Family Pictures

We've procrastinated having our family pictures taken and we finally had them taken today. It was such a perfect "Fall" day. My sister-in-law, Annalisa, is a photographer and came and snapped a few shots in a gully close to our home. I had a few shots taken with my camera, and the hard part is trying to pick one out for our Christmas card. Kate always seems to want to sleep at the most inopportune times. So, we're hoping that we can get at least one of her looking at the camera.....we'll see.

My Running Buddy!

We have been trying to take advantage of this BEAUTIFUL weather as much as we can. I love to be outside, but it seems like we just don't get out as often as we should. The last few days I have been taking Kate out for little jogs. I'm hoping to keep it up until the snow comes or until I get too big to run anymore (which, unfortunately, is coming sooner than later). Anyway, Kate loves it and it's a great way to get her curlers dry :)

Tag.....I'M IT!!!

Okay, so I have been tagged twice and am just getting around to doing it. So, Gina and Terri....this one's for you!

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I am a total GSN (Game Show Network) FANATIC. I don't watch much TV, but when I do this is the station I turn to. I especially love all the oldies like Press Your Luck, Card Sharks, and Love Connection. I know, I know. Bryan makes so much fun of me, but I play along and am dang good at these games.

2. I have this nervous habit that I have had for a LONG time and can't seem to kick. Many of my friends can attest to this, as I am always picking at my left thumbnail. I call it the "nub" because that's all it is. I don't have a problem with any of my other fingernails.....just this one. I'm tempted to go and have a fake nail put on it just to stop the madness!!

3. I HATE (I mean...DISLIKE) Wal-Mart......but I always seem to end up shopping there! When I am there, I have to remind myself "Now why do I put myself through this misery?" Maybe it's because I end up shopping there at 9:00 pm on a Saturday night.....BIG MISTAKE!

4. I LOVE to run. Not only for the physical aspect, but mainly for therapeutic reasons. It's MY time to be able to clear my head and rejuvenate my spirits

5. I'm NOT a very good decision maker. My most commonly used phrase is, "I don't know.... what do you want to do?" I'm working on it.

6. I LIVE to travel. If I know there is a trip planned in the near future.....it keeps me going (even if it is just a trip down to Fillmore). I have a goal of visiting ALL 50 states. I am very close, just a few more to go.

There you have it....just a little bit about me. So, I don't know who to send this to because most people I know have already been tagged.

Our Little "Katerbug"

This year for Halloween, Kate was a ladybug. I think she liked this costume a little more than her costume last year (can you blame her???)


We visited Daddy at work.....and went to our ward Trunk-or-Treat party.......


Laney

Maddy, Kate & Shawn

.....and had fun spending time with our cute "animal friends! Happy Halloween!!!

Thanksgiving in October????

Thanksgiving, by far, is my favorite holiday.....not because it is the day I made my debut into this world.....but because of all the yummy FOOD!!! My mom is such an amazing cook, and for as long as I can remember, she has always provided a fabulous Thanksgiving meal (everything from scratch). Even the years we spent Thanksgiving at our relatives, she would always make a full Thanksgiving meal so we would have a week worth of leftovers! I love to cook, but I'm just not that good at it. I have never cooked a turkey, nor attempted to cook a turkey.......until today. And I must say, I was pretty proud of myself. I even made stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, rolls and a pumpkin chiffon pie. Anyone want to come to our house for Thanksgiving dinner this year????

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!!

Tonight we had our annual Halloween couples party at Kenz & Laren's. Bryan has been in Washington D.C. this past week and, unfortunately, wasn't here for the party this year. He was devastated that he had to miss it.....(actually, Bryan is a BIG party pooper when it comes to dressing up, so he was quite happy to be out of town). But, that didn't stop me from going dateless this year. We enjoyed good food, good friends and FUN!!!! Thanks Kenz and Laren for a fabulous time :)

And 1 more makes 4!!

Well, we have decided to go for round two and add to our family. We are so excited!! I'm just glad to be done with the 1st trimester and into the 2nd. This pregnancy is much different than my pregnancy with Kate, as I have been a little under the weather the last few months. But, I have felt much, much better. We think that it will be really good for Kate to have a sibling close in age. We're expecting an April baby and we can't wait.

A much needed vacation!

Gina, Me, Treo & Aunt Jalene

This weekend....Bryan played "Mr. Mom" while I spent a "Girl's Getaway" weekend down in St. George. It was so nice to spend some time in the (somewhat) warmer weather. I tease Bryan that I need to leave more often because every time I do.....Kate seems to step it up! We finally started feeding Kate through her G-Tube, and this weekend, Bryan started giving her a bottle and she took it like it was nothing (she hasn't had a bottle for almost 3-months). As sad as it is for me to admit......Kate is definitely turning into a Daddy's Girl! I'm so grateful for Bryan and the awesome father he is to Kate. I'm already planning my next getaway :) Thanks girls for a fabulous weekend!!

My very own original Vermont Teddy Bear....

Kate has 2-sets of wonderful grandparents, who love her very much (and tend to spoil her just a little bit). Grandma and Grandpa Roper vacation in Vermont every year (I must admit....I am a little jealous). This year Grandpa brought Kate back this darling little Vermont Teddy Bear. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!!!

This week has been a little stressful, but we finally made it through it. On Friday, Kate started having seizures. She continued having them through the weekend and we couldn't figure out why she was having them, especially because she has been on medication. We met with her Cardiologist and Neurologist and figured they were set off by a combination of things. Kate had been constipated (yeah....not fun ) for a couple of days which caused the medication to not be absorbed efficiently. Also, she has continued to pack on the pounds and is near 21 pounds, which would require a higher dose of her medication. We also stopped one of her meds last week which got her electrolytes off balance. So, the combination of these things caused these seizures to come back. She has been doing so much better now!!!

Today we met with the surgeon who placed her G-Tube and I am happy to say that it is healed to the point that we can start using it (after 2 months...it's about time). So, we gladly removed the feeding tube from her nose. This is a huge step and is going to make our lives much easier.

We are so grateful for the progress Kate has been making. She is so much more active and just acts like she feels better. She is so much fun and we look forward to her continuing to progress.

Kate's little friend Maddy turned 1-year-old today. She had a fun birthday party last Friday with family and friends. The balloon artist was a huge hit not only with the kids, but also the parents. He could make ANYTHING with those balloons. We ended up with a poodle, a rainbow and an amazing sumo wrestler.Maddy had a great time diving into her cake. She was so cute and wanted to share her cake with everyone. Happy Birthday Maddy!!! We love you!

Happy Birthday Madison!!

Never a dull moment....

Okay, so you are probably wondering why I am posting a picture of this beautiful basket. Well, there's actually a funny story behind it (a little embarrassing at the time, but I can actually laugh at it now). Anyway, I take Kate into the AF Hospital every 2-weeks for some blood work. I took her in today and let me preface.....I have never had a problem when it comes to watching blood being drawn. For crying out loud, I watched Kate get her blood drawn almost every day while she was in the hospital. Well, for some reason, the lab tech was having a hard time finding a good vein. She poked Kate at least 3 or 4 times. I just stood by Kate holding her hands trying to calm her down. After about a half hour, I started feeling a little weak and light-headed. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor with cold towels on my forehead with numerous people standing over me. The worst part was that I had thrown up during the incident. Could it get any worse than this??? I think the hospital personnel felt sorry for me, so when leaving they gave me this basket full of candles, lotions, a picture frame, etc. It was so sweet. Needless to say, they were finally successful at getting Kate's blood, but I am dreading having to go back in 2-weeks. So, that was my eventful moment of the day!!!

Sleep Study!

Yes.....we were only gone for 1 night!!!
All ready to go...jammies and all!

Let's just say that we made it through the sleep study....and it took us a whole day to recover from it. Actually, it wasn't too bad until 2:00 am when Kate decided she didn't want to sleep nor did she want all the monitors attached to her. She fought it the rest of the night until the test was done at 6:00 am. With this being a "sleep study" I'm not quite sure how accurate the results are going to be, considering Kate was awake the majority of the time. Oh well, at least it is over with.

We have been having a home care nurse come 3 days a week, which has been really nice. With these visits, Kate is weighed every week. Much to our surprise (well we were not too surprised), Kate weighed in at a whopping 19 lbs. 14 oz today. That is a whole pound and 5 oz. she has gained in a week. Are you kidding me??? I guess with her fitting into size 18-24 month jammies (which are slightly tight on her) it goes to show that she is packing on the pounds. But hey....who doesn't love a chubby baby??

"No More Pictures Please!!!"

Grandma and Grandpa Roper went to New York last weekend and brought back Kate this cute onesie....I think "Little Stinker" should've been included!!

I've been slacking with keeping up with the blog lately. I guess I don't have as much free time as I used to. We are feeling like life is getting back to normal for us......whatever normal is! Kate is continually improving day by day. Her g-tube is looking great and is healing really well. She's also getting used to the CPAP at night and doesn't fight it as much. We're really liking getting a good night's sleep!!! On Wednesday, Kate is going in for a sleep study to monitor how she is doing at night on the CPAP. I'm not really looking forward to it as she goes into the clinic at 9:30 pm and the test goes until 6:30 am. This will give us a good idea how her Trachea is handling the CPAP. I also take her in every 2-weeks to have blood work done. This is mainly to test her electrolyte count and her CO2 levels. She also qualifies for the RSV shot again this year.....thank goodness. So, we're going to be pretty busy trying to stay on top of all her appointments.

Life is Good!

Well, it's almost been a week since Kate has been home and I am happy to say that she is finally sleeping through the night again. In fact, we put her down at 8:30 last night and she slept until 9:00 this morning....you can't ask for more than that. It's amazing to see the changes in Kate since her respiratory issues have improved. She has so much energy now. She came home on 2 liters of oxygen and we've been able to turn her down to 1 liter, so that is a great improvement. We are convinced that being at home is the best medicine:)

We're Home!!!

"We're Outta Here"

It took Kate a little while to adjust to being outside.

This is what being in the hospital did to nap time. I went to check on Kate about 30 minutes after putting her down for a nap and she was wide awake showing no interest for sleeping. That's going to have to change :)

Well, we made it. Kate was released from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon. Unfortunately, Bryan did end up going to Nebraska, so my mom came up to stay with us while he is gone. It's been a little bit of an adjustment (i.e. a lot more equipment, wacky sleeping schedule, etc.), but it is so nice being home. It's kind of sad, because we made a lot of friends while we were up there and are going to miss all of Kate's fabulous nurses. She has done really well since she has been home, but we are going to have to work on her sleeping patterns. She seems to have picked up some bad habits in the hospital :)
From here on out, it's just going to be a matter of time for her Tracheomalacia to heal to the point where her Trachea is stronger. Most babies outgrow it anywhere from 18-months to 3-years, so we just have to wait and see. Needless to say......we are very happy to be home!

We're coming home!

So, it's official! Kate is finally coming home! The plan is for Tuesday. However, Bryan is going out of town for work and so we may push it back until Thursday (depending on how confident I am with doing it on my own)......we'll see. We are so excited and ready to have her home. To help adjust.....Bryan is going to start working from home a couple days a week. Bryan's work has been so great to us throughout this past year and we are so grateful for their willingness to accommodate our family situation.

Kate has been doing so great. In fact, we had to start diluting her formula because she has been packing on the pounds!! It's funny because we were so worried about her losing weight while being in the hospital, so I guess that's one less thing to worry about :)

Going home soon......we hope!!!

Yes I know, it's been a few days since I've updated the blog.....but for good reason. A lot has been going on the last couple of days and we've actually been moving forward with getting the discharge plans in order for Kate. She's been breathing awesome on her trials on a nasal cannula (just like she was at home), but at a higher flow. When she was home, she was on 1/4 liter of oxygen, but is now requiring 2 liters to give her more support. The need for this amount of oxygen should go down as she gets stronger. So, the plan is to come home on a regular nasal cannula during the day and CPAP at night. We feel so blessed and know that our prayers have been heard and answered. We had hoped that she would not need a Trach, but at the time we knew that this was a very possible option. We are so grateful that we listened to our gut feeling and chose not to go through with it. Kate has definitely redeemed herself.

Right now, the only thing that is holding things up is the G-Tube. It got pulled shortly after surgery, which opened the hole in her stomach, causing a significant leak. So, we've been waiting for the wound to heal so we can go home. Right now she is being fed through an NJ tube (going into her intestines) because she cannot have anything going into her stomach, as it would cause more leakage. She has to have this tube for venting purposes, so we have to figure out what's the best way get this to heal. Best case scenario......we'll get her home the middle of next week. After almost 6-weeks of hospital life.....we are ready to come home!!!

Bouncers, Bubbles and Balloons....

We decided to give Kate a little bit of a break and have some fun. She loves bubbles and has had so much fun playing with the balloon her little friend Kacee gave to her. She's mesmerized by it. We also brought her favorite bouncer from home. I think she was glad to be able to sit up for once. It's so great that she has been doing much better because it gives her a little more freedom from just being in her bed all the time. She was a happy girl today.

Still not much has changed. Kate continues to do well on her oxygen trials. She is now getting about 12-hours a day on the high-flow oxygen and 12-hours on the BiPAP, so she is getting closer. However, she can't come home on the high-flow oxygen.....she has to be just on the regular flow. It's a slow process, but we are encouraged that she is moving in the right direction.

One step closer...

Showing off her big tooth.....she's got quite a mouthful!

Yes.....we are still here, but Kate is getting better and better each day. As you can see, we've tried her on a nasal cannula. She is getting 4 three hour trials on the cannula each day. So far, she has done really well. The goal is for her to handle being on the cannula during the day and BiPAP at night. From the way things are going, this may be possible. We are willing to wait as long as it takes, though because it beats the alternative. She is much happier when she gets a break from the BiPAP. It's great because her doctor says that she loves when her patients prove her wrong and Kate has done that. She wasn't very optimistic about Kate going home without a Trach. We still don't have an idea as to how much longer she is going to have to be here, so we just have to be patient.