determined spirit, got on his belly and wriggled up onto the step using his tippy toes and a whole lot of upperbody strength...Hooray! The kids had a great time and then Matt and I realized how dirty toddlers become when playing on a playground with gravel underneath. That meant baths on an otherwise "no bath" night. No big deal perhaps, but bathing three tired, at time defiant toddlers, is most often an exhausting chore. Luckily I had Allie duty...hee hee, sorry Matt:(

After baths I headed up to Batavia and stocked up on party supplies. I'm getting so excited for this Brady Bash! Less than 2 weeks away!

Some pictures from our day...

My three scholars who have learned their ABCs. I call out a letter and they put their marshmallows over the letter! So amazing...


Eli put his "friends" on the naught spot mat. He even had them come up and say "Sorry Mommy" afterward. Ha!


Look at that big boy on his tippy toes! Go Brady!


Brady kept giving us this sly "Look at Me" smile!





Mr. Cool Eli


Pretty Girl

Sassy girl


Sweetie Pie!


And one more just to make you smile...





Boo!

The Potty Blog

I certainly don't want this to turn into the "potty blog" but I have to say that amazing things are happening on that potty! Today's score:
Cara: 2 pees, 2 poops
Brady: 1 pee
Eli: 0 pees, 0 poops, 1 snack eaten very slowly while sitting on the potty

I'm not trying to train them at all. They are asking, so I put them on. Cara seems to be able to go on demand. All are still going in their diapers as well. I think it is just a fad with the boys, but I'm wondering if Cara is ready for it. I can tell you that one of the funniest things I have ever experienced is watching three two year olds watching each other go the potty. The commentary is hilarious!!!

No word from Strong about a scan date. I had this sinking feeling today...you know, the what if feeling. While checking out party supplies for the Brady Bash I started asking myself, "What if the scans show something, and we have this big celebration planned...what then?" Those feelings bugged me, nagged at me, all while I was out. On my way home I stopped at Benders and found a book I'd been looking for. It is the follow up book to "When God and Cancer Meet" by Lynn Eib. This book is called "Finding the Light in Cancer's Shadow." The first book is more people dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the second is for people done with their treatment. I've only read a few pages, but she likens surviving cancer with driving on black ice. You had completely lost control, not knowing if you would ever stop, but you did. Now you have to keep driving, but you are scared out of your mind that you will loose control and hit the black ice again. That is EXACTLY what I feel like! I haven't gotten to the good stuff yet, the "how to" handle all of these feelings chapters, but when I do, I'll share! I'm just so relieved to read a book by a Christian who acknowledges that the "after" of cancer can be just as terrifying as the going through it stage.

We will be here August 15th...we are celebrating Brady...come what may!

Growing Up Too Fast

I guess this is the week my kids all decided to grow up! First we got rid of the binkies...Now, Allie decided it is time to crawl!!! Then today Cara went pee pee on the potty!!! I had thoroughly decided to put off potty training until the winter, but I bought a potty just to bring some awareness of how the whole thing works. She asked to sit on it today, and a few minutes later, tinkle tinkle! And my little Allie, she has been scooting and rolling around for weeks, but last night started using her arms and legs together! All of these things and the fact that I'm cleaning out all of the baby stuff for a garage sale I'm having are making me very sad for the "baby days" long gone. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go back to the days of infant triplets, but it is heart wrenching to see your kids leaving the baby stage behind for good. Don't even get me started about having to get rid of my maternity clothes...sniffle, sniffle!

No news from Strong today. Brady was certainly in better spirits today. We go to a playgroup on Wednesday mornings and he toddles around the big playground just like every other kid. Sure he is a little slower on the steps, and sure he looks for mommy at the bottom of the slide, but he IS THERE!! As I say about many moments these days, I think I'm the proudest mommy at the playground!

I wanted to share a list of items that the Ronald Mc Donald House in Rochester is in need of. We will have a collection box at the Brady Bash. If you would like to donate, we would appreciate it so much!!! Here is the list of what is needed:

Individual sized cereals
Individual sized snack foods
Granola Bars, Breakfast Bars, Pop Tarts
Individual Sized juices
Individual microwave meals
Coffee Creamer & Sugar
Canned pasta: Spaghetti O’s, Ravioli
Tuna
Chunky soups & stews
Mayonnaise

Basically anything nonperishable that can be eaten easily and quickly is needed. One idea Matt and I had was to donate travel coffee mugs. We are huge coffee drinkers and would always bring coffee down in the morning while staying at the RMH to whichever one of us stayed in the room with Brady. Those little Styrofoam cups were never enough:)

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! We love our friends and family:)

Bye Bye Binkies

So we did it. Matt and I (well Matt did it really) decided that Friday was the day that our two "binky lovin two year olds" should kick the habit and grow up! Eli and Cara have had binkies since forever, but only ever use them in their cribs. Brady doesn't use one, but he certainly loves to bite his blankie! I never really cared much because it kept the noise level down at nighttime. We always said that when they turned two those things would be gone. Unfortunately their second birthday coincided with Brady's surgery time and we were gone quite a bit and things were so chaotic. I didn't want to change things for them during such an unsettled time, so the binkies remained. All of a sudden Friday night Matt got out the scissors and just cut the ends off! I truly was heartbroken inside, but knew my husband had just bravely done what I never would have had the courage to do (I'm sounding kind of dramatic, huh?)

The best part of Matt's plan was that he quickly claimed the baby at bedtime leaving me to put Eli, Cara, and Brady to bed...BINKY-LESS! I mustered up all of my creativity and started telling them this ridiculous story about the binky fairy while I brushed their teeth. I told them that now that they are two, the binky fairy came to our house and cut their binkies because they are big kids now. And if they go to sleep all night without their binkies, the binky fairy would leave them a present. They listened with wide-eyes and thought the story was so funny! I recommend these types of stories to parents like me, who in no way want to take responsibility for doing something like this to their children!

Then...I put them in their cribs......

Eli instantly started searching for that binky like a crazy man! He found it, put the stubby little thing to his mouth, and it fell down. He picked it up and realized it had been "broken"..."Mommy fix it?" Cara did the same thing and replied in the same way. I kept reassuring them that they are big kids now, and that they still have all their "friends" (meaning 3 baby dolls, a Care Bear, a Snuffleupagus, a little Snuffy, a Mickey Mouse, a Minnie Mouse, and of course Dog) to snuggle with in their beds. I reminded them of their presents in the morning, all while hoping that I could scrape up 3 "presents" that would appeal to them after they went to bed!

The crying started at 8pm and lasted 3/4 of the way through Paul Blart, Mall Cop. Matt and I decided we would wait it out while watching a movie. They finally fell asleep, and to their surprise in the morning they each got a surprise. Luckily I found a helicopter I had gotten for $1 at a garage sale last week, an unopened ABC puzzle, and a bridge for our train table that I had taken away from them 6 months ago all in my basement. They were thrilled!!!

They are getting better each time they go to sleep. Mommy is sad...and proud!!!

On a more serious note, I emailed the oncologist at Strong today and am waiting to hear back. We have asked that the scans be done here, as well as blood work and urine testing. We also asked that they follow the procedures that Sloan was going to use (MRI only, no intubation, and propofol for anesthesia). We will be sending the scans to Sloan for review each time as well. I'm praying that we hear back quickly from them. I need some positive feedback that we have made the right choice!

Please remember to email me at mwilliams91@rochester.rr.com to RSVP for the Brady Bash
August 15 at 4pm, our house! We have 75 people coming already and couldn't be more excited!

Feeling Confused

Matt and I are still trying to sort through what this next phase of Brady's care is going to look like. In all honesty, we feel WAY out in left field, all by ourselves, calling all the shots. By going to Sloan we in turn seemed to have almost cut ties with Strong. I know I have used this expression before, but Brady isn't on any one's "To Do" list. It is up to us to ask for blood work, urine analysis, scan dates, and I have to say I'm started to crack a little under this pressure. So we thought we had made a clear decision to just go to Sloan for the scans. However, in just dealing with the scheduling process, I feel all the old familiar frustrations of being a little fish in a big pond. For example, we still don't have a doctor there who we deal with. We have very briefly met with 3 of their oncologists during our 3 trips there, all of whom learned about Brady upon walking into the office to meet with us. We don't have "a doctor" to call when we have a concern. For example, I had to call the surgeon's office to ask how to get scans scheduled. They gave me the number of the oncologist's office that I said I had liked the best. A different oncologist's office called me two days later with scan dates. If we do go there we will just have the scans done, then come home. We will have to initiate a meeting with "a doctor" if we want one, and if you remember there are no real appointments, you just kind of go and wait. So how does this play out if we are having to go down there every 3-6 months for the next 5 years? Who is our go-to person? When/where is Brady having his blood/urine tested? We are toiling over these questions and are frustrated that we have been sort of left in the dark to make these decisions. Please be praying that we will have a clear cut plan of action soon...My opinion is that we have enough to worry about just living with a child with cancer, we need a doctor to coordinate his care. We don't want that job anymore!

I forgot to give an update on Cara's appointment yesterday! I really liked the new eye doctor. He is noticing some irregular movement with her right eye, however, she did not do the head tilt that we see at home. It is hard to recreate the situations where we see it when she is in a small exam room. She only tilts her head when looking at things in the distance, further than about 10 feet. He feels that what I am describing and what he saw sound like a 4th nerve palsy in that eye, basically a weakening of her eye muscle. There is a quick surgical procedure to correct this, but he needs to see her again at least once to really pin down the problem. Although we have been dealing with this for 1 1/2 years now, I'm glad I found a doctor that is listening and willing to do something about it. We go back in September.

Allie had her appointment with the dermatologist today regarding the spot on her leg. The doctor said it is a Juvenile Xanthogranuloma (technical, I know, but I like to have it written down somewhere!) Basically it is just a small, bumpy, orangey-brown spot on the back of her thigh. It may grow, it may go away, but it isn't likely dangerous. He gave us the option of leaving it or removing it. Hey---if this mom is given the option of easily removing something from her kids body--that is a no-brainer! We are going to have it taken off, it will be an office procedure with a numbing needle-stick and then a few stitches. Poor Allie, but in the scheme of life in the past year, seems easy!

RSVP's for the Brady Bash are rolling in! Hooray! Can't wait to celebrate!

Can I Be Picky?

So I got a random voice mail on my cell phone from Sloan today. They have never called my cell before, so it was strange. The message told us that Brady's scans have been scheduled for August 10th and 11th. Wow! Unfortunately, we just can't do those dates. I feel slightly bad for being so picky, but hey, this is summer and we have plans! My sister and her family will be here that week and we only see them twice a year. That week is just not an option. I called them back and thanked them for their timeliness, but asked them to please reschedule us for either of the next two weeks in August. They need to coordinate with anesthesia and MRI again, so they will get back to me. I guess I figured I would be in on the discussion regarding when the scans were, but they probably don't have a lot of parents telling them no! Either way we will be squeezing in our trip sometime after the Brady Bash and before our Lemonade Stand!

All 6 of us took a fantastic walk after dinner tonight. We got ice cream at our favorite spot (Santinos...remember my love for their pizza? Well they added ice cream a few years ago...pitter patter goes my heart!) Then we walked over to the new park in the village. It is just a paved path through a small wooded lot, but it is lovely. We let the kids run around and explore. Matt and I sat in awe and fell even more in love with our kids:)
A few things I learned on our walk....

Eli takes the longest to eat ice cream (by about 10 minutes).

Brady can climb in and out of the wagon now all by himself...AMAZING!

Cara has no shame about singing Twinkle Twinkle at the top of her lungs as we stroll through town, completely monotone of course.

Allie likes ice cream! She got her first taste tonight!

Eli likes to hold mommy's hand as he rides in the wagon.

Brady can kill a tiny caterpillar with his bare hands. He also will cry after he does so, and at his mommy's request, say to the caterpillar, "Sorry caterpillar. Feel better." And then blow it a kiss...

Cara likes to look at bugs, but only at a safe distance.

My children are truly amazing creatures to just sit back and observe...they take my breath away!

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Don't forget! You are invited to our Brady Bash! Saturday August 15 at 4pm. Please come to our house and join us as we celebrate Brady's journey and his life! We want to join together to say thank you to our friends, family, and community for all of their support!!! Please email me and let me know if you can come mwilliams91@rochester.rr.com
ALL ARE INVITED!

As many of you remember, the Ronald McDonald house provided us with lodging both at Strong Hospital in Rochester and in NYC during both of Brady's surgeries. We have never forgotten how invaluable being able to stay so close to Brady was during those touch and go times. At the Brady Bash, we would like to collect food items to donate to the Ronald Mc Donald House at Strong. Several people have offered to bring something to the party. In lieu of bringing a dish to pass, please consider helping us collect items for the RMH! I have contacted a friend who is on the board at the RMH and she told me that they are in most need of small packs of snacks, convenience food items, and anything that can be quickly grabbed and eaten in a hospital room. Ideas: boxes of granola bars, animal crackers, pkgs of cheese or pj crackers, chips, trail mix, cans of tuna, soup.

If you are coming to the party, would you please consider bringing one or more items to donate to this VERY worthy cause. We are going to collect the items and deliver them along with a letter thanking the RMH for being there for the Williams family! Thank you for helping us give back to this amazing organization!!!

You are Invited!

For a while now we have had the idea of having a big celebration to mark the end of Brady's treatment! I remember during the really tough times in NYC, Matt and I would look at each other and say, "When this is all over, we are going to have a huge BRADY BASH!" Well, we are ready to celebrate!

We would like to invite you, yes YOU, to our home to help us celebrate Brady's journey, his life, and the miracles God has done for him. Matt and I also want to share a time of celebration with our family, friends, and community as a way to say THANK YOU to all who have stood by us in the last 6 months. What better way to put chemotherapy and two major surgeries behind us then to have a BIG PARTY!

Here are the details:
WHEN: Saturday August 15th 4pm until ?

WHERE: Our house (most of you know where we live, if you don't please email me and I'll give you directions:)

WHO: We want to include as many of "Brady's supporters" as possible! If you are reading this, YOU ARE INVITED!! I would love to send out invites to every single person who has supported, us, prayed for us, or donated to our cause, but it just isn't possible!

DETAILS: Come for dinner, dessert, and to have a great time! Some great friends of ours have donated the use of a huge bounce house and we will have many other fun activities for kids!

HOW TO RSVP: Please send me an email at mwilliams91@rochester.rr.com to RSVP. I do need somewhat of a count so that I can plan for food!

__________________________________________________________
No news from Sloan today. I'm hoping to hear from them by the end of the week. Our summer schedule is pretty busy, so it will be interesting to see how a trip to NYC fits in. Hopefully it will be just a 2 day trip.

Please pray for Cara as we go to the new eye specialist tomorrow regarding her head tilting. This is our "second opinion" doctor, and I'm really praying that he hears my concerns and can help us solve this mystery! Our appointment is at 8am in Rochester.