I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

The little kids and Mom got to go to Mom Mom and Pops on the Eastern Shore of MD for a rare snow storm event. we've been shovleing 2 ft of snow and having fun! Can't wait for Christmas!!

Soft spot OKAY!

We saw the surgeon at JHH today concerning the soft spot over Tristen's right temple. He feels that it is okay - just her dura (brain covering) in the area where he removed the plate. He said it would take several months for the bone material he put in that spot to solidfy. So now we just wait.

Downrigging Weekend in Chestertown, MD

This past weekend the younger kids and Lara got to spend the weekend in Chestertown to enjoy "Downrigging" Festivities. Tall ships (including the Sultana from Chestertown, Pride of Baltimore II, Lady Maryland, several others and the largest above the Kalmar Nyckel from Delaware) came to town for a last showing before downrigging for winter.

Kalmar Nyckel

Ryan, Cameron and Jasmine aboard the Pride of Baltimore II

Mom mom and Pop and girls

All smiles - always (he's my cheesy guy!)

Happy Halloween!!

Carving our pumpkins!

Marissa as Sharpay and Jasmine as Gabrielle from HSM

Cameron as a Ninja Turtle

Ryan has not been feeling well, but he went out trick-or-treating

for a few houses weraing his Incredible costume.

The Girls - Tristen was a Princess.

What's been going on.....

We got a new dog - a stray off the streets. We lost Amadeus in January and I've not been ready for a replacement. I guess I didn't think I could find one that would be as good - Amadeus was the best dog in the world. Her name is Kadan (means companion) and we call her Kadi for short. She's about 8 months - and she is a very very good dog!

Tasha got baptized Sunday October 17th

(I was a very proud mom with teary eyes over her testimony)

Meagan got her driver's license and starts beauty school Nov 9th.

Sat Oct 17 - Birthday Party and a soft spot

Here we are all dressed up to got to Jordan-Marie's 1st Birthday Party!!!!

Happy Birthday Jordan-Marie

Tonight Mom found a soft spot over my right temple while she was washing my hair. I'm not fond of the pictures. Please pray this spot hardens up, it's a little squishy right now.

No More Drain Oct 12th

Tristen got her drain tube out today. She cried when the dr removed the stitches (mostly becasue he was pulling her hair) but she only shuddered when he pulled out the 8 inch long tube going across her head. She is so excited to be able to wear dresses!!! You can see the hole where her drain was - it should close up soon.

Saturday October 10th

We were finally able to shower Trsiten's head a little today. We couldn't get near the incision, but we got the "red highlights" out of the back of her hair and she's looking a little better. She's doing great, but is impatient with the drain, it is hindering her ability to play "dress up".

Friday October 9th

Tristen's right eye swelled shut about 4 am this morning. She was a little cranky between 4 and 5 am, but she dealt well without the visison when she woke up around 8 am. She seems to be handling it all just fine.

And she is still feeling good enough to get outside and play some.

Tristen in the Tub Thursday Night

Thursday Oct 8th 4:30 pm

Pictures of Tristen's scar and drain - she could care less she is carrying it around.

Rissa, Jasmine, and Tristen

Back at Mom mom and Pop's with the boys.

Thursday October 08, 1:00 pm

We are still on schedule and Tristen is doing great. We are expected to get discharged around 2:00 pm or hopefully a little before. We will be heading to Lara's parents and Tristen will be going home with her drain. The drain can be removed at our family Dr. in a day or two. It's amazing what God can do.

Thursday Oct 8 7 am

Tristen's surgeon, doctors, and especailly nurses have been AWESOME. Most amazing is God's healing hand upon her. We have had a great night, her eyes never swelled completely shut. Her (much bigger) drain has been working grat and her head as not swelled much at all. She has been comfortable, we only used the pain pump 3 times since she came out of surgery. She woke at 9 pm and had a shortbread cookie and some juice. She did the same at 4 am. Doctors were in at 6 am and said she looks great and if it keeps up we will go home today with the drain and her pediatrician can remove it. We are just waiting for breaksfast now!!!

Wednesday 7:00 pm

Tristen has moved to her own room and is drinking apple juice. She is very tired and only wakes up for a few minutes at a time. She looks really good and I'm sure will be waking with an appetite soon.

Wednesday 3:00 pm

Tristen is out of surgery and in the recovery room. They said the surgery went well and Dr. Simmons removed all the plate except for two tiny pieces that are Incorporated in her bone and should never cause any problems. He also placed synthetic bone in two small spots and re-attached some muscles that were causing a small lump near her temple. We will talk with Dr. Simmons more when he checks on her later today. We will also attach some more photos soon.

Wednesday 1:00 pm

Tristen and Mom getting ready to head to OR

Tristen was taken back to OR at noon. She did great this morning, she was in a good mood, and played babies and kitchen in the pre-op room. She did not even cry until they put the mask on to sedate her. Lara got to stay with her until she fell asleep. Surgery should start about now...it took about an hour to put in all her lines. We'll put up a new post and pics as we learn something from OR. Thanks for the prayers for her this morning - it was such a blessing she had no fears or concerns!!!

Tristen's Surgery is Tomorrow 10-07-09

The surgeon called to say that he will be attempting to take out the titanium plate that is in Tristen's skull. He will need to reopen the incision about 3/4 of the way across her head. If he is successful at removing the plate, he will add some more synthetic bone. She will have a larger drain in than last time to try and decrease the chances of swelling which can cause the bone to deteriorate and/or die (which has happened before).

We'll update the post as much as we can from Johns Hopkins.
Thanks everyone for their prayers!!!!

Tristen's Surgery #7 Coming Oct 7th, 2009

Tristen's Previous Surgeries 2006 - 2008

Tristen was born with a condition called craniosynostosis, which is where skull plates prematurely fuse together. Her right front skull plate was not only fused, but also too small, and was picnching the dura (brain covering) on her right side. What should have been one surgery has now become 7 as she has faced many complications including complete deterioration of her right front plate, rejection of synthetic bone, plastic surgery to rebuild her eyebrow bone on her right side, and placement of a titanium plate to protect her skull. Surgery #7 will be to repair this plate, as it has slipped forward and will soon protrude through her scalp.

Tristen's Testimony

I am here to give Tristen’s testimony…mostly because she, being 3 can not speak it herself. However, what is so amazing is that she, being 3 can speak as much as she does. Tristen’s first CT scan indicated that she had an “abnormally small” corpus callosum. This condition affects speech development. In the beginning we had no idea how severe her delay would be and doctors suggested we begin learning sign language and work with a speech therapist. Progress was slow, but Tristen can now communicate with words, sentences, or signs….she can get her point across, in her time…which just happen to be in God’s time. You see, just after her 6th surgery we became a foster care/adoptive family. And we have had the privilege of adding 3 beautiful daughters to our family. Our two teenagers came to us with a lot of heartache and pain in their pasts - and with a lot of labels given to them by various workers etc. As a mom of 4 small children, it was a struggle to not be anxious over what they could bring into our home. And as skeptical as I was of them so were they of us. Did they really want to attach to a family after being let down in the past? Should they just wait it out until 18 and walk away? But, where I saw stress, to Tristen, someone had just dropped off another big sister who was supposed to love her and spoil her. And, with a loving heart, she did not care what clothes they wore, who their friends were, what their grades were, or what kind of problems they had, she just chose to love them. Really truly love them, and let them know they were loved. It was Tristen’s voice, words that came out of her mouth, words that we weren’t sure she would ever speak, that probably softened them the most. Because when she runs around the house looking, saying “Where’s my Meggie?”, or “Cha-Cha you watch shortcake with me?” they know without a doubt they are loved, needed, and wanted. She had been instrumental in bring about wonderful changes in these girls lives. And I know, even if she were to be called home, she has done more to complete her ministry in her 3 short years than many of us have in our lifetimes.

Welcome to our blog

Weclome to our family's blog spot. We are creating this to help everyone keep track of all of us. We are (from left to right) - Natasha (18), Jasmine (11), Lara (mom), Tristen (3), Jim (dad), Cameron (4), Meagan (18), and Ryan (6).

Jim and I had 3 biological children born in 2003, 2004,and 2006. In 2008 we became a foster/adoptive family and were belssed to add three daughters. I can not imagine life without any of them...they are the greatest blessing God has given us.