Happy 21st Birthday, Uncle Jordan!

Sofia's 1st Birthday Pics! and Baby Carson!

Baby Carson is here! Congratulations to the Jana and Raymond his proud parents and to Elizabeth and Drew is big sister and brother! You can see pictures of Carson on Drew's Blog.

Sorry about that last post, the pictures just wouldn't save! So here they are!
Sofia and Jaylyn with their Mommies and their Neonatologists
Sofia and Jaylyn in front of Christus Santa Rosa Hospital
Singing Happy Birthday
Sofia and her cake!
Sofia digging into her cake!
Sofia finished with her cake

Princess Sofia's Birthday!

Well, today was absolutely beautiful! We started the day off by meeting with Jaylyn (other CDH baby who also turned 1 today) and her family at the hospital and visited with the NICU Staff and the girls Neonatologists. We took LOTS of pictures and they even had the hospitals PR staff there too! After we walked across to the park which is also beautiful and took more pictures there and in front of the mural on the hospital. Let me remid you that it is almost Fiesta time here in SA and it was crazy Downtown. For those who don't remember last year we had to have police passes to get to the hospital! Anyway, after the pictures in the park we went and had lunch in Market Square. We all had Fajitas! We then took Sofia and a cousin who is in town from England, Tom, for the first trip (Sofia her first of many trips) to the Alamo! While we were waiting for Tom to sign the guest book the guy that worked there sang Happy Birthday to Sofia! He was very nice! Then we came home and took a quick nap and went over to Papa and Grandma's for cake and ice cream. Sofia made no where near as big of a mess as I thought she would. She is definately her Father's daughter and didn't like to get her hands dirty. She did end up pretty messy after about 15 minutes or so! It was fun! We took her straight to the sink and bathed her right away! It was a fun day! Thank you all for your Birthday wishes and for all the calls we received! I have been extremely emotional today and it just blows my mind still to see how many care and pray for my Sofia! I hope you enjoy the pictures! God Bless

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY MY SWEET BABY GIRL! I LOVE YOU!

Love, Catherine

1 year ago....

More to come tonight!

Remembering Drew

Please take a moment to light a candle in Drew's memory and say a prayer for Drew and his family. Drew became an Angel a year ago, today. Please also say a special prayer for his Mommy, Jana, who is due today with Drew's little brother Carson. Jana posted yesterday and Carson still hadn't made his debut appearance, you can keep udated on Drew's Blog. God Bless you sweet Angel.

Baby McKenna; June 24, 2006 - April 15, 2007

I am saddened to right that another sweet baby has become an Angel. McKenna Lynne passed away today in her Mommy's arms. Pleas keep her parent's, sisters and family in your thoughts and prayers. Please visit McKenna's Site and sign her guestbook. God Bless you little Angel.

Sofia's Trip to the Zoo!

We took Sofia to the Zoo today and she loved it! She meows at our cats, so when she saw all the animals she would meow at them! It was hilarious! She would also get so upset and cry as we left each exhibit, but was fine once we got to the next one. The flamingos were her favorite. I think it was the bright colors that she liked and the fact that they were the loudest animals we saw today. It was a lot of fun! I went last year while I was still pregnant with her, so this was actually her "second" Zoo visit!

I do have a lot to update and actually have them all saved as drafts and just not published, so I will complete them all and hopefully have them all up tomorrow. I know it will be a little confusing, but I will let you all know what the dates are that I added.

Please if you can donate to the March of Dimes if you haven't done so yet. Thanks to all who have already donated! Click here to go to my site. Thanks again!

Love, Catherine

Remembering Avery

A year ago sweet Avery Mae passed away. Please keep her Mommy, Lauren, in your thoughts and prayers today. Also, please take a moment to light a candle in Avery's memory. We love you precious Angel.

Donny's Birthday!

P.S. Donny, your balloons are also on their way. You and Riley can play with them together. Our weather is supposed to stay bad until next week, so look for them then.

Riley's Birthday

Please keep Riley and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Today will be Riley's Funeral. Please pray for strength for her Mommy and Daddy. God Bless Sweet Angel!

P.S. Riley, your balloons are on their way. The weather is pretty yucky here, so once it clears up you will get to enjoy you Birthday Balloons in Heaven!

Baby Riley; March 29, 2006 - March 24, 2007

I am deeply saddened to write that we have lost another precious CDH baby. Riley Jane passed away yesterday at 11:45am. I can't imagine what her parents and sisters are going through right now. When I read the email this afternoon, I cried and ran to hold my baby. I can't even begin to think about the chance of still losing Sofie. My heart is just breaking. Please keep Riley and her family in your prayers. You can visit Riley's site by clicking on the link at the right that says "Angel Riley."

Sofia is 11 months!

Wow, it really is only one month before my baby girl turns 1! This year has gone by way to fast. I haven't checked her height lately, but Sofia is now 21 pounds! Sofia is doing good, she has been a little under the weather for over a month now, but the doctor started her on some oral sterroids last week, so hopefully we will see a change. Today is the last day and she doesn't sound too much better to me. I will call tomorrow and see what we can do next. She is also being treated for Pink Eye, an ear infection and she has a virus and everything that goes along with it! It has been a crazy Spring Break! Sofia now has two bottom teeth and one on top. She can stand for a few seconds and then lets herself fall. She can walk with her toys and along the couch and she tries to climb up on the couch! She is everywhere and into everything! I take care of my Sister-in-Laws kids now during the week and Sofia loves it! She really enjoys beign with other children. Lilli, her 3 year old, is really determined to get Sofia walking. The other day I had left the gate open to the stairs and Sofia crawled to the stairs, so I just got behind her to see what she would do and she climbed all the way up! She was so proud of herself!

We have spent our Spring Break trying to get everything organized and ordered for Sofia's Party! It is going to be huge of course, but she deserves it! I chose the Supergirl theme. It just seems to fit with everything she has overcome and of course the "S" emblem! Her party will be the Saturday, April 21. We will have a bounce Castle and an inflatable waterslide. My brother wants us to have a snowcone machine, so we will! (he loves to make them, he is 12) I am really excited about it! Baby Jaylyn, who was born the same day with CDH, will be joining us and and her Mommy and I and the girls and our families will be going to the hospital on the girls actual Birthday for a little party there. I am not sure if you all remember, but I had told you all the in the NICU Sofia was next to a 14oz baby whos Mother Ivan and I new from the summer we met, anyway, I went to Academy last week and she works there! I was kinda scared to go up to her cause I did not know how her baby was. But, she saw Sofia and I and started crying cause she was so happy to see us! Her baby Akasha is doing well and finally got out of the hospital on September 26. She is 2 days older than Sofia. So, we plan on getting together with them sometime soon. Then Melodie , Jaylyn's Mommy, called me on my way home from Academy, strange huh! She said Jaylyn is doing well, but she only weighs 13 lbs 7 oz and is 29 inches long. So, hopefully she will start eating well and catch up. She was larger than Sofia at birth.

Okay, well Sofia will be waking up soon, so I need to get things done. Thank you all for your continued support and for reading. I have "met" several new Mommies expecting CDH babies, so please keep them all and their little ones in your prayers. Please keep all CDH babies in your prayers. God Bless

Love, Catherine

Balloons for Avery!

Balloons for Drew

1 Year Ago, Today...

Sofia is 10 Months!

WOW! In only 2 months we will be celebrating my little Miracle's 1st Birthday! This past year has gone by way too fast! Sofia is doing well, she has been battling a cold for about 2 weeks now and it is just no fun. Her poor little nose is starting to get raw. We have been to the doctor so many times this past couple of weeks, too. I guess I am just a little paranoid! Sofia is back on the Pulmicort twice a day and on Xopenex every three hours. We were able to stop the Xopenex for a few days and then all of a sudden her wheezing started back up and the runny nose did, too. But, the good thing is that if she wasn't coughing, wheezing and didn't have a runny nose you would never no she was sick. She is just a ball of energy!

Sofia finally got her second tooth about a week ago and did so much better teething than she did with the first one. I guess since she was sick it just masked the teething. She still isn't saying much more than "dada." Well, not anything that makes since! She says a lot, if only we could understand her!

I don't remember if I said how well Sofia did on the trip to and from Dallas? She did amazing! Well, we just got home from another 4 hour trip this evening! We took Sofia down to the Basilica of the National Shrine of our Lady of San Juan De Valle in San Juan, Texas. The Basilica is absolutely beautiful! It has a room of "Milagros" or "Miracles" where you go to ask for a miracle and make a promise. I have family that went down before Sofia was born and while she was in the hospital. So, we went down to pay our promise for our Miracle. They had a glass table to put pictures in and I left one of Sofia's pictures that the hospital takes. I don't think I have ever posted one on here! It was all a little emotional. I walked into the church fighting back the tears because I knew of the Miracle I was holding in my arms, but when I was writing a message to go along with Sofia's picture, it all hit me again. We have decided that we will make this an anual family trip. I would love for Sofia to grow up knowing this church. Around the outside of the grounds they have about a 3/4 mile path called The Way of the Cross. Along this path it has 14 stations of the cross in life size bronze statues. It was just beautiful! We attended mass last night and it was completely full! This church holds about 1800 people and it was full! I am really looking forward to our next visit!

There are a couple of babies I am asking for prayers for. First, please pray for Baby David who will be born tomorrow with CDH. There are some other complications that David will be facing, too. Please pray for strength for David and for his Family. Also, I have met another expecting Mommy who will is due with her baby Claire Elizabeth on July 1, 2007. Cindy has set up a blog for Claire and I have added a link to her blog at the right. Please keep these babies and all CDH babies in your prayers.

I will update again, soon! Thanks for reading! God Bless

Love, Catherine

P.S. Once again blogger isn't allowing me to upload some new picture, so check back for them soon, I hope!

Sofia's 1st Valentine's Day!

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Madeline Paige; Dec. 13, 2006 - Feb. 5, 2007

I am writing to this to tell you all that Baby Madeline passed away this afternoon at 2:40pm. Maddie was almost 2 months and would have finally reached full term on February 12th. Madeline fought long and hard but her tiny body just couldn't take any more. Her doctors told her parents that her body weight naturally would have been around 3 pounds, but because of all the fluid in her body she was over 14 pounds. Please, please keep Madeline's Mommy, Daddy and Family in your prayers. God Bless you sweet baby, girl!

Birthdays! Birthdays! Birthdays!

Love, Sofia

And Happy Birthday to Donna and Kristallyn!

Prayers Needed

I have just received an email update on Baby Madeline. Madeline is the baby that was born December 13 which was 2 months early. She was born with Downs Syndrome and a heart defect. Over the past few weeks Maddie has been battling an infection. Yesterday they tried a new medication on her to help blood flow to her kidneys, well, that med hadno effect on her. Her parents are meeting with her doctors today to discuss everything. The nurse told her Mom that the next couple of days should show them what direction her health is going to go (better or worse). One doctor told her Mommy that most babies at this stage don't pull out of it. So, I am asking you all to please keep Madeline Paige and her Parents in you prayers. Please pray that Maddie proves them wrong! Please pray for strength for her Mommy and Daddy. I will update as soon as I hear more. Thank you all, again!

Love,Catherine