11 months old! - Can it possibly be?

February was a month to remember for so many reasons! 

We had an ice storm that was in the heels of the snow storm we had in January. We celebrated Valentine's Day and Aspen said "POPS" for the first time. Aspen now has two bottom teeth with the top ones coming in as I type (among many other exciting things) but the thing I will most remember about this month is Chris and Lindsey dedicating Aspen to the Lord in a service at our church. The service was short and simple but the meaning behind it and the family and friends gathered…well, it was a special time for us all.

What does it mean to dedicate a child to the Lord? 

"Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God. Parents who make this vow of commitment are instructed to raise the child in the ways of God, and not according to their own ways. Some of the responsibilities include teaching and training the child in God's Word, demonstrating an example of godliness, disciplining according to God's ways, and praying earnestly for the child."

An Example of Baby Dedication in Scripture

And she (Hannah) made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." 1 Samuel 1:11(NIV)

When God answered Hannah's prayer by giving her a son, she remembered her vow:

"As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 1:26-28 (NIV)

Aspen is certainly a "prayed for" child. He is loved by many. We are trusting him to the Lord because there is no one that loves him more than God himself….an overwhelming thought. 

We were so grateful that our family could join us for this special day! Aspen's Aunt Nelly and Uncle Chri, great grandmother (Granny) and great grandfather (Papa), Dee Dee (me of course) and his Pops and his great grandfather (PawPaw) and Grandma Hazel and cousin, Montana.

I love this family picture! 

Aspen being a ham as we celebrated lunch at Frontera's! 

This picture makes me smile. Staring with such interest and love at Grandma Hazel...

On February 5th… Aspen said, POPS! It was the sweetest thing and there might have been a few tears shed. :) He said it many times that night. You could tell he was so proud of himself. 

Aspen's CF appointment was canceled due to the threat of ice that night… He was trying to prove that he could do his inhaler without any help…thank you! :) This picture makes me smile. 

What are snow days for but to let your hair get all messy and stay in your PJ's! :) 

Aspen does NOT like to miss anything and napping isn't his favorite, but sometimes you just have to "surrender" and say…ENOUGH!

We were all packed in the house and ready to be iced in together. We're so thankful that we never lost power, but they did miss a couple of days of work/school. Oh well… it made for a great "movie" night in our newly finished basement. 

Aspen loves to play with his Daddy. He used to be so fearful of things but not any more! He LOVES to play.

Thank the Lord we didn't get too much ice but it made for a couple of fun family days! 

His Dee Dee and Pops love him SO! He wasn't too impressed with the snow OR the ice.

The snow and ice moved out just in time for Valentine's Day…. Aspen sure was sweet to me and his Mama. We each got a beautiful rose! 

We all couldn't be more excited to see the snow and ice leave and some warmer temperatures come out. Aspen and I took a fun trip to Toys R Us to celebrate the pretty weather and came home with this car. :)

His face says it all! 

Snuggle time with Nelly! 

We loved having Aspen spend the night while his Mama and Daddy had a date night. His Pops always gets him right to sleep.

Aspen went to the Cystic Fibrosis center this month. The doctors and nurses are all so proud of him and how well he is doing. They say he's the cutest little boy they have ever seen. I don't think there is any denying that! :) 

Aspen weighs 22 pounds and is well above average for his height as well. The doctor's say he is doing so well that he can start coming to the clinic once every THREE months… so Lindsey doesn't have to go back until after she graduates from Georgia State. His lungs sound crystal clear. We give the Lord all the praise and glory for his continued progress.

He is standing alone and wanting to walk so badly…He is so close.  He's taken a couple of steps. It won't be long now. 

He was so shocked to be "handed" this banana. It was so cute. 

Happy 11 months, Aspen! Since February didn't have a "29th" we celebrated his 11th month birthday on March 1st.  We did a "practice run" with our rice and beans to see how he would do with his first birthday cake. He passed! :) He's going to be ALL in it. Happy 11 months, sweet boy! 

Sometimes I stop and look at this sweet and innocent face. I realize that Aspen doesn't have a CLUE that there is anything "wrong" with him. He doesn't understand that he has Cystic Fibrosis or what that means for his life.  Honestly, sometimes it's hard for us to remember even with all of the enzymes, medicines and the "vest" that shakes up the mucus in his chest twice a day...for a total of 40 minutes and other things that make him "different." 

We are on a mission! A mission to help raise awareness and to find a cure for Aspen and all those affected with CF. 

The doctor's gave Lindsey permission to STOP one of his breathing treatments (done previously in the morning and at night) because he sounds so clear. He still has a breathing treatment at night and the vest. That was a HUGE change. 

Another HUGE thing that happened this month was….

FDA Approves Expanded Use of Kalydeco™ for Eight Additional Mutations that Cause CF

February 21, 2014

 

The medicine isn't approved for Aspens mutations but I'm so excited for the families that this does affect and for the HOPE that this brings to Aspen and all that love him. The more mutations that they are able to "cure" or find a medicine to alleviate the symptoms…. just means that they are one step closer to helping Aspen. 

Our prayer is before Aspen can really comprehend the seriousness of his disease or before he has any serious affects from it… that a cure will be found. They are getting so close. 

You'll be hearing more from us in the next two months regarding ways that you can help support this cause that is so important to our family. Some ways you can be thinking about helping are:

* Come to our Tupperware party on Tuesday, March 18th - 25% of the proceeds go directly to the CF foundation. 

* Walk with us at the annual CF walk on Saturday, May 17th at the GA Tech Campus. 

* Buy a T-shirt (they are in the process of being made) - More info soon. 

* Make a donation to the CF foundation in Aspen's honor. 

http://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR/GreatStrides/40_Georgia_Atlanta?team_id=16798&pg=team&fr_id=2047

* We plan to have a "Chick-Fil-A" night. More information to follow. 

Thank you for loving on us, praying for Aspen and for all of your support. It's hard to believe that later this month, Aspen will be ONE!!!

An optimist is the human personification of spring.

—Susan J. Bissonette

I LOVE spring!  Fall used to be my favorite season but slowly but surely spring is becoming my favorite time of the year. It's such a happy time, an optimistic time and there is so much to look forward to.

Spring time reminds me of Aspen. He was born with Cystic Fibrosis but that does NOT define who he is. He is funny and so smart. He knows how to make everyone laugh. He is into everything and brings so much SUNshine and joy into all of our lives. He loves to climb. He loves to laugh. He is a super fast crawler that never sits still. He loves the outdoors but he hates to be hot.  He doesn't like to wear his socks but he loves to chew on them. :) His nickname is CHUNKY (who would have ever guessed that would happen). He likes the Giggle Bellies (The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round).  He has learned to entertain himself with his toys for about 30 minutes at a time. He sleeps well at night (Lindsey even had to wake him one morning at 10:30). He still refuses to sleep at Dee Dee's house during the week. ha!

Everything about him right now is optimistic…except for his CF diagnosis.


I read this quote this week:
Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.



April 1st, 2013 was a very hard day for our family. The next 39 days at Children's Healthcare proved to be just as trying. Oh how far we have come. Oh the miracles that have happened. Oh how the LORD has blessed us.

We are optimistic… just like springtime that arrives this month and we praise the Lord for the HOPE we have in Him and for the HOPE we have in a CURE for Cystic Fibrosis.

It's sometimes hard to remember these really hard days.

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

—Robin Williams

And it won't be long. On March 29th, we will be celebrating Aspen's FIRST birthday. 

We couldn't be more excited. 

Until next month…. :)