Sadbh’s update – December 31st 2013

Sadbh slept in until almost 8:30 this morning and started playing hide and seek with Helen. She’s not used to waking up with the night nurse looking after her but other than being a little shy she handles it quite well.

We had a busy morning taking care of a few projects and after we got them finished up it was time for trach care.

Sadbh did well and allowed us to get things taken care of without any issues.

As soon as we were done we headed off downtown to the Aquarium. We scored the jackpot with parking practically outside the building and as we were paying the admission a family came up and gave us their extra guest passes.

We could not believe our luck!

The first exhibit was a huge fish tank with all sorts of coral and fish. Our timing was perfect as there was a diver showing off the different marine life. After we were done with that Sadbh turned to Katie and said that once she has her trach out she would like to do that.

When we visited the touch pools Sadbh was too scared to touch any of the marine life.

She was fascinated with the octopus and jellyfish and did not want to leave.

The rest of the aquarium was fantastic and Sadbh really enjoyed all the different exhibits.

By the time we got home Sadbh was wired to the moon. She was too hyper to eat dinner and it was not long before she was fast asleep in bed.

New photos.

Photos from December 31 2011.

Photos from December 31 2012.

Happy New Years.

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 30th 2013

Helen only had to suction once during the night after Sadbh had a big cough. She had coughed a big mucus plug into her trach however it was very easy to suction out and Sadbh slept on as if nothing had happened.

Since Jenna was still sick, Helen worked a couple of extra hours and gave Sadbh a back massage when she woke up. Sadbh kept pretending to be sleeping and when Mommy arrived she admitted that she was hiding from Helen. She is very much a diva.

Every morning we watch to make sure that the night nurse makes it to their car safely. This morning Sadbh joined Mommy as Helen headed off and as soon as she got in her car Sadbh proclaimed “oh my gosh, she made it to her car, whoo hoo!”.

We had a busy day playing with all of Sadbh’s new toys and organizing her old ones. Her favorite new toy is “Daddy pretending to be a horse” and like every day this past few weeks I spent a good portion of the morning galloping around the house with Sadbh demanding that I run faster.

Trach care went really well as Sadbh was excited to go visit her friends Clodagh and Cormac. Since she missed out on spending Christmas day with her friends she was very excited and could not wait to get there.

Cormac and Clodagh showed Sadbh the lovely toys that they got from Santa. Sadbh had a brilliant time and after dinner they had a gift exchange.

Sadbh was so excited when she opened the wrapping to find a lovely jewelry box and two little ponies.

When it came time to head home Sadbh was very upset and did not want to leave.

We were in a rush as we had to make it home before Helen arrived so we could get Sadbh into bed and off to sleep.

Our timing was perfect and shortly after snuggling up to Mommy she was fast asleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 30 2011.

Photos from December 30 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 29th 2013

Sadbh had a better night sleep and woke up in an excellent mood.

We all had a nice snuggle this morning and after breakfast we headed over to Greenlake for a walk. Sadbh wanted to ride her bike around the lake but she got lazy so she hung out in her stroller for the most of the walk.

Sadbh had some fierce appetite today and ate non-stop. She could not get enough food into her belly.

Sadbh’s imagination was in full force today and she had so much fun. At one point she was talking about her lunch bag’s eyes and we could not figure out what she was talking about, until we noticed that her lunch bag was hanging up to dry on a couple of the cupboard door knobs, which made it look like it had eyes.

New photos.

Photos from December 29 2011.

Photos from December 29 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 28th 2013

Danielle suctioned Sadbh’s trach a couple of times throughout the night and said she was quite restless, but all in all Sadbh had a good night.

She woke up just after 8 full of beans and ready to get the day started.

Katie’s friend Michelle came by for a visit and we all headed off to the Zoo.

Sadbh really enjoyed being out of the house and was very happy walking along holding my hand.

Sadbh was very sad when Michelle had to leave but soon she was very busy playing with all her new toys and riding around the house on my back pretending that I was a horse.

Later Sadbh and I were watching Top Gear and Hammond was driving a modified Land Rover around a quarry at great speed. Sadbh loved it and out of the blue said “that guy is a good driver, I want to do that”.

We had planned to go out with our friends for dinner tonight and had arranged for Jenna to take care of Sadbh until Danielle’s shift started. Unfortunately, Jenna came down with a cold so we had to postpone our earlier plans of catching a movie before dinner. Since dinner started earlier than when Danielle’s shift started, I met up with the group and Katie stayed with Sadbh arriving an hour later. Thankfully Sadbh was very tired so bedtime was easy and she was in a deep sleep long before Danielle arrived.

Hopefully Jenna will feel better soon.

New photos.

Photos from December 28 2011.

Photos from December 28 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 27th 2013

Sadbh slept like a rock last night, so much so that Helen figured that it would be a good opportunity to cap her trach. Ninja Sadbh was having none of it.  When Helen pulled the trach collar down Sadbh’s hand shot up to block Helen from getting access to her trach and she shook her head ‘no’. Even while in a deep sleep it’s near impossible to pull one over on her.

She woke up in a great mood and delighted to see Mommy after a twelve and a half hour sleep.

I am still dealing with a cold so Sadbh and Mommy allowed me to sleep in. Eventually Sadbh wanted to come visit and kept going on how she wanted me to get better.

Mommy had a couple of appointments this afternoon so after trach care Sadbh and I got to spend time together.

I was still feeling poorly but Sadbh did not care. Despite all the new toys she got on Christmas she insisted on pretending that I was her horse and she had me galloping around the house for an hour or so.

Needless to say she had a fun evening and was out like a light by 8:30.

I hope we can get out of the house tomorrow, as I’m sure she is getting serious cabin fever.

New photos.

Photos from December 27 2011.

Photos from December 27 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 26th 2013

Sadbh woke up just before 8 after a very restful night sleep. She peered over the side of the cot and as soon as she saw Mommy and me next to her she gave us the biggest smile and said “hello”.

She could not wait to get a snuggle and once she headed out into the living room she was so happy to see that her presents were still there. It seems that she thought that her gifts might be gone since Christmas day had come and gone.

It was another pajamas day for Sadbh and she had a fantastic time playing with her toys.

We had to take down the Christmas tree early as it was getting too dried out. Sadbh was very helpful and got stuck in on putting the decorations away. I think she was quite happy as she now had more room for her toys.

Just as well that we moved the tree outside as Sadbh received another present. It was a pink version of her new car and it came from her cousins in New Zealand. She could not wait for me to assemble it and even helped out quite a bit.

For the rest of the evening I was tasked with pushing Sadbh in her new car while also pulling the one she got from Santa around the house.

She had so much fun.

We had planned to watch a movie after dinner but Sadbh decided that she wanted me to read her a couple of her new books instead.

As soon as I finished the second book she climbed into her cot and promptly fell asleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 26 2011.

Photos from December 26 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 25th 2013

As soon as Katie got into bed last night Sadbh woke up and wanted to climb into bed with her.

She tossed and turned all night but she slept in until almost 8.

When she woke up she could not wait to go check out what Santa brought. As expected she was very excited and got busy ripping the wrapping paper off of her gifts.

Ali-Baba and Kirk came by for breakfast and Sadbh showed them her new toys.

We got to Skype with my family and my sister in law’s family in Cork and we got to see Sadbh’s little cousin Fionn for the first time. It was a precious and emotional moment, as we had not yet met Fionn since he was born. 

Sadbh was thrilled to see him and kept saying “Fionn is such a lovely baby” over and over. I cannot wait for them to meet in person.

It was bittersweet as we celebrated Fionn’s first Christmas, especially after his courageous battle for the last 7 months.  We also took time to remember Annabelle, his twin sister who sadly passed away.

We had originally planned on going to our friends Theresa and Orla’s for Christmas dinner with the gang but I have been fighting a cold since last night and in an effort not to get anyone else sick we decided to cancel.

As a result we had a quiet family Christmas and spend the day playing with some of Sadbh’s new board games.

When it came time for bed tonight Sadbh was utterly exhausted so she fell asleep shortly after Mommy read a couple of her new books.

New photos.

Photos from December 25 2011.

Photos from December 25 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 24th 2013

Sadbh slept until close to 8 and was delighted to see Mommy straight away.

Since it was already Christmas day in New Zealand Sadbh got to talk to her cousins about Santa. In fact when she heard that Santa had already visited them she wanted to talk with her cousin Conor and asked him to put her onto Santa.

She received a surprise visit from her friend Felix when he stopped by with his mum Sophie to drop off a Christmas present. They were in a hurry so they did not stay for long.

After trach care we headed up to Capitol Hill for a walk and to pick up a few books at the book store from Poppy. Sadbh was in her element in the book store and wanted to load up the stroller with as many books as she could manage.

When we arrived home it was time to Skype with her cousins in Hong Kong as they were opening their presents from Santa. There was so much excitement and it really got Sadbh going. She even got to Skype with her cousins in Portland at the same time.

She and Mommy got busy baking cookies for Santa and before long Sadbh was covered in flour and other baking ingredients.

We got a few good videos of Sadbh tonight. She was pretending to be Rudolf pulling Santa’s sleigh and when she realized that she was being videoed she started laughing quite a bit.

Another video she put on a few scarf’s, a hat and shades and pranced around the house. She found me napping in the living room and gave me a big kiss.

Another video she was trying to finish her letter to Santa but then got distracted when it came time to prepare cookies, milk and a carrot for Santa and his reindeer.  They were all very cute.

Just before bed Sadbh was glued to the computer tracking Santa as he approached Florida on his way to Seattle.

Sadbh was completely pooped when it came time for bed and was fast asleep in no time.  As she dozed off, she kept saying “Santa is coming, Santa is coming” and nodding her head in agreement with herself.

We do not have a nurse for the next couple of nights so we moved our bed downstairs to sleep next to Sadbh.

Tomorrow is going to be very exciting when she wakes up and sees what Santa brought.

New photos.

Photos from December 24 2011.

Photos from December 24 2012.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 23rd 2013

Sadbh slept great and woke up just after Helen left at 7. We headed downstairs to the basement to play for an hour or so to allow Mommy to sleep in and this time Sadbh was very happy playing with her toys.

We had a lazy morning and Sadbh got to spend it playing with all her toys in the basement.

She got to talk with Nana and Granddad for ages on the phone she seemed to have a fairly serious conversation with them.

We had hoped to get out for a walk, especially when the sun came out but both Katie and I had errands to run so by the time we finished it was already dark.

We had gotten trach care out of the way earlier in the day so for dinner we headed to Café Presse. Sadbh was not too interested in heading out and insisted on brining her iPad. This worked out quite well, as she was happy eating dinner while playing with some of her apps.

When we arrived home a portion of Sadbh’s medical supplies had arrived and blocked the doorway. 

Sadbh had so much energy for the rest of the evening and could not stop running around the house. 

Before bedtime she was talking about making cookies tomorrow but she said that “Santa will not be happy as I will eat them all”. I honestly do not think she wants Santa to come at all.

She was out for the count in a matter of minutes.

New photos.

Photos from December 23 2011.

Photos from December 23 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 22nd 2013

Sadbh slept well and woke up just after 7 very eager to get upstairs to see Mommy. I was able to keep her downstairs for an hour to allow Katie to sleep in before finally giving into Sadbh’s demands. She was so happy to see Mommy.

She had a busy morning Skyping with her cousins in Portland and Nana and Granddad back in Cork.

Her cousin Kaito played a few songs for Sadbh on his saxophone and she could not get enough.

After Skyping we got trach care done and headed off to Fremont to meet up with Sadbh’s friends and to go to a pantomime. It was Sadbh’s first and she really got into it.

Sadbh really enjoyed hanging out with her friends and when it came time to leave she was heart broken and she would not stop crying.

It was a hectic afternoon and Sadbh was wiped out on the trip home.

Spending time with Sadbh in public settings like the pantomime is very stressful for Katie and me. We are constantly on the lookout for coughing, snotty nosed kids and we end up worn out and stressed playing defense to keep Sadbh from catching a cold. It’s a difficult dilemma, do we keep her home in a bubble isolated from all her friends and experiences, or do we spend the day running and racing trying to keep her safe while running the risk of catching a cold. For Sadbh catching a cold is a lot higher risk that the average kid. It can mean life or death so we are always over the top trying to keep her safe and healthy.

Her evening was spent hanging out watching a Christmas movie and playing with her toys.

When it came time for bed she had a sudden burst of energy and ran around the house at least a dozen times.

Thankfully she fell asleep instantly.

New photos.

Photos from December 22 2011.

Photos from December 22 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 21st 2013

Sadbh had a fantastic day today. She slept in until 7 and when she woke up she was over the moon to see Mommy right there next to her.

We had a lazy morning and headed out to Easy Street for breakfast where Sadbh charmed the waitress into giving up her special pen with jingle bells and all sorts of holiday decorations.

She got to spend the evening with Erin and Andrew and she had a brilliant time. She received a lovely Christmas gift and could not wait to rip the packing off. It was a lovely book about a squid and an octopus and when it came time for bed she would not go to sleep until Mommy read it to her.

Yesterday Sadbh drew a couple of pictures for Erin and Andrew and she was very proud when she gave the pictures to them today.

Later in the evening Neil and Denise stopped by to say hi and when it came time for bedtime Sadbh sang “So long, farewell” from the Sound of Music before demanding kisses and hugs from each of them.

She was exhausted so it did not take long before she fell fast asleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 21 2011.

Photos from December 21 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 20th 2013

Sadbh slept well and woke up shortly after 7. When Sadbh looked out the window this morning she could not believe her eyes and she immediately wanted to go out and play in the snow. It was a busy morning as we had an appointment with Dr. Cavanaugh. But before we could visit her doctor she had to go out and play in it.

Her appointment with Dr. Cavanaugh went well and he recommended a good acupuncturist that specializes in nerve repair.

As soon as we got home Sadbh and Jenna built a snowman in the back garden and Sadbh had a fantastic time.

She was bundled up nice and warm and did not want to go inside.

Trach care went well and Sadbh was extremely cooperative and we were able to get it done very quickly.

Ever since Sadbh came home from the hospital at almost two months of age we have always needed someone sitting next to her in the car anytime we drive somewhere. To make sure that her trach remains clear and can be accessed immediately if she needs suctioning she requires someone to sit next to her.

After Jenna left today I needed to head to Costco to pick up an order that just arrived so I loaded up the car with Sadbh’s equipment and we took off just the two of us. She was in a great mood and thankfully the trip there and back went well.  This wont be a regular occurrence, but I was lucky that everything worked out today so that I could get it done.

While in Costco Sadbh was walking along holding my hand and saying how much she loved being at Trader Joes. She had a few people in hysterics with her comments and after I explained that she was in Costco she responded that she loved being at Costco.

I was afraid that when she saw the toy section that she would get upset and want me to buy her what she liked. Instead she just commented on how much she liked certain toys and was happy to keep on walking as we wandered through the store.

We made it home safe and sound and for the next few hours Sadbh had me pretending to be Santa while she was Rudolph.

We had a fun time and after Mommy arrived it was time to head to our neighbors for the neighborhood Christmas party.

Sadbh enjoyed the first half hour or so but soon grew very tired and wanted to go home. She loved petting our neighbor’s dogs and at one point had to give up her cookie to Rody.

I was serenaded at bedtime yet again and soon Sadbh was fast asleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 20 2011.

Photos from December 20 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 19th 2013

Sadbh had a restless night and woke up shortly before 8am.  She couldn’t wait to see mommy so as soon as I had her unhooked, we were off upstairs and Sadbh gave mommy the biggest snuggle ever.

Sadbh kept asking for her red wagon, so after breakfast I pulled it out from the garage.  We loaded her equipment and her royal highness up into the red wagon and took off down to Nora’s Woods with Sadbh shouting “Faster Daddy” the whole way along.  We had a great time and she did not want to go home.

As usual, Sadbh did not want to do trach care, but we convinced her to allow us to do it.  Afterwards, she had a great quiet time session, reading her books and hanging out in her room.

In the evening, she wanted to use me as her horse and giddy-up around the house.  Despite the old nag being tired, Sadbh was relentless and would not take no for an answer.  She would not let me rest.

Sadbh was practically falling asleep in her food while she ate her dinner.

I was upstairs painting the bedroom when it came time for Sadbh to go to bed Mommy told her to call up and say good night. Instead Sadbh started to sing “So long, farewell” from the Sound of Music. It was very cute so I put down the paintbrush and ran down for a hug, a kiss and a smile.

Within a few minuets she was fast asleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 19 2011.

Photos from December 19 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 18th 2013

Sadbh slept right through the night and did not wake until 8:30. Unfortunately for Sadbh, Mommy had already left for work so she missed out on her morning snuggle.

We had hoped to get out for a walk today but the weather was not great so we stayed in and had fun in the house instead.

Trach care went well today and instead of taking a nap Sadbh had quiet time and read a few books. She soon got bored but she stayed in her room reading books until her quiet time was over.

Bedtime tonight was a doodle and she was out like a light within a few minutes. Cutting the daytime nap out of her schedule certainly helped get her nighttime schedule back on track.

New photos.

Photos from December 18 2011.

Photos from December 18 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 17th 2013

Sadbh had a very busy day today. She slept in until after 8 and had to be woken up so we could get her ready to visit Santa on her way to her appointment with her homeopathic doctor.

She was in a great mood but took her time with breakfast. We had time but we wanted to be the first in line to avoid any potential sick kids and the likes.

Sadbh was all excited when she saw Santa entering the building but when it came time to get close for a photo she clung onto Mommy and would not even look at the guy. Obviously Santa is used to this so he got Katie to sit on his knee and Sadbh was ok sitting in on the photo as long as Mommy was there to mind her.

From there we headed to visit Sadbh’s homeopathic specialist, Dr. Heron. We went over Sadbh’s recent progress, her latest visit with Dr. Inglis and discussed her current homeopathic remedy.

When it came time to leave Sadbh did not want to go home but unfortunately for her she had no choice as it was getting close to naptime.

Sadbh would only eat her lunch if I gave her a bath. Just before she got in her bath I put her on the toilet to see if she would go pee. She’s used to going on her potty, but this was the first time she actually went in the toilet. She was proud as punch and did not want to get off.

Trach care went well and Sadbh slept for almost an hour.

Sadbh spent the rest of the evening galloping her horse, yours truly, around the house and just like the Chinese she even landed her spaceship on the moon. Although she has done it a couple of times this week so far.

Bedtime was a battle again tonight and Sadbh would not go to sleep. It took almost two hours to get her to sleep and by then we were all wrecked tired.

New photos.

Photos from December 17 2011.

Photos from December 17 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 16th 2013

Sadbh slept soundly but needed to be suctioned around 5:30. Helen was able to clear her airway and Sadbh slept on until almost 8:30.

She woke up very sleepy but well rested.

As soon as she was finished breakfast it was time for a nebulizer and then we headed off out for a long walk up to the Seattle University campus. Sadbh walked the entire way there and was looking for Ali-Baba the whole time.

We got home just in time as Ali-Baba pulled up as we were going into the house. Sadbh was thrilled to see her and they both played for a while before bath time.

Ali-Baba gave Sadbh her bath and as soon as she was dried off Jenna and I managed trach care.

Sadbh slept for an hour and woke up very groggy. We tried capping her trach as she slept but she wasn’t having any of it and got very annoyed with us. She was very relieved once we removed the trach cap.

The rest of the evening was spent playing and having fun. During dinner she wanted me to sit next to her and made a huge fuss for cooking her meal. She kept asking “did you make this for me?” and when I would say yes she would lean over and give me a huge hug and say “I love you Daddy”. It was so cute.

Sadbh was so excited when she heard Mommy arrive home and for the next couple of hours the two girls had a great time catching up.

Unfortunately, she would not go to sleep and was wide awake when Helen arrived at ten.

New photos.

Photos from December 16 2011.

Photos from December 16 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 15th 2013

Sadbh slept in until 8 this morning and woke up in a very playful mood. She was quick to hand me her binky and her cozy blanket and insisted on heading up to see Mommy as soon as possible.

Sadbh had a fun day overall and this evening she was thrilled to have her friends Clodagh and Cormac stop by for a play date and dinner.

They all had a fun evening playing together but when it came time to leave they were all quite tired and were all ready to hit the sack.

New photos.

Photos from December 15 2011.

Photos from December 15 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 14th 2013

It was another restful night for Sadbh and she was raring to go this morning.

After trach care we headed off to meet up with Ali-Baba, Kirk and his family to check out a Christmas market in their neighborhood. It was all very exciting as there was a model train set with two tracks and a couple of trains pulling interesting carriages.

Sadbh noticed Santa over in the corner of the store but she was happy staying where she was and had no desire in going over to talk to him.

Things got exciting when we headed out to the barn to find two reindeers and a camel. It was coming up on feeding time so all the animals were eagerly waiting for their food to arrive.

After saying good-bye to everyone we headed over towards the zoo to meet up with Grace and her parents Christina and Curtis for dinner and then a trip to the Zoo to see the Zoo lights. Sadbh was so excited she could not stop talking about Grace and soon the two girls were having a fantastic time together.

Once our bellies were full we headed to the Zoo to check out the holiday lights display. For the most part Sadbh walked alongside Grace and she was fascinated with the displays that lit up the pathways.

When it came time to leave Sadbh wanted to stay. In fact, I think she would have been content going home with Grace for the night.

It was really good to see the two girls getting along so well and having so much fun together.  

New photos.

Photos from December 14 2011.

Photos from December 14 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 13th 2013

Sadbh woke up just before 7 in a great mood after a nice relaxing night sleep.

For the last couple of nights she has not required any suctioning and each morning her airway and trach seems to be clear.  She’s also back up to her average of ten hours a day of having her trach capped. Thankfully she seems to have gotten over the little cold that she was fighting over the past couple of weeks.

New photos.

Photos from December 13 2011.

Photos from December 13 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 12th 2013

Sadbh’s day was not too different than yesterday, however we did get out of the house for a walk, which was the first time since Sunday. Sadbh was so happy to be outdoors and took off running. She was almost two blocks away from the house by the time I caught up to her with her equipment.

Trach care went well today and the walk obviously tired Sadbh out as soon fell asleep and did not wake for almost two hours.

We met a potential night nurse this evening and went through the usual list of questions. Sadbh took a shine to her straight away but Katie and I have not made up our minds yet.

The meeting took an hour and by the time it was coming to an end it was very close to Sadbh’s bedtime.

New photos.

Photos from December 12 2011.

Photos from December 12 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 11th 2013

Sadbh slept like a log until 7:15 and woke up very happy to see me sitting right next to her cot.

We quickly unhooked her equipment and headed up to get snuggles from Mommy.

It was a busy day full of fun activities. Using pipe cleaners, Jenna showed Sadbh how to make candy canes for the Christmas tree and Sadbh was very proud of her artwork.

Sadbh initially put up a fuss when it came time for trach care and would not allow us to get it done. After a quick talk to go over her two options, trach care the easy way or the hard way, she thankfully picked the easy way so we were able to get it done without any further difficulties.

Sadbh woke up after a nice long nap and it was time to get stuck into her toys in the basement. She made a right mess of the room downstairs but had a great time with all her favorite toys.

For the past few days we have eliminated all screen time, apart from the occasional family movie and we have seen Sadbh’s creative side come out very strong.

This evening she was pining over her iPad so we went through her library to read some books that she has not seen in a while. We went through a nice big stack but she became fixated with a lovely book our friend Helen wrote and created for her a year and a half ago.

Sadbh was fascinated with the story and could not stop talking about it all night. It was wonderful.

Bedtime came easy enough. Recently she prefers going to bed by herself, but she still calls Mommy in a million times before finally falling asleep. Tonight was no exception and I think Katie got her work out for the week walking to and from Sadbh’s room.

In the end I took over from Katie and sat next to Sadbh until she finally fell asleep at 9:45, well past her bed time.

New photos.

Photos from December 11 2011.

Photos from December 11 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 10th 2013

Sadbh slept in until shortly after 8 again this morning and was in a very good mood when she got up.

I was still feeling out of sorts and Sadbh wanted Mommy to bring her up to see me. She had a very concerned look on her face when she entered the room and asked me to get better soon before blowing a few kisses my direction. Despite feeling like crap, this made me feel much better.

Jenna took fantastic care of Sadbh today and Sadbh had a blast. They baked cookies in the morning and when it came time for Sadbh’s nap she was well worn out.

We tried to get her swaddled up for trach care but she would not lay flat on her back. She finally woke up but thankfully she allowed us to get the job done.

The rest of her day was spent playing with her dolls and stuffed animals. When I took over from Jenna it was time to play horsey, pretend we were flying a spaceship and weather a half dozen storms in her boat.  She was definitely making up for me not spending the earlier part of the day with her.

Bedtime came fast for Sadbh tonight and soon she was fast asleep in her cot.

New photos.

Photos from December 10 2011.

Photos from December 10 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 9th 2013

Sadbh had another fantastic night sleep.  She stirred just as Helen was leaving, looked at her, very clearly and calmly said “Mommy” and then rolled over and went back to sleep until after 8:30.

Wayne was not feeling well today, so he spent the morning and most of the day in bed.  He came downstairs to manage trach care with Jenna and Sadbh was not happy when he went back upstairs afterwards.

Sadbh was housebound today, but she enjoyed herself and played with her dolls and toys with Jenna.

She decided that her Giraffes and Ponies all needed to wear earrings so she decked them out with some of the ornaments from our tree and made them dance.

Later in the evening, we all watched a movie together and had some homemade chicken soup.  Sadbh went to sleep a little later and was out like a light in no time.

We are hoping Wayne feels better tomorrow and that Sadbh doesn’t catch whatever he is fighting.

New photos.

Photos from December 9 2011.

Photos from December 9 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 8th 2013

Sadbh slept like a log and hardly moved all night. She even allowed us all to sleep in until 8 and when she woke up in a wonderful mood.

I was resting next to her cot when she woke up and all of a sudden Sadbh reached out and started to give me a back rub. It was a very sweet way to wake up.

After breakfast we headed over to West Seattle to pick up a couple of CD’s at Easy Street Records and then to the Farmers Market. It was very cold but Sadbh was snug as a bug. There were a few different music performers at the market and Sadbh was very happy dancing along to the songs.

From there we headed down to Alki beach to throw stones into the sound. Sadbh could not get enough and emptied almost half the beach into the water.

All the excitement was starting to wear Sadbh out so we headed home to do trach care and so Sadbh could nap.

During the drive home Sadbh got to talk to Pops on Mommies phone and when Katie took the phone back Sadbh started to complain that she wanted the phone back so she could check her e-mail.

Trach care went well but Sadbh refused to sleep. She was in a fun mood so we hung out and played until dinnertime.

The fun and games continued throughout the evening and Sadbh’s imagination got very creative. With the use of a couple of blankets she had me build a spaceship so we could fly to the moon and back, about a dozen times or so. Each time we would take off she would pick up a few more of her dolls or stuffed animals. By the last flight she brought Mommy on board.

When it came time for bed Sadbh wanted to snuggle up with me on the floor in the living room in front of the fireplace. She had us turn off all the lights in the house before trying to go to sleep, but eventually she gave up and went to sleep in her cot.

She was out in a matter of a few minutes. The perfect ending to a perfect day.

New photos.

Photos from December 8 2011.

Photos from December 8 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 7th 2013

Sadbh woke up at 7:30 in a great mood after a great night sleep. As usual she wanted to head upstairs to Mommy. She helped out by unhooking her equipment herself and next thing we were off upstairs.

All in all Sadbh had a very lazy day. We got trach care out of the way around 11am and since Sadbh was looking tired we all jumped in the car to go for a spin. Katie and I hoped that she would take a nap but she was too happy checking everything out to fall asleep.

Oddly enough, after an hour and a half of driving around Sadbh eventually fell asleep, unfortunately we were only ten minutes from home so it was not a long sleep.

This evening she was wired to the moon but got to Skype with Aunt, Uncle and cousins in Hong Kong.

When it came time for bed she wanted to go to sleep alone and kicked Mommy out of the room. This lasted for a few minutes before she was calling for Mommy to come in to sit next to her while she went to sleep. Within minutes she was fast asleep.

She still has a lot of secretions and needs to be suctioned. Thankfully she does not have a cold but it seems that she is dealing with the equivalent of a runny nose.

New photos.

Photos from December 7 2011.

Photos from December 7 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 6th 2013

Sadbh had a good night and woke up around 7. She was very congested so after a few suctions we gave her a nebulizer and eventually managed to get her airway clear.

Breakfast was served early as we planned on going to the zoo as soon as it opened. Sadbh was vey excited and ate her food with enthusiasm.

It was a sunny morning but frigid cold so the zoo was quite empty. Even the penguins were complaining about the cold.

Sadbh was eager to make her way to the carousel so she could ride the horses. She really enjoyed herself and did not want to leave.

As we continued through the zoo Sadbh was starting to feel the cold so we decided to head back to the car to get her warmed up.

Sadbh had napped on the way home so when it came time for trach care she was wide-awake. It took a little convincing to get her swaddled and ready for trach care but once we got her set up it was a breeze.

The rest of Sadbh’s evening was spent playing, reading, watching her iPad and singing for uncle Neil.

When it came time for bed she sang, “so long, farewell” from the sound of music and she managed four encores.

New photos.

Photos from December 6 2011.

Photos from December 6 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 5th 2013

Sadbh needed to be suctioned a few times during the night and Helen was able to take great care of her.

All in all she had a good night sleep and she woke up well rested around 7am. She wanted to get upstairs to Mommy but was willing to hang out with me for a while so we could give Mommy a rest before waking her up.

Caity, Sadbh’s nurse supervisor stopped by to recertify Sadbh and Sadbh was excited to see her.

Sadbh’s morning was full of fun and she was very tired when it came time for her nap. She was very cooperative for a change and she really enjoyed the Christmas carols that Jenna sang to her.

When asked if Santa was coming she said “No, because I’ve been naughty”. I have to applaud her honesty and it seems that she took the easy way out. Rather than be pressured into being good with the promise of Santa coming with nice toys, she has resigned to being naughty while writing Santa off from the very start.

It took a while for Sadbh to fall to sleep but she eventually did and slept soundly for ages.

She woke up in a wonderful mood and had so much energy.

For the next hour or so we flew around the house in her pretend rocket ship.

Bedtime was also a lot of fun and we did a good job at tiring Sadbh out.

New photos.

Photos from December 5 2011.

Photos from December 5 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.

Sadbh’s update – December 4th 2013

Sadbh slept great and did not have to be suctioned. She was congested after she woke up and I managed to suction a couple of nice mucus plugs from her trach.

After breakfast we gave her a nebulizer and this helped keep her trach clear and easy to suction.

It was frigid cold so with Sadbh bundled up nice and warm we headed off out for a stroll. She did not want to go at first but as soon as she saw all the frost she got excited and wanted to go find Frosty the snowman.

Oddly enough we did find Frosty the snowman but it was a decoration hanging over the doorway of a house close to Nora’s woods.

Sadbh enjoyed being out in the crisp cool air and by the time we got back home she had worked up quite the appetite. She had a huge feast and she could hardly keep her eyes open by the time she finished.

Our plan was working as we planned on changing out her trach as part of her monthly trach care schedule.

We are actually almost a week behind due to a delay with our medical supply company processing our orders. Unfortunately they delayed our orders for the past few months but thankfully they are working to get us back on schedule for next month. Fingers crossed.

Trach care went well and when it came time to put in the new trach it took a moment to get it in. Her head was turned slightly to her right, which reduced the size of the entryway for her stoma.

She slept right through and only woke up when I was tying up her trach ties.

She had a fun evening and was very excited when Mommy arrived home.

We showed Mommy how Sadbh sits on my legs pretending to be on a horse. It was so funny and Mommy could not stop laughing. 

By now she was extremely tired and when it came time for bed she was out like a light in seconds.

New photos.

Photos from December 4 2011.

Photos from December 4 2012.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh.