November 2006

11/1/06 – The word “strength” has different descriptive meanings, like physical, mental, and spiritual to name a few. Jill and I have gained an enormous amount of each through your prayer and uplifting emails. This strength has provided us the peace and grace to finish the race. Abigail is healing each and everyday. She is a little night owl, but so is her Daddy. This will end once she gets into a feeding routine. We hope! Happy All Saints Day! Special thanks to St. Joseph and his incredible strength. Our love.

11/2/06 – The past couple of days we have been working with a speech pathologist, you maybe wondering “what?” Well, Abigail is not exactly ready to recite the alphabet; she is really re-learning how to swallow. She is a very quick study, as a milestone was reached today! Yes, Abbey latched tightly onto Mom without a hitch. Let the feeding begin! Jill and I are so blessed to be her parents! We are also blessed to have you on this journey. Thank you for all your love and spiritual support.

11/3/06 – Today was a very special day. Jill and Amanda were reunited for the first time since Halloween. Sorry, I don’t think I’ve mention it, but Jill has been living at the hospital.(while I’ve been sharpening my motherly skills) Seeing mother and daughter embrace was a classic Hallmark moment.(made me cry) This was especially touching as it was the perfect gift for Jill on her birthday. Even more special was the introduction of Amanda and Abigail. The image of Amanda leaning over and placing her tiny lips on Abigail’s forehead will forever be etched in my brain. Truly a beautiful sight! I think children have a sixth sense when it comes to situations like this. She was so compassionate. Abigail is doing very well! She has really caught on to feeding and processes it like a champ. Her recovery continues to improve daily and we pray that we can have her home in 2 ½ weeks. We appreciate all the love you continue to pour out of your hearts. P.S. Thanks again to everyone for making today meaningful. You know who you are.

11/4/06 - Not much to report today. Abigail continues to increase her feeding times and is more alert each and everyday. She is healing just fine. Hope you and yours are doing well. Much love.

11/5/06 – Baby and Mama are doing great! The nurses are all battling to see who gets Abigail and Jill for their daily schedule; it seems that they enjoy their smiling faces. Well, can you blame them? They like them so much, that they gave them a room upgrade. The room is bigger and has a better view. I think it pays off to be courteous and respectful. Tomorrow we will have an ultrasound. This will determine whether or not the three tubes will be removed from the bladder and kidneys. We know our little baby is healing from prayer. You should see her smile.

11/6/06 – One down, two to go! The urologist pulled one the tubes today (ouch!) I think Abbey was relieved! They are going to evaluate the other 2 this week. The good news is there is no swelling internally. In order for us to bring our little gobbler home in time for Thanksgiving, we must get some meat on her bones. It looks like Mom is taking care of her, as she has already put on some ounces. Speaking of food, we would like to thank you for all the food that has hit our doorstep (yum yum). It looks like a freezer is in our midst. Abbey says hello!

11/9/06 - The theme of this entry is "switching roles."Since, Halloween Jill has been living at the hospital and I have been home with Amanda. Things changed today, as we are experimenting with a new feeding technique. This will allow Jill a much deserved break from here. Tomorrow the doctors will cap off the final ureter tube. They want to make sure there is proper flow, before they disconnect. Keep your fingers crossed! Please pray that Abbey continues to put on weight. She needs some love handles!

11/10/06 – Time really does fly. I just calculated that we have been in the hospital for 25 days. The good news is we might make it home earlier than expected, as early as next Tuesday. Can you believe it? Of course, this depends on Abbeys weekend. She began utilizing her diaper a little more today and even gained a couple ounces. Yeah! We will definitely keep you posted over the weekend on her status. Once again, Jill and I are so appreciative of your loving support.

11/11/06 – Today was special, as our family reunited for few hours at the hospital. Actually this was the first time we have eaten together as a family. We ordered lunch from the cafeteria and enjoyed the time. Three new pics are available for your viewing. Abigail is gaining weight everyday. I think she is ready to come home. God continues to amaze us. Your prayers continue to pave the healing road for our Abigail. We cannot thank you enough. Love! JJAA

11/12/06 – Two steps forward, one step back. Going into the surgery we knew that there was a chance of a bladder or kidney infection. Just so happens, two days after the surgery Abbey developed a yeast infection. Although very common, she was treated with an antibiotic and supposedly it cleared up. Well, today she warned us that she is not ready to make the trip home. A fever is what caught our attention, although not a severe fever, but just the same a fever. Immediately, the doctors needed blood and urine to determine if there is an infection. As of 10 pm, we have not received the results. The doctors also decided to reattach one of the ureter tubes to evaluate the kidneys and bladder. We know that this is not a 40 yard dash, or a mile run. A friend called it a marathon, we agree. So, keep Abbey in your prayers tonight.

11/13/06 – First, I would like to give my wife a BIG high five for the teamwork we exhibited during our premier ostomy exchange. The nurses were actually impressed! Jill and I pulled the old switch a roo tonight, so I am reporting live from mission control. I am ecstatic to report that Abigails fever is under control. She has been administered the necessary antibiotics to counter the infection and the doctors are pleased with how resilient she is. A true fighter in every sense of the word! She will probably be our little hockey player (just kidding Jill) The doctors are going to evaluate the central line tomorrow. They will tell us if we need it or not. We were initially scheduled to bring Abigail home tomorrow, but the docs have decided that it would be in our best interest to extend our stay a few more days. So, on the eve of celebrating our 1 month anniversary, I would like to share this special prayer: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom his love commits me here; ever this day or night be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

11/14/06 – Good news! Abbeys central line has been extracted. This tube really served its purpose during the surgery, since then it has seen limited playing time. We are relieved, because it is one less thing to concern ourselves with. Still no time frame for departure. We just take it one day at a time.

11/15/06 – Jill and I are pleased to report that the doctors have clamped the lone remaining ureter tube. In addition, they have a catheter in place. Urologically speaking she is firing from all cylinders. Abbey continues to add the necessary pounds. A whopping 7.4lbs! If this trend persists we might even come home without the feeding tube. Oh, that would be a blessing! Thank you all for your much needed prayers. They radiate us each and everyday. Much love! JJAA

11/16/06 – We will be looking forward to tomorrow, as the doctors have informed us that they will remove the last ureter tube. This is a big step forward! Today, the nutritionist wanted to evaluate the intake of milk through a bottle feed. Well, our little champion decided to engulf the initial 30cc, and then she moved onto Mama for another 7 minutes. That girl can eat!

11/17/06 – We mentioned previously that Abigail resembled a road map with many tubes and wires intersecting her. Well, we are elated to tell you that only the feeding tube remains. The doctors have ordered for it to stay, even though it is inactive. Hopefully, Abbey will continue her vivacious appetite through the weekend. If so, she will bid farewell to her little yellow friend, the one who has resided in her tiny nostril for over 3 weeks.

11/18/06 - YEAH!! Say goodbye to the feeding tube. What a joy it is to see her without it! Tomorrow the doctors will remove the catheter to analyze her urine output. This will ultimately decide if we are allowed to come home. Pray that we will. Love, JJAA

11/19/06 - Packing it on! 7.5 lbs!! All systems go. No official release day or time. Stay tuned...

11/20/06 – Dear Friends & Family: First, Jill and I would like to thank you for taking a special interest in our daughter Abigail. We have been overwhelmed by the numerous emails, cards, gifts, flowers, and food. Mostly, we have felt so much comfort through your gift of prayer. Your compassion has given our daughter, as well as us the necessary strength to successfully make it through the first stage of this race. Yes, we are pleased to announce that Abigail will be released from the hospital today. A joyous day indeed! We will continue to keep you informed of our little Abbeys progress. Today is the day we have been waiting for and we are so excited to share it with you! May God bless you and your family. Love, JJAA

11/23/06 – Happy Thanksgiving one and all! What a blessing to be home with Abigail, Amanda, and Jill. Abbey is adjusting to her new digs, as we are doing the same. Not much sleep around here. As soon as Abbey came home, Amanda decided that she wanted all the attention. She decided to come down with a double ear infection. Poor thing! This Thanksgiving we are grateful for all the love and support you have afforded us. We are also thankful to have such gracious friends and family. This Thanksgiving will be cherished forever! All our love, JJAA

11/27/06 – It is SO wonderful to be home! Sad to say, I (Jill) missed doing boring things around the house like laundry, but I did! Aunt Jan to the rescue! She came for the weekend and helped us get a little more organized! Unfortunately we are now all fighting the sniffles & congestion and doing our best to protect Abbey from the germs floating around this house. Tomorrow is our first appointment at Scottish Rite; here they will further investigate how to approach Abbeys feet, pelvis & spine. We will let you know how it goes…please continue to pray for further healing and success as we approach the next phase. (Amanda is feeling much better, thank goodness!)

11/28/06 – Fighting germ warfare around here! Amanda is back to her old tricks, but Daddy went down with the crud. Oh well, we will get through it! What a wonderful place Texas Scottish Rite Hospital is. There is something about that place that just screams “we love kids” A very pleasant feeling for both Jill and I. Our appointment was very encouraging today, as we met with two orthopedic doctors. To our surprise, Abigail left there with two plaster casts on her legs. These casts will be removed weekly and will solely be correcting her clubbed feet. There is a picture of Mama and baby on the site. She has adjusted to the added weight fine. They said Abbey will be using the casts up to six weeks, then graduate to a brace device named the Ponsetti. Sounds fast!