Dancing in the Moonlight

Day Three of Chemo.  Zoë is doing amazingly well!  She has been very irritable, and uncomfortable.  Nausea, and constipation seem to be her biggest issues.  So she is being given meds for both.  She has gone on several hour(s) long crying jags in the past two days.  So to help her we have begun dancing.

I pick her up and cradle her in my arms, and we put on music, and I dance with her.  We do several belly dance moves, and some 80's and 90's dance moves. 
  
So what is on Zoë's favorites list?  
Anything by Regina Spektor  (as you all ready know)
A Way We Go (Soundtrack)
Buddha-Bar VI Rebirth
The Divine Comedy by Mila
Garden State (Soundtrack)
500 Days of Summer (Soundtrack)

These songs/CDs and many more will always remind me of dancing with Zoë. 

It is not easy dealing with a squirming infant who is screaming at the top of her lungs, even a healthy one with out
tubes, and wires.  So here are some tips to enduring the screaming while dancing (if you ever encounter an inconsolable infant).  Turn up the music and sing along.  This will allow baby to hear you, and you don't have to be "talking" to the baby.  Let's face it, you can only say, "Sssshhh, your ok." so many times.  So singing will prevent you from sounding like a broken record (or going insane).  Pick something soothing, yet up beat.  Concentrate on the music, and your body.  Much like when doing yoga.  Aline and center yourself.  Feel the baby in your arms, and feel the strength that you have to hold them.  Then relax and sway to the beat, don't feel the need to keep your feet planted, you are dancing after all.  Then finally close your eyes, and get lost in the movement and the music.  In this moment of perpetual motion, once you loose yourself completely in the music you can time warp.  I have danced with Zoë for an hour and not have even realized it passed.  You would think that you would get tired, but the amazing thing is finding that inner strength that will allow you to just go on and on and on....I think it is probably love.  *smiles*

In Other News:
Looks like the doctors are starting to look into a plan for getting Zoë home by the end of this week, beginning of next.  I know I wrote nearly this exact same sentence last week, and we did not go home.  But it really does look like it may just happen this time.  It is again all depending on her kidneys, and how well the chemo goes the next two days.  It does make me worried (see previous posts about fears of having her home as it all still applies), but teaching will begin this week to learn how to use her NG tube, and all kinds of other stuff. 

She saw a physical therapist yesterday.  The poor woman came during one of Zoë's meltdowns so she was not cooperative (like she is ever cooperative with the hospital staff).  The therapist will be back this week, and she will teach me some things Zeppo and I can do to help Zoë reach all of her physical milestones.

Zoë also discovered that she can pull on tubes with her toes.  Sneeky-sneeky got her kidney tubes between her big
toe and pulled.  Good thing there was slack!

The chemo will start again today at 3.  I am signing off early to eat, and nap.  Napping was not accomplish yesterday (gerrr), but I did get my laundry done (yay), even with people stopping my dryer, removing my wet clothes, and doing their own laundry (really?).  Come on guys...this is a hospital.  I know you stopped my dryer
early because if I calculate out the time I had, and the time you had you totally stopped my wash 20 minutes into drying...  Not cool.  Not cool at all.  But you know what.  I know for a fact that you forgot a shirt in the washer (doh!).  Ah, instant Karma.  I wonder if you discovered it? *evil grin*


Today's Mission:
Get Zoë's deflating balloons refilled.  Crochet. 
Comfort my baby.  Paperwork will just have to wait until tomorrow.  I don't
think much will get done on Chemo weeks....well...other than destroying that
tumor! 

Today's post was brought to you by my new "dancing shoes"
(thanks Mom and Dad for the sneakers).

Love and Hugs from CHB!