MacKenzie's ER Visit!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

MacKenzie’s ER Visit! So lastnight we were comming home from dad's house, and the sidewalks were a little snowwy yet, and so of course MacKenzie had to play in it! Well she doesn't even get both feet in the door when she slipped on the linolium, and fell and split her chin open. So we took Dahrran and Kaitlynn back to dad's house, and off to the ER we went! MacKenzie did great, and came out like a champ with 3 stiches! She is so proud of them! She couldn't wait to see Dahrran today, so she could show them to him!!!!!! Don't you love her big grin!!!! Such a little big girl!!!

Kaitlynn's Surgery Date & Other stuff you might want to know!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Kaitlynn’s Surgery Date and other stuff you might want to know!
Current mood: blessed

Hello to all, I know I posted a while back about our decisions on surgery. Well we've come to a decision. We're going to San Antonio in January! Kaitlynn's surgery is set for Jan. 10. So now that we've got a date set things are going a lot better, it's just waiting for the surgery....which could possibly be the absolute WORST part of this whole ordeal!

So we now come to the point of how in the H-E-Double hockey sticks, do we manage to afford to get down there! Of course we're going to figure it out, but it's just so darn stressfull!!! So I'm setting up a button on our website that you can donate for our travel expenses. By no means do you have to, but we would really greatly appreciate it! If you don't have paypal and still would like to help us out, please just email me and I can give you our address.

Thanks everyone again for your continued support, I don't know how we'd get through the days sometimes, or shall I say, how I'd get through them! Kaitlynn seems to be oblivious to this all, but then again I think I'd rather have it that way!

Smiling on the outside, crying on the inside

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Smiling on the outside, crying on the inside Current mood: confused It's been such an emotional week, where do you begin. So I've been doing more research on Kaitlynn's condition. When we first started this process of learning about her condition, Jennifer brought up to us that there was a new type of surgery out. It is known as the Endoscopic Strip Craniectomy. It's a less invasive type of surgery, and is a lot easier on little Kaitlynn's body. I've talked with some really wonderful ladies this week, who've been in my shoes. One whos's son is now 8 and a beautiful big guy, and another who's son is 17 months and has just graduated from his helmets. These ladies have given me the support I've needed to carry on, even when the days didn't seem to have a light at the end of the tunnel. God has given us a new light at the end of this long dark tunnel, and it is up to us to decide what is right for Kaitlynn. The decision isn't going to be an easy one, mainly because of the finacial issue, but it's something we've got to do. As a parent you don't realize that some of your decisions will affect your children for the rest of their lives, until you come to a situation that will give you the time to think about it. I've done a lot of thinking this week, and crying too. Man it sucks to be a strong person. Sometimes I wish I was weak, I wish we didn't have to deal with the things we do. But I do know that God wouldn't have put us through this if he didn't intend to help us along the path. Joel's niece was also diagnosed with the same conditon as Kaitlynn, last week. So now I've got someone to talk to about it, but I don't want to say things that people said to me that I'd just wish they hadn't. It's hard to offer support when you're also going through it, and you don't know what to say to make it better. Because not many words can convey your feelings as a parent. Until this week, and finding out about little Olivia, I thought I was handling it all so well. Maybe it's just because I thought "we'll deal with it when surgery comes", and it will all be okay. And now I'm realizing that surgery is closer than we know. Wether we go with the full CVR surgery in Omaha, or the Endoscopic Strip surgery in San Antonio, it's going to be a long hard road. I just hope it doesn't come too fast, and I hope it doesn't move too slow! Please everyone keep us in your prayers! I just pray that if the surgery in San Antonio is for us, God will find a way for us to travel down there.

Going to Omaha!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Going to Omaha! Hello everyone, just thought I'd remind everyone we go to Omaha monday for Kaitlynn's craniofacial clinic! Our appointment is at 4:30. So I"ll post with an update after we get back, but probably on Tue or Wed! Thanks!!! If I forget to post, please someone send me a message! LOL!

Kaitlynn's Appointment

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Kaitlynn’s Appointment So we had our appointment for Craniofacial Clinic yesterday at Childrens Hospital. All went well Kaitlynn was up to 10lbs 8 ounces!!! The plastic surgon was really nice, and I like him. Our Neurosurgen was also there. He said that Kaitlynn's forehead was comming out more, but not too bad. We're looking at doing surgery in 8-10 weeks, which puts it right around the first of the year!!! They said that they'd let us get through the holidays and then we would do it. It takes 6-8 weeks before they'll get the okay from the insurance, and then it's another two weeks before they'll do surgery!! We have to go back at least twice, once to see the genetisit and then for her pre-op appt. I'm just so glad we konw when we'll be doing surgery and such!!! She'll have a stay of about 5 days, and they usually do surgery on Mondays! So we're just glad to know everything is okay, and when we'll do surgery. Or at least we have a time frame now!!!!

Update for all on Little Miss Kaitlynn!!!!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Update for all on Little MIss Kaitlynn!!!! Current mood: calm Hello to all of our family and friends. For all who know about Kaitlynn's condition, thank you for your support!!! For all those who don't know what's going on, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. We've been waiting on doctors and such to confirm what we knew, and then we thought we'd let everyone else know what was going on. Kaitlynn was born with a condition known as Craniosynostosis. It's where the bones in her skull prematurely fuse together, so she has no softspot, and thus no room for her brain to grow. We will have to do surgery in the near future to seperate the bones and give her brain room to grow. Other than the bones fusing, there is no other risks or abnormalities with her. She is perfect in everyway except the shape of her skull. We expect her to be treated the same as Dahrran and MacKenzie, because there is nothing wrong with her. I have created a website just for her, depicting everything that we're going through. I will be able to update it from the hospital when we go in for our surgery and such, and will update it from time to time with pictures of her head!!! If you want to be notified when we update it, please sign up for the updates!!! It will be the easiest way for me to let everyone know what is going on, and that way I don't forget to "call" someone!!! http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kaitlynncast Thanks again everyone for your support, prayers and encouragement!!! Prayers are still needed as we're not even through the rough stuff yet, so please keep us in your thoughts!!! Thanks so much again!!!!

Kaitlynn Elizabeth Cast

Friday, August 31, 2007

Kaitlynn Elizabeth Cast Our little one made her entrance on August 25, 2007 at 9:59am. She weighed 8 pounds 3.8 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. She is doing well, and we are home now! Check out her pictures!!!! Dahrran and MacKenzie are doing GREAT with her, and love her up!

38 Week Check up - Kaitlynn

Thursday, August 23, 2007

38 Week Check up Went in for our check up yesterday. Surgery is all set up and ready for me. The hospital even called yesterday to set up my blood work and such! YAY!!!! Didn't gain any weight, just bloated to high hell! Babe's heart rate was 148 so still looking good. Didn't measure big, actually measured an inch smaller than last week, so he thinks baby has dropped some! YAY! But not much else to report! We got in for our next appointment on Monday, and my blood work at the hospital! So the next update will probably been in a couple weeks when we're home and settled with the baby!!!!

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All about Us

Welcome to Among the Mess. We’re glad you decided to stop by, & wanted to know more about us!

Meet Amanda

Hello, first let me say welcome. I’m the writer here at Among the Mess. I started this blog back in 2008 after our youngest daughter, Kaitlynn, had surgery for Craniosynostosis (more on that later). I was having a hard time updating family while we were in Texas for each trip. The calls were long, and it was much easier to update in one place. It became a regular place for me to write and journal about our lives.

I’m a Stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children, and wife to Joel. We live in a super small town, but I wouldn’t have it any other way…that is unless we were on our own patch of land out in the country. Someday. For now, this is where we are. I’m not a perfect housekeeper by any means, so if you stop by to see us and the house is amuck, please don’t look. As one of our AWESOME neighbors tells me “I’m not here to see your house, I’m here to see you.” I love her! :)

I enjoy reading a good book, sewing, crocheting, dabbling in graphic design (but know nothing about it!) and any thing baking. I LOVE to bake cookies. We probably bake at least one batch of cookies a week. I also love hearing from readers and getting in touch with mom’s that are like me!! Feel free to email me anytime!

 

Meet Joel

Joel is Daddy, and lover of cows. He works full time for a Hog confinement operation about 30 miles from our home. But his true dream is to stay home and be a full time farmer/rancher. He would love to be able to have our cattle support us. Together we own 6 cow/calf pairs and have a heifer to add to the heard as well as a bull that will be put on a bull sale in March. You can read more about our cattle at his blog Cast Gelbvieh.

Meet Dahrran

Dahrran is our first born child. He is almost 7 years old. It’s hard to believe that a few short years ago his daddy and I welcomed him into the world. He wasn’t planned, but we wouldn’t change him for the world. Dahrran is a spitting image of his daddy when he was younger. Everyone comments how much they look alike. He also has his daddy’s love of all things farm. Unfortunately though him and daddy disagree on which color tractor is the best. Dahrran’s room is full of green tractors and EVERY type of accessory that could go along on a farm. Dahrran also loves his sisters and will do anything for them. He can be the biggest sweetheart, but at the same time is getting to the “don’t kiss me on the lips” phase. He’s growing up too fast.

 

Meet MacKenzie

MacKenzie is our first daughter. She is almost 5 going on 15. She is such a drama queen. Stubs her toe, and you’d think she was dying. She is our farm girl though. From day one hasn’t minded getting dirty, and to this day would rather play in the dirt than stay in the house. She can be found right behind daddy on any given day doing chores. Loves all things Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift, Demi Lavato, Selena Gomez…see what I mean bout going on 15. Can sing all the words to most of Taylor’s songs as well as the opening song of Phineas and Ferb. She is quite the joy, but quite the handful. Be prepared to have your ear talked off if you take her ANYWHERE!

Meet Kaitlynn

Kaitlynn is our youngest daughter at 2 1/2. She is quiet but don’t let that fool you. This girl is smart! Smarter than we give her credit for. She’s talking more and more each day. As well as telling people off. If you do something she doesn’t like, usually she will tell you all about it. She likes the farm, but prefers to just play. She loves her babies, and would make a great big sister. Someday, that is if God has it in our plan.

Kaitlynn was born with a condition called Craniosynostosis (Cranio-Sin-no-so-toe-sis) which basically means the plates in her head were fused together and leaving no soft spot on the top of her head. After an amazing endoscopic surgery, at the University of Texas at San Antonio with Dr. David Jimenez & Dr. Constance Barone, at the age of 4 months old Kaitlynn has no lasting effects of Cranio. She did have to wear plastic helmets for about a year to help in the reshaping process, but now you wouldn’t know any different.  If your little one is suffering from Crainio, please feel free to email us as well as search our blog for all the Cranio posts!! We love to share our experience!