Gabrielle's Spot In The World

Feeding Therapy has begun

2010-06-26T22:27:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday, June 23rd, Gabrielle started feeding therapy. Her first goal is to begin to eat something that she can take her enzymes with such as pear sauce, apple sauce, grape jelly or ketchup. She did good for the therapist and put some food in her mouth. The favorite thing she ate was the cheese dip that Jeff stopped and picked up for her.

She will be going to therapy once a week for 1 hour. We are hoping that she will begin eating by mouth within the next 2-3 months.

GOAL MET!!!!

2010-06-17T12:16:00.003-05:00

Gabrielle had her monthly visit to the CF Clinic and GI Doctor yesterday (June 16, 2010). She weighted 10.4 kg (22 lbs 15 oz) and was 78cm (30.75 in) long. This places her in the 43% weight for age, 45% length for age, and 62% weight for length. This is her best stats since she was born. Needless to stay the doctors and dietian were amazed at how well she has improved over the last month and told us that Gabrielle has met her goal.

May 5, 2010

2010-05-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Gabrielle was able to come home from the hospital yesterday evening. She had to stay for one last dose of antibiotic and the earliest they could give it to her was 3:01pm yesterday. She has not had to take any pain medication for about a week now and her incision from the Nissen is healing nicely and does not seem like it will leave a scar. Her G-Tube is doing good also. We are still learning how to feed her without over filling her, but almost have that figured out.

Because of the flooding we were not able to get the feeding pump and supplies to feed her continuously at night time. They were suppose to ship everything overnight yesterday but we only received the feeding pump today. The home healthcare said they can get in there office tomorrow to get us the formula and supplies. If everything works out we will be able to start the continuous night feeds Thursday night.

Gabrielle stopped taking the formula with her sippy cup while we were in the hospital so all her feedings were given through her G-Tube. Even by doing this she gain a little over 1 pound which put her back in the 25 percentile while in the hospital. Today we used a different brand of sippy cup and she would take about 2 oz of her formula with the sippy cup at each feeding so we only had to give her the other 2 oz through the G-Tube.

The feeding goals we have for the next 2 weeks are: 3 – 4oz formula feedings during the day, 1 jar of stage 1 baby food (single ingredient), 1.5oz formula per hour for 8 hours during the night. Whatever formula she does not take by sippy cup during the day has to be given to her through the G-Tube.

Her daily medications now include:
Viokase enzymes (mixed in formula)
Ultrase enzymes (reintroducing)
Zantac (2x daily)
Prevacid (2x daily)
Aquadeks Vitamins (1x daily)
Pulmozyme (1x daily)
Albuteral (as needed)

Gabrielle is still on an antibiotic for the C. Diff (4x daily) and Flonase (2x daily) for a cold/allergies. She also has 10 minutes of chest percussions for airway clearance (3x daily).

Over the next few weeks we have 5 doctors appointments already scheduled. We start with a feeding evaluation that will help us to teach Gabrielle to eat again. Then Gabrielle has her 15 month check-up, a visit the CF Clinic and GI Doctor. Toward the end of the month Gabrielle will visit the surgeon where her current G-Tube will be replaced with a Mic-key button.

On May 15th, Gabrielle along with Ashley and I and her Grandparents will be participating in the Great Strides Walk at the Nashville Zoo. GREAT STRIDES is the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation's largest and most successful national fundraising event. We would like to invite you to walk with us and/or donate to the CF Foundation.

Jeff’s Great Strides Donation Link - http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/JeffreyShaver
Ashley’s Great Strides Donation Link - http://www.cff.org/great_strides/AshleyShaver6704

Thanks for pray for Gabrielle and us!!!

In Christ,

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

April 26, 2010

2010-04-26T18:24:00.002-05:00

Gabrielle is doing great from the surgeries. Having the epidural placed to control the pain was a great thing to do for her. Since the surgery she only had 4 extra doses of pain medicine and all of those were on Friday. Since then she has not appeared to be in any pain as a result of the surgery. They plan to start transitioning her from the epidural to other pain medications today and to remove the epidural on Tuesday. Her incisions are healing and the G-Tube is working and has bee running almost continuously since Friday afternoon.

Gabrielle has had some GI related issues that we were assuming were related to the excessive amount of feedings she is getting. The orders have been to feed her 1-1/2 ounces per hour through her feeding tube continuously around the clock. However, Gabrielle cannot handle that at this time so we have been having to turn the feeding pump off to allow time for her stomach to empty. We are having to be careful not to over fill her because that causes her to have dry heaves because she cannot throw-up anymore. Since she cannot throw-up there is only one possible way for stuff to come out and needless to say she has been going through a lot of diapers.

The doctors did decide to run some test on her stools. They found Clostridium difficile, also called C. difficile or "C. diff." It is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. This bacteria cause illnesses that typically occurs after use of antibiotic medications. Basically what happens it there are good and bad bacteria in the intestines some antibiotics kill the good bacteria which allow the bad bacteria to thrive. Typically when the good bacteria are present then they are about to suppress or kill out the C. Diff bacteria. Last night Gabrielle was placed on another antibiotic which will target the C. Diff bacteria and give the good bacteria a chance to replenish. Another thing that can be done is to add probiotics to her diet, but we have to talk with the doctors and nutritionist about this.

Ashley and I thank you for all the prayers and the continued prayers.

In Christ,
Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

April 22, 2010

2010-04-22T21:03:00.001-05:00

What a long day it has been. Gabrielle made it through the surgeries and the surgeon said both when good. When we finally made it back to the recovery room she was already awake and playing with her baby doll and blankets. She has not appeared to be in any pain up to this point.

Here is the breakdown of what has taken place. Gabrielle had the Nissen surgery, G-Tube surgery, epidural, catheter, and another IV. The PICC Line people do not like for the anesthesia people to use the PICC Line during surgery, so they had to place an IV in her foot. When talking about pain medication the surgeon and anesthesiologist recommended that Gabrielle get an epidural to control her pain instead of the standard narcotics through the IV. They said that when the epidurals work properly they are much better for CF patients since the narcotics would affect her breathing and the health of her lungs. Since the epidural numbs a lot of stuff Gabrielle needed a catheter since she would not know when her bladder was full. The Nissen surgery was an open surgery so she had an incision about 3 inches long running from her rib cage to her belly button. All the stitches where placed on the inside and surgical tape was used on the outside. The G-Tube was place and in about 3 weeks it will be changed out with a Mic-key button (www.mic-key.com), this can be done in the doctor’s office.

Ashley and I thank you for all the prayers and the continued prayers.

In Christ,

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

April 18, 2010

2010-04-18T15:00:00.001-05:00

I have spent the last few days trying to figure out how to write this email. There seems to be no way to write it that make it any better. So we will go with short and to the point.

Gabrielle will be having two surgeries on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 11am. The first surgery is for reflux and is called a Nissen Fundoplication. This surgery is needed since she has a history of reflux and because the second surgery will increase her reflux. The second surgery is for the placement of a Gastrostomy Tube (G-Tube).

During the Nissen surgery, the surgeon improves the natural barrier between the stomach and the esophagus by wrapping a part of the stomach known as the gastric fundus around the lower esophagus. This prevents the flow of acids from the stomach into the esophagus, and strengthens the valve between the esophagus and stomach, which stops acid from backing up into the esophagus as easily.

A gastrostomy feeding tube is either a tube or a button (skin level device) that is surgically placed into the stomach through the abdominal wall.

Gabrielle is currently scheduled to be admitted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital on Tuesday (4/20). She will have a PICC Line placed and start antibiotics to help get her ready for the surgery on Thursday. The PICC Line will be placed at 11am.

We ask that you continue to pray for Gabrielle as we begin this new phase in her treatment.

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

March 31, 2010

2010-03-31T22:49:00.002-05:00

Well it has been a long month for Gabrielle, Ashley, and I. We began the month with Gabrielle being admitted to the hospital for a 14 day round of IV antibiotics and we are ending the month 6 days into a 14 day round of Augmentin. Just to put a few number of things, this is Gabrielle’s 3rd 14 day round of Augmentin since the first of the year. In the month of March Gabrielle spent 21 days in the hospital. In addition, Gabrielle had 5 visits to doctors’ offices during March.

Today we took Gabrielle to the GI doctor and CF Clinic. At the GI doctor we learned that the test for Milk and Soy allergies came back normal, Praise God! We are extremely thankful that we don’t have be concerned with a milk allergy at this time. The second test we were waiting to talk to the GI doctor about was the stomach empting test. Gabrielle’s stomach does have a delay in emptying. Thoughts are that the delay is from the inflammation that was found in her small intestines when they did the EGD. If the inflammation goes away then the delay in empting the stomach should resolve also. Originally it was thought the inflammation was from a food allergy, however the only food she was getting at the time was milk based and the test showed no milk allergy. The inflammation in her small intestines could be a result of her continually being sick this year. One possibility is that there is an overgrowth of bacteria in her small intestines. So to treat this and hopefully eliminate the delayed empting, after finishing this round of Augmentin she will go on a round of Erythromycin. The Erythromycin is used to speed up the empting of the stomach. The GI doctor is also making a referral for a Food (Eating) Study which will result if a referral to a Food Therapist. We also talk about the G-Tube and Nissen Surgeries that began at the end of February. The GI doctor is not a fan of the Nissen surgery in general but feels it will be beneficial for Gabrielle to have when she has a G-Tube placed. He also still feels that Gabrielle needs a G-tube as soon as possible. He feels that by improving her nutrition it will also help resolve the stomach empting delay.

The visit to the CF Clinic today was a continuation of the G-Tube and Nissen surgery talks. After much prayer, research, and discussions Ashley and I have come to the conclusion that it will be in Gabrielle’s best interest to have a G-Tube placed. We still have not made the final decision about the Nissen surgery, however it is looking like there is a good possibility that it will need to be done at the same time as the G-Tube. There is still one more test that could be run that would give us a better idea about the severity of her reflux. The GI doctor, CF Clinic, and Surgeon are suppose to discuss this test and let us know how beneficial it would be to have done. Also, our decision will take into account the possibility of have to have a second surgery to have the nissen done if it is not done with the first surgery.

As far as timing Ashely and I would like to wait until the beginning of the summer to have the surgery done. However, the doctors feel Gabrielle is at a critical state right now and could decline rapidly if she has another big illness. This is because she does not have any nutritional reserves to spare when she gets sick. We will go back to the CF Clinic in 2 weeks so we can evaluate how she does between now and then and to give us an better idea of how the next 2 months would be if we waited.

Please pray specifically…
…that Ashley and I make the right decisions upon consultation with the doctors
…that Gabrielle starts taking her enzymes by mouth again
…that Gabrielle starts eating solid foods
…that Gabrielle starts eating more food each day
…that as a result Gabrielle will gain all the weight that she needs to
…that Gabrielle can get over her illnesses

Thanks,

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

March 22, 2010

2010-03-22T21:18:00.001-05:00

We got to bring Gabrielle home from the hospital today. What an adventure we have been on the last 22 days. As in the last update, last Tuesday Gabrielle decided to stop taking her enzymes by mouth. Because of this, Jeff and I put her on pedialyte to keep her hydrated. Jeff contacted the doctors offices on Wednesday to let them know what Gabrielle was doing which landed us back at the hospital. Gabrielle was given pedialyte the rest of Wednesday and the first part of Thursday. After talking with the CF doctors on Thursday as well as the dietician, it was decided that Gabrielle would be put on a new formula, Peptamen Jr. 1.5. This new formula is hyperallergenic and has the same amount of calories as her previous formula. As far as the enzymes, they have given us a powder form to put in her formula that will digest the formula prior to her taking it. We will use this until we can teach her to retake the enzymes by mouth. It took Gabrielle a while to take to the new formula but by Friday afternoon she had gotten back to her amount per feeding that she had previously been taking.

Friday afternoon the GI doctor had scheduled some blood work to be taken to look for possible food allergies, specifically milk and soy. This is one reason for the change in formula. He saw Allergic patterns from the biopsies that were taken from her small intestines during her scope the previous week. He also scheduled a stomach emptying test to see how long it takes for food contents to empty through Gabrielle's stomach. Gabrielle had to drink formula mixed with radiation fluid. Then she laid on a table for 2 hours for pictures to be taken. Good thing was she was tired and took a nap.

We have not heard from the GI doctor about the results of the blood work. We were told that the emptying test did show signs in the abnormal range which means Gabrielle's stomach does not empty as fast as it should. We also have not discussed this with her GI doctor so we are not sure what he will do with the results of this test.

Gabrielle has lost some weight since her last CF clinic weigh in last Monday. We return to both the CF clinic and GI doctors next Wednesday, March 31. At this time we will discuss Gabrielle's nutrition and what the next step is in her plan of placing a G-tube, as well as the results from the tests.

Please continue to pray for Gabrielle as we battle her nutrition and that we can get her eating solid foods again.

With Love

Jeff, Ashley and Gabrielle

March 17, 2010

2010-03-17T20:24:00.001-05:00

Gabrielle was released from the hospital on Monday (3/15) only to return to the hospital today (3/17). All of the respiratory issues were taken care of over the past two weeks. However, the GI and eating issues remained. Gabrielle was eating and gaining weight so they released us, although her eating was on the decline and it was a “bad” day on Monday when they released us. I even told the doctors she was having a “bad” day before they released us. Yesterday (3/16) the only times we could get Gabrielle to eat was while she was sleeping. When she was awake she would gag and spit-up/throw-up. She would also start gagging when we were placing her in the high chair.

After talking with the CF doctors today they said Gabrielle needed to come back to the hospital to figure this out so she does not lose too much weight. The doctors want to start talking about surgery but we are going to start by making the doctors look at the results of the EGD that was done last Friday (3/12), the preliminary results showed a possibility of food allergies. Once we figure out what is causing Gabrielle’s issues currently then we will talk about what the doctors want to do.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

March 12, 2010

2010-03-12T19:27:00.001-06:00

We found out this morning that Gabrielle is scheduled for an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EDG) and Bronchoscopy at 10:30 this morning. The EGD is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum with a small camera (flexible endoscope) which is inserted down the throat. They are looking for inflammation from reflex and/or to see why she is refluxing still. The Bronchoscopy is being done to look at her lungs and to see if they can collect and identify any bacteria that may be in her lungs. The Bronchoscopy is only being done since she will already be sedated.

I will try to send a more detailed update tonight.

Leaving everything in God’s Hands,

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

March 3, 2010

2010-03-03T08:06:00.001-06:00

Gabrielle had her PICC line placed yesterday and everything went good. We are now in the routine of waiting on the next dose of medicine, round of respirtory therapy, or next feeding. In between each of these we try to keeping Gabrielle entertained. We are still having issues with her gagging when we give her enzymes and I assume we will have the same issue when we try feeding her yogurt and solid foods. We have talked with the CF Doctors and dietitian about it and we are waiting for the GI doctor to come and see her.

The dietitian has set eating and weight gain goals which sound achievable and hopefully they will help us work with Gabrielle so we can meet them. The eating goals are solid foods, 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of oil, 2 packets (1/4 teaspoon) of salt, and 24 oz Boost 1.5. Her weight gain goal is 1/2 ounce per day. We also have increased her enzymes to 4 capsuls prior to each feeding.

March 1, 2010

2010-03-01T21:59:00.002-06:00

In the last update (2/24/10) we sent about Gabrielle we mentioned that after day nine of her second round of Augmentin the doctors were still concerned about her cough. Well today was her last dose of Augmentin and the sound of her cough has not improve and other things started over this past weekend such as spitting up mucus, gagging on solid foods and her enzymes, runny nose, and her breathing occasionally sounding like a purring kitten. As we were instructed to do by the doctors, we called the CF Clinic this morning. And as expected we made our fourth visit to the clinic in less than a month.

Since Gabrielle has been on two 14-day rounds of Augmentin since the first of the year and since she has been unable to get rid of her cough and other things, she has been admitted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital for the second time in 4 months for IV antibiotics. Her cough and other symptoms are such that if she did not have CF nothing would typically be done about them. However, since she does have CF we need to take the extra precautions and give her stronger antibiotics that target specific bacteria that are bad to CF patients. While in the hospital we will also be ensuring her reflux is under control and is not contributing to her cough and spit ups. We will also be talking with the dietitian and doctors about how to get Gabrielle to eat solid foods. Our goal is that at the end of this hospital visit is that we will be back on track and ready to go for at least another year without having to return to the hospital.

Today after the CF Clinic visit we were given a room and admitted to the hospital. After that Gabrielle received a standard IV so she could start her antibiotics tonight and then she had chest x-rays taken. She has already had one of her antibiotics and is getting ready to have her second one in a few minutes. She has also already had one round of respiratory therapy. Tomorrow at 1pm she will be sedated so she can have a PICC Line inserted for the remainder of the IV antibiotics.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

February 24, 2010

2010-02-24T23:12:00.001-06:00

We took Gabrielle for another visit at the CF Clinic today, this was our third visit this month. She is on day 9 of 14 with this round of Augmentin for her coughing and lung stuff. The doctors heard her cough and were concerned. The felt that the Augmentin should have already taken care of the bacteria in her lungs and reduced her cough back to her normal level. They told us that we need to call them if her cough has not returned to normal in the next couple days. They said there is a chance that there are some bacterial that the Augmentin is not working on.

The main concern that they have had from the beginning is her weight and nutrition. Since the beginning of this year it has become more of a focus. Gabrielle has not gained and maintained her weight since the first of the year. At her January 6th visit she weighed 18lbs 10oz today (2/24) she weighed 18lbs 14oz. Between these visits her weight has gone up and down like a roller coaster. Gabrielle’s appetite has also fluctuated mainly because she has been sick 3 times since the beginning of this year. Based on Gabrielle’s history with her weight, illnesses, appetite, reflux, and other things the doctors feel that she is heading in the direction of needing a G-tube (feeding tube) for additional feedings during the night. They began talking with us about this today and gave us some information to look over.

In an attempt to get Gabrielle to gain weight we have once again changed her formula. We are changing to Boost Kids Essentials 1.5. This formula has 45 calories per ounce. Her previous formula only had 30 calories per ounce, normal infant formula has 22 calories per ounce. We are on a trial basis for 2 weeks to see how it affects her. If she has a dramatic increase in weight and appetite we can delay any further discussion of the G-tube. However, if there is not a satisfactory change then we will continue to have discussions about the G-tube and will have to make a decision at some point.

If WE decide to allow Gabrielle to have a G-tube then there is another procedure to help reduce/control reflux that may need to be done at the same time.

Please pray for Gabrielle to finish recovering from this cough/lung stuff by Monday (3/1) and for her to have a great response to the new formula so we don’t have to continue the G-tube discussions.

In Christ,

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle.

February 16, 2010

2010-02-16T05:49:00.003-06:00

Gabrielle started another 14-day round of Augmentin today. This will be the second round in a month (last time was Jan 6-21). She has a been coughing, hacking, gagging, and draining since last Friday. We took her to the CF clinic Monday and saw the nurse practitioner and the dietitian. Since this is the second round of Augmentin there is a chance that if it does not work or if she gets sick again that she would be admitted to the hospital again for another round of IV antibiotics. We are scheduled to go back to the CF Clinic on Feb 24th to see the doctors and dietitian again.

Our prayer and desire is for this round of Augmentin to work and that Gabrielle does not get sick again for the rest of winter. However, we are also praying that God’s Will be done, even if that is frequent hospitalizations, in Gabrielle’s and our lives so we may bring glory to His name through her CF.

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

1st Birthday

2010-02-13T10:29:00.001-06:00

WOW!!! How time flies. On Saturday, February 13 Gabrielle celebrated her 1st Birthday. Her party theme was Princess (because we all know that is what she is). She celebrated at the house with her grandparents (except Nana, she was sick), Aunt Valerie and some close friends.

We had a great time and she got some awesome presents including a swing for outside and a stroller for us to take to the park this summer and push her baby dolls. She got some other toys and of course clothes.

The cake was made by daddy. It was a strawberry cake with strawberry icing. To decorate it we put rubber ducks on it as this is her favorite animal. Gabrielle was not impressed with the idea of playing in her cake. Jeff and I had to make her put her fingers in the cake. She was more interested in the ducks on the cake.

Some milestones that Gabrielle has hit as she turned one are:
• Walking a few steps at a time
• Learning to say dog and pa
• Identifying her nose and belly

November 12, 2009

2009-11-12T10:33:00.002-06:00

Things have been going good for Gabrielle. She is still content here in the hospital. She is eating, sleeping, watching TV and playing. To keep things interesting for her we are bringing her a new toy to play with everyday. She has a foam mat on the floor so she can be in the floor to crawl and play. She also has a walker so she can roam around the rest of the room.

She has gotten use to most of her therapies and allows them to be done without much fuss. We are still trying to find something that will keep her attention for the entire 20-30 minutes during her respiratory therapy. We have things that keep her attention for 10-15 minutes after that she gets a little restless, but we are still able to complete the therapy it is just a little bit more challenging.

We have now been able to talk with all of the doctors and have also gotten all the lab results back. No new bacteria grew in the cultures and the bacteria the doctors are concerned about did not grow, so the Pulmonary doctors are changing her treatment from 14 days to 7 days. This means we are being discharged from the hospital tomorrow (11/13) without having to continue the antibiotics at home.

The GI doctor came and talked with us earlier this week. The biopsies showed inflammation in the tissues in her esophagus from acid reflux. The doctor mentioned increasing her reflux medicine. He also wants to run an impedance study at a later time. When this test is run Gabrielle will have to stop all her medicines and he does not want to do that to her at this time.

An impedance study is done to help evaluate acid and non-acid gastroesophageal reflux. In this test, a thin, flexible tube is passed through the nose, down the back of the throat, and into the esophagus. The tube is carefully taped into place on your child's cheek. The end of the tube is attached to computer which will remain at your child's bedside throughout the study. An Impedance Study takes 18 to 24 hours.

One issue that has developed over the last few weeks is that Gabrielle has lost interest in her formula. This is causing her to only take 10-12 ounces of formula per day, this includes the 2.5 ounces that is mixed in her rice cereal each day. The issue is hydration and calories. To try and fix this while in the hospital we are mixing her formula with a vanilla flavored supplement, Nutren Junior. This will be the supplement that she goes on when she stops taking her formula. She seems to like the taste better. When we get home we are going to try adding Vanilla Extract to her formula to see if that works. If it works then we will continue to stay on her formula, if it does not work we will change to the supplement.

There have been changes made to her home maintenance treatments but all the changes are manageable. Once we receive final instructions from the CF Care team about our new home treatments we will post another update

Thank you for all your prayers during this time. Gabrielle has done a great job being hospitalize and Ashley and I have been able to see what all is involved in the hospital treatments.

We are going home Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

November 7, 2009

2009-11-07T12:51:00.001-06:00

What an experience it has been so far. We arrived at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital at 7am Friday morning and was joined by Pastor Joe and the Grandparents. After checking in we had time to fellowship as we waited to be called back for preparations. Before going back we had a time of prayer for Gabrielle and her doctors. At 8:45am we were finally called back to begin the preparations for the procedures.

Gabrielle’s vitals were taken then we were taken to a holding room. Once in the holding room doctors and nurses started coming and talking to us about the different things Gabrielle was going to be experiencing. There were times that one person would be talking with Ashley while another was talking with Jeff. At 9:15am after everyone had talked with us and all the consents were signed Gabrielle was taken back to the procedure room and Ashley and I to a small waiting room. Gabrielle had fallen asleep prior to time to go to the procedure room so that was a blessing for us and her.

All of the procedures were done under anesthesia. They planned on starting the anesthesia through a mask. After the mask they could give some through an IV. Gabrielle was also hooked up to a standard IV in her leg to provide her fluids during the procedures.

The first procedure was a bronchoscopy. This is where a camera is sent into her lungs to examine them. They also sprayed a small amount of saline solution in to wash some mucus off of the lungs and then they sucked it back up to collect a sample. This procedure took 10-15 minutes to complete. The doctors told us visually everything looked good. We are waiting for the results of the bacteria cultures so we know the different types of bacteria in her lungs. Once this is known the doctors can finalize her treatment regime.

The second procedure was an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with biopsy. An EGD is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum with a small camera which is inserted down the throat. Biopsies were taken so they linings could be examined under a microscope for inflammation and to determine how the reflux medicines are working and if Gabrielle is having any allergic reactions to her formula. This procedure also took 10-15 minutes to complete. The GI Doctor told us the visually everything looked good. We are waiting for the results of the biopsies which we should get Monday or Tuesday.

The third procedure was to insert a peripherally inserted central catheter or PICC Line. A PICC Line is a long, slender, small, flexible tube that is inserted into a peripheral vein in the upper arm and sent through the vein until it reaches a large vein in the chest near the heart. Ashley and I decided to have the PICC Line placed in Gabrielle to reduce the number of times she would be stuck with a needle. The PICC Line takes the place of an standard IV and will last 2-3 weeks verses the 3-4 days a standard IV would last. Since Gabrielle’s IV antibiotic will run for 14 days the PICC Line was the best way to go. The PICC Line took 30-60 minutes to place and required a chest x-ray to verify its position. The PICC Line was verified and approved for use.

The forth procedure was the Chest X-ray to verify the position of the PICC Line. This was done after she had woke up from the anesthesia. The doctors also used this opportunity to use the Chest X-ray to examine her lungs for blockages so an extra view was taken with the Chest X-ray. The Chest X-rays looked good both in regards to the PICC Line and looking at her lungs.

Ashley and I were taken back to the recovery at 11:30am. When we arrived Gabrielle had just woke up and was scared and crying. We were able to get her calmed down and she fell back asleep. Ashley and I stayed with Gabrielle from that point on. About 2:30pm we were able to go and have the Chest X-rays done and then returned to recovery to wait on a room. At 4:30pm we were finally taken to a room where Gabrielle will remain for the next 7-14 days. The IV antibiotics last for 14 days but there is a chance we can finish the last week of treatment at home.

The IV antibiotics currently consist of two different antibiotics. The first antibiotic, Cefepime, is given every 8 hours and the second, Tobramycin, is given once a day. It takes about an hour for each antibiotic. Blood is drawn each day to check her kidneys and to check the level of Tobramycin in her blood stream.

Another part of her treatment is her Respiratory Therapy. Her Respiratory Therapy consist of Chest Percussions and Aerosol inhalants. The chest percussions are the same as we have been doing at home. The only difference is they are being done 4 times per day, where at home it was only twice. A new part of her Respiratory Therapy are the Aerosol inhalants during the 14 days of antibiotics she is receiving Albuterol prior to the chest percussions 4 times per day and then twice a day she is receiving Pulmozyme after her chest percussions. The Albuterol opens her airways up so the mucus can flow out easier. The Pulmozyme actually breaks down the mucus at the cellular level. After the 14 days of antibiotics the chest percussions should reduce back to twice a day and we should also be able to stop the Albuterol. However, the Pulmozyme will become part of her daily treatment.

Yesterday Gabrielle was tired and cranky as expected. This morning she woke-up as her normal active cheerful self. She is still getting use to the different treatments that she has to go through. As the week progresses hopefully all these treatments will become second nature to her and we can get through them without any fussing.

Prayer request for now are that Gabrielle becomes adjusted to her new treatments.

We are allowed to have visitors and have to follow the guidelines of the hospital. Visits from other family members and friends are encouraged during the day and evening hours. The routine visiting hours are 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. All family and visitors should wash their hands upon entering a child’s room. If a visitor has a fever, rash, diarrhea, vomiting, cold, or any recent exposure to communicable disease (chicken pox, measles, mumps), for the protection of our patients, they may not come to the patient care floors.

Gabrielle is in room 7533 at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Take the Main Hospital Elevators up to the 7th floor and go to Pod C. There is a gray box on the right wall that will buzz the nurse’s station so they can open the door. You will need to sign in at the nurse’s station.

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

November 5, 2009

2009-11-05T19:37:00.003-06:00

Gabrielle is scheduled for her procedures at 9am tomorrow (11/6) morning. After everything is completed she will be moved to a room to start the IV antibiotics. We will send an update after we get settled in her room tomorrow to let everyone know how she is doing.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Jeff, Ashley, & Gabrielle

November 2009 CF Clinic Visit

2009-11-04T23:00:00.002-06:00

It has been a long time since we last sent out an update on Gabrielle. We are actually excited that it has been such a long time since this means that everything has been going good for her in regards to the Cystic Fibrosis.

Today was Gabrielle’s monthly appointment with the CF Clinic and also a revisit with her GI doctor. Things looked good with both visits but Gabrielle is showing signs that it is time to start a new phase in the treatment for her CF. Right now we are preparing for Gabrielle to be admitted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital so she can receive IV antibiotics. The treatment last for two weeks with at least the first week being in the hospital, the second week is dependent on how things go and how Ashley and I feel. We are waiting for the doctor to call us to let us know when things have been arranged. We are expecting the enter the hospital on Friday (11/6) but it may be tomorrow (11/5).

When she is first admitted she will be sedated so they can collect samples from her lungs to test for the different bacteria that are present. This will allow them to give the proper antibiotics. Since she will be sedated her GI doctor wants to look in her throat and stomach to help figure out the issues she is having with reflux so he can better treat it.

This is new to us and as we figure things out we will keep you updated. For now we ask that you be in prayer for us as we prepare to enter the hospital and begin this treatment.

To God Be All The Glory!!!

Jeff, Ashley, & Gabrielle

August 2009 CF Clinic Visit

2009-09-07T06:11:00.004-05:00

Now that it is September and we are days away from Gabrielle's September CF Clinic Visit it is time to have an update about the August Visit.

We took Gabrielle to the CF Clinic on August 5, 2009 for her monthly check up. At that visit we talked more about her reflux and the doctors decided to refer her to a GI specialist.

Enzymes

2009-07-11T20:00:00.003-05:00

We had our monthly office visit at the CF Clinic on July 1st. At that visit the doctors, dietitian, and us decided to start Gabrielle on enzymes as a trial until our next office visit on August 5th. The decision to start Gabrielle on enzymes was based on her weight gain and stools. Currently Gabrielle is only gaining one-third of the weight she should be gaining based on the specialized formula we are giving her. Both Pancreatic Elastase test run to check her enzyme levels have come back in the low normal range. But based on her stools the doctors think there may be a chance that her enzyme levels fluctuate during the day.

By placing Gabrielle on a low dose of Enzyme to supplement her natural enzymes two things should happen. First, the enzymes will digest the food better allowing for her to gain weight faster so that she can grow larger lungs. Second, they should add consistency to her stools. If the enzymes do what they are suppose to do then Gabrielle will more than likely be on the enzymes the rest of her life. Right now she is on them until our next clinic visit on August 5th.

We finally were able to get things worked out and got the enzymes yesterday afternoon and started giving them to her this morning (7/11). We will be getting the enzymes from Walgreens. The pharmaceutical company that makes the enzyme is providing them for free for the first 4 years. They will also provide her vitamins for free when she starts taking them.

Gabrielle is remaining on both the Zantac and Prevacid to reduce the acid in her stomach. This will not only help with reflux but will also aid in the activation of the enzymes.

The other thing we will be doing to help Gabrielle gain weight it to wake her up in the middle of the night for an extra bottle when she eats 18oz or less during a day.

Thanks for praying for Gabrielle and us. We don't know how to ask you to pray for Gabrielle at this time. We don't want Gabrielle to have to take enzymes the rest of her life, but then we want her to have them if she needs them. God knows what Gabrielle needs and he will provide for her. So our prayer is that God will watch over Gabrielle as she grows and develops.

Leaving all in God's Hands,

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

July 2009 CF Clinic Visit

2009-07-01T20:00:00.001-05:00

It has been a while since we have sent an update on Gabrielle. To us this has been great news since this means that Baby Girl has generally been doing good.

Today we had our monthly office visit at the CF Clinic. This was a great visit with respect to the communication/relational side of Gabrielle's care.
Our appointment this time was with the head CF doctor, another CF doctor, the social worker, the dietitian, the dietitian's boss, and the CF nurse.
It appears that right now we will be seeing one of the CF doctors when we visit the clinic instead of the Nurse Practitioner, whom we had some communication/relational issues with. They did not say this but this appointment and the next appointment are with one of the doctors.

The doctors said that Gabrielle is doing good overall and that Ashley and I are doing a good job with her care.

During the first year of Gabrielle's life the focus of care for CF is her nutrition and gaining weight. For a non-CF child Gabrielle is doing good with maintaining the 25% weight curve. However, in order to do this she is taking a specialized formula that is partially predigested and is mixed to give her 30% more calories than regular formula. With the special formula being partially predigested this allows for more of the calories and nutrients to be absorbed by her body. With this said, Gabrielle should be gradually gaining enough weight so that she is changing weight curves. The goal is for her to reach the 50% weight curve. To accomplish this she should gain 1 ounce per day on average. Currently she is averaging 1/3 of an ounce per day.

Another issue we have been working with is reflux. Last month Gabrielle had an Upper GI (barium test) to check for reflux and make sure the anatomy of the Upper GI was normal. The test came back that everything looked normal and they did not see reflux during the test. However, Gabrielle did have reflux problems and for that she was placed on Zantac and Prevacid and has been on both for over a month now. Within the last week Ashley and I have noticed that Gabrielle has less gas, less burping between bottles, and basically no reflux or spitup between bottles. So the medications have been working.

One way to tell if Gabrielle' pancreas is producing enough enzymes to digest the food is to look at her stool. Her stools seem to go in cycles from watery (everything absorbed into the diaper) to runny to runny with mucus to pasty (normal). Since starting the Prevacid her stools cycle from runny to runny with mucus to pasty. The doctors attribute this change to the Prevacid and Zantac reducing the amount of acid in her stomach.

With all that said, before we are referred to a GI doctor to see about her abnormal stool cycles we are going to rule out any CF related issues.
Gabrielle has had two Pancreatic Elastase test run to check the amount of enzymes her pancreas is producing. The results of both test came back normal, but are on the low end of normal. Her pancreas could be sufficient
(normal) for years then become insufficient for the rest of her life or could stay sufficient her whole life or turn insufficient at anytime. This is something that has to be watched. Since her stools seem to cycle the doctors say that one possibility is that her pancreatic enzymes may be cycling also from having enough to not having enough. When you combine this with her staying on the 25% weight curve despite the special formula and increased calories, then something needs to be done.

Gabrielle is being placed on a low dose of Enzyme to supplement her natural enzymes. The enzymes should do two things. First, the enzymes will digest the food better allowing for her to gain weight faster so that she can grow larger lungs. Second, they should add consistency to her stools. If the enzymes do what they are suppose to do then Gabrielle will more than likely be on the enzymes the rest of her life. Right now she is on them until our next clinic visit on July 29th.

Gabrielle is remaining on both the Zantac and Prevacid to reduce the acid in her stomach. This will not only help with reflux but will also aid in the activation of the enzymes. She will begin the enzymes either Friday or Monday when we receive them. The enzymes are coming from the CF Services Pharmacy by mail.

The other thing we will be doing to help Gabrielle gain weight it to wake her up in the middle of the night for an extra bottle when she eats 18oz or less during a day.

Thanks for praying for Gabrielle and us. We don't know how to ask you to pray for Gabrielle at this time. We don't want Gabrielle to have to take enzymes the rest of her life, but then we want her to have them if she needs them. God knows what Gabrielle needs and he will provide for her. So our prayer is that God will watch over Gabrielle as she grows and develops.

Leaving all in God's Hands,

Jeff, Ashley, and Gabrielle

Month 4 – May 13-June 13

2009-06-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

Gabrielle rolls from her back to stomach and over again. She has such a sweet personality. She knows who certain people are and will smile at them when she sees them. Some of the things she is doing is blowing raspberries, clasps her hands together and sucks on both thumbs at the same time, takes her upper lip and sucks it in.

We celebrated the 4th of July in Nolensville, TN. In the evening there were fireworks which Gabrielle decided she slept through.

At her 4 month check up she weighed 12lbs 10oz and was 24.6 inches long.

Gabrielle is averaging about 20ozs a day

Ashley

Month 3 – April 13-May 13

2009-05-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

Gabrielle started rolling over from her back to stomach this month. She even got to the point where she does not like taking her pacifier. She would rather suck her fingers, mainly her thumb. Jeff and I got to hear Gabrielle laugh for the first time this month. It is priceless to watch her giggle. She rolled over for the first time this month as well.

Jeff and I had Gabrielle dedicated to the Lord on Mother’s Day, May 10. All of her family was in to see her. She had both sets of grandparents, all her uncles and aunts, and 1 great grandmother. It was truly a special day for all.

Gabrielle is averaging about 20oz a day

Ashley

Parent-Child Dedication

2009-05-10T20:00:00.002-05:00

Ashley and I come to you this morning asking for your prayers, support, examples, and accountability as we raise Gabrielle Elisabeth to be the Godly Woman God has designed her to be.

God has blessed us with the privilege and responsibility to raise Gabrielle, a responsibility we accepted years before Gabrielle was born without fully knowing how great a responsibility it is. During the years leading up to Gabrielle's birth God began teaching us how to Lean on Him, Depend on Him, and Surrender everything to Him.

After the loss of our first pregnancy we began to learn how to Lean on God for His comfort, healing, support, and guidance. If it were not for the prayers, support, examples, and accountability of our family we may not of begun to learn how to Lean on God in our time of sorrow and pain.

Over the next few years of trying for another pregnancy we began to learn how to Depend on God for His direction and timing for our family. If it were not for the prayers, support, examples, and accountability of our family and friends we may not of begun to learn how to Depend on God for everything in our lives.

After visiting a "specialist" and having test run we began to learn how to Surrender everything to God. Based on the results of one test, which was run on both Ashley and I, the "specialist" recommended that we basically take the control completely out of God's hands and place it into hers. If it were not for the prayers, support, examples, and accountability of our family and friends we may not have begun to learn how to Surrender everything to God.

Gabrielle is here today with her "65 Roses" Bouquet as a reminder to Ashley and Me of the lessons which God has taught us in the years leading up to now and the many more lessons He is going to be teaching us through the prayers, support, examples, and accountability of our family and friends.

The "65 Roses" Bouquet which Gabrielle is holding is a representation for Cystic Fibroses, the Genetic Disease which she has. "65 Rose" is what some children with Cystic Fibrosis call their disease because the words are much easier for them to pronounce. But, making it easier to say does not make CF any easier to live with. With the rose being the ancient symbol of love, the "65 Roses" has become a trademark symbol for Cystic Fibroses.

CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States, and about 70,000 worldwide. Ashley and I are seeing how God begun working with us even before we found out we were both carriers of CF, in that He has given the doctors and researchers the knowledge to develop treatments and drugs which have taken the life expectancy of CF patients from not expecting to attend elementary school to living full lives beyond their 40s.

God has also given the doctors and researchers the ability to develop treatments and drugs that allow CF patients to live full lives which are non-distiguishable from those without CF. While we will always have treatments to do, medications to take, and a few extra doctor and hospital visits to go to, Gabrielle will live an unrestricted full life just like non CF kids.

God has begun teaching us how to Lean on Him, Depend on Him, and Surrender everything to Him and we desire to continue learn more about God through His precious little Woman Gabrielle Elisabeth.

Again, Ashley and I come to you this morning asking you, our family and church family, for your prayers, support, examples, and accountability as we raise Gabrielle Elisabeth to be the Godly Woman God has designed her to be.

Month 2 – March 13-April 13

2009-04-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

Gabrielle started forming her own personality. She started smiling and cooing. She is still sleeping through the night around 6-8 hours.

Gabrielle was even able to attend her first prom on April 25th and had her first overnight away from home. She stayed with Pops and Grandmama. Mommy missed her so much that it will probably be awhile before she stays the night away again.

Gabrielle celebrated her first St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, 2009. She had all the appropriate green attire so she would not get pinched.

Gabrielle celebrated her 1st Easter on April 12, 2009. She wore a beautiful smocked pink dress and bonnet. The Easter bunny left her a basket filled with goodies.

Gabrielle is averaging about 14ozs a day

At her 2 month check up she weighed 9lbs 15oz and 21.9inches long.

Ashley

Month 1 – February 13-March 13

2009-03-13T20:00:00.004-05:00

Jeff and I are getting used to having a little one in the house. Gabrielle is a terrific baby. She even sleeps all night long. She will go to sleep around 8pm and Jeff gets her up at 4am to start the day with her feedings.

Gabrielle celebrated her 1st Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2009. She was a mere 1 day old. She got a Koala bear and ring from her daddy. She was all decked out in a special sleeper and bib to celebrate the occasion.

Gabrielle will eat about 12ozs a day

At her two week check up she weighed 7lbs 3oz and 20.3inches long.

Ashley

1st CF Clinic Visit

2009-03-10T20:00:00.001-05:00

We went to the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Vanderbilt to meet with Gabrielle’s CF care team. We met with 8 individuals all over a two and half hour time frame. There are at least two more people that will be on her CF care team in addition to her primary pediatrician and us. We got a lot of information in this short amount of time and we told that there is a lot more information and that CF is a very complicated thing, which is a good thing. They also said to be careful about where we get our information on the internet. They told us that the two sites that we have been looking at are the best two to use. www.cff.org and www.esianson.org

To determine Gabrielle’s treatment they will have to evaluate her and get to know her over time. Treatment for CF is based on the individual patient because each patient is unique. To start with and for the first year they are focusing on nutrition as the primary treatment. Gabrielle is below average in her weight so we will be mixing a higher concentration of formula. This will give her more calories per ounce of formula so she does not have to take as much at each feeding. In the coming months we may start adding salt to the formula and she will start taking vitamins.

Another treatment which we began tonight is chest percussions. We will be tapping on her chest, sides, and back trying to break up any mucus that maybe in the different lobes of her lungs and move it to the main tubes so she can eventually cough it up. We will be doing this twice a day beginning with 5-6 minutes each time with the duration increasing based on her age and other factors.

Each time that we go to the CF clinic they will taking a throat culture to look for bacteria which may be in her lungs. They will also be running a test to see if the enzymes from the pancreas are making it to the intestines. These enzymes are what breaks down the food so the nutrients can be absorbed by the intestines into the body. If she does not have any enzymes or not enough enzymes she will have to take enzymes orally prior to every time she eats.

We have a social worker as part of the CF care team that will help us with our work, daycare, insurance, and many more things. There are three CF nurses that we can call with questions and if they don’t know the answer they will text the doctor and get the information for us. They will also help us determine when we should take Gabrielle to her regular pediatrician or bring her to the CF care center.

We go back it two week for another information overload and to find out what changes need to be made in her treatment and any additions to her treatment. For the first year will be visiting the CF Clinic at least once a month.

Thank you for your continued prayer.

May God Be Glorified,

Gabrielle, Jeff, and Ashley

Day 23

2009-03-07T20:00:00.002-06:00

In December of 2007, before Gabrielle’s conception Ashley and I found out that we both were carriers of a genetic disorder, Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that (1) clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and (2) obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

It was at this time that we first began asking a small group of family and friends to begin praying with us for Gabrielle. Before we continued our quest to begin a family Ashley and I had some decisions that had to be made. With both Ashley and I being carriers of CF that gives a 25% chance our child would have CF (one mutated gene or two mutated chromosomes), a 50% chance our child would be a carrier of CF (one mutated chromosomes), and a 25% chance that our child would have two normal chromosomes. We gathered as much information as we could about CF and even talked with a genetic counselor and a genetic doctor at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital about the specific mutations that our chromosomes have. We also talked with a fertility doctor who presented us with choices that ranged from natural conception to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). IVF w/ PGD is creating embryos outside of the womb and then testing each one for a genetic disorder and throwing out the “bad” ones and keeping the “good” ones. After much prayer and support from family and friends our view of the choices were, Trusting Completely in God or allowing the doctors play “god”. Ashley and I got a peace about our decision to Completely Trust in God to provide us with the child that He had chosen for us. Five months after our decision was made Gabrielle was conceived. At this point we had the choice to have testing performed on her while she was in the womb. Since we had already decided to Completely Trust in God we did not have any testing done while Gabrielle was in the womb other than the normal ultrasounds. We decided that the best thing we could do is to have testing performed as soon as possible after she was born.

Fast Forward to February 13, 2009 the day Gabrielle was born. When Gabrielle was born Ashley and I and the doctors began watching for the physical symptoms of CF and we have not seen any as of today. We went ahead and scheduled an appointment with the genetic doctor at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital to have the testing for CF done when Gabrielle was 13 days old. Two days before the appointment we received a letter from the Tennessee Department of Health concerning the Newborn Screening Test which the state requires, by law, be run on all newborns before they are discharged from the hospital. These test check for metabolic/genetic disorders which can cause severe illness or mental retardation, however when identified early they can be treated. The screening test which is run to identify babies with the potential to have CF came back with “questionable results” for Gabrielle and we were instructed to have the screening test run again when she was two weeks old. Since we already had appointments scheduled blood samples for the Newborn Screenings were collected when she was 13 days old. In addition to the Newborn Screening we also had two test run for CF. The first test which is the standard test for CF is a Sweat Test. This test did not work because she did not have enough sweat. The second test was another blood test, a DNA test looking for the two mutated chromosomes which Ashley and I carry.

On Gabrielle’s three week birthday, March 6th, we received the results from the DNA test. Gabrielle has Cystic Fibrosis. Ashley and I still have the same peace which God gave us before Gabrielle was born. We know that everything that has happened to this point is because God is Completely In Control and that everything that will happen from this point on is because He is Completely In Control.

We have an appointment with Cystic Fibrosis Care Center at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, March 10th. At this appointment we will learn more about Gabrielle’s CF and the type of treatment that she will have. The treatments will be lifelong treatments as there is not a cure for CF. There are varying severities of CF and it is dependent on the specific mutations of the chromosomes and the individual who has it. It can range from no symptoms at all to extremely severe. By finding out Gabrielle has CF at this point in her life it will allow the treatments to stay ahead of any problems which she may have.

Right now this is the extent of information that we know. Over the coming days, weeks, months, and years we will be learning as much as we can about CF and how it affects Gabrielle. As time permits we will be adding information about CF to Gabrielle’s website. In addition to sending updates via email we will also post them on her website.

Please be in prayer for Gabrielle, Ashley, and Myself. Also, for the Doctors and all who are involved in caring for Gabrielle.

To God be All the Glory,

Gabrielle, Jeff, and Ashley

http://www.gabrielleelisabeth.com/

Day 13

2009-02-25T20:00:00.003-06:00

It has almost been 13 days since Gabrielle decided to join us in this world (outside of Ashley). Each of these days has been a blessing from God for us. We are looking forward to all the blessings that God has in store for us in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

For those who we have forgotten to tell Gabrielle has her own website with pictures on it. It is http://www.gabrielleelisabeth.com/

Today we received a letter from the State Department of Health concerning the Newborn Screening Test that the state requires by law. The Screening Test are run before the newborn is discharged from the hospital. These test are checking for metabolic/genetic disorders which can cause severe illness or mental retardation, however when identified early they can be treated.

One of the test that was run on Gabrielle returned “questionable results” and the test has to be repeated. Just because the results are questionable DOES NOT mean the Gabrielle has a disorder, it just means the test has to be run again and more testing may be required. We already had her 2 week check up scheduled for Thursday so we will have the test re-run at that time.

We are asking you to pray for Gabrielle once again because the test that returned the questionable results deals with the same genetic issues we were concerned about prior to Gabrielle being conceived. We know that this is just an initial screening and DOES NOT mean that she has this genetic issue. We had already scheduled an appointment with a Genetic Doctor for Thursday also so we could talk about testing Gabrielle for this genetic disorder so it could be confirm that she does not have it.

We would also like to ask again that until we get more information that you not share the specifics with others. If you ask others to join us in praying just ask them to pray for our family as Gabrielle continues to grow and develop.

Thank you for being our prayer warriors and friends. Know that we pray for each of you on a regular basis.

To God be the Glory,

Jeff and Ashley

Coming Home

2009-02-16T20:00:00.000-06:00

On Monday, February 16, 2009, Gabrielle was brought home from the hospital. It would definitely be a different experience for all.

We introduced Gabrielle to her dogs, Keely and Emma. I think they were more excited to see Jeff and me then Gabrielle. We let them sniff at her when we let them outside so they could begin getting used to her.

Jeff and I were determined that Gabrielle would sleep in her own room from the beginning. We made the mistake the first night of putting her in her room in the total darkness. She was not used to that, so she ended up sleeping with us that night.

Ashley

Gabrielle’s Entrance to the World

2009-02-13T20:00:00.001-06:00

Jeff and I decided not to find out the gender of our baby. We referred to the baby as Monkey for 9 months.

Jeff and I arrived at Centennial Women’s Hospital at 7:00 A.M. on Friday, February 13, 2009 for a scheduled Cesarean Section. We got settled into a room by 7:30am and I was hooked up to an IV and the heartbeat monitor for the baby. Around 8:00am, nurse Carmen came in to see if I was feeling the contractions. I did not even know that I was having them. Maybe “Monkey” would have made an appearance that day even without the C-Section.

At 8:55am, I was taken to the OR for prep. I was going to have a spinal block done instead of the epidural. Dr. Presley was running a bit behind from a surgery he had earlier in the morning, so at 9:40am I was wheeled back to my room to wait. At 9:52am, they came back to get me. After getting all things prepped and ready Jeff was brought into the room and the C-Section was started.

At 10:29am Gabrielle came into the world weighing in at a whopping 7lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long. She had a head full of hair and olive colored skin. Jeff and I were very excited to see her and hold her for the first time.

This day was filled with lots of emotions for the two of us and our family. Seeing that it was the first grandchild on both sides of the family and first niece for most of our siblings. Much to say she would be spoiled.

Jeff was able to carry her to the nursery. As our parents stood waiting to see the gender of the baby, Jeff would not say a word. It was not until the nurse changed her diaper, that they found out they had a granddaughter. My sister and the Agnew’s (Tom, Amanda and Caleb) were waiting as well.

Finally around 11:30am, I was in the recovery room and getting to spend some time with my little girl.

Over the next several days Gabrielle had many visitors come see her.

Ashley

Monkey In The Oven

2008-07-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

God has blessed us with a monkey in the oven. For those who cannot figure it out to simply put it Ashley is pregnant. Ashley is 9 weeks along which makes the due date February 18, 2009.

We want to thank you for your prayers for us and ask you to continue to pray for us. As we mentioned in our last email there is a 25 percent possibility of our baby having a specific genetic disorder. That also means there is a 75 percent possibility of our baby being just fine. After much prayer, we have decided that it will be best if we did not find out during the pregnancy if our baby has this disorder. There is nothing that can be done during the pregnancy about the disorder if the test came back positive.

We have also decided that we are going to try and not find out the sex of our baby until he is born. This is one of the times in life that God provides us an opportunity to truly be surprised.

We ask that you continue to sit back, watch, and PRAY for us as God performs this awesome work in our lives. No matter what God’s will for us is as long as we listen to Him and follow His will, Ashley, our baby, and I will have a great testimony of how He is working and has worked in our lives.

On another note, if you are wondering about the color scheme for our baby’s room, Ashley has picked it out. If you look at Target either online or in the store look for the crib set called Circles.

Placing our Faith and Trust Completely in Christ,

Jeff, Ashley, and Baby Shaver

Ashley, Jeffrey, and Babies

2008-03-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

I don’t know what you are thinking. We are not going to have a baby right now.

Ashley and I would like to invite you to join our baby making team. There is only one rule. Ashley and I will be the team leaders and will take the lead role in making our baby. Anything other than that would be wrong, not to mention gross. Besides, we like branches and forks in our family tree. What we would like you to do is to support us and PRAY for us.

Over the past couple months Ashley and I have had some test run and have met with doctors, have talked with our parents, siblings, and pastor. And most of all we have PRAYED. We have decided that what we need to do at this time is to ask you to PRAY as we continue to seek and follow God’s will for our lives, especially as it pertains to growing our family, at this time.

In December, Ashley and I received some test results that indicates there is a 25 percent possibility of conceiving a baby (or babies) with a specific genetic disorder, each time we conceive. That also means there is a 75 percent possibility of conceiving a baby (or babies) that are fine. As far as we know this genetic disorder is not present in either of our families. God just let us know about it at this time through a blood test we each had done looking for this specific disorder. We have been presented with the entire range of options ranging from natural conception to test tube babies with genetic testing.

After much PRAYER and discussion we believe it is God’s will for us at this time to attempt to conceive naturally with the aid of medication to assist us in conception. We know that God will not give us anything in our life which we cannot handle and that the baby (or babies) He will entrust us with will be very special.

We ask that you sit back, watch, and PRAY for us as God performs this awesome work in our lives. No matter what God’s will for us is Ashley and I are going to have a great testimony of how God is working and has worked in our lives.

We ask that you trust us to provide you with information as we feel comfortable sharing it. We promise to keep you updated with what is going on so you can know how to pray. Please remember that this may be a long process and there may be weeks between updates.

We realize that there is power in Prayer, which is why we are contacting you to PRAY for us. However, we ask that when you ask others to PRAY for us that you not mention the reason, God will know how to answer their PRAYER even though they won’t know what they are PRAYING for specifically.

On another note, if you are wondering about the color scheme for the baby’s (or babies’) room Ashley has picked it out. If you look at Target either online or in the store look for the crib set called Circles. We have already purchased all the necessary components of this. All the furniture will be white.

Placing our Faith and Trust Completely in Christ,

Jeff and Ashley