Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

We are thrilled that the Ronald McDonald House collection in Ramsey's honor was such a success! Our goal was 61 bags. We have enough for 70+ well-stocked bags. I can't say thank you enough to each of you that have helped to make this a success! We couldn't have done it without the help of friends, family, churches and businesses who supported the project. In addition to the products that were donated, we received enough in monetary donations to purchase custom tote bags! We also have enough money left to purchase a few items that we still need, and possibly some extra to go towards preparing a meal for the families at RMH on the day we deliver the bags. We hope to prepare the bags in April and deliver them in late April or early May. We're so excited to support over 70 families in Ramsey's honor!
My basement is packed with donations!


Ramsey displays some of the goodies!


Now, about the bags...you may remember the logo I created to raise CDH awareness and prayers for Ramsey. We used it on Facebook and even ordered cute buttons that our family, friends, and eventually the staff at Children's Hospital wore in honor of Ramsey.

We were (and still are) amazed at the immense support we received. As I planned this project, one thing I wanted was a way to allow other families to praise and honor their loved ones...to share their story, to request prayer, to seek consolation from other's who have walked in their shoes. That's when the idea for the tote bag graphics came along.  I modified the "Rooting for Ramsey" logo so it just says, "Rooting for _______". Each tote will include a marker so the family can fill in the blank with their child's name. I had tags made to attach to each bag that briefly explain why we wanted to honor Ramsey. They invite each recipient to visit our new Facebook page, Rooting for a Reason, to share their story. I hope the page might grow so each family can benefit from the support and prayers of others just like we did!


Monday, March 12, 2012

That Smile...

Tonight, I wanted to write to commemorate the day we brought Ramsey home, one year ago. I launched iPhoto only to realize that we brought him home one year ago....YESTERDAY.   I'm glad there were no fact-checkers around to criticize me for the last 60+ days as I promoted our Ronald McDonald Collection to end on the 12th, the day of his supposed discharge.

Maybe I did forget the exact date (I'll blame that on the exhaustion of a two month hospital stay), but I will never forget the joy, the fear and the anticipation of bringing Ramsey home. It was so exciting to see our sons together in the backseat for the first time. I still find myself grinning with joy when I catch a glimpse of them side by side in my rear-view mirror.

The smile on Reed's face as we drove home is one I will never forget...
And Ramsey, well...it took him a bit to settle into this place we call home...
 Until peacefully, he slept in his own crib, 366 days ago.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Firsts!

Ramsey had his first hair cut! He didn't like wearing the cape, but he handled it well! Honestly, he doesn't look much different in the before and after pics, but considering he had a 1" mullet since his ultrasound pics, I think it was long overdue. (Not to mention the comb-over)






Today, we are featuring our first child on our new Facebook page, Rooting for a Reason. Adison is a beautiful 8 year old with a heart of gold. Read more about her at Rooting for a Reason and be sure to offer her some encouraging words! While you're there, don't forget to "LIKE" our page.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Trending Upwards

Ramsey had his weight check this week. He weighs 18lbs 14 oz. I was worried about the Dr's reaction, because this wasn't much higher than his previous weight the month before. I stressed how he has been sick all month and just recently started showing a real appetite. Fortunately, she wasn't concerned; according to the charts he is trending upwards. I am thankful that he is feeling well and has a good appetite. Now, my hopes are that he will show an interest in some fruits and veggies and some foods that prevent his constipation. He seems to desire all the foods that he shouldn't be eating...isn't that true for many of us!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

I can't sleep

My stuffy nose and clogged head have me awake and all I can do is think about all sorts of random things like Pinterest, and blogs and about the fact that tomorrow I'm going to regret being awake all night (since I'll be essentially alone with the boys all weekend). I think my scattered thoughts are being relayed into a rambling blog post. I can't be responsible for anything I might say. I'll blame the medicine.

I have some cute new photos to share of our little guy. He is getting more and more entertaining every day. He is so mischievous. He'll climb on over to the things he knows he shouldn't touch, then just turn around and smile. Any day now, he might just take his first steps.  Something about that seems to miraculous to me. I guess I'm just so thankful for the miracle of his life and excited to anticipate another milestone.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tongue out in true Ramsey fashion

...and Daddy thinks I don't need a haircut!

I dig my new ride!


Next week, we'll return to the pediatrician to weigh Ramsey again. A month ago, she was concerned that he lost weight and asked us to return in 4 weeks. Since, he has fought a virus, an ear infection and most recently, croup. None of this has really helped the fact that we need him to gain weight. He has a disinterest in a lot of food, and promptly closes his mouth and turns his head to prove it. Most of his favorite foods are the foods we need to avoid because they are constipating. Thanks goodness for some great tips from a fellow CDH mom to help in that territory (thanks Corrine!). We've been adding an ounce of prune juice to every bottle and that has been a huge help. Also, I've starting using flax seed wherever I can to increase his fiber. His favorite? Pancakes with flax seed! Thankfully, he likes Pediasure, butter bread and buttered noodles so I hope that has helped to gain the necessary weight.

Ramsey has been going through an, "I don't want to nap" kind of phase. He will stand in his crib and scream for what seems like forever. I tried consoling him, I tried ignoring him, but nothing helps. He is harder to put down at night too, but it's not as difficult as nap time. I think I finally found a solution; leaving him a bottle with a bit of water in his crib. It's incentive for him to lay back down, and it seems to settle him. The problem with that is that we need to get him transitioned to some sort of sippy cup! I've offered him several, but he seems to lose interest in learning how to drink from them. Since we're trying to get him to gain weight, I guess I'm afraid to take on the switch from bottle to sippy at the moment.

The no nap phase had me a bit worried last week. Twice, he threw up in his crib. He seems to be regurgitating a lot too. It seems like his reflux is worse when I thought it would be getting better. I started to question if he might have reherniated. I guess these are thoughts that always remain as a CDH mom. I called the clinic at Children's. They checked his X-Ray from our ER visit a few weeks back (when he was checked for pneumonia) and said there are no signs of reherniation. Part of me still wonders what the deal is, but I guess I need to chalk it up to regular baby stuff and simply take things one day at a time.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Rooting for a Reason

During Ramsey's battle with CDH, we found comfort in sharing his story. From his prenatal diagnosis, to his NICU discharge, to his first birthday celebration, we have never ceased "Rooting for Ramsey". We received prayers, support, inspiration, and encouragement through friends, family and even Facebook and blog followers whom we never met. We found satisfaction knowing our son's story had inspired others. We found hope as we raised awareness of his condition and met families who walked a similar path.

Our wish is to offer a platform for other's to share their journey- a place to offer praise, request prayer, or just say how proud they are of someone special. We want to join in rooting for other's, no matter what the reason might be!



::   Are you Rooting for a Reason?  ::

If you have a story or blog to share, visit our new Facebook page to comment or share a photo. The more "LIKES" our page receives, the more support and prayers each posting will be honored with! LIKE us now, please :)

In addition, we hope to feature a different individual each month. A photo and brief description will be requested along with any relevant blog links. Contact Lisa Barnhart Razza via Facebook to nominate your loved one.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Updates

Ramsey went from the fever/virus, to an ear infection, to two new teeth. Despite it all, he has been pretty pleasant as usual. I think the teething has been more bothersome to him than his other ailments. I am so happy that his appetite is back now that he is feeling better!

We continue to be touched by the donations we've received for the Ronald McDonald House Gift of Giving! We are so appreciative that many have stepped forward to help gather donations; we wouldn't be so successful without their assistance. To everyone that has helped or has donated, WE THANK YOU!  Visit the Gift of Giving page to see the latest count.