March 31st is “Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day”
This article was written by my dear friend Tanya:
This Birth Defect occurs in 1 in 2,000 births yet is not widely known. With the rate of live births in the United States at 4,115,590 in 2004, this translates to approximately 1,800 live births with the congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect. Cystic Fibrosis occurs in 1 in 3,000 live births in the United States, and spina bifida has an occurrence of 7 in 10,000 or 1 in 1,478 live births. Congenital diaphragmatic hernias occur just as often as cystic fibrosis and spina bifida, except congenital diaphragmatic hernias often have fatal results.The reality of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia struck home this past year when Clint and Tanya Gottschalk lost their daughter—They wrote this about their struggle. . . “Look into a new born babies eyes and you can feel hope. Hope for a life filled with love and joy. We too saw hope in our daughter Naudya Jo's eyes when she was born in May 1, 2007. She was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) several months prior to her birth, but no amount of preparation could prepare us for the heartache CDH caused our family. Naudya Jo was put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at 24 hours old to give her overworked heart and lungs a chance to relax. Nine days later, she had excessive bleeding when being removed from the machine. Emergency surgery was performed and she temporarily stabilized. Before receiving the life saving surgery to repair her diaphragm, she developed pulmonary hypertension. On May 16, 2007 our daughter passed away peacefully in our arms.” Due to the lack of awareness many municipalities, including Kansas and 28 other states, 13 cities, and Mexico have proclaimed March 31st Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness day, with new states and cities being added each day.Why is awareness necessary? The more people that know about CDH and our precious babies, the better chances there will be for improved treatment, stronger support and more research. Breath of Hope, Inc. is leading a nationwide effort to educate the public and help save babies born with CDH. Breath of Hope offers expectant parents information about making the best medical choices for their baby with CDH. They also offer support to parents of survivors and non-survivors. You can show your support by wearing a turquoise ribbon, sharing this article with a friend, passing along information on CDH via e-mail or sending donations to Breath of Hope, Inc., PO Box 6627, Charlottesville, VA 22906. You may also go to www.breathofhopeinc.com for more information on this non-profit organization; or you can contact cdhawareness@breathofhopeinc.com and find out what you can do to help spread awareness for the congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect. Help give all babies a chance. Every breath they take, is our breath of hope.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
House, job, and TTC update
Thought I would just post a quick update!
Brandon has decided to not take the job offer. They ended up offering more money but Brandon decided that it wasn't worth it to move jobs. The new job would have been farther away from home. Which translates to more gas money and less time at home. Those factors really played into his choice. He seems happy with the decision to stay at his current job for now.
We received news of how much our house will cost last week. We have been debating back and forth and have decided to submit a lower counter-offer. We are also searching for homes in the area to make sure that we will be paying an appropriate price. We also want to make sure that there is nothing out there that we could possibly like more than the house that we are in now. So basically, we are taking our time and moving really slowly. We will submit a counter-offer next week and tour more houses next weekend.
Today is the beginning of Cycle number 2. Brandon has been taking his special fertility vitamins for 3 months now, so we are hoping that these will increase the quality of good sperm. I will also be using my fertility monitor this month in hopes of catching my ovulation days. I am feeling pretty good about our TTC chances. But I am also being realistic. Trying to have hope, yet not getting my hopes up too high. It is tough to balance.
Brandon has decided to not take the job offer. They ended up offering more money but Brandon decided that it wasn't worth it to move jobs. The new job would have been farther away from home. Which translates to more gas money and less time at home. Those factors really played into his choice. He seems happy with the decision to stay at his current job for now.
We received news of how much our house will cost last week. We have been debating back and forth and have decided to submit a lower counter-offer. We are also searching for homes in the area to make sure that we will be paying an appropriate price. We also want to make sure that there is nothing out there that we could possibly like more than the house that we are in now. So basically, we are taking our time and moving really slowly. We will submit a counter-offer next week and tour more houses next weekend.
Today is the beginning of Cycle number 2. Brandon has been taking his special fertility vitamins for 3 months now, so we are hoping that these will increase the quality of good sperm. I will also be using my fertility monitor this month in hopes of catching my ovulation days. I am feeling pretty good about our TTC chances. But I am also being realistic. Trying to have hope, yet not getting my hopes up too high. It is tough to balance.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Moving on...
As I predicted, I had a negative result this morning. Moving on to cycle 2. I have realized that I am so much more relaxed this time. I realize that it will happen when it is meant to happen and if we need IVF, then so be it. :) Thanks for all the support!
In other news, my mom is coming to visit today! We are taking the kids (my brothers and Nathan) out to lunch and they are staying in a nearby hotel so that we can take them swimming. Should be a fun day. I love spending time with my mama! :)
In other news, my mom is coming to visit today! We are taking the kids (my brothers and Nathan) out to lunch and they are staying in a nearby hotel so that we can take them swimming. Should be a fun day. I love spending time with my mama! :)
Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter pictures!
Nathan's Easter basket! We gave him an Elmo puppet and his own remote control. He loves Elmo!
See! Went straight for him!
Yum...Elmo! Poor Nathan has been teething up a storm! 2 more teeth came in this week!
Loves the puppet!
Such thought...
Hi there Elmo!
What a second....how come he isn't moving now?!
Had to take a break for breakfast! We have been nursing for 10 months!! Such a milestone!Such a fun day! Nathan is just getting to be so big!
On the TTC front: CD 25, 9 DPO. I am pretty sure that we aren't pregnant this month. Having all my lovely PMS symptoms! Time will tell though....
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
It's Spring and big news at our house....
Although I think someone forgot to tell the weather. :( It is still cold and rainy here.
My mom sent me a text message from the beach yesterday! She is there on a cruise with my brothers for spring break. I wanted so badly to be there! The water looked so clear and blue and the sun was shining so bright!
So, I have really been searching my heart as to whether I should share the following news with all of you. I have debated in my head. But I have come to the conclusion that this blog is my way to communicate with the big world out there and if I weren't completely honest with the details of my life, then what is the purpose? Not to mention, I will need all the support I can get.
So our news....
Brandon received an offer for a new job. It was a pretty good offer. We would have liked to have seen more money but it was still good. Brandon is going to contact them back to see about offering more. So we shall see how that goes.
Either way though, Brandon and I are buying our house!! We currently rent it right now, but we really love it here and we don't want to move. So we are talking with the guy that owns it and the bank and we are buying it!!! I really hope everything works out ok.
If it does, we are getting the house loan for $15,000 more than what the house costs. We are using that extra $15,000 for another IVF cycle!!!!!!!!!! EEK!!!!!!!! We won't be doing the cycle right away. We plan on waiting until Nathan is done nursing (or really slowing down), but we will have the money in place for whenever we want to do it!!!!!!! Most likely it will happen late this year or early in 2009. This is huge news because before we talked about buying our house, we would have had to wait until our first IVF loan was paid off (2010). I really didn't want my kiddos to be 4 years apart! So we are thrilled and nervous and excited all at the same time!!
I think , I am more excited about the IVF cycle than I am the house! I am just really looking forward to having another little one, having a homebirth, cloth diapering a newborn, and breastfeeding all over again. But I can wait for sure. Nothing is more important to me than Nathan nursing, so we will wait until he is close to being done (because the IVF meds decrease milk supply). My ideal situation is for us to wait until Nathan is at least 18 months and only nursing a couple times a day. We shall see though! Its up to him!
So in related news, Brandon and I are officially trying to get pregnant the "old-fashioned" way. We are so hoping that, by the Grace of God, we get pregnant naturally, but we aren't expecting too much. So thus begins my new journey to trying to conceive (TTC: I will use this abbreviation a lot) a second little one. I plan to be really honest about this journey and as upfront as possible because I really want to have this record to look back on.
I think that it takes a lot of courage to try again. We have been through a lot on the infertility road. But now I know how amazing the reward is. Nathan makes every tear, every prayer, every heartache worth it. He is the light of my life and I can't wait to do it all over again.
And so blog-readers (if you are out there) welcome to the start of an amazing journey!!
Today is March 20th, I am on cycle day (CD: I will use this abbreviation a lot too) 21. I am 5 days past ovulation (DPO: again with the abbreviations) and I will be testing on Thursday March 27th.
Thanks for reading!
My mom sent me a text message from the beach yesterday! She is there on a cruise with my brothers for spring break. I wanted so badly to be there! The water looked so clear and blue and the sun was shining so bright!
So, I have really been searching my heart as to whether I should share the following news with all of you. I have debated in my head. But I have come to the conclusion that this blog is my way to communicate with the big world out there and if I weren't completely honest with the details of my life, then what is the purpose? Not to mention, I will need all the support I can get.
So our news....
Brandon received an offer for a new job. It was a pretty good offer. We would have liked to have seen more money but it was still good. Brandon is going to contact them back to see about offering more. So we shall see how that goes.
Either way though, Brandon and I are buying our house!! We currently rent it right now, but we really love it here and we don't want to move. So we are talking with the guy that owns it and the bank and we are buying it!!! I really hope everything works out ok.
If it does, we are getting the house loan for $15,000 more than what the house costs. We are using that extra $15,000 for another IVF cycle!!!!!!!!!! EEK!!!!!!!! We won't be doing the cycle right away. We plan on waiting until Nathan is done nursing (or really slowing down), but we will have the money in place for whenever we want to do it!!!!!!! Most likely it will happen late this year or early in 2009. This is huge news because before we talked about buying our house, we would have had to wait until our first IVF loan was paid off (2010). I really didn't want my kiddos to be 4 years apart! So we are thrilled and nervous and excited all at the same time!!
I think , I am more excited about the IVF cycle than I am the house! I am just really looking forward to having another little one, having a homebirth, cloth diapering a newborn, and breastfeeding all over again. But I can wait for sure. Nothing is more important to me than Nathan nursing, so we will wait until he is close to being done (because the IVF meds decrease milk supply). My ideal situation is for us to wait until Nathan is at least 18 months and only nursing a couple times a day. We shall see though! Its up to him!
So in related news, Brandon and I are officially trying to get pregnant the "old-fashioned" way. We are so hoping that, by the Grace of God, we get pregnant naturally, but we aren't expecting too much. So thus begins my new journey to trying to conceive (TTC: I will use this abbreviation a lot) a second little one. I plan to be really honest about this journey and as upfront as possible because I really want to have this record to look back on.
I think that it takes a lot of courage to try again. We have been through a lot on the infertility road. But now I know how amazing the reward is. Nathan makes every tear, every prayer, every heartache worth it. He is the light of my life and I can't wait to do it all over again.
And so blog-readers (if you are out there) welcome to the start of an amazing journey!!
Today is March 20th, I am on cycle day (CD: I will use this abbreviation a lot too) 21. I am 5 days past ovulation (DPO: again with the abbreviations) and I will be testing on Thursday March 27th.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Nathan made me smile today (well he does everyday)...
Nathan said "Mama" today!!!! I was so sweet. I almost cried! My friends Emily and Carrie were here to witness it. My baby boy is getting so big! Can't wait for him to say it again!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Letter to my ten month old boy...
Dear Nathan,
March has arrived and spring is right around the corner. I can't wait for the warm weather to return so that we can be outside more often! I want a chance to show you this big, beautiful world we live in. You are ten months old today sweet boy!
You still weigh around 23 pounds. I know that you are getting taller though. You have changed so much within the last month. I can't believe all the new things that you have accomplished. You are now crawling! So life around our house has gotten pretty hectic. Daddy and I have to chase after you all the time now. You are pulling up on furniture too! You love to pull up on the couches and entertainment center. You fall down a lot and cry for mama. But I can normally comfort you pretty quickly and you go right back to it! My brave boy! My favorite thing that you are doing now is crawling clear across the room to get to me, climbing up my leg, and raising your arms so that I will pick you up. It is so cute. You love to get into the cabinets and Lucy's bowl. Mama is getting her exercise! You also got another tooth this past month. You now have three and should be getting your other top tooth shortly. You are sleeping much better at night now! You only wake up one or two times to nurse, so mama is very thankful for that! Speaking of nursing, you still love it! You would rather nurse than eat solid foods and now that you can crawl, you are deciding when you want to nurse! You crawl right over to mama and demand it! It is too cute.
And so sweet boy, 10 months has past since your birth. Only two remain until your first birthday. Time goes by so quickly and I just want you to know that I love you so much. I am so grateful that you are in our lives. I can't picture my life without you.
Love always,
Mama
March has arrived and spring is right around the corner. I can't wait for the warm weather to return so that we can be outside more often! I want a chance to show you this big, beautiful world we live in. You are ten months old today sweet boy!
You still weigh around 23 pounds. I know that you are getting taller though. You have changed so much within the last month. I can't believe all the new things that you have accomplished. You are now crawling! So life around our house has gotten pretty hectic. Daddy and I have to chase after you all the time now. You are pulling up on furniture too! You love to pull up on the couches and entertainment center. You fall down a lot and cry for mama. But I can normally comfort you pretty quickly and you go right back to it! My brave boy! My favorite thing that you are doing now is crawling clear across the room to get to me, climbing up my leg, and raising your arms so that I will pick you up. It is so cute. You love to get into the cabinets and Lucy's bowl. Mama is getting her exercise! You also got another tooth this past month. You now have three and should be getting your other top tooth shortly. You are sleeping much better at night now! You only wake up one or two times to nurse, so mama is very thankful for that! Speaking of nursing, you still love it! You would rather nurse than eat solid foods and now that you can crawl, you are deciding when you want to nurse! You crawl right over to mama and demand it! It is too cute.
And so sweet boy, 10 months has past since your birth. Only two remain until your first birthday. Time goes by so quickly and I just want you to know that I love you so much. I am so grateful that you are in our lives. I can't picture my life without you.
Love always,
Mama
Monday, March 10, 2008
Video that made me cry...
Please watch this at the bottom of my blog! It is a beauitful video about what couples who have infertility go through. If you want insight into my life and heart, please watch it. Actually, all mothers should watch this. Makes you appreciate what you have been given. Thanks Amy for showing it to me.
Comment here if you want...
Comment here if you want...
Friday, March 7, 2008
Family time!
Nathan and his cousin Will!
My nephew!
Nathan and Grandma! They look so much alike!
Mama, Daddy, and NathanThese are pictures from my brother's birthday party! We had a blast at the bowling alley this past weekend.
Monday, March 3, 2008
We have another tooth!
One of Nathan's top teeth poked through yesterday! However, I was really hoping he would go a little longer without them. Mama is scared of biting during nursing! We should work it out just fine though. My sweet baby boy is growing up so fast.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Mama's lil' Helper!
Now that Nathan can crawl, he has been "helping" Mama around the house. He really loves the kitchen. So many fun things to get into!
Happy March Everyone!
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