Sadbh’s update – December 31st 2012

Sadbh’s heart rate was in the 120’s all night and did not dip below 110. Typically when she’s in a deep sleep her heart rate is in the 80-90’s. She also had a slight temperature so we were nervous that she might be fighting a cold or something.

Julie’s shift ended at 6 and Sadbh finally woke at 6:45. After unhooking all her equipment I brought her upstairs to Katie. She was in a good mood despite the rough night and soon she was back downstairs getting ready for breakfast.

After all the excitement over the past week we finally had a quite house for a change.

Sadbh was in a strange mood all day and when it came time for her nap she only slept for 15 minutes. She woke up half way through trach care and did not want to go back to sleep.

Unfortunately, she was very cranky due to the lack of sleep.

Later in the day we headed off for a walk in the hopes that Sadbh would fall asleep in her stroller.

It did not work and she only got more and more upset the further we went. Eventually we placed her in her carrier while attached to Katie and she finally dozed off to sleep after a few minutes.

It was long over due and after twenty or so minutes we transferred her back into her stroller. She was out for the count and since both Katie and me were hungry, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to stop off at Presse for a quick bite to eat.

Sadbh remained sleeping for twenty minutes woke up just as the food arrived. She was still in a rotten mood and had no desire to be there. Both Katie and I worked hard to comfort her and after a lot of effort she calmed down and started to enjoy herself.

She had worked up quite the appetite and joined us for dinner. Just when we thought that everything was going well there was a fire in the building next door so we had to evacuate due to the smoke that was seeping through.

Sadbh was fascinated with all the excitement and loved the fire engines that pulled up outside as we prepared to leave.

Her mood improved for the next few hours and shortly after we arrived home we got to Skype with Granddad, Nana and the rest of the gang in New Zealand.

Sadbh was thrilled to see her Grandparents and could not stop calling out for Nana.

She could hardly keep her eyes open for the rest of the evening and was extremely clingy.

Sadbh does not have a nurse working tonight so we are certain that it’s going to be a rough night since she received very little sleep today.

New photos.

Photos from December 31 2011.

All the best and Happy New Years!

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 30th 2012

Sadbh slept much better and did not wake until 7am.

As soon she was awake it was time to head upstairs to Katie for a cuddle.

It was another very exciting morning for Sadbh as she had three cousins to play with.

It was a cool but sunny morning so Sadbh and her entourage headed out through the neighborhood for a walk.

There is a small park not far away called Nora’s Wood that my father discovered last year so they all headed for a ramble there. Sadbh and the boys had a great time playing hide and seek and they worked up quite a sweat with all the running and racing.

Sadbh made it back in time for trach care and was exhausted after her bath.

She had a great nap and slept for a couple of hours and when she woke up her cousin Lulu had arrived back with Ali-Baba.

Sadbh had a great afternoon playing with her cousins again and they all put her new toys to work.

Katie’s friend Michelle stopped by to say hello and Sadbh was very happy to see her. By now the house was packed and everyone was having so much fun.

Eventually it came time for Sadbh’s cousins to head back to Portland. She was sad to see them leave but still had Poppy, Ali-Baba and Michelle to keep her entertained.

Later in the evening we headed to Jak’s Grill in West Seattle. Sadbh was very happy for the first 30 minutes or so coloring with her crayons, however as soon as our food arrived she wanted to venture around the restaurant.

Katie and I took shifts trying to keep Sadbh entertained and she had a fun time keeping us on our toes.

On the way home Sadbh heard us jokingly describe her as being a diva and the next word out of her mouth was “diva”. Last week she heard me say “bollox” and instantly repeated it. Opps!

Sadbh was in for a treat when we arrived home. Her old nurse, Audrey, was in town for the holidays and popped in to see Sadbh before heading back to Colorado.

Sadbh had jet another fantastic day and she is so fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful friends.

New photos.

Photos from December 30 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh. 

Sadbh’s update – December 29th 2012

It was a rough night and Sadbh was extremely restless, however thanks to Julie she slept right through.

She finally woke up at 6:30 and was very eager to start the day with her two cousins.

Sadbh could not get enough of her cousins and grandfather and they were so good playing with her all morning.

Ali-Baba arrived just as I was changing Sadbh’s nappy and Sadbh almost jumped out of her changing table with excitement when she realized who was there. She could hear Ali-Baba singing to her from the living room and immediately started to dance to the familiar tune. It was very cute.

I was convinced that Sadbh was ready for her nap but she and Ali-Baba spent the next half hour or so playing with the new kitchen. Both of them had so much fun.

Eventually she did get tired so Katie and Ali-Baba gave her a bath while I got everything ready for trach care.

Thankfully Sadbh was asleep in no time and we were able to manage trach care without any problems.

She slept for just over an hour and woke up upset. It did not take long for her to cheer up as soon as she laid her eyes on Hayato and Kaito. Before she knew it, they were all off playing in the living room.

It was a wet day so after lunch we all headed off to an indoor sports arena so the boys could have fun and burn off some energy.

As soon as we arrived they headed into the inflatable playground.

Sadbh watched her older cousins bouncing and sliding around the place and eventually she wanted in on the action. She was timid at first and very cautious, however once her cousins took her under their care she was having a blast and was soon sliding along with them.

She got braver with each slide and it wasn’t long before she was heading down the biggest slide in the park.

All three kids had a fantastic time and were absolutely exhausted when it was time to leave.

We made it home just as the lad’s parents and younger sister arrived from Portland. Sadbh was so excited to see everyone.

It was a fun evening and Sadbh had a great time, although she did start to get tired around 6:30 so the last few hours before bedtime were hard for her.

Julie is working again tonight so hopefully Sadbh will get a better night sleep after all the excitement today.

New photos.

Photos from December 29 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 28th 2012

Sadbh slept great again and did not wake until well after Julie’s shift ended.

She was in a great mood and could not wait to get upstairs to see Katie.

Just then her cousin Kaito woke up so they all headed downstairs to kick start the day’s fun activities.

They started off playing with Sadbh’s new doctor set and after that Sadbh had fun dancing with her musical Christmas hat.

After trach care and a nap, we all headed to the Flight Museum and Sadbh got so excited as soon as we pulled into the car park. She was fascinated with all the aircrafts that were on display and could not stop saying “airplane”.  Her two cousins also had a fantastic time and learned some interesting facts about the aeronautical history.

Afterwards we headed out for pizza and Sadbh could not get enough. She was definitely getting tired but she did not want to miss out on some yummy food.

There were a few other young kids at the restaurant and Sadbh could not stop looking at one little girl at the next table over.

All of a sudden the little girl looked over at Sadbh, stuck her tongue out and rasped in Sadbh’s direction.

I was shocked and it actually annoyed me. Maybe I shouldn’t be so sensitive but it’s hard not to be when someone is being rude or mean to my little princess. 

Sadbh had another wonderful day with her grandfather and two cousins and she could not stop calling their names when it came time for bed.

New photos.

Photos from December 28 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 27th 2012

Julie worked last night and Sadbh had a great night sleep as a result. She needed to be suctioned only once during the night and it allowed her to have a very comfortable night.

Katie and I capped Sadbh’s trach for five minutes an hour after she fell asleep. Her blood oxygen level dipped slightly to 97% but her heart rate increased from 110 to 125 as she worked harder to breath.

Julie’s shift ended at 6 and Sadbh continued to sleep until 7:30. She was in a great mood but wanted to head upstairs to see mummy.

Sadbh had a very busy morning playing with her toys. She was exhausted when it came time for her nap and she slept right through trach care.

Unfortunately, she only slept for 45 minutes and woke very tired. We both took turns trying to get her back to sleep but she wanted to get up and to get back to having fun.

Sadbh was in for a treat today as two of her cousins were arriving from Portland with her grandfather for the weekend.

We headed down to the train station to greet them and Sadbh was excited to see them as soon as they came through the doors.

Sadbh had a wonderful evening and her two cousins, Hayato and Kaito, really took great care of her.

It was a very special evening and you could see that Sadbh was so happy to have such great friends.

When it came for bed, Sadbh was wrecked tired, so it did not take long for her to fall asleep. She had a lovely snuggle with Katie and before she knew it she was off to la-la land.

New photos.

Photos from December 27 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 26th 2012

Sadbh slept much better last night and ended up in bed with us not long after midnight. I was actually still writing yesterday’s blog when Sadbh found her way into our bed and when I arrived upstairs both ladies looked so cute cuddled up together.

Sadbh needed to be suctioned around 3am as her trach was quite dry. After a few saline drops and a few suctions, she was right as rain and back into a deep sleep.

She must have been quite exhausted from the party the evening before as she slept in until after 8am.

It was a very lazy morning around the house and Sadbh got to open a few more gifts.

My parents were packing for a trip to visit my sister and her family in New Zealand so Ali-Baba stopped by to join us for breakfast and to say good bye.

Both Sadbh and Ali-Baba had so much fun playing with her new kitchen.

Just before trach care we capped Sadbh’s trach. She did great while she played with her toys. We noticed that she was looking tired so we got her ready for her bath. She loved soaking in her tub and even wore her trach cap the whole time.

Trach care was very straightforward and Sadbh slept for an hour afterward until it was time to head to the airport.

She loved being at the airport but I don’t think she realized that they were actually leaving. I know she will be excited to see them again in a few weeks when they return.

It was a very quite evening and Sadbh got to open a few more presents.

She insisted on wanting to watch the old classic “Santa Claus is coming to town” as she reclined in her new armchair like a princess. She is getting used to her comforts.

New photos.

Photos from December 26 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 25th 2012

Sadbh slept well until around 1am when she wanted to join us in bed. It was a turbulent night and she did not want to share the bed whatsoever. She must have kicked me a few hundred times and I ended up sleeping on the edge of the bed.

Oddly enough, we all slept in until 8:15.

As soon as she walked into the living room, Sadbh could not believe her eyes. Santa was very generous and Sadbh did not know which present to open first.

Just then Ali-Baba and Cookie arrived for breakfast. Sadbh was delighted with the extra help unwrapping her gifts.

After trach care and a well-deserved nap, it was time to head over to our friends Theresa and Orla’s for Christmas dinner.

Sadbh was delighted, as thirteen of her good friends were there to join in on the Christmas celebrations.

Santa actually joined in on the fun and arrived just in time to give each of the kids an extra few gifts.

Some of the younger kids were terrified at first, including Sadbh, however Santa did an amazing job and soon enough each kid warmed up to him.

After Santa’s visit, it was time for cookies and other sweet treats and within no time each of the kids were wired and bouncing off the walls. They all had a fantastic time and they could not stop dancing and having fun.

Sadbh was wiped out when it came time to head home and fell asleep as soon as she was buckled up in her car seat.

It was a wonderful day thanks to Santa, Theresa and Orla.

New photos (there are a lot!)

Photos from December 25 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 24th 2012

Sadbh slept great through the night and did not budge until 7:20. Katie brought her upstairs to bed for a quick cuddle but it wasn’t long before Sadbh wanted to head back downstairs for breakfast.

It was already Christmas morning in New Zealand so we Skyped with my sister and her family to wish them a Happy Christmas. The two boys were so excited with what they got from Santa.

Sadbh had a very active morning and showed no signs of slowing down.

She had an appointment with Dr. Cavanaugh just before noon for her cranial sacral visit. We were worried that Sadbh would be very fussy during her visit but she was so easy going.

Dr. Cavanaugh was very impressed with how well she was developing and was glad to hear the news from our visit with Dr. Inglis on December 4^th.

The visit went well and he as able to relieve a bunch of tension around her neck and skull.

Sadbh was ready for her nap when we got home and she was out light a light moments after drying off from her bath.

Trach care was quick and easy and Sadbh slept for three and a half hours. She was obviously making up for the lack of sleep yesterday.

After dinner Sadbh got to watch Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. She enjoyed it up to when the abominable snowman came on the scene.

Just before bed we wrote a note and left out a couple of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. She was very excited and she could not stop saying Ho Ho Ho.

Since we don’t have nurses for the next couple of nights, we moved Sadbh upstairs to sleep with us.

She had no desire to go to sleep and it took a good couple of hours hard work to finally get her to doze off.

New photos.

Photos from December 24 2011.

All the best and Merry Christmas!

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh. 

Sadbh’s update – December 23rd 2012

Sadbh had a very busy night talking and signing in her sleep. At one point, Julie was rubbing her back to help keep her comfortable and when she stopped Sadbh woke up and asked her to keep rubbing. What a diva! 

When Julie left, she asked Katie what “Dodo” means since Sadbh was saying this during the night.  Dodo is Sadbh Grand-Aunt (Nana’s twin sister) and Sadbh must have been having great dreams of playing with her.

She slept in until 7:20 and when she woke up she was in a fantastic mood.

Sadbh was in for a treat this morning when she got to Skype with Nini and her family in Germany. Sadbh was kissing the monitor like crazy and when she saw Nini’s sister Kati she pointed at both of them and called them each Nini. Too funny.

We were scheduled to change her trach today so we made sure that she was good and tired when it came time for her nap. She had a very active morning and was exhausted so getting Sadbh to sleep was not too difficult.

Trach care went well and Sadbh slept soundly while we removed her trach ties and cleaned around her trach and neck.

Just as we got ready to change out her trach for a new one here eyes shot open and she started to get restless.

We tried to get Sadbh back to sleep however she was not having any of it.

Even though we have changed out Sadbh’s trach every month since she came home from the hospital, it is still physically and emotionally draining. She has always slept through trach chance and now that she was wide-awake we had two choices.

We could finish off trach care by securing her trach and rescheduling trach change for tomorrow. Or we could change her trach while she was awake.

The decision was made to change her trach so we called my father to help keep Sadbh still while Katie and I took care of the rest.

Katie chatted to Sadbh explaining what was going on and what we were about to do. She had an understanding look in her eyes and when it came time she held her head back and allowed me to put the new trach in as soon as Katie took the old one out. She made it so easy for us and while Katie was securing her new ties she even gave us a big smile.

We were completely floored with how cooperative and understanding she was.

Since she was awake we loaded up the car and headed off to West Seattle.

Our stroll along Alki Beach was cold but Sadbh was nice and toasty in her stroller.

Eventually we headed home but took a detour past Candy Cane Lane north of town.

Sadbh could not believe her eyes with all the Christmas lights, Santa Clauses and other Christmas features.

It was so spectacular that we went around a second time.

Sadbh had a wonderful day and was really cuddly when it came time for bed.

She had no problems going to sleep and was out in no time.

New photos.

Photos from December 23 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 22nd 2012

Sadbh had a really good night and woke up when I took over from Julie at 6am. She was happy to be awake and was very determined to make sure that Katie and I were up too.

She had a fantastic morning and got to watch a little more telly than she is used to watching.

By 11am she was ready for her nap so I gave her a nice bath and got her ready for bed. She was exhausted and fell asleep in my arms within a few minutes. My father and I blasted through trach care and Sadbh slept for two and a half hours.

She was very upset when she woke up and was desperately looking for Katie. In her frustration she arched back and accidentally bumped her head on rails of her cot.

This obviously upset her even more but I had her calmed down a few moments later.

After getting dressed it was time for lunch and Sadbh wanted to watch her signing DVD again. This particular one focuses on the alphabet and Sadbh was quick to catch on.

Once she was done eating lunch it was time to play so Sadbh and I played a game of chasing around the house. She had a blast and she wore me out in a matter of minutes.

Katie arrived home shortly afterwards and Sadbh was excited to see her.

She was ready for Katie to join in on the fun and we couldn’t believe the energy that she had.

She was so lovey-dovey and could not stop hugging Katie.

The weather was all over the place today so we jumped in the car and headed up to Capitol Hill for some shopping. Sadbh was all bundled up nice and snug and despite the cold rain she was happy to be out walking down the street holding both Katie and my hands.

In one clothing store I found Sadbh trying on a pair of shoes. It was so funny to watch her and she got a lot of giggles from other shoppers.

Later on in the evening Sadbh got to Skype with her cousins and Aunt in New Zealand. Josh had just woken up from his nap and as soon as he appeared on the screen Sadbh leaned over to kiss the monitor.

After Skyping with New Zealand it was then time to Skype with her cousins in Portland.

Her cousin Kaito showed her his huge stuffed monkey and Sadbh got very excited. She started making her monkey sign and ran off to her toy corner. We were laughing when she came running back with one of her monkeys to show her cousins.

She impressed everyone when she named her three cousins.

They are coming to visit us next week and I can’t wait to see the excitement on Sadbh’s face when they arrive.

New photos.

Photos from December 22 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 21st 2012

Sadbh woke up around midnight crying while tugging at her ear.

Julie did a great job comforting her and she was back to sleep in no time.

Sadbh finally woke up around 7 and was in a great mood. I had the day off so Katie brought her upstairs after she started calling for me.

Her morning was great and she had a huge appetite for breakfast and started it off with some tasty kiwi fruit.

Her new nurse, Nancy couldn’t work this morning so Caity helped out by coming over for a few hours.

The weather this morning improved greatly so Sadbh got out for a stroll around the neighborhood for 30 minutes or so.

She came across 5 dogs while out on her travels and she was delighted with herself.

Trach care was a little later than usual and Sadbh slept for over 3 hours afterwards. She even relaxed in her cot for another 30 minutes after waking up. She was in a fantastic mood.

Katie arrived home while Sadbh was playing with her toys in the bath and while she was wearing her cap. She was delighted to see Katie arrive home and immediately lost interest in her toys.

She kept wearing the trach cap and lasted for 26 minutes total.

We had a fun evening playing and Sadbh was in such a great mood. She was full of hugs and kisses.

New photos.

Photos from December 21 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh 

Sadbh’s update – December 20th 2012

Sadbh slept great until 5:45. Unfortunately Larissa’s phone alarm went off accidentally waking Sadbh up. She was in a good mood and was drifting back to sleep when she noticed Katie in the room. All bets were off as soon as she realized that Katie was there and it was then time for cuddles.

She finally got up at 7:15 and was ready for breakfast. After her belly was full she was ready to play.

Caity worked for a few hours later in the morning and Sadbh’s new potential nurse job shadowed for the day.

Even Ali-Baba stopped by so Sadbh had a full house and received a lot of attention.

Sadbh was ready for her nap just before 1pm and she fell asleep in no time. Trach care went well. Caity cleaned, Granddad held the trach and Nancy observed.

Sadbh slept on for an hour and a half, but woke up tired so she ended up sleeping for another 20 minutes in Granddad’s arms.

She had a big lunch after she finally woke up and was immediately in a much better mood.

As soon as she was done eating she had some serious energy to burn off so she did not hesitate to stat playing.

She had a wonderful day overall and fell asleep very easily when it came time for bed.

New photos.

Photos from December 20 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh 

Sadbh’s update – December 19th 2012

Sadbh had a much better night sleep and for the first couple of hours she was doing sign language in her sleep.

Unfortunately, the condensed air in her humidifier hose started to build up and the sound of gurgling water woke her up at 5:45. She was very tired and extremely fussy.

Katie comforted her for an hour or so and eventually Sadbh was ready to start the day.

Her morning improved and she had a lot of fun with Granddad and Nana.

Caity worked for a few hours today and at 10:30 Sadbh was ready for her nap and trach care.

She slept for a couple of hours, however she did wake up for a short while half way through.

She had a fun evening but she was definitely a little off form. You could tell that she was very tired but she had no plan to take a second nap.

We met with another new potential nurse tonight and Sadbh seemed to like her straight away. The last two new nurses that we met with recently did not work out so we are going through the whole interview process yet again.

This new nurse has many years of experience with children with tracheotomies so we decided to schedule her to job shadow for the next couple of days while we decide if she is a good fit or not.

Sadbh’s new potty arrived today and she was excited when we opened the package. She dragged it all over the place and when it came time to go to bed we tried to get her to sit on it. She was more interested in playing with the water in the bathroom so she asked each of us to come turn the water on.

Sadbh has gone from calling her grandfather Granddad, Gerred and today she started calling him Geraldie.

New photos.

Photos from December 19 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie, Sadbh and Geraldie. 

Sadbh’s update – December 18th 2012

Sadbh had a restless night but thankfully Larissa kept her comfortable so she slept right through until 6:30.

As soon as she was up, she wanted to read to her stuffed cat and Elmo so Katie got her all nice an comfortable in the living room Sadbh had a great time reading about noses.

Shortly after Caity’s shift started both she and Sadbh headed out to back garden so Sadbh could play. It was a very cold morning but Sadbh really enjoyed being outside.

Granddad and Nana got the stroller ready so they all headed off for a walk through the neighborhood and to the shops.

It was time to practice wearing her trach cap shortly after arriving home. Sadbh wore it for a couple of minutes before pulling it off and throwing it away.

She even joined in on the hunt for her trach cap, much to the amusement of everyone.

It was hard to get Sadbh to sleep for her nap and she was beyond tired.  Once asleep, though, trach care was easy, but Sadbh only slept for an hour and twenty minutes.

She woke up in sad mood and it took a while to cheer her up.

Later this evening Sadbh received a visit from Erin and Andrew. They will be heading down to Portland for Christmas so they wanted to stop by to see Sadbh and give her a Christmas gift before they headed off.

Sadbh was very happy to see them and was very playful.

She even got to open her Christmas present.

When it came time for bed, Sadbh gave both Erin and Andrew a big hug each. In fact, Erin received several hugs and as they left Sadbh could not stop blowing them kisses.

It was a special night for Sadbh and she was so happy to see her guests.

Despite all the excitement, Sadbh went to sleep very quickly tonight and hopefully she will get a better night sleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 18 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 17th 2012

Sadbh woke up around 1am and was in a great deal of discomfort. It seems that a new tooth was coming through so Julie gave her some Oragel and an hour later Sadbh was back to sleep.

It was a very windy night so this did not help either. Overall Sadbh had a restless night sleep.

I had the day off from work so I took over when Julie’s shift ended at 6.

Sadbh was finally in a deep sleep by now so I got comfortable in the chair next to her cot and hung out until she woke up at 7:20.

She was in a really good mood when she woke up and had a huge smile when she saw me.

We headed up to Katie as soon as possible and Sadbh immediately wanted to watch Baby Signing Time.  Instead, she watched a few minutes of Elmo blowing bubbles. She couldn’t stop talking about it all day.

It was a cold but dry day so later in the morning Sadbh and her entourage bundled up and all headed out for a long walk. Sadbh was delighted as usual and did not mind the cold.

She was full of energy when she returned home and was chatting about everything that she saw.

Unfortunately, she lost one of her mittens while she was out so my mum went back out to find it. Despite the cold, my mum was determined to find that elusive mitt and thankfully she returned home successful.

Sadbh and I had so much fun playing throughout the morning so when it came time for trach care she was exhausted and tired.

She slept for two and a half hours and woke up happy and hungry.

She only wore her cap once today however she wore it for an hour and seventeen minutes without a break. She did fantastic and had no difficulties whatsoever.

Sadbh spotted the moon through the window this evening and got very excited. She had not seen it in a while so she could not stop looking out the window.

Sadbh, Granddad and Nana even got a chance to go outside to look at the moon and Sadbh was in her element.

As soon as they arrived back inside, Sadbh took her new scarf off and somehow the Velcro from her trach tie was attached to it. This accidentally undid her trach tie, which could have caused her trach to pop out if it weren’t for the quick reaction of my mum who secured it back down.

Bedtime was slightly later than usual and we got a chance to read a couple of books before it was finally time to go to bed. She was in a very cuddly mood and fell asleep quickly.

New photos.

Photos from December 17 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 16th 2012

Sadbh woke up at 7am after a great night sleep. Julie’s shift ended at 6am so I headed down to take over. Thankfully Sadbh slept on for another hour and when she woke up she had a huge smile on her face.

We both headed up to Katie as soon as all her equipment was disconnected and turned off.

The weather was terrible so we were house bound for most of the day. This did not bother Sadbh as she had lots to do and plenty of fun. She even wore her trach cap for 20 minutes without any problem.

After a very exciting morning it was time for Sadbh’s nap and trach care. She started off with a nice warm bath and was very happy splashing away in the water.

Trach care was very easy as Sadbh was in a very deep sleep.

When she woke up an hour and a half later she was still in a very good mood.

It was time for lunch and Sadbh had a big appetite.

Afterwards we headed off to Northgate for some Christmas shopping and Sadbh wanted to play with all the toys she came across. I think half of Seattle was in the store with us.

Once we finished up at Northgate we headed over to visit Ali-Baba. Sadbh was so excited and kept saying “Ali-Baba” the whole way there.

Sadbh was so happy to see Ali-Baba and she was fascinated with their miniature Christmas tree.

Kirk surprised Sadbh with his musical Christmas hat and afterwards Sadbh kept calling it a “funny hat”.

She got to open an early Christmas present that she received from Kirk’s parents and it was a very cute home made scarf. She immediately put it on and was very proud of her new scarf.

We all had a great evening and just before we left it was time to sing some Christmas carols to Sadbh. She was thrilled and could not stop dancing.

She really enjoyed herself and could not stop talking about Kirk’s funny hat all the way home.

When it came time for bed, Sadbh was exhausted and had no problem dozing off to sleep.

Julie is working again tonight so Sadbh should have another great night sleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 16 2011.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.