update on Deanna

Deanna had a sleep study done on Nov.4th (Happy 9th Anniversary Brian) b/c we know that she tends to hold her breath and destats at night while sleeping. WE didn't know how often it happens or why, we still don't know why, that is a process that is being looked at, but the lil miss was put on oxygen this past Monday and needs it around the clock, ugh. It is hard to imagine that the little girl needs it, she looks normal and cute, but the drs. tell us that she has some obstruction that is keeping her from getting enough oxygen and that she is trapping CO2 (and probably doesn't help her eating ability). The result so far is that Deanna is delayed developmently, we know that she can catch up and we love the fact that she is still a baby for longer, but is saddend b/c we don't know the long-term results. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors and Brian and I. It is hard b/c we don't know the reasoning for much of anything w/her, super frustrating. This past week, we went to Children's again...and saw a pulmonary dr. He said that Deanna aspirates, has silent reflux, and has a hard time swallowing based on the sleep study. We are treating her w/ another steroid for her lungs as well as one for her nasal passages (to help reduce the swelling of her adnoids). We are treating pneumonitis with the other steroid. Bascially we are still treating symptoms and haven't yet come up with the problem to be healed. ugh.



WE have another ENT appt. at Children's on the 23rd of this month, so hopefully I will have more news that week of Thanksgiving and can post that week.I am taking a week off from appointments that week, yay!

sidenote: The boys brought firewood down from the shed today. Casey is now driving the ranger on our place and field behind our house, such a big shot! They loaded it up w/ wood and then it was too cute, Adam hopped out and gave hand signals for Casey to back up to the basement door to unload. Watch out- farm kids have taken over and taken charge.





Until later...Happy Thanksgiving! We are so blesed by what we have, what we can do, and what we live for. We are grateful for all of you!

slightly overwhelmed???

My very cute and adorable kiddos. I am so blessed!





I realize that many of you check this often and I apologize that I am not a very good blogger...I am overwhelmed with life as it is now. I'm trying to keep up with everyday things, such as school, homework, laundry, meals, new baby, and many appointments. Oh yeah, the last month we had a family birthday, school parties, Halloween, harvest party, a visit to Children's Hospital, ended soccer season and started wrestling and Adam's 6th birthday on top of my "normal" week. It isn't all bad and crazy, well I guess crazy and chaotic is now normal for us. I'm being refined as a person, mom, wife, and friend. There is more of me with less time, but a more complete me and less of a flaky person who isn't sure what I want out of life. Deanna's obstacles have taught me much about myself. I am a strong person, always learning, starting to question and ask questions rather than take what is given w/o the worry or guilt of hurting some one's feelings, and that I have limits and breaking points and that I get overwhelmed!!! And its okay, I will get through this craziness, just one step in front of the other and repeat, again, and again. I've realized that I can't just think things through in my head, that I have to write it down on paper or it won't happen. Oh Lord, I pray for more self control and self discipline to accomplish my "to do" list more efficiently. :)

Anyways, the above was probably more than you wanted, sorry-I vented and now on to the pictures!!

My 32nd Birthday. A special weekend fish trip at Elk Mountain, Wyoming with the Marrou family, thanks friends for a wonderful and relaxing weekend.





Little Miss Deanna Nicole... the last 2 1/2 months
Deanna beginning to smile.

2 1/2 months old

2 months old

Cute little "farmer girl" all decked out in John Deere!



Brotherly Love





Denver zoo day-we got Casey out of school early and went for a fun afternoon!

Both boys are excellent students! They received the SOAR award at school, it stands for Self-Control, Optimism, Attitude, and Respect. Both boys got the award for displaying self-control--how do they get it when I need/want it for my life?? go figure, anyways we are so proud of them. Look how boastful Casey's chest got when the principal was talking about him, too cute!



1st snow of the fall-October 10th,lots of snow to play in! Duke (the dog) loved frolicking in the snow.

Adam's 6th Birthday-he has become a huge Rockies fan


Happy Halloween!

August 25,2009

Here are some updated photos of Deanna. She is growing, about 8 1/2 lbs. She has weekly visits from a nurse, physical therapist, and occupational therapist. It is helpful for now, but I can see how our weekly social calender just got busier. On Monday, August 17th, we had our first ER visit with the little girl. She was taking her antibiotic by mouth (G tube got infected) and decided it wasn't going down the throat b/c it tasted so bad. Super scary! She held her breath, then choked on her med, then before you know it, I am wiping saliva away from her mouth, changing her position, blowing air in her face, and dialing 911. It was an image that I hope not to relive, but I am super thankful for the EMTs from Wellington and PFA for bringing oxygen!! At the ER, we had a chest x-ray done to check for aspiration, but nothing appears that fast and her vitals were good so we got to go home. Since then, we are taking the medicine in her tube and not by mouth. She is nippling some from a bottle, about 5 -15 ml, the same amount that she did in the hospital. It completly wears her out for the day, so we are being patient with this process and can only keep practicing.

Tummy time on the floor. She usually buries her face in the blankets and then falls asleep.

Deanna wearing her new party dress for the open house.

The boys and grandma made this sign for us when we pulled up to grandma's house from Children's Hospital. The kids from our MOPS group signed it and colored it.
Proud new brothers! This was taken August 11th, the day Deanna came home.


August 12th, my first outing to the doctors to get a new cast on. The one they put on is probably my last and then I will wear splints at night.

Here are the boys on the first day of school. Adam is in 1/2 day kindergarten and Casey is the big man on campus in 1st grade. They both get on the bus in the morning at 7:39 am and Casey rides it home after school. School starts at 8:10 am. Adam's favorite thing is to ride the bus and recess. Casey enjoys being at school and does really well at helping out and being good...home is a different story!?!?! Both boys love on Deanna when they are here. They check up on her and ask what and where she is at and if they can hold her. It is very sweet to see how concerned the boys are for their sister. She is adjusting to life at home...sleeping a lot and growing. Deanna sleeps all night or most of the night (10pm-5 am) so mama is thankful for that and everyone is much happier and well off because mama is rested.

The boys in front of the flowerbed. Adam is soooo into the Colorado Rockies right now. We took Brian for Father's Day and the boys loved it! Adam wears his CR cap everyday and wanted the backpack for school that now he shows everyone.

Bus #4 with bus driver Al

Casey and his teacher

Adam and his teacher

Thanks for everyone who has brought us a meal! It is so nice and thoughtful of you and one less thing for me to figure out. I appreciate it very much!

Welcome Home Deanna

Wanted to invite you all to an openhouse tomorrow evening to meet the little girl. We are so blessed by all the support, prayers, meals, and help with the boys--Thank you!! Saturday, August, 15th beginning at 5 pm we invite you over to eat together and visit with us. Please bring a finger food to share and your lawn chairs (& probably bug spray) and we will provide pop, water, and cake and a bonfire. :)

It's a Beautiful Day!

We are bringing our little daughter home today!

What a glorious day.

In an hour, Deanna will participate in another swallow study before being discharged. We want to know that it is safe and comfortable to have her "nipple" her feedings and to keep on practicing the bottle before getting home. If it isn't very good for her, that is okay with me and I will just give her all her feedings through her new fancy gadget, her G tube. It is considered another mouth in essence and we should treat it that way. It can get wet w/ water, it may leak or be like spit up, it needs to be washed and wiped. We are working on transitioning her to a higher volume of milk and less often so at night, she can get a good 4 hour stretch (me too) of sleep, this is a good thing. The whole process of preparing her feed, feeding her, and then cleaning the equipment takes an hour...so hopefully I will get faster and more efficient at this.

Her new feed button on her belly and the pump that gives her the milk.
We are planning a "Welcome home party" for Deanna so look for more details to come. She is growing and beginning to smile at us. We are so blessed to have her and now to bring her home. praise God! More pictures to come...she had a sweet outfit to come home in, but the tubing became disconnected and she got a shower with her clothes on...go figure :)

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17

August 7, 2009

Today is a new day with less clouds in the sky and in my head. Deanna is going to have surgery at 4 pm or so to get a g tube or feed button as they are referred to. We spoke with the doctors this morning and have conferred that the best way for Deanna to get food is through this feed button. She is able to receive my milk through this tube, so I guess me and my "breast friend" will have more time together. Pray for quick recovery. She will be on a ventilator and ivs while the surgery takes place,but hopefully not for long. Poor girl, hasn't eaten all day yesterday while they studied her urine concentration and today she had food at 5 and 8 am, but nothing more until tomorrow morning.

Here are pictures from our stay at Children's Hospital. She had the ng tube taken out en route from Ft. Collins in the ambulance so the nurse let it stay out until her next feed (this was Wednesday).

Here are pictures from our stay at Children's Hospital. Below, these were taken last night in her new crib. She has since been taken off the oxygen and her ng tube is out again.