Aspen is 8 months old... We couldn't be more thankful!

Go, Aspen! :) He took a little while to get over his cold/cough but praise the Lord, he is all better. 

Aspen's first Halloween... What a cute duck he was! He wasn't too sure about the "costume" but he eventually got used to it... after pictures were taken. ha! 

One of my favorite pictures! Those eyes and that nose and those cheeks! LOL A sweet picture...Lindsey can't get enough of her sweet baby. LOVE! 

His Dee Dee and Pops love him so much. He was not happy being a duck but he sure was cute! 

Aspen loves his Aunt Nelly! We sure did have a fun night. 

Precious! This month Aspen had an appointment with his pediatrician, Dr. Angela Hutchins. She couldn't get over how much he had grown. He was 19 pounds, 5 ounces and in the 60th percentile for his weight. Aspen was 28 1/4 inches and in the 80th percentile for his height. 

PRAISE the LORD! We all give the Lord thanks for all HE is doing in Aspen's life. I remember so well the CF clinic saying that he would have a hard time "catching up" with his height. At the time he was in the 5th percentile, and it did seem a little unlikely anytime soon. We are so grateful that his enzymes are doing their job and allowing him to gain weight and height and to thrive. He continues to amaze us. His doctor says that most CF babies look "lanky".  We're so grateful for every little fat roll! :) 

Aspen loves his Mama! He's getting to the "separation anxiety" stage and sometimes no one will do but his Mama! 

He loves to play with his Daddy. His Daddy used to be able to scare Aspen but Aspen has become pretty "fearless". He loves for his Daddy to throw him up and tickle him! 

He thinks his Dee Dee is crazy (that's debatable). He's my laughing buddy. He loves to wave at me and for me to copy what he is doing or the sounds he makes. He makes my heart so happy. 

He loves for his Pops to sing to him. He looks at Danny so intently when he sings. He loves to ride on his Pops shoulders too. He has his Pops heart for sure! 

He loves his Aunt Nelly. His Aunt Nelly has a way of getting Aspen to sleep. She keeps Aspen "styling and profiling" in some cute things to wear. He is lucky to have such an awesome aunt!

His Uncle Chri (yes, I said, Chri... we have to have SOME way to distinguish between all of our Chris's) loves to entertain Aspen while we are shopping. He's been known to sing to him in stores too. They are building a sweet bond. 

We've learned that he loves to shop already.  He is so content riding in the cart and checking everything out. He loves to be cool... he gets that from his Daddy and his Dee Dee. :) He loves to stand and is pulling up on everything. He is crawling and he's pretty fast too. He will crawl faster if he has the chance of having your cell phone when "he gets there". He is drinking out of a sippy cup and loves most foods he's experimented with so far, although peas aren't his favorite. He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth and still loves his pacifier. 

I love how Aspen is looking at Lindsey in this picture and how Chris is looking at Aspen. I couldn't be more proud of all three.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! 

As I look back over the past 8 months, I am amazed by so much. I went back and read my entire blog and when I see how far we have come and how many ways God has blessed us this year, my heart feels like it will explode. 

This week, Aspen went to the liver specialist. This was his 6 month follow up visit. The doctor was so impressed when she saw him.  On his last visit, his liver was a little "hard" and enlarged and his blood work was OFF the charts. When I think back to May of this year and Aspen having the liver biopsy, I tear up. If you remember, the doctors gave us two outcomes for his biopsy and both involved surgery and one of them... a liver transplant! Praise the Lord, we ended up with a third option and that was "wait and see." (Look back to my Perspective blog)

PRAISE the LORD the doctor said that Aspen's liver was soft (YES!!!!) and that his liver was no longer enlarged! (YES!!!!!) Praise God! We are so grateful. The doctor's didn't see the need to "stick" Aspen unnecessarily, so his blood work will be taken at the CF clinic when we go in December. I just know that the results will be awesome and we are SO grateful. 

Isaiah 26:3 

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."

From that day in May until now, it's awesome to know that the peace that we've had can ONLY come from Him. He has Aspen in the palm of His hand. 

Psalm 62:5

" Find rest, Oh my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him."

Isn't this the cutest little turkey you've ever seen?

 

 He's going to be walking in no time...


















He is able to stand for about 5 seconds all by himself.  He would rather stand than sit... life as we know it will soon change! :)














Happy First Thanksgiving to my favorite young family! Love them all!

I love getting "Aspen kisses"!

His Mama can't get enough of his kisses! He's the sweetest.

Aspen got his first "boo-boo" from a fall. He was playing outside and scraped his nose on a piece of bark. He's such the tough little guy though. Kisses from Daddy make it all better!

 He's mobile and he's quick....

He's beginning to look like a little boy instead of a baby! Happy 8 months, sweet Aspen!

 Enjoying breakfast at Cracker Barrel. He thinks he will just relax and rest his feet on the table. He gets that from his Pops! :)

We had an awesome Thanksgiving.... The day after Thanksgiving was Granny's 80th Birthday! We are all so grateful for her and her life. We have been blessed. She is a prayer warrior and a Mother/Grandmother that would do ANYTHING for any of her family. We celebrate Aspen's 8 month birthday and Granny's 80th birthday.... SO sweet!

In the stress of today, let's not forget that the God of yesterday's "wonders" is the same God that is with us today! His past provision shows us He will meet our present problems. May we all take a moment to remember the "wonders" He has done in our life.

Have a blessed December!

Aspen is 7 months!!! Gerber baby contest, first time being "sick" and JOY! PURE JOY!

It's hard to believe that Aspen is SEVEN months, today.... October 29th!

He gets more and more precious, each and every day! How is that possible? I have NO idea!

I can't believe how precious that face is?

Lindsey read that there was a "GERBER Baby Search 2013" contest and thought,  "who better to win this prize!?"   :)  I know I sound partial, but goodness.... he looks like the PERFECT "Gerber baby" model. Voting starts on November 2nd and runs into December. You can vote once per day. HOW exciting would THAT be if he won?

Aspen is sitting up but he MUCH prefers to be standing. It's hard to get him into the "sitting position" because he's always moving his legs to stand. I told Lindsey that he will be the first baby to stand before learning to sit well. This is Lindsey TRYING to get Aspen to sit. This is Aspen saying, NO! LOL!!! He is so inquisitive and SMART. We all love to see the many things he learns each week.



Aspen's first word was...MAMA! It was so precious to watch him say MAMA. My heart melted to watch the woman that calls me MAMA, be called Mama! Sweet memories. He sure does love his Mama and Daddy SO much. It's SO sweet to watch.

Aspen's Mama and Daddy celebrating, Chris's birthday at Longhorn's!

Aspen meeting a little puppy at the park. He had mixed emotions! 

Aspen has such a FUN personality!

We are SO thankful in all things! We are grateful for SO, SO many things!

Aspen carving his first pumpkin!

Aspen got sick for the first time (REALLY). He's had a couple of minor sniffles... but this was his first "illness". Ironically enough, his CF doctors were in Salt Lake City for a CF convention. The doctor's never actually saw or heard him but he was VERY congested and "croupy" sounding. The doctor's put him on an anti-biotic. He was better the following Monday but not ALL the way. Lindsey called the doctor's office and they added a generic of prednisone. We sure didn't want to put him on a steroid but it 's only for 5 days and hopefully it will get his chest all the way better.

It's a little scary knowing what is "CF" related and what is a "normal" childhood illness. This first winter will be a lesson on living in the moment and not worrying. We know that fear isn't from the Lord!

2 Timothy 1:7

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

We're choosing to be wise but not to worry about the "winter" sick months. Lindsey and Chris do such a great job at giving Aspen his breathing treatments and CPT (chest physical therapy). God is in control and hears our prayers! Thank you for joining us all as we pray for this sweet baby!

70th percentile on Aspen's 5 month visit - Praise, praise, PRAISE!

17. 3 pounds

26 inches

Aspen's lungs sound awesome!

70% percentile for both height and weight

"How is THIS possible?"

Such awesome words to hear from the doctor. So many smiles by all. So many grateful hearts for the progress that he has made. When we think back to Aspen's first CF visit... and to the words... "If we could just get him to the 10th percentile we will be happy" - we stand in AWE of God's mercy.

70th percentile! ! ! 

How awesome is that????

Ephesians 3:20-21

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

He IS doing far more than we could have asked! We praise HIM! 

Many people have asked how Aspen is "different" from other children...what medicines does he take?

http://www.cff.org/AboutCF/

CF affects the lungs and the digestive system. Each patient is different but following the care plan given is one of the best ways to give Aspen the best chance at being as healthy as possible. Lindsey and Chris have done such an amazing job of following his care plan. 

Aspen's pancreas doesn't work at all. Praise the Lord that there is a medicine to help him digest his food. It's working as evidenced by him being in the 70th percentile. Aspen takes 4 enzyme capsules (poured into a teaspoon of applesauce) with every bottle of any type of food that he eats. The enzyme amount will change as he continues to gain weight. 

A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus....

Aspen takes a breathing treatment in the morning and at night called "hypertonic saline."
Hypertonic saline is extra-salty water that is sterile, so there are no germs in it. Because CF airways are known to lack enough salt and water, hypertonic saline mist helps to clear the thick mucus from the lungs.

Aspen also takes a breathing treatment at night called Pulmozyme. This medicine also helps to thin mucus. 

Aspen currently has normal lung function and the goal is to keep it that way as long as possible.... prayerfully and hopefully for life! God sees and God knows and our God is ABLE! 

Aspen's immune system is no different than any other child's. He isn't contagious.... the BIG difference is his lungs and pancreas build up a thick mucus that cause a breeding ground for infections and when he gets sick, it CAN be much more serious than other children. 

Another everyday treatment is known as “airway clearance.” Performed twice a day for approximately 30 minutes at a time, airway clearance requires that the person with CF do special mucus clearance or breathing exercises.

One of the most important things a child with CF can do to stay healthy is to minimize exposure to germs and harmful bacteria. Frequent hand hygiene, which includes washing one’s hands with soap and water and/or using alcohol-based hand gel, is best.

http://www.cff.org/LivingWithCF/AtSchool/TeachersGuide/

The things that will be important for Aspen as he grows: 

* Consume 1 1/2 times the number of normal calories normally required 

* Stay away from sick people or large crowds. Aspen isn't allowed to go to day care or church nursery because of this for the first few years of his life. 

* He will require and need extra salt (he takes 1/4 tsp in his bottles). 

* Exercise! Exercise! Exercise... anything to move the mucus in his lungs around. 

* Take his medicines, breathing treatments and airway clearance EVERY day. 

* Nutrition! Nutrition! Nutrition... what a GOD thing that Lindsey is majoring in Nutrition. A coincidence... we don't think so. It's another GOD thing in this journey of ours. 

With new medications and better care, people with CF are living longer, healthier lives. More people with CF are attending school, graduating and pursuing careers. People with CF have chosen to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, health care workers, electricians, and even race car drivers.

Aspen is perfect in EVERY other way. He is SO precious. We don't want CF to define who he is. He's a normal baby with a unique "mutation." We are praying every day for a cure. There are some promising medicines in the works. We are hopeful that as we raise awareness and research continues that there will be a CURE in the near future. 

Aspen already loves the outdoors. He loved hanging in the ENO with his Pops! 

He loves swimming. He was a "natural" at it. 

Aspen and his new buddy, Claire! We couldn't be MORE grateful that Claire's Mom, Mattie, is keeping Aspen two days a week. What a HUGE, HUGE answer to prayer. I can't think of a better person to help with his care. Dee Dee keeps Aspen the other two days :) that Lindsey is at school. Our hearts are SO grateful for her willingness. 

Such a HAPPY, sweet and precious baby Aspen is! 

We would appreciate your prayers for Aspen and for a CURE for this disease. This fall/winter season is a little scary to us. The doctor's instill fear in us because of the flu season. We know that God wouldn't have us live in fear about the "what-ifs". We know that God desires us to trust in Him. We are choosing to do that and praying for a healthy "flu season" for this sweet baby.

Isaiah 41:13:

 "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

There is a drug being researched right NOW that could potentially help Aspen. We would appreciate your prayers for the researchers of this trial. 

Words can't express how grateful we are to all of our friends and family for their constant love, prayer and words of encouragement. We love you all! 

June, July and August... What an awesome summer this has been!

We are so grateful for the summer that we had. Aspen was in the hospital from April 1 until May 9. We feel like we missed spring. When he came home, he was at the ER 3 times in the month of May.

In June... we feel like we were "normal" again. Aspen was able to start getting out some and what a blessed summer it has been. This blog was just started in September, but I can't resist sharing some pictures to show how Aspen has grown and to give glory to GOD for all the many things and ways He has worked in Aspen's life this summer.

 Aspen at his 3 month visit to the CF clinic. We was in the 50th percentile. We were SO grateful. It's hard to believe at his first visit that he wasn't even "on" the chart.

This face is HILARIOUS!

Father's Day 2013.... Aspen's first time in the pool! 

Papa, Danny and Aspen... 3 generations! 

 How sweet is this!

Aspen is 3 months old! Look how much weight he has gained! It's amazing! 

Happy 4th of JULY! 

Aspen after his first ALL day excursion with me and his Mommy! :)

 He was sad! How cute is this???

Aspen back at Egleston at his 4 month CF appointment.

Happy 4 months Aspen! He's shouting HORRAY!!! :)

Aspen and his big boy jeans!

Playing around with his Dee Dee

Loving on his Granny!

Playing with his Grandma Hazel. Aspen is blessed to have 2 great grandmothers.

Getting some Papa love! 

Aspen is so cool in his shades! :) Going on a walk with his Mommy!

Our little ray of sunshine! 

Happy 5 months sweet baby! 

Aspen loving on his Pooh! :)

He sure does love his Mommy! He's going to be an "outdoors" little guy. We can already tell.

Hanging out at the pool!

Look how far Aspen has come! This is actually from birth, March 29th... until the 4th of July. God is showing us HE is able to do more than we could "ever ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20-21).


Join us as we continue to pray that Aspen will WOW the doctors.