Jump For Joy

Praise the Lord!

We got some super awesome good news!

Liam had his GI appointmentment today and the GI had nothing but awesomely great news for us. So good, he told me to

"Do the wave,

jump for joy,

drink a glass a wine

and celebrate"

As you know Liam has had alot of issues and has been so far behind in growth. He's NEVER been on the curve of the charts.

Well guess what?!

HE'S ON THE CHARTS!!!!!

GOD IS AWESOME!!

Liam is in the 25th percentile for his head size

and the

50th percentile for weight.

He is on the curve baby!!

His length is short for his age,

but his weight to length ratio is perfect.

To quote our GI,

"He's exactly where we want him to be"

He said this was exactly where UCSF has wanted him to be at this entire time. And because we found something that is working he didn't want to touch a thing. He didn't want to rock the boat when Liam has done so well at home for 4 weeks now. YES 4 WEEKS!!!

THANK YOU JESUS!!

And tuesday it'll be 5 weeks!!

AMAZING!!

So for the next 3 months Liam will continue to be on formula when most babies would be taken off. It provides all the nutrients he needs so no harm. Then when we do switch, he will go on PediSure.

So ofcourse when I was told all this amazing news,

I cried.

Honest to God in tears,

completly swamped with emotions.

This is what we've been waiting for. What we've been working so hard for. All the formula switches, all the trials and errors was all for this.

This means much more than Liam getting taller

or getting chunkie,

which by the way he has cankles,

a belly,

and getting man boobs lol,

this means so much for his respitory issues.

We kept getting told that if only we can get him growing then his respitory issues would probably get better. This means his left lung finnaly has enough calories to promote growth and healing. With him getting taller, his right lung will have more room to expand and will be able to be stronger than his diaphragm. Meaning if all is working the way we pray it is, then Liam's respitory issues are on the mend. Even though thats what all the specialist are hoping for, and that we have no fact supporting that this will happen, its still a bright light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Liam will see his Pulmanologist on tuesday and we are praying that they have good news for us as well.

We all knew Liam's GJ tube needed to be replaced and we've been waiting for that call. Today that call came in. He will be going into surgery on Friday July 6th at 10:30am. If all goes the way it supposed to go, then he will be comming home the same day. Surgery means alot of things. The actualy "surgery" itself is no big deal because they wont be cutting into him. Theyre just taking one tube out and replacing it with the new one. Were going to run into problems when its time to put in an IV because Liam is an impossible poke. Were praying that his veins have healed so that the surgeons can easily put in an IV. This is necessary for surgery. Because Liam is getting anesthesia and because of that, he has to be intubated. We got very blessed that the last time Liam was intubated that there were no issues. Usually when he is intubated then exubated his lungs partially colapse and it takes a new days to reinflate. Were praying that again Liam wont have these issues. We are nervous but we know that it is in God's hands.

Again,

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU JESUS!

Your are an amazing Healer!

Praise the Lord!



Happy Days

Lanie and I were looking through a magazine of party themes and supplies this morning. We were trying to decide what we should get for Liam's birthday. That's when we heard laughing. I looked down to see the biggest grin plastered on Liam's face.

In all of Liam's 11 1/2 months I have never seen him so excited. It's full on gums and eye brows raised. I think we laughed for atleast 20 minutes. I never knew talking about plates and colors could be so funny but Liam showed us how truely hillarious it all is. Amazing that he can be so happy all the time after everything he's gone through and everything he's still going through. I think God blessed Liam with purpetual happiness.

Being as today is a good day for Liam, I decided to try to feed him again. We started with sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes seem to be the one food we can get the most of down him. He was ok with little taste of it, just not full on bites. After some sweet potatoes, we tried spinach and potatoes. He was ok with it until he got a tiny chunck of potatoe, then he gagged. But I wasnt letting than stop me. Next I tried chocolate pie filling. I didn't have chocolate pudding in the house and the pie filling was pretty fattening so it was ok. He actually liked it.

I won't say he loved it because to me he'd have to enthusiastically eat a bunch before Id consider it love. He had about 6 taste of the chocolate before he started getting tired. Next thing I know.....

He's asleep in his high chair. Poor little lamb was so worn out just from something as simple as eating. Liam getting worn out so easily from eating is caused by his lung issues which are a result of his CDH. He's already using most of his energy just to breathe. He cant breathe when he swollows so after he swollows he tries to make up for that lost breathe and ends up breathing faster. Breathing faster takes whats left of his very limited reserves. Which is probably another reason why he doesn't like to eat. The more food we can get in him, the faster he will grow and outgrow this issue. Atleast thats what everyone, including the doctors, are praying for.

Stay tuned for Liam's adventure with pudding! Chocolate and Vanilla.

4 Steps To Getting Rid Of Your Postpartum Belly

4 Steps To Getting Rid Of Your Postpartum Belly

By Katie Moore

After giving birth, many women would love their stomachs to go right back to their pre-pregnancy look. The reality is that it will take some time and some work to get your body back to what it was, but it is possible. With a healthy diet, proper exercise and patience, a mother can regain her energy and her desired body back before she knows it.

Before starting a workout program, the best place to begin is with your doctor. Just as your doctor was a key person to bring your questions about labor options like pain management, banking your baby’s cord blood and immunizations, your doctor is the best person to speak to about questions concerning your post-delivery health. After clearance from your doctor, jump into your favorite workout program or start a new one. Here are some examples:

Quick Pilates

Pilates can be done a few times per week with 20-minute sessions. Nearly all moves for Pilates engage the core, which strengthens all of the muscles in your midsection. During pregnancy, the core muscles weaken and are under a lot of strain. Pilates will help those muscles get strong again, and it can be done quickly. Supermans, butterfly kicks and planks are a few Pilates moves that will flatten your postpartum belly fast.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

If you work harder, you can afford a shorter workout. There are numerous DVDs on the market that can help you train intensely for about 15 minutes per day and shed pregnancy weight fast. HIIT is customizable to your specific level of fitness. You don't have to spend hours on cardio. You can burn the same amount of calories in a fraction of the time as long as you do HIIT. This technique will help reveal the muscles you are developing through Pilates.

Water Exercises

Water aerobics will help immensely. In the hot summer, it's even better to use water exercises as a way to lose weight. You can spend just an hour per week at a pool, and you will see some benefit from that. Water zumba is a booming trend, and doesn't require an expensive gym membership or tons of time away from your new baby.

Post-Natal Classes

If you can't do anything else, at least look for post-natal fitness classes in your area. There are dozens of modified classes that will help you get your pre-pregnancy body back. Many of these centers also have daycares. You can get in a 30 or 45-minute workout three times per week without leaving your newborn alone. These types of classes will teach you how to properly treat your body after pregnancy for safety. Doing moves improperly increases your risk of injury, but a specialized class will show you how to do everything.

As always, listen to the signals that your body gives you during exercise. If any exercise causes pain, you should stop immediately. Your body needs plenty of recovery time after a big change like delivery so don’t worry if you have a hard time getting back into the workout routine. Most of all, remember the most important thing in your life should be enjoying your new baby.

“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”

New Tricks

Liam is learning new tricks.

He finnaly started saying his "G"'s.

Most babies start cooing and babling before they say real words.

Liam skipped that stage and went right for "Hi"

"Dadda" "Daddy" "Lanie" "Momma" "Kayla" "Chase"

It seemed when he started making noises

it was either cries or started with "H".

For the longest time we didn't think anything about it.

When he turned 6 months though,

we started worrying.

We know he needs thereapy,

and its something we're waiting to get approved.

We realize that he is behind in alot of areas

but in some hes right on track

or ahead.

With every little new skill learned

we celebrate.

When we finnaly got to bring Liam home.

(Birth weight was actually 2lbs 4oz after swelling)

When he reached 10 pounds we celebrated with a cake.

When he turned 6 months we celebrated again with cake.

The first time Liam ate baby food

The first time he stood for a short period of time by himself

When Liam finnaly started sitting on his own without falling immediately.

And so much more.

And now in the last three days he has developed two more skills.

Now he "Goo Goo"'s and "Ga Ga"'s like a baby is supposed to.

Yea he says words,

but he had completly skipped this step.

I had noticed he never made words with "G"'s or "T"'s

But three days ago he started making alot of "G" sounds.

I had to laugh because really?!

Liam just has to do things his own special way.

Last night he learned how to High five.

Alot of us have been trying to teach him

but it just never really interested him.

Last night he decided to give some high fives.

It was pretty cool.

Between his new skills and last weeks checkup with the pediatrician,

its been a busy few days.

Everyday seems to be a bit hectic with Liam

so when we get a calm day we reveal in it.

Sunday Liam actually wanted to be cuddled.

I dont know what brough this on,

since he seems to only want to cuddle when we're in the hospital,

but we thoroughly enjoyed our cuddle time.

He even fell asleep for a nap yesterday.

(I did too :) )

We have a GI appointment comming up in a few days.

Were hopeing and praying for some more good news.

Even if our pediatrician is happy with Liams growth,

it doesnt always mean the GI will be.

The GI always seems to want him to grow faster then Liam will.

Sometimes I have to remind him how far Liams come

and the other medical issues contributing to his slower growth rate.

As parents, yes we wish he was growing like a normal baby,

but weve realized a long  time ago that Liam will never do anything

even remotely normal.

Weve made our peace with that.

So every "little" growth for us is "big".

We thank God everyday for being so blessed.

We're blessed because Liam could be alot worse than he is.

We're blessed because we have two wonderful kids,

two very happy kids whose hearts are huge and full of love.

And we were chosen for their parents.

If I were asked I'd tell you that

I couldn't imagine life without either of my kids.

Brave

As a special treat for Lanie,

today she got to go see the new Disney Pixar's Brave.

Today was opening day and after picking up a car load,

we were there a whole hour before the threatres even opened,

 oops.

We wanted to be there early in case there was a HUGE line

 but we didn't intend on getting there before even the theatre themselves opened.

Brave was such a good movie.

We laughed so much the girls had to take trips to the bathroom.

We even teared up and fought not to cry.

Instead of your normal stories about a princess,

falling in love and getting married,

its about one who wishes to choose her own fate.

After going through some extreme lengths,

she finnaly gets her wish.

Brave is the very first Pixar film to feature a female lead.

This film was deffinately perfect for the premier.

The girls enjoyed the movie poster

as well as the huge cardboard cutout scenery they displayed.

We took many pictures just goofing around.

This movie was such a hit

Lanie wished she could immediately buy it on dvd.

I loved that it wasnt a sappy story about finding your true love.

And the fact that Merida,

the main character,

shoot a bow and arrow.

Archery is something we have ourselves recently taken up.

Archery is also what gave me the idea for Shooting For Liam.

So it would be no suprise that this was one of my favorite

details about Brave.

Brave isnt just a movie for girls.

Its great for boys too.

Merida has three brothers (triplets)

who are a huge part of the comedy.

Overall I say this movie was an A+.

Lanie pretending to shoot a bow and arrow.

After seeing this movie

I thought it would be cool to do some Brave activities.

I searched Walmart for books,

coloring books,

ANYTHING.

Even went to the party section.

I didn't want toys.

There were no books,

except a tag book,

and no coloring books anywhere to be seen.

Weird considering its a brand new movie.

The party section had the basics for a party

but no activities.

This was frustrating.

So I went home and searched online.

On http://family.go.com/

I found a few activities that looked like fun.

The Brave activity book was a great find.

Lanie cant wait until I print it out for her.

There are recipes and a playset printable available as well.

Click here to check it all out.

Enjoy :)

Growing

Liam had a check up with his pediatrician today.

Our ped was very pleased with Liam's progress.

Liam weighed 16 lbs 13 oz.

For Liam thats HUGE.

I also had his length checked.

27 1/2 inches long!

Yes our little lamb had a pretty significant growth spurt in length.

Ofcourse we knew he had,

after all he can now stand in his walker.

We didn't change a thing.

Why mess with whats working?! Right.

Next week Liam will be going to see the GI.

We still haven't heard about his surgery,

but hopefully they'll have news next week.

The planning of Liam's birthday party is going pretty good.

So far we've got some fun activities for everyone to enjoy planned.

But the real work is going to be the week of his party.

We will be baking 2 cakes shaped like giant cupcakes,

and 4 dozen cupcakes.

All in different flavors ofcourse!

 I want to make sure theres a variety for everyone to enjoy.

The food will be super simple.

Since it's at 1pm were assuming most guest will have probably already eaten...

but just in case...

Wer're planning on hotdogs and chips.

I have 3 poster boards to get done.

One will be on what CDH is.

Another on Liam's journey through NICU and hospital stays.

And the last on fun happy pictures of Liam.

Theres still ALOT left to do and plan,

and even though its incredibly stressful,

and time consuming,

Im enjoying it.

Lanie however keeps asking

"Is todays Liam's birthday?"

We respond

"No its not for weeks"

So she says

"Tomarrow?"

We respond

"No"

She then will look at the floor with big eyes saying

"I wish it was tomarrow"

Exasperating

but oh so cute :)

Both kids are doing really great.

Liam hasn't had anymore asthma attacks,

and his retching has gotten better.

Lanie discouvered that she loves hotwheels,

Matchbox

and all other  cars.

She's such a tomboy.

Yet she is still my romatic little princess

who believes in true love

and happily ever afters.

She's wear princess dresses to play in the mud,

or camo tshirts with tiarras

and be the happiest kid ever.

Daddy loves that she's into cars

and other "boyish" things.

Me,

Im content with letting her find her own way.

I can't tell her how she should be.

She's a free spirit,

and creative

and absolutly wonderful.

She needs to experience things to know if she lives them or not.

I cherish the pictures of her in pretty dresses with a dirty face

because one day,

she'll be grown up

and we will never get those memories back.

Big Days

We've had a big few days here at the Bryant home.

A few weeks ago I blogged about the family of Dove's roosting in our tree.

Well these two baby doves hatched! And Lanie LOVES them lol

Liam has started getting into everything!

Even grabbed his basket full of toys and dumped them out!

Don't ask how he was able to do that because Im still trying to figure it out,

Liam's feeding regiment is working.

Every day he seems to get bigger.

His legs are getting chunckier and we love to call him tubby now

And he's gotten so long now he can stand up in his walker!!

The weather has been pretty hot the last few days as well.

On fathers day the temp was 108.

So yesterday we decided it was officially time for the pool.

And what can I say...

I think shes part fish...

We experiances A LOT of changes in our home yesterday and today,

Yesterday we got a call saying Liam's pulse ox machine was approved!

YAY!

Then a few hours later it was delivered!!

Because of the pulse ox we were able to say...

"bye bye" to him sleeping in the livingroom

And Liam said "hello" for the first time to his own room!!

For the first time last night Liam slept in his own room.

He hadn't been able to even see his room before because with all his lung issues we needed to keep him close to keep a close eye on him. Now we have the pulse ox that helps us do that. Liam's face lit up in a huge smile when he saw his room for the first time. He also went right to sleep without any fussing. He practactly fell asleep before I was even able to turn the light off. I however, handled it far less graciously. After he was settled, I sat down on the couch then started crying. My anxiety was majorly high. After my short outburst and freakout however I went to bed myself and the rest of the night was just like any other.

Today was huge for us as well.

Liam got to go out on an outting just for fun and today was the first day we've been able to take him of oxygen for periods of time. He stayed off the oxygen for around 80% of the day without any issues. We are excited for both events. Liam got to meet a few new people, some friends of ours that have never been able to see him in person. It was such a lifting experience. It makes me so much more excited for his birthday party.

After such a long and eventful few days, we ended today with several hours of playing with hotwheels and matchbox cars.

And Liam fell asleep watching Thomas the Train





11 Months Old

Liam's first birthday is fastly approaching and we couldn't be more excited. He will be going back to Childrens and under going surgery soon to have his GJtube replaced since his it broken and leaking. We're praying its a quick in and out deal so we can continue the planning of his party.

Liam's 11 month pictures:

This outfit was a hand-me-down from daddy's old clothes. It's a little big but youd never know.

I love his face, its full on suprise!

Big sister did an excelent job making Liam smile for pictures.

Liam ready for his close up :) He's such a sweet boy.

All aboard the SSLiam. This sailor on the roam all over my living room getting into everything! Its still just rolling on his own but Im good with that. We spend mass quantaties of time untangling his tubes.

I love the chunky legs! They get chunkier every day.

With a smile like that he's bound to get whatever he wants.

Silly boy laughing at his sister.

So sweet. Blowing his sissy kisses!

Im so shocked we went through the whole photoshoot without him sticking his tongue out. Thats his things.

...

...

OOPPPS Spoke too soon!

Thats my boy!

And as you know, Liam's birthday is comming up. We are throwing him a big party to celebrate him turning 1 and surviving Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Were throwing a special "Virtual party" for those who cant make it. Consider yourself invited!

All emails recieved will not only be ready to our little lamb, but they will be put in his scrapbook.

Liam is getting better a sitting on his own. He still cant stand without help. And because his vomitting and retching he no longer tolerates baby food. We try to feed him by mouth and he immediately chokes on it and gags until he vommits. OT and PT has been put in for by our pediatrician but who knows when Liam will recieve those much needed services.

A Look Back At NICU

As I sit here working on a video for Liam’s first birthday, I’m flooded with emotions. I can’t believe what’s happened this past year. Liam being born with CDH was so surreal. The heartfelt, emotional welcoming we had planned for our precious son was forever denied us. Instead our son was whisked away from us before we ever got a glimpse at him. When we finally got to see him, he was 7 hours old and hooked to so many tubes you could barely see there was a baby. His body was swollen and he was given a paralytic to keep from moving causing more harm to his fragile little body. They only gave us ten minutes with him before they had to ready him for transport.

I didn’t see my little boy again until 50 hours, and a long painful 3 hour car trip later. Theres a span of time from stepping out of the elevator on the 15^th floor at UCSF and when we walked into the room where Liam was hooked to what seemed like a gigantic ECMO machine. The doctor had cornered us off to the side to explain what was going on. I remember nodding my head a lot but only seeing my son laying in his bed. All I wanted more than anything was to run over to him and scoop him up in my arms. The only thing that held me back was the pain soaring through my body and the need to be completely centered and in control of my own emotions.

I spent the next four weeks in an utter haze. Between physical pain from recovering from the c-section and the emotional pain my mind couldn’t comprehend what was going on. It wasn’t until 4 weeks later when we got into the Ronald McDonald house and Justin and Lanie came up to stay for the duration that the haze finally began to lift.

When the haze finally lifted the pain was like a open wound to my heart. It was almost impossible to keep the hurt from showing. By then Liam was smiling. When I was at his side, holding him, watching him smile, the pain would dull and I could feel truly happy. When I was away from him, Id fake a smile that was unbelievable and inside the pain was tearing me apart. I started getting up early and being at the buss stop as soon as that first buss ran just to get next to my little man who could ease my pain. Id stay as late as Justin and Lanie would let me, then return to the house a miserable mess inside. I slept little, ate little.

When they came to us and told us it was time to go home, we didn’t believe them. They asked if we were ok with that. We asked if they were sure he was ok to go home. When they assured us he was ready to go home they told us they hadn’t expected him to recover so quickly so it was a surprise to them too. We went through all the “what if’s” and “what to do’s”. Watched all the instruction videos and I did my sleep over. I still couldn’t believe my baby boy was coming home.

It had only been 8 weeks but in the NICU it felt like years. Making arrangements to come home and dressing my little one in his outfit was surreal. I still remember setting him in the car seat for the first time and watching the nurse cut off his hospital ID band and the tears that filled my eyes. Walking out of our room in the NICU all the way to the elevator there were people lining the walls to say their goodbyes and good wishes. And I remember thinking “this is how it should have been in the beginning”.

From there it’s been a long 11 months of ups and downs, healing and scaring. I left UCSF with Post Tramatic Stress Disorder and depression deaper than I’ve ever had. Healing from PTSD is taking a lot longer than it took Liam to leave NICU. After 10 months, I’m finally seeing a few bright days but most days my mind is riddled with flash back of Liam laying there

hooked to all those machines and being told they weren’t sure if he’d make it. I don’t know if I’ll ever completely heal from this experience but I know that I will be a better person because of it. And if healing makes me forget what we’ve been through, then I don’t want to heal because to forget would mean to forget why so many new people have come into our lives and become part of our family. To forget would mean to forget why I want to give back and help other families affected by CDH.

Liam’s had 9 hospital stays so far in his short life and I know it’s not the end. But we have each other. Being together as a family makes it bearable. Its when we’re apart that’s hard. Even after 11 months, we’re just at the beginning of our CDH journey. I know that just because he turns 1 doesn’t mean he’s going to magically turn into a normal child. Even though he depends on feeding tubes, oxygen, breathing treatments and more, and even though that makes him imperfect, I love him even more. People say everything happens for a reason, I believe it does, but weather its devine or not I can’t tell you. What I can tell you is that I thank God everyday that I have Liam to hold and love.

Thank you AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN to the staff of UCSF NICU for all your hard work in taking care of our precious baby boy.

Thank You Cindy Silva! Thank You Sue Dahaun (AKA Dr Sue) You will forever be part of our family! We can never thank you enough.

Weight Gain/Weight Loss

　

How is it my husband can stay at or under 2000 calories and loose 20 pounds in 1 week and I can stay under 1000 calories (under 900 actually, 700 most days) and loose only 1 pound? I’ve had several responses on my face book page.

1) Because if you don’t eat enough calories then your body has the opposite effect.

(Meaning your body goes into shock and when you finally consume something your body hordes it to avoid starvation)

2) Because men are evil.

(Meaning MEN ARE EVIL)

I used to consume very little and was tiny. This was before I had ever gotten married or had kids. Since then I’ve gained a few pounds (like 30 to be exact). So maybe since its been 8 years since I’ve been that small, my body has gotten used to the additional weight and therefore thinks I’m starving myself. Although I have to admit “Men are evil” works better for me. I’ve cut back A LOT on my eating habits.

1) Stopped drinking Pepsi. I only drink the occasional diet root beer that has 0 calories.

2) Cut back on portions and calories. I eat the suggested serving size or less. When I was staying at/under 2000 calories for the first few days, I gained weighed. This was the second time this has happened. I know I need less so I stayed under 1000 calories.

Wed June 6^th 550 calories

Thur June 7^th 695 calories

Fri June 8^th 890 calories

3) No candy

4) I’ve only eaten 1 cookie in 2 weeks

5) No coffee

6) Eat fresh. I’ve only eaten something out of a box or can 3 times.

7) Snack minimally. I have one snack a day.

Once was curios for breakfast. The other two were green beans that I only ate a few bites and some instant mashed potatoes.

7) I eat as much fat free or low fat foods as possible. I only had milk once in my cereal and it was 2% and a quarter of a cup. I’m lactose intolerant and so I stay away from milk as much as possible.

I’ve even kept myself moving. Instead of taking that nap during the day when the kids are down, I keep moving, cleaning, laundry, whatever keeps me going. Even on those days when I’d been up most the night. I have found eating better gives me more energy. I love that I’m not exhausted all the time anymore, but it’s not enough. I want to get back my pre-marriage/pre-baby weight. 105 pounds. If not Id at least like to be at the weight I’m supposed to be at for my height and age, 115 pounds. I’ll be happier.

It’s hard for me to get out and exercise with Liam. He can’t leave the house so I’m pretty much stuck here. With Justin gone riding his bike, playing basketball or the occasional working, that doesn’t leave me time to go out and get moving. Not with Liam being under “house arrest”. The only “available” time would be the middle of the day when the suns beating down, the hottest part of the day.

Even if I could afford a gym membership, I couldn’t afford the gas or the wear and tear in our truck. This is what I call “the rock and the hard place”. Which I seam to encounter A LOT. Not that I’m complaining, well maybe just a little. We could make a compromise, you know if he was capable of such things. This is where the “Men are evil” come into play. It’s like their plan is to keep us home and fatten us up so that if we ever decided to leave, we wouldn’t be able to find happiness with someone else. Not that every man does that or that that’s even the case here but it sounds good.

I know that depression affects weight. When your depressed you want to eat more. And even if you don’t eat more it still effects your weight. How? I’m not exactly sure. I just know that it does. I’m not exactly depressed, not anymore. Most days I’m not anyway. Being that depression is a chemical imbalance and I’m not completely cured, I’m sure my weight is still being effected.

The hardest thing about cutting back and eating healthy is not only ignoring those cravings but getting the four year old to eat healthy without fighting. She eats her apples and bananas sure but she still wants ice cream, fruit snacks and slurpies. We’ve never really told her she couldn’t have something. There were limits, no second helping on fruit snacks or other junk foods. Today she asked for a slurpie and we had to tell her no.

She didn’t completely understand why and she came and tattle taled on her daddy for telling her no. We did the best by explaining that slurpies weren’t good for her and she needs to eat healthy. If we continued to let her have junk all the time, she will grow up with those same unhealthy eating habits.

****************************************************

In searching the internet I found out WebMD has a system that tracks food and fitness. I signed up to check it out and gotta say that I love this thing! You wouldn’t believe how many calories you burn doing dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, playing with the kids and more. Its crazy. You input your info then it tells you what your weight should be and your caloric intake. I suggest using this thing. Its made it really easy to just go to the logs, look at how much more I can eat or how much more calories I need to burn for the week.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/food-fitness-planner/

Exciting News...

Liam has NO teeth...He still doesn't want to eat...but.....

HE IS OFFICIALLY A SITTER!!!

It's been am exciting day. During his BrightStart visit he sat for more than 20 minutes playing with the fisherprice gumball machine toy they brought. He was only showed once how to push down the lever and make the see and say balls pop out,  then he mastered it. It was so amazing to see him doing this and seeing the progress. Yesterday he could only sit for a few seconds on his own and today, WHAM, hes got it down.

More EXCITING news is that I cought Liam doing the army crawl this morning before BrightStart came. YES THE ARMY CRAWL! Using his legs to propel him and his elbows to get to the water trap in in his Oxygen line. He was determined. When he got his hands on it, he was so thrilled. He played with that thing and squelled. Extremely adorable. It was only about 6 inches of movement but for Liam thats HUGE.

Liam has been on the go all day, only concking out for a short 20 minute nap. He is really reaching a turning point. Its a good thing he had a GI appointment today. We started him on 24 cal (20 cal formula with Duocal to make 24 cal) for 22 hours a day. In a few days we're going to try 27 cal. Theyre supprised that he gained anything being only on 20 cal for so long. Because of all the issues, he will be seen again in  3 weeks. Liam has been having Night Terrors. They stopped a few days after we got home. We had 5 days no night terrors then I took Liam to the doctors yesterday and the GI specialist today and suddenly he has a night terror. Its almost like he knows too well whats going on and that being there scares him. Liam is also in pain from the change in his feeds. Hopefully it'll pass quickly because our little lamb needs all the calloried he can get.

Exciting new for Lanie as well. Today she got weighed at WIC and she weighed a whopping 40 pounds 10 ounces and measures 39 inches tall. I cant believe how fast shes growing up. She's still the master of candyland and wins 2 out of 3 times. She's been practicing her skating in the kitchen and makes up dances and shows. She takes care of her rabbit and feeds the cat. And recently shes gotten very good at cleaning her room. Shes a "Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers" and "Tale Spin" fan. She enjoys watching "Mickey Mouse Club House" and "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" with Liam every morning. She likes to make us all laugh. Shes become such an outgoing little girl. It's been amazing watching her grow.

We all can't wait for Liam's first birthday. We're counting down the days and praying he doesn't end up back in the hospital.

More things we found out yesterday/today from doctors:

*Next month Liams feeds will be changing from formula to something else.

*PT/OT  refereals have been submitted and both our ped and GI agree with this.

*GI is curious as to how long the pulmonologist will wait to do the right repair. They dont want them to wait until he is critical in weight and strength and Pulmonology wants to wait until the last minute in case he doesn't end up needing it.

*Both GI and Ped dissagree with the Pulmonologist in weining Liams oxygen because it makes him tachypneac and uses more energy to breathe therefore taking away from growth when we arent able to get enough in him as it is.

For now we're enjoying our time at home together. We may be stuck at home, unable to take Liam out of the house except for doctor appointments, but its better than being stuck at the hospital without our family together. God has given us a whole week at home together so far and its been awesome. We thank God for watching out for us and knowing when we've reached our limits, even if we think its more than we can handle.

Some exciting news in the CDH world:

Sir Isaac Mathew Rhodes is finnaly home for the very first time. It's been a long exhausting and trying road for his family and even though theyre home theyve got along journey ahead of them. Please keep them in your prayers. Pray for strength and health. No more hospital stays would be ideal. Sir Isaac has a trach and has been doing good since he got it. His mama and grandma couldnt be happier right now. Here's to you Sir Isaac and your AMAZING fight! Thinking of you and praying for you always!

Princess Alexandria oxygen has been weined giving her some time off the last I read. She seems to be thriving wonderfully and is beautiful as can be. Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers!

Cherub Killian laughed out loud for the first time today. Aunt Layna is asking for prayer for tomarrow when they try baby food for the first time. Keeping you in our prayers! Praying Killian takes to the baby food!

Mr Cooper Strickland is finnaly gaining weight. His mom posted that he's finnaly weighing in at 16 pounds 8 ounces! YAY COOPER! He recouvered from his first cold at the end of May. Keeping you in my prayers buddy!

Clara Bug enjoyed her first birthday back in April and is now prepairing for her first trip to the beach. Her smile shines through the wonderful pictures her mommy takes and lights up the world. So very happy your doing so well Miss Clara and enjoying so much life has to offer. Always thinking of you and praying for you!

Others we're praying for:

Little Liam Lyon was born with half a heart. Ive been following his amazing journey. This little guy is a true fighter and such a sweet boy. Liam bodily swelling has gone down. Please pray that it continues to decrease. This little guy has been through so much. He's had a heart tranplant and has been in the hospital pretty much his entire life. He has a facebook page "I Love Liam Lyon" Check it out. He also has people all over the world praying for him and lighting theyre porch lights and candles for him everynight. (Page called "Lights for Liam") The family has been through so much. Check out his page, his story and please pray for him and his family, WE LOVE YOU LIAM LYON!!

Always prying for our little LULU who we met in UCSF ICN. She had open heart surgery a few days after birth and has been doing great since. She is such a sweet precious baby girl. WE LOVE YOU LULU!!!



Little David was born premature and we met him and his parents up at UCSF as well. This little guy has come so far and isnt so little anymore. He just celebrated his first birthday and has a baby brother on the way. WE LOVE YOU DAVID!!!



Photo Catch Up

Since we've been home Liam has been doing just fine. Ever since the doctor at CHCC took him off the Biotin he hasn't thrown up. No throwing up is great because its less a chance he will develop phnemoia again. Liam will have to see the genetisist as a follow up here in a few months to make sure he is thriving off the Biotin. We're praying he has no ill efects from his Biotinidase Deficiency and being allergic to the Biotin. Liams trying to sit up more now. He can sit by himself in his tub and tried to sit up in his bouncer. He is also trying to crawl. Liam can get up on his knees but has no strength in his arm to push himself up. We cant take him out of the house because to expose him to the elements could mean more asthma attacks. We can only take him out for appointments. It's hard but were managing. Lanie has been super excited that we're home. Unfortunately shes been sick with allergies the whole time. She gets better then goes outside and gets worse. Ive been busy with Liam and all his meds and working with him as well as cleaning the house. Funny how you miss things like cleaning when your stuck in the hospital. Our cat Jack has missed us as well. One day we had a visit from Aunt Rose and Uncle Cliff and he felt like he wasnt getting enough attention so he sought it by curling up in Liams crib. I wasnt happy. I had just made the crib and had to turn around and strip it and dissenfect it and remake it. Yes I dissinfected it because Id rather be too safe. Lanie got to play in the sprinkler in her new bathing suit Aunt Rose and Uncle Cliff bought her for her birthday. It was the first time this summer and she loved it. We had hoped Liam would get his chance to play in a kiddie pool this summer but theres just no way. Today is Justin and my 7 year anniversary. This last year has been the hardest by far with everything we've gone through with Liam. We're praying things get better from here. Heres a bunch of pictures for you.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338190272/" title="P1030490 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7338190272_e321ea30f9.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="P1030490"></a>
Miss Lanie in her pretty Bohemian style dress (May 2 2012)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338206032/" title="P1030492 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7338206032_ee59a340eb.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="P1030492"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338224966/" title="01a by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7338224966_2c8a31fe2c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="01a"></a>
Lanie's Hippie Photo Shoot (May 18 2012)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338231400/" title="01a (3) by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7338231400_bb3ccf4d3c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="01a (3)"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338238622/" title="05 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7338238622_4c6c4efdef.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="05"></a>


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7330471206/" title="Photo104.jpg by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7330471206_49bc24e9c7.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="Photo104.jpg"></a>
Liam with his new toy. He's getting better at handling noise and light.




Lanie is getting a first hand lesson in nature. In a tree out back, a family of Dove's have built a nest and laid two eggs. We showed Lanie and are teaching her that you cant touch the nest or the eggs because the parents will abandoned the nest. She's also learning first hand the cycle. Eggs, to birds. Then she will get to watch them hatch and grow until they fly away. She thinks its amazing. (June 1 2012)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338508394/" title="P1030922 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7338508394_c05a43930f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1030922"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338550968/" title="P1030926 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7338550968_2d08e4490a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="P1030926"></a>




Liam's 10 Month Picture's:
These photos are bitter sweet because it was Liam's first time at a park, the first time he got to touch grass and act semi normal. And because of this he ended up at the hospital for a 10 day stay due to an allergic reaction to grass and asthma attacks. We wont be able to get pictures like these again for a long while.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338244694/" title="01 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7338244694_93ee48c66c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="01"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338250752/" title="02 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7230/7338250752_836ff79866.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="02"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338255700/" title="04 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/7338255700_8b0f08e607.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="04"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338260920/" title="06 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7338260920_0031014dbe.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="06"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338288984/" title="22 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8150/7338288984_5f99a9b63a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="22"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338296488/" title="25 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7338296488_35966ca559.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="25"></a>


Liam's sitting in his tub and loving his bath May 31 2012:
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Lanie practicing her Letter A (June 1 2012)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338394370/" title="P1030904 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7236/7338394370_46799cf51e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1030904"></a>

Visit From Aunt Rose and Uncle Cliff: (June 2 2012)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338604532/" title="P1030941 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7338604532_eb8b91ce46.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1030941"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338687158/" title="P1030953 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7222/7338687158_0383bc31b2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1030953"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338735492/" title="P1030958 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7338735492_71141e22cd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1030958"></a>

Liam playing with his nebulizer cord
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338776996/" title="P1030962 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7338776996_a23a4c5429.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="P1030962"></a>
Liam Playing with his new toy
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338784506/" title="P1030964 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7338784506_8ab1dcb2d8.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="P1030964"></a>

Lanie in her new bathing suit playing in the water (June 3 2012)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338796904/" title="P1030974 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7338796904_8428145898.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="P1030974"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338833346/" title="P1030989 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7338833346_713ddc3ff7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="P1030989"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliefree/7338884012/" title="P1030999 by truliefree, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7338884012_8c19bae3a4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1030999"></a>