Day +6

It's been almost a week since Rylie's transplant, and she is doing really well considering. Rylie's hair is coming out, but she still has a good amount on the top of her head. The sides and back are very thin. :( We expect most of it to be gone tomorrow, or we may buzz it off since all the loose hair is hard to deal with. It's on Rylie's face, in our mouthes, all over bedding and clothes. I can't bare to shave it off, but now that it is coming out so quickly and becoming a constant clean-up effort, I may rope Lyle into doing it.

Rylie is going to look very different without her red hair. Why is losing hair such a big deal? She's just a baby, so it shouldn't be hard, right? I guess it is just a physical reminder that she is sick, and it breaks our hearts. We are thankful yet again that she is young enough that she won't remember any of this, nor does she care about her hair right now. She mainly cares about her Signing Time videos and her new pot and wooden spoon from Grandma. At least she has her priorities right. It's her mom that struggles with vanity. Blah.

Today Rylie had a tough morning after a tough night, but she really perked up with some anti-nausea medicine they gave her this afternoon. She played some and has learned all the hand motions to itsy bitsy spider. Also, when we ask her how old she is, she holds up her index finger in a very intelligent manner. 

For those that are praying for Rylie, please pray with us that Rylie will become 100% engrafted. Sometimes, someway, the body realizes that the donor cells don't belong there, and they begin to make their own cells again. If this happens, Rylie has done all of this for nothing, and I'm not sure what we'll do; some families come back for second or third BMTs. If Rylie's cells are "engrafted," it means the donor's cells are growing and becoming hers. Please say extra prayers that she does engraft, and her cells are 100% donor cells. Only our God has control over this, so we petition to Him for His mercy. 

One more thing, Rylie still has her cough and runny nose. The doctor said that it probably isn't due to the extra fluids anymore since most of the extra weight is off now. He thinks it is probably a virus. As long as it doesn't move to her chest, he feels like it will eventually just go away once her white blood cells start growing again (which they could start doing any day now). I can't help but be concerned, but for now there is nothing to do but pray and wait.