The Dynamic Duo at it again

Well Helllllllo there! Long time no post. Well I have nothing but good news to report and I am so excited to share all that happenings going on in the Zito household. I just don't know where to start because like usual, it has been crazy hectic lately but little by little things come together throughout the chaos. Mia asked that we move her appointment day so she can see Haley. I hadn't realized how long it has been since we saw her. Well, after talking with Haley's mom we were able to set up a checkup playdate! Armed with every camera possible within reach we headed out (extremely late I must add) to Dr. Joe's! I didn't see Vicky's truck so I assumed they rescheduled. Ready for the disappointment we checked in and noticed HALEY'S name on the check in sheet. Oh how excited beaner was to see her friend. She darted down the hall way to get her finger prick so she can be with Haley. Once done, she joined Haley in her check up room. Though she has lost weight again, she was all smiles!! So was I! MJ came to see what all the ruckus was and of course it was the two crazy girls acting like, well, kids. Both girls had fabulous counts and we were off to celebrate. The girls wanted to play at one of the local indoor playgrounds but they were closed so we chose to have lunch at Chili's. After a wonderful lunch we parted ways with Haley and her mom and made plans for next Tuesday. Mrs Mays if you are reading this, Mia will not be in school on Tuesday (wink wink). Luckily we were able to get the same appoinments again so they will be able to see each other. They played like no time has past and it was a true blessing to see Haley doing so well. Her hair is growing back and the smile was just heart warming. These two will have a true friendship that will last forever.

On Location Hair Salon in Oxford held a cut-a-thon in honor of Mia and was overwhelmed by the turnout. Unfortunately Mia didn't make it because she had spiked a fever. I need to thank Michelle and her partners for their generosity. It is an amazing thing they have done, as well as the entire community. We still ask for prayers because one can never get enough of those. Hopefully I can post again soon!

My girls walked the red carpet

Walking through the doors of Oxford Academy Thursday afternoon, the feeling of warmth and caring made a quick appearance as the students got their first glimpse of Mia. Everyone basically stopped what they were doing and just embraced my little girls cuteness. She was playful and charming, something that radiates off her constantly. Rachel was all sorts of excited to see everyone and also ready to have her hair cut. She wanted a grown up cut while Beaner wanted a slight clean up of her already short style. They both knew that the upcoming days would be more exciting than this. Poor Beaner was so tired that she fell asleep while her hair was being dried. I think that was the cutest thing ever, I have never seen her that tired before. When we left the girls were so happy with the new styles that they had to get home to see MeMa and show her how awesome they looked.

Sunday quickly approached and the excitement grew; so much so that nap time was almost non-existent. All the planning would come together to make a fabulous event. We quickly had a bite to eat and headed off the academy to have the girls hair and make-up done. Much to my surprise I was included in the awesome makeovers. With all the chaos within the school and salon, it was remarkably calm and without incident. At 6PM we dashed home to get dressed and head over to the Strand. Mia was starting to turn all sorts of shades with brewing excitement. As we walked in, all the students were just in awe with Mia. A true princess with her gown, tiara and head full of curls; My Mia was the star of the show!

We quickly found the row that Miss Kell reserved for our family and got ready to enjoy a fabulous evening. Mia's bestest friend Abby came and sat with her while watching the movie that one of Oxford Academys' students had created. Almost immediately George and I were brought to tears, and I honestly think there wasn't a dry eye to be had. It wasn't sad tears, they were tears of celebration and courage that poured down. Anna, Mia's half sister really didn't understand what she was going through until that evening. I think it made our family and friends understand that Mia is a brave girl and she is such a strong soul. After the touching video, the upbeat music pounded as gorgeous models made their way down the isles of the strand. It was so amazing to see all that have volunteered their time to make this such a elaborate event.

I need to say thank you too all who donated to make sure my Mia will be able to enjoy every aspect of her life. I need to say thank you to:

Kellie Steeves
The staff and Students at Oxford Academy of Hair Design
Val McCormick Photography
Louis Vayas
David and April Sciaraffa
Carousel Gardens
Santa Clause
My friends from Chili's Grill and Bar for Modeling
All who attended
All that had donated

Thank You!!

I can't say this enough, but it's overwhelming to see the amount of support our little community has shown for our daughter. It brings a new sense of warmth and compassion. I never once in my dreams would have thought so many would chose to take our family under their wing and remind us of how special life could really be. We are so very humbled of all that has happened in the past 6 months and very grateful to boot.

Val McCormick has the pictures on her site that you can order. Go to http://www.valmccormick.com/
(select webite, then online ordering, then events)

Do you think this will go to her head?

News > Valley
‘Glitz & Glam’ show to aid Valley child

Thursday, November 6, 2008 5:53 AM EST
By Patricia Villers, Register Staff
SEYMOUR — The red carpet treatment. That’s what all who attend a fundraising hair fashion show this month at the Strand Theater can expect.Proceeds will benefit Mia Zito, 5, a Bungay School kindergartner who is undergoing treatment for advanced melanoma.Kellie Steeves, administrator and owner of the Oxford Academy of Hair Design in Seymour, said she, her staff and students are planning a “Glitz & Glam” benefit at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the movie theater, 165 Bank St.She wants people to feel they are going to a special event. Photographer Val McCormick will be on hand to photograph the models and guests as they arrive on the red carpet in front of the theater.

The photos will be posted online, Steeves said, and proceeds from sales of the photos will be donated to the benefit.“I’ve never met Mia, but I wanted to do something to help someone in the community,” Steeves said. “People have really come together for this.”One of her hairdressing students, Samantha Allard, has created a 20-minute slide show that tells Mia’s story and describes hair fashions. It will be shown before the fashion show. Steeves said Carousel Gardens Restaurant of Seymour will donate catering services.Mia, whom Steeves called “the star of the show,” will model with other girls in the age 5-8 category.This is the third annual “Glitz & Glam” benefit that Steeves has organized. The first benefited the Children’s Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, she said, and the second one was a benefit for Sydney Bartone of Derby, who died last November at age 7 after a battle with neuroblastoma.Mia’s mother, Christine Zito, said Mia “is doing fabulous” and is enjoying school.“It’s very kind and very generous” of Steeves to stage the show, she said.Louis Vayas will serve as DJ, and a special guest is expected, Steeves said.Donations of $20 are requested, but any amount will be welcomed.For information, call the Oxford Academy of Hair Design, 888-9075.Patricia Villers can be reached at pvillers@nhregister.com

To clear up some confusion

http://www.skincancer.org/Skin-Cancer/Melanoma/Stages-of-Melanoma.html and http://www.skincancer.org/About-Us/About-Us.html

Please Check out the website above. It explains in dept about the staging and how it varies from other forms of cancer.

Mia has been doing fabulous, and her first Halloween parade at school was a hit! Treatments are moving right along. And I am also happy to report my mother is progressing very well since being home. With my father away for hunting, I have had a good time spending girl time with my mom. Thank you all for the well wishes for my mom. We are all blessed to have all of you in our lives and we thank you for you encouragement

An update that is not so peachy...

Don't worry, Mia is fine! She has been progressing very well. The main concern right now is her nutrition and weight loss. The doctors have been trying to find every niche they can to get my little beaner to eat. She eats in spurts and picks like a little bird. We live day to day hoping that she will pig out and magically gain the 8lbs that she has shed since may. It doesn't seem like a lot to most but a little girl like this does raise some concerns. Mia is also very ready to end her weekly injections, she has had about as much as she can take at this point and honestly so have I.

I have many emails begging for an updated blog and I promised that I would get it done Friday. Unfortunately, Friday mom had her (hopefully) last reconstructive surgery on her breast. After her last bought with Breast Cancer she has undergone many reconstructions to to correct the many medical errors done to her chest. The 6 hour surgery went very well and we were totally relieved. She had one of the best surgeons helping to bring my mom back to her true form. Yes, you guessed it, she had Mia's surgeon!! Once in recovery we all felt that she made it through just fine. That sense of security went right out the window when mom went into cardiac arrest just shy of one hour after surgery. Once the doctors tracked down my dad, she was back into the operation room to have a catheder implanted. I thank god that she was at Yale that day so I knew she was in best of hands. When my phone rang my dad seemed shakey and distant and when he had said that mom had a heart attack my heart sank. That wasn't the great news I was waiting for. It was only 2pm at this point and I had 3 very long hours before George came home to relieve me of the girls. I headed straight to the hospital to be by my mothers side.

Walking through the doors of 5-1 Cardiac ICU scared the bejesus out of me. I was ushered right in to be by her side, doctors and nurses tried to explain why my mother need ventilators and breathing tubes and sedation. It was all sureal. Seeing my mother, my saving grace, laying there helpless made me realize how precious she is to me.

Shortly after my arrival they asked me to wait in the family lounge while they put in her main line. I saw my dad pale and frazzled as he paced the length of the hallway. He hadn't seen her at all, so I told him to wait just a few more minutes then we will both go in. In the back of my mind I didn't want him to see her, it would kill him to see her like that. Eventually, we went in. My dad caressed and twirled her hair and said he will be right by her side. And he was, all weekend. Through out the weekend we took turns at her beside just waiting for signs of improvement and it happened today. She was taken off the breathing tubes and had the balloon pump was removed. In this instance, I was relieved when my dad had said "She asked for Coffee, her first words were I want a coffee" As I stood by the back door at work, hearing those words made me chuckle. I knew my mom couldn't survive without a coffee. Finally, I can feel the breath of fresh air for the first time this weekend. She is still not in the clear but progress was made. It's these speed bumps in this thing I call life really takes a toll on a person. Because of this, I have grown stronger as a mother, a wife and a daughter. I still ask you to pray for my mothers recovery. There can never be enough prayers. I hope the next post is a brighter one.

XOXOXOX

Chrissie

One of our most favorite times of the year!

Hello all! I know its been a while but life has thrown us a few curve balls these past few weeks. George and I have been trying to juggle everything in our lives and then some. Last week Mia had a biopsy done and was such a big girl about it. Rachel started Brownies again and CCD. Ashley has been so good with her potty training but lately we have seen a regression.Also George and I have been looking for a house because we need to be closer to his job. We took the girls pumpkin picking at Jones Tree Farm in Shelton on Sunday and had such a good time. We made sure we bought like a million pumpkins and apples. We are still trying to schedule in the fun things even though things are so hectic. I think it gives us the balance that we need. Everyone, despite the choas, has been so good lately. I keep reminding myself that if he brings you to it, it is he who will bring you through it. Words to live by. I have also been in contact with Kelly from Oxford Academy of hair design and things are starting to come together for the fashion show for Mia. So mark your calenders for November 16th 2008 at 7PM. It will be held at the Strand Theater in Seymour. I must end here, I have papers to complete! Just a few short weeks and my semester is over and internship begins. Many hugs!

XOXOXOXO

Chrissie

Welcome Fall

As Fall leaves crumble to the ground we are preparing ourselves to jump and play. I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our friends, family and community for a wonderful night at Danny O's. I can say it was an awesome time all around and I am humbled by all of your encouragement.

We just returned home from a fabulous weekend in Newport, RI with our longtime friends. It was such an amazing thing to see everyone together. The girls really enjoyed themselves at the hotel pool. We then ventured up to Providence to go to the children's museum but they were closed. So thanks to my handy dandy Blackberry we found ourselves the Providence Place Mall!!! What a ginormous and magnificent shopping facility. We had lunch at Dave&Busters and played video games until it was time to drop! Sadly, we only had the weekend to play but we look forward to seeing everyone again real soon!

Project Mia!! This Saturday

Thank you to Melissa, who organized this exciting event! We are looking forward to a fun filled evening of music and good times. Even WPLR has been helping promote this event which is going to be HUGE! I hope to see everyone there!

XOXOXOX
Chrissie

A dream is a wish your heart makes

Alright, so I have been following along with a message board group at disboards.com and I have had such a magical time there. If you are as Disney obsessed as we are, you will love it!

It has many different boards that take in many different directions but it's a wonderfully helpful place and the people are just amazing. I came across the boards shortly after we started planning our August trip. You can read along with families trips through "trip reports" and I decided to do one. Since it would take up about 30 pages here I decided I will do the TR with pictures over there and you all can follow along. You do not have to be a member to view the trip report but if you want to leave comments and such you would have to become a member.

♥Follow us along as we tell the tale of Mia's Dream come true trip♥

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1951552

Oh me, oh my

Sorry guys, we have been totally consumed by all of the latest and greatest tasks at hand. Between work, school and the girls, a free moment hasn't found it's way to me. So here I am at 7:30 AM just trying to get you all updated.

Mia has been doing great, she had her visit with Dr. Stahl, her surgeon who said he never ever has to see ever again. We were worried that she would need another skin graft but he explained that it wasn't needed and boy did we celebrate. So in all actuality the only surgery she will need is to remove her port possibly in June. She was super excited to spend the majority of her weekend with Auntie Terry and cousin Krysten out in East Haven. It's definitely one of those things that all the girls look forward to. Eventually we will make our way out to California to see all of our extended family there.

Her peachiness is totally consumed with school and her classmates. She is little miss popular, everyone calls her name as she enters the school. She feels like a celebrity and enjoys riding the bus with her very good friend Sophie.

I love that I can keep everyone posted with good positive news. Maybe there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for all of us.

Many Hugs ...

Mia's first day of Kindergarten!

Her royal peachiness was all smiles yesterday morning as she arose out of bed. It was the first day of school, the day that my little girl will remember for the rest of her life. We had a quick breakfast and tore off the tags to her pretty new dress. Once all three ladies were ready for the big day, we headed out the door and up the street. Rachel was first, she was over the moon excited. Since Lexie was now a 6th grader, we decided to walk to Abby and Ethans bus stop for some photo taking. Once the bus came, we took Ashley to Barbs and then off Mia went to Miss Tonya's. It was incredibly awesome to see four little ladies all dressed so pretty on their first day of kindergarten. I ran home to take care of some odds and ends just to turn around and go back to see her off. Pulling around the corner I was saw my dads car and George's parents car. We are all ready for the big day. Eventually George came but was unable to stay because he was pressed for time. After waiting for the bus for well over an hour, the girls filed onto the big yellow vessel.

Did I cry? Not yet, no time to do that. I had to hop into my car and beat the bus to the school. Big George followed as best he could but my foot was on the accelerator. I couldn't miss her getting off the bus now could I? Because the bus came late the ever looming battle for parking was simply non-existent. She was among the last ones off but as stunning as ever. All the little children were ushered quickly into 3 lines to uncode which child belonged where. Room 1 was the first stop! Mrs. Mays was all ready for them with a huge smile on her face. I still wasn't crying but I was darn close when Mia found her desk and sat down at those tiny tables for the first time. I took one last picture and headed towards the door.

As I walked through the door way of room 1, my sunglass were put back on my face and tears began to run. They were tears of pure happiness that Mia was able to attend school, something that we were afraid wouldn't happen this year. She is a big girl now, and I wish I didn't have to let that happen. Can't she stay my little baby forever?

Check back this week, I will post all about Disney and our rain-tastic vacation!

Prepare for take-off!!

YES! We got the final clearance to leave tomorrow. Mia had a minor set back yesterday that left us wondering if our trip to Disney would have to be postponed until she got rid of the infection. She has an infection on her arm around the location of her injection sites. It was covered with a bandaid for a few days and when it peeled off there was puss filled blisters and a huge red circle around where her injections were. I immediately called her Dr and made an appointment for today. If the infection compromised her ANC level then we would have a problem. Quite the opposite happened though, her counts shot right up! YAY! She was 690 on Monday and today she was in the 1400's. We also got her CT Scan results and all was good which made us very happy. She Dr. gave her some antibiotics and sent her on her merry way. We are super excited that we wouldn't have to hold off on her trip. To the house of mouse we goooo!

Well that's if I can get the rest of the packing done!!!

Dream weaver.....

Happy weekend everyone! Meet our Dream Weaver Laurie from the Dream Come True Foundation! She is the one who has organized our entire Disney Vacation for us through the DCTF. She works for Turner Construction with my mother and has been my go to gal since June. We had a meeting with her on Thursday for lunch and she gave us our itinerary and awesome gifts for the girls to use for their trip. Usually they come to the house and do a big what to do but unfortunately our schedules didn't mesh well and we met her at Turner in Milford. We are getting excited, we are only 6 days away and boy is it not coming fast enough for us. Thanks to Laurie, we have plenty of things planned to keep us on our toes. We may need a vacation from our vacation!!! After weeks of extensive shopping to prepare ourselves for this trip, we now have to find a way to bring it all with us (we don't want no second bag fee's now do we?) But we may end up having to on our way home because we all know how my mom likes to shop! Once we get home and have enough time to settle back into reality we have to start the hustle and bustle of trying to get ready for Mia's first day of Kindergarten, the Bridgeport Bluefish game and The Drugonis Family outing!! ALL IN ONE WEEKEND! WOAH! If you know me at all, you know I love to surround myself with Chaos. So why should the week before school be any different.

This past Wednesday, the Great Hill Ladies Auxiliary presented us with the check from the ziti dinner and I was totally blown away by it. I never would have imagined in a million years that our community cared enough to do something to this magnitude. The most unbelievable thing is that we still have two more benefits on August 24th (Harbor yard) and September 20th (DT Danny O's)! Amazing....that seems to be the only word I can use to sum all of this up!

Mia is on her 3rd week of treatment and is doing great! She is getting used to getting her shots now and is somewhat ready for them. Many of the side effects are not as rough as they were before. She is still a pain in the hiney but nothing too intolerable. Mia is just a beaming ray of sunshine most days, the others she acts like demons spawn (so nothing different there). She is ready for school but she really does miss her Abby M. Hopefully Monday we can have a play-date like scheduled. Tuesday we have to be at Yale Children's Hospital to get a CT Scan to make sure that this isn't spreading during treatment. I have the ultimate faith that all will be well. Lately our lives have seemingly returned to normal and maybe even better than it was before. Maybe the statement "If he brings you to it, he will bring you through it" really does stand true......

And I was worried!?

Oh what a fun day we had yesterday! I decided to take the girls blueberry picking up at Jones' Tree Farm, and we brought along three very special friends, Claire, Chucky and Mike. We got to ride on the "Berry Ferry" to the fields where the most plumpest berries could be found. The girls (and Claire, chucky and Mike) ate more berries than their stomach's could handle. After that we soon parted ways with Chucky and Mike and headed over to Claires house for a swim! The little water bugs that they are had a blast and refused to get out of the pool. Well until food was mentioned that is. Getting dressed never happened so fast before, so we had headed over to Chili's to get a bite to eat. Soon came nap time for all! We had more plans for later so we needed our rest!
Since Friday, my cousin Kim has been giving Mia her injections at her home. Yesterday was my chance to go for the gusto! Instead of Kim telling me what to do, her peachiness piped up and gave me step by step directions. I think I did ok, Mia said owwwwies but not in dire pain. After all was said and done, I handled it quite well. She is coping with the reactions to the medication ok, but the fevers and achiness are more evident now than it was with her phase 1 treatment. The symptoms may seem unsettling but Tylanol and Motrin seem to do the trick. Mia seems to think that if she swims in a chilly pool her fever will disappear like magic. I wonder how true this could be. Either way, we still have a long time to go before we find out if this treatment is working. Her spirits are high which leaves us nothing but positive thinking. Thanks to Claire who has been my go to girl since all of this started happening. The girls adore her and just love to be around her.

We are off now to go shopping! What else is new right!? We only have 15 more days until we leave for the Mouse House! I really have to start getting the last odd's and ends so we are ready to go!

More photo fun!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Yesterday was long but extremely fun! Abby's bottle and can drive was a huge success! The ziti dinner was fabulous! We want to thank Abby and her wonderful family, the great hill hose house and the Teddy Bear Tree House families and staff. We had such an eventful day yesterday and I can not express how lucky we are to have you all in our extended family!

After countless emails and dead ends, we were finally able to give Abby a gift that would knock her socks off. Thanks to mom and her Turner connections, we were able to give Abby and her mom Kisha two tickets to see the Jonas Brothers in Hartford last night. A very groggy Kisha called me this morning and told me what a great time they had.

So I hope you enjoy some of the pictures, I will upload more later or tomorrow. Off to play with pur new cousin Ana!

Some information for all

http://www.introna.com/introna/all_about_introna.action

This is a site that I had just found about Mia's at home treatment. It has great information on the treatment as well as Melanoma as a whole. Please take a moment to get familiar with Melanoma and how to check yourself. Also realize that Mia didn't have the "typical" warning signs of Melanoma. It took us and her doctors by surprise. Not one person believed that thing was a tumor. Now we know, so please get your moles checked and wear your sunscreen.

XOXOXO

♥ All about Abby ♥

Most of you that read this blog can see how much I write about Abby (Abigail when being scolded). I wanted to take a few moments and let you all know how wonderful Abby is.

Her heart is as pure as the driven snow, no room for selfishness in there. She learned this at a very young age. She has given her time and efforts to "give" something to someone in need. From making picture frames, bath salts and now a bottle/can drive she has shown most adults what the true meaning of giving is. Abby is only 10 and has accomplished many goals. She is a stand out student at Bungay Elementary, avid reader and writer and she loves to go on her family boat. I call her the mamma hen. She puts her needs aside while she helps someone else. Just having her in my life has brightened every day. I can't put into words how much this "little" girl means to our family, but I can tell you this; I love her very much as if she were my own and I wish nothing but the best for Miss Abbawabbs. Here is some things she has raised funds for:

1. Bridgeport Hospital- Pediatrics
2. Shelton Animal Shelter
3. Hiefer International
4. Squantuck Cemetery (an abandoned cemetery)
5. My Mia♥

That's more than most adults do in a lifetime. I have to commend her and all her efforts. I can't wait to add more to this list because I know it will add to overall compassion in our community. She is our angel sent from the heavens and it's about time its proclaimed for all to hear!

Here are some links to news articles written about Abby's efforts, please take a few minutes to read them and get to know our guardian angel♦

Abby and Mia

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19864044&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8

Abby and Ethan

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17226933&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=624602&rfi=8

And we're done!

Oh happy day! Mia has finished her first phase of treatment! We are so excited, we are beyond words! Pop Pop has a special night planned for her peachiness. George is headed down to NYC to a Yankees game with our nephew David. Today is a great day! Beautiful weather, sun and fun; who could ask for a better day. Mia is so happy, even though she didn't get to see Haley today! This is such a huge milestone for all of us and we want to thank everyone for their prayers and encouragement. Our lives have been turned around so much in the past 3 months that its hard to put into words what you all mean to us. 47 weeks until she is done with phase 2! Lets start the countdown!

Check these two out!

Guess what guys?! Abby and Mia are going to be in the newspaper soon! We took some photo's this evening after having some pizza for dinner. The girls had a great time posing for the camera. I have sent them off to the reporter in hopes she picks my favorite

Though they have been edited for my own enjoyment I can't wait to see what Ms. Villers reports about Abby! This is going to be an exciting next few weeks so look back for posts!

XOXOXOXOX

Chrissie

Oh me. Oh my

I didn't realize how long it's been since I last posted! Just to catch you all up on whats been going on!

We had a long weekend this past weekend. Mia's counts dropped to low so we had to put our life on hold just for a few days. Her counts have been level for quite some time so when I got the news that her counts were too low, we were pretty bummed. So we decided to have a movie night! The girls picked two movies; Annie and Pee Wee's playhouse christmas (hahahaha)! It was a great night! By the end of the weekend you could see that the girls were getting restless. By Monday morning she was fabulous! Her counts were back were there were the week before! YAY! George took Mia so I had the other two to myself and it was great. We were just plain lazy the whole day. She didn't get to see Haley Monday but she did come tuesday and today. Tuesday Haley got a spinal treatment and did a remarkable job of holding it together. She was actually smiling which was amazing! Her smile will light up a dark night. It seems like forever since I seen Haley smile. Today was no different! The two of them relaxed on the couch with Ava and watched some little enstiens! Haley was there for a short time which made her even happier. The nurses and Doctors believe that Mia is a ray of sunshine, a breath of fresh air and an awesome friend. She has managed to melt every heart in that office with her courageous outlook on the treatment. We are almost done with our first cycle, then onto our next phase. It's been altered slightly but a bit more manageable.

Our next phase, Mia will go to the office (on Monday's to be with Haley) and recieve a shot and do blood work. Two days a week Mia will be getting a VNA to come show us/administer the shots at home. Rini (Ree-knee) is one of her nurses at Dr. Joes and the office is going to arrange it that she will be Mia's nurse. They both are thrilled about getting to see each other more. We will have that schedule for 47 weeks to complete the 52 week schedule. Hopefully after this phase we will be able to get the port removed and return my bean to her peachy self.

George and I have had such a great experience with Dr. Joe and his staff that I could never imagine going through it with another doctor. We have a fun filled next few weeks and can't wait to share some stories with you all! Also, We got word from the Dream Come True foundation that they will be covering our trip to Disney in August and have even went and planned some awesome things. We get to check out an awesome "wish" resort called Give Kids The World. I suggest you check it out and be jealous! We will be staying within the Disney resorts but plan so many special occasions for the girls!

It is time for bed now, I talked myself into exhaustion with Sue (which was well worth killing my phone battery) I will post back soon, I promise! Only 3 more treatments in the phase! bring it on!

Many Hugs,

Chrissie

Almost done with week 3

Such an exciting day! Tomorrow mom will be bringing the beans so I can catch up with Laundry. YAY! How happy I will be getting the house in order. This madness is killing me. I did the bathroom on the 4th and I couldn't bring myself to clean any more. Sad, I know but eventually we will have more time to focus on our home. Again, thank you all for all your encouraging support. I am amazed to say the least.

XOXOXOXOX

Her peachiness has a following....

Just filling everyone in on the goings on for Miss Beans!

July 26th, a bottle & can drive will be held at Stop & Shop in Ansonia (because seymour wouldn't let Abby do it there). This was put together by the sweetest 10 year old ever! Drop off times are 9am-3pm. You can also contact myself or Kisha and we will pick them up!!!(email me and I can get you in contact with Kisha).

July 26th, A ziti dinner put on by Great Hill Hose House and Ladies Auxillary. Tickets can be purchased at the door or through other GHH Members for $10 (adults) and $5 for (children). Dinner times are between 4pm and 8pm. Many Thanks to everyone for doing this for my mia♥

August 24th, A raffle will be held at the Bridgeport Bluefish game sponsored by Turner Construction and The Dream Come True Foundation. Prizes include :Garmin StreetPilot C550 GPS w/Bluetooth & MP3 player ($400 value);$250.00 Exxon/Mobil Cash Card; $100.00 American Express Gift Card.Raffle tickets can be purchased for $20. You do not need to be present to enter. You can contact csuper@tcco.com to purchase the raffle tickets. Turner is a huge company with an even bigger heart. Thank you all! and remember "Hope is comming"

Sept 21st, Benefit concert at Danny O's 3-10pm. Thank you Melissa for everything that you are doing! Come down and have a drink, be among friends and just have a wonderful time!!!

It is truly wonderful to know how much of an impact my peachiness has bestowed upon the little ol' valley. I can't wait for her to grow up and she can truly understand the meaning of Unity in the Community. Our family is unbelievably(sp) humbled by all of the outreach given to our family. I can not express enough how lucky we are to have each and everyone of you in our lives!
Many Hugs,

Chrissie and George

2 weeks down! WAAAAAHOOO!

Yes! A day early but we finished our second week of treatment. It started out as a rough one. Mia seems to be losing energy within the first hour of treatment. This is starting to take its toll on her and its showing. We get home and head straight for naps. Lunch consists of fries and a water/juice. No big eating here. Her friend Haley had a rough one too! Today we saw a girl be taken away by ambulance, she had a severe reaction to the treatment. Poor girl. Miss Mia seems to be holding her own, though her blood counts can't stay level we remain optimistic. So after a long morning MeMa treated the girls to mani/pedi's at the nail salon. Mia was able to soak her foot to work some of the scabbing off. Everything is healing wonderfully. I can sense some depression in her but that's all normal I am told. She is looking forward to swimming at Aunt Bonnie's tomorrow but she is wary of getting her foot hurt. Getting to work seems almost impossible any more and I feel horrible leaving my job during the week. I can honestly say we are all feeling the strains. Don't in anyway take this as a pity party! We are excited to have a 3 day weekend, good times, swimming and family fun! We are looking forward to getting the next few weeks done with treatment. Then she can focus on having some friend time.

We also have some great news! Save your bottles and cans. Abby F told us the other day she will be having a bottle and can drive for Mia. At 10, she has set the whole thing up herself (with some help from her mom). This girl has such a wonderful heart, she is breath of fresh air. Unfortunately our local grocery store in town will not accommodate this drive but the same grocery the next town over will be hosting the event. I will keep all of you posted! I also have to let you all know that Great Hill Hose House is doing a ziti dinner for her peachiness as well. The date is July 26Th at 4pm (at the hill) You can purchase tickets in advance and at the door. If you have questions you can email me. The community has gone above and beyond to make sure miss beans will get better and we are forever grateful for that. I know that there are more fundraisers in the works and when I get the information I will pass it on to you guys!

Looking good girls

Miss Mia relaxed while getting her nails did

The foot! looking awesome!

Ash was all about it!

YEEHAW! First week done!

Oh how great she did throughout the week! Her peachiness did fabulous with her treatment! One week down 4 to go! We have actually upgraded her bandages to a 4inch band aid. Its doing very well considering that its very hard to keep that sucker on. Hopefully she can go swimming next weekend. On Monday, Daddy and Rachel are coming along to check things out and one of her bestest friend Abby F. is coming on Wednesday(it seems most of her good friends are named Abby or Gabby LOL). The support from everyone has been tremendous, so much so that its almost overwhelming. Today, we did our last T-Ball game at Bungay School. The 90 degree heat didn't bode well with with Beans. We lathered up the lotion and she played 1 inning. Too bad she got overheated and sunburned almost instantly. We will have to talk to the doctor about ways to reduce this. I thought I did good with having her covered and lotioned but obviously we need more than that. We ended up watching the game from the truck with the a/c on high and the window of the tailgate open so they could watch the game from there and have a great view. Now its nap time and I off to work. I consider today a success...of sorts.....

Comments and Email! **Updated**

I know it stinks that there is no way to leave comments or feedback. You all are welcome to email me. IBDAMAMMA6901@AOL.COM is where you can reach me. I would love to hear from you guys!

XOXOXOX

**WOOHOOO!! I figured it out! You can click on a link at the bottom of each post. It will say comments and you can add comments that way! I feel so smart!♥**

A true Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Peachy Beans has proved herself as a little ray of sunshine. Day 1 of treatment she made a friend with Haley, another 5 year old girl who has lukemia. At first there was some tension but after about an hour Mia worked her magic and the girl was automatically drawn to her. They played for hours, had snacks and watched TV. The staff and mother were shocked because Haley was never a happy camper with her treatment let alone other kids. Highschool volunteers played with the kids, which helped me enjoy the time with Mia as well. It was truly a good start. Mia was very sick come dinner time, she was achy and sore spiking very high fevers. ClaireBear came by to pay a visit to the girls and Mia was very happy. Later Claire and I snuck away to have a heavenly late night dinner. It was a huge day and I needed to escape. Again, I was kicked out of my bed. This no sleep thing is becoming second nature.

Day 2, she did it again. Making a new friend Lexi! She is 7 and such a cutie! Kathryn came again to play with the kids which is really wonderful. She volunteers with a group called Miracle Care. They visit offices and clinics to bring some happiness to the children and it does do wonders. It gives the parents time to relax and watch as the kids play. Today was a shorter day which was nice. Mia got to play with the kids at Auntie Rae's. She was in some pain, but with some rest and motrin she did awesome. Showers are done, bandages are changed and now it's time for some Wii!! We love Wii....what would we ever do without it?