Dear family & friends,
It is hard to believe that it is already Christmastime. It has been an eventful year. Here are some of the highlights:
* At the end of January, Jill went back to the hospital for her
second major surgery (fundoplication, hiatal hernia, bowel obstruction, appendix removal, and feeding tube placement). It was supposed to be a 3 ½ hour surgery; however, it ended up taking closer to seven hours and that was after a 5-hour delay. Needless to say, it was a very long day and she didn’t get moved into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) until almost midnight. We were very grateful to our friends, Mike and Deana, for sitting with us for so long as we anxiously waited. And we were so thankful for my friend, Virginia, who traveled from Washington to stay with Katelyn while I stayed with Jill for 11 days in the hospital and Bryan balanced his time between work and hospital visits. Unfortunately, the surgery recovery was more intense than we expected. At one point, Jill had both her IVs fail. She also ended up getting a staph infection which resulted in high fevers. And she went into respiratory distress for an hour and a half after being taken off the ventilator (nothing is more terrifying than watching your child turn blue). We were very thankful to finally go home after our 11-day adventure.
It is hard to believe that it is already Christmastime. It has been an eventful year. Here are some of the highlights:
* At the end of January, Jill went back to the hospital for her
second major surgery (fundoplication, hiatal hernia, bowel obstruction, appendix removal, and feeding tube placement). It was supposed to be a 3 ½ hour surgery; however, it ended up taking closer to seven hours and that was after a 5-hour delay. Needless to say, it was a very long day and she didn’t get moved into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) until almost midnight. We were very grateful to our friends, Mike and Deana, for sitting with us for so long as we anxiously waited. And we were so thankful for my friend, Virginia, who traveled from Washington to stay with Katelyn while I stayed with Jill for 11 days in the hospital and Bryan balanced his time between work and hospital visits. Unfortunately, the surgery recovery was more intense than we expected. At one point, Jill had both her IVs fail. She also ended up getting a staph infection which resulted in high fevers. And she went into respiratory distress for an hour and a half after being taken off the ventilator (nothing is more terrifying than watching your child turn blue). We were very thankful to finally go home after our 11-day adventure.
* In March, we drove to San Jose, California, to spend time with Bryan’s family. It was the first time we left the state in a year and a half. We really enjoyed the trip. We were able to attend Bryan’s step-brother’s wedding. And Katelyn was able to have a big 3rd birthday party celebration at her grandparent’s house. We also enjoyed seeing other close friends.* Shortly after we returned home, we had a one year birthday celebration for Jillian. It was a special milestone.
* In late spring, we decided to redo our entire backyard. It was quite the project. We planted 11 trees on Memorial Day. We slowly added other plants, boulders, bark, and finally new grass at the end of the summer. Katelyn and Jill now have a sand area for play. And I’ll be able to have an even larger garden area next year.
* Bryan played on two softball teams this year, one for church and one with some neighbors.
* My mom has had some health issues this year. After Easter she had a mild stroke. She spent several days in the hospital. Unfortunately, in October, she returned to the hospital with diabetes complications and a few other health issues.
* We had a fun 4th of July celebration in McCall, Idaho, with my family. We enjoyed barbecues, boat rides, and fireworks.
* Unfortunately in July, Bryan was laid off from his civil engineering job (he had been working only 32 hours per week since January). He is still looking for work. The whole process has definitely been a humbling experience for our family. Recently, for one position that he applied for there were 80 applicants. He was lucky enough to get called for an interview, but someone else was hired for the position.
* Also in July, I had a minor knee surgery to remove a loose piece of cartilage. The surgeon also did a procedure to help my kneecap track better. I was on crutches for 9 days and had to go to physical therapy for a few months.
* The girls continue to entertain us. Earlier this year, Bryan was washing the car windshield at a gas station when I heard Katelyn from the backseat ask, “Why is daddy shaving the car?” Jill is now saying new words every day. She has even started saying short phrases: “Mommy, come here.” Or she will hand me a book and say, “Read this.” Whenever she likes something she says, “Again!” And she loves to dance to music and frequently says, “Music on.”
* Katelyn is very interested in letters and is starting to do some basic math. She also loves doing crafts at our church.
* This fall, Jill started walking and is now running everywhere. Every step amazes me since we had to take her to weekly physical therapy visits since birth because her development was so far behind. It is great to see her catching up. This next year we will be foc
using on feeding therapy. She still receives most of her nutrition from a feeding tube, but she eats some solid foods and lately she has showed more interest in eating.* In September, we took a spontaneous road trip through Oregon and Washington. We had such a great time visiting good friends and going to Multnomah Falls and the coast. We even made it up to Bellingham, Washington, and visited with old neighbors and friends and met another family with a daughter that was born with the same condition (CDH) as Jill.
* Also in September, I started working part-time from home for the Idaho Virtual Academy as an essay grader for high school students.
* In November, I went to my 10-year college reunion at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. It was great reconnecting with old friends.
Even though our family has had a tough year with Bryan’s job loss and family health issues, we are constantly reminded of our many blessings and are amazed at God’s provision in our lives.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy many blessings in the year ahead.
Bryan, Judy, Katelyn, & Jillian
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* Jill is going to be in a calendar this next year to promote CDH Awareness. Here is the link: http://www.cafepress.com/breathofhope.407406393
* To see our animated family Christmas card, please scroll down this page.
* To view some more family photos, please visit our family photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3apples
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