Barbie Fairytopia Live

Today Elizabeth and Mom were fortunate enough to spend the morning at the Kodak Theatre (in Hollywood, home of the Oscars) watching the Barbie Fairytopia Live Stage Musical show. Not only did we get to see the show (with some pretty good seats), but we bought special event tickets. All of this morning's show proceeds were being donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Los Angeles Chapter--an annoucement was made that the show raised over $13,000 for Make-A-Wish! There was a special reception for anyone who bought the Wish tickets where the girls all got to meet the star of the show (Erin Elizabeth Coors), Barbie, dressed as Elina (the fairy star of the DVD movie Fairytopia, for those of you without little girls at home). Grandma Kirsten gave Elizabeth a new fairy costume on Thursday, so she of course had to wear it to the show. It was a wonderful experience for us both, getting to do something so normal amongst other mothers and daughters having fun together. We also got to meet some of the extremely nice ladies who work at the LA Make-A-Wish office. As part of the Wish package, we each got Fairytopia gift bags, too. Elizabeth could not have been more thrilled with the whole event. She insisted on getting the CD recording (and a stuffed Bibble... seen below being fed ice cream) as her souvenir purchase so she can listen to the show over and over again. She has already played it 3 times so far today. I think she really liked the show...

Elizabeth and Elina

Getting ready for the show to start... and getting EXCITED!!


Posing outside of the Kodak Theatre


Feeding Bibble ice cream at 31 Flavors

Other news...

We had our doctor's appointment yesterday with Elizabeth's oncologist, Dr. Marcio Malogolowkin. No CT scan yet, probably in 5 weeks we'll have it. Elizabeth has to go at least 8 weeks from her last surgical procedure (which was her VAT procedure circa July 10) before she can go back on any anti-angiogenic drugs (i.e. Sutent, Avastin, Tarceva). We still think that the Sutent was working for the short time she was on it (two rounds of 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off), so we'd like to get Elizabeth back on it ASAP. Any further surgical procedures would set us back waiting even longer before we can get her back on the Sutent, so, for now, until anything would indicate otherwise, we are sitting tight waiting for the 8 weeks to be up. Elizabeth is continuing on the daily 37.5 mg Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) and weekly vinorelbine metronomic (steady, low-dosing) regimen in the meantime. New AFP levels will be drawn on Thursday, when Elizabeth is back to the hospital for her weekly vinorelbine. Pray for some good news with those levels evening out (or better yet, dropping). Her hemoglobin has been holding steady since she was transfused with red blood cells (donated from Mom--no yucky Daddy blood) two weeks ago, so that at least is good news.

We're getting ready for the Disney Cruise and will be leaving one week from today! Elizabeth is very excited and today got all giggly when she saw a limousine in Hollywood... because a limo is coming to pick us all up and bring us to the airport and start our Make-A-Wish trip! The boys are starting to get bouncy, too, every time the cruise comes up. This week will be busy with laundry and packing and last-minute preparations, and the time will pass quickly, I'm sure. I worry about the amount of luggage we will require, though... afterall, a princess does travel with quite a wardrobe, both costume and not!

Thanks again for checking in on Elizabeth. Thankfully she has been feeling pretty good the last few days. Hopefully it lasts so that she'll be able to really enjoy her special trip.