End of January 2009

Well as you can see from the picture above "Baldy" is getting her fuzz back - very cute and a lot darker. She tells everyone its Black (mmm..maybe not that dark, though you never really know till it all comes back..geez I sound like an old timer to cancer - yuk!!!).

I can't believe it's only a coupla days till school begins again. Kinda big school for Immie, well full time after 3 weeks of staggered entry and Kody's in Year 5 wow!!.

Immie has the same teacher as last year which is great don't have to explain anything - yay!!. Kody's teacher and class lays in the hands of school gods till tomorrow I am hoping they get mixed up, as he has been with the same kids for about three years. There are plenty of kids to be shuffled around with as last year there was four straight Year classes!!. It would do him the world of good to get to know a few different kids. We picked up the new school stationery - I LOVE new Stationery (nutter I am : P) and got Immie her first school dress (how cute).

We have been keeping very busy this holidays, hanging out together, going to the pool, having sleepovers at the Ledger's (fun : )). Immie and Kod's caught up with the hospital OT's on Wednesday, they made pancakes and enjoyed lots and lots of noisy music. We are still waiting to hear form Hearing Australia, which is a bit disappointing though pretty normal in regards to the hospital and referrals. I would have liked for her to have had at least an intial appt prior to school beginning.

Immie has just finished her second dose of Accutane, this time was not too bad, think it may be to do with the high dose of Vitamin E we have been giving her. Though the worse bit was when all her skin started shedding off on the soles of her feet - ouch : (.

Ohhhh.....I almost forgot to mention Superman Kody, Kody thought he could fly last week and apparently he can't : (. Jas and him were riding down a big hill, and then Kods got the speed wobbles and end up flying through the air and landing in the dirt. This resulted in bruising his head, giving him a black eye and major scabs and bleeding on his face, though no broken bones and no visit to the resort. Thank god he was wearing a Helmet. Check out the photos, he looks a thousand times better now : D.

What else...not much Milly the cat has settled right in and is BF's (best friends) with everyone. I have founded my dream house in the hills in Mt Helena, everything we want, Queenslander on stilts on 5 acres...just not the right time. Argh...oh well who knows what will happen tomorrow : ).

Love to you all,

Have a great "back to school" to all the kids returning : D

Fiona and the Gang

P.S Congrats to Colleen and Jethro on the safe arrival of there new little boy, Tobin.

Also a Thank you to the angels for giving Josh scans that were better than anyone could imagine and more time with his family.

Check out the face 5 days later

more pics on picasa abum

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/theholmesgang

What did you say???

Well the results are in on the hearing tests, Immie has severe hearing loss from the hands of chemo the drugs that have given her life. It actually answered our question that she was not just being a "selective" hearing four year old. Her high pitch hearing was dodgy last hearing test prior to stem cell, it has been stable from then though. Unknown to us, it was then and is now labelled as severe, the second level prior to totally deaf.

Immie's middle and low pitch have taken a bashing from stem cell too.

When we arrived, prior to the test the audiologist started talking about contacting Hearing Australia. This gave me the warning that we weren't here for just a routine check up.

I honestly was not too fazed about the fact she has to have hearing aids, speech and a few other things involving. I am just so glad she is here with us and able to live a full happy life whether it be with hearing aids or not. Actually we have both come to that conclusion, after the initial shock.

Now we wait to hear from Australia Hearing, and I am gathering Immie's aid for school with now be a given, until she and the hearing aids settle in.

Say a prayer or send a positive thoughts for our tough, beautiful "peter pan" girl, that this the only tiny bump that gets in her way, of becoming a normal, boring (lol) kid again.

Love Fee

What's going on with our Peter Pan aka Immie

Hi all

Medically, Immie completed her first round of Accutane, it was very rough at Christmas. We were glad when it finished just before holidays. The side effects we encountered were mood swings (you dared to look at her some days), extremely dry skin, cracked lips and nightmares. These side effects varied from day to day. Then we had two blissful weeks, with only special tablets and drops to boost her immune system. Immie began her next lot on Wednesday, after a few hiccups (ok some major ones...grrr), we had the tablets and headed home. We also got given the “forgotten” Vitamin E, to help her skin which we soon substituted for a tablet form as the liquid tasted horrible.

Immie has a few tests of the next month, unfortunately going into next month when she will begin pre primary. Though they are before uni begins for me, you gotta take the good with the bad.

Hearing test is the first cab of the rank – This Monday. Then mid Feb, the CT scan and another check up to begin the third dose of Accutane, End of Feb, check in contrast injection and then the next day big MIBG. Then somewhere in there they need to fit an echo in (a test on Immies heart) and a GFR (to measure Immies kidney function).
We are feeling positive in regards to all the results, though it’s always bloody scary. I wonder will there ever be a time it’s not, I’d doubt it. We are trekking towards that end, but someday the path feels a LONG way away.

On February 22nd, it will be two years since we began, this emotional, incredible journey, that has taught us so many lessons, though has also given us moments of extreme sorrow and joy. Weird isn’t it, how live changing events can do that??, two total different emotions mingled together.

To nourish children and raise them against odds is in any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or designing nuclear weapons.

Marilyn French

Food for thought

Love Fiona and the gang xx

Josh and Immie

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/theholmesgang/Checkups2009#

Denmark is bliss : ) in 2009

Hi to all our fans (lol), family and friends,

After celebrating an awesome News Years with our good friends at the beach, we headed to Denmark on the 2nd of January. Jason stayed behind till Wednesday due to work, and then caught the bus down (much to everyone’s surprise I can actually tell you he enjoyed it : ).

We had a great time in Denmark (thanks mum and dad for the invite), we stayed at my Nana’s place that dad still partially owns with my Uncle’s. It’s gorgeous, plenty of space and a lovely veranduah. We all had lots of laughs especially me and mum, about what I am not really sure lol.

We got to visit the Tree top Walk (scary stuff, tho fun), Dinosaur World(lame, but Immie got to hold a bird so fun), Ocean Beach (lovely), The rainforest (as Immie named it, too much Diego for that girl – you may like to call it the bush), Boating on the river, ocean, by the river, The Blueberry Farm (yum), The Denmark Markets (perfect setting) , Green Pool (why aren’t all beaches like this???), The bakery (both : ), Every shop in town, Albany, The Witneski’s home and the local IGA (about a zillion times, did we eat, or what...WHAT Christmas is over???!!). It was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable holidays we have had, and the first long holiday we have had since Augusta, just before Immie was diagnosed 2 years ago. Told my Dad we would be back next year, he said he was going to Kalbarri then instead, I said that’s ok, we will go there then (super stirrer that’s my dad). On the way back we visted my Granny and Granpa, that was fun, the boys spent time playing pick up sticks (may have been a little cheating happening...I think??)

Enjoy the pictures they are gorgeous.

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/theholmesgang/DenmarkHolidays2009#

Since we got home we have been catching up with our lovely friends,
Dhani & Sam at the pool, Josh & Hannah at the Resort, Mr Rener, the true genius behind Immie’s health, Lisa & Cooper for a quick coffee, Nicole and Cath for a lovely swim and chat, Vanya, Shane, James, Liam, Cherrie and Kai at Vanya’s lovely pool and ice cold house, Laura at Burswood (it’s ok that was just me, no kids left in cars or taken to the casino : P ). Thanks all we had a great week, lots of fun, and lots of beautiful memories.

Love ya xx

Love The Holmes Gang

Checkout that hair, soooo soft : )

A New Year, new beginnings : )

Happy New Year Gorgeous People,

Well we always knew we want to do something on New Year's eve, but we did not want anything to heavy or crowded, just a quiet fun celebration with friends to rid ourselves of a very challenging 2008.

We ended up having a fabulous New Years Eve, by celebrating it in one place that Kody and Imogen love..the beach and with our good friends the Ledgers who we have known since Kody and Victoria were born 10 years ago. Perfect fit to what we were seeking for the ending hours of 2008. We chatted, ate fish and chips, the kids then swam, then we ate drumsticks, then the mum's chatted, the kids and dad's swam, then the sun went down to end another year while the kids ran around with sparklers and glow sticks. We all went home at about 9.30am, after in our eyes 2008 was official over, as Jason Ledger said the sun was down the year was over (liked that very much : ).

Last year was full of challenges, for not just us but for some many of our gorgeous family and friends. It seemed to go on forever, the never ending year has now been put to bed. We begin 2009 knowing it will be full of happy and healthy memories. Sure there maybe tears but let them be few compared to the laughter and giggles to come.

On a last note we are sending all our love to the Rossi Family, we sending you strength and love, and hoping 2009 helps brings love and happiness back into your life's. Love you guys and to all our fantastic new friends, Cahills', Thomas', Boutayre's, Wisniewski's, Ceglinski's, Barry's, and everyone else who has had an incredible impact on our life's in the last two years, we wish 2009 to be a year full of everything you seek and crave - good health and happy memories.

Love to all

Fiona, Jason, Kody and Imogen