The Talented Mr. Riley

Oh yes, he's talented.

Why? Because he swallows. Today was my 20 week check up to see how Riley's getting along, and well, he's getting along famously. I still am a tad apprehensive at each visit, not that I expect them to find something wrong, but once you've been there, its just hard to feel "safe" about it.

She showed us his full stomach & bladder, which meant our little man is taking his swallowing job very seriously. With CDH, Noah just couldn't quite get the hang of swallowing, leaving me with a high level of amniotic fluid, which I will attest is not the most comfortable thing in the world. We were able to get a good look at his beautiful diaphragm, fully extended across his abdomen with his stomach right below where it belongs. And to see his wonderfully formed beating heart in the dead center of his chest was quite a relief as well.  Nothing was out of place. Just perfect.

He is also proving to be quite a hulk, and is in the 90th percentile! I have never heard the words '90th percentile' and 'Noah' in the same sentence. :) Noah just may have to watch his back with little Riley.

To our surprise, Riley seems a bit laid back. (Could that REALLY be?) I won't hold my breath until we see his personality in real life, because I don't know how we could actually produce a laid back child- haha... either way we'll take him! And Noah is just the sweetest thing (most of the time) about the idea of his little Riley. He comes & will give me a hug & kiss my tummy & talk about things he will help me with in the future- again, we'll see how he does with that... :)

All in all it was a great visit & I can't believe I am 5 months pregnant already...times sure flies when you're chasing a 3 year old.

Post Christmas Wrap Up

We survived a short but exciting trip to see family for Christmas. (Traveling sure wears you out, especially if you're almost 5 months pregnant.)

Noah helped Jonathan read Luke 2 and re-enact it with his stuffed nativity

Three must just be a fun age for things like Christmas & Disney. He was so excited to open his gifts & was so thankful (which was surprising)

The Leapfrog was his only present over $10. :) He LOVES this. It will come in very handy once Riley's born

Me, my dad & two brothers in Orlando

All of the cousins!

Putting his toy motorcycle together with his toy drill at Gigi's. It really works! We'll be limiting his play with this unless we're right there or I think all the pieces would mysteriously disappear :)

Joy

At this stage in the game, I can pretty much tell someone what Noah would love (IF they ask what toy he'd like for Christmas, bdays etc) and I can guarantee a good return on their investment.

This is one of them. My mom asked and I told her a scooter. For two days he's been saying "isn't having a scooter so much fun?" and he thanked her a billion times when she was here.

And as a bonus, it's a little exercise and after he's ridden for a bit he asks to sit down and take a (gasp) rest.

Merry Christmas to Mommy. I mean, Noah.

Three.

I have to admit that Noah is mostly a pretty easy going (don't mistake that for calm), adaptable child. He does great when we explain why A B or C is happening and our plans change. However, ever since his surgery he's been in a little funk, his attitude & sleeping habits are just not what they were 3 months ago. Not sure how to describe it, but he's just not his usual Noah. He's a little more emotional & sometimes Jonathan & I just look at each other in bewilderment over his response to something. I thought it would pass in a week or so post surgery, but it hasn't. Then it hit me.


Perhaps he's just being 3.


Rats.


Thankfully  he still isn't big (yet) into throwing tyrannical fits, but I won't say it isn't in our future. It's just so strange. So I'm praying a lot & trying to stay calm through his ups & downs. Some days though, the downs seem to win.

And then there are those moments that my sweet boy's Dr. Jekyll side appears. My mom is visiting for Christmas & she bought him a scooter. (It was something he'd been asking for). He has been riding that thing around since yesterday. He loves it. He constantly says, "Isn't it sooo much fun to have a scooter?" After about an hour of enjoying his new toy he scooted over to me and said, "I am going to share to others. I am going to share my scooter with Baby Riley William because that makes God happy."

Be still my heart. Thank you Lord for reminding me we're going to get through this stage too, and I'll look back on these entries & be able to thank God again! Noah will also switch into super sweet mode, come up to my stomach & kiss it, and explain, "I'm kissing Riley William." It cracks me up that he doesn't just say Riley most of the time, he adds the middle name too, not sure why, but its cute how he pronounces it so I don't mind. :)

He also scouts over toy catalogs we receive and announces what we should buy for Riley William so THEY can play with it. I think with Noah as a big brother, Riley will always be highly entertained. I know I am!

Spunk.

As a child I loved Punky Brewster. Perhaps it was because we had a lot in common. Or maybe it was just we both had sinful natures...whatever it was, Noah sure has a certain, uh, spunk to him as well.

This week the weather here was horrible, & that leads to migraines for me. So for 2 1/2 days we were inside, and as soon as Jonathan got home I would take my medicene & lay down. Noah always is such a trooper on these days, but this week was a little different since he started out sick too (with strep). By the last day of my headache I think he was just feeling a little extra, sinful- I mean, testy. There is a rule at our house. Noah cleans up his messes. Now don't worry, we usually help him, but this year he's become  able to clean up his entire play area by himself, and put things back exactly where they go. (Makes my heart smile, you know...) Anyway, he knows that if Mommy starts cleaning up & he doesn't help, then I keep all the toys for a few days that I've picked up. I've only had to resort to this twice. He will see me cleaning & say, "Wait! Heeeeey! Can I help you!?" Well on this final day of my headache I was rocking in the chair watching him play, and make a mess. He decided it was time to move on to another game, but I reminded him he had to clean up that mess first. He started to, very slowly. Then he stopped. I asked him again, a few more times (as I sat there dying of a migraine) and he decided to see whose in charge when Mommy is sick. (Guess what, still me.) So he turns to me (with the UGLIEST look on his face), and said, "You can clean it up. I don't need these." So, I did. I cleaned all of it up (including his prized sit & spin), and took them to my special spot. He cried his head off. Guess he didn't think I'd do it.  I reminded him what the rules are & he agreed that he was ugly. At least he was reminded that even on meds, Mommy is in charge. My guess is that this won't happen again for awhile. ;)

Meanwhile, in happier, well kinda, stories... Noah made up a game where he ran FULL SPEED to jump into his small chair. It worked great until he had too much momentum & ended up hitting his head into the wall behind the chair. He had a HUGE knot on his forehead & nose. After he cried & was iced up, he looked at me & said, "You know Mom, some people just have accidents." Don't I know it!

(this was a robot costume we made once I was feeling better)

Also at the 7-11 when we were getting an Icee, the lady asked Noah if Santa was coming to see him. He looked at her dumbfounded & said "no." She looked at me (but this was the start of my migraine & the Icee was to help me until Jonathan came home so I could take something) but I just didn't have the energy to explain our thought process. So I said, "He saw Santa at the mall." So she asked again, "well isn't he coming to see you?" Noah again, looked at her like she was crazy & said, "No."I think he was confused at the thought of Santa coming to his house since he knew he hung out at the mall.

I just thought it was so funny because of the look on her face mostly. We don't tell Noah that Santa comes to bring gifts, don't need him thinking Santa is the real person of Christmas. We just want him to make sure he knows Christmas is about Jesus being born, not a visit if you've been good all year. Now don't think we aren't fun people (you should know better), and I'm sure it will come up once he hears other kids talking about Santa coming to see them etc., but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. It's not like we tell him that Santa isn't real- he's kinda like Mickey Mouse to us, and I certainly wouldn't want him to spoil anyone else's thoughts of the man. (I know I was strictly forbidden to talk to my friends about it in case they did believe in him.)  I don't remember ever believing in Santa, I had two older brothers that told me what happened & we always spent Christmas Eve looking under the hallway door to see what our parents were doing. I still liked Santa, more as a character though. I knew who paid for the gifts- haha

Hope everyone has a great Christmas! 

Wordless Wednesday: Just one of his maaaaany Faces

Noah's last Disney trip without Riley :)

We just returned from a great 3 day mini vacation to Disney. We hit Epcot, MGM & Magic Kingdom and had a great time. This was my favorite trip by far, I think 3 is the PERFECT age for it! Noah had such a great time & did great. 

On the way there we told Noah that he needed to sleep in the car, but he didn't want to. So we told him sleep now in the boring car & play at Disney, or stay awake now &  you'll sleep at Disney. He fell asleep in the car :) Smart boy.

We had pretty cool weather the first two days, so I searched for hot chocolate. We found some they were selling from a REAl gingerbread house. After I paid, I turned around to see our friend laughing. She said that Noah tore off a piece of the house & ate it. WHOOPS. I guess he wasn't able to read the DO NOT EAT signs. A few minutes later as I was finishing my drink, he announced he was hungry & was going to get some more candy from the house, luckily that time we were able to stop him.

He wasn't a big fan of the characters this time around. Sometimes he loves them & wants pictures, & sometimes he doesn't . As we pushed him in the stroller past some we heard him saying, "They are not going to hurt me, they are not going to hurt me." Who knows what's going on inside that head... We did see the Playhouse Disney show, and since he didn't remember it from his last time there he was a little concerned that the characters were going to come out at him. His face just read ANXIETY. Luckily when it started he loved it & was cheering, pointing & dancing (& yelling at them to say HI).

He wasn't a huge fan of the fireworks at night, they were so loud. Jonathan finally got him to hold his hands over his ears, then he enjoyed them more. The day after he saw the first fireworks (and has such a scare), he woke up and his first word was: FIREWORKS! He wanted to see some more.

He was so sweet the entire trip & kept saying, "thank you Daddy for letting me come here!" If that doesn't melt a father's heart I don't know what does. We also bought him a Mickey ears hat with his name on it, ADULT size. Takes after my side of the family on that account- hehe.

We kept talking about what rides he thought Riley would like when he's big enough to come too and Noah said he would help him not be afraid :) I really don't feel like Noah is going to miss being an only child, because once Riley comes around & is old enough to really play, Noah will be even more at home.

It's a Boy!

We went to the doctor today & discovered we are having a baby boy- RILEY WILLIAM. :) Noah at first was sure I was mistaken, but he's warmed up to the idea of a baby brother instead of a sister.

As of this point (17 weeks) they didn't see any organs out of place but they will continue to keep an eye on him. It looks like we have a healthy baby boy though- (I cried as soon as they said it was a boy & just could NOT stop as they checked off his lungs/heart etc.). The thought that I was seeing my little boy & he was doing just fine was just overwhelming.

We may actually be bringing a baby home from the hospital this time around- on time, with no tubes etc.- things I will NEVER take for granted after having Noah. I really don't feel like I "missed out" on any of those early moments with him because that just wasn't the path God had for us for Noah. So it will be fun to be able to hold a newborn and see their eyes open & looking around before he is 2 weeks old! I'm so excited about every little moment we are going to celebrate with our second little miracle!!!

Thank you Lord!

(And here's our big boy with Santa, who asked for a motorcycle for Christmas. Maybe with a side car for his brother hehe)

MaKe YouR OwN FuN DaY!

Why? Because I had to keep Noah home from school today due to his runny nose. SOOO, we decided to make some homemade fun- hopskotch style. I figure I need to do some fun things on the days I'm not nauseaus & don't have a migraine.... 

Hopskotch Heaven!

No Arguments...

I wanted to post two quick things that Noah has said recently (because everything I post is then saved into his journal so I can always remember these funny things of his.)

Last week, Noah and my dad were about to eat breakfast. Noah spotted some raisins in Papa's cereal and asked for the raisins. So my dad said he had better Sunmaid raisins in the pantry. Noah didn't want those raisins though, he wanted to the ones in dad's cereal. He looked at him and said, "Papa, now Jesus wants us to share!" I asked my dad what he said to that, & he couldn't argue- he let Noah have the raisins out of his cereal :)

A few nights ago Noah asked Jonathan what color his (Noah's) eyes were. Jonathan told him he had blue eyes like his mommy. Noah however, corrected Jonathan & said, "No, they are ORANGE and BLUE." I wonder where he got that obsession from....

Little Bit, Thanksgiving & the Gators

We had a fun Thanksgiving last week that ended with my sister in law & I at the Florida vs. Florida State game. I am officially wiped out.

15 weeks! Noah has sympathy belly... we find out in one week whether its a boy or a girl and if the baby has CDH

Two very sweet boys! Noah & his cousin. When I told him we were going to see Zach he said, "Oh Zachy is sooo much fun! He always makes me laugh!"

  

Noah & his other sweet cousin- he LOVED her Jeep!

Aunt Laura

Noah & one of his great Grandmas

Finally- GAME DAY! Noah really wanted to go with me. During the 3rd quarter his uncle asked where his mommy was. Noah solemly replied, "She's at the Gator game. I really wanted to go too."

Happy Rooster Day!

Noah made this at speech school today & was so proud. He said its a rooster... :)

I just love children's art. (Especially his, of course)

Have a great Thanksgiving! We'll have 3 of them ourselves! So in other words, I'll be wiped out. Of course I'll be fine by the Florida vs. Florida State game Saturday! I'll be in the Swamp with my dad, uncle & sister in law. GO GATORS!!!!

I want...

So I've been looking online at some things for the house on my wish list,  mainly some Scripture on canvas, etc. to hang around. Look at this one I found- wouldn't Noah love this!? http://www.doodledesignshop.com/catalog.php?item=280

They also do some fun girl ones, so if we have a girl, she'd need one too....

These are sooo cute & I just love how they have intergrated the scriptures with fun prints! :)

Zoo day!

Noah was VERY excited to see the otter that we had just seen on TV the night before!

He spotted a deer and assured me it was in fact a reindeer. Funny story- I didn't get a picture of the giant bird (with seahorse hair as Noah describes it), but there was a huge beautiful bird inside a gate. Noah went up to the fence like he is in this picture & all of a sudden this bird starts this LOUD call- it sounded like a car alarm going off! Noah's face went white (or whiter) and he ran! Then we I caught up to him he wiped his hand across his forehead & said, "Whew that was close!? Did you hear that bird? He say, AAHHHHHAAAHHH. I don't like it." haha.. He is still talking about that. He recounted the event to Jonathan & even included the part where he wiped his head and said, "whew that was close" haha. That kid.

He thought the peacock was walking WITH when it was actually trying to get to the first turn AWAY from him...hehe

Little Monkey

Noah's Surgery Recap

Noah's surgery Thursday went great. Forgive all the details, but I also put these posts into Noah's journal (I have a very poor memory) so that I can look back and remember everything :)

Noah of course loves doctors and hospitals, so he was totally at peace with everything. I on the other hand, was getting more anxious, but trying to keep calm for Noah. I blame it on the extra pregnancy hormones. I did fine until they wheeled him back to the OR. Then I lost it. Of course we brought donuts so I enjoyed a donut in the midst of my crying fest- haha...

When they called Noah back to the prepping area, he ran down the hall saying, "Oh boy this is going to be fun!!!!" Oh my.  His only concern that day was he feared the doctors/nurses would lose his Buzz Lightyear PJs. He knew he had to put a gown on, and worried that they just couldn't keep track of such a  valued possession. I assured him that Mommy would keep them and they would be safe. We planned on letting him take "Blankie" back to the OR, a small blanket with an elephant head that he sleeps with. When the anesthesiologist asked if that was going back to the OR, Noah looked at me with this, "I don't know if they can keep Blankie safe" look. So I offered to keep Blankie with me and relief washed over him. He is so funny!

We just loved all the doctors and anesthesiologist involved. They were wonderful. Everyone knew of his previous condition, and not only knew about it, but were well informed (unlike his surgery a year and a half ago!) One doctor made him a glove balloon chicken. When asked if Noah wanted a boy or girl balloon, Noah said, a girl. (I guess he still is into wanting a baby sister pretty badly!)

Noah loves group hugs, and wanted one when they began to get things really going. I almost lost it there. He is just the sweetest thing ever. once they gave him the happy drugs to lead him to la-la land, he was even funnier than normal. We were in stitches.

After speaking with the anesthesiologist, he eased our minds with the biggest thing to us. They said they would try NOT to intibate. We believe this was what caused Noah such a problem during his last surgery because his lungs didn't have to work hard then they extibated him and its like they couldn't remember their function. I guess because of their small size due to CDH they just couldn't muster it. They ended up having to give him some extra breathing help last surgery.

This time however, they were able to just mask him so when he came out of surgery his lungs were still doing their job. What a relief!  After speaking to him, Noah's ENT came in, said hello then immediately turned back to the anesthesia team and made sure they were aware of his CDH. THAT is the kind of doctor I appreciate- one that knows the chart & wants everyone on the same page as far as his care.

They took Noah back to the OR about 7:45 am, and I couldn't hold the tears in any longer. I knew the hernia repair and tubes were routine, but its just so draining. About 8am, my cell phone rang and they said the doctor was looking for me. (Of course that gave me a heart attack!) Luckily it was the ENT saying she was finished and she gave me his old tubes. Uh, thanks.) The general surgeon took over, and by 8:30ish am he came out. We were SHOCKED at how fast they were. They alloted 90 minutes and were done in no time. They said Noah did great and would be back to "Noah" in no time.

When I finally was taken back to recovery, Noah was still sleeping. When he woke up he wasn't his happy cheerful self, but I suppose no toddler would have been. He wanted that IV OUT. NOW. The worst part was he wanted to sit up so badly but he didn't have the strength yet so he was getting frustrated- not to mention he was still drugged so I couldn't understand anything he was trying to tell me.

Once we were home he started asking to play football. Answer, no. The local anesthetic hadn't worn off yet, but when it did he sure slowed down considerably. The nurses had given him a zillion stickers so we let him add those to his sticker book when we got home to keep him still, at least momentarily. They told us to bring loose fitting clothes to not bother his stitches, so we decided on this 5T shirt from Disney that we got a few years ago. It came with a hat that DID fit Noah at the time- haha! He also had to revert to diapers so we could fold them to not bother the stitches.

By Friday he was walking around and climbing the stairs again. In fact, he walked over to his Daddy when we got home from the hospital and said, "I hurt me. I need some candy to help me feel all better." Of course he was given some. That night we asked Noah to thank God for something that happened that day. He said, "thank you Jesus for taking care of me today." AMEN AND AMEN!

Thank you all for the prayers for our little Bean. He's doing quite well now. Especially since my brother & his family sent a Disney cookie bouquet last night. That just thrilled Noah!!

In the waiting room

In recovery

His sweet prayer...

We ask Noah each night before we pray to tell God something he is thankful for that day. This is what he said tonight that melted this momma's heart....

"Thank you God for my baby brother or sister. Thank you for my baby to hold and to cuddle with. AAAAAMEN."

(At least he's open to a brother!) Isn't that the cutest!? He is coming with me tomorrow to hear the baby's heartbeat & he's pretty excited. I told him he'll be able to see the baby again & say hello. :)

Wonder Glue

***UPDATE***

Noah had his chest xray today and it made me realize a fun thing that Noah would LOVE for Christmas- We sat and read the children's magazine "Highlights" together and he LOVED it. I loved that it kept him from rolling around on the floor for 10 minutes! The cool part is they have a version for toddlers called High Five! How fun!? (hint hint)

When he was called back I realized I wasn't going to be able to go in with him since I'm pregnant, so I just told him I'd be in the hallway waiting. Like the true independent xray/doctor professional he is, he said, "Ok!" A few seconds later I hear him yelling from the room: "Cheeese!" It was over in no time. I was so proud of him for being a big boy & doing what needed to be done. We treated ourselves to Frostys afterwards :)

***********
As if we needed any surprises this week.... with surgery approaching on Thursday, we have been diligent to keeping Noah out of nursery/speech school to keep him well. However, we can't keep him from himself! ha...

This morning he was playing hopscotch in the bathroom while I was getting ready, but when he came up from a jump he hit his head on a tall table I have. Blood immediately was everywhere so I just grabbed him, covered his head with my hand & yelled (as calmly as I could) for Jonathan to come. Little did he know what he was walking into.

After holding multiple towels on his head we called his pediatrician and they said come right away & they could probably just glue him up. And glue him they did. I was very pleased he didn't need stitches, and they also cleared him for surgery. Of course he's more like his momma when it comes to things like this, because as I was holding pressure to his head he kept asking, "Can I see the blood?" So I showed him the bloody towel, and that impressed him. He did NOT like it on his hand though.

And of course he's back to bouncing off the walls again. Please pray for him Thursday- we will be at the hospital at 7:30 am and I'm not sure how long both procedures will take. Last time he had surgery he had trouble breathing on his own post op and had to stay a little longer in recovery. I'm preparing myself for that this time but praying that he will be able to get back breathing on his own sooner.

We've talked to him a little about it and he insisted he doesn't want it to hurt. We told him he'd be asleep and wouldn't even know what was going on. Once we said that, he said, "Oh okay!" Atta boy.

Surgery Date!!

Noah's surgery (hernia repair & second ear tube placement) has been set for next Thursday, November 12. We are so thankful that the surgeons have agreed to coordinate their schedules to do both at once so he's only under anesthesia one time. I can't believe it's going to be so soon though- I thought it would take months to get to schedules aligned! Please be praying for us as well as the doctors and all those handling his care!

11 Weeks and Halloween

We had a great Halloween weekend. Spiderman and a Gator Cheerleader got some major candy loot! I've never seen people spend so much money on candy to pass up, but the two kiddos picture above were rolling in high quality, full size candy!! I NEVER got such good stuff :)

I know you are probably thinking, what a great quality picture Sarah! Sorry I took a picture of the picture, I'm too lazy to scan it in right now. Today I'm 11 weeks pregnant & had my first trip to the high risk OB. It was really neat to see Little Bit finally looking like a baby. Noah even confirmed it was in fact a baby this time and not just a blob on the paper. :) We will find out Dec. 7 if its a boy or a girl and whether baby #2 has CDH.

That's only 5 weeks away!!!

A different kind of anniversary...

Three years ago, right before FL/GA weekend we brought Noah home from Shands Gainesville after 5 long weeks in NICU. Looking back 5 weeks doesn't seem like a long time, but I didn't think those weeks were ever going to end, let alone on a happy note. Florida/Georgia always marks Noah's coming home in my mind. Of course we love Florida, but they certainly don't compare to bringing a baby who was on the verge of not making it home safe and sound.

This picture was his first game day apparel, although it included an oxygen tube we sure didn't mind! We will be remembering this weekend how God brought him through such a rough start, to where he is now. An energetic three year old with a testimony of God's grace & goodness. Thank you Lord!!

(And of course rooting for the Gators while we're at it...)

Don't worry Little Bit...

All those sounds you hear....

....stomping on tile floors...

...high pitched squeals of delight...

...an occasional tantrum...

...character voices...

...slurping of cereal...

...crashing and falling...

...Jesus Loves Me, Mickey Mouse theme song, ABCs...

...fridge opening and closing...and opening and closing...

..."seahorse hair" references...


it's just your big brother. You'll meet him soon enough.

The Many Faces of Noah...

My friend Katie is starting a photography business and wanted to shoot some pictures of Noah for her portfolio. These are perhaps my favorite pictures yet of Bean. They really capture his personality with all his facial expressions.... and of course the drops of drool dripping from his chin ;)

NOAH'S BIG NEWS!

We are so excited! Noah is going to be a big brother in May! He has been praying for months even before I was pregnant for a sister, and now he's praying full speed for one! One night this week I went to put him back in bed because he was up fussing. I asked him why he was crying. He said, "I'm crying for my baby sister!" Yikes! If this is a boy we're going to have to show him how fun brothers can be too :)

Please pray with us for the health of this precious little baby. The chances for baby #2 to also have CDH, the birth defect Noah was born with, goes up substantially and we are praying for God's protection over this little life. Either way we know that God is good and He will not bring anything to us that we can't get through with His help.

(My second prayer for this little baby after his/her health is calmness!) hehe....

Noah is very excited. When we took him to my appointment he immediately recognized the sonogram machine as something like his ECHO machines that could look inside tummies. So Jonathan told him I had a baby in my tummy. He started saying he wanted a sister, not a brother, and we told him that was up to God. All the way home he prayed for a sister. Jonathan figured we could tell Noah about the baby and still keep it under wraps until we were able to tell family... well....That night we went on a date & the first thing out of his mouth when the sitter walked in was, "There's a baby in my Mommy's tummy! I'm going to be a big brother and I want a baby sister!!" Whoops. We asked her to keep it off Facebook...hahaha.....

Excuse the post if it's crazy. This is my first post via phone. CDH families you can be a part of CDH genetics research. Cdhgenetics.com. I was quite surprised at the banner!

MIA

It's been awhile...but we've been soooo busy here. And it's only going to get busier the next couple of weeks. Migraines, speech school etc. etc. has kept us on our toes...tune in next week after our trip to Jacksonville. I promise I'll do better :)

Global CDH Newsletter

Click Here for more information

Noah's story is in this issue as well as a lot of other CDH information. They are holding a webinar soon about children with eating difficulties, this will deal with all children, not only those with CDH. Be sure to check it out if you have a picky eater!

Have a great weekend!

Surgery Update

We are incredibly thankful today!! I talked to the pediatric surgeon near us & they said that it would be NO problem to schedule Noah's hernia repair with his ENT to get his second set of tubes put in. We are soooo happy about this. This saves us from pre and post ops in Gainesville as well as recovery away from home. We are so glad he'll be able to recover at his house (since I think that as far as the hernia goes he'll have to take it easy.) Good luck with that one for Noah!

We will go Tuesday to meet with the surgeon & we will go from there :) Thank you for your prayers! It is such a HUGE relief to know that he will only have to be put under anesthesia once.

Toy Story's newest commentator

We took Noah to see the 3D Toy Story last night, and he was MUCH more entertaining that the movie. If you have been around Noah, you know he can get overly excited and start talking super fast- well that's what it was throughout the whole beginning. It started with the previews that were 3D, he was grabbing at the snow coming out into the audience & talking to it saying, "I'm gonna get you! Hey come here!" It was hilarious. Then when Toy Story started it was like he'd never seen it in his life- laughing at everything & acting surprised. Of course he did some great commentating too... the part where Buzz & Woody are in Sid's house and Buzz tries to fly out the window Noah started yelling, "Oh no! He's gonna break! His arms gonna break!" It was like when you watch a scary movie & you're begging them to not open the door...haha... Of course then he said, "Buzz gets fixed at the hospital." The other part he was yelling at was that little baby doll head in Sid's room that has spider legs. He kept saying "Oh no! Spider baby! I don't like that Spider baby!" When I reminded him that they are nice & they help, they just look different, he was like, "Oh that's right!" ha... We only stayed for the first movie. We were all exhausted. Noah even fell asleep on the way home.

The other cute thing he did this week was one night he praying, "Hey Jesus, will you fix my ear?" I'm glad he's already realizing Who to go to for help!

Speaking of ears, we're headed to the ENT here Monday to talk about doing the second set of tubes & repairing the hernia here in SFL to save us a couple trips to Gainesville, and also allowing him to recover at home. I believe with the hernia he'll have to lay low for a few days (yeah right) and that would be easier accomplished here. We'll just play some floor games/puzzles and watch some movies.

Noah's First Day of School: VIDEO

Today was an exciting day for Noah. All morning he asked when we were leaving for speech school (his class doesn't start until 11:30am). I wish I had gotten his enthusiasm on tape when we got to school, but I felt silly with my camera in tow if I were to start videotaping it all. But my words won't do it justice. He was squealing with delight and running in circles...I'm sure the teacher & her assistant were praying silently...hehe.

When I picked Noah up, I asked deliberatly about his attentiveness. They laughed- that's about what I thought. They said he needed "constant redirection", and was all over the place. She said he'll settle into it, and its just so new and so much to look at right now. She did say that he did great during story time, which I'm not surprised. He loves to read and we've been going to story times at the library so I'm sure that helped.

He has homework we'll be working on the next week, words and pronouncing certain things. They even gave us a poem to have them practice. I think this is going to be really great for him. My only regret for today is that I didn't take a nap while he was there- hoping I'd get one when he got home...but he didn't take a nap. AH! Thursdays they play outside though, so maybe that will help tire him out.

One last thing, I asked him about his teachers, and when talking about the assistant he told me she looks like a grandma. Then he started singing, "with a grandma here, with a grandma there, here a grandma there a grandma, everywhere a grandma!" I couldn't help but laugh, but I did control myself...

Enjoy the video! (*Please excuse the audio at the end, my computer was acting up & I couldn't get the audio situated correctly so you can't hear Noah as well*)

WATCH HERE

Tomorrow's the day!

What day you ask? School! Noah begins his "speech" preschool tomorrow. These shoes will be running their wearer into the gates tomorrow, & I believe it will be hard to get him to leave. I'm not a typical character type tennis shoe person, however, I bought these for him for extra incentive to go potty so he could go to school. He's only allowed to wear them to school, and boy is he excited. Not only does he get to wear these light up Spiderman shoes, he gets to bring a book bag and lunch box- for him the excitement level jumped when he found out he gets to eat there too!

We've read "Elmo Goes to School" several times today in eager anticipation. This child is ready. I've reminded him that he's not there just to play, but to listen to the teacher, but a kind friend, and to clean up after himself. We'll see which if any of those he'll remember to do...haha

As for the potty training, it's been going much better since I bought one of those small potties so he can do everything himself. (Why didn't I get one sooner!?) Although the clean up each time isn't my favorite, I'm just happy he's keeping his underwear dry.

So if you think about it tomorrow, pray for our little Bean- class starts at 11:30 and last until 1:50m. What will I do? Who knows- I may just sit still on the couch for 2 hours with no noise whatsoever....of course that might drive me insane.

I'll be sure to take my camera, this mommarazzi hasn't forgotten that! So pictures will be coming!

Our Little Fireman

Some moms in our neighborhood took the kids to the local fire station. Noah LOVED it. He was able to sit in the fire engine & use the fire hose. They gave the kids a fireman badge sticker, so he told me "I'll be a GOOD fireman today!" It was such a fun experience!

A Baby No More. An official 3 year old!

You will always my baby no matter how big you are. But don't worry, I'm aware of the first born leaving the nest syndrome, and I'm already praying that I will be able to let you go & be the man that God has for you to be. At least I still have awhile with you :)

I. Can't. Believe. You're. Three.

I feel like we were just in Gainesville meeting Dr. Kays, finding out what CDH was and learning the road we were going to travel with you. But no matter how scary, how stressful, how traumatizing that road was for us, I'd do it again 3 billion times over to have you.

You are joy. Not just "a" joy. You are the very definition of the word. In a toddler picture dictionary your picture would be beside the word joy, (and maybe the word hyper active). Your humor is beyond your years and you keep us howling every day. We are always waiting for what you'll do or say next. For example this week we bought a Spiderman costume for you for Halloween. You dressed in it for when Daddy came home, and when he reacted as though Spiderman was really in the house, you assured him it was just Nonah in a costume & removed your mask. He felt much better knowing it was just you. ;)

The other day I told you to not share your snack with Max our dog. You must have felt guilty depriving your good friend like that, so you looked at him and said, "I sorry Max the Doggie." Then you changed into Max's supposed voice and said, "It's Okay Nonah. You don't have to worry about me." Then you switched back to Noah and said, "Oh okay Max the doggie."

Today at your well visit you got a flu shot, but didn't know it was coming. I'm not sure that was the right decision (to not warn you) but it was so fast I didn't have a chance to decide. You started crying and looked at her then looked at me and said, "Hey that doctor hurt me!" Seconds later you were fine and apologizing, "I sorry that the shot hurt me and gave me a boo boo. But now I have a band aid!" You've been talking about that shot all day and even mentioned if Daddy had gotten one he would have been fine, but not you.

You love being with others. Even if we don't know them- which sometimes leads to awkward moments for Mommy.You love your big boy Sunday School class with the crafts and Bible story time & ask to return as soon as we leave. Soon you'll be starting speech school, and I'm confident you'll be disheartened on the days that you don't have class. I'm sure you'll love it with all your heart, like you love everything else. Even a marathon trip to BJ's is fun in your book, telling me, "That was weawwy (really) nun mom". (Speech school will be working on those consonants.)

You also have informed me that girls do NOT "explode it" after a pound. Only boys do that. Girls can "pop it and lock it" as your Aunt Beka taught you.

You are currently in love with all things football. We took you to your second Gator game and since then you have been running around the house asking for us (and Max) to play football with you. You're getting pretty good at kicking- and that's a good position for you in my book, less contact. But I'll pray about it. :)

You are also consumed with all things Spiderman. Although you've never seen any movie or television show starring the superhero, you know he's something that little boys should like. And like you do.

You are slightly particular about things (I have no idea where this came from, certainly not your OCD Momma). Everything has a place, and there is a certain order to most things you do. In fact if something is going to be out of the ordinary one day, or we have to put X toy here, instead of there, I always warn you because sometimes it can spin you into a tantrum. Thankfully you are getting good at calming yourself down if you get agitated. We're trying to teach you to drive your own foolishness out of your heart, or we'll drive it out for you as the Bible instructs us. Usually you choose to "get right" on your own volition.

You can still wear size 2T in most things, which suits us just fine because your clothes last longer. However Mommy did finally retire some 18 month things because the head hole was just too tight. Sorry buddy you get that from your momma's side.

We had a blast at your Spiderman birthday yesterday & you (and your mommy & daddy) were completely worn out. After your friends left we let you bounce for a few minutes alone in the bounce house. When you came back in you must have forgotten that your friends were gone. Concerned, you asked Daddy, "Oh no! Where did all of my friends go!?" We missed church yesterday morning because Mommy wasn't feeling good so we watched our Jacksonville church online. Guess what song they sang on your birthday!? Psalm 3!! That is the song that meant sooo much to us when you were born. I sang it over & over to you while we lived in Gainesville waiting on your arrival...then I sang it over you in NICU. The Lord was, and still is a shield for me and He lifted our heads, carrying us through those difficult times. How special that they sang that on your birthday!! You even tried singing along which was PRECIOUS.

It amazes me each day how much smarter you seem. You are really able to conceptualize things alot better than even a few months ago. It's made Bible time really fun. Now we're able to re-enact the Bible stories using your blocks, toys, and anything else we can find to act out the story. You still think of Batman as the lame man whose friends lifted him to the roof of the house for Jesus to heal. You especially love to leave up our reconstructed scene to show Daddy when he comes home. Doing Noah's Ark with you is always fun since you are STILL certain that it is YOUR ark. You loved finding all the toy animals you could to stuff into our block-made ark.

Your prayers are always so sweet. You always thank God for me & your daddy (& usually yourself too.) Sometimes you even ask God to help Mommy's headache, whether it's hurting or not. It breaks my heart that you know how sick I can get, but at the same time I'm so proud that you are becoming a compassionate little soul. If we ask you to pray at dinner with friends you usually thank God for them too. Although most of the time we have to interpret what you've said, they appreciate it. hehe One thing we are praying with you about is Jesus helping you to remember to go potty!

As for potty training, we have our good days and our bad days. Let's just say that today I've already thrown away a pair of your underwear. I wasn't about to fight that fight to clean them. You do well when we take you to go potty, but you still aren't telling us when you need to go so it leads to come underwear disposal or you going commando after you've wet your daily allowed pair. This too shall pass. I'm sure you won't be like this forever...will you? Of course not.

At your well visit today the doctor did see your inguinal hernia, so it looks like that surgery is going to be put on the books soon. Looks like we'll just have them do your second set of ear tubes too while we're at it. Most likely we'll travel to Gainesville since they can do both at once and we know their reputation with you. :)

You are such a blessing to me & your Daddy & we thank the Lord every day for letting us have the opportunity to be your parents. We are praying daily for your salvation, your future wife (yes girls aren't really yucky), as well as our desire for you to glorify God with your life and the testimony of His healing power that He has given you. We love you so much Bean!

EXCITEMENT.

We found out this morning that Noah has qualified for the Child Find State program for speech therapy. This means that starting next week he'll begin "school" twice a week for 2 1/2 hours. He will be in a classroom & learn as a normal class would, but they specifically work with their speech & oral motor skills. Who knows, maybe in a few months he won't need to wear his drool bands anymore! As far as his language & words he scored off the chart- & if you've ever heard him speak you know he talks a mile a minute (who knows where that could come from) ha! He drops off a lot of syllables & can't say certain sounds, so hopefully next time some of you see him you'll be able to understand him even better!

We are all so excited! He will be 3 on Sunday (can that really be?) Then he'll begin school! And for a boy who no longer takes naps, his Momma is pretty excited too. I anticipate he'll be ready for a nap again after school days :) He is so proud of himself because he has done exceptionally well in the potty arena the past couple weeks, because he really wants to be a big boy & go to school. We still aren't at the level where he will tell me, but if I take him every so often he goes so we don't have many accidents at all. Thank you for all your prayers!

The pictures are from Noah's 3 Year old pictures we had done this past weekend, and we got a few family shots as well. I'm really pleased with how they turned out- they really captured my Noah :)

If you're happy & you know it... REMIX!

This is perhaps my favorite video yet...

Eventful, to say the least

What a weekend! We started out at Noah's Aunt's birthday party then on Saturday was the Florida game. This was Noah's second trip to the Swamp & he LOVED it. When we started walking up to the stadium & he heard the music etc., he said, "I want to go in therrrre!" We had practiced the Gators cheers all week so he'd know what to do when they started. And cheer he did! At one point he told me he had to go potty (I'm as shocked as you are), so I took him & he went. While he was finishing up though & still in the stall he started yelling "I gotta get back to the game!" haha... just like his Daddy. Can't miss a second! I told him that the Gators are all big boys and they go potty too. To which he yelled to the field, "Oh Gators!! You go potty too? Good job!" then later he asked for a hot dog and we told him we'd give him one when the Gators took a break. So he yelled to the Gators on field and asked them to take a break already. He also asked his Papa who we went to the game with if he was having a baby. Whoops. My dad thought it was hysterical... Sunday & Monday he had some mini-birthday parties with family & enjoyed every second of it. He even got a guitar. He's so excited!

Tuesday was THE day though... back in Gainesville for his 3 year check up with his CDH surgeon, Dr. Kays. As you see in the pictures below, he did GREAT with everything. I was so worried about his chest xray because they are literally toture devices, but Noah was big enough this year to just stand still like an adult would! Then when they had to get his blood pressure they were able to get it first try- a FIRST. We were so proud of him! At his echocardiogram I thought he'd be so fidgety on the table, but he wasn't. He watched his heart on the computer & listened to it beating. He did ask every 5 minutes if he could get up, but when we told him not yet, he stayed still. Dr. Kays was as a great as always, but we did get some unexpected news. He MAY have another hernia, not a re-herniation where his one at birth was, but a inguinal hernia. The first doctor was able to find it when he laughed, but when Dr. Kays came in Noah wouldn't repeat it so he didn't see it. We are supposed to keep an eye on it & if we notice a bulge we have to call them & schedule another surgery. He also has to have those pesky tubes put back in soon, so we're going to hold off on the tubes until we know about the hernia surgery, no sense having to put him under twice. And for the hernia surgery he would be intubated again... We'll just take it one day at a time & keep a close look out. Maybe he won't need surgery on it after all, but we'll see. Here are some pictures from our trip!

Noah & Aunt Beka

Ready to go at The Swamp!

Doing the CHOMP with Albert & Alberta

One of his gifts was a doggie blanket. He went into doggy mode, howling of course.

Is there a Rocker in the house?

Being still for his blood pressure

Checking out his heart during the echo

Dr. Kays & Noah doing the CHOMP!

Packed again...

2006

2008

I feel like we were just away... wait. We were. Only this time Jonathan is coming thank goodness! We're headed for Aunt Beka's birthday, and taking Noah to his second Gator game. (Clicking on those words made me realize how LONG my hair has gotten! WHOO HOO)

Tuesday we'll be having his 3 yr check up with Dr. Kays in Gainesville, so we can't wait to see him. Of course it will be a LOOONG day for everyone, so please pray for Noah especially that day. He'll have to have a chest x-ray (which if you don't know how they do that, imagine a hole cut out in a table, then the child is inserted vertically into the hole, then two metal plates press the child's body together leaving only their head out, and pins them in. You can imagine it is NOT fun. He also will have an echocardiogram, which will again be a little difficult because they'll need Bean to stay a little still. Haha... I'll let you know how that one goes too. At last in the afternoon we'll see our favorite surgeon, Dr. Kays. It will be so great to see him again & let Noah give him a big hug. We are so thankful for God using Dr. Kays and we couldn't have asked for a better person to treat our little kiddo. It will be nice being in Gator country again twice in one weekend- and even nicer to be there & no one being admitted to the hospital or sick! :)

On a mission...

We are on a mission to potty train Noah (AGAIN). You may recall that he was TOTALLY potty trained a few months ago. He would do both in the potty at home & in public with few accidents. We even had the goodbye diaper party.....

HOWEVER a few months later he decided that perhaps it just took too much time out of his day to stop and use the bathroom. He would throw a fit every time we put him on the potty. We'd set the timer so he'd stay there for X minutes, and usually would end up with nothing. Then ten minutes later he'd go in his underwear. (sigh). I resolved to keep trying without frustrating either of us...until today.

This morning we went for another speech evaluation for ages 3 & up... they did a speech, vision, and hearing test which he did pretty well on. The drool is my main concern, but his speech articulation isn't the best. He drops off the ends of words & can't say certain sounds like "k" and "t"... Based on today, he'll most likely qualify for the program. We find out on the 15th. BUT they need to be potty trained! So I told them the saga & they suggested buying him a school book bag and explaining that if he wanted to go to school (which he does) he can't wear pull ups anymore, he HAS to go potty. A friend also suggested that when her son wet his pants she put him in the bathtub without toys, & he had to wash himself. All the time it took from playing (and lack of fun) caused him to be more mindful & want to go potty, so I think I may also adapt that method, although time consuming, I think it'd get the point across to my little man who thinks if he stops playing he can't ever start again...

The hearing & vision test went well, but the vision test was funny (to me at least). They use a chart like they do with adult, but they do pictures instead of letters, and they get larger as they move down. She was asking Noah what the larger pictures were & he did fine. Then when they got smaller he began to answer, "Oh a LITTLE umbrella. a LITTLE house." Then when they were even smaller, he used a higher pitched voice and continued "a LIIITLE house. a LITTLE apple." It was so funny...his voice got pretty high :)

So if you have had kids that digressed from potty training, let me know if you have any tips on getting them back on the train!

Prayer for Ireland's Family

Please pray for Ireland's family as she lost her battle with DH today. This defect seems to be taking more lives lately than giving them... pray for God's comfort & peace that only He can bring.

Trip of Fun & Sick!

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Jacksonville. We really missed Jonathan but Noah was able to see some family & I was able to help my friend with her newest addition. Since Noah was sick we ended up having to leave early, but we had a good time.

Buzz Lightyear wings from Nene for his birthday

Wakeboarding for the first time since high school- I sure miss our lake house!

Noah just wasn't feeling good most of the trip

Baby Max

We just got back into town after a great trip, except for the fact that Noah was sick the entire time & we came home early because of it. However while we were gone sweet Baby Max, another CDH baby was born. Please check their blog & lift this family up in your prayers! He is at Shands with our own Dr. Kays who we will see on Sept. 8 for Noah's 3 year check up.

Prayer for Baby Chandler

I'm out of town & have limited computer access but wanted to ask for your prayers for little Chandler. He has a hole in his lung & pnemonia... please check out their blog & keep this family in your prayers. For those other NICU mommas, you know how scary all of this can be. Psalm 3

Baby Chandler

CDH Research

For the followers of Noah's blog that do not have CDH children, pardon my quick post for other CDH families. This is a study that Global CDH is partnering with & we have chosen to participate in order to help them learn more about this defect. If you feel led, please contact Julia (jw2500@columbia.edu) and let her know Sarah with Global CDH sent you. She's very sweet & personable & will answer all your questions.

https://www.globalcdh.org/Genetics_Research.html

DHREAMS | “Diaphragmatic Hernia Research & Exploration, Advancing Molecular Science”

Global CDH has partnered with the Clinical Genetics Department at Columbia University Medical Center to assist in the DHREAMS initiative.

DHREAMS is a national NIH funded study of CDH centered at Columbia University Medical Center.

The scientific goal of the DHREAMS study at Columbia University Medical Center is to develop a better understanding of the causes of CDH. This National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded research team is composed of health care providers and researchers across the country, coordinated at Columbia University Medical Center.

DHREAMS is designed to identify specific alterations in genes that contribute to CDH through genetic analysis of biological samples from children with CDH and their family members. The investigators hope that the information gained through our study will lead to a better understanding of the cause of CDH which will in turn lead to significant advances in the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and treatment of this disease.

Multiple medical centers across the country are enrolling individuals. Please contact our research coordinator, Julia Wynn at jw2500@columbia.edu or (212) 305-6987 for more information about the study and how to participate.

By contacting us, you are not obligated to enroll in the study. We welcome all individuals who are interested in learning more about our research study.


- Your family’s participation will help us to better understand CDH and how to better diagnose, treat, and prevent the condition. While many families may not immediately benefit from participation in the study, the information gained through the study over the years will be important for your family in the future when want to have children of their own and other families affected by CDH in future generations.

- There is no cost to participation in the study

Wordless Wednesday...

got Skype?

We do & I LOVE it. It's so much easier than the program we were using to talk to family in Jacksonville...and now that some of our friends are on it Noah is having even more fun- if that's humanly possible... This picture is a screenshot that Audrey took of Noah while they were talking via Skype. (If you've followed us for a time, you know that Noah thinks "Miss Audgee" is his girlfriend & it totally infatuated with her.) I had to leave for a second because I forgot I had left poor Max outside... How funny is that picture!?

Meanwhile...Noah & I are coming to Jacksonville for about 3 weeks... one of my best friends had her second daughter & I'm am coming to help her with her 3 year old. Should be interesting having Noah & Haley full time for a few days... Noah will love it! Haley is such a sweetheart that she will be a joy to have. Poor Daddy has to stay here in WPB though & work. We'll miss him terribly! But at least we can talk via Skype so he can "tuck" Noah in at night.

Then & Now....

Then: December 2006, 3 months old
( will admit he was still on steroids at this point for the hemangioma, but check out those cheeks!)















Now: August 2009, almost 3 years old
No more baby face- all big boy! YIKES!















I also wanted to ask you to please pray for the Gamble family we just met. They found out at 35 weeks that their baby boy has CDH. They live in Savannah but Mommy to be will reside in Charlotte for their care, & she is already there now. She is now at 38 weeks & they may take the baby this week. Please pray for this family & their little boy.

Please pray...

Baby Jackson's family needs your prayers right now as he is now in Heaven

http://beal-jackson.blogspot.com/

Palm Beach Ink

If you are like me, you love stationary & all things paper... check out this company that two of my friends here have started... Their blog has special offers too :)

http://www.palmbeachink.com/

Happy Birthday Laura!

Today is my best friend Laura's birthday. (that's her on the left, & me on the right). We have been best friends our entire life- literally people. Our moms were good friends & we were both born in August, so we've spent the last 30 years together. She is someone who I can laugh with & be silly with & she will humor me all the while. She has always been there for me through times where I've made bad decisions & times where I just needed a true friend. When Noah was diagnosed with DH, Laura was one of the few people I could let my guard down with & just have a good cry. When he was born, she was there. I would trust her with my life, my husband's life, & Noah's life. She is literally someone that I feel I could not be without. God has given her to me to be one of my great prayer warriors, & also my greatest encourager. Laura Beth I love you so much & you have been a great friend to me for the past 30 years... I'm looking forward to another 30... If I had to sum you up in two words, it'd be: YOU ROCK.

Happy Birthday my sister from another mister... ;)

"Biberman & Roda-toasters"

aka "Spiderman & Rollercoasters"

We had such a great little trip... Noah loved the roller coasters and even though he couldn't ride a lot of them (we did baby swap with Jonathan's brother & girlfriend) he was just happy to be at "Spiderman's house." Baby swap worked out great! Since we stayed on site our room card was our fast pass, so we didn't have to wait as long, and the baby swap rooms were air conditioned :)

We were even able to meet Spiderman, but at first Noah didn't want anything to do with him. Then Spiderman knelt down & started talking to Noah & saying "come here" so Noah did! He later told me that was one of his favorite parts of the day.

Here are a few pictures

That's Noah & Jonathan up there. I was SOO worried Noah was going to fall out!

got "roda-toasters?"

We do!

Oh & if you need that title translated, it's how Noah says "rollercoasters."

We made it to Universal/Islands of Adventure, & although we haven't hit the park yet, Noah's flurry of excitement is already at an all time high... he can see them from our hotel & after dinner at Emeril's, we went to City Walk where he saw them closer... "I want to ride the rodatoasters!!! I want to go to Spiderman's house!!!"

Speaking of dinner... Noah was sporting a drool band (aka sports wristband) so he would keep his Polo somewhat dry... We ate at Emeril's restaurant here & one of the waiters came to pour water & noticed Noah's wristband, then showed him his. The waiter said, "Mine is to cover a tattoo." To which I said, well does it help with your drool too?? haha... So then the waiter said, "Now we're super power waiters together" and clicked their bands together. It was hilarious... I thought, Noah's probably thinking, Man I hope I don't still need a drool band when I'm 30!! haha. He tried sharing his water with the waiter but since he had a big pitcher of it, he declined....

Tomorrow we're hitting the parks & don't worry, have camera, will travel!

I just can't wait to hear those high little shrills tomorrow when he is actually surrounded by super heros!! (Oh & did I mention his Daddy gave him two pennies, which he called them tokens, & told Noah that when he finds something he would like to buy, he can trade a penny token for a toy & Daddy would pay for it. So, being my usual self, I quickly asked for "tokens" of my own. I was immediately turned down, saying my purchase would be too much. Hmph.)

www.globalcdh.org

Our new website is up & running! Please take a second to look around & tell us what you think! CDH moms, if you'd like to link your blog to the site, just go to the other blogs & sign up. Also, if you know of CDH parents whose baby was just diagnosed in utero, or are in NICU, please tell them about the website. On the homepage at the top there is a support sign up form that they can submit for help.

www.globalcdh.org

CDH Baby Jackson needs your prayers!

Click here for Baby Jackson

You may have just won!

Check your mailbox the next several days, you MAY have just one your very own
"WEEK WITH NOAH!"

How, you might ask? I didn't even register. No registration necessary!! Prize requirements include: endless supply of energy to enjoy prize in its fullest, you must enjoy continual conversation that sometimes can't be interpretted and you must put all breakables out of reach. Once requirements have been sufficiently met, you can
CLAIM YOUR PRIZE- a Week with Noah!

I'm excited...are you?? ;)

Package is ready to be delivered... hahaha

"His" verse...

Every night, and usually at naps, I say Zeph. 3:17 over Noah:

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing!

Noah often requests "his" verse when we rock him...and tonight, after asking me to say it for him twice, he said, "Now it's my turn to say my verse." I held my breath... this is about how it went:
"God MIIIIIGTY to save. Great delight yooou. Quiet (said in whisper) with love. Rejoice on you with SINGING!!"

Soooo precious...


(Don't forget CDH mommas to read the previous post! I need your pictures!)

Attention CDH parents!

I have started working with a non-profit, called Global CDH as a Writing & Editing Advisor and am very excited about it. I will be doing some press releases & grant proposals, but I am also helping re-build their website. If you are a CDH parent and would allow us to place your child's picture on our website (NICU pics & current), please email me at sarah.s.morgan@globalcdh.org.

Meanwhile you can check out their website here. Soon we will go online with the new one :)

They are a grass roots non-profit seeking to help other families with a DH diagnosis pre-birth, at birth in NICU, and beyond. They also have a forum that needs parents like you to contribute to. We're hoping to make a cohesive place for parents to share that is easy to navigate.

Thanks for your help!

Child Proofing Services...

Before my post, I just wanted to share this picture. Typical Noah form doing something that seems fun, but something you're not supposed to do... like trying to ride your firetruck in your bouncy house. Last night another mom actually said these words (words I often say myself) "Noah is like having more than one child!" Amen. And Amen...

(And sorry it's all hyperlinked...not sure what happened here)

Another new service (besides potty training your stuffed animals) that Noah can now offer is child proofing homes..

I am told over & over when we are at a new place, "Oh, there's nothing here he can hurt." My replay is always, "I'm sure there is... he'll find it."

And true to form, last night at our some of our Sunday School leaders' house, he found it again. The kids were all playing on the porch when Noah produced a fishing pole, complete with hook. Luckily he escaped the peril that I endured at 5 when I got a hook through my eyelid.

Then, as we are eating a friend says, "Uh-oh, Noah has a little propane tank." WHAT? So in my best "Dash" impersonation (from The Incredibles) I was on the porch in seconds removing aforementioned object from his possession. So it was brought to my attention that perhaps we could prosper on his ability to find anything potentially harmful.

If you need a consultation, we will just let Noah loose in your home, & follow him.

Appointments are booking up as we speak....

Meanwhile, I may need an exterminator :)

I love...

I figured that since yesterday I had to vent a little about the child that today I would tell him all the things I love about him or think are cute... and since he can't read yet, it's OK to have in print, because well... see the first one...

I think its funny when you pass gas & look around with a mischievous eye and ask, "What was THAT noise?" (See I told you it's good he can't read yet... because when he does this I certainly can't let on that I think that's funny...)

I love when I'm rocking you & you have your head on my shoulder so you can swing one arm behind you as though you're flying...

I love when you see pictures from when you were in NICU & tell me that was when you were sick. Then you inform me that they "went inside your tummy & fixed you."

I love when we're at the doctor & you pretend you are the doctor & have to "fix me"...

I think it's funny that you say you look like a seahorse when I do a faux hawk as your hairstyle, and if I rub your head, you ask me not to mess up your hair....

I love that you have a character voice when you're talking as one of your stuffed animals or Batman etc...

I love that you are friendly...

I love that you like to instigate group hugs... often...

I love your laugh. And smile. And expressions. And dramatic interpretations of life's events...

I love your imagination. And I don't even mind that sometimes you are more "puppy dog" than boy some days...

I love that in the morning you always remember what the plans are for the day because we talk about them at night. And I really love (& greatly appreciate) that when I wake up the next day with a migraine & plans change, you take it with stride.

I love your dialect & your little voice.

I think its cute that you laugh at your own jokes...just like your momma...

I love your fascination with any small object that I would have never thought would have been enjoyed...

I love your comedic timing, even though you don't know what that actually is yet, you seem to know just when to say what...

I love it at the mall when you see a baby in the play area you go running for them rubbing your hands together saying "LOOOOK it's a little BAAAY-by!" using a high squealing voice...Mind you I have to intercept you before you then tackle aforementioned baby with your affection...

I think it's cute that you attempted to get out of nursery one week by saying "OH! I forgot to tell you something!" Then when I knelt down you grabbed my neck & clung for dear life saying "I loooove you Mommy. I loooove you." It almost worked kiddo.

I love that you are infactuated with your Daddy & anything he does...

I love that you notice things... (that will come in handy when your wife gets a hair cut, you'll know) ;)...

I love that as I type this I hear you playing in your room (even though you're supposed to be in bed)... disclaimer: this item may change if you're still not asleep in an hour...

I love that you are ours....

...and I just love you...

Lord grant me the serenity...

..because I can't even remember how the rest of that prayer goes right now...

I've heard it said, that "3" is the new "2" when it comes to tantrums etc... Well, we're still 2 months away from 3, but I think we're getting a sneak preview. And it's scary.

Not that I mind going to the Bible, at all, but some days I feel like all Noah & I are doing is getting the Bible out & reading what it says about his attitude, defiance, temper, disobedient heart...you name it, we're reading it. I've incorporated some stuff that Lisa Whelchel suggests & it's great, however, Mr. Hyde has been showing up a lot more than Dr. Jekyll lately. And poor Jonathan.. it seems it hits the climax about the time he comes home. (Mind you usually this is on a day he won't nap). So the nice dinner/play time hours aren't spent in a quiet setting.

Would you like to hear my mantra? This to will pass. This too will pass. This too will pass. In fact, I'm contemplating having it temporarily tattooed on Noah's head. Then, it will be right there to encourage me even when he is right there throwing his 30 lbs around the floor.

And then there's the potty training... everyone said he would eventually digress, and digress he has. He seems not to mind being wet in his underpants, or naked. (I was really hoping the gross factor would stay with him.) He practically hates sitting on the potty now. We'll sit him on it, and sure enough 10 minutes later he has wet his pants because he won't go potty on the toilet. We just don't know what to do. You can't exactly force a child to go potty. You can get him on it, but the rest is up to him. I'm sure it doesn't help that when I have a migraine, which lately seems like half the time, he's in a pull up running around & I'm not exactly being proactive taking him to the potty...(we're lucky to just survive those days)... so maybe that subtle inconsistency is wreaking havoc.. who knows...

Remember the Goodbye Diaper Party? Maybe he wants to go back to diapers so he can have another one...

I'm beginning to think this child is stubborn. Scratch that, I already knew it, I was just hoping he would not use his powers of stubborness in the potty department. Sure, I can recall a story, or two, OKAY maybe a lot, of me when I was about his age showing my Mom what I really thought of each situation, but come on... I'm sure my parents were only kidding when they say they prayed for me to have a child like I was. Don't get me wrong, I had my good days, as does Noah, and most of the time he is great....but behind those bathroom doors...something takes over.

So for now, I'll keep those readily marked verses nearby, & do lots & lots of praying... & lots & lots of cleaning up accidents... who knew life would be so glamorous at 29... ;0) I wouldn't change it for the world...(except for the accidents)...

Baby Kamryn!

Look who's breathing room air!!

http://thestuddardfamily.blogspot.com/

CDH Awareness!

Picture of the day: Warning, do not leave your child with the caramel dip for apple slices. Not even for a minute!

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Today's the day for the Letters for CDH to be mailed! If you have found this site though our mailing PLEASE take time to look around...

Half of all babies born with CDH will not survive, and those that do will most likely have life long medical conditions to deal with.

Please help us raise awareness for this birth defect so that other babies might be saved!

Here are a few links

Noah's Story (Scroll to bottom to begin)
Dr. Kays SHANDS Gainesville
CDH Families: Here, Here, Here (more on right side of page)
GLOBAL CDH
CHERUBS