Buona Pasqua

It has been a few days since I last have written. We have been quite busy here and the free time that we have had we try to spend it on walks with Parker.

Parker did have some more tests recently, and as usual they went well. On Thursday, he had an IgG infusion, similar to what he would have at Sick Kids. It took a little bit longer but Parker was very cooperative as soon as the IV was securely fastened.

We decided on Wednesday that it would be a good idea to take Parker to the City Center, where the Duomo is located. It was absolutely beautiful there. Much different than any North American city with Italy's rich history. We walked for a couple of hours as we took in as many sights as possible. We even decided to give McDonalds a try. We have been on a strict meditarian diet since arriving in Milan so we thought we would check out what an Italian McDonalds was like. My wife had her regular cheese burgers and fries and I tried the "McTasty". I had never heard of this burger before so I assumed that it was a Europian thing. The patty was larger than a "quarter pounder" patty and it had tomoatoes and a special sauce or maybe it was cheese, could not tell. How was it? Well, I don't know how it got the name the "McTasty" because to be honest, it tasted more like the "McNasty". Regardless, at least I treid something different.

While downtown I found a store that was similar to a BestBuy that sold cable converters. I wanted to plug my portable DVD player in the television here so Parker could watch his BrainyBaby and Backyardigans videos on a larger screen. I finally got the sound and video to work on the screen; however, it only displays in black and white. I did try several configurations so I am thinking it may be the actual converter. So, I will see if I can exchange it for a new one and see if it works in colour. Otherwise, we will use the laptop as it has a larger screen.

Today is absolutely beautiful here in Milan. It is nice and warm but I don't find it nearly as humid as back home. Who knows if the summer will bring more humid weather.

Parker is finally down for his nap. When he gets up in a couple of hours we will definitely head back outside.

On a more exciting note. Parker has recently been able to get into a standing position without assistance from furniture of another person. It was funny because he did it for the first time a couple of days ago and since then does it over and over. Of course when he first did it we clapped to let him know how happy we were. Now, every time he stands up he starts to clap. The little monkey is such a showboat.

It is Easter here this weekend as it is back home. Here the tradition is a little bit different. First, it is called Pasqua. Second, people still work on the Friday and only get the Monday and Sunday (as always) off. There is no Easter bunny. They give large chocolate eggs with gifts inside them for Pasqua. Think of large fancy Kinder surprises made by Lindt. The really nice onces are displayed in the shop windows and go for about 50 Euros, 75 CDN dollars. When we go out later, we will have to get something Parker from the Easter bunny. I explained the our tradition to the two receptionists in the hematology unit. They thought it was a very nice tradition.

I am not sure if I will be writing tomorrow. But if I don't, Buona Pasqua and let's all hope that the Leafs beat Montreal tonight in regulation and that the Islanders lose this afternoon. I am pretty sure that my Uncle Benny could not ask for a better gift for Pasqua.

Click here for last year's article.

Play Nice with the Animals

Once again, I have decided to write today's article during Parker's nap time. It is the best time to write it as long as I am not taking a nap at the same time.

As most of you know, we spend most of our days either at the hospital or walking around Milano Due. There is a nice laghetto beside our residence and we enjoy walking around that a few times each day. There is a beautiful swan, several large white ducks, along with some smaller ones, in addition to a family of turtles.

Yesterday on our walk, my wife took several nice images of the wildlife. She was very lucky as the animals were very cooperative. However, today was a little bit different. While walking past the two ducks, it was apparent that one of them was not very happy with Parker and I. Regardless, we stood still for a while and the duck left us alone. We did finally leave, but when my wife turned in the direction opposite to Parker and I as she walked away, I noticed the duck begin to chase her. "Run", I said. You would not think that a duck was that fast but he was, as my wife barely outran him.

To be honest, it was kind of funny to watch. Poor mommy had another incident a couple of days ago as we walked near Unes. Mommy was the recipient of a bee sting on her finger as she pushed Parker in the stroller. I am not sure what it is that makes bee stings hurt so much but I know from experience that they do. Mommy did tough it out and we continued on our walk.

Today, we decided to grab a couple of pannini from one of the many Travola Fredda's in the neighbourhood. This is just the Italian version of a snackbar; however, it is much more elaborate then a snackbar you would find at a hockey rink in Canada.

We began Parker on his new medications today. We began this morning at 5:30am when he woke up for his bottle with 0.7 mL of an antiviral medication(3 times daily). It is not a lot of medication and for that reason it was quite easy to administer. I think the medications seem to smell nicer than what I remember. This might be because they are meant for toddler. Then, at breakfast, Parker got his 7.5 mL(Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) of Septra (Bactrim) and 4.0 mL of amoxocilin (he will be done this on Friday). Later this afternoon, Parker will get 7.0 mL(daily) of an anti-fungal medication. Parker will be on these medications for the duration of his Italian journey.

Tomorrow is definitely going to be a difficult day as he will be receiving an infusion of IgG. With the most recent numbers, Parker's IgG level would not normally constitute a top-up but I guess they want Parker to have as much protection as possible going through the gene therapy. Hopefully, we get some more results from the earlier tests tomorrow.

I wish everyone a good day.

A Journey Worth Taking

I decided to write today's article a little earlier than I have been. For the people in Ontario it is just after 7am, for us it Parker's nap time. To be honest, I have been more stressed lately than normal. Every once in a while I get like this and I just have to wait the pain in my stomach out as it eventually goes away.

While on one of our many walks around Milano Due, I passed a lemon tree and knew that there was an Italian proverb about these trees. While on another walk yesterday I noticed an older woman who stopped at the lemon tree and took a sniff of one of the lemons. It made me think that the proverb when translated into English was to make sure you take the time to smell the lemon tree. Now, I could be completely wrong but I choose not to care as this is what I want it to be. So, I will make sure to stop and smell the lemon tree on our daily walks more often.

I am not sure if many of you have see the movie Rudy before, but it is one of my favourite movies. I mention this because it was on yesterday afternoon, in Italian. I watched it for about 15 minutes as we were about to leave for another walk. It just happened to be one of the best parts of the movie. For those of you who have not seen the movie it is about a guy from a small town who absolutely loves Notre Dame football. He tries to get into the University but does not and must go to a smaller school close to Notre Dame. For two years, he tries his best to transfer to Notre Dame by studying as hard as he can. After each semester he would receive a letter from Notre Dame that they could still not except him into the University. Eventually, after four semesters and ALOT of hard work he receives a letter that let him know that all of his hard work had finally paid off. I am not sure why it meant so much more to me yesterday than it had before but it did. I know that Rudy must to have wanted to quite after each time he received one of those letters but he never did. He always went on.

A couple of days ago my wife and I, with Parker decided to take a different path around Milano Due. We figured that we would do a little bit of exploring while we were here. That is how we found the Fidaty grocery store last week. However, this time we did not find much of anything other than alot of green grass.

We took a dirty, rocky road past some farm land in hopes to reach a commercial area in which we thought we saw about a kilometer away. When we got there we did find a residential area. As we continued to walk we found a walking path which we took until it led us to an industrial area. As we passed through the industrial area we came to a road that lead two ways. Left took us to the main road and right to us back to the residential area we originally came from. If we continued to go straight we would be heading back to Milano Due through a long field with a make-shift pathway. As a result, we chose to go left hoping that there would be a sidewalk by the road.

When we finally arrived at the main road we were disappointed that there was not a side walk and traffic was much too busy to attempt walking on the shoulder. As a result, we went back to the intersection and decided to take the makeshift path through the vast field. It was a good 10-15 minute walk through the field and beside a creek that finally lead us to where the Fidaty grocery store was. So, although we did not find anything new, we did find a very long way to the grocery store.

If you want to view the article from last year on this date, click here.

A Tiring Day

To be honest, I am extremely apologetic for not writing for the past few days. I have honestly been a little more tired and much more stressed than normal and as a result, it has been much harder for me to write. So much has happened in the past few days and I have been concentrating more on that then writing the blog. Mommy is currently putting Parker to bed right now so I have a little bit of time to write today's article.

I guess I could write about quite a bit today but I have decided to hold off on most of what I could write today and concentrate on what I want to write today. We did have a trip to the San Rafaele today for Parker's ADAGEN injection. When we got there we realized that Parker was also going to have to be giving some blood since he had not given enough a few weeks ago. As always, Parker put every effort into fighting the nurses and his mommy and daddy so that he did not have to be poked longer than possible. Daddy had Parker's legs and arms as mommy tried distracting the little monkey while the two nurses took enough blood that was needed. This was definitely one of the many things we wish we never had to experience with our little guy. Sometimes, it is just so hard.

We also got to meet with a doctor on the team afterwards who let us know that Parker would have to begin an anti-fungal and anti viral medication, in addition to his Septra (anti-bacterial) medication for precautionary reasons. To be honest, we are not very excited about starting Parker on new medications as he tries to fight anything that comes at him in a syringe. Regardless, we will do our best to get Parker's medication into him with the least amount of struggle. Anyone who has ever had the privilege of meeting Parker can attest to the same thing- he is one strong monkey. It is so hard trying to hold him down in order to do things which are necessary. I just wish that I could rationalize everything with him and let him see that we are only trying to help him. His mother and I would NEVER do anything to hurt him and it really can be overwhelming when you see your little guy in pain or trying to protect himself.

I know that we are only at the beginning of this and we are trying to stay positive with every ounce of our being- sometimes you just have days when it just hurts and today was one of those days. Parker is scheduled to have IgG (Gamma) again this Thursday. Although, he does not really need it, the team wants to be sure that he is really protected. That being said, Thursday is likely to be another tiring day.

I promise to write tomorrow when I am feeling like I have some more energy. My wife and I have been sleeping a lot more lately. We find ourselves resting whenever the little monkey is catching up on his beauty sleep. As of yet, there is nothing planned for the DesLauriers family tomorrow except some new medications and some nice walks outside.

Ciao!

Did I Hear You Have a New Friend?

I am telling you, if you take one day off from writing it leaves alot to be written the next day. Last night we found out that Parker had some more tests today. He would be having another hearing test, an ultra sound of his stomach and a visit by the ears, nose and throat specialist. To prepare for the ultra sound, Parker would have to have finished eating by 8am this morning. The ultra sound was scheduled for one in the afternoon.

We arrived at the hospital at 9:45 for his hearing test. Yes, we all know that Parker can hear. Just say to him, "Where are the lights?", and he will look up, find the closet light and point to it. We also know that he can hear because he passed the hearing test he had the other day that played different frequencies and measured his brain activity. However, this hearing test is different. It plays sounds in one ear and checks to see if he hears them through the bone in his other ear through a probe that is placed in the ear.

Well, we have learned the word dopo and aspeta here in Italy. Things are done at a very different pace here. Parker spent almost two hours in his stroller, much of it under his shield, thirsty and hungry. When it was time for the hearing test Parker was quite upset having to wear anything on his head. He was hot, hungry and a little upset to say the least. Mommy had left at just the time the test was taking place, as she was seeing if it was a problem that we would be late for our next examination. Regardless, me and two other nurses held Parker while he yelled and tried to squirm away. The test was done quite quickly, and when I asked if it was "norma" they replied, "no norma". Apparently, the test returned results that Parker had little to no hearing. I was surprised, upset and waited to speak with an English speaking doctor. She explained that we were not to worry. Soon after we went to see the specialist who told us that Parker's nose and throat was fine but he had secretions in his ears.

It made sense that there was some fluid in his ears as he was sweating and crying. But the doctor felt that this may be the reason for him failing the hearing test. In addition, secretions can lead to infection so they wanted to start Parker on amoxicylin as a precaution for seven days. In ten days they would repeat the tests. Now, if I were at home, where I spoke the language and was not part of an experimental treatment, I would probably have called the doctor by now to have some things rechecked before beginning the antibiotic. But, my wife and I said to each other that when we came to Italy we would be much more accommodating when it came accepting any treatment that the team want to perform on Parker. We were difficulty to deal with at times while in Toronto but to be honest, I believe as does my wife that we were right every time.

Why do I think Parker failed the test? It was not because of the secretions. That was sweat in my opinion. He failed the test because the ear phone was never placed on his ear. In all of the excitement, everyone way concerned with keeping the apparatus in one ear but not the other. Me? I noticed at one time that the head phone that was supposed to play the noise in the one ear was not on his ear but resting on the chair as he squirmed. I did not say anything because I was too concerned with the language barrier and Parker not cooperating. For this reason, I do not worry about either the secretions or the failed hearing tests. Parker had 4mL of the antibiotic without a problem this evening and he will repeat the test in just over a week.

As for the ultra sound we will not know the results for a few more days. Although we did learn something from it. Here in Italy, there is not sanitiser on every wall so we worry that someone is going to touch Parker who has touched someone else prior to him. So, when they performed the ultra sound, after being told Parker was going to be starting antibiotics we requested that the people performing the test wash their hands. Now, this is where the language barrier became a problem again. Apparently they were saying that they were going to be wearing gloves but we did not understand. Trust me, I do understand that guanto means glove now and guanti means gloves. So, when I hear that word I will feel much more comfortable and I will now be able to say gloves in Italian.

On a lighter note, Parker met a new friend today. We and Parker met a previous patient in the study (recall Parker is the twelfth). They are from Europe. Her numbers are higher that Parker's are currently on PEG-ADA so that is definitely good news. They are here for their follow up visit and she underwent some of the same tests that Parker did today. The family speaks Italian and French so between my wife and I we were able to communicate fairly well.

In addition, we also met two other patients while we have been here. So, we are getting to see other families who are going to or have recently gone through gene therapy with their child.

I have been asked to keep the images of the food here coming, and I apologise that I did not take an image of tonight's dinner as it was incredible, but I do have one of last night's asparagus risitto. For those of you who want the recipe, I may post it here at a later date.

Check in this weekend for another article. And click here for the article from last year on this date, and since I did not write yesterday you can click here for the article that is a year ago from then.

He Hears You!

So I totally scored just now. I was sure I was putting Parker to bed just now but Mommy said I did not have to after she had already started. For that reason, here I am writing the blog while she gives Parker his bottle.

Of course, today was another busy day. Parker was in the Corriere Canaedese today, he also had his hearing and eye sight test done today. In addition, we had a great adventure in the latter half of the day.

Let me begin with with the Corriere. This is an Italian Canadian newspaper that has been following Parker's story for several months now. They had called me a few days ago wanting to do an updated story since we left Canada and arrived here in Italy. You can check out the article by doing a quick search on Parker and the corriere in Google. One of my best friends who is Italian said she read the article in Italian and said it was very good. I translated it in Italian and, although it was good, I am sure it was much better in Italian.

Now, Parker went to the San Raffaele for a hearing and sight test today. It meant he would have to have several wires attached to his head and remain very still and quiet while they measured brain activity during a sight and sound test. Parker passed the hearing test with flying colours, as he was able to hear the different frequencies without any problem; however, Parker was not so co-operative during the sight test. As they tried to flash the light in his eyes as I held his hands so he did not pull the probes from his head and my wife held his head still, he yelled and screamed. They will not able to take this test. So, for now, we do not know if Parker is faking the fact that he can see all of the little pieces of dirt on the ground that he has been attempting to pick up.

The CT Scan and MRI Scan both came back showing that he has no abnormalities in his brain or thorax (lungs). He passed both of these tests with flying colours. We are very happy to see that Parker is three for three so far. Despite that ADA gene, he appears to be a "normal", healthy little monkey. We are so happy about the results so far. As a parent, you just want to minimize any pain you can for your child and we would do anything to make things a little more bearable for our little monkey.

This afternoon was a lot of fun. My wife had decided that she really wanted to take a certain path that we had never taken before. I was a little reluctant at first due to all the potential mud we may find due to the rain, but agreed that it would be nice to see something different. Having said that, about 15 minutes into our walk, we came across a clothing and shoe outlet (Puma) and then the most amazing grocery store. I have never seen a more beautiful fish counter in my life and know that my friend David would appreciate it just as much as me. Perhaps I will show it to you one day, David! To say that Tracy was in her glory is an understatement. She was so excited to see a store which resembled that of a Loblaws superstore in Canada. It turned out to be a path that was very much well worth taking.

I think Parker enjoyed the adventure mostly because he got a shiny new soccer ball out of the whole deal. He has not figured out that it is about kicking the ball as he was much more interested in throwing it into the ground to watch it bounce back into the air.

Well, I am feeling rather tired today and will sign off for now. I promise that there will be some pictures posted tomorrow for you. Check back tomorrow when you wake up and there will be pictures waiting for you. I am sure that we will be heading back to our favourite store after Parker's injection tomorrow.

Don't forget to check out last year's article. Ciao!

More Tests Tomorrow

It was yesterday when Parker had some major tests performed on him. Today you would never know that he had anything done on him. He is playing just like a regular little boy. He spent most of today climbing over everything that he possibly could. I must say that this little monkey is the toughest of all monkeys.

It is just after eight in the evening and mommy is putting the little guy to bed. Mommy and daddy are quite full after having pasta, salad and wine for dinner once again. I have to say once again that everything here tastes so much better. Today for lunch, my wife passed on the mustard so that she could savour the the salami and cheese on the fresh bread without having any harsh flavours getting in the way.

Tomorrow we will be heading to San Raffaele for a couple more tests. He will be seen by the hearing and sight specialist. I am sure that Parker will pass these tests will flying colours.

Both my wife and I have really been working on our Italian. I always sit by the television with a dictionary in hopes to pick up a word here or there that I can translate. We have both been watching Grande Frattelo religiously. For those who are not familiar with what that is it is the Italian version of Big Brother. Poor Massimo gets picked on each day by most of the other cast members. The show is a little different then we are accustomed to in North America. It seems as if the viewer choose who gets voted off. Also, the show airs every day with that particular days events, unlike what we are accustomed to where it shows three times each week and you have to read the spoilers to find out what is happening as it happens.

My wife is addicted to Young and the Restless and we finally found out that is shows on channel 4 each day at 10:30. The only problems are that it airs in Italian and it is almost two years behind the north American telecasts. Oh well, at least we have seen the episode (yes, me too) and we will more easily be able to understand what they are saying in Italian.

My wife came back into the bedroom, so Parker is probably sleeping now. I think we are going to try and watch some television in Italian tonight. Remember, you can check out the article from last year at this time by clicking here.

Who Says There Are No Super Heroes

My wife is about to put Parker to bed now and I am writing the blog after our dinner and wine. To be honest, the little monkey is the strongest and toughest little guy I will ever know. Yes, he was sedated for the procedures but when he did come to, he was as tough as nails. Well, a wobbly nail.

I had mentioned yesterday that Parker would be under a general anesthesia for all of his procedures today but he was actually just very heavily sedated. We arrived at the hospital at 9am but it was about 11am that we took Parker for his MRI where he was sedated. It took about 10 minutes for the sedation to take effect but once it did they carried him across the hall for his MRI. It took about 30 minutes for the MRI to complete and although we do not have to results yet it seems to have come back quite clean.

Then, they took Parker for his CT Scan of his lungs. I am unsure of the results, but it only look about 10 minutes. Then, we went across the hall where they performed the bone marrow aspiration. It took longer then the previous examination but it apparently went well. They took the bone marrow from his hip bone to see how well he produces different type of cells. We are hoping and expecting that he produces a good amount of stem cells.

After the bone marrow aspiration, the did a few swabs to see if there are any germs in his throat or nose. He was starting to wake up during these tests, so he was not as cooperative but he did do well.

Of course after this he did wake up and was quite hungry. He were told to give him some water to make sure that the sedative did not cause him to vomit. He drank about 8 ounces of water without a problem so when we got home we gave him the same amount of whole milk.

We were given some medication in case he did have some discomfort because of the bone marrow aspiration but to be honest, we never had to use it. When he got home, he was still quite drugged up but he was still very active. I did make a video of the little monkey that I will post of him playing in his playpen afterwards but I won't be posting it until tomorrow . So, check it out tomorrow (Check now!).

Mom just came into the bedroom after putting the little monkey to bed. I am very proud of the little monkey today. He is definitely tougher then anyone else I know.

Check out the article from one year ago today. How? Click here.

Parker Undergoes Tests Tomorrow

As always there is quite a bit to write today, especially since I did not write about Italy and Parker yesterday. However, I want to make sure that I write about our upcoming day.

See, tomorrow morning Parker has his first set of major tests. Parker will have a MRI of his brain, CT Scan of his chest, Ultra Sound of his stomach and his first bone marrow aspiration. All of these tests will be performed under a general anesthesia. In addition, while we are at the hospital, Parker will receive his ADAGEN injection. We are of course not expecting any surprises as a results of the tests. Of course his MRI and Ultra Sound should come back clean. The CT Scan should show some scarring as a result of the proteinosis and infections he had prior to his diagnosis and the bone marrow aspiration should come back showing that Parker does a very good job at producing BM CD34+ cells.

The bone marrow aspiration will be the most painful but he will be asleep for it. Adults generally stay awake for a bone marrow aspiration so it should not be too bad. We were told that the MRI should hake about 45 minutes, and the aspiration and CT SCAN should be about 10-15 minutes each. So, we are hoping that he will not have to be asleep for too long.

We will be going to the hospital for 9am (Milan time tomorrow morning) and they will most likely begin the procedures soon after. Because of the anesthesia, we will have to get up this coming morning at 3am so that Parker can have a bottle. He will have to go under on an empty stomach so he may be cranky in the morning.

Also, on Friday Parker had to undergo an ECG to check his heart function for the the anesthesiologist. He did pass it but he did struggle most of the time as he tried to play with the wires, pulling them off whenever he could. The cardiologist laughed at the reading when he saw it but said it should be okay.

I do promise to write tomorrow about how his tests went. I think we should get the results in 24 hours after taking them, so you may have to wait for that. As soon as this phase of the treatment is over, I will write about everything else that has bee going on here. However, for now, this is what I am focusing on.

Most of you would have noticed that I did post a link to last years article yesterday. I have decided that I will continue to do that each day. So, you can click here to read the article from one year ago today. It is always nice to look back.

2nd Wedding Anniversary

I promised my wife that I would put some images from our wedding two years ago in Mexico. Last year we spent our first anniversary in isolation, so Italy is definitely an upgrade. The three of us had a wonderful day together.

Read the article from one year ago today by clicking here. By the way, the clocks change in Italy today so we will now be six hours ahead of the time in Ontario.

Simple Things (Post by Mom)

It's amazing how the things which so many people rightfully take for granted can make the world of difference to someone else. I find myself being that "someone else". Since our arrival in Italy last week, Kevin and I have finally been able to experience some of the things which often become second nature to many parents. For the first time, we have been able to bring Parker to the grocery store, in and out of buildings and areas which are not confined to the hospital. For the first time, we have been able to hear people expressing how beautiful our child is "bello, bellissimo" are words we frequently hear. I mention this today because it has made me feel so happy. In this very brief time, I feel so blessed to be doing little things with Parker which every mom should be able to do from day one and not even think twice about.

I have noticed a positive change in Parker as well. His stroller, which used to be a struggle to put him in as it was usually only used for visits to Sick Kids, has become a novelty for Parker. One mention of the word and he is at his stroller in seconds waiting to go on his next adventure. Today while we were walking to the hospital, we saw another dog which came rather close to Parker in the stroller. If only I could have captured the pure excitement and happiness in Parker's eyes and face. It was so sweet, innocent and genuine.

I often look at my little guy in pure amazement. He is the strongest person I have honestly ever met (a quality he must inherit honestly from his daddy). No matter what Parker has endured in this short time of life he always comes through with a smile and a laugh that is contagious. I think this holds true for many sick children. They are often so full of life and contentment with the simplest of things. Parker does not need a reason to laugh or smile- he just does. He is the happiest person I have ever met. I know that he will have many friends one day and that he will grow to be a very compassionate and loyal person. For this, I am very happy.

These past 14 months have been the most difficult months of my life. Sometimes this entire process actually feels surreal. Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that we have actually experienced the things we have. Sometimes, I am more than frightened about what is yet to come, but I know that we will continue to get through everything and Parker will be a healthy little boy. I would like to personally thank everyone who has supported us including my husband who definitely puts up with his share from me. Despite everything, he is always extremely positive and although he may not hear it enough I do gain a lot of strength from his positive energy.

I have always been a "home body". I am the first to admit that I love being close to my parents and family and I am very proud of that. I feel very fortunate to have such a strong bond with them and my brother. I know that I am also blessed to have many friends in particular my best friend Natalie who I consider a sister. I have always thought that people should consider themselves very fortunate if they can find a friend in their lifetime who they completely trust and can depend on. Friends and Family are imperative when you have a child who is fighting for their life. I don't think there could be any other time in your life when you could need people more.

When I began this message, I wasn't sure what I was going to even write about, I just knew that I wanted to write something. Now I think that the main message I want to get across is for people to really try and relish the simple things in life. Take an extra 5 minutes to snuggle your little one, pick up the phone and call someone you have been meaning to for some time and tell someone how much you love them just because you can. Take something that you would normally take for granted and turn it into something that suddenly has more meaning and thankfulness to it. Today I know that I am blessed to have some more normality in my life- no matter how small it may be. I know that there are other families who are eagerly waiting for my "simple thing" and for this I consider myself to be very fortunate.

Ciao!

Toy's for Parker

A week has passed since we have arrived in Italy and I cannot believe how much we have learned about the Italian culture since we have arrived. I have tried to report on as much as I could but there really is so much that we have learned.

For instance, the language. Would you believe that I actually had a woman believe that I spoke Italian? I keep my Italian/Inglise dictionary wherever I go, so that whenever I am in conversation with someone I can do my best to accommodate their language. Today, when buying vegetables for dinner I was able to explain what was wrong with Parker and that we were going to be in Italy for six months. For those of you who want to know in Italian. I tell them that Parker has no immune system and that there is experimental treatment here in Italy(sistema immunitario, no. Cura sperimentale a Italia). It is definitely much easier learning Italian here in Italy then at home in front of a computer.

My wife went with Bruna to the mall (sort of like a Walmart) for a couple of hours today. It is too far to walk so Bruna had said that she would take Tracy there whenever she wanted. Bruna is a very nice woman who speaks both Italian and English. Parker and I walked for the two hours while they were gone. I tried to take as many pictures as I could to let my wife know of our journey. Of course we did our regular shopping at Unes, the bakery and the vegetable shops, but we also took a little bit of the scenery in. Mommy came home just in time to give the little monkey lunch. Trust me, my legs are starting to get a little bit tired.

Parker was a very lucky little monkey today because mommy bought him some new toys. Two to be exact. One is a table with a bunch of different things to play with. A phone, some blocks with a bunch of little extras. The other was from the Fisher Price, Little People series. It is actually kind of funny because there is a mat attached to the Little people toy that contains all the different letters of the alphabet with animals on each letter. The thing that makes it different is that everything is in Italian. I found myself pushing the letters and learning the alphabet while Parker took his nap today.

Dinner today was once again very tasty. It was of course pasta and salad. The pasta was the regular shallots, garlic, with canned tomatoes and pinot grigio, but today I added some pancetta that I bought from Unes (pronounces ewness). The salad was also very similar to what we normally have. It was lettuce, fresh tomatoes, with olive oil, salt and balsamic, but today I added tuna packed in oil and fresh mozzarella. Can you image buying a ball of fresh mozzarella for 0.52 cents? That is still less than a dollar Canadian. My wife thinks that she is gaining weight, although I do not think so. As for me, with alll of this walking, I can only lose weight.

Parker has really started enjoying reading his books lately. Well, who knows if he actually reads anything, but he does like taking them out of the drawer and flipping the pages. Especially the Brainy Baby book. Every time I turn around I see him looking at it.

My cousin Allesandra called me this evening. Well, actually, someone on her behalf called me as she does not speak English. I think she is going call back soon and arrange a visit here. By the time she does come, probably soon, I should have picked up a few more words in Italian. Believe it or not, my Italian is better than her English. But again, I did have that woman fooled. I have met my cousin Allesandra when she came to Canada when I was in grade nine or ten. That was quite some time ago, but I do remember her.

My wife says I have bored enough people for one day and that I should sign off. A domani!

I needed some more text after I inserted the images of Parker's toys so I including a little bit of filler.

Here is the Italian zoo that is not only helping Parker learn Italian but also his daddy.

I hope that this will keep him from calling the front desk at the hotel.