Wednesday, August 26, 2009


"Hey Mom! Summer ain't over 'til the trached lady swims!"

Friday, August 21, 2009

Playing Catch Up....

Something happened. I don't know how, but it did. I might have involved a burger or two or maybe even a few watermelons thrown in, but somewhere somehow summer came and went.

Maybe it's because I worked while Brian worked on the house, or maybe it's because Faith was just as sick as she was during respiratory season but summer seemed to have flown by. Now that school is back in full swing it's time to put away the swimming pool (wait? did we even get it out? Oh no, I think the bathing suit we bought Faith last Spring hangs in the closet, tags still attached
-bad mom moment inserted her-) and get back to the grindstone.


Dramatics aside, it hasn't been all work and sickness and we have the pictures to prove it.

I know you were just inundated with pictures and videos, but I can't help but show you these "keepers." Please excuse the randomness of them all- just consider it a "catch" up from where we left off.






Four generations: This is a "once in a lifetime" (or perhaps in anyone's lifetime) photograph. Brian's mother and his grandmother came out for a visit a few weeks ago. Faith loved meeting her great-grandma from Buffalo (and playing with her other grandma!)

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Some of you have may noticed that Faith's hair has some...er..."special needs." Each quadrant seems to have it's own personality. Coupled with her ongoing thyroid issues and 2 year old hair pulling, she is bald in some spots and Alfalfa in the other. Because her hair has taken so long to grow we've been hesitant to cut it. Over the past few weeks multiple people have commented on how getting one's hair cut actually spurs growth (OK we got the hint). So last Friday we knew it was time. So we headed out to an over-priced, kid friendly hair cutting place to do the deed in hopes that we could channel Faith's inner Shirley Temple.

"I don't think I like the looks of those shiny things..."






"No...no definitely don't like them!"


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I am privileged to be a part of group of local families who have kid's with trachs. We get together every month or so to complain er...talk about what it's like to raise a neck breather. But we also just get together and have fun. This weekend we traveled to Colorado Springs (which is about an hour and a half from us- the longest Faith's ever traveled)to visit the Zoo. We've taken Faith to the Denver zoo before which was pretty useless- she couldn't really see the animals anyway, and seemed more interested in the people who were gaping at her like she was an attraction.

Needless to say our expectations were pretty low when we set out for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo- to our delight it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Faith really got to get up close and personal with the animals, which was such a hoot!





Faith showed no fear while she fed the giraffes. This was right up her alley as feeding the dogs at home is one of her favorite pastimes. She thought the whole thing was hysterical.









The giraffe's weren't the only zoo inhabitants to enjoy a snack...


"Hey, did you get to do Kangaroo care too?"



"Hey Milo-I can't put my finger on it, but there's something different about you..did you get a new hair cut too?" Many of you already know of Faith's buddy Milo- who was her neighbor across the hall at Children's. Milo spent over a year in the hospital, and went home just weeks before Faith. We were first introduced to him as a nurse from the PICU pointed to him and said, "he's a ticking time bomb, it's only a matter of time before he dies." Two years later Milo is a vivacious toddler who has beaten incredible odds (and just had his trach taken out a few weeks ago!) If you were to tell us two years ago that one day we'd be taking our kids to the zoo together, I'd think you were nuts!






And here we are- the Mile High Tracheosto-mommies (and a few daddies too). Less then half our group could make it this one, and I am so glad we did because it was a blast. L-R: Marissa and her family, Milo and and his mommy, and us. :)






And last but not least, all of this was made possible by the men and women who saved our daughter's life two and half years ago....



"Ok Mom- get over it already! It was like soooo two years ago!"






Sorry Faith, but we will never get over the gratefulness we have to the nurses, RT's and doctors from the place you spent your first six months of life- St. Joesph's hospital. We got to share our gratitude at this year's NICU reunion. (And boy was it neat to see Faith walking those halls!)


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I want to thank everyone for sharing the joy of Faith's first steps with us. I have no doubt in my mind that Faith is where she is today because of the multitudes of people who have prayed for her and supported us on this journey. We often talk about how Faith's is full of love- so full it could only come from the number of people who have poured their hearts into her.


Well, it's time to go salvage any part of summer we can. Thanks for checking in, even amidst our long periods of negligence.
Jen & CO.