Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sibling: A SISTER OR BROTHER, RIVAL, BUDDY, PEST, HERO, ADVERSARY, UNDERSTANDING EAR, COMRADE, COMPETITOR, PLAYMATE, CONFIDANTE, CHUM, WARDROBE BORROWER, SINGING PARTNER, SHOULDER TO CRY ON, KINFOLK, SECRET SHARER, NIGHTMARE CHASER, KINDHEARTED DEFENDER, A CHILDHOOD COMPANION AND A LIFELONG FRIEND. ~Barbara Edwards Reamy
Thursday, March 25, 2010
TIS' THE SEASON.....
Racing Season that is!!
After a brief 5 months off, this week marks the official first week of racing season for Dom's company Sunset Racing Events. This Saturday is their 2nd Annual Showdown at Sundown race out at Lake Las Vegas and it is the first race of the season not to mention Dom's baby!! I encourage you to come down and hang out. Races start in the afternoon finishing by 8pm out in front of the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub. There they will have a live Irish band, brawt worsts on the grill and beer specials. With the weather we've been having you would be crazy to pass up a Saturday afternoon like this. We look forward to seeing you out there.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Zoe's Story
Oh our little Zoe Monster.....
Not much to tell here...not yet any ways. We are still giving her the Zantac every 8 hours and mixing her bottles with half milk and half rice cereal. She seems to have fairly good days or REALLY bad days. I'm still debating on whether or not I want to allow them to change her meds to something stronger. I'm leaning more toward yes only because good days are few and far between and she is taking the absolute highest dose allowed with the Zantac. She managed to put on 9oz last week and we have begun adjusting to the vomiting episodes fairly well. Although they too are beyond messy, time consuming and frustrating, we are able to go about our daily business as usual but with extra clothes, towels and burp cloths in tow. It's not as scary now that we know what the signs are and can tell when the episodes are coming on. It's often times walking a fine line between her eating and and getting dehydrated that is the most scary and frustrating.
She's beginning to stay up more throughout the day and Kadence is absolutely AWESOME with her. It's pretty cool. They really will be best friends.
TODAY SHE IS 1 MONTH OLD!!!!
Not much to tell here...not yet any ways. We are still giving her the Zantac every 8 hours and mixing her bottles with half milk and half rice cereal. She seems to have fairly good days or REALLY bad days. I'm still debating on whether or not I want to allow them to change her meds to something stronger. I'm leaning more toward yes only because good days are few and far between and she is taking the absolute highest dose allowed with the Zantac. She managed to put on 9oz last week and we have begun adjusting to the vomiting episodes fairly well. Although they too are beyond messy, time consuming and frustrating, we are able to go about our daily business as usual but with extra clothes, towels and burp cloths in tow. It's not as scary now that we know what the signs are and can tell when the episodes are coming on. It's often times walking a fine line between her eating and and getting dehydrated that is the most scary and frustrating.
She's beginning to stay up more throughout the day and Kadence is absolutely AWESOME with her. It's pretty cool. They really will be best friends.
TODAY SHE IS 1 MONTH OLD!!!!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Kady Update
We went back to Kady's G.I. doctor last week for a follow up. Another Endoscopy has been scheduled for the 28th of April. At this visit, he told us that Kadence DOES NOT have Eosinophilic Esophagitus (EE) after all....Who knew!! Although this is good news, I find it to be frustrating at the same time. I personally feel as if we are back to square one. Why we were not told this 9-10months ago...beats me. Quite frankly I'm too tired and frustrated to argue that fact now. I want answers. The misunderstanding with the EE diagnosis (more like a non-communication to us on the doctors part) is that pathology at Summerlin Hospital here in Las Vegas said that she DID have EE based on the number of Eosinophils found throughout her guts. Biopsies and lab work was also sent to Cincinnati Childrens Hospital (the leading hospital in EE research from what we are told) and their pathology reports said she DOES NOT have EE or stated that she had rare amounts of Eosinophils as in small or minimal. The upcoming Endoscopy will tell us if her Eosinophil counts have increased, decreased or gone away completely. The biopsies from this Endoscopy will go strait to Cincinnati for results. I have no idea yet what any of this means or where we go from there. Hopefully it will get us one step closer to where we need to be.
For now, we are starting her on more meds. This one to treat the diarrhea specifically until we know what is causing it. At least this way we can move forward with life...ie: potty training.
On a positive note...ALL tests for Cystic Fibrosis came back NEGATIVE!!!!!
For now, we are starting her on more meds. This one to treat the diarrhea specifically until we know what is causing it. At least this way we can move forward with life...ie: potty training.
On a positive note...ALL tests for Cystic Fibrosis came back NEGATIVE!!!!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Kady Talk....
i love how she calls her fish "bish"
i love that she introduces herself as "I Kady, meet you" and tries to shake your hand.
i love how Dominic and I are "Daddy" and "other Daddy"
i love that when she asks for breakfast it's always "can cakes and mananas"
i love how every time she gets in trouble she says "Ahh, I sowwy, I tryning"
i love how she asks for "cakoosh" instead of "crackers"
i love listening to her talk and play with Zoe
i love that when she says Fox or Frog it sounds like......well, I won't say it. I guess that one just makes me giggle a little.
i love how she calls her fish "bish"
i love that she introduces herself as "I Kady, meet you" and tries to shake your hand.
i love how Dominic and I are "Daddy" and "other Daddy"
i love that when she asks for breakfast it's always "can cakes and mananas"
i love how every time she gets in trouble she says "Ahh, I sowwy, I tryning"
i love how she asks for "cakoosh" instead of "crackers"
i love listening to her talk and play with Zoe
i love that when she says Fox or Frog it sounds like......well, I won't say it. I guess that one just makes me giggle a little.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
When I was a little girl, I used to believe that when you were born the angels began making a home for you in heaven. And when it was finished and there was a place for you there, God would call you home. I guess they were in a hurry to get Ethan. He was such a light that God could only lend him to us for a little while. The angels finished quickly and God has taken him home. I hope he likes his new place and I can't wait to see him when I get there. I bet the view is spectacular.
"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but he did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way... If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again....."
Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com
Read Ethan's Story at:
Read Ethan's Story at:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ethanandrew
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
13 Rules to live by
1. I love you not because of who you are, but becasue of who I am when I am with you.
2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.
3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesnt''mean they don't love you with all they have.
4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.
6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.
7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
8. Don't waste your time on any person who isn't willing to waste their time on you.
9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wreong ones before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.
10. Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.
11. There's always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.
12. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.
13. Don't try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them.
REMEMBER: EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!
1. I love you not because of who you are, but becasue of who I am when I am with you.
2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.
3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesnt''mean they don't love you with all they have.
4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.
6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.
7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
8. Don't waste your time on any person who isn't willing to waste their time on you.
9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wreong ones before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.
10. Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.
11. There's always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.
12. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.
13. Don't try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them.
REMEMBER: EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!
My theories are not always parallel to philosophers or scholars. I do not articulate as well as some, but my intentions are always honest. I have lived a life of sorted failure and repeated heartbreak. I should not be as intact as I am. I know that others have had worse I have taken those wounds and mended them. I have taken my pain and grown better because bitter is not an option. I am open to new ideas but my heart holds bearing on what I know is right. The centrifugal force of my life is understanding. There is so much that I want and need to know but the absence will not silence me. I will not be afraid to ask and I will not cease to search for truth. I will always try to sympathize when you tell me I have hurt you. I will always be open to the possibility that I am wrong because right is often a foolish concept. I will not let my pride destroy my relationships. I know that humility will make me a person of character. I know that my path will take me in and out of learning experiences- I hope that I can always remember to gather the best of what is offered and move on a better person. It makes me sad to know that it can't go on forever...yet thankful as I would not want it to.
Monday, March 8, 2010
My mother-in-law came across this and realized how much I'd love it...and I do. It's good enough to share so I hope you all enjoy it as well.
The Birthright of Children
by Dr. Henry Turner Bailey
All children should know the joy of playing in healthful mud, of paddling in clean water, of hearing birds sing praises to God for the new day.
They should have the vision of pure skies enriched at dawn and sunset with unspeakable glory; of dew-drenched mornings flashing with priceless gems; of the vast night sky all throbbing and panting with stars.
The should live with flowers and butterflies, with the wild things that have made possible the world of fables.
They should experience the thrill of going barefoot, of being out in the rain; of riding a white birch, of sliding down pine boughs, of climbing ledges and tall trees, of diving head-first into a transparent pool.
They ought to know the smell of the wet earth, of new mown hay, of sweetcorn, mint and fir, of the breath of cattle and of fog blown inland from the sea.
They should hear the answer the trees make to the rain and to the wind; the sound of rippling and falling water; the muffled roar of the sea in a storm.
They should have a chance to catch fish, to ride on a load of hay, to camp ou, to cook over an open fire, tramp through a new country and sleep under the open sky.
They should have the fun of driving a horse, paddling a canoe, sailing a boat.
One cannot appreciate and enjoy to the full extent nature books, novels, histories , poems, pictures, or even musical compositions, who has not in his youth enjoyed the blessed contact with the world of nature.
The Birthright of Children
by Dr. Henry Turner Bailey
All children should know the joy of playing in healthful mud, of paddling in clean water, of hearing birds sing praises to God for the new day.
They should have the vision of pure skies enriched at dawn and sunset with unspeakable glory; of dew-drenched mornings flashing with priceless gems; of the vast night sky all throbbing and panting with stars.
The should live with flowers and butterflies, with the wild things that have made possible the world of fables.
They should experience the thrill of going barefoot, of being out in the rain; of riding a white birch, of sliding down pine boughs, of climbing ledges and tall trees, of diving head-first into a transparent pool.
They ought to know the smell of the wet earth, of new mown hay, of sweetcorn, mint and fir, of the breath of cattle and of fog blown inland from the sea.
They should hear the answer the trees make to the rain and to the wind; the sound of rippling and falling water; the muffled roar of the sea in a storm.
They should have a chance to catch fish, to ride on a load of hay, to camp ou, to cook over an open fire, tramp through a new country and sleep under the open sky.
They should have the fun of driving a horse, paddling a canoe, sailing a boat.
One cannot appreciate and enjoy to the full extent nature books, novels, histories , poems, pictures, or even musical compositions, who has not in his youth enjoyed the blessed contact with the world of nature.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Kady Update
The sweat test results are in for Kadence and they are NEGATIVE!!!!! WoooHooo =o) We are still waiting on the rest of her blood work and stool sample results to come in but I'm pretty confident that I can say WITH OUT a DOUBT that she DOES NOT have Cystic Fibrosis!! We already kind of expected that she didn't, but given my family's history and our family's digestive/intestinal issues, it's good to have it completely ruled out.
Now we just have to figure out what IS going on....
Now we just have to figure out what IS going on....
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Zoe's Story
I realize the majority of you know something happened but don't know what happened. I want to first off thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, positive thoughts and well wishes. It means the world. Here is the complete and full story of what exactly happened with Zoe that caused so much concern and panic.
Zoe was born Wednesday February 24th at 12:49 a.m. weighing in at 7.3lbs. Immediately my doctor and the nurses could tell that she had swallowed more amniotic fluid than normal during delivery. The hours following her birth she threw up A LOT...constantly. All to be expected given the quantity of fluids consumed. Because my milk had not yet come in, I was supplementing with formula. The first day we must have soiled close to 20 shirts and blankets...NO JOKE! The next morning her pediatrician came to check on her. Her color was good, her billiruben counts were perfect, her weight was normal and we had a pretty good night with a lot less vomiting. He and I both felt comfortable sending her home. That another night in the hospital wasn't necessary. Because of the vomiting however, he wanted to see us in his office the next day. Thursday afternoon was also good. She had only 2 vomiting episodes. So, Thursday night we were discharged and headed home.
We arrived home at 8pm. At midnight I went to feed her and put her down for the night. Immediately after her feeding she started vomiting. This time it was different. I could hear it in her stomach and throat and it was loud. She was making awful gurgling sounds, coughing and choking. This went on for an hour and a half while she continued to vomit every 15minutes. When I laid her down to change her diaper she stopped breathing and her body went STIFF as a board...this happened twice. When Dominic said "I think we should take her to the hospital" I knew it wasn't my hormones causing me to be over emotional and panicked.
At 2 a.m., roughly 6 hours after we got home, we were back in the pediatric ER. Immediately they started to draw blood and put an IV in. She had dropped 1and 1/2 lbs, became jaundice, SEVERELY dehydrated and listless. The Peds nurses tried 3 times to get an IV in Zoe and failed. Her veins kept collapsing. It took them over an hour just to draw the blood they needed to test her for RSV. Afraid they were going to collapse any good veins that were left, a NICU nurse was called down to attempt to get an IV in her. She tried 10 more times. After sticking her repeatedly in the arms, foot, head and hands, she got the IV in her thumb. By this time Zoe was so exhausted she looked like a rag doll. They could have poked her a hundred more times and she wouldn't have cried a bit. She was then admitted to the NICU and incubated in an isolation room (because she had left the hospital for 6hrs, she was considered contaminated by NICU standards). X-rays, blood work and testing began for any intestinal blockages and all sorts of other possible problems. In the end, everything was right were it should be and working fine...for the most part. She was diagnosed with an extreme case of reflux disease.
Almost all babies are born with reflux. That's why they spit up. RARELY is it so bad they have to be hospitalized for it. Zoe's is one of those rare cases. The fix is annoying but fairly easy and her reflux now becomes a laundry issue. As she gets bigger she may outgrow it or she may need surgery. It all depends on her... how she grows, puts weight on and continues to tolerate her feeds. Only time will tell.
So...for 4days we had to leave her in the hospital. One of the hardest, most unnatural things for a mother to do. Something I wish no mother would ever have to do. But after 4days, she's bounced back. She's back up to her birth weight and with the help of meds and large quantities of rice cereal added to her milk....she was able to eat and stable enough to come home. Yesterday we brought her home....for the 2nd and LAST time!!
Zoe was born Wednesday February 24th at 12:49 a.m. weighing in at 7.3lbs. Immediately my doctor and the nurses could tell that she had swallowed more amniotic fluid than normal during delivery. The hours following her birth she threw up A LOT...constantly. All to be expected given the quantity of fluids consumed. Because my milk had not yet come in, I was supplementing with formula. The first day we must have soiled close to 20 shirts and blankets...NO JOKE! The next morning her pediatrician came to check on her. Her color was good, her billiruben counts were perfect, her weight was normal and we had a pretty good night with a lot less vomiting. He and I both felt comfortable sending her home. That another night in the hospital wasn't necessary. Because of the vomiting however, he wanted to see us in his office the next day. Thursday afternoon was also good. She had only 2 vomiting episodes. So, Thursday night we were discharged and headed home.
We arrived home at 8pm. At midnight I went to feed her and put her down for the night. Immediately after her feeding she started vomiting. This time it was different. I could hear it in her stomach and throat and it was loud. She was making awful gurgling sounds, coughing and choking. This went on for an hour and a half while she continued to vomit every 15minutes. When I laid her down to change her diaper she stopped breathing and her body went STIFF as a board...this happened twice. When Dominic said "I think we should take her to the hospital" I knew it wasn't my hormones causing me to be over emotional and panicked.
At 2 a.m., roughly 6 hours after we got home, we were back in the pediatric ER. Immediately they started to draw blood and put an IV in. She had dropped 1and 1/2 lbs, became jaundice, SEVERELY dehydrated and listless. The Peds nurses tried 3 times to get an IV in Zoe and failed. Her veins kept collapsing. It took them over an hour just to draw the blood they needed to test her for RSV. Afraid they were going to collapse any good veins that were left, a NICU nurse was called down to attempt to get an IV in her. She tried 10 more times. After sticking her repeatedly in the arms, foot, head and hands, she got the IV in her thumb. By this time Zoe was so exhausted she looked like a rag doll. They could have poked her a hundred more times and she wouldn't have cried a bit. She was then admitted to the NICU and incubated in an isolation room (because she had left the hospital for 6hrs, she was considered contaminated by NICU standards). X-rays, blood work and testing began for any intestinal blockages and all sorts of other possible problems. In the end, everything was right were it should be and working fine...for the most part. She was diagnosed with an extreme case of reflux disease.
Almost all babies are born with reflux. That's why they spit up. RARELY is it so bad they have to be hospitalized for it. Zoe's is one of those rare cases. The fix is annoying but fairly easy and her reflux now becomes a laundry issue. As she gets bigger she may outgrow it or she may need surgery. It all depends on her... how she grows, puts weight on and continues to tolerate her feeds. Only time will tell.
So...for 4days we had to leave her in the hospital. One of the hardest, most unnatural things for a mother to do. Something I wish no mother would ever have to do. But after 4days, she's bounced back. She's back up to her birth weight and with the help of meds and large quantities of rice cereal added to her milk....she was able to eat and stable enough to come home. Yesterday we brought her home....for the 2nd and LAST time!!
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