Cute Pics

Since I don't have anything big to update you all on, I thought I would show off a few pictures from the last few weeks.


Here Madelyn is modeling a summer outfit. Note that it's in the livingroom since it is still to cold to wear it outside. Well I guess Sunday was nice, and the rest of this week has potential.

Madelyn and Carl in "Big Red". Carl sold the truck so we took a few pictures for memories. It was the first car/truck that Carl and I bought together after we got married. Many a camping trip in that thing. Oh, the memories. Madelyn liked the rumble of the motor.

Here she is just looking plan old cute.

This is another summer outfit. Madelyn wore this to our first official wiener roast in our backyard on Sunday. Sorry, no pictures of that, I was kept hopping with running back and forth because I forgot so much stuff inside. But note the dress was purchased as a baby gift for Madelyn by Alison Wolfe. Great taste Alison, Maddy and I both love it!

Slow And Steady....

I took Madelyn to the Public Health office today since I no longer have a baby scale at home. She has gained nine ounces in two weeks! Woot, woot! High fives all around. Madelyn had not been eating for almost a month. So two weeks ago, I took her in to get a weight she was 16pds and 1oz. I noticed yesturday that she seemed heavy as I was putting her to bed. Today her weight is 16pds 10oz. I don't really know how she is gaining the weight. She refusses to eat anything off of a spoon. Oral Aversion has reared it's ugly head yet again. Just when you think it's gone, or that Madelyn has gotten over it, it's there again.

So this is a typical meal time for her. I give her anything soft and bite sized, bread, cheese, cut up fruit, veggies, etc. She is really good at picking it up, just not getting it in her mouth. When she is done most of the food is in the pocket of her bib or on the chair. But it's important to make mealtime fun, so I don't force anything. Her caloric intake is still mostly super high concentrated formula, 1.1 cal/cc. And tonight her last feeding she took 6oz. Not bad since she has never taken more than 5 oz. before.

Most average babies take an 8oz bottle at about six to eight weeks. Madelyn is not eight months old. Hmmmm, slow and steady wins the race!?

Grand Rounds at HSC, Nurses Week

During a visit back to the NICU after Madelyn's newborn follow-up appointment, I ran into Doris Sawatsky-Dickson, the nurse clinician for the NICU. She was organizing a Grand Rounds for the nurses during nursing week on May 14th. The focus was Congential Diaphragmatic Hernia and how nurses are invovled from fetal assessment to discharge and follow-up. I agreed to bring Madelyn as a model baby.

Back at NICU, John, is the award winning, Respiratory Therapist Specialist. He was part of the transfer team for Madelyn. He remembered Madelyn and confirmed the fact that she was the first transfer on the Jet ventilator. They have done a few more since then.

Marie Hadfield, Nurse Stonogropher. She was from fetal assessment. She did all of my ultrasounds and gave be great information and so much support. She was the first presenter of the meeting. I just love her she is so great!

The whole hour was based on Madelyn's case. Here was a summary of her tests. I new there had been many, but not that many. If you look closely you can see that she had 53 blood gases. I found it interesting, yet it brought back many of those uncertain feelings about the survival of your baby.

I am glad that Madelyn's case can be used for more education and hopefully help with the care of future CDH cases at HSC. It was also nice to see all the nursing staff that we got to know and to get back to see them, and I was allowed to formally thank them for all the help, support and encouragment they were to Madelyn and us as parents. Madelyn was a little restless during the talk, and then feel asleep when it was my turn to talk, but she awoke just as I was done and so I brought her up to give a little wave. She was great, and loved all the attention she was getting.

Happy Mommy's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Celebrating Mother's Day can be alot of fun!

Especially when you get flowers and beatuiful cards.

For years I never thought I would celebrate Mother's Day. Then when I got pregnant I was looking forward to holidays like today. But last year at this time we had already received the news of CDH and so we agreed to ignore the day just like all the other years. I always liked to focus on my Mom and Carl's Mom. And other "mom's" that I know. My anxiety level was very high, and I had many worries. Now my worries are very different. What a difference a year can make!

Making An Entrance

Attempt no.1 at trying to get the tooth on camera.

This is the best that I could get for now. But here it is, after months of druel and chewing the first tooth made an entrance on April 28th.

Big Mac Anyone?

In all this want for CDH awareness, I talk about Madelyn all the time. Today I want everyone to know the generosity of the Ronald McDonald House of Winnipeg. Carl and I moved into the RMDH on September 6, 2008 and lived there until October 1, 2008. We only had to pay $10 a night. This is such an awesome charity. I truly don't know what I would have done without it. The house is located only two blocks away from the Children's Hospital. This gave me the freedom to see Madelyn anytime I wanted to, and it made me feel better knowing that I could be at her bedside in just ten minutes.

I know that your doctor has probably told you to cut back on your saturated fats, cholesterol, etc. But on Wednesday May 6th, I am asking that everyone buy a BigMac, EggMcMuffin, or a Happy Meal. Please help support families like ours. A little really goes a long way.