Please Continue to Pray

I wanted to let everyone know that Mary Clayton passed away Sunday afternoon. As I sit and think of all the pain and suffering that precious baby girl went through, it saddens me to think that she suffered more in her short precious life than most of us will ever have to. Why I wonder? Why does a baby who's life just began have to end so soon. I know one day we will all get the answer to that question, but for now, please continue to pray for this family. Pray that their healing process can start knowing that Mary Clayton is in such a better place now and knowing that they will be with her again one day.

Ideas Please!!

Okay, so those of you who read this and do not work with me. I need your ideas on a Halloween costume that I can wear to work on Friday. Nothing too riska(sp?). I just wanted something different that I might can make at home.

Random Pictures

I don't have anything of importance to post about so I thought for those out of town, here are some new photos.

Mirror, Mirror on the Floor!!

Roll Tide!!

Just Call Me Cool Moe Dee!

Happy Halloween!!

This is tasty!!

Aren't I Cute!!

Mary Clayton Update as of October 24th

Received this email a little while ago. Keep the prayers going...they appear to be working!! God is GREAT!!

Mary Clayton is still holding her own. She is down to 65 on her rate and when she is awake she breathes over the rate a little bit. She is coughing up a lot of gunk and they’ve been suctioning a good bit of junk up too and some out of her nose. Her pressure is down to 25 over 5. Her tube slipped out of place AGAIN and they had to insert it a little deeper this morning. She is down to 43% on her O2 and her sats are staying up around 96. They have her alarm set to go off at 98. She seems pretty comfortable, she was awake for a good while this morning. We’ve continued to have a lot of visitors this week. My neighbor and former Sunday School teacher came up yesterday and took me shopping from 2-5. We had a really good “girlfriend” time. I really needed it. My babysitter and her family are coming to visit this evening. My inlaws left last night and took Sarah Cameron with them. It is just not fair to keep her cooped up in this room. My mother left just about 30 minutes ago but will be back tomorrow. My sister is coming tomorrow as well as Roberts brother and his wife. We were hoping to have some alone time but it just isn’t working out that way. I am exhausted!!!

Update as of today October 23, 2008

Stephanie emailed a little while ago. It's hard to know how to feel because many times, people get better right before they die. I've seen it numerous times in my career and even with Happy. I'm mainly trying to keep y'all updated because each of you has contacted me and shown interest in this baby. I know you are all strong in your faith and believe in answered prayers. Please continue to pray for Mary Clayton's improvement, and pray for Stephanie to not give up. I know from my own experience, sometimes you cannot help it. From the outside it seems so hard to believe that someone could give up, but when you are in that situation, it's totally different. You just feel like you have to follow your gut instinct. I can remember feeling like Rhae was not going to make it, and I told many of you this. Nothing anyone said could change my mind, I just had that feeling. I finally moved past it, and I know it was for no other reason than prayers for me to do so. Hopefully we can get Stephanie there as well. Thanks to each of you for taking the time to have interest in this family and their situation, and taking time out to pray for them.

Update from October 22, 2008

Thanks Dana, we appreciate the continued prayers. Mary Clayton isn't doing well at all. We are expecting the worst. We went ahead and authorized the DNR order. It will be in effect if her organs fail only, not if her tube comes out or anything else mechanical. We don't want her to suffer unnecessarily. She is up on 80% on her O2 and 70 on her rate and her pressures are at 28 over 5. The doctor sat down with us at 2:30 to discuss our options. She told us that the pressure alone was causing Mary Clayton pain and she felt like it wouldn't be long before she would max out the vent settings and if that happened it wouldn't be right to put her on the oscillator. She said that she does not blame the PAM, she feels like we were already headed in this direction. Her heart rate was lower today than it had ever been. Our nurse, who we love, told us that she just feels like Mary Clayton is getting tired and her little body is just worn out. All of our family came up tonight to see her and to spend time with us. I think I've cried all day. I had to take my contacts out at the hospital because I just couldn't see any longer. I know that it is in God's hands and either way, He will receive the glory. We are blessed to have her, even if it is for a short period of time.

By the way, her tube was in too deep causing her pain. They fixed it this afternoon.

Prayers Needed!!

This e-mail was sent to me October 21st by my sister. Please join us in prayer for this little girl. She so needs it. It hits home for so many of us that read this blog because we all know how easily it could have been Rhae. So, please help in praying for this baby girl and her parents. I have gotten updates since this e-mail and will post them as well.


Me again, asking for more prayers. This time it is for Mary Clayton Fancher. She is the OI infant from Selma who's parents I've connected with. She is 9 weeks old and has been slowly improving until the last few days. She is still on the ventilator, and has a lot of fluid on her lungs, and is also retaining a lot of carbon dioxide. She's been a good bit more uncomfortable and they are giving her something to help. Mom (Stephanie) thinks it has to do with the position of her tube because this happened last week before they changed her tube out, and she immediately began showing improvement. Stephanie said things are not looking good right now and is unsure if she will make a comeback this time. This family knows God and God will lead through whatever might happen.

PLEASE, please, please lift this child and her parents up to God. She needs lots of prayers right now. I know what the power of prayer has done for us, and I want the same thing for this family. They have become very dear to me and this is so hard to watch them go through, especially when Rhae has done so well. Please pray for God to improve this child's situation, and for the physicians and practitioners who are caring for her. Pray for Stephanie and Robert as well, that they will have peace with their situation and the strength to deal with whatever might happen. Please send this on to those who you know will continue the prayers. God is good and I have faith he will take care of Mary Clayton either way.

Thank you!
Love,
Dana

Well she said it!!

There it is folks. Halle has officially chosen to say DaDa instead of Ma Ma. She says it at least 10 times a day if not more. Darrin is definitely eating it up. Just thought I would share this precious moment with everyone. Sorry I am not very talkative this morning, but it has been a long weekend with absolutely no sleep again. So, until next time.

Is "Thank You" ever enough?

Okay, this for some reason has been on my mind so I decided to blog about it. I have always felt that when I received a gift from someone whether it be a birthday present or a x-mas gift or anything in between when I say "thank you" it isn't enough. I feel that I have to tell the person several times "thank you" before I, myself feel like they really know I appreciate the gift. I guess I do not want people to think that I am a spoiled or ungrateful person. I was thinking this morning while getting ready for work that I wanted to blog about this and I can remember as a child-teenager I expected my mom to buy me a new pair of shoes instead of asking for a new pair of shoes. Why did I do that? I wasn't raised that way at all. And why did my mom allow me to act that way and talk that way to her? When I was young she didn't allow me to act that way! I guess maybe she just gave up? Mom, if you are reading this, which I am sure you are, I'm sorry for being that spoiled brat that EXPECTED you to give me things. I hope that I will be able to raise Halle the way that my parents raised me and to appreciate the things that are given to her. So, to get off my soap box, thank you to all my friends and family for just being you.

Six month check-up

Well, Halle went to see Dr. Pettit today for her six month check-up and again mommy forgot to tell her about those mean nurses who stick those things into her legs and make her cry. Well I was really dreading the whole trip since I was traveling alone and not really sure how she would react to the shots this time, but she did really good. Plus, I was really dreading how much weight they were going to tell me she had gained. Since she has started eating baby food she has really gotten bigger. Well, I am here to say to all of you that thinks I am feeding my baby too much (mother) she had not even gained quite a pound. She is 14lbs 1oz. Also, I found out while waiting for the doctor to come in that our baby is about to get the hang of how to crawl(I know watch out us!!). I had her on the table and had put her favorite thing besides food which is her frog in front of her and she was trying to go to town. Can't I just put tie down straps on her now and make her stay little forever? I know that Darrin and I have been wishing her life away, but I didn't wish it would already be starting! Well I guess until next time that is all for now.

I forgot to tell about our wonderful story!!

I know I have already posted once today, but I have been thinking for the last couple of days that when I started our blog that I never really told about our family. We have the neatest little story I think.
Anyway, it all started with my sister Dana who is four years older than I am. She found out she was pregnant with her second child. A week later I found out I was pregnant with Halle. Well I somewhat make this as short as it can be. Dana found out that her due date was April 22, 2008. Two weeks later I found out that my due date was April 22, 2008, but didn't know that Dana's was the same until I called her to give her the news. Well from then on out we both were so excited knowing that we could possibly have our babies on the same day. Dana also found out that she was having a girl then I found out I was having a girl. When Dana was about six months pregnant she found out through an ultrasound that the baby had something wrong. They made a doctors appointment with a doctor at UAB and several other doctors to finally find out that baby Rhae would be born with Osteogenisis Imperfecta. Also known as the Brittle Bone Disease. Life was very tough there for several months not knowing the outcome. We prayed every single day, many times a day along with so many other people in our community and who knew us. Dana and her husband found out later in the pregnancy that Rhae had broken bones in utero which is not a good thing. After finding out that Dana would deliver Rhae in Birmingham at Princeton, I have my doctor agree to induce me two weeks earlier so that I could be in Birmingham with Dana when she delivered especially since we did not know what the outcome would be. So, I was scheduled for April 8, 2008 at 6:00 a.m. Well I went into the hospitial the day before a little early due to some bleeding. So the next morning at 6:30 a.m. I had my medication to start the induction and the day flew by. Halle was born at 5:16 or 5:17 p.m. depending on who you are talking to. I had decided to breastfeed and was having a little problem with getting Halle to eat, so my sister who is also a nurse and once was a labor and delivery nurse stayed a lot long that night than she should having seeing as how she was almost eight months pregnant and had pretty much been on her feet all day. Well, finally that night at about 11p.m. I talked her into going home. The next morning there she was again, right back at the hospital. Me being her little sis and all, she wanted to make sure I was doing everything up to code. We still could not get Halle to breastfeed and Dana had helped me all day. Again that night, we kept telling her to go home. Finally, at about 7p.m. we talked her into going home. We had just gotten Halle to finally latch on and eat when Dana said she was going to step into the restroom and she would clip Halle finger nails when she got out and go home. Well, when she came out of the restroom she told Darrin and I that she thought her water just broke. Usually that is a good thing, but seeing as how she was two weeks early and TWO hours away from the hospital that she NEEDED to deliver in was not. Dana went down to labor and delivery and let them check her to only find out she was eight centimeter dialated. Not good either. So, while I had Halle on one boob and Darrin gone to check on Dana and make sure everything was okay, I was on the phone trying to call Dana's husband, who was nowhere to be found, my dad and stepmom and my mom. Whom I could not reach any of. Well the panic set in at the point and Halle, bless her heart, was screaming. After, the doctors nurses and finally all the other family members showed up, they decided they should transfer Dana by ambulance to Birmingham. Some of our WONDERFUL friends who are husband and wife and also both nurses, rode with Dana in the ambulance with all of the family trailing behind. Dana reached the Princeton at around 10:00p.m. and had baby Rhae around 10:30p.m. Needless to say it was a long day and night for all of us. Dana called me that night after having her and we both cried and talked all about our babies that BOTH were wonderful. Rhae has come along way. I am attaching her blog site as well so that anyone who would like to can keep up with our little miracle baby. So, our babies who were suppose to be due on April 22, 2008, which is their Nana's birthday were instead born one day apart. April 8, 2008 and April 9, 2008. We love to tell our wonderful story so I thought I would tell it to the rest of you who do not personally know us. If you read Rhae's page, it is actually much better than mine but just a little heads up, get out your tissues.

martharhae.tripod.com

I hope you all enjoyed our story.

What did you say?

Just to let everyone know Halle is starting to create her own little vocabulary. Darrin told me last night that (of course) while I was gone he swore that Halle said the word "ya ya". Yes Liz, I think she might have said your sisters name first! Anyway, I shrugged it off as just jibber jabber, but again this morning while I was getting ready for work, I heard it for myself. Ya Ya it was. So me being me I took the time out of my early morning routine and stood in front of her saying MA MA. She looked at me like I was crazy and continued her baby talk. A few minutes later I could have sworn she tried to say DA, but I thought no way. I know they say that babies DO say their D's first, but if I have to practice every minute of the day I have with her I am going to try my hardest to try the MA MA thing as much as possible just because I don't want Darrin's head to pop off with excitement and the "big head" syndrome. Anyway, I just thought I would share the fact that Halle is calling someone else's name before mine or her daddies. Thanks Lauren. Ha Ha.

I survived!!

Well I am back from my trip to the beach. I got a little sun, but enjoyed myself. Everytime I would see a child it made me miss my little girl so much. Darrin and Halle survived as well. No bumps or bruises on either of them. When I got home yesterday my mom had Halle and when she saw me it wasn't her usually smile and expressions of being happy to see me. She at first stared me down with a little bit of eye brow motion there. Not sure what that was all about other than to maybe tell me she was a little unhappy with me being gone for three days. She made sure she paid me back with a restless sleep last night. I am happy to be back home though with the two people I love most in this world.

Ready, Set, Go!!!

I am so excited, but sad all at the same time. I am leaving tomorrow morning headed to the beach for the weekend with serveral of my girlfriends. We do this once a year, but this will be my first fun trip being away from Halle. Darrin has volunteered to keep her all by himself while I am gone so please everyone say several prayers this weekend when you think of us. It's crazy that you can be so sad and so happy at the same time. Hopefully, I will be able to share photos next week when we get back. Hope you all have a great weekend!

6 months ago today.....

It is so hard to believe that my baby girl is growing up so fast. She is SIX months old today. I can't believe it. I have always thought that six months old was a huge milestone for a baby. It is half way to being one year! I sometimes catch myself wondering what I did "pre" Halle? The answer to that one would be SLEPT! Darrin and I are so lucky to have such a wonderful baby girl who has blessed our lives. So Happy 6 months Halle. We love you.

I'm giving it a try!!

Here it is, my first post. I guess I will start by telling about my family. My husband and I were married four years ago this August. In April we welcomed home our beautiful baby girl, Halle Alston. I have always heard that you will never know love until you have a child and I know honestly believe that. I work full time so I am not sure how well I will do with keeping my posts up to date, but I promise to try.