Aubrey with her Texas friends visiting a local fire station!!!

Aubrey and I before Easter morning service...

poor Jared in Dallas for an oral board review course :(.

Aubrey and I before swim lessons...dad came to watch!

Pieces Are Falling Into Place...

We have a house!!! Pieces are slowly falling into place for us. Jared has his job set-up, we have a house, and Aubrey is doing really well. Our house is in the Fox Ridge addition on the NW side of Wichita KS. I flew back and found it in one day of physical searching in Wichita. Jared has yet to see it for himself. But after looking at 20 houses in our price range and neighborhoods this house is the one. We close in June and move in July...hopefully...as long as Cashew goes along with the plan. I still have things to sort out in Wichita, but the big stuff is done. Thanks to Sarah N. for all the help with house hunting....you rock. Aubrey is loving the water and finally figured out how to do a somersault! She thinks she is pretty cool. She has her MRI next week and a follow-up appt the week after. Hopefully we will have made some progress on that stubborn clot. I am 7 and half months this Thursday. I passed my glucose test and started on iron pills 2 weeks ago. I talk to my OB about the due date thing (June 24th) and moving thing (July 1st) this Tuesday. Trying to come up with a plan. I will be able to see my previous OB and Aub's pediatrician in Wichita when we return...that is a huge relief. Jared will take his oral boards on April 19th...just 8 days away!!! He is anxious and ready for it to be over with at this point. We have only 2 and half months left of fellowship...can't believe it. I will post next week after Aub's MRI and appt. Have a great week everyone.

Well, it has been a minute...

Baby cashew at 20 weeks...Jared thought girl and I thought boy by this picture.

Aubrey in her Princess dress and converse...she rocks!

Sorry for the delay everyone...if anyone is still checking:>. We have been busy with job hunting and doctor appts. Where to begin...Aubrey's eye nerves are not swollen and are flat! This is a great sign. It took us 4 months but the swelling has finally subsided. We don't see her peds eye doctor until April!!! Also, we went to her peds neurosurgeon. He thought the last MRI showed a bit more flow through the clot. He thought she looked amazing...even though she had a cold that day. Lastly, she has an MRI in April and an appt with her peds hematologist for follow-up of MRI. We hope and pray to see more resolution of the clot at that time. Aubrey is a rock star. She runs, jumps, flops, and plays with the best of them now. She is also in swim lessons. Baby number two, Cashew, is growing well. I am currently 25 weeks today! Our 20 week ultrasound was normal. I have my glucose tolerance test in two weeks. Aubrey is loving the idea of a sibling. She is sooooo excited. She thinks it is a boy...I have no clue. Our other GREAT news for the Spring is Jared has signed a contract for his first official out-of-training job in WICHITA!!! We are very excited to move home with family and friends after this rough year. It is only a year contract, but hopes of signing on as a partner after the first year if all goes well. I have also figured out how to post her videos from Shutterfly to this blog...I am blaming pregnancy for that one...so slow. They are of her first weeks after the accident. As we past her 5 month mark since the accident, I thought it was a great reminder of how far she has come and the amazing grace of God. I will try to keep you all posted better this Spring. Yay God!!!

Thomas Train Set for Therapy!

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Aubrey First 24 Hours Home!

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Aubrey's Hospital Video

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Wait it out...

Aubrey and I went to her hematologist yesterday. We waited 2 hours to be seen, but Aubrey was so good about it. She just played. The appt was two fold: her genetic testing results and her last MRI results. Her genetic testing was normal except one value. This gene could increase her likelihood to clot in situations with added factors (trauma, dehydration, prolong immobility, etc). This mutation in the gene will not cause spontaneous blood clots. Neither will it affect the current clot in her head. The last MRI showed the brain clot stable, but not resolving as quickly as Jared and I would prefer. The doctor said it could be up to 6 months to a year for the clot to completely resolve. We are almost on month 4 now. So we have another MRI in a couple of months for a 6 month look at the clot. Aubs is potty training now and going to daycare. She is so active and smart. She truly is a miracle. Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers...they mean the world. Ultrasound for the new baby next week for the 20 week check-up. Wish us luck!

Baby steps!

Well, our family is making baby steps in the new year to feeling better. Aubrey has been back to school for 2 days. She really likes it and is doing well. Everyone at Tega Kids have been wonderful with her return to school. She is going two days a week and has already asked if she could have her friends over to her house. We have an appointment next week with her hematologist. Other than that, she is truckin right along. I had my stent removed today and am feeling better already. I can walk without pain for the most part. Hoping to be back to normal by the end of the week. I will be 18 weeks this Thursday...posted a picture of the baby bump. I have my 20 week ultrasound in 2 weeks. And no we are not planning on finding out the sex of the baby. Although Aubrey thinks the baby is a boy and she is going to have a brother. Please keep us in your prayers for Aubs continued recovery and no more kidney stones. Jared and Madelyn (the best dog ever) are hanging in there as well. Oh, Mimi and Papa to visit this weekend....Yay!!!

Wow it has been a minute....

Ok all, I don't even know if anyone is checking this blog since I haven't posted anything in a month! Well, let me begin the updates. Aubrey is doing well. Aubrey had a MRI on January 4th. Her blood clot is stable which is good, but it is not resolving as quickly as we had hoped. But her last eye appointment showed her eye nerves have returned to normal....not swollen...this is a good sign of progress in her head. We have an appointment with her hematologist at the end of the month. That appt should give us a better idea of the time frame for this blood clot to resolve. Aubrey went to daycare today for the first time. She was very excited about hanging out with her friends! I hope she has a blast. The baby and I also had an eventful Christmas holiday. We went to the ER on Christmas eve, Christmas day, and the day after Christmas day for kidney stone/abdominal pain issues. Finally on the day after Christmas, I was admitted to the hospital and an ureter stent was placed under general anesthetic. The baby tolerated all well. All this happened in Colorado Springs (where Jared's grandparents live)...so finally by Tuesday we were able to fly home. I saw my Ob/Gyn yesterday and everything seems fine with the baby. I will have the stent removed this next Monday....and I can't wait. Jared is getting by...poor guy. He has been pretty stressed, but doing better. He has oral boards this April. I hope everyones holidays were joyful, pain free, and calm. I will try to update more frequently now that I am feeling better. Here is to 2010 being a less eventful year!

Good News To Go Around...

Well, we have had a great week. Aubrey went to her pediatric eye doctor this last Wednesday. He actually said her optic nerves appeared less swollen....yeah, less swollen. This is the first time since hospitalization that her nerves have looked better. He also said her 6th nerve palsy (cross-eyedness) is gone! So we do not see him for 2 weeks...Yay!!! Aubrey also had a ultrasound of her neck vessels on Thursday to check flow...make sure no other clots. We were afraid she would have to be sedated because she is so gun-shy now. But Jared was able to be there and we didn't need the stupid sedation. Preliminary reports shows good flow to all major vessels in the neck (int jug, ext jug, and carotids). This is a very good thing. We are waiting for blood work results from her hematologist. Hopefully we are on the down hill slide of this whole ordeal. Keep you posted on any new news. Ultrasound for the new baby on Monday...then I will finally have a due date...YAY!!!

Not Just One Miracle, But TWO

Well, when we were at the hospital we knew we had been touch by one miracle with Aubrey's recovery...but we didn't know we had been touched by two miracles. Yes, Aubrey is going to be a big sister!!! We found out for sure the morning after we brought Aubrey home. Yeah, wow is about right. We are not sure my exact dates yet, but I'm around 10-11 weeks. I have been miserable...so nauseated and tired. It has definitely been a rough month with Aubs recovery and being sick. Jared has been amazing. Aubrey is so stoked. She talks about the baby all the time and can't wait for it to be here. We had our first prenatal appt last Friday. Aubrey was a bit nervous about the nurse touching mom. But she was uber excited about hearing the baby's heart beat. It was 176. We have an ultrasound in a week and half to help determine the dates. So now Aubrey and I are really going to appts all the time. Although we have definitely felt overwhelmed by the whole process, we feel so blessed. Keep you up to date on the new baby and Ms. Aubrey.

Baby Noah and Aubrey

Hold on...we are coming Noah!


BFF

Finally Some News

Well, Aubrey had her follow-up MRI last Monday (the 16th). It took a week and half, multiple phone calls, and one appt to finally get an answer. It appears that her sigmoid sinus clot is nonobstructive!!! The hematologist explained that there appears to be some flow through the clot. There are still some things that we are investigating. First, we had to have 10-12 vials of Aubs blood drawn to test for clotting disorders. The blood was taken yesterday...she was sooooo brave. Second, we have an ultrasound of the neck vessels to ensure blood flow through the jugular and carotids next week. If those test are negative for disorders and other clots than we don't have another MRI until mid-January. Hopefully this the case...then we will be on our way to a full recovery. We have been very busy with visitors lately. One of my best friends from nursing school came to Lubbock with her 4 month old son Noah. They surprised me for my 30th birthday early. It was awesome. Aubrey was very enthralled with the diaper changing..poor Noah. Aubrey also graduated from physical therapy last week!!! Mimi and Pops were here for part of Thanksgiving week and now my mom and nephews are here. She has been having a blast. Running everywhere of course. I hope to all that read this have a blessed Thanksgiving. We know that we are!!! Yay God!!!