April 9, 2006 Oh my, I went a while without updating! It's been good in Fighter Land, a bit busy in the last couple weeks, but all in a good way! Jacob has been healthy, thank God! He will start home therapy in a few weeks and then return to center-based (school) in the fall! We are praying the break, and the nice weather, with help his immune system.
Well, I'm at it again....I am doing another redesign of the website! It's going to have several new pages! I've been working on it a lot and hope to have it up in the next several days! It's just so much fun to do!
The speech for March of Dimes went very well. Thankfully Brett and my friend Kim came along, so I wasn't so nervous. Brett and Jacob came up with me, I told his story, and we returned to our seats. It was a very relaxed atmosphere! I had fun! It's always a pleasure telling people about my Fighter!
Alrighty, I'm off! Time to go to the movies!! Jacob's awesome Aunt Pam is babysitting for us!
April 25, 2006 It's taken me a little while, but as you can see, I have the newly designed site up and running. Take a look around! I hope you enjoy it. I am still working it, so bear with me!
In Jacob news... The Fighter has been feeling good (knock on wood) and has started doing some new things! He now know how to "bear crawl" or get on around on his hands and feet. He goes all over the house, its adorable. And because he can't see, he does run into things, but he just turns and keeps on going, bump on the head and all! He's amazing!
In Mom news... On April 29th, I will be leaving for sunny southern California (where I grew up) for a week-long vacation....without Jacob or Brett! I will be going with my best bud Katie. It will be my first time away from Jacob for more than 24 hours...I'm scared! don't get me wrong, I am very excited for a break, for some "me time," but I will miss my boys very much!
In Dad news... While I am away in California, Brett will be on vacation too, at home with Jacob to spend some real quality "guy time." He is really looking forward to the one-on-one time with Jacob, as well as some time away from work!
More updates to come!
April 26, 2006 I hope you like the new look of the site. I really enjoy designing it for my Fighter! I'm still touching it up here and there, but Jacob will be starting home therapy in May. Since we have taken him out of school until the fall, he had to return to home therapy in the meantime. He needs to have all the intervention possible, even while he's out of school. We look forward to it thought, because Jacob enjoys his time with his therapists.
I am excited to share with you that I have been hired to write another article for Preemie Magazine. I am working on the piece now and will keep you informed of its publication! :)
Saturday, April 1, 2006
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
March 2006
March 2, 2006 Jacob has been doing really good this week! He's been to school every day so far and even stopped by the NICU earlier this week to visit his old friends. Brett had to pick me up that day, so he brought Jacob up to see everyone. It was nice.
Unfortunately, I will have to take down the Guest Book again. Someone has decided to use Jacob's guest book as a means to advertise and it's happening a lot. I will take down the option to submit automatically, submit the info myself. That way I can filter out the "spam." It's horrible that people waste their time doing that.
March 9, 2006 Some of you may already know, but Jacob is in the hospital again.
It all started with a fever Sunday evening, then vomiting on Monday. We thought we'd try taking care of him without going to see anyone, but obviously it didn't work out that way. His fever persisted through early Wednesday morning when we took him to the ER. He didn't want to eat or drink either, so he was dehydrated. In the ER they gave him IV fluids, put him on oxygen, took blood for testing and took a chest x-ray. Although those tests came back normal, he was requiring oxygen and the fever still wouldn't break. An examination by an ER medical student, found that he has a double ear infection. After a few hours of waiting, and the recommendation of his pediatrician, he was admitted to the pediatric unit.
Last night things got a little worse as he needed more frequent breathing treatments and increased oxygen. Doctors may repeat a chest x-ray later today because they said that sometimes when little ones are dehydrated, an x-ray can be deceiving. Now that Jacob is hydrated, he has some raspy lung sounds, is coughing a lot more, and breathing faster, all possible indications of pneumonia or bronchitis. He will be in the hospital at least another night, if not longer.
Brett and I are taking turns at the hospital. When one of us needs rest, the other stays with Jacob. It's hard. Right now I am at home, and soon after updating the site, will be going to bed for a few hours. I decided that since I work right there in the hospital, I will work for a few hours tonight. Brett will be with Jacob.
Because this is his fourth hospital stay (due to respiratory issues) since September, Jacob's pediatrician has sent in a pulmonary (lung) specialist to see him. We will likely pull Jacob out of school until the fall as well. He did not get sick nearly this often before he started, so we know the exposure to other children and germs is causing his frequent illnesses.
Please keep Jacob in your prayers and I will update you as soon as I can.
March 10, 2006 First I would like to thank everyone for your kind words and prayers. They keep us going during times like this. God Bless you!
Jacob had a hard night. He needed more oxygen and was very irritable. After a while, he calmed down and finally went to sleep for several hours. When he woke up, his oxygen need decreased and he ate and had some juice...all great signs. He will be in the hospital at least one more night, or until he is off oxygen and eating and drinking well for several hours. We hope he continues to improve this afternoon/evening and overnight, so he can come home tmw. All tests are still negative, so doctors think the fever was from the double ear infection and his breathing issues may be pneumonia. Because his chest sounded better this morning, they decided against another x-ray. They may do one if he gets worse though.
I will update again when I can. Again, thanks for your support!
March 11, 2006 Jacob is doing much better today! We were hoping he would come home today, but it looks like it will be tomorrow (as long as he continues to do well). My sister Meagan came to the hospital last night and this morning to help us out; what a sweetheart.
Brett and I continue to be by Jacob's side in shifts. I take the nights and mornings, Brett does afternoon/evening. Each day I have used the time to come home for a little while, play with Skipper and update the site, then I head back to the hospital to work for a few hours before going back to Jacob's room. Brett went back to work last night, only staying for half his shift before coming back to the hospital. We are both staying strong for our Fighter! More updates to come...
March 13, 2006 Jacob didn't get to come home yesterday like I thought, nor will he get to come home today. He managed to go a couple hours without oxygen yesterday, but has since gone back on. He cannot leave the hospital until he can eat, sleep and play several hours without it. He is doing well otherwise; playing, standing, eating, drinking, etc.
Brett has been with him since yesterday afternoon because now I am sick, very sick. What started as a sore throat and stuffy nose, is now the full blown flu, or something similar. Achy, coughing, stuffy, all the good stuff. To help us out, My Mom and sister Meagan have offered to spend tonight with J so Brett can work (and rest) since I have to stay at home. I don't know what we would do without family and friends! God Bless you!
I would like to give a special thanks to the Kennard family, for the lovely basket of treats. And to my dear friend Natasha for offering to make us a home-cooked meal. I can't put into words how much you guys have helped us. This is very hard for us, but we stay strong with the support of you and Jacob's endless fighting power!
I will update again soon, for now I must get back to bed and rest. God Bless!
March 14, 2006 Jacob made it home from the hospital late last night, thank God! We are so happy he's back home. He was sent home with oxygen to use while he sleeps and in a few days we will take him to his pediatrician for a follow up. Then in a few weeks, we will follow up with the Pulmonary Specialist.
We can't wait for life to get back to normal. Thanks again for all your prayers! They helped so much!
March 19, 2006 The last few days have been good! Jacob is feeling much better and were settling back into our daily routine. Jacob and I aren't on the best sleep schedule, but we are at least getting our rest.
Jacob went to see his pediatrician on Thursday. She said Jacob looked good and a monitor showed his oxygen level was great! She suggested we give him oxygen (while he sleeps) for a few more days. She also mentioned the possibility of Jacob needing tubes in his ears because of his frequent ear infections. From what I hear, it is a common surgery in children. And of course Brett and I want to do whatever is needed to keep J's ears healthy. He already has vision loss, we do not want him to lose his ability to hear.
In Mommy news... I am really enjoying my job at the NICU. Although the title "Cleaning Tech" doesn't sound glamorous, it is actually a nice job. Yes, I do clean beds and stock supplies, but I also talk to parents, assist nurses and observe various things in the unit. The experience I am getting is going to do wonders for my nursing career. And the more I am there, the more I want to be a Neonatal nurse. Before starting this job, I told myself I wouldn't decided which area of nursing I would work in until after nursing school (since I would work many clinical rotations in various departments) but at this point, I am definitely leaning! I won't be done with school for three years, so I have plenty of time to decide, but if work in the NICU until then, I just may end up a NICU nurse!
March 27, 2006 Happy Monday to ya! Jacob has been doing really well! He's off oxygen and antibiotics and other than sleeping odd hours, he's great! We are working with Rainbows United to withdrawal him from school and return to home-based therapy. We will try school again in the fall. We hope a few months at home will allow his immune system to get stronger.
Now that the weather is starting to get warmer, Brett and I will be taking J outside more. We'd like to take him to the park, the zoo, or even our own backyard. He loves to swing, so he'll be doing plenty of that! We would also like to get him used to walking outside on different things (concrete, grass, etc). He still needs to hold our hands when he walks, but the more we work with him, the faster he'll walk independently. We can't wait!
Be sure to visit the site in the coming days as I will be adding several new pages and will complete those that are "under construction."
March 30, 2006 Monday evening I received a call from Teresa B., the Neonatal Nurse Liaison for Wesley Medical Center (I met her the day I interviewed for my job). Teresa also serves as the Chairman of Program Services for the Wichita Chapter of March of Dimes. She asked me if I would be willing to speak about my experience as a preemie mom at a kick-off party for the local Walk America event. Of course I said yes! I'm honored!
I will be speaking to a group of volunteers who are employed by a local grocer. There will be about 60 people. I am very nervous as I have not spoken in front of that many people before. Since I have told Jacob's story before, I won't be preparing anything...I'm winging it!
The event is this morning at 8:00am! I will be bringing Jacob along for everyone to meet. Brett and my friend Kim will also be coming for support and to take pictures! Wish me luck!
Unfortunately, I will have to take down the Guest Book again. Someone has decided to use Jacob's guest book as a means to advertise and it's happening a lot. I will take down the option to submit automatically, submit the info myself. That way I can filter out the "spam." It's horrible that people waste their time doing that.
March 9, 2006 Some of you may already know, but Jacob is in the hospital again.
It all started with a fever Sunday evening, then vomiting on Monday. We thought we'd try taking care of him without going to see anyone, but obviously it didn't work out that way. His fever persisted through early Wednesday morning when we took him to the ER. He didn't want to eat or drink either, so he was dehydrated. In the ER they gave him IV fluids, put him on oxygen, took blood for testing and took a chest x-ray. Although those tests came back normal, he was requiring oxygen and the fever still wouldn't break. An examination by an ER medical student, found that he has a double ear infection. After a few hours of waiting, and the recommendation of his pediatrician, he was admitted to the pediatric unit.
Last night things got a little worse as he needed more frequent breathing treatments and increased oxygen. Doctors may repeat a chest x-ray later today because they said that sometimes when little ones are dehydrated, an x-ray can be deceiving. Now that Jacob is hydrated, he has some raspy lung sounds, is coughing a lot more, and breathing faster, all possible indications of pneumonia or bronchitis. He will be in the hospital at least another night, if not longer.
Brett and I are taking turns at the hospital. When one of us needs rest, the other stays with Jacob. It's hard. Right now I am at home, and soon after updating the site, will be going to bed for a few hours. I decided that since I work right there in the hospital, I will work for a few hours tonight. Brett will be with Jacob.
Because this is his fourth hospital stay (due to respiratory issues) since September, Jacob's pediatrician has sent in a pulmonary (lung) specialist to see him. We will likely pull Jacob out of school until the fall as well. He did not get sick nearly this often before he started, so we know the exposure to other children and germs is causing his frequent illnesses.
Please keep Jacob in your prayers and I will update you as soon as I can.
March 10, 2006 First I would like to thank everyone for your kind words and prayers. They keep us going during times like this. God Bless you!
Jacob had a hard night. He needed more oxygen and was very irritable. After a while, he calmed down and finally went to sleep for several hours. When he woke up, his oxygen need decreased and he ate and had some juice...all great signs. He will be in the hospital at least one more night, or until he is off oxygen and eating and drinking well for several hours. We hope he continues to improve this afternoon/evening and overnight, so he can come home tmw. All tests are still negative, so doctors think the fever was from the double ear infection and his breathing issues may be pneumonia. Because his chest sounded better this morning, they decided against another x-ray. They may do one if he gets worse though.
I will update again when I can. Again, thanks for your support!
March 11, 2006 Jacob is doing much better today! We were hoping he would come home today, but it looks like it will be tomorrow (as long as he continues to do well). My sister Meagan came to the hospital last night and this morning to help us out; what a sweetheart.
Brett and I continue to be by Jacob's side in shifts. I take the nights and mornings, Brett does afternoon/evening. Each day I have used the time to come home for a little while, play with Skipper and update the site, then I head back to the hospital to work for a few hours before going back to Jacob's room. Brett went back to work last night, only staying for half his shift before coming back to the hospital. We are both staying strong for our Fighter! More updates to come...
March 13, 2006 Jacob didn't get to come home yesterday like I thought, nor will he get to come home today. He managed to go a couple hours without oxygen yesterday, but has since gone back on. He cannot leave the hospital until he can eat, sleep and play several hours without it. He is doing well otherwise; playing, standing, eating, drinking, etc.
Brett has been with him since yesterday afternoon because now I am sick, very sick. What started as a sore throat and stuffy nose, is now the full blown flu, or something similar. Achy, coughing, stuffy, all the good stuff. To help us out, My Mom and sister Meagan have offered to spend tonight with J so Brett can work (and rest) since I have to stay at home. I don't know what we would do without family and friends! God Bless you!
I would like to give a special thanks to the Kennard family, for the lovely basket of treats. And to my dear friend Natasha for offering to make us a home-cooked meal. I can't put into words how much you guys have helped us. This is very hard for us, but we stay strong with the support of you and Jacob's endless fighting power!
I will update again soon, for now I must get back to bed and rest. God Bless!
March 14, 2006 Jacob made it home from the hospital late last night, thank God! We are so happy he's back home. He was sent home with oxygen to use while he sleeps and in a few days we will take him to his pediatrician for a follow up. Then in a few weeks, we will follow up with the Pulmonary Specialist.
We can't wait for life to get back to normal. Thanks again for all your prayers! They helped so much!
March 19, 2006 The last few days have been good! Jacob is feeling much better and were settling back into our daily routine. Jacob and I aren't on the best sleep schedule, but we are at least getting our rest.
Jacob went to see his pediatrician on Thursday. She said Jacob looked good and a monitor showed his oxygen level was great! She suggested we give him oxygen (while he sleeps) for a few more days. She also mentioned the possibility of Jacob needing tubes in his ears because of his frequent ear infections. From what I hear, it is a common surgery in children. And of course Brett and I want to do whatever is needed to keep J's ears healthy. He already has vision loss, we do not want him to lose his ability to hear.
In Mommy news... I am really enjoying my job at the NICU. Although the title "Cleaning Tech" doesn't sound glamorous, it is actually a nice job. Yes, I do clean beds and stock supplies, but I also talk to parents, assist nurses and observe various things in the unit. The experience I am getting is going to do wonders for my nursing career. And the more I am there, the more I want to be a Neonatal nurse. Before starting this job, I told myself I wouldn't decided which area of nursing I would work in until after nursing school (since I would work many clinical rotations in various departments) but at this point, I am definitely leaning! I won't be done with school for three years, so I have plenty of time to decide, but if work in the NICU until then, I just may end up a NICU nurse!
March 27, 2006 Happy Monday to ya! Jacob has been doing really well! He's off oxygen and antibiotics and other than sleeping odd hours, he's great! We are working with Rainbows United to withdrawal him from school and return to home-based therapy. We will try school again in the fall. We hope a few months at home will allow his immune system to get stronger.
Now that the weather is starting to get warmer, Brett and I will be taking J outside more. We'd like to take him to the park, the zoo, or even our own backyard. He loves to swing, so he'll be doing plenty of that! We would also like to get him used to walking outside on different things (concrete, grass, etc). He still needs to hold our hands when he walks, but the more we work with him, the faster he'll walk independently. We can't wait!
Be sure to visit the site in the coming days as I will be adding several new pages and will complete those that are "under construction."
March 30, 2006 Monday evening I received a call from Teresa B., the Neonatal Nurse Liaison for Wesley Medical Center (I met her the day I interviewed for my job). Teresa also serves as the Chairman of Program Services for the Wichita Chapter of March of Dimes. She asked me if I would be willing to speak about my experience as a preemie mom at a kick-off party for the local Walk America event. Of course I said yes! I'm honored!
I will be speaking to a group of volunteers who are employed by a local grocer. There will be about 60 people. I am very nervous as I have not spoken in front of that many people before. Since I have told Jacob's story before, I won't be preparing anything...I'm winging it!
The event is this morning at 8:00am! I will be bringing Jacob along for everyone to meet. Brett and my friend Kim will also be coming for support and to take pictures! Wish me luck!
Friday, February 10, 2006
In The News
On February 8, 2006, Jacob and his Mom were featured in the local newspaper, The Wichita Eagle. Eagle reporter Karen Shideler wrote the article about Trish's publishing debut (see Preemie Magazine page) as well as Jacob's amazing story.
Sunday, January 1, 2006
January 2006
January 4, 2006 Happy New Year! Welcome to 2006! I hope it is a very happy and healthy year for you and yours!
Jacob has started this new year feeling great! Yesterday was his first day back to school since being in the hospital and he had a great day! He was in a good mood and was very talkative!
Our Fighter continues to crawl (hands/knees and hands/feet) all over the house and walks fast and far holding our hands. He pulls to stand on everything, furniture, boxes, even the rocking chair! We are so proud of him and look forward to when he's walking on his own. That's when we will really need to show him around!
Check out the new pictures on the Photos page!
January 9, 2006 The Fighter's mom has been published! That's right, my article about ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) has been published in the current issue of Preemie Magazine! I am honored for the opportunity. I am grateful to be able to spread the word and educate other preemie parents and professionals about the devastating disease that took Jacob's vision. Check out the article in the current issue, or visit www.preemiemagazine.com in the coming weeks for the online version.
January 18, 2006 After another illness and time away from school, Jacob is back to his old happy self. Brett and I were so discouraged with his frequent illness that we thought about pulling him out of school until the spring. In the end we decided against that and will just take things one day at a time. We would rather he be sick and miss days here and there rather than keeping him home all together. Attending Rainbows and receiving the love, care, and therapy that he does, has been too beneficial to him to pull him away from it.
Jacob continues to amaze us at home (and at school). Just last week he took three steps unassisted. My heart dropped and I teared up as he stepped forward in the kitchen. He continues to try each day, although those three steps are the farthest he's gone so far. It won't be long before he's walking all over the place! And that's when we will be Jacob-proofing things around the house! :)
In Mommy News....After several months of hunting, I have a new job! Believe it or not, I will be working in the NICU were Jacob spent the first four months of his life. I applied for the position some time ago and forgot about it when I didn't get a response. Well, the nurse manager called, asked if I was still interested and the rest is history! I am very excited! I will be working as a cleaning/stocking tech and will also help the managers with parenting feedback/support. I will have orientation on Jan. 30th and begin working in the NICU after that! I am very thankful to have been given this opportunity!
January 24, 2006 I have received many emails from people who have visited JTF! Some have even signed the Guest Book! It's so exciting to know that sharing Jacob's story has touched so many people. I love sharing his story, especially with other preemie parents.
Jacob's been in a great mood lately and is pulling to stand at just about everything now. The couch, the table, even the walls! It's so neat to watch! He is starting to glide along things too! He continues to trying to take steps on his own. I know it won't be long before he's walking.
In Mommy news......After much thought, I have decided to take a semester off from school. It's been a very busy few months and I think the time off will help a lot. I plan to return to school for the summer session.
Jacob has started this new year feeling great! Yesterday was his first day back to school since being in the hospital and he had a great day! He was in a good mood and was very talkative!
Our Fighter continues to crawl (hands/knees and hands/feet) all over the house and walks fast and far holding our hands. He pulls to stand on everything, furniture, boxes, even the rocking chair! We are so proud of him and look forward to when he's walking on his own. That's when we will really need to show him around!
Check out the new pictures on the Photos page!
January 9, 2006 The Fighter's mom has been published! That's right, my article about ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) has been published in the current issue of Preemie Magazine! I am honored for the opportunity. I am grateful to be able to spread the word and educate other preemie parents and professionals about the devastating disease that took Jacob's vision. Check out the article in the current issue, or visit www.preemiemagazine.com in the coming weeks for the online version.
January 18, 2006 After another illness and time away from school, Jacob is back to his old happy self. Brett and I were so discouraged with his frequent illness that we thought about pulling him out of school until the spring. In the end we decided against that and will just take things one day at a time. We would rather he be sick and miss days here and there rather than keeping him home all together. Attending Rainbows and receiving the love, care, and therapy that he does, has been too beneficial to him to pull him away from it.
Jacob continues to amaze us at home (and at school). Just last week he took three steps unassisted. My heart dropped and I teared up as he stepped forward in the kitchen. He continues to try each day, although those three steps are the farthest he's gone so far. It won't be long before he's walking all over the place! And that's when we will be Jacob-proofing things around the house! :)
In Mommy News....After several months of hunting, I have a new job! Believe it or not, I will be working in the NICU were Jacob spent the first four months of his life. I applied for the position some time ago and forgot about it when I didn't get a response. Well, the nurse manager called, asked if I was still interested and the rest is history! I am very excited! I will be working as a cleaning/stocking tech and will also help the managers with parenting feedback/support. I will have orientation on Jan. 30th and begin working in the NICU after that! I am very thankful to have been given this opportunity!
January 24, 2006 I have received many emails from people who have visited JTF! Some have even signed the Guest Book! It's so exciting to know that sharing Jacob's story has touched so many people. I love sharing his story, especially with other preemie parents.
Jacob's been in a great mood lately and is pulling to stand at just about everything now. The couch, the table, even the walls! It's so neat to watch! He is starting to glide along things too! He continues to trying to take steps on his own. I know it won't be long before he's walking.
In Mommy news......After much thought, I have decided to take a semester off from school. It's been a very busy few months and I think the time off will help a lot. I plan to return to school for the summer session.
Thursday, December 1, 2005
December 2005
December 7, 2005 Is Christmas yet? I love this time of year. We have our Christmas tree up and looking good, and we plan to let Jacob open his own gifts Christmas morning. He loves tearing paper!!
On a not-so-good note, Jacob had some seizure activity early yesterday morning. Brett had him ready to leave for school when he started shaking, arching his back, and not responding to anything we did. Brett went outside when the bus arrived to tell the driver he wasn't going, while I got his medication ready (a rectal med that stops seizures). We gave him the meds and he was fine within minutes. The seizure itself lasted nearly 15 minutes. I called Jacob's neurologist's office and they want him in for blood work ASAP. They want to be sure his medication level is ok. It's been seven months since his last seizure, so we want to cover all the bases. We aren't sure if its related or not, but Monday morning at 4am, Jacob woke up vomiting and later ran a slight fever. He felt fine the rest of the day so we don't know if it is related to the seizure, or was something he ate. Hopefully the blood work will answer that.
December 14, 2005 Oh what a week! Jacob was sick all weekend and was coughing so bad Sunday night that Brett and I took him to the minor emergency center. The doctor thought Jacob would benefit from oxygen and also thought he may have whopping cough, so he sent us to the hospital. After two nights, no meds, no IV, and little oxygen, we came home clueless. Tests for whooping cough were negative. Weird. Other than being a bit irritable and coughing ever now and then, he's feeling fine! Now its mommy's turn to be sick! I went to the doctor today and was prescribed three medications for a sinus infection! Gotta love horse pills!
Because he's been sick so much in the last few months, Brett and I have decided to keep Jacob home from school until after the holidays. Then in February, Jacob will start going to full day classes! Very exciting...as long as he stays healthy!
In other news... Jacob, Brett and myself have been invited to the annual holiday banquet for Rainbows United board members. Because Jacob is their campaign kid right now, we've been asked to attend the gathering and share a few words with those in attendance. We are honored and very happy to attend, that is, as long as we are all feeling well. The banquet is schedule for tomorrow evening (12/15). Here's hoping those meds work fast! A great friend of mine will be coming with us to take photos. I will have those up as soon as I can.
December 17, 2005 Jacob wasn't ready to be back home after all.... we had to take him back to the hospital on Thursday for rapid breathing. After many tests and one night's stay, it was determined that he had a mucus plug from the previous illness. His pediatrician also saw a little redness in his ears, so she put Jacob on an antibiotic. As another precaution, she put him on breathing treatments with a steroid to keep his lungs nice and clear. Other than sleeping a lot (which he deserves), he is doing really well. We hope these treatments and a lot of rest will get him back to his happy, healthy self.
Unfortunately, because of my head cold and Jacob's return to the hospital, we were not able to attend the holiday gathering for Rainbows United. We are honored to have been invited and hope we have another opportunity to meet and greet the board of directors in the future.
December 23, 2005 Merry Christmas to ya! It will definitely be a merry one for us now that our Fighter is feeling better! Those antibiotics and breathing treatments got Jacob back to his old playful, happy and energetic self! Now if I could just get him back on a normal sleep schedule...
For the holiday weekend we plan to stay home and not travel after the tough couple weeks we had. So, Christmas Eve we are welcoming Brett's parents, Bill and Reatha for an evening together (and maybe a nice dinner cooked by Brett since I don't cook...uh oh, the secret is out!). We will let Jacob open his gifts from them as well. On Christmas Day we will go to my parents house for a nice ham dinner and an exchange of gifts. I will be a wonderful time!
On behalf of Brett, Jacob, and our dog Skipper, I would like to wish you and yours a very happy and safe holiday weekend! God Bless!
December 28, 2005 I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great holiday weekend and Jacob enjoyed opening his gifts! He received lots of new toys and clothes from family and friends! And the greatest part of the weekend... Jacob was healthy and in good spirits!! I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas!
Brett and I are working on J's sleeping habits to prepare him to return to school on January 3rd. Right now he is staying up way too late and sleeping in and napping too late. We blame the hospital stay. His schedule gets better with each day, so by next week he should be set!
On a not-so-good note, Jacob had some seizure activity early yesterday morning. Brett had him ready to leave for school when he started shaking, arching his back, and not responding to anything we did. Brett went outside when the bus arrived to tell the driver he wasn't going, while I got his medication ready (a rectal med that stops seizures). We gave him the meds and he was fine within minutes. The seizure itself lasted nearly 15 minutes. I called Jacob's neurologist's office and they want him in for blood work ASAP. They want to be sure his medication level is ok. It's been seven months since his last seizure, so we want to cover all the bases. We aren't sure if its related or not, but Monday morning at 4am, Jacob woke up vomiting and later ran a slight fever. He felt fine the rest of the day so we don't know if it is related to the seizure, or was something he ate. Hopefully the blood work will answer that.
December 14, 2005 Oh what a week! Jacob was sick all weekend and was coughing so bad Sunday night that Brett and I took him to the minor emergency center. The doctor thought Jacob would benefit from oxygen and also thought he may have whopping cough, so he sent us to the hospital. After two nights, no meds, no IV, and little oxygen, we came home clueless. Tests for whooping cough were negative. Weird. Other than being a bit irritable and coughing ever now and then, he's feeling fine! Now its mommy's turn to be sick! I went to the doctor today and was prescribed three medications for a sinus infection! Gotta love horse pills!
Because he's been sick so much in the last few months, Brett and I have decided to keep Jacob home from school until after the holidays. Then in February, Jacob will start going to full day classes! Very exciting...as long as he stays healthy!
In other news... Jacob, Brett and myself have been invited to the annual holiday banquet for Rainbows United board members. Because Jacob is their campaign kid right now, we've been asked to attend the gathering and share a few words with those in attendance. We are honored and very happy to attend, that is, as long as we are all feeling well. The banquet is schedule for tomorrow evening (12/15). Here's hoping those meds work fast! A great friend of mine will be coming with us to take photos. I will have those up as soon as I can.
December 17, 2005 Jacob wasn't ready to be back home after all.... we had to take him back to the hospital on Thursday for rapid breathing. After many tests and one night's stay, it was determined that he had a mucus plug from the previous illness. His pediatrician also saw a little redness in his ears, so she put Jacob on an antibiotic. As another precaution, she put him on breathing treatments with a steroid to keep his lungs nice and clear. Other than sleeping a lot (which he deserves), he is doing really well. We hope these treatments and a lot of rest will get him back to his happy, healthy self.
Unfortunately, because of my head cold and Jacob's return to the hospital, we were not able to attend the holiday gathering for Rainbows United. We are honored to have been invited and hope we have another opportunity to meet and greet the board of directors in the future.
December 23, 2005 Merry Christmas to ya! It will definitely be a merry one for us now that our Fighter is feeling better! Those antibiotics and breathing treatments got Jacob back to his old playful, happy and energetic self! Now if I could just get him back on a normal sleep schedule...
For the holiday weekend we plan to stay home and not travel after the tough couple weeks we had. So, Christmas Eve we are welcoming Brett's parents, Bill and Reatha for an evening together (and maybe a nice dinner cooked by Brett since I don't cook...uh oh, the secret is out!). We will let Jacob open his gifts from them as well. On Christmas Day we will go to my parents house for a nice ham dinner and an exchange of gifts. I will be a wonderful time!
On behalf of Brett, Jacob, and our dog Skipper, I would like to wish you and yours a very happy and safe holiday weekend! God Bless!
December 28, 2005 I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great holiday weekend and Jacob enjoyed opening his gifts! He received lots of new toys and clothes from family and friends! And the greatest part of the weekend... Jacob was healthy and in good spirits!! I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas!
Brett and I are working on J's sleeping habits to prepare him to return to school on January 3rd. Right now he is staying up way too late and sleeping in and napping too late. We blame the hospital stay. His schedule gets better with each day, so by next week he should be set!
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
November 2005
November 3, 2005 November already! Wow! It'll be Christmas before we know it!
Jacob is feeling a lot better. Poor kid was sick for a week! I hope now that he's been sick a few times in the last several months, his immune system is getting stronger. Not only is it tough being sick, but being sick means no school and he has been doing so well at school. I want him to be there each day to continue in his progress. And speaking of school, Jacob went with his class to a local business for Trick-or-Treating! I wasn't able to go with him, but I was told he had a great time and he came home with lots of goodies!
We have just put our order in for school pictures. Jacob came home yesterday with a proof sheet and order form! Oh he looks like such a big boy!! When I get the pictures, I will have one scanned so that I can post it on the website.
In Mommy News....I received an email today from the Editor-in-Chief of Preemie Magazine regarding the article I wrote for their Winter 2005 issue. (for those who didn't see the Journal Update back in September, I contacted the Magazine and the Editor asked me to write an article about ROP, the eye condition Jacob has. This will be my publishing debut!) Over the coming weeks, he and I will be working together to polish the article for publication. I am very excited and thankful for this opportunity. I hope this will open doors for me. It would be great to make extra money as a freelance writer while attending school.
If you are interested in learning more about Preemie Magazine, please visit their website at www.preemiemagazine.com. Preemie parents and professionals are eligible for free subscriptions. All others can purchase a subscription for a small fee. The magazine is published quarterly.
November 12, 2005 Well, I thought Jacob was doing better. Last weekend he spent an entire night crying and we couldn't figure out why, that is, until I looked at his ear and saw lots of "goop." It ended up being a double ear infection. He has been on antibiotics all week. All was well until yesterday when he just started crying for no apparent reason. I tried giving him a bottle, food, a bath, took him for a drive, rocked him, held him....everything I could think of and nothing would calm him down. Finally, I gave him some Tylenol and he went to sleep. He woke up this morning in a great mood and went nuts again at Wal-Mart. Boy was that fun! I just wish I knew what was wrong and how to help him when he gets like that.
On Thursday (11/10), Jacob went on a fieldtrip with his class to the Zoo. Brett and I met them there. We were there for just over an hour. Jacob had fun petting and feeding the animals and then he got to hear the elephants and other animals. It was a fun day out and thankfully the weather was nice!
November 21, 2005 Jacob's excessive crankiness (explained in my last entry) turned out to be constipation caused by his antibiotics. That explains why he didn't want to eat. After giving him a little help, he felt a lot better. This weekend he was cranky still, and we aren't sure why. He gets upset when we put him in his highchair to eat, or let him play on his own for too long. Brett and I are praying this is a phase and that it pass soon.
We are still working on weaning Jacob from the bottle, as well as transitioning him from "Gerber Graduates" to table food. With his teacher working with him at school (he eats breakfast there) and Brett and I at home, we should have him there in no time!
And speaking of school, Jacob is on a waiting list for a full day slot starting in January! Since September, Jacob has been attending a half day class (8:30am to 11:30am) five days a week. If he gets one of the opening spots, he will stay until 2:30pm. Along with his teacher and therapists, Brett and I agree that a full day would be most beneficial. It would allow him more routine, time with friends and more therapy sessions.
And now for some cool news....Not only is Jacob a student at Rainbows United Inc., he is now their "Campaign Kid." Stephanie Harder, Director of Development at RUI, contacted me last month expressing her interest in Jacob's story. I guess his website is a big hit around the Rainbows offices. Touched by his story, Stephanie asked our permission to use Jacob as the focus of their annual "Give Hope" campaign. Of course I said yes without hesitation!! Jacob is featured on the RUI website as well as in a brochure which is then distributed to donors for their continued support. I have asked for a few copies of the brochure. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please email me.
Visit, www.rainbowsunited.org and be sure to disable your pop-up blocker, to see a page about Jacob!
I have added the Guest Book back to the website. I took it down some time ago due to spamming, which until now, I did not know how to block. Since I cannot reinsert past entries, I welcome you to add your thoughts!
November 22, 2005 Jacob did something amazing today! He was playing in his playpen when he reached up, grabbed the side, then pulled himself to standing position! He did it all by himself over and over again! Brett snapped a few pictures of him doing it. I'll try to have them up this evening!
November 28, 2005 Brett, Jacob, Skipper (our rat terrier) and me, hope you had a happy thanksgiving weekend! We enjoyed time off from school (Jacob and me), time off from work (Brett) and time with our families.
The day after thanksgiving, Brett and I went out and purchased a Christmas tree and decorations. That evening, while Brett prepared dinner and Grandma Smith (who was in town from Western Kansas) played with Jacob, Meagan and I set up and decorated the tree! It was a wonderful evening!
Jacob is famous!! The Rainbows United brochures for the Hope Campaign have been printed and distributed! We received our copies last week! They turned out great and we are so honored and excited to be a part of this years campaign!
To receive your paper or email copy, email me! You can also visit the Rainbows United website at:http://www.rainbowsunited.org.
Jacob is feeling a lot better. Poor kid was sick for a week! I hope now that he's been sick a few times in the last several months, his immune system is getting stronger. Not only is it tough being sick, but being sick means no school and he has been doing so well at school. I want him to be there each day to continue in his progress. And speaking of school, Jacob went with his class to a local business for Trick-or-Treating! I wasn't able to go with him, but I was told he had a great time and he came home with lots of goodies!
We have just put our order in for school pictures. Jacob came home yesterday with a proof sheet and order form! Oh he looks like such a big boy!! When I get the pictures, I will have one scanned so that I can post it on the website.
In Mommy News....I received an email today from the Editor-in-Chief of Preemie Magazine regarding the article I wrote for their Winter 2005 issue. (for those who didn't see the Journal Update back in September, I contacted the Magazine and the Editor asked me to write an article about ROP, the eye condition Jacob has. This will be my publishing debut!) Over the coming weeks, he and I will be working together to polish the article for publication. I am very excited and thankful for this opportunity. I hope this will open doors for me. It would be great to make extra money as a freelance writer while attending school.
If you are interested in learning more about Preemie Magazine, please visit their website at www.preemiemagazine.com. Preemie parents and professionals are eligible for free subscriptions. All others can purchase a subscription for a small fee. The magazine is published quarterly.
November 12, 2005 Well, I thought Jacob was doing better. Last weekend he spent an entire night crying and we couldn't figure out why, that is, until I looked at his ear and saw lots of "goop." It ended up being a double ear infection. He has been on antibiotics all week. All was well until yesterday when he just started crying for no apparent reason. I tried giving him a bottle, food, a bath, took him for a drive, rocked him, held him....everything I could think of and nothing would calm him down. Finally, I gave him some Tylenol and he went to sleep. He woke up this morning in a great mood and went nuts again at Wal-Mart. Boy was that fun! I just wish I knew what was wrong and how to help him when he gets like that.
On Thursday (11/10), Jacob went on a fieldtrip with his class to the Zoo. Brett and I met them there. We were there for just over an hour. Jacob had fun petting and feeding the animals and then he got to hear the elephants and other animals. It was a fun day out and thankfully the weather was nice!
November 21, 2005 Jacob's excessive crankiness (explained in my last entry) turned out to be constipation caused by his antibiotics. That explains why he didn't want to eat. After giving him a little help, he felt a lot better. This weekend he was cranky still, and we aren't sure why. He gets upset when we put him in his highchair to eat, or let him play on his own for too long. Brett and I are praying this is a phase and that it pass soon.
We are still working on weaning Jacob from the bottle, as well as transitioning him from "Gerber Graduates" to table food. With his teacher working with him at school (he eats breakfast there) and Brett and I at home, we should have him there in no time!
And speaking of school, Jacob is on a waiting list for a full day slot starting in January! Since September, Jacob has been attending a half day class (8:30am to 11:30am) five days a week. If he gets one of the opening spots, he will stay until 2:30pm. Along with his teacher and therapists, Brett and I agree that a full day would be most beneficial. It would allow him more routine, time with friends and more therapy sessions.
And now for some cool news....Not only is Jacob a student at Rainbows United Inc., he is now their "Campaign Kid." Stephanie Harder, Director of Development at RUI, contacted me last month expressing her interest in Jacob's story. I guess his website is a big hit around the Rainbows offices. Touched by his story, Stephanie asked our permission to use Jacob as the focus of their annual "Give Hope" campaign. Of course I said yes without hesitation!! Jacob is featured on the RUI website as well as in a brochure which is then distributed to donors for their continued support. I have asked for a few copies of the brochure. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please email me.
Visit, www.rainbowsunited.org and be sure to disable your pop-up blocker, to see a page about Jacob!
I have added the Guest Book back to the website. I took it down some time ago due to spamming, which until now, I did not know how to block. Since I cannot reinsert past entries, I welcome you to add your thoughts!
November 22, 2005 Jacob did something amazing today! He was playing in his playpen when he reached up, grabbed the side, then pulled himself to standing position! He did it all by himself over and over again! Brett snapped a few pictures of him doing it. I'll try to have them up this evening!
November 28, 2005 Brett, Jacob, Skipper (our rat terrier) and me, hope you had a happy thanksgiving weekend! We enjoyed time off from school (Jacob and me), time off from work (Brett) and time with our families.
The day after thanksgiving, Brett and I went out and purchased a Christmas tree and decorations. That evening, while Brett prepared dinner and Grandma Smith (who was in town from Western Kansas) played with Jacob, Meagan and I set up and decorated the tree! It was a wonderful evening!
Jacob is famous!! The Rainbows United brochures for the Hope Campaign have been printed and distributed! We received our copies last week! They turned out great and we are so honored and excited to be a part of this years campaign!
To receive your paper or email copy, email me! You can also visit the Rainbows United website at:http://www.rainbowsunited.org.
Saturday, October 1, 2005
October 2005
October 3, 2005 Howdy and Happy October to ya! You know what the month of October means....Pumpkins!!!
Jacob will be going on his first school field trip this week to a pumpkin patch! Brett and I are going along and will take some pictures! Should be a lot of fun!
I have added some new pictures to the site with more to come soon! Our darn digital camera is still not working properly, so we have to go the long route to get pics on the computer.
October 17, 2005 It's been busy in Fighter Land! But in a good way! Jacob has been doing great at school, other than one day he was in a bad mood. It's so cool to have masterpieces for the fridge! Jacob is a great artist!
Jacob is crawling so much now that we can't take our eyes off of him for one second or he'll be in another room! Just the other day I left him in the living room while I went into the kitchen. I came back and he had crawled down the hall into the bathroom! He's fast! He has been trying to stand up on his own lately too! That's great to see. He gets on his hands and feet and lifts his upper body. He stands for a few seconds, then falls down on his bottom. Wow! He's going to be standing and walking before we know it! It's so nice to see him finally going mobile!
For the past couple weeks, we have been trying to wean him from the bottle. We have been able to get him down to just two bottles a day, with the rest of his fluids coming from the sippy cup during meals. We hope to have him off the bottle completely within a month or two. We are taking our time and being patient with him.
Our digital camera is suddenly working again (I have no idea what happened) so I should have some new photos up soon!
October 24, 2005 We've been getting many new visitors to JTF! I would like to welcome you and thank you for checking out the site!
October 27, 2005 The last few days have been exhausting. Jacob was running a fever off and on from Monday until late last night. His temp got as high as 104- we were really worried. We didn't want to take him to the hospital unless we absolutely had to, so we did all we could to get his fever down at home. Cool baths, cold compresses, even a few minutes outside in the cool air. Of course we gave him Tylenol every 4 to 6 hours as well. I called his pediatrician's office and spoke with a nurse on Tuesday. She said a virus has been going around with symptoms similar to Jacobs. She told me to keep with what we were doing and call if things got any worse. Although his fever has been gone for several hours, I may take him in to get checked out today.
What I worry about the most when Jacob is sick, is that he refuses to eat or drink. I catch him at the right moment though, and force down some apple sauce or juice...anything to keep him from getting dehydrated. Last night I had to wake Brett up to see if he could get J to drink some Pedialyte from a bottle. He wouldn't take it from me. Luckily he did from Brett. We suspect this is all due to a virus or maybe teething. He has some molars coming in.
In Mom news... Three nights ago I was on my laptop condensing all the journal entries into one file on my computer. I had entries from October 2003 to the present. Well, last night I went to open the file to edit and it wasn't there. Gone. Deleted. Poof! I think I accidentally deleted the wrong file after I condensed. So, I have lost all journal entries from May 2005 to September 2005 (I have a file on the other computer with entries up to August 2005). Needless to say I am very upset about this as I have been saving all my entries since shortly after J's website debuted. I guess I shouldn't be too depressed since it's my own fault for not making a backup disk. Oh well. I learned my lesson.
If by chance, anyone has been saving journal entries, please let me know! Thanks!
Please check out new pictures on the photo album page!
Jacob will be going on his first school field trip this week to a pumpkin patch! Brett and I are going along and will take some pictures! Should be a lot of fun!
I have added some new pictures to the site with more to come soon! Our darn digital camera is still not working properly, so we have to go the long route to get pics on the computer.
October 17, 2005 It's been busy in Fighter Land! But in a good way! Jacob has been doing great at school, other than one day he was in a bad mood. It's so cool to have masterpieces for the fridge! Jacob is a great artist!
Jacob is crawling so much now that we can't take our eyes off of him for one second or he'll be in another room! Just the other day I left him in the living room while I went into the kitchen. I came back and he had crawled down the hall into the bathroom! He's fast! He has been trying to stand up on his own lately too! That's great to see. He gets on his hands and feet and lifts his upper body. He stands for a few seconds, then falls down on his bottom. Wow! He's going to be standing and walking before we know it! It's so nice to see him finally going mobile!
For the past couple weeks, we have been trying to wean him from the bottle. We have been able to get him down to just two bottles a day, with the rest of his fluids coming from the sippy cup during meals. We hope to have him off the bottle completely within a month or two. We are taking our time and being patient with him.
Our digital camera is suddenly working again (I have no idea what happened) so I should have some new photos up soon!
October 24, 2005 We've been getting many new visitors to JTF! I would like to welcome you and thank you for checking out the site!
October 27, 2005 The last few days have been exhausting. Jacob was running a fever off and on from Monday until late last night. His temp got as high as 104- we were really worried. We didn't want to take him to the hospital unless we absolutely had to, so we did all we could to get his fever down at home. Cool baths, cold compresses, even a few minutes outside in the cool air. Of course we gave him Tylenol every 4 to 6 hours as well. I called his pediatrician's office and spoke with a nurse on Tuesday. She said a virus has been going around with symptoms similar to Jacobs. She told me to keep with what we were doing and call if things got any worse. Although his fever has been gone for several hours, I may take him in to get checked out today.
What I worry about the most when Jacob is sick, is that he refuses to eat or drink. I catch him at the right moment though, and force down some apple sauce or juice...anything to keep him from getting dehydrated. Last night I had to wake Brett up to see if he could get J to drink some Pedialyte from a bottle. He wouldn't take it from me. Luckily he did from Brett. We suspect this is all due to a virus or maybe teething. He has some molars coming in.
In Mom news... Three nights ago I was on my laptop condensing all the journal entries into one file on my computer. I had entries from October 2003 to the present. Well, last night I went to open the file to edit and it wasn't there. Gone. Deleted. Poof! I think I accidentally deleted the wrong file after I condensed. So, I have lost all journal entries from May 2005 to September 2005 (I have a file on the other computer with entries up to August 2005). Needless to say I am very upset about this as I have been saving all my entries since shortly after J's website debuted. I guess I shouldn't be too depressed since it's my own fault for not making a backup disk. Oh well. I learned my lesson.
If by chance, anyone has been saving journal entries, please let me know! Thanks!
Please check out new pictures on the photo album page!
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