Sadbh’s update – December 31, 2014

Sadbh slept well and was upstairs as soon as she was awake and unhooked from her medical equipment. She could not wait to cuddle up with Cillian and it was quite the tight squeeze having all four of us in the same bed.

We had Cillian’s first pediatrician check up today and we decided to leave Sadbh at home with Nana and Granddad to avoid any risk of coming into contact with colds and so forth.

She was a trooper and was very happy to hang out with Nana and Granddad.

Even when we arrived home a couple of hours later she was still full of energy and wanted the fun to continue. 

Lately, Sadbh has started making up her own songs and each evening she performs to our delight. It is very entertaining and her voice is really starting to sound great.

Once trach care was done we got ready for dinner and for Poppy, Katie’s father, to arrive. Sadbh was proud to show Cillian off to Poppy and after dinner it was time to watch the New Year celebrations, in New York.

Bedtime was later than usual and Sadbh was just falling asleep when her nurse arrived. She was very cranky but thankfully she dropped off to sleep quickly.

New photos.

Photos from December 31 2011.

Photos from December 31 2012.

Photos from December 31 2013.

All the best and Happy New Years!!!

Wayne, Katie, Sadbh and Cillian.

Sadbh’s update – December 30, 2014

Cillian kept both Katie and I up for a good portion of the night but this did not deter Sadbh as soon as she woke up this morning. She was straight up the stairs, along with the nurse, and I met them both just as I came out of our bedroom.

Sadbh was eager to spend the morning with Taco, as she still calls him, and straight away she was smiling from ear to ear.

Nana and Granddad took Sadbh for a nice walk to Nora’s Woods and on to Madrona. When I asked if she spotted any monsters in the woods she said “no, I was looking to see if Taco would like it here”.

Katie and Cillian had a couple of follow up appointments this afternoon and Sadbh was not happy that we were leaving. She was delighted to see us return and spent the next hour or so cuddling with Cillian every chance that she got.

Granddad and I managed trach care for Sadbh and by the time we were finished it was time for Sadbh to have dinner and then bedtime.

New photos.

Photos from December 30 2011.

Photos from December 30 2012.

Photos from December 30 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie, Sadbh and Cillian.

Sadbh’s update – December 29, 2014

It took forever to get Sadbh to bed last night but she slept soundly and woke up at eight. She was in a great mood all morning and was eagerly awaiting the arrival home of her baby brother.

We arrived home shortly after noon and Sadbh was jumping with excitement as soon as she saw us. She could not wait to give each of us a kiss and a hug and before we knew it she was sitting with Cillian on her lap, supervised of course.

She is definitely showing strong signs of wanting to be noticed and throughout the day she kept putting on shows for us all. We are doing our best to make sure that she has nothing to be afraid of and that she has a very important role in looking after and caring for Cillian.

Before trach care we Skyped with Sadbh’s cousin, Fionn, back in Cork.

Sadbh was very keen to check out the new toys he got for Christmas and she got to show off her new brother.

Later she asked Katie when Cillian was going to grow.

After getting Cillian settled in, it was time for a bath and then trach care. Sadbh kept blowing kisses to me the entire time and as soon as we were finished Katie headed up to bed for a nap. Nana and Granddad headed out for a walk and Sadbh sat close to me watching a couple of cartoons while I snuggled with Cillian for a while. The house was nice and peaceful for a while until Sadbh noticed that Katie was missing and she got upset.

The rest of the evening was spent playing and by bedtime she was absolutely exhausted. It took a while to get her to bed and she put up quite the battle. By quarter to night she gave in and dropped into a deep sleep.

New photos.

Photos from December 29 2011.

Photos from December 29 2012.

Photos from December 29 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie, Sadbh and Cillian.

Sadbh’s update – December 28, 2014

Sadbh went to bed shortly after nine and was fast asleep before Harjinder arrived. She slept great and woke up shortly before eight. Before bedtime she was very upset and gave Granddad a hard time.

She explained to Katie and me how her evening was when she came to visit Cillian in hospital and according to Granddad it was not as bad as she had made it out to be.

She explained that the she was “frustrated and not happy because she wants Mommy and Taco home”.

Earlier in the day when we called to check on how she was doing she told us that Granddad was a Minion. She was having a fun day and she could not wait to come see us.

When she finally arrived she came running through the door with a huge smile on her face. She was so excited to see us.

She explained again how frustrated she was the night before and when she learned that we would be home tomorrow she was very happy. She was telling me how she is looking forward to showing Cillian the house and all her toys and so forth.

I headed home shortly afterwards to freshen up and to get trach care ready for when Sadbh got home.

Trach care went well and soon Sadbh was chasing Granddad around the house again.

Even though Sadbh has been giving Granddad a bit of a hard time, she has also been having a lot of fun with him and will not leave his side all day long.

Yesterday while Sadbh was visiting Cillian she asked when will he be getting his trach put in and if he will have the same or his own nurses when he get’s home. I hope she does not have a tough time adjusting to the fact that he does not have the health issues that she has.

New photos.

Photos from December 28 2011.

Photos from December 28 2012.

Photos from December 28 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie, Sadbh and Cillian.

Sadbh’s update – December 27, 2014

Sadbh slept great and Granddad took over from Harjinder when her shift ended. Sadbh was still sleeping as Granddad showed Harjinder to the door and when he returned to Sadbh’s room Sadbh was sitting up and said, “I was sad that there was nobody here when I woke up”.

She was delighted to see Granddad and the rest of her morning was great after that.

I arrived home shortly after noon to help with trach care. Sadbh was so excited to see me and all through trach care she kept blowing me kisses. It was very distracting but it was so cute and she melted my heart.

After trach care Sadbh and Granddad got back to chasing each other around the house.

Sadbh was having so much fun she almost did not want to go to the hospital to visit Mommy and Cillian.

She was very excited to see Mommy and Cillian and she kept saying that he was like a prince.  

Soon her mood changed and you could tell that she was not happy that we were not home with her. She was very affectionate with Cillian but her mood soured and she did not want to leave. Even when I brought her to the car with Nana and Granddad she was very upset.

Hopefully we will be able to bring Cillian home tomorrow, or Monday morning at the very latest.

We are so lucky to have my parents here to help out as we know that Sadbh is in great hands.

           

New photos.

Photos from December 27 2011.

Photos from December 27 2012.

Photos from December 27 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 26, 2014

Sadbh woke up bright and early and immediately wanted to check to make sure her toys were still there.

We were able to convince her to come snuggle with us for a while and when she popped down from her bed her humidifier hose dumped a load of condensed water towards her trach. Thankfully it ended up dumping the water onto the bed and not into or around her trach.

Sadbh was definitely aware that there was some big changes were coming and as a result she was very clingy and demanded a lot of attention.

She was great though and understood that it was a good change and that she has an important role to play in it.

Before Katie and I left for the hospital, we got trach care done and took a final family photo with Sadbh and Baby Taco.

Granddad and Nana took excellent care of Sadbh and she had a fun afternoon playing.

Sadbh’s baby brother, Cillian, arrived at 2:59 in the afternoon and when Sadbh first found out her brother’s name she was not too sure. She told Nana and Granddad that she did not like his name and she had to go think about it. She headed into her room for a while and had a good think for herself.

When she arrived at the hospital she was extremely excited and could not wait to meet and hold her brother. She brought him a present and when she went into the room she told Katie that she loved Cillian’s name. She took an instant shine to Cillian and we could tell that she is going to be a wonderful big sister.

New photos.

Photos from December 26 2011.

Photos from December 26 2012.

Photos from December 26 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 25, 2014

Sadbh slept well and I only had to drain her humidifier hose three times throughout the night.

She was wide-awake at half past seven and was chomping at the bit to go check to see if Santa had come. She even wanted to get dressed for the occasion, but we talked her into staying in her PJ’s for awhile.

Sadbh made out like a bandit with the amount of toys and gifts that she received. She was over the moon with everything and despite the insane amount of things, she actually played with everything throughout the day.

Ali-Baba and Kirk came over for brunch and to join in on the Christmas festivities.

When it came time for trach care Sadbh was more than willing and as soon as we finished up we watched a couple of cartoons from two of her favorite books, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child.

For dinner Sadbh wanted to sit at her own table with two of her new baby dolls. She nursed them as if they were actual babies and she did a great job. Maybe she is practicing for the arrival of her new sibling, Taco.

After dinner it was time for a family movie and afterwards Sadbh was so tired that she hit the sack without any delay.

New photos.

Photos from December 25 2011.

Photos from December 25 2012.

Photos from December 25 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 24, 2014

Sadbh slept until eight and was excited that it was Christmas Eve and she was one day closer to Santa coming.

She had a big appetite and was ready for breakfast. This worked out perfectly as Mommy was able to get some well-deserved sleep while Sadbh ate.

Ali-Baba, Kirk, Suzie, Derek and their kids were coming over for dinner this evening so we were busy getting everything ready for our guests. Sadbh was a great help and even set the table for everyone. She did a wonderful job, despite giving some people a couple of forks or knives too many.

Before lunch it was time for Sadbh to have a bath and then trach care. She was getting very tired but she had no interest in taking a nap. As soon as she had lunch devoured it was time for a walk with Nana and Granddad and the three of them headed off through the neighborhood.

Sadbh was happy to be out walking but after a while she wanted to head home.

Sadbh was over the moon when Clodagh and Cormac arrived. The three kids headed down into the basement and got busy playing with Sadbh’s toys. They had a brilliant time and after dinner they got to open the gifts that they got for each other.

It was a fun evening and Sadbh really enjoyed having her friends over to hang out with.

Bedtime was very late tonight but despite the lateness Sadbh had to put out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.

We read a couple of Christmas stories and then it was off to bed for her.

We had arranged to give the nurse tonight and tomorrow night off so Katie and I will spend the night sleeping along side Sadbh. I have a feeling that she is going to sleep like a log all night.

New photos.

Photos from December 24 2011.

Photos from December 24 2012.

Photos from December 24 2013.

All the best and Merry Christmas!

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 23, 2014

Sadbh woke up a couple of times during the night and she seemed to be fairly restless for a while. We assumed that she might have been wearing her trach cap but I found out this morning when I took over from Jirapa that she had taken the trach cap off shortly after her shift had started.

Sadbh woke up at half past seven and at first she was in a cranky mood. I was able to cheer her up and we headed out to the kitchen to make breakfast.

She had a great day today and she took turns in wiping each of us out. When she was done with Nana and Granddad she started back on Katie and me. She had us act out the different roles of her new favorite movie, Tangled. She was Rapunzel, of course, Katie was Mother Gothel and I was Flynn Rider. She had so much fun running around the house with me over and over again. I could hardly keep up. She even placed a long yellow blanket over her head to pretend she had very long golden hair.

As soon as we got a chance, Katie and I managed trach care and after that it was time for dinner and then a movie. We had no choice but to watch “Tangled” again, much to Sadbh’s delight.

By bedtime she was a wreck as she was well beyond tired. Thankfully she was fast asleep in a matter of seconds.

New photos.

Photos from December 23 2011.

Photos from December 23 2012.

Photos from December 23 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 22, 2014

Sadbh woke up just as Harjinder was leaving and for a moment I thought she would get upset when she realized I was taking over rather than Mommy. I was pleasantly surprised when she gave me a huge hug and a butterfly kiss instead.

Katie started getting contractions shortly after two this morning and both of us were up for a few hours as they continued. Since they diminished as the night went on we were able to get back to sleep.  False alarm.

Katie was still quite exhausted so I was determined to keep Sadbh downstairs so she could get some much needed sleep.

Sadbh and I had a lot of fun and by the time Katie was up Sadbh was more than eager to spend time with her.

It was short lived as Katie had an appointment with her doctor to see how baby Taco was doing.

Sadbh was well aware of what was going on and she had no problem with the two of us leaving her behind with Granddad. After all, Granddad and Sadbh have a very special relationship and Sadbh knew she was in for a very fun day.

The appointment went well and Sadbh was happy to see us when we returned home.

Unfortunately, both Katie and I were exhausted so we headed off for a nap. Sadbh joined in but was very restless and only wanted to play. Even when Ali-Baba and Kirk stopped by for a visit, she kept coming up to hang out and to see how much longer we would be before coming down to play.

Katie and I managed trach care in the early evening and once we were finished it was time for Sadbh to head down to the basement with Granddad to play some more.

During dinner we were talking about the baby names we have chosen for Taco when he or she is born. Sadbh has mentioned numerous times that she thinks that Taco should be named Tweezer-Pants Hairbrush. No idea where that is coming from.

As expected, by bedtime she was completely wiped out and ready for sleep. She dropped off to sleep with her trach cap on and showed no signs of difficulty. 

New photos.

Photos from December 22 2011.

Photos from December 22 2012.

Photos from December 22 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 21, 2014

Sadbh woke up just as Harjinder’s shift was ended and she wanted Mommy immediately. Before Harjinder left, Sadbh ran out to the kitchen and grabbed and orange for her. For some reason or other she felt that she wanted to share her oranges with her.

She was in a good mood and both Sadbh and Katie spent the morning making pancakes, Sadbh’s favorite.

The day flew by so quickly. Sadbh had so much energy and she kept Granddad on his toes all day long. 

While they were playing doctor she had Granddad pretend to insert a feeding tube up her nose.

Poor Nana is still sick and we are hoping that she gets better really soon. We are also very thankful that Sadbh has remained healthy and has not caught what Nana has.

Katie and I managed trach care early in the day and this evening we headed out for dinner as we were all starting to get cabin fever. Sadbh was in a very lovey mood and kept hugging and kissing Katie. Even Mommy’s baby bump got a lot of attention from Sadbh.

She was fairly tired by bedtime tonight and was fast asleep long before Harjinder arrived.

New photos.

Photos from December 21 2011.

Photos from December 21 2012.

Photos from December 21 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 20, 2014

Sadbh woke up early after a good night sleep. She was happy to see Harjinder and they both hung out having a good time together.

Sadbh’s morning was good and she spent her time reading books with Mommy and playing with Granddad and her toys.

Unfortunately, Nana was fighting a cold or something so she kept her distance from Sadbh.

When it came time for trach care Sadbh started to get upset and cranky. At this stage she only wanted to be with Mommy so it took us some persuading to get her downstairs so we could get trach care done.

Katie and I had some last minute Christmas shopping to do so once we were done with trach care we had planned to load up the car and hit the road. Sadbh was starting to act up and took so long getting all her toys together. There were a few mini-meltdowns before we got out the door and not long after we set off she fell asleep.

She slept for almost an hour while wearing her trach cap. She seemed to be in a much better mood when she woke up and it was perfect timing as we were about to head into the retail hell that is Target.

The traffic was a nightmare and so was the parking. We ended up parking a couple of blocks away from the store and since it was raining Sadbh got to use her new umbrella.

Sadbh was in her element in the store and was fascinated with all the toys. Everything went well for the first forty minutes or so but eventually she spotted a little Disney couch and wanted it so bad. To be honest, it was a piece of junk but there was no talking her out of it. Eventually she was having a full-blown tantrum and I was on the receiving end of a number of slaps and kicks. It took a lot of effort for me to not lose the plot right there in the middle of all the holiday shoppers but somehow I was able to calm her down and out of the store as quickly as possible.

Traffic home was still terrible and we still had a few shops to visit. Thankfully Sadbh was in a better mood and by the time we got home she was very happy to be out of the car.

Her evening was spent playing with Granddad and having fun in the basement playing doctor, firefighter, cook and all sorts of other exciting activities.

We paid for the nap when it came time for bed. It took ages for Sadbh to fall asleep and it was nearly ten by the time she did. 

New photos.

Photos from December 20 2011.

Photos from December 20 2012.

Photos from December 20 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 19, 2014

Katie was up and out to work very early this morning and Sadbh slept in until eight.

I was in the next room watching Sadbh as she woke up and within a few seconds her Oximeter alarm was going off. By the time I got to her door she was bolting past me and bounding up the stairs. She had quickly removed all her equipment and this caused the Oximeter to alarm.

When she realized that Mommy was gone she got very upset. I explained that today would be Mommy’s last day at work for the next few months and this cheered her up. I ended up getting a nice big snuggle from her that lasted almost twenty minutes or so.

Sadbh had a fantastic day and got to spend most of it playing with Nana and Granddad. After breakfast she had Granddad on all fours pretending to be a dog and using a wool belt as a leash she led him around the house with a silly hat on.

We took a trip over to Alki Beach after lunch and Sadbh enjoyed walking on the sand and throwing driftwood into the water.

Once home it was time to show Granddad how to change out the humidifier and it’s components and once he was refreshed on that we got trach care out of the way.

Sadbh’s evening was spent having fun and things got more exciting when Katie arrived home.

Bedtime was late this evening but Sadbh was completely wiped out and fell asleep fairly quickly.

New photos.

Photos from December 19 2011.

Photos from December 19 2012.

Photos from December 19 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 18, 2014

Sadbh woke up early after a good night and was up the stairs in record time.

She wanted to wake Nana and Granddad up but we had to persuade her to allow them to sleep in a little longer.

Granddad was up shortly after Sadbh however Nana was not feeling well so she stayed in bed a little longer.

After breakfast Sadbh and Granddad got busy reading a bunch of her books. Sadbh initially wanted to watch TV or play with her toys but as soon as she settled in next to Granddad she was in her element.

Ali-Baba and Kirk came by to see Nana and Granddad and Sadbh was happy to see them.

After lunch it was time for Sadbh to have a bath and then trach care. She had fun playing with her toys in the tub and soon she was dried off and bundled up for trach care.

Everything went well and once we were finished it was time to head down into the basement to play with Nana, Granddad and her toys.

She was pretending to be a patient and wanted Granddad to be a doctor. For some reason she wanted to spend five days in her pretend hospital.

I had arranged to drop Neil to the airport and Sadbh came along for the spin. The weather was terrible and unfortunately the traffic was worse.

Sadbh was in a great mood regardless and we both had a fun making each other laugh until she got bored and fell asleep. She slept for thirty minutes or so, all while wearing her trach cap.

She woke up just as I was picking Neil up.

Earlier I had told her that Kipper the dog, along with his friends, lived close to where Neil was travelling. She got excited and started asking Neil if he knew where they lived and if he might see them.

I even offered her the chance to go with Neil to se Kipper and his buddies but she declined and explained to us both that she had to stay as she cannot fly because of her trach.

The drive home was fun as the two of us kept each other laughing.

Sadbh was delighted to be home and got busy playing with Granddad.

She needed to be suctioned tonight and this gave us an opportunity for Granddad to practice. It’s been a while but he did great and hopefully he will not have to suction too often while he is here.

By bedtime Sadbh was wired but it took a while to get her off to sleep. Thankfully she fell asleep just moments before the nurse arrived.  She fell asleep with her cap on again.  Hopefully, she’ll wear it for awhile tonight.

New photos.

Photos from December 18 2011.

Photos from December 18 2012.

Photos from December 18 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 17, 2014

Sadbh managed to tolerate sleeping with her trach cap for two hours. She started to grow restless around half past ten so her nurse, Jaripa, removed it to allow her to be more comfortable.

She slept like a log for the rest of the night and woke up at twenty past seven. She could not wait to wake her Nana and Granddad up but first she had to go get Mommy.

When she arrived at her grandparent’s room she was a little nervous at first but as soon as she opened the door she was a lot braver.

It was a great reunion and everyone was so happy to see each other.

Sadbh had a fantastic day with Nana and Granddad and she got to play with a few new dolls that she received. One of the dolls was even knitted by a friend of the family back home. It was a very special treat.

It did not take long for Granddad to brush up on his trach care skills and soon Sadbh’s neck was all freshened up and she was ready for lunch. She sat with Granddad during lunch and at one point she let out a little toot. Granddad asked if she had tooted and Sadbh responded with a smirk, “did you smell something?” She is one cheeky monkey!

Later we all headed out to Nora’s Woods for a walk. Sadbh was so happy to be with her grandparent’s and when we arrived at the woods she wanted me to pretend to be a monster and to chase her and Nana around the place. It was exhausting work but she had a wonderful time and soon it was almost time to head home. By now the game had changed and she wanted to be locked up in prison.

The rest of the evening was spent playing with everyone. She had so much energy and did not slow down once throughout the entire day.

By bedtime she was still full of steam but as soon as she hit her pillow she fell asleep very quickly.
I actually think Nana fell asleep moments before Sadbh did.

We left her trach cap on this evening after she fell asleep but she was definitely working a little harder to breath. Unfortunately she lasted less than half an hour before we had to take the cap off to allow her to breathe easier.

New photos.

Photos from December 17 2011.

Photos from December 17 2012.

Photos from December 17 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 16, 2014

Sadbh slept until almost eight.

As soon as she realized that Nana and Granddad were arriving tonight she got very excited. It was all she could talk about the whole day.

As Katie was getting ready for work, Sadbh was checking out her baby bump and said to Katie “I think you and Daddy are going to the hospital tomorrow to get baby Taco”.

We had a fun morning and were reading a few books when Ali-Baba and Kirk arrived.

She was delighted to see them and Kirk spent the next half hour or so cracking everyone up with his animal sounds, especially Ali-Baba and Sadbh.

After a good laugh we headed in to manage trach care. Sadbh did a great job and afterwards it was time for lunch.

The rest of the day was spent getting the room set up for my folks. Sadbh was helpful and planted a fake poop under my dad’s pillow. She was so excited about it and had to show Katie when she arrived home from work.

It’s too bad that my parent’s flight gets in after Sadbh goes to bed as she was really looking forward to seeing them. She knows that they will come check on her while she is sleeping and she plans on waking them up first thing in the morning.

New photos.

Photos from December 16 2011.

Photos from December 16 2012.

Photos from December 16 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 15, 2014

Sadbh woke up after a good night sleep and was delighted to see Mommy.

After Katie left for work Sadbh and I spent the morning being lazy and playing with her toys.

She had a lot of fun and was thrilled when Ali-Baba came by to help with trach care and to hang out.

New photos.

Photos from December 15 2011.

Photos from December 15 2012.

Photos from December 15 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 14, 2014

Sadbh slept well and woke up shortly after seven. I took over from Harjinder this morning to give Katie a break but Sadbh was not happy to see me so she took off up the stairs to Mommy.

Regardless, she allowed Katie to stay in bed for another hour or so and was very snuggly with both of us.

We got trach care out of the way early today and headed over to the Ballard Market to make the most of a beautiful sunny day. Sadbh was delighted to be out of the house and wandering through the market. It was busy but not packed so there was plenty of room for Sadbh to run and enjoy herself.

When we got home I had some Christmas lights to put up outside so Sadbh and Mommy hung out and played inside. She was in such a great mood all day and it certainly made up for her changeable mood yesterday.

She fell asleep quickly and, for the second night in a row, with her cap on.  We took a brief video of her sleeping.  There didn’t seem to be much resistance and she slept very comfortably with it on.  We took it off just before Harjinder arrived, but Sadbh slept with it on for over 45 min.

New photos.

Photos from December 14 2011.

Photos from December 14 2012.

Photos from December 14 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh

Sadbh’s update – December 13, 2014

Sadbh slept until eight and was thrilled to see Mommy when she woke up.

Katie and Ali-Baba had plans to bring Sadbh to see the Nutcracker today with Chris, Ixchel, Clodagh and her family but unfortunately there was a change of plan at the last minute.

Nevertheless, the gang did head off to see some reindeer, a camel and a model train set with a Frozen theme.

Sadbh was in an odd mood all day and at times she was a royal pain in the you know what.

By bedtime she was wrecked and fell asleep quickly and with her trach cap on.            

New photos.

Photos from December 13 2011.

Photos from December 13 2012.

Photos from December 13 2013.

All the best,

Wayne, Katie and Sadbh