~ Simple Sweet Cream ~

I forget how easy it is to make lotion until I have to make it again because we are out. In this case I used the stash we had in the house for the cow's udder, which doesn't seem to like cold weather.

4 ounces of oil: I have used almond, apricot, and castor. Castor oil is very nourishing to the skin and not quite as expensive as the other two.

2 ounces of water or milk: I used milk in the batch because it was small.

1 ounce of beeswax: the best price I have found is here or find a local beekeeper, they may have some.

10 drops of your favorite essential oil if you want. The beeswax will give it a pleasant smell without added oils.

I use a glass measuring cup in a small pot of hot water to melt the beeswax. Add oil and let cool a bit. Add essential oils and water/milk. If the beeswax hardens put it back into water to melt it all again. Pour oils into blender and whip until white and creamy. I pour mine into a small glass canning jar. Because there is no preservative in this you have to make sure your hands are clean when you dip into it. I have had the ones at the barn grow mold (its harder to keep clean hands out there) but never the ones in the house. I put the lotion slated for barn use in a plastic squeeze bottle this time so no dipping has to occur.

This is a small batch of very simple rich thick cream. I have played with this and other lotion recipes for awhile and have tweaked it to what we like the best. Skys the limit!

~ Jairden Update ~

*the same entry is on his Caringbridge page*

11/22/11 - After a week break, we tested his ANC again last Friday and it went from .111 to 1.74 (100 to 1,700 a huge jump) so we are back for his last round of chemo. Every thing is going well, Jairden is playing and laughing. We received his lab work back and his AFP is NORMAL!!! 4.6, really good news. I am a bit disappointed that he has to do another whole round of chemo but they don't test chemo rounds in single, only in pairs. His hearing is still normal as well, really good for kids who get cisplatin. I was told that all kids who get cisplatin have high frequency hearing loss. We are spending an extra night in the hospital, Jairden has been sleeping lots and we know that he can get that here. He also had a visit from the music 'lady' as he calls her, she let him have 6 drums at once.

12/6/11 - LAST TREATMENT!!! He made it through with only one week missed on his roadmap, no illnesses, no fevers, and a med box full of meds we never had to use. He never once experience constipation and the vincristine is known to be extremely constipating, thanks to, we believe, the breastmilk he is still getting. Natures best laxative. No hearing loss that we know of at this point. No need to put in a g-tube. He didn't gain any weight but he maintained*.

*I have since found out that this was a good thing. Fat cells store the toxins in the body so the less fat he had the less toxins from the chemo he is storing. This will make a big difference later on when those very few fat cells break down and those toxins come out.

12/26/11- We are back at the hospital to have Jairden's port taken out, hearing test, chest x-ray, and abdominal ultrasound.

Hearing test: really bummed, he has some high frequency hearing loss due to the last round of chemo (that he didn't really need because there wasn't any cancer left according to his AFP levels) He has all ready formed all of the sounds that are heard at a high frequency but the audiologist still thinks he needs double hearing aids. We are taking him to the audiologist that my little sister has seen since she was three for a second opinion. I can not imagine trying to get a three years to wear the big over the ear hearing aids without losing them this summer.

Chest x-ray : Everything looks good. He will have several more throughout the next year. If his cancer moves it will most likely be to his lungs.

Ultrasound: Everything looks good there too! It was basically just to look at where everything has moved to after surgery and have a reference scan for future use.

AFP levels: 3.7 which is in normal range for someone his age.

Surgery: His surgery was bumped back to 11:15. Who ever decided that toddlers should be schedule for anything but first thing in the morning should have to tell them they can't have breakfast. By the time we made it to surgery is was pretty upset, so was mama. I told every person that walked into the room (including the surgeon) that I wanted to be with him when they woke him up. I knew, without a doubt, he would get really upset, really fast if I wasn't there.

Everyone assured me that I could be with him, until it actually came time to wake him up. Then they hummed and hawed and spent so much time trying to clear it with the surgeon that they woke him up with out me there. Sure enough, the nurse came running in to get me, saying they needed me right away. A recovery room nurse was trying to hold him while he was thrashing to get away from her screaming for me. I. was. not. happy. He nursed and slept for about an hour and a half, then woke up and was ready to go home. His wrist where they put the iv hurt more than the removal site for his port. He has worn an amber necklace for pain since the beginning and his necklace was enough pain relief for him.

1/15/12 - We are having a mini-vacay at Arrowwood Resort to celebrate Jairden being done with chemo and Grace's birthday (she wanted to go to a water park). Jairden is doing wonderful. He has gained two whole pounds since Dec. 6 and his hair is growing back. He is an eating machine with his favorite meal being slow cooked beef with potatoes and gravy.

~ We would like to say thank you so much to everyone who has prayed for us and lifted us up over the last 4 months. We couldn't have done it without all of your prayers and thoughts. Thank you!!! ~