Flu and Influenza Has Hit

Well we figured that this would happen to our little peanut sooner or later, the fall of her first sickness, that is. Of course it fell upon us to soon!!! She hit her first birthday and then by the end of the week, Whamoo!!! We noticed on Friday that she had started to have a bit of a runny nose and then as the night wore on, it was pretty apparent after two waking spells that she was going to be sick. Saturday it progressed pretty fast and we noticed she was pretty laboured in her breathing. We made the decision at that point to take her into Emerg at Children's Hospital. What an experience that was, the emergency room was like a morgue, people lying all around in the hopspital, masks and sickness everywhere. This H1N1 really has the world spinning. Anyway the staff was excellent, even though you could tell they were sadly being run off their feet. Addison was admitted hastily and seen by a pediatrician resident and sadly diagnosed with Flu/Influenza. She was given the Tamiflu medication for treatment and we were told to observe her over the next 5 days for any signs of the sickness getting worse; increased fever or lung wheeziness, which could mean that the sickness was not viral but bacterial. The first few days were horrible and I had myself convinced that she was developping pneumonia, I am such the worry wart. She did have a very rough few days.

As the week drew on, it appeared that she may be getting in the clear but then that quickly changed again come Wednesday. Addy's lungs were beginning to sound wheezy and she became very upset when we tried to settle her down for any type of sleep, Addy is normally such a calm, even tempered little girl. A trip to the after hours clinic confirmed our suspicions it was bacterial and she was developping fluid in her lungs and on her ear. So a perscription for anitbiotics and an inhaler for her lungs and away we went.

So it has been a few days now on the new meds and Addy seems to be coming back to herself more and more. She still has a nasty cough, but the wheeziness has disipated and she has that little light back in her eyes. She is finally eating again and has an appetite so all good signs. Even though so sick, she tried to give me a little smile each day, the smile now has life in it, with a little giggle behind it to boot. So she has faired through the first sickness well so far, and though horrible, at least is building up some sort of immune system for it too!! She is such a tough cookie, she impresses me more and more each day. Can you imagine if I had returned to work last week and this had occurred????? I am pretty sure it would have been a worse scene than it was with me home?

Sadly with all of this going on, Addy was unable to partake in her first (really second but we don't count last year) Hallowe'en Trick or Treating, but we dressed her up nonetheless and took some token shots. A visit from Tante Mo and Uncle Scott in their costumes was a little frightening at first but she came around.

Today she stood by and observed Greg and I prep our Jack O'Lanterns and decorate the front entrance for our Trick or Treaters. We got her out for a pic with the pumpkins, but sadly she slept through our 5 Trick or Treaters that visited the house!!! Yep only 5! So needless to say Greg and I have a sore belly after all the candy we have partaken in. All in all it was good Hallowe'en. Our little pumpkin is better and best of all she is home with us! Happy Hauting everyone.

Birthday and Craft Weekend Celebration

Well we had an absolutely fantastic weekend celebrating Addison's first birthday and getting together with the family. About 3 years ago we started making this weekend a family get together at our cottage for the Lambton Fall Color Craft Festival, and now we have added in the celebration of Addison's first birthday. Although it was a little chilly we still managed to get in some good campfires, and enjoyed the crisp fall weather. Everyone arrived on Friday evening and we sang in Addy's first birthday at 11:29 pm. The next morning we got up early, the guys headed off for a round of golf and the ladies headed out to take in some local craft fair in Port Franks, Grand Bend and Thedford. We all managed to purchase a little something at our favourite artisan booths, and mom, Addy and I got our picture taken for the local paper. We will have to check it out this week to see if we made print for the Forest Standard! The whole gang then met up at the Thedford Legion and cleaned up on the meat draws, breakfast draws and even the 50/50. Then it was back to the cottage for pot luck dinner and plenty of games. I don't know how we always manage this but of course we had way to much food, but we tried our best to put a dent into it. Addy had a chance to hang with her cousins and big cousin Zak stepped in and fed Addy her bottle for the night. He did such a great job and was a very big help. He was so proud that he was able to feed her, a natural babysitter I think.

On Sunday we held the birthday celebrations and some of our friends also came up to join us for the day. We hung out and waited for the little princess to wake up from her nap and then the party began. We celebrated with some cake and ice cream and Addy got to dig into her own personal cupcake coated in vanilla icing. She made us proud and covered herself with it, but enjoyed the ice cream more than the cake. Mommy was a little emotional for the whole thing but managed to get through it with the help of daddy yet again. Our little girl was quite exhausted after the festivities and curled up on Auntie Mo's shoulder and crashed for a good nap afterwards. Thank you everyone for sharing in the big day and for all the generous gifts for both Addy and the ITSY Fundraiser.

For Addy's birthday this year we had asked our friends and family not to bring gifts as Addy has been blessed with many things in her first year of life. We instead asked everyone to consider donating to the ITSY Fundraiser in Addy's name. Well we had an overwhelming response and Addy alone received $410.00 alone in donations for ITSY, not including other donations that we have been advised of from many friends and family that they have made to the cause. Thank you everyone for your generosity and for supporting something that is so near and dear to our heart. Our hopes and expectations were to be able to give back to fundraiser what we had received as a gift last year alone, plus a little more. We had hoped to donate back at least $1000.00. I am proud to say with your generous gifts, plus all items donated by friends and family for our silent auction and raffle we have surpassed our $1000.00 mark and are coming in close to $1500.00 and we are not done yet. This is fantastic and we are so proud to be able to do this, to give back to other families and the hospital foundation itself for all that they did to help us have our little girl home with us and celebrating her first birthday. Thank you everyone for being so kind and working so hard in offering your support. We are blessed not only with a beautiful little girl, but with a loving family and friends that are so supportive they are family themselves. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and only hope that we can teach our little girl to be so giving, kind and supportive in return.

Happy First Birthday Addison!!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl !!!!!!

Month 5 we are so excited and getting things ready for you.

This was you just 15 minutes after you were born. They had to wrap you in a plastic bag to keep you warm till they could get you over to the NICU unit and into your isolette. Our little miracle girl, we couldn't believe that you were ours

One month after you were born, mommy got to hold you for the first time. This was a great day

This is you kangarooing with daddy. Your favourite place to be. You are still so small just under 4 lbs and cute as a button.

We are now moved into the Progressive Care Unit and you made a huge leap today and finally were able to be removed from your oxygen. So exciting.

We are now staying in Care By Parent and hoping that you will be released to come home with us in just a few days. This is day 105.

You are home with us now, weighing in at just over 7lbs. It is so wonderful to have you here in your own bed and sleeping right beside us.

You are always so full of smiles for everyone. You are growing so much, look at all the rolls on your belly. I could just eat them.

Here you are sitting with your daddy at around 6 months. You love your special time with him after he comes home from work, it is so great to watch you together.

Look at this sweet face. You are so beautiful and changing right before our eyes.

You are such a big girl and learning to sit all by yourself. Pretty soon you will be running around telling us who is boss again and again. Cant wait.

Here you are today at one year old. Our sweet little Addy.

Addison you arrived into this world a year ago today, and have been the best thing to have ever happened to your dad and I. Although we were very scared in the beginning and unsure what the future held, you have brought us nothing but love since the minute you were born. You have shown everyone what it is to be a fighter and that with just a little bit of hope, a whole lot of love and prayer, miracles can happen. Our lives have changed for the better and we cannot wait to watch you grow, learn and live your life with as much strength and determination as you have over this past year. People say that it is unbelievable how having a child makes it seem so unreal that you could love something or someone so much.....I now know what this means and am so proud to be able to say that I am your mom. I only hope that your dad and I can give you even one ounce of the happiness back that you have already given us in just your first year of life. I love waking up to your smile every morning, love hearing your little giggles and babbles from across the room and most of all love the moments that I get to cradle and hold you in my arms and tell you every day just how much I love you!!! Happy Birthday little one.

Love Mommy and Daddy.

Happy Anniversary

Happy 9th Anniversary honey. Can you believe it, next year is number 10. Well we have had a wonderful 13 years together, but nothing measures to what this year has brought us. We now not only have our love that we share between one another, but the love that we now share together for our beautiful baby girl. You have been such a pillar of strength for both of us over this past year, I am not to sure where we would be without you!! Thank you for giving me so many laughs, so many good times and so much love, I look forward to what the years to come will bring us not only as a couple but a family. Remember that I love you each and everyday and that this love continues to grow and blossom with each new day that rounds the corner. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so very blessed to have you in my life. Happy Anniversary and know that I would not change a thing!!! Love you. xxx000xxx000x

Addy's First Haircut and Visiting with Friends

What new things is Addy doing these days you ask?? She continues to grow and grow, I cannot believe that almost a whole year has gone by. It seems that every week there is something new she is doing or something old that she is getting better at. She really has come along well with the use of her muscles and improving daily with the use of her left hand. She has been continuing to work hard on her rolling over and can almost get herself over unassisted from her back to belly. Crawling still seems to be a challenge, but she is sitting incredibly well unassisted. She is such a big girl. She really has come to love and enjoy her jumparoo bouncer that we purchased a few months back. She really gets that thing going up and down, pointing her little toes as she jumps up and down. I see a little ballerina or future member of Cirque de Soleil in her. She is so very intrigued with dogs and cats these days, maybe because she is feeling more on their level. She giggles up a storm when Tal and Fergus run by her and doesn't bat an eye when they bark at her to play with them. She really shows no fear as she meets cousin Ryan's new Shephard puppy, in fact I think the puppy was more nervous than she.

On October 1st Addy went for her second hearing test, but because of her heavy teething we were unable to complete the test. They advised that she had too much fluid behind the ears and they would not get a proper assessment, so we go back in December. We did do a test trial however and Addison faired well with voice recognition, but not well with tone, so we will keep playing the music and hope that it will improve.

On October 4th we travelled down to mim's house and had a visit with the family. We had a great visit from our friend; Joyce who is an avid and faitful follower of Addy's blog, so it was wonderful to see her and have her meet Addy finally in person. Joyce gave a generous donation to our Itsy charity that will be made in Addy's name as a gift for Addison's birthday. We have decided that we are very blessed with our little girl and received so much help and assistance through our journey that this was another way that we could give back. Instead of gifts for Addy's birthday we are asking that donations be given instead to Itsy to help some new families in the Unit over the holidays. While down visiting Mim took the opportunity to give Addy her first hair cut. Even though she doesn't have much hair there are some long pieces and we are trying to trim it to thicken it up.

On October 8th Addy attended Pathways Center for children and completed a speech and communication assessment. Of course as expected Addy was admitted to the program but they offered great tools to help us improve her ability to communicate with us and to help assist her speech development. We are to mimic more of her sounds that she does daily and do so face to face so that she may recognize the sound as one she made and how it was made by watching our mouths move. Of course the following day Addison decided to create more sounds, some sounding very close to "da da da". It seems like she knows exactly what it is we are doing with her and then she says ahaha, watch this and does it. Which is great we will keep it up and do all that we need to help her out with whatever services we have available.

We have had some great visits these past few weeks with some new friends we made while in the NICU. First we met up with Tania and her two little girls Sadie and Reese, who were born in the unit just before Christmas. We actually met before in our prenatal class, and then met up again at the hospital. The girls all got along great and we had a fun play date, hope that we can do it again soon. After that we got a quick visit in with our friends Jen and Addy's boyfriend; Deecon when we went down to Mim's for Thanksgiving. It was so great to see them and see how far our little monkeys have come from only just a year ago. Addy and Deecon are both very similar in their development and progression, each with their own differences, we hope to have another playdate soon so they can teach other the new things they have each picked up. These two kiddies were so cute with each other, I can only imagine where they will be next year!!!

It is official our website for our charity ITSY is up and running and plans for the fundraising event are well under way. Check it out at www.itsy.ca. “Itsy”is a charitable organization which serves the families and the “itsy bitsy” residents of the Neonatal Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, ON. Fundraising events will raise monies that will be used to assist the families with infants in the NICU with the unexpected costs that arise, as well as the Neonatal Unit with the purchase of much needed equipment to help with their itsy residents.

Mark your calendars for the premier event being held on the evening of Friday, November 20th at Aroma Restaurant in London, ON. The cocktail style event will feature entertainment, guest speakers, silent auction, raffle prizes, fabulous fare and preemie-tinis to sip…all of which will be sure to impress you! Our theme this year is “tiny”, so expect to find all things small…complete with a gourmet miniature menu! Event tickets will be available to purchase online, and if you cannot attend please consider donating to this cause which is near and dear to our hearts. Greg and I will not only be attending, we are helping out and speaking at the event about our experience with Addison. We will keep you updated with all news about the event coming up.