Sadbh’s update – October 31st 2013

Sadbh woke up early again just as Crystal finished her shift. She was in a great mood and was eager to get going on her trick or treating.

Jenna was felling a little better but figured it would be best for Sadbh if she stayed home today.

Sadbh and I had a great day together and Su-Jin even came by to help out with trach care and Sadbh was delighted to see her.

When it came time for trach care Sadbh was very tired, however she did not want to go to sleep. Trach care went well and she fell asleep just as we were finishing up.

Unfortunately, she woke up just as I moved her into the cot. She wanted a snuggle so I read a couple of her photo books that included photos of Nana and Granddad.

As soon as she saw her grandparents she mentioned how much she misses them and that she cannot wait to visit them in Cork.

Trick or treating was a lot of fun. Sadbh was thrilled to be out with her neighbor friends and was especially happy when saw Charlie, our next door neighbor dressed up as a Lego English Bobby.

Sadbh made a killing and her pumpkin basket was soon full of sweets.

Later we headed up to North Capitol Hill to meet up with Cormac and Clodagh and to check out all the crazy decorated houses.

It was all very exciting and Sadbh even got to collect a few more sweets along the way.

Eventually all the excitement got the better of Sadbh and she passed out in Mommies arms.

New photos.

Photos from October 31 2011.

Photos from October 31 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 30th 2013

Sadbh slept soundly and woke up not long after Crystal left. She was very restless at the start of the night and settled down around 3.

Jenna was not feeling great and to prevent Sadbh from getting sick she decided that it would be best for her to stay at home.

Sadbh was not happy when Mommy left for work and unfortunately her trach cap had to come off as she was struggling to breathe. After some quick distractions Sadbh was happy again and full of snuggles.

Once she was done with breakfast we got all her equipment set up in the stroller and headed off up to Capitol Hill for a walk.

Along the way a woman stopped in her car to ask for directions. Sadbh started to chat to the lady as she started to drive away and with that Sadbh turned around with sad face and said “I wanted to talk to her”. It was so sad, cute and, all at the same time. Before long she was up on my back laughing her head off as we ran up the hill looking for spiders and owls.

I picked up a couple of big bags of sweets for Halloween and Sadbh was desperate to get into them. All the way through the shop she was whining that she wanted them and this continued as we headed home.

Instead of giving in to her I decided to buy her a kid size cupcake and this seemed to do the trick. She was so happy with her treat and did not bring up the bag of sweets until we approached the house and this time she was even more desperate.

She was very tired and wanted to nap but instead she played in her cot for over an hour. If she does not sleep we insist on her having some quiet time. She spent the next while reading her books and before long she was fast asleep.

The rest of her evening was spent playing and having a fun time. Mommy came home earlier than usual as I had a dentist appointment. Sadbh was so happy to see her and she even got to sit on her lap while Mommy parked the car in the drive way.

Before dinner Sadbh helped to bake cupcakes. She was great at mixing up the ingredients and even tried to sneak a taste before it all went in the oven.

When it came time for bed Sadbh had a bath and then Katie and I managed trach care. Sadbh was very cooperative and soon after was fast asleep.

New photos.

Photos from October 30 2011.

Photos from October 30 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 29th 2013

Sadbh slept well and woke up in a great mood shortly after 7.

We had a busy morning getting her Halloween costume ready and Sadbh was very keen to learn how to operate the sewing machine.

Since it was such a beautiful day we decided to make the most of it and headed out for a nice long walk through the neighborhood and for a hike through Nora’s Wood.

Along the way she stopped at all the houses with pumpkins and tried to count each one.

By naptime Sadbh was ready to sleep, however when it came down to it she had no desire to actually go to sleep.

Jenna and I managed trach care while Sadbh was awake and as soon as we finished up Sadbh hung out in her cot for an hour or so of quiet time.

We had a fun evening playing with all of Sadbh’s toys in the basement and the fun continued upstairs after I had to bring a bunch of her new favorite toys up. Little does she know that after she goes to sleep they will all mysteriously make their way back downstairs again.

She also tried on her Halloween costume and instantly got into character and started “roaring” like a Lion around the house.  It was very cute.

When things are not going Sadbh’s way and she gets upset she starts to struggle with wearing her trach cap. Depending on how upset she is it can get very scary very quickly.

Often when she does not get what she wants she gets upset and then the cap has to come off. She’s a very smart cookie and knows how to get her way.

Bedtime came very easy tonight and a lot earlier than usual, as she was extremely tired.

New photos.

Photos from October 29 2011.

Photos from October 29 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 28th 2013

Sadbh woke up after a good night sleep at 6. Crystal had tried to cap her trach at 5:30 and soon Sadbh grew restless. She tolerated the cap for 15 minutes before Crystal had to remove it allowing her to fall back to sleep.

Sadbh was not happy when it came time for Mommy to leave for work but she was soon happy when she helped me make French toast for her breakfast.

It was a beautiful sunny day so as soon as she was done with breakfast we headed out for a walk through the neighborhood and on to Nora’s Wood.

Sadbh walked the whole way there and back and even hiked up through the woods a couple of times.

She kept finding spiders basking in the sun along the way and had to get up close to check them out.

She was wiped out by the time we got home so it was time for a snack, then a bath and trach care after she fell asleep, while wearing her trach cap.

Sadbh slept for almost two hours and spent the afternoon doing arts and crafts and playing with her dolls.

Bedtime tonight was easy and Sadbh fell asleep in no time at all.

New photos.

Photos from October 28 2011.

Photos from October 28 2012.

Sadbh’s update – October 27th 2013

Sadbh woke up at 3:45 with a wet nappy and she would not allow Danielle to change it. She insisted on Mommy changing it and as soon as she was changed she was ready for the fun and games to start.

It took Katie two hours to get Sadbh back to sleep and she ended up sleeping until 9:30.

After breakfast we took care of trach care and headed to Ballard to check out the market. It had been a wet and windy morning but by the time we arrived in Ballard the sun was poking out from behind the clouds and it started to warm up a little.

Sadbh enjoyed being in the market and loved listening to the different buskers.

She helped Mommy pick out a nice bouquet of flowers and even helped to carry them back to the car.

From there we headed over to visit Ali-Baba. Sadbh loves going to visit Ali-Baba and really enjoys playing with all the fun toys that Ali-Baba keeps for her visits.

When it came time for bed Sadbh was completely exhausted but very happy. She had a wonderful day and was ready for a good night sleep.

New photos.

Photos from October 27 2011.

Photos from October 27 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 26th 2013

Danielle returned from her holidays and took great care of Sadbh. Sadbh slept well and woke up just as Danielle left at 6. She wanted desperately to head upstairs to see Mommy but I convinced her to allow Mommy to sleep in.

We decided to do trach care early today because we wanted to bring Sadbh to a pumpkin patch and farm as a treat.

Trach care went well and soon we were off in the car. Sadbh kept talking about wanting to ride the horses when she got there so we were pleased to see they had ponies on the farm.

The farm was not too busy and Sadbh had a great time checking out the pigs, chickens and even wanted to bring the rabbit’s home with her.

Things got exciting when it came time for the pony ride. Sadbh could not wait to get up on the pony but was very calm when she got into the saddle. Katie walked along side to make sure that she did not get freaked out.

As they approached the final turn Sadbh’s helmet fell off and it hit the pony’s rear end as it fell to the ground. This startled the pony and it started to kick it’s hind legs. With that Sadbh went flying in the air. Katie was quick to react and since she had a good grip on Sadbh’s back, she was able to give Sadbh a safe landing.

From where I was waiting I could hear people telling Katie what a wonderful job she did catching Sadbh.

After all that excitement we went for a ride on the miniature train. This was a much safer option but Sadbh soon wanted to turn around and head back to Mommy. Thankfully it was not a long ride and soon she was back in the loving arms of her hero.

On the way home she got to chat with Nana and Granddad and was quick to tell them about her days adventures.

New photos.

Photos from October 26 2011.

Photos from October 26 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 25th 2013

Sadbh had a lot of secretions during the night and Crystal spent quite a while suctioning. Shortly after two she decided to give Sadbh an Albuterol nebulizer. This came as a huge surprise to us when we found out in the morning as we only give Albuterol nebulizers to Sadbh under doctors orders when she is sick.

Typically with Albuterol it raises the patients heart rate making it difficult for them to sleep. Thankfully Sadbh slept fine despite having an elevated heart rate.

Needless to say, Crystal will be calling Katie and myself down before she administers any medication to Sadbh from here on.

Sadbh was in a great mood when she woke up around 6:30 and was quick to start playing with her dolls.

After breakfast we headed off to Costco and Sadbh was so excited when she got to see all the toys, Christmas trees and Santa dolls. She wanted everything and when we reminded her that she needed to be good she responded that she was happy and good. Obviously she does not yet get the concept but I’m sure over time she’ll figure it out.

The rest of the day was not so good as Sadbh was very cranky and did not want to sleep.

We were able to get trach care done, however we had to work quickly as she really did not want to be bundled up in her swaddle.

In the evening we met up with Neil and headed to Presse for dinner. Sadbh was very restless but when Mommy told her that she could order ice cream if she behaved she calmed right down. Once she got the servers attention she quietly asked “excuse me, can I have some ice cream?”. It was very cute and sweet and it worked like a dream.

When it came time for bed Sadbh was fast asleep in no time whatsoever.

New photos.

Photos from October 25 2011.

Photos from October 25 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 24th 2013

Sadbh woke up bright and early at 6:30 and was thrilled to see Mommy when she popped her head over the cot rail.

It was time for a big snuggle and she did not want to let go. When it came time for Mommy to leave for work Sadbh was very upset and it took us a while to get her calm again.

Ali-Baba and Kirk stopped by and Sadbh was so excited. She almost ran through the front door when she heard them knock.

For the next couple of hours it was tea parties and all sorts of fun games.

By the time they left Sadbh was very tired so I prepared her a snack and we got her ready for trach care.

Half way through trach care she dozed off and slept for over an hour and a half. She certainly needed the rest.

Sadbh woke up in a fantastic mood so we got her dressed and headed off to Nora’s Wood for a walk.

She initially did not want to go but once she was outside we could not keep up with her.

She could not believe the amount of pumpkins on the doorsteps of all the houses we passed and could not wait to get home to see hers.

Before bedtime Sadbh and Mommy got to snuggle as Mommy read a couple of her favorite books.

New photos.

Photos from October 24 2011.

Photos from October 24 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 23rd 2013

Sadbh slept in until 7:30 and got to snuggle with Mommy before she headed off to work.

She was in a great mood after almost twelve hours sleep and she got stuck into some serious playtime as soon as she could.

We had a great morning painting, making play dough and reading.

Trach care required a little bribery, as she did not want to sleep nor want to have trach care done. After offering to get her some ice cream we were able to manage trach care without any problems.

After trach care she did get a coughing fit and ended up coughing up some food from her snack earlier on.

Sadbh still did not want to nap but she was happy hanging out in her cot reading books for an hour or so.

The rest of her evening was spent playing with her dolls and making snowmen with her homemade play dough.

Bedtime was easy again tonight as she was wiped out after dinner. It really seems that she’s growing out of naps, despite being very tired.

It’s that time of year where we have to isolate Sadbh to keep her safe from colds. It’s really unfortunate as she really misses her friends and I’m sure she is sick and tired of playing with adults all day long.

Hopefully we will get the occasional play date with her friends, only as long as everyone is healthy.

New photos.

Photos from October 23 2011.

Photos from October 23 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh. 

Sadbh’s update – October 22nd 2013

For the first night since last Wednesday, Sadbh slept under the watchful eye of a nurse and Mommy was able to get a good night sleep.

Sadbh woke up at 7:15 and gave me a huge smile when I popped my head into her cot.

She was in a great mood and wanted to get upstairs quickly to snuggle with Mommy.

She had a fun day and got to show off her new dolls and dog to Jenna.

Uncle Neil even stopped by and Sadbh was happy to see him.

Sadbh seemed tired when it came time for her nap so we tried to get her off to sleep before trach care. She tossed and turned but would not sleep so we decided to get trach care under way with the hope that she would doze off afterwards.

This did not happen either however she did hang out quietly in her cot for over an hour.

We had a fun afternoon and headed out through the neighborhood for a walk. The fog had burned off and it was starting to warm up. Sadbh enjoyed running through the leaves and searching for spiders.

When it came time for bed this evening Sadbh fell fast asleep in Mommies arms in less than five minutes.

New photos.

Photos from October 22 2011.

Photos from October 22 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 21st 2013

Sadbh woke up and was sad to learn that we would be heading back to Seattle this afternoon.  It was a busy morning spent packing and tidying.  During breakfast, the train drove by and Sadbh was very busy waving at it.

After the car was loaded and before we left the house, we decided to head down to the river.  Sadbh was delighted to throw some rocks into the water.

She soon fell asleep in the car and woke up as we were driving through Highway 2, which has some of the most beautiful scenery in the state.  The sun was out and the colors of the leaves on the trees were stunning. 

Once we arrived home, Sadbh was delighted to see her faithful friend, Regal the Beagle.  She was eager to introduce all her new friends (Barbie, Baby and Little Doggie) to Regal.  She was very happy to play with all of her toys while Katie and I got unpacked and settled in.

Dinner came late and Sadbh was exhausted.  She wanted to play more than eat and kept insisting that it was “playtime”.  Soon bedtime came and after a quick bath, it was time to read a few stories and then off to sleep.  Sadbh resists going to sleep and it was a long battle before she finally dozed off.

New photos.

Photos from October 21 2011.

Photos from October 21 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 20th 2013

It was an early start to the day and Sadbh was up before the sun. She was content to snuggle for a short while but we eventually had to put on a movie to keep her in bed. She was quite happy with this and it kept her occupied for the next 45 minutes or so.

It was a beautiful day on the Columbia River so Sadbh and I took a walk down to the riverbank. She was initially afraid to get too close to the water but soon she wanted to get in. In fact, she tried her best to argue that the water was not freezing cold and that it was safe for her to go into it.

Trach care went well and afterwards we headed into town with Neil and Benny for lunch. She was extremely tired and we had hoped that she would take a nap during the drive but she was way too excited.

Lunch was at one of the wineries overlooking Chelan and Sadbh had a great time collecting small pumpkins from the restaurant counter, checking out their tractor and searching for spiders.

When it came time for the two lads to hit the road home to Seattle Sadbh was very upset. She kept asking for them and whining when she realized that they were not going to be spending the evening with us.

Despite all the toys back at the house Sadbh was quite bored so we headed out for a long walk. She enjoyed being out and loved riding high up on my shoulders. Mommy thought it was funny to tell Sadbh to hold onto my ears and Sadbh dutifully did so while almost pulling them right off.

Sadbh initially did not want to go to bed tonight but within a few minutes she was fast asleep.

New photos.

Photos from October 20 2011.

Photos from October 20 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 19th 2013

Sadbh had another good night and woke up bright and early. She was eager to play with her new dolls.

The house where we are staying is in a very quiet area so the three of us headed off down the street for a long walk. Sadbh wanted to bring her bike but by the time we got to the end of the drive she lost interest so we continued on foot. It was good to be out in the fresh air and for Sadbh to stretch her legs, although she soon wanted to be carried rather than walk.

After lunch we got Sadbh set up for trach care and once we were done we loaded up the car and took Neil and Benny for a tour around Chelan and to some of the local wineries. Thankfully Sadbh was able to nap in the capr

In the evening we stopped off for dinner and while we waited for our table she got to feed the Koi fish and rather than feed them one morsel of food at a time she dumped the whole lot in and went back for another cup of food. She did not care and the fish obviously loved her.

Sadbh was exhausted throughout dinner and was very bored. She did enjoy the piano player and even got to dance with uncle Benny.

By the time we got home she was wiped out so it was off to bed after saying good night to everyone.

New photos.

Photos from October 19 2011.

Photos from October 19 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 18th 2013

Sadbh slept great and did not wake until after 7. She was delighted to see that the sun was up and could not wait to play with all the toys in the house.

Katie explained that Clodagh and Cormac were not going to be able to come visit since they were sick and she was very sad with this news.

Later in the day we headed into town to buy a Barbie doll for Sadbh. She was very excited with the prospect and could not wait until she had a real live doll in her hands.

Funnily enough after she picked out her favorite doll she dumped it for a little baby doll and a cuddly dog.

New photos.

Photos form October 18 2011.

Photos form October 18 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 17th 2013

Sadbh obviously loves her new comforter as she slept in until almost 8am this morning. Jenna started at 7, an hour and a half earlier than usual as we were planning on going to Lake Chelan with a few friends for the weekend.

When Sadbh eventually woke up she was very happy to see Jenna. As soon as she was dressed it was time for breakfast and then the fun and games could start.

Ali-Baba stopped by for a couple of hours and Sadbh was so happy to see her. Sadbh had a great time and had both Ali-Baba and Jenna at her beckon call.

Trach care went really well today and rather than let Sadbh sleep our objective was to keep her awake as long as possible so she would sleep during the drive to Lake Chelan later.

She did great and watched Kipper while we managed trach care.

It still took all day to get all Sadbh’s medical supplies packaged up and loaded into the car. By the time we left Sadbh was not a happy camper but thankfully she was fast asleep within a few blocks of the house.

As we approached Lake Chelan Sadbh was getting excited with the thought of spending the weekend with her friends Clodagh and Cormac. She was sad that Aidan and Dylan were not able to make it since they were home sick.

Unfortunately we received a phone call just as we were pulling in the drive of the house that Clodagh and Cormac have the sniffles and will not be able to come. We haven’t told Sadbh yet but I know she is going to be extremely sad tomorrow when she finds out.

We are so lucky to have friends that are extremely considerate of Sadbh and how prone she is to getting sick. The down side is that Sadbh does not get to spend as much time with her friends as often as she would like.

I hope all her friends get better soon.

New photos.

Photos from October 17 2011.

Photos from October 17 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 16th 2013

Sadbh’s update – October 16th 2013

Sadbh slept great in her new comforter and woke up well rested just before 7.

She had a fun packed day and was well worn out when it came time for her nap.

As usual she did not want to go to sleep but she fell into a deep sleep half way through trach care thanks to Jenna’s singing.

Her evening was spent having fun and reading the great books that Barry brought all the way from Australia.

Katie almost got her to sleep with her cap on, but at the last minute, Sadbh decided she couldn’t wear it anymore and off it came.

All in all, she managed to wear her trach cap without any problems for over ten hours today.

New photos.

Photos from October 16 2011.

Photos from October 16 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh. 

Sadbh’s update – October 15th 2013

Sadbh slept soundly until 7:15 and was over the moon to see Mommy.

We are transitioning Sadbh from her cot to a big girl bed but since she is hooked up to a couple of medical equipment we cannot make the transition in one go. Before we convert her cot over we decided to get her a comforter so she can get used to sleeping with that rather than a light blankie.

During our visit to the store today Sadbh decided that she was ready for a big girl bed and picked out the bed she wanted. It was a bed fit for a princess, however this little princess will have to wait a little longer before she gets a bed like this.

Sadbh could hardly keep her eyes open by the time we arrived home so we cleaned her up and put her straight to bed. She was out in no time so Jenna and I got stuck into trach care. Sadbh slept for another twenty minutes or so and eventually woke up after we tried to cap her trach.

The rest of Sadbh’s evening was spent playing and having as much fun as possible.

Despite being tired and occasionally tired, she was happy hanging out and when it came time for bed she was ready to test out her new comforter for the first time.

New photos.

Photos from October 15 2011.

Photos from October 15 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 14th 2013

Sadbh slept in until 7:30 and was asking for Mommy as soon as she woke up.

Jenna worked today and after Sadbh finished up breakfast we headed out for a walk. It was very foggy but it was good to be out of the house and Sadbh enjoyed being all bundled up in warm clothes.

We checked out her usual haunts, the pea patch and the chickens. Soon the fog was starting to burn off and Sadbh was thrilled to see the sun and blue sky.

Along the way she had a great time kicking leaves around and as soon as we arrived home she had a blast throwing all the leaves that I swept up into the air.

Trach care went well but Sadbh refused to go to sleep. She fought it for almost two hours. We eventually gave in and Sadbh was happy playing doctor with Jenna.

Sadbh eventually grew very tired and extremely cranky. She would not eat and only wanted to watch TV, which was not going to happen.

Bedtime came very easy and she was out in a few minutes.

New photos.

Photos from October 14 2011.

Photos from October 14 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 13th 2013

Sadbh had a very good night. I had to drain water from her humidifier hose a few times throughout the night but all in all she had a great night. She was up bright and early so we headed up to Mommy for a snuggle.

During breakfast Sadbh got to Skype with Nana, Granddad and my cousins and aunt in Roscommon. It was great to see everyone especially her little cousins Zoe and Benji.

Sadbh was in for a big treat today as we were meeting with Clodagh and Cormac at the zoo. It was a cloudy morning but by the time we arrived it was starting to clear up.  Sadbh was over the moon with excitement as she saw the sunrays starting to shine through the trees.

She was so excited to see her friends and they had a fantastic time hanging out together.

It turned out to be a beautiful day and soon the zoo was getting very busy.

The kids got to see all the usual animals and even got to hear the lions roaring and growling. It was a wonderful experience.

Just before we left it was time for a ride on the carousel. Sadbh was so excited and did not want to get off.

After we finished up with the zoo we headed off for pizza. Sadbh and the kids had a brilliant afternoon together and when it came time to leave Sadbh was extremely upset. Cormac was quick to try and comfort her and actually did a good job at cheering her up.

She had missed out on her nap but she was fast asleep in the car a few minutes later. In fact we were all quite tired after a fun morning.

After we got home Sadbh and Mommy got busy working in the garden. Sadbh was fascinated with a couple of worms she found and kept trying to stretch them. Thankfully Mommy spared them from any further suffering and popped them into the ground under a fresh pile of soil.

She was a little fussy when it came time for trach care tonight and wanted to watch TV instead. Both Katie and I managed to calm her down by singing to her and soon she was snuggling with Mommy before going to sleep.

New photos.

Photos from October 13 2011.

Photos from October 13 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 12th 2013

It was another early start to the day and Sadbh was keen to play with her new Firefighter outfit as quickly as possible.

She had a fun morning and was very tired when it came time for her nap. Unfortunately, she would not go to sleep and was very annoyed when we tried to get her set up for trach care. Thankfully Fireman Sam came to the rescue and she was very content watching that while we managed trach care.

Once we finished up we loaded up the car and headed out for a spin. It didn’t take long for Sadbh to fall asleep and she snoozed soundly for almost an hour.

Once she was awake we headed to Volunteer Park for a walk in the sunshine. She was so happy to be out and waved and chatted to everyone she passed.  She loved looking at all of the different Dahlia flowers in the garden at the park.

This evening she got to spend time with our friend Barry who’s in town from Australia.

When we lit the fire she ran to put on her firefighting gear and proceeded to try to extinguish the fire. It was very funny to watch.

Bedtime took forever as she rolled around fussing in her cot. Katie read her one of the books that Barry brought but it still did not work. Eventually she wore herself out and after a big snuggle with Mommy she was finally off to sleep.

Unfortunately our night nurse did not show up tonight. We believe there was a mix up in the schedule with the admin team.

Nevertheless, we set up a little bed next to Sadbh’s cot and I’ll spend the night looking after her.

New photos.

Photos from October 12 2011.

Photos from October 12 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 11th 2013

Sadbh had another good night and woke up just after 7.

Shortly after Jenna arrived Sadbh’s nurse supervisor, Caity, stopped by to recertify her and she was delighted with all the company.

One of her favorite cartoon characters is Fireman Sam and she was over the moon when we gave her a fire chief outfit to wear this morning.

From now on she will be known as Firefighter Sadbh.

Ali-Baba and Kirk stopped by later in the morning and Sadbh was quick to show off her new costume. Jenna even showed her how to extinguish fires.

She had a fantastic morning and was very tired when it came time for trach care. We tired to get her to sleep first but she was tossing and turning in her cot so much that we decided to swaddle her up and get trach care over with. Just like yesterday, she fell asleep before we finished up and slept soundly for a little over an hour.

Her afternoon was spent extinguishing more fires throughout the house and rescuing her dolls and stuffed animals.

Uncle Neil popped in on his way home from work and Sadbh tired on a beautiful white dress that she kept calling “very fancy”. She gave Neil a few twirls to show how fancy the dress was.

After dinner tonight Sadbh was very happy sitting in Mommies lap. It took ages to get her to sleep and she was so upset the entire time.

New photos.

Photos from October 11 2011.

Photos from October 11 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 10th 2013

Sadbh woke up at 7 after a good night sleep.

She did not have much of an appetite and was more interested in playing with her toys.

Eventually she got hungry and settled down to a big breakfast.                        

Trach care went well and she fell asleep to Jenna’s singing before we finished.

She was running a slightly high temperature and her trach was very dry throughout the day. We gave her two nebulizers, one in the morning and the second after she woke up from her nap.

Before bedtime she wanted to take photos of Katie and me so I cautiously gave her the camera and off she went snapping away to her hearts content. She did not do too bad considering.

New photos.

Photos from October 10 2011.

Photos from October 10 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 9th 2013

Sadbh had yet another good night sleep and woke up shortly after 7. Mommy was upstairs getting ready for work and Sadbh could hear her blow-drying her hair.

As soon as I could I had Sadbh unhooked from all her equipment and we were both off up the stairs so Sadbh could get a big snuggle with Mommy.

Breakfast was early and thankfully Sadbh had a decent appetite. She was delighted to see Jenna arrive and knew that the fun and games were just about to start.

Ali-Baba came by for a visit and before she knew it Sadbh had her and Jenna running around the house while wearing her hats.

Before nap time Sadbh had a nice big snack. When she got to her apple slices she started to act the total goof ball and had Jenna and me in hysterics.

Jenna watched over Sadbh until she fell asleep and once she was off we got down to trach care.

She slept on for another hour and as soon as she woke up she was quick to get busy with her camp and toys.

It was a beautiful day so after lunch it was time to get out into the back garden to pick the last of the tomatoes and we even got the last pear.

Jenna’s shift soon ended and afterwards I loaded up the stroller with Sadbh’s equipment and we headed out with her toy lawnmower for a walk through the neighborhood.

On the way home bumped into our neighbor Scott and his puppy. Sadbh did not know what to make of the puppy but was happy chatting about “Bob the builder” who happened to be working on renovating a house across the street.

Sadbh was pooped by the time Mommy got home. After dinner she got a burst of energy and we played for another hour or so before getting ready for bed.

She almost fell asleep with her trach cap on but we needed to take it off as it was starting to cause her some discomfort.

All in all she managed to wear her cap for just over 9 hours total today.

New photos.

Photos from October 9 2011.

Photos from October 9 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 8th 2013

Sadbh slept soundly until 6:30 and could not wait to snuggle with Mommy.

We had a busy morning playing but Sadbh was in a very odd mood. She was very grumpy and did not want Mommy to leave for work.

She has been practicing to say happy birthday to Nana all week and when we called Nana this morning Sadbh could not bring herself to saying it. She was very sad and needed some serious cuddles.

Naptime came a lot later than usual and beforehand we gave her a nice relaxing bath. She was very tired when it came time for trach care and I thought she was going to fall asleep a couple of times.

I placed her in the cot as soon as we were done but Sadbh would not go to sleep.

Eventually I tried to snuggle her in the hope that might work but she grew very unhappy with this approach and wanted to go back into her cot.

This actually did the trick and she was fast asleep moments afterwards.

When she woke up an hour and a half later she was in flying form and was delighted to see her camp set up in the living room. I had promised that if she took her nap that she would get it back.

At one point when we had her camp full of her dolls, cupcakes and balloons she turned around gave me a hug and said “I love dad”.

After dinner tonight, Mommy, Sadbh and I played ball throughout the house. Sadbh had a good kick but has yet to figure out how to catch and throw properly.

She was quite tired when it came time for bed but she still wanted a big snuggle with Mommy before finally falling off to sleep.

New photos.

Photos from October 8 2011.

Photos from October 8 2012.

All the best and happy birthday to Nana!

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – October 7th 2013

Sadbh slept like a log and did not wake until just before 7. She was delighted to see mommy first thing but asked where Crystal was.

When I asked her if she had a good night sleep she told us that she had some bad dreams and they involved monsters eating her. She did say this with a smile on her face so we are not sure if she is pulling our legs.

We had a fun morning and after Jenna arrived it was time for some serious fun to begin.

We had planned on going for a walk but by the time we got everything ready it had started to rain.

Instead we loaded up the car and headed to the shops to get the groceries.

Sadbh and Jenna had a fun time in the shop and by the time we were done Sadbh was starting to show signs of getting tired.

When we arrived home we dropped off the groceries and went around the block for a walk to really tire Sadbh out. By now the rain had stopped and Sadbh was happy out stretching her legs.

We ended up at the local pea patch to check out how the pumpkins and sunflowers were doing. The pumpkins were looking a lot better than the sunflowers.

On our way home Sadbh stepped into the biggest pile of dog crap and it completely encased the sole of her shoe. Another fun clean up job for daddy.

Trach care went well as Sadbh listened to Jenna’s singing. We hoped that Sadbh would fall asleep but she was not having any of it. For the next hour or so Sadbh happily hung out in her cot but she refused to sleep.

She was extremely tired for the rest of the day and by dinnertime she was asking to go to bed. For the next hour and a half she fought sleep and wanted Katie to read and then snuggle her until finally she fell asleep.

New photos.

Photos from October 7 2011.

Photos from October 7 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh. 

Sadbh’s update – October 6th 2013

Sadbh was wide-awake and chatting with Helen when I took over at 6. She was in a good mood but I could tell she was still quite sleepy. After Helen left Sadbh and I headed upstairs to Mommy and we all got a little extra sleep.

Katie played some Beatles for Sadbh this morning and 'You say it's your birthday' song came on. Sadbh said 'No, it's not my birthday.  It's Nana's birthday!'

She had a busy morning playing and when it came time for trach care she was exhausted. It did not take long to get her to sleep and this allowed us to manage trach care without any issues.

She did wake up towards the end and did not want to go back to sleep.

Since she was awake we headed off to Greenlake for a walk in the sunshine. It was a beautiful day and Sadbh really enjoyed being out in the sun especially while getting to wear her heart shaped sunglasses.

She fell fast asleep on the way home and was initially very groggy when we woke her up for dinner.

She soon perked up and was in a good mood for the rest of the evening.

Bedtime came a little earlier than usual but despite being very tired she fought going to sleep until the bitter end.

New photos.

Photos from October 6 2011.

Photos from October 6 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.