October

Dad and I knew what was happening, Henry was dying. We didn't know when, we didn't know how soon, but we knew. It was really hard to balance making happy memories, and crying knowing what we knew.

 

 Henry was short of breath often, so we tried medication to help his breathing get better.

 We went to his favorite pumpkin patch again.

 After that night, Henry got really sick. He was so sleepy, and barely breathing. That night was the night we had hospice start following us. I snuggled him in his blanket. You went to Mimi's house. Dad and I thought he was dying that night. We started to take him upstairs, to snuggle him in our bed, and he woke up. He demanded macaroni and cheese. He hadn't eaten in a few days, but he really wanted macaroni. So, dad made it for him... and he ate an entire bowl full.

 You started to ask really good questions about Henry. We always tried to be as honest as we could with you.

 We went to the beach, because Henry felt better. Joe, our hospice nurse, told us that little kids get really sick, then feel really good again. So, we tried to do as much as we could when he felt good.

 We even took him back to clinic to check his labs one more time. They showed his immune system was actually worse. We had a small hope that things had changed, but these labs proved to dad and myself that we were doing what was best for Henry.

 In the end of October, the Children's Cancer Association rented us a house in Lincoln City. Mimi, Bob-Bob and Grandpa went to the house for two nights.

 In the middle of October, Henry said he was done with TPN.  He didn't like being hooked up to it. And, we decided we were done with it. Henry actually felt better for a while off TPN. He wasn't eating enough to provide all the calories he needed, but he was happy.

He was a fireman (again) for Halloween. You were Thor.