Trick or Treat 2012

"Rapunzel" and her best pal "pasquel"

Autumn is 11 months!

11 months old!

Love her big brown eyes

Her BIG sister, my best helper!

Daddy and Autumn

What I'm Up To:

Eating everything

learning to walk and have put together 7-8 steps

babbling all the time

love to dance to music

weighing in at about 20 pounds

love following sissy around everywhere

I love to snuggle and love when daddy gets home

Still an insomniac child

What I'm Wearing:

Mom's buying me 12-18 month clothes now

Still wearing size 3 diapers

It's getting cooler so I need clothes

What People Say About Me:

I still get comments on my eyes

That I am full of spunk

That Im petite

That I'm so sweet

Dear Autumn,

I can't believe this is the 11th time I've written to you.  The time has flown by, you are changing each day and are so much fun to watch.  You love to share snacks with me and I love how a tune will catch your ear and you will start bobbing your head.  You always play a "head-shake" game with me when we are changing your diaper.  You personality is really showing now.  I am so lucky to be your mom.  Your dad and I have our special time with you and your sister and nothing compares to that.  We love you boogie!

Autumn is 10 Months Delayed post from 9/29

 10 months old

 sissy is my hero

 wont' keep anything on her head

beauty

What I'm Up To:

trying so hard to walk

so over bows and headbands

talking and being very busy

eating everything off the floor

learning so much each day

Still not a great sleeper...some nights are rough

What Im Wearing:

Size 3 diapers

still warm so all my cute summer stuff

no shoes, bows or anything cute b/c I don't like it

What People Say About Me:

My eyes are so big

That I'm so beautiful and sweet

That I look like my mom

That I look like my dad

That I am a little stinker

A Note From Mom:

Dear Autumn,

Each month goes by and I just can't believe it! I remember having you just like it was yesterday! We love you so much and love to laugh at the cute things you do and say.  You and your sister are the best of friends and I love that.  You are getting so smart and beautiful.  Im so blessed to be your mom.

Autumn is 9 Months Old (delayed post)

Yes she is actually 9.5 now! We have moved and things have been crazy, I did get pics so I am going to post them now. I have been bad about posting lately and hoping to post more when things slow down a little.

What I'm Up To:
Crawling everywhere
Standing up and grabbing everything
Loves shoes, cords and everything else that makes mom cringe
Jabbering all the time, mostly Ma-Ma
I have started bottle feeding and am doing well with it
I eat "food" 3 times a day
I love my paci, I love to find lots of paci's and switch them out
Still love the do purse my lips and blow/spit
I have stood un-supported twice for a couple seconds
I will be walking soon

What I'm Wearing:
Still going barefoot while we can, summer here is so hot
Wearing 12-18 month sleepers and 12 month outfits
My hair is growing in a lot and mom loves to put bows and headbands on me (I don't like them much)

What People Say About me:
That I'm so serious
Big eyes
Gorgeous

A Note From Mommy:
Dear Autumn,
We are loving watching you change and grow.  You love your daddy so much, he gets up with you most days (while mommy works out) and you really love that time with him.  You are so sweet and snuggly.  I can't believe you will be a year old soon! This has really gone too fast for me.
This month let's slow time down a little and just enjoy being together....I love you

Autumn is 8 Months old!

What I've Been Up To:

I have been super busy this month with "firsts"

I began crawling, pulling up and standing

I enjoy getting around the house and am gaining speed

I have been making all kinds of sounds and have given "kisses" twice

I love to make eye contact with people and stare them down

I have been burying my face when I feel shy (it's so cute)

Putting my lips together and blowing air to make a "ppppfffffff" sound

What I'm Wearing:

Still size three diapers 

9-12 month outfits

What People Say About Me:

Most of the same stuff

Big Eyes

Beautiful big smile

So gorgeous

A Note From Mommy:

Dear Autumn,

This month has been quite a lot of firsts for you, these milestones you are hitting let me know that you are quickly growing up! Too fast for my liking! Your Dr. says you need to pack on the pounds and so mommy needs to feed you more.  We may have to introduce a bottle and I don't think it's going to be an easy process. You haven't been eating much foods lately because he wants you to drink lots so bear with me during this transition and please go back to sleeping :) Your daddy and sissy love you so much and we all love watching you as the days pass by.  I can't believe it's been 8 months since you were born! I love you so much!

Ayla Update

Ayla is enjoying summer, we just got back from visiting family in TN and Ayla got to play with her cousins.

She is playing Upward soccer and seems to enjoy it.  Most of the time she will play and participate but at times seems tired and doesn't want to "go-in." Most of the kids are that way on game day.
She has been doing really good since being out of the hospital since 4/27.  She had another bronch on May 18th and we are still awaiting the fungal culture results.  They were rebronching to look for mold that was seen on a previous culture.  We got preliminary results back that stated there was a fungus present but it was being sent to another lab to be identified.  So I am hoping that somehow it will be something less serious as the geotrichum seen before.
Our Dr at Nemours resigned and we are switching back to Shands CF Center.  We have appointments on July 10 and 11 with CF & Liver Clinics.  I am hoping that all goes well with that.  We got labs drawn today for her appointment with Liver clinic and it was pretty rough.  Ayla's last hospital stay really traumatized her to all things medically related before they even cleaned her arm she was hysterical.
I am anxious to see how the new docs at Shands will want to proceed with the mold that was present on her bronch.
We are looking forward to continuing playing and spending time together this summer, Ayla starts kindergarten on August 15th! I can't believe how big and beautiful she is.  I will update more on the appointments after the 11th.

Autumn is 7 Months!

What I'm Up To:
I am now sitting up all by myself
I am enjoying eating all kinds of new foods
Im nursing 4 times a day and eating 3 "meals"
I am learning new expressions and love to stick out my tongue
I light up when my daddy enters the room
I am sleeping really good and love my bed
I love playing with my sister Ayla
I can sit up in the bath now all by myself with no seat
I love banana
I love my paci
I take two 2 hour naps and sleep about 11 hours a night
These monthly pictures are getting tougher to capture with her being so mobile

What I'm Wearing:
Still in size 3 diapers
A wide range of clothes anywhere from 9-12 months

What People Say About Me:
Everyone still talks about my "Big Eyes"
They are turning brown and are beautiful
That I am such a happy baby

A Note From Mommy:
Dear Autumn,
I can't believe how fast these months are going by.  You are already 7 months old and every day brings a new milestone you are passing.  Pretty soon you will be turning one and not be my "baby" anymore.  You are so sweet and funny in the mornings, we all love to play and snuggle with you since you are so happy.  You love your daddy and he loves to play with you.  Your sister is really loving playing with you since you are more sturdy and now upright.  We are so excited to see what next months brings...who knows...maybe a tooth?!!
Love you so much Bugga-Bugga (thats your nick-name-we don't know how you earned it)

Autumn is 6 Months Old!

Actually she was 6 months on Tuesday but it's been a crazy week!

So sweet, laughing so loud!

She is changing so much! She got shots :(

Isn't she just the cutest??!!

Love her chunky butt!

What I'm Up To:

I am just about sitting upright all on my own now days. 

I am saying "Ma-Ma" all the time and "Da-Da-Da"occasionally (smirk!)

I am rolling all over the place and I can get my legs up under my butt, crawling is not far off

I don't like it when mom leaves the room

I slept through the night for the first time last night, Mom let me cry it out the other night (she is so mean!)

I am good with my hands and I can grab whatever I want

I still don't have any teeth but I am chewing on everything

What I'm Wearing:

mostly 6-9 months clothes

cool summer clothing

mom is really into putting big bows in and buying custom matching outfits for my sister and I

What People are Saying About Me:

That I look like my mom and dad

Still talking about my chunky legs and big eyes

That I am so stinkin cute!

A Note From Mom:

Oh Autumn, 

I can't believe it's been 1/2 a year already!  This past month you have changed so much, you started talking and have really turned into your own little person.  Your sister enjoys helping with your bath and feeding you spoon fulls of cereal.  She loves holding you and tickling you just like your dad! When he sees your sweet face in the morning he just lights up.  I love it! You are such a good baby and happy most of the time.  You are just my little snuggle bug! Did you know you have a nick-name? Bugga-Bugga....your sister was Boogie.  Don't know why or where we get these things....I love you and can't wait to see what I have to say about you next month.

love mom

Bronch Went Well....

Ayla's bronch went well, everything looked good in there and some issues had even improved.  We are waiting to hear about the fungal culture! The initial culture results were negative!

Thank you for all the continued support and prayer!

Bronchoscopy X2

Ayla is having another Bronch on Friday.  They are going in to re-check for Geotrichum (mold) and then it will take about a month for the results.

Prayers appreciated, we are believing for a negative result!

Mother's Day: What's It To You?

My Mom's Grandma & Mother pictured here with Ayla

Mother's Day for me is a great day! I get to celebrate all the wonderful ladies in my life, especially my own wonderful mother.  And I get to feel extra blessed to be "mom" to my girls!
But a recent opportunity to write about fertility and challenges that surround becoming a mom got me thinking-Mother's Day can be one of the hardest days for women.
You may have lost a child and are reminded each year of that loss.  Or you may be desperately trying to get pregnant and this day is a reminder of your many failed attempts.  You could have even lost your own mother and are reminded how much you miss her.
Mother's Day is a wonderful sentiment: "To honor your mother and make her feel extra-special today more than any other day."
But maybe look around you at the friend who's trying to conceive or the acquaintance who's mom passed away this year and show that person a little love too.
It is all about "mothers" but not necessarily just your own.

Just a thought......

Hospital discharge details

So Thursday night, April 26th Ayla's dr came in and said we would not be getting to leave early.
I was hoping since her pft's were so good, she would change her mind.
Well the next day the residents were commenting in how awesome her pft's were and in walks dr and asks us if we want to go home! She said the docs were calling her about discharging us! So we got to go home a few days early! We were so excited!!
Ayla has a follow up visit on Thursday and a bronch scheduled for May 18th to culture again for the mold!
We are believing it's gone and praying for a healthy summer!
We have Ayla on daily miralax and it seems to be helping her!

Hospital Update: Discharged

We are out and I will have to have more time to update on the full story! Ayla is much better -thank you for all the prayers!!

Autumn is 5 months old!!

What I'm Up To:

Still drooling a lot and trying to eat my hand..

No teeth yet though

I am rolling over (Big Stuff!)

I am scooting on my back

I am just about sitting up by myself

I can pull my diaper off now

I can put my paci in my mouth

I am still a partier and I don't sleep much

I love my feet and love to chew on them

I am making sounds that kindoph resemble words

I am flipping and smacking my tongue 

I spent 2 weeks in the hospital with my sissy- I comforted her and helped make her smile!

What I'm Wearing:

I am wearing size 3 diapers

Still in mostly 6 months but mom's buying 9 months because they are snug

Handmade designer booties when I wear shoes

Lots of bows and as always my cute ear-rings

What People Are Saying About Me:

They still say I look like my sister

That I have BIG Eyes and such a cute smile! I love to smile at everyone I see

That I am such a happy baby

That I have the cutest chunky legs

That I have dainty little features

A Note From Mom:

Dear Autumn,

Mommy loves you more as each day passes.  Your smile and your tiny little face make each day brighter! You are at such a fun age, it's so fun experiencing each new triumph with you!  You are starting to make sounds that sound like words and I can't wait to hear Ma-Ma! Can you believe I love you this much and you haven't let me sleep since you were born??!! haha- Your daddy and sister love to play with you and make you laugh and giggle. Daddy does his tickle-kisses with you just like sissy, it's so sweet! I love seeing him with you.   You are such a blessing and we will never forget that! Can't wait to see what next month holds! 

Love Mommy

Hospitalization Update

Today is Sunday 4/22 we have been here for a week today.  We have another 8 days to go.
Let's see...updates...
The Upper GI went well.  Her tummy looked much better and the blockage and bowel had completely corrected itself.  I guess that it was so blown up due to the amount of stool impacted inside of it.
We decided to get her a PICC line the next day to avoid anymore trauma while being in the hospital.  She is getting daily IV meds and a regular IV would not last our entire stay.  It was scary letting them put her under but she did well.
Ayla has been going to the bathroom (pee) quite often and while we were here they did a diabetes study where they randomly took her blood sugar and ended with a glucose test.  She passed so we don't have to worry about CF related Diabetes just yet.  There is a little boy who is 10 next door to us with CF and it looks like he may have it.
These kids undergo so much dealing with this disease.  Right now there are 5 kids with CF in the hospital here.  They are mostly in for tune-ups there was another little girl obstructed like Ayla.
I found out the type of fungus Ayla has grown in her lungs was Geotrichum Species.  It's a dangerous type of mold and the treatment could be even more dangerous b/c the meds are very tough on her liver.  Having Billiary Attresia her liver is already at risk-so they want to rebronch to make sure it's there and necessary to treat.  From what I have read it doesn't sound very good.  I am praying that when we retest, it will not be there.
Ayla is feeling much better now-getting very antsy being cooped up inside and over the next week it's going to get worse! Hopefully we can find ways to keep all of us sane!
My mom and Larry have been taking turns staying here and at the Ronald McDonald House so we have all been taking turns keep Autumn and Ayla. I am still nursing so it's been a little challenging.  But we are managing quite well.
Before we leave here the Doc is going to talk to us more about the mold and what we need to do.  Until then it's going to be days full of eating, doing Chest Therapy, and Physical therapy and IV meds...and trying to keep her as busy as possible!
Thank you to all who have prayed for our little girl.  She is so strong! At times too strong...It's hard being here and seeing the ages of the other kids and thinking about what her future might look like...but for today we will just be glad for today...

Hospitalization

We were admitted Sunday night for a bowel obstruction. Ayla was vomiting and in a lot of pain. After X-rays, enemas, Iv's, labs and ng tube she has gotten a little bit of relief.
Ayla is being a trooper at times she lets her tough wall down and will cry it out but she always smiles again. They want to do an upper Gi tomm to check on her bowel and a portion that was enlarged. I am hoping if that goes well she can eat again soon.
We are also in for a tune up since we were here. Which is a 2 week stay. Ayla has a lot going on right now. We had a fungus show up on her bronch and we can't even begin to treat that with everything else we are dealing with. I haven't really been able to process what this means.

I will update when I can

Prayers appreciated!

Something Special for Today

Today is Ayla's actual Birthday! She is 5 years old and today was the first time I publicly shared my testimony.  We had a special meeting at MOPS called "Tea and Testimony" and I felt led to give mine.  We have all come so far and I felt like today was the perfect day to tell this story for God!

It was really an amazing experience.  If you know me you know I don't like the spot light and public speaking pretty much terrifies me but today I felt total peace and confidence as I got up in front of 80+ ladies.  I know that it was a God thing and not a "krista" thing!

I felt like I was where God had wanted me to be and was doing what he had been preparing me for, for such a long time!

When I found out this special meeting fell on Ayla's birthday, I knew I had to do it!

I wasn't the only one who shared today, another extremely brave woman shared her story and touched us all.  I really enjoyed the meeting and the chance to share what God has done in our lives!

Tonight we are taking Ayla out to a restaurant of her choosing for her birthday!

Easter 2012

Ayla's 5th Birthday

Birthday Girl!

Presents

The Crew

Mommy and Ayla

Daddy and Ayla

Me and Big-Eyes!

Us Ayla was not into picture taking

Some of her girlfriends

working on spin art

Ayla doing hers

Her adorable cake

We had such a great day celebrating with all our friends and family! Ayla was a little shy to begin with but quickly opened up!  

We love you so much you so much Ayla, you are such a treasure to us and you make each day one to remember!  We are so very proud of the little lady you are becoming!