Sadbh’s update – May 31st, 2012

Sadbh was restless and Katie was called down to feed and comfort her around 2am. It took a while to get her back to sleep and she slept fitfully until just after 6am.  She was up briefly, then back to sleep again until 7:50.

Destiny was still sick, so Nini was working solo again today.

After a big breakfast, Nini and Sadbh kick started the days fun activities.

Sadbh had a great morning and was starting to get tired just before noon.

I was able to run home from work for a while to help out with trach care and as soon as I walked in the door, Sadbh got extremely excited.

Bath time was so much fun as she could not stop making all sorts of funny faces.

As soon as she was dried off and cozy in warm pajamas, it did not take much to get her to sleep.

Trach care was very straight-forward but Sadbh only slept for 30 minutes or so.

She was very cranky when she woke up. Nini prepared a nice big lunch and Sadbh gobbled it down in record time.

The afternoon was spent playing with her dolls and other toys, but she soon got tired again.

Nini rubbed some teething cream onto Sadbh’s gums and read her a few of her favorite books while snuggling on the couch. Sadbh soon drifted off to sleep for the next hour and a half.

She was in a much better mood when she woke up and was ready for food and the fun to start again.

When it came time for bed tonight, she could not stop tickling me and she was in hysterics doing so. It was hilarious to watch and she really had a great time.

New photos.

Photos from May 31 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

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Three weeks until the High Five Sadbh Guild Kickoff Event.

Sadbh’s update – May 30th, 2012

Sadbh had a great night sleep and did not budge until just after Larissa finished her shift at 6. 

She was wide-awake, ready for breakfast and did not want to go back to sleep.

She finally went back to sleep at 8:30 and slept soundly until 11. Unfortunately, Sadbh missed out on Ali-Baba’s visit and Ali-Baba had to leave before she woke up.

Destiny was sick today, so Nini had Sadbh all to herself for most of the day.

Sadbh obviously had a great sleep as she was in a fantastic mood when she woke up.

It was time for a second breakfast and afterwards, she was ready to dance to Nini’s music.

For the last couple of days, Sadbh has been playing with a baby doll that her Nana brought over from Ireland. Sadbh could not stop hugging and kissing her doll. She even kept stealing her binky, cheeky monkey.

Sadbh practiced using her modified Passy Muir Valve today and she impressed Nini with the sounds that she made. I think she made it easy for Nini since she was in such a good mood.

Sadbh got to Skype with Chris in Austria during her lunch today, and this worked out great as Chris was able to keep Sadbh distracted and entertained while Nini prepared her food.

Katie brought Sadbh a beach ball today and Sadbh had a fantastic time playing with it. She even tried to bite the ball, which was hilarious to watch.

Trach care was later than normal and since she was so tired from all the playing around, everything went fairly smooth.

She slept for almost an hour and a half and was full of energy once she woke up.

Thankfully her teeth were not causing her too many problems compared to yesterday. She had a much better day and hopefully she will have another great night sleep.

Other than being transported from Swedish Hospital on First Hill to Children's Hospital, this day last year was the first time Sadbh stepped foot out doors after her long stay at the hospital. It was also a big moment for Katie and myself as we were only a couple of weeks into our training for trach care and how to care for a child with a trach. 

New photos.

Photos from May 30 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – May 29th, 2012

Sadbh slept great until 3:45. Katie woke up at the exact same time and when she checked the monitor she noticed that Larissa was soothing Sadbh and trying to get her back to sleep.

Sadbh wanted her mammy, so Katie was summoned for a feeding.

It did not take long before Sadbh was back to bed and in a deep sleep.

She slept until 7:30 and was full of smiles when she woke up.

She had a big appetite and devoured her breakfast. Unfortunately, a piece of toast got stuck in her throat and she ended up puking up all her breakfast. Nini was quick to respond and covered her trach from the mess.

Sadbh was very fussy all day and she was very hard to please.

She did find comfort in her cuddly dog, but just wanted to be held more than anything.

Nini and Destiny rubbed some teething gel into her gums to relieve the pressure and this seemed to work well for a while.

When it came time for trach care, Sadbh had a great sleep allowing Nini and Destiny to get things done without any great difficulty.

Sadbh had a great sleep and was ready for lunch when she woke up. She was still quite cranky, so after she ate Nini distracted her by testing out the Passy Muir Valve. This seemed to work and Sadbh was happy making sounds through her vocal cords.

Afterwards, it was time to head out for a walk through the neighborhood, and Sadbh had a great time. She was way too interested in what was going on and did not want to sleep. This meant that she was extra cranky throughout the rest of the evening and gave us all a run for our money.

By the time I arrived home, you could tell that Nini was exhausted, so I took over to give her a break. It did not take long before Sadbh wiped me out also. I had to try everything in the book to keep her happy and it would only last for a short while until she got bored and wanted to do something totally different.

She was so tired when it came time for bed. I hope she get’s a good night sleep and that her new teeth come in soon and without much more discomfort.

New photos.

Photos from May 29 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh. 

Sadbh’s update – May 28th, 2012

It was another restless night and Sadbh spent most of it sleeping with us. There were a number of times during the night where she was crying and holding her jaw in her sleep. Despite the restless sleep, she was in great spirits when she finally woke up this morning.

Today was a holiday so both Katie and I had a day off from work and since we had worked so hard in the garden all weekend, we decided that we were going to relax and spend the entire day with Sadbh.

Sadbh had a great breakfast and we had plenty of playtime in the living room before Sadbh got tired for her morning nap.

We wanted to go for a walk around Greenlake, so we decided to take care of trach care just before her nap.

She enjoyed her bath and could not stop checking herself out in the mirror.

Trach care was very straightforward and Sadbh slept on for another hour.

She had the biggest smile when she woke up. As soon as she was changed and dressed, it was time for lunch and then we were off to visit Clodagh, Cormac and their parents Suzie and Derek.

It turned out to be a lovely day, so Sadbh got to play with her friends out on the deck in their back yard.

Afterwards, we headed off to Greenlake and I strapped Sadbh to my chest in her baby carrier. Sadbh was very comfortable, so it did not take long before she was fast asleep. Unfortunately she missed out on the turtles, but she needed the sleep and as soon as she woke us she was thrilled with all the dogs she got to see.

I had to water the new lawn when we arrived home, so Sadbh came along to help out. She loved playing with the water, but did not know what to make of it when I started to squirt her feet.

We had a fantastic day and she has already started to use and enjoy her new garden.

New photos.

Photos form May 28 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

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Sadbh’s update – May 27th, 2012

Sadbh had another restless night sleep and spent most of it in bed with us.

By 6:30 she was wide-awake and ready to start her day. She was full of smiles and was playing with her humidifier snorkel.

Sadbh had a big breakfast and got to watch her “Baby signing times” DVD while she ate. This is the only TV Sadbh get’s to watch, and only during breakfast. It’s a great learning tool and she picks up on baby signs almost immediately.

After she was done with breakfast, it was time for the real fun and games to start. This did not last for long as all of a sudden Sadbh started to get very tired, so it back off to bed for a nap.

Katie and I had another busy days work in the garden, so Ali-Baba and Kirk came over to help watch Sadbh for a few hours.

It was an overcast but warm day, so Sadbh got to hang outside and play with Ali-Baba and Kirk. She loved it and she could not stop smiling.

Since Sadbh had such an early nap, trach care was much later than usual today and she only slept for less than an hour afterwards.

Later in the evening we headed up to Smith to meet up with Neil and Denise for dinner. Sadbh was quite happy in her high chair and tucked into her dinner almost as soon as she was seated.

As soon as was done eating, she started washing her hands over and over using the water from her sippy cup. It was so funny to watch how serious she was.

She loves music and dancing and she even got a dance in with Denise.

By the time we were done with dinner, Sadbh was starting to get tired so we quickly paid the bill and headed home. She was in a great mood and very playful even though it was time for bed.

She was obviously exhausted as it did not take long for her to fall asleep.

New photos.

Photos from May 27 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

We are up to 94 people that like the High Five Sadbh Guild.

T-shirts have been ordered to the High Five Sadbh Guild and will be available for purchase during the High Five Sadbh Guild Kickoff Event.

Sadbh’s update – May 26th, 2012

Sadbh was very restless last night and woke up a number of times wanting Katie.       

She seemed to whimpering in her sleep while rubbing her jaw. Throughout the day she was drooling a lot so we think she has another tooth coming through.

By 8 she was wide-awake and ready for a big breakfast. There was a busy day planned.  Our backyard has a lot of gravel and is not toddler friendly. We’ve been wanting to replace the gravel with grass to make easier on Sadbh and her friends for the summer.

Nini and Sadbh spent the morning playing while Mommy and Daddy prepared the yard.  Sadbh did get to Skype with Granddad and Nana, though, and she was delighted to see them both.

Nini and Katie managed trach care and Sadbh slept throughout the whole procedure.

Later in the afternoon, Barry stopped by for a visit before his flight back to Australia.  Sadbh enjoyed tickling and flirting with him.

Overall, Sadbh had a fantastic day and was so cute when it came to bedtime.  She didn’t see Daddy much during the day as he was working outside in the yard. As he came in just before her bedtime, she was delighted and very affectionate. Adorable.

New photos.

Photos from May 26 2011.

Sadbh’s update – May 25th, 2012

Sadbh did not have a nurse last night, so at 2am she was standing up in her cot looking directly at Katie sleeping. She was back to sleep by 2:30, after a quick snuggle and a snack.

It did the trick as she slept right through until 7 when she woke up for another quick snack and then back to sleep until almost 9.

When she woke up this time, she was ready for a big breakfast and a morning filled with fun.

Molly was working today and got to play with a very energetic little girl. Sadbh must have climbed the stairs at least four times. Each time she reached the top, she would sit down on the top step with a huge smile and start clapping.

Sadbh wore herself out and was fast asleep just after noon. This made trach care very easy for Nini and Molly, however, Sadbh only slept for 45 minutes.

She was still very tired, but was too distracted to go back to sleep.

After lunch Nini and Molly took Sadbh for a 2-hour walk through the neighborhood and about 10 minutes before they all arrived home, Sadbh finally fell asleep.

Unfortunately she did not sleep for long. Despite not wanting to go back to sleep she was very cranky.

Sadbh had a great evening and even though she was very tired she had a lot of energy, which was great since Katie and I were able to get plenty of playtime in before she was ready for bed.

New photos.

Photos from May 25 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

So far we have 87 people that like the High Five Sadbh Guild, looks like the guild is getting popular!!

Link to the High Five Sadbh Guild Kickoff Event.

Sadbh’s update – May 24th, 2012

Sadbh slept right through the night again and did not wake until shortly before 6am. According to Larissa, she was like a gymnast in her cot. She was all over the place and got herself tangled up numerous times.

Even though Sadbh woke up shortly before 6am,it didn’t take long before she was back to sleep until 8:45.

Kara was working today, so Sadbh was very excited to have another friend to play with.

Since Sadbh had not seen Kara in a few weeks, she took advantage and showed off her walking and dancing skills.

Later in the morning Sadbh got to Skype with Granddad and Nana back in Cork and when they popped up on the computer she was over the moon with excitement.

Because she had a late lie in, trach care was a little later than normal. Thankfully she slept great so trach care was very straightforward.

After her nap and a bite to eat, it was time to try out her modified Passy Muir Valve. She did fantastic and thankfully Nini captured most of it on video.

Katie and I watched the videos later in the evening and were very surprised with the amount of sweet sounds that she was making.

It was very emotional to watch since I haven’t heard that many sounds ever.

Nini is amazing with Sadbh and we are so happy with how Sadbh is coming along so well.

Sadbh has started to eat dinner with us and would rather eat what we are eating instead of what’s on her plate. Tonight she tried out falafel for the first time and she loved it. So much so she placed a big piece of it on her head.

New photos.

Photos from May 24 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Link to the High Five Sadbh Guild.

Link to the High Five Sadbh Guild Kickoff Event.

Sadbh’s update – May 23rd, 2012

Sadbh slept great again last night. She had quite a few moments of restlessness, but she slept right through until 7:15.

Molly was working early this morning so Sadbh had a great start to the day, first with breakfast and then with lots of playtime.

Ali-Baba popped in to say hi and hang out for a while. She brought cookies for everyone and Sadbh was thrilled as she loves Ali-Baba’s cookies.

Ali-Baba surprised Sadbh with a gift of a cool new book called “Nose”. It was an appropriate gift since Sadbh has two noses, the second being her trach nose.

Sadbh was very excited and showed off her walking skills and even danced to Nini’s German children songs.

It turned out to be quite the party and eventually Sadbh was very tired.

Trach care was a little bit stressful as Sadbh was restless, but Nini and Molly persevered and got the job done.

Sadbh slept for almost two hours and was ready for a big lunch when she woke up.

We had to cancel her last speech therapy visit during the last trip to Children’s Hospital as her appointment with Dr. Inglis went longer than scheduled, however Caryn was able to fit us in today at 3.

Sadbh was in a great mood and impressed Caryn with her baby sign skills. She explained that most 12 to 13 month old toddlers typically have only a couple of baby signs figured out and possibly only one word they can speak. Sadbh has almost 40 baby signs figured out and she also picks up on words very easily.

Unfortunately Sadbh did not do so good with the non-modified Passy Muir Valve, so Caryn recommended that we hold off on using that until after Sadbh’s next bronchoscope visit towards the end of August. She agrees with Dr. Inglis that there might be granuloma build up in around her trach within her airway, but she did suggest that we continue to use the modified PMV multiple times each day. This will allow Sadbh to get used to the valve and not develop an aversion.

We expected as much, but we felt comforted in the knowledge that Sadbh is ahead in her baby sign development, so we know when the time comes for her to speak, it will come very natural to her.

We were hoping that Sadbh would sleep on the way home from the hospital, but she was too excited with the traffic and what was going on around her.

You could tell that she was exhausted, but it took almost an hour to settle her down for a nap. As soon as she gave in, she dropped off for an hour.

Her evening was spent eating and taking turns playing with each of us in the living room.

Sadbh is getting very strong and pushed me out of her way a number of times to get from one side of the couch to the other. It was funny to watch and it helped tire her out before bedtime.

New photos.

Photos from May 23 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Link to the High Five Sadbh Guild.

Link to the High Five Sadbh Guild Kickoff Event.

Sadbh’s update – May 22nd, 2012

Sadbh was a little bit restless last night, but thanks to Larissa she slept all the way through until 6:30.  She had a quick snack and was back to sleep before 6:45.

When she woke at 8:30, Sadbh had a fun morning with Nini and Destiny and right after a large breakfast it was time to dance to some German music that Nini had brought over.

Sadbh loved it and was dancing like crazy, much to Nini’s delight.

All of a sudden, Sadbh stopped dancing and with a big grin on her face, she made the baby sign for poop. Low and behold, it was time for a nappy change.

Later, Nini showed Sadbh a photo of herself on her camera and this caused a great deal of excitement for Sadbh. She kept pointing at the photo and then at herself.

After a few hours of fun, Sadbh started to get tired so it was time for a bath and then trach care.

When she was getting dressed for bed, she grabbed the Coban strip that secures the oximeter sensor to her foot and started to wrap it around her foot. I suppose after a year of having that device wrapped around each of her feet, she was bound to figure out how to help out.

Trach care was very straight-forward since Sadbh was in such a great sleep, and she slept for almost an hour and a half.

It was a very wet day today so Sadbh and her team were all house bound. Sadbh did not seem to be bothered since she has so many toys to play with, not to mention Nini and Destiny.

Our friend Barry is in town from Australia and Sadbh got to head out with us all for dinner to celebrate Barry’s birthday.

It was great fun for Sadbh since Clodagh, Cormac, Dylan and Aidan were all there. She also got to eat some yummy Thai food.

It was a little after her bed time when we got home, but Sadbh was happy and ready for a quick wash up and to get changed into her snuggly pajamas.

She loves brushing her teeth and even had a go at brushing Katie’s teeth.

New photos.

Photos from May 22 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Link to the High Five Sadbh Guild.

Link to the High Five Sadbh Guild Kickoff Event.

Sadbh’s update – May 21st, 2012

Sadbh had a fantastic sleep and according to Larissa, it was the best night since she started working with Sadbh.

She did start to get a little bit restless just after midnight, but she settled down quickly and slept right through until 6:15.

Since Sadbh had such a great night sleep, so too did Katie.

Sadbh had a nice big breakfast as soon as she got up and once she was done it was time for the fun and games to begin.

She even used baby sign to let Katie know that she needed to be suctioned.

Since she had a nice long sleep and a big breakfast, Sadbh had a lot of energy. Thankfully Destiny was working today so both she and Nini took turns in playing with Sadbh.

Trach care was very straight forward today since Sadbh was exhausted tired when it came time for her first nap of the day and she passed out right after her bath.

Sadbh slept for almost two hours and was full beans when she woke up.

She had a big lunch that included spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, peas, avocado and potatoes.

Shortly after she was done with lunch, it was time to test her Passy Muir Valve. Unfortunately, she did not tolerate it too well and did not last more than a minute.

It was a very wet day here in Seattle, but Nini, Destiny and Sadbh got a chance to go for a stroll through the neighborhood for a while in between rain showers and Sadbh was very happy to get outside.

The fresh air was great and soon Sadbh was fast asleep.

She had a ferocious appetite when she woke up and was very happy to feed herself. She is a very messy eater, as any 13 month old would be, so we have to make sure her trach is well protected from getting covered in food.

Sadbh had a great evening and did not fuss when it came time to go to bed.

In response to Sadbh’s two and a half month stay at Children’s Hospital Seattle, our friends established the High Five Sadbh Guild to benefit uncompensated care for patients that do not have sufficient health care coverage.

We have set up a membership drive for Thursday June 21st from 7-9pm. 

Please click here for further details and help spread the word.

New photos.

Photos from May 21 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – May 20th, 2012

Sadbh was awake again just after midnight, but went right back to sleep after a quick feeding.

She slept well through the night, joined us in bed shortly after 4 and then slept on until 7:30.

Sadbh was full of smiles and energy as soon as she woke up, so there was no chance of a sleep in for anyone today.

Chris headed back to Germany today so shortly after breakfast we all said farewell.

As soon as breakfast was finished, Sadbh got stuck into her toys and had a great time making a huge mess in the living room.

She was in a fantastic mood all day.

Later in the morning Sadbh got to Skype with her cousins in Portland. Sadbh’s cousin Lulu did the ABC’s with sign language for her and even sang a couple of songs.

Afterwards, Sadbh was starting to get tired so we figured it was a perfect time to manage trach care.

She loved her bath, especially when I poured water over her head and down her face.

She was in a very relaxed mood and I managed to get a lot of cuddles in just before she dropped off to sleep.

We managed trach care quite easily and Sadbh slept for almost 2 1/2 hours afterwards.

Later in the evening we headed up to Capitol Hill with Nini for a bite to eat and Sadbh flirted like crazy with all the wait staff. One waitress made a comment that Sadbh was a “ray of sunshine” and was so happy to meet her.

She had five different wait staff hanging around our table and they were all blown away by Sadbh’s charms. She even had other customers smiling, waving and blowing kisses at her.

She had a fantastic day and was so happy. It’s incredible how outgoing and social she is.

Without a doubt, she has to be the most easy going and fun baby ever.

New photos.

Photos from May 20 2011.

Take care,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – May 19th, 2012

Sadbh woke up just after midnight and was standing there facing Katie looking for a midnight snack.

Afterwards she slept until 4 when she joined us in bed for another snack.

When she woke at 6, she was very eager for us to all get up and play, however, she was outnumbered two to one, so after an hour of trying to get her back to sleep we all got to sleep in until close to 9.

She is such a happy baby when she first wakes up and was full of smiles and kisses.

We had a very relaxed day and got to Skype with my parents back in Cork, and my sister and her family in New Zealand. Sadbh was mad showing off her walking skills and was busy blowing kisses to everyone.

She and her 15 month cousin Josh really had a good time and at one point I thought both of them were going to try and climb through the computer to hug each other.

Sadbh’s older cousin Conor showed off his Jack Sparrow pirate outfit and since he’s starting school tomorrow morning, he showed off his new school uniform. It was very cute indeed.

Katie’s friend Michelle was in town so she stopped by to hang out for the afternoon. She spent the time playing with Sadbh and later we all headed down to Flying Squirrel pizza in Seward Park for dinner. Sadbh got to eat some seriously tasty pizza and she loved it.

New photos.

Photos from May 19 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – May 18th, 2012

Sadbh slept great, but woke up at 4. She laid there for 30 minutes or so and just when Larissa thought that she was about to drop back to sleep, Sadbh started making the sign for milk.

This was Katie’s wake up call and after breakfast, Sadbh went back to sleep until 7.

For breakfast Katie gave Sadbh half a banana and she figured out how to peal it all by herself. She chowed down the banana in no time.

It was very messy, but she enjoyed it immensely.

Nini headed off to Vancouver with Chris today, so Destiny was watching after Sadbh for the day.

Sadbh had a great day and got some serious playtime in with Destiny.

Ali-Baba stopped by later on and after joining in on the fun, she helped out with trach care.

Everything went well for the most part, but Sadbh did wake up half way through. Thankfully she fell back to sleep allowing Ali-Baba and Destiny to finish up.

Sadbh is walking better than ever and today she was able to walk, turn and head off in the direction she came from. She did this a number of times and I was even able to capture some of it on video.

After Katie arrived home, Sadbh was walking while playing with her duck puppet. It was incredible to see how focused she was on the duck, but yet able to walk without loosing her balance.

Sadbh managed to get a hold of my phone today and somehow unlocked it. She was fascinated with all the colors and vibrations but I had to lock it to prevent Sadbh from making any calls. She was not happy about this and got very upset. Obviously I could not let my little princess get upset, so I unlocked the phone so she could be happy.

I think it’s safe to say that I am well and truly wrapped around her finger.

She had a fantastic day and was exhausted when it came time to go to bed.

We do not have any nurses until Sunday night, so Sadbh is back upstairs with us for the weekend.

New photos.

Photos from May 18 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.