Update

So, just an update.

We're here in Salt Lake City doing the usual. I start the day out with a nice blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a chocolate milk (I have a highly unusual addiction to the dark creamy stuff!) I usually eat this around 11:00 am (the perfect time to start a day). I help Emma with her mouth cares (which consists of a lot of swishing and gagging) and then we take her pills (which are crushed up and look a lot like cocaine, not that I've seen cocaine in real life, but I have watched CSI). Remember when I asked the workers to come and move Stephanie's bed and I would give them some coke?

I usually head over to the Jewish Community Center sometime during the day. I like to ride the bike and run the treadmill. One evening I went to a Zumba class ("Latest Latin dance trends from Miami from marenge to mambo, flamenco to salsa, you will feel the core connect and quads burn from continuous dance play.") This was great fun, and I felt like a candidate for Dancing with the Stars. (I could so wipe out Denise Richards.)

I try to shower at least every other day. This is more for the comfort of others and sometimes I smell a little ripe.

We have taken to watching all of the reality shows. Of course during the day it's all Disney, all the time, but in the evenings we have a strict schedule that we adhere to. Sunday: Amazing Race, Monday: Dancing with the Stars, Tuesday: Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars results show, American Idol (talented channel changing), Wednesday: American Idol, Thursday: Survivor, Friday: Movie Night, Saturday: Movie Night. It's tough keeping track of all the stars and celebs so Emma has a notebook that she busts out when we watch the shows. She writes down the names and the scores, weight loss, etc., of all of the contestants and then we write down our scores as well. At the end of the night we decide who is going home or getting kicked off. This has been highly entertaining and something I would never do in real life... but since I'm living in a dream (or a nightmare, I'm not sure) what the heck.

We top the evening off with another round of mouth cares (which she usually barfs up) and then her pills (which she keeps down). We read the scriptures and ponder them and discuss them (also something I would never do in real life). We can do this because it's just the two of us and not the eight of us. It's usually lights out by midnight after we've giggled and talked about the incredibly interesting things we've done that day and plan the equally incredibly interesting things we'll do the next day.

It's tough living here and keeping this schedule. The cafeteria closes from 10-11 and if I don't get my bagel before then, well I have to walk all the way across the hall and get it at the other cafeteria (yes, I have a favorite). Also it's closed from 4-5. What if I'm hungry? The gym closes at 6:00 on Friday, and so I always have to bust a move on that day. The parent shower is only open some of the time so I have to try to squeeze my shower in on top of all of the things I already have to do. I also make sure I get an afternoon nap and maybe even an evening nap. This is difficult when you don't wake up until afternoon. I'm telling you it's not as easy as it looks.

My children are in Pocatello this week. Playing with cousins and enjoying spring break. Jeff will get them on Friday and have them for the weekend and next week. My sister-in-law Jeni will be there next week and take good care of them.

Emma's counts are rising everyday. They fluctuate a bit so I can't say when she will engraft. Her ANC needs to be 500 for two days in a row to be considered engrafted. It's at 200 today and hopefully it will rise tomorrow. I will let you know.

They also took away her best friend today. The morphine pump was off when she woke up and she acted as if someone had shot her dog. She kept saying she needed it which was weird detoxing an 8 year old. I'm pretty sure it was all psychological as she did fine, but weird anyway. They also unhooked her from her "food" for 8 hours. They want her to be hungry and start to eat on her own. She took a couple of bites of chicken noodle soup (Tuesdays: my favorite soup day... so good) but lost it during mouth care. She promises she will never eat chicken noodle soup again.

We will keep trying to eat and enjoy each day. Can't wait for tomorrow. It's always fun to kick someone off of Idol.

-Lana