Awwww

Posted by: Tamara in

The other day I called home and Matt put the phone down to Abbys ear. I spoke to her telling her I loved her and that she my mommas girl and my precious princess... She laughed back, squeeled and awwed!

I know this may not sound like a big deal, but I cried.. this was the 1st time I was hearing my sweet angels voice over the phone.. she was telling me she knew me and recognized my voice and that she loved it!

I am thankful for many a thing... but this, hearing my daughters voice over the phone is a precious memory I will never forget!

Thank you Lord!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my sweet blogger buddies!

6 COMMENTS

Bragging Rights

Posted by: Tamara in



My brother is the Master Sculpter for Toyota. This is a short video that he is in and the latest design hes done....

Check it out, I LOVE this car! Whacha think?

I am pretty proud of him!

Oh, he is the one sculpting the car....

4 COMMENTS

Nursing, Sick and Split Heads!

Posted by: Tamara

Yup Im sick with an awful head cold that I believe I go from Joe man who seems to be doing just fine! Why do the little ones just sneeze and cough and then they are done and me.... ohhh it's lagging! Now Abby has caught it, praise the Lord it is only a head
cold!

School is going well, took my 1st test and got 100% plus some bonus points! Have a another test tomorrow and one on Monday, whew this is not easy for this momma who has been outta school for 22 years, ohhh ouch that ages me! I headed in today sick and all doped up on DayQuil and tried to disguise my running stuffy nose! Funny we learned about the chain of infection, microorganisms, pathogens, asepsis and a whole lot more... Yeah I felt a wee bit guilty for sitting there trying to look and "feel" normal learning about all this stuff!

Oh split heads... a couple of days ago Joey split his head open! I know it hits all at once doesn't it! So off the er we went and thankfully we got glue and not stitches. Oh the joy of having little ones!

Other than that, I am TIRED and the Martha Stewart in me has waved the white flag on cleaning and keeping up on the house and all, while I am back in school!

Hope to be back soon... take care!

4 COMMENTS

So Much and Christmas TOO!

Posted by: Tamara


I have been busy, busy decorating for Christmas!

YUP I said CHRISTMAS!

I LOVE Christmas and the sooner I can escape to all its magical beauty and wonders in my home the BETTER! :O)
My boys were so excited when they came home from school and saw all the twinkling lights! I love my tree and decorating it just makes me think of my grandma as she too had many old fashion glass ornament's, oh I just love my memories, what a treasure they are!

Abby is still free of seizures!

God is so GOOD and I truly believe that this is His answer to surgery!
Oh how relieved I am! He is SO GOOD!
I called the Doc and informed him of this new news and he asked if we did anything different, after I told him no he just said that seizures just sometimes do that... in my heart I knew it was at the Lords hand only and not "just because seizures do that". He did mention that we should go forward with the pet-scan, but that we could push it out until January. I am praying that Medicaid will pick up the reminder balance and that we won't have any out of pocket expense. So for Now we are scheduled for Jan 8th, 2010.

She is doing great, just giggling like mad and full of life! I love having her in the basement, she is all in one spot and not spread out. We spend a lot more time there together as a family and there is much laughter and fun played!

As far as school, I start on Monday. Lately when asked about it I have not felt nervous, weird... actually I don't feel anything right now. Maybe when I get there and meld into it a little I will feel something. Not sure why I am so k-sa-ra-sa-ra, but thinking on Monday morn I will have a few jitters. One thing that I am excited about is that I will be all done before Christmas!
Now thats fantastic and doable!

Here are some more photos of my favorite ornaments, I got some of these this year. Each year I splurge a little to add more to my collection. Its been a long process, 10 years now and I have about 1/4 of the tree from top to bottom that I have yet to fill up. Maybe within the next 2-3 years I will be able to have my whole tree beautified all the way around!

Abby's Tu-Tu Princess 2009


Reminder of Grandmas Favorite Bird 2009


Santa's Carriage 2009


Mr. Frosty 2001


Oh How Pretty! All the kids names are spelt out on our tree somewhere!


And Last But Not Least.... Here is a photo of my very shy and non-social son Joey after his Fall Program. He sung a solo and brought the house down! Boy, was I proud of him! Not sure where he gets his talent, nor his thick charm.... but boy oh boy do I see trouble in the future!


"MERRY CHRISTMAS" ... he-he!

6 COMMENTS

What Could This Be??

Posted by: Tamara in

This is great news about Abby... for the last 4 days now she has been seizure free!

I don't wanna pop a bubble by somehow sharing with too many people...

But, I think it is too WONDERFUL to hold in any longer!

This miracle that is happening.... why now... is this Gods answer to our prayers about surgery? Has He healed her? Nothing has changed with her care as far as medicine goes.... I have no way to explain it, just that for now she not seizing!!!!

She is super giggly and wants to be held all the time, she is over laying down and wants to sit up or stand up, she will fuss and then cry really loud if you lay her down, this is all wonderful, but killing my back!

All this wonderful praise goes all to God, for it is at His hand that this favor has come our way, and if it is just for one more day... we will take it, if it is for just one more week... we will take it and if it is the rest of her days... we will take it!

I am putting a call into the neurologists tomorrow to inform them of what is happening and wait to hear from them to see what they think we should do next. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!!!!!! WHAT A JOY TO HAVE PARTAKEN IN THIS MIRACLE!

I will keep you all posted on what happens next! PS Please pray for me as I start school on Monday.... YIKES!!!

7 COMMENTS

The Date Is Set

Posted by: Tamara in

I spoke to a dear neighbor today (who happens to be a nurse) and was telling her of Abby and what we are faced with. She encouraged me to call and get her scheduled for her pet-scan soon and so with that bit of encouragement I did.

Making this quick call somehow solidifies that it is all real and that is why I put have been putting it off. When I called the 1st time I was transferred and hung up on, good reason to think... "awe, maybe it's meant to be won't call back". The second time I got through and the person on the other end was very gruff, I wanted to say, "ya know I hear they are hiring at McDonald's if you don't care for your job all that much!" What has happened to customer service today? Don't they know that making these calls are difficult for parents?

Anyways, it seemed like an eternity as I waited for a date and time... thinking it would be within the next two weeks, she comes back with December 24th! Of course it's the only time slot available until next year! Are you kidding me, Christmas eve! I think I said without thinking, "your open on Christmas eve?"

Because of insurance and deductibles this will be paid for at 100% so it has to be done before the year ends... but on Christmas eve Lord? I love Christmas! It's my favorite part of the year, the last place I want to be is in the hospital waiting as my child lay unconscious on a cold stainless steal table having die shot in her while someone takes images of her brain!

This gal then proceeds to tell me she will have an EEG done before they do the pet-scan! Arugh, really? She has to go through that again too! We just got all that glue out of her hair!!!!! I am not excited about this at all, more reason to set my heart against doing it or that it should be done!

Why can't things go smoothly for once? Why couldn't I just make the call and talk to a very understanding sweet person, who would not mind answering all my curious questions that any parent would ask about this procedure? Why couldn't she have given me an appointment within the next month even? Why Christmas eve!!!! Why??

Can you tell I am a bit irritated right now? Its 4:30 and I am up rambling on about my frustration... thanks for listening...

6 COMMENTS

Zach Fights Back!

Posted by: Tamara in




CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON ZACH'S FIGHT!

If you can find it in your heart to help donate to this worth cause.. Your part only $25.00!

What a blessing it is to bless others and lend a helping hand!

0 COMMENTS

I'm Published!

Posted by: Tamara in

Well... It's A Go! I finally published my photography website! check it out HERE and let me know your thoughts! I hope to add some music soon, still a little tweaking here and there, but all in all, whew... I am finished. YEAH ME! Check that one off the list!

Oh, I am also going back to school! Did I ever mention that? I am starting next week for my CNA. Medicaid will pay ME to take care of Abbs, but I have to get my CNA 1st. Since she qualifies... I get to go to school for free! A 6 week course with clinicals and I am done by Christmas! Phew.... yeah... still trying to keep busy!

We have not made a decision either way yet as far as surgery, but I am going to go through with the PET-SCAN before this year is up. Her deductible is all paid so it is covered at 100%. Must take advantage of that.

Thanks again for all your prayers! I do feel peace today about it.. thank you!

9 COMMENTS

So Sweet!

Posted by: Tamara in

3 COMMENTS

Keeping Occupied With Pumpkin Fun

Posted by: Tamara in


Trying to stay busy... almost forgot to carve these beauty's which were a gift from my sweet friend Jan down in Durango... grown in her beautiful garden!

I shared with Jacob & Joe that we are like pumpkins grown in the patch... At harvest Christ cut us from this worldly vine and took us as His own. He opened us up and scooped out all the slimy yucky sin, gave us new eyes and a new smile, wiped us clean and put a light within (the Holy Spirit) to glow for all to see!


Abby and our sweet nurse Tara sharing pumpkin therapy together!

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Abigail's Life Story

Abigail was my 3rd pregnancy... All was completely perfect no complaints. A few months later a test revealed a 50% chance of down syndrome. We were given the option to terminate which was not an option for us.  March 8, 2005 Abigail Grace was introduced to our family weighing in at 8lbs and 12.4oz.  Little did we know as she was placed in my arms our lives would change forever!  Labeled "severely disabled" with an undiagnosed is how God choose to begin His work in our hearts and leave His finger print in our lives.  Her "labels" included multiple anomalies, dysmorphic features, mid palatal cleft, dysplastic heart valves, hypatomia, a coloboma in her right optic nerve, duplex kidney, retognathia, failure to thrive & sever developmental delays.  April 2005: She had an emergency surgery for G-Tube & Nissen Fundolopication.  Afterwards she developed pneumatosis, NEC and had a PIC line put in place. After genitics and endcronologists testing we were told she was blind in her right eye due to the coloboma. The Genetics department could not give us any answers....  May 2005: Her blood sugars levels dropped to a dangerous low of 43 and found she had dumping syndrome. She was rushed from one hospital to another where she had to be recessitated after a massive seizure.  A MRI revealed a bi-lateral CVA stroke with greater effect to her left side which left her paralyzed and fighting for her life.  September 2005: She was diagnosed with West Syndrome (infantile seizure disorder) which results in epilepsy at the age of two.   December 2006: We found Dr. Orrin Devinsky and flew to NY for an EEG which revealed her brain was in mass confusion. He administered Sabril and on 12/07/06 Abigail's had her last seizure.  April 2007: We repaired her mid-palatal cleft which created major breathing complications and she was sent to the PICU one again.  July 2007:  We flew to NY again for another EEG which revealed that Abigail's brain was now 90% functioning right.  She had some spiking in the right frontal lobe but Sabril continued to keep seizure activity under control.  January 2008: Abigail was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, and moderate hip dysphasia.  To date Her seizures have returned, the Sabril is no longer working.  May 2008: Flew to NY again for another EEG which revealed that Abigail brain is constantly being irritated in the right front lobe and that we should consider surgery to remove this diseased area causing the spiking and seizing.  PHEW.......  And yes God is still on His throne, He is still in control, Abigail's life is in His hands and we love and trust Him even more now than we did before we took one step on this journey He designed just for us!

THIS SONG HAS BECOME MY HEARTS CRY!

ABIGAILS FOUR YEARS