Out of their Minds Design

Nina’s Baptism, Part III

The after party! Why hullo there! Grampa Dave, Grandma Marcia, Uncle Chris, and Great Grandma Betty hang out at table #2! See this image larger.

Grandpa Ray and Grandma Barb shared their 40th wedding anniversary with Nina’s Baptism… congratulations you two! See this image larger.

A gift for their anniversary! See this image larger.

Nina enjoys the celebration, donning her party hat! See this image larger.

I’d ask what you see here, but you’d say “two cute kids.” I see trouble with a capital T. 😉 See this image larger.

Baptized for approximately 90 minutes, and Nina’s pretty sure she can see God if she looks hard enough. And Mommy looks like an angel! See this image larger.

We were at Grill 111 for the celebration, and these characters enjoyed their lunch! See this image larger.

Grandma Sue helps Nina dance around, and the smiles were big and happy! See this image larger.

*Hey I see a penny!* *A penny? Where?!?* See this image larger.

Nina’s Baptism, Part II

June 13th, the big day! Kaylee shows off her outfit, lookin’ pretty! See this image larger.

Nina’s got her game face on! See this image larger.

Looks like the other kids are ready too! Smiles, everybody! See this image larger.

We get all the kids smiling so rarely, here’s a couple more versions of this shoot. See this image larger.

I should probably combine this shot with the one above… Nice job, though, kids! See this image larger.

At the church, and Nina gets baptized! See this image larger.

Love this shot, even though it isn’t very well taken. (I think I did this one.) Mommy’s happy! See this image larger.

Our awesome family! (Pretty much the perfect shot except for Ian’s belly poking out of his sweater… still, that’s what little boys are all about, and that’s probably my fault anyway.) See this image larger.

More shots coming soon!

Nina’s Baptism, Part I

So much has happened, but let’s go back to where we left off picture-wise and hopefully I can set the record straight some other time.

Once again, it was time to get a Chapman baby’s head good and wet and people came from miles and miles away to see the spectacle! Let me start by saying thank you to everybody for braving plane rides and car trips and colds and screaming kids to visit us, meet our little girl, and scruff the hair of our little boy! Also thank you all for your generosity!

The pictures here came from many different sources — I tried my best to keep it sort of chronological, but I’m going to give myself a break here and just say hey, if it is close, it is good enough. All this stuff happened in one happy weekend! Sound fair? Also, I got different pictures of different people on different days, please don’t be offended if you didn’t make day one – I promise you’re in Part II if you weren’t in Part I! Let’s say we start on June 12th, 2010.

Great Grandma Betty flew in from Florida and hugged Nina. She immediately thought the trip was well worth it! Grampa Dave and Grandma Marcia are not pictured here, but arrived with Great Grandma Betty… sorry I missed you both with the camera on the 12th, but I got you the next day! 🙂 See this image larger.

Nina was in a bit of shell shock about the whole camera thing! See this image larger.

If Ian’s the only one looking at the camera, we probably bribed him with a treat, trust me! 😉 See this image larger.

Ooop, that wasn’t shell shock, that was the pre-nap sleepies! See this image larger.

Aunt Melanie, and Ian’s cousins arrived from Ohio and it was time for some kids to have some fun! See this image larger.

If you can’t tell, Ian truly missed his cousins since last visit! That’s Grandma Barb back there too, nicely directing traffic to keep collisions to a minimum! See this image larger.

And behold, it is Uncle Chris, also making the long journey up from Florida! See this image larger.

*hug* See this image larger.

Grampa Ray helped sort this mess out. See this image larger.

Water enthusiasts and conservationists Ian and Kaylee, cleaned up nice later in the evening to prepare for the morning of Nina’s baptism. See this image larger.

Grandma Sue also traveled north from Florida to see Nina’s big day! See this image larger.

She’s awful cute! See this image larger.

Finally, the star herself gets a good-night bath… See this image larger.

Next entry, the big day! (Funny to think that at this point Melissa and I had only looked at three houses… we would end up looking at over 35 more before coming right back to the first one we looked at with our realtor.

June Seems Like So Long Ago

June 2nd, one of the first times I gave Nina a bottle, and she grabbed that thing right out of my hands! See this image larger.

I’ll be honest, since this one she’s never quite pulled it off as nicely, but consider me impressed! See this image larger.

For awhile on Mondays I’ve been taking the kids to the park outside of Mommy’s work, so that Nina can get lunch directly from the source we all know and love — while the rest of us eat someplace like Jimmy John’s as we did on June 7th. Hello, Kitty Butt! See this image larger.

And that’s it! I know, I know, you’re sitting there thinking “Wait, what, I waited months for THIS?” Don’t worry, next entry starts a slew of images from Nina’s Baptism, and that’ll last us a good four solid entries, I bet. Sorry this one’s a wee short as a result, but it turns out we didn’t take a lot of pictures between June 7th and the 13th.

Ooh Child, Things Will Get Brighter…

I called a lot of people but I should write here as well… Nina does not have Cystic Fibrosis. Melissa forbade me from digging through the internet and finding everything there is to know about it — and this turned out to be a good call. As it is I’m probably bordering on an ulcer, why push the envelope?

Melissa made a care page entry, which I will share below. Also I am going to take time out tonight to try and set up a few blog entries as a both a catch-up and celebration.

Melissa writes:

July 23, 2010–No CF!!!
Posted 10 hours ago

Just received results from the sweat chloride test, which confirmed that Nina does NOT have Cystic Fibrosis. Praise God! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support. So glad the results came back quickly for this one and are conclusive. Will make for a much better weekend!

Now just waiting on results from the CT scan to confirm the blocked nasal passage and corresponding next steps for surgery. But that conversation may wait until our next scheduled appointment with the ENT on August 19, as the surgery was not classified as urgent/emergent. I’ll keep you all posted if I learn more.

My “go to” verse for all things Nina related:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Thank you God for being so much bigger and stronger than I am, and for always carrying me and my family through these trials. I feel so weak and helpless most of the time. Even when I worry, doubt and break-down, you are there. Your grace really is sufficient for me. I give you the glory.

-Melissa

Presently: Kid Update

From our CarePage via Melissa:

The tests for Nina have been scheduled for this Thursday (July 22). We start off the day with another physical therapy appointment for her head/neck from 9-10 a.m. at Mary Free Bed. (Nina’s first physical therapy appointment was today and she did great!) We go immediately from Mary Free Bed over to Spectrum Health/Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for a 10:30 a.m. sweat chloride test, checking for Cystic Fibrosis. I know the sweat collection takes at least 30 minutes, but not sure how long the entire appointment will last. Our final test on Thursday is the CT scan at 1 p.m. to confirm whether Nina needs surgery for her blocked nasal passage. I was asked to bring Nina tired and hungry to that appointment in hopes of feeding her on-site and having her fall asleep for the scan. Otherwise, they will have to sedate her. Please pray that everything aligns on Thursday so that she will fall asleep at just the right time! The scan itself is only suppose to take about 5 minutes. I’ve been told that results from both of these test will take approximately 3-5 days, but I’m not holding my breath. We’ve been through this waiting before, so we’ll just see.

I must say a public thank you to God for coordinating all these appointments. I had not mentioned Nina’s scheduled therapy times to the referral coordinator who scheduled these additional tests, and amazingly I don’t have any meetings on my calendar at work on Thursday. I’m sure God really had a hand in all this planning. Amazing!

Now an update on our other child–sweet 3-year old Ian. He has been having intestinal issues (i.e. loose bowel movements/diarrhea) off and on for a couple weeks now, so we decided it was time to take him into the doctor to find out what was going on. Daran took him yesterday (Monday, July 19) and found out that Ian has lost a pound since his last appointment on June 23. The doctor was concerned about the weight lost so prescribed Zantac to see if that would help calm any stomach acid he has and hopefully correct the diarrhea to get him back on track with weight gain. The doctor also told Daran that we have 10 days to “fix” the problem or Ian would be referred to a GI specialist for further testing. (When it rains, it pours!) Please pray that this issue resolves itself and that there is no underlying problem(s) causing this symptom. Please also pray that Ian is willing to take his medicine–he spit out the dose this morning.

Daran and I are hanging in there and keeping ourselves occupied. Thankfully we have just bought a new house and are moving at the end of next week (also in God’s plan I’m sure!). This “distraction” has helped to keep our minds off worrying 24/7. Please pray that God continues to coordinate all our schedules as perfectly as He has so far, and that he will give our family the peace, patience and perseverance to get through the next several weeks… especially as we wait on test results for Nina.

Blessings to each of you!

Presently: But Wait, There’s More…

We took Nina to an Ear, Nose, Throat specialist this morning — as usual, Melissa beat me to the punch on updates, and I don’t really have the heart to say all this my own way at the moment, so here’s what she wrote:

Today Nina went to see an ear, nose, throat (ENT) specialist in hopes to undercover what has been causing her constant drippy nose. The appointment was definitely needed, but very hard on Daran and I as the list of issues for little Nina continues to grow.

The physician did a couple of tests on Nina to help determine the possible causes for her congestion and drippy nose. He used a scope to look down her nostrils and into her throat (which Nina did not like at all), as well as performed a routine tympanogram to check the fluid levels in her ears (because that’s just what ENTs like to do). The tympanogram did confirm that Nina has fluid in both ears, so a 3-week course of antibiotics was prescribed to help treat the ear infections. The scope procedure uncovered several issues.

Looking down into Nina’s throat, the physician noticed her voice box was red and raw suggesting Nina likely has reflux. Zantac was prescribed to treat that. Looking into her nostrils, it became clear that Nina’s right side is structurally blocked (with extra tissue/cartilage/something) and no air is getting through. This abnormality will require surgery to open the passage and is an inpatient procedure (at least one night in the hospital for recovery, but could be longer). A CT scan of Nina’s face will be performed to confirm the blockage before the surgery is schedule. This is not an urgent/immediate surgical need, but will happen soon (guessing sometime this summer). No specific dates have been discussed as the next step is the CT scan. The physician also stated that this blockage explains why the right side of Nina’s nose is constantly dripping. Since the mucus cannot go backward down the nasal passage, it has no choice but to slowly drip out. Sadly, the fact that her left (unblocked) nostril is also dripping constantly was a cause for concern.

Because of all the mucus present on Nina’s left (unblocked) side, and due to the fact that she has been coughing/choking a lot lately, the physician recommended that we have Nina tested for Cystic Fibrosis (CF). A sweat chloride test will be performed to rule out this diagnosis (and oh how we are praying that the test does rule this out). A referral coordinator at the ENT office will be scheduling both the CT scan and the test for CF. A follow-up appointment with the ENT physician has been scheduled for August 19 to discuss all of the test results and determine next steps.

Prayer requests:
Please pray for quick scheduling of the CT scan and sweat test, and that the results would come back conclusive (no gray areas) and in a timely manner (hoping we don’t have to wait until August 19 to learn results). Please also pray that CF is not the diagnosis for Nina. (I/we are dealing, as best we can, with all the other “treatable” issues, but CF really scares us.) Pray for wisdom and peace for Daran and I; knowing how best to care for Nina and advocate on her behalf with all the various care providers. I specifically pray that none of details of her health issues falls through the cracks, which could negatively affect outcomes of the “bigger” issues. Finally, please pray for big brother Ian–that he would continue to have quality one-on-one time with mom and dad and not feel “left out,” and that he won’t get scared by all the doctor/hospital visits that Nina’s been going to lately. (He has been so great and such a supportive big brother so far.)

Blessings to each of you.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

Presently: Nina In and Out of the E.R.

Nina ended up in the ER on Friday July 9th, but was not admitted to the Children’s Hospital. She had been congested and coughing for a few weeks but whenever we talked about calling the doctor, she’d suddenly be fine. That particular day, daycare called Melissa and told her that Nina was having difficulty breathing. Turns out she’s pretty much alright, but potentially could have asthma in her growing portfolio of issues.

Melissa wrote up this update on Nina’s “care page” which sums it up very nicely… although I will throw in that I also went to the ER with Melissa and Nina, because I did.

On Friday July 9, I received a call from Nina’s daycare in the early afternoon saying she seemed to be having difficulty breathing, was coughing quite a bit and had been vomiting up mucus. Nina has been very congested for about two weeks and has had daily spells of coughing/choking and occasional dry heaving–trying to get rid of all the mucus that is draining down her throat–so I wasn’t that surprised by this call, but was very concerned about the fact that she was having difficulty breathing. I’ve almost taken Nina to the ER about half a dozen times in the past two weeks, but it seems that every time I get ready to leave, Nina starts coo-ing and makes me think she’s okay. However, since the daycare staff thought she was having difficulty breathing, I decided now was the time to take her in and find out what was going on.

The visit to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s emergency department was excellent (once again) and definitely worth the trip. Our wait times for everything were much longer this time around, but I was actually thankful for that. I kept thinking that Nina must be doing okay or the staff would have been moving faster. It certainly made the wait times easier to deal with knowing/hoping that Nina wouldn’t have to be admitted this time around.

Nina had a chest x-ray taken, which ruled out pneumonia, and was given a breathing treatment while there. The respiratory therapist who was working in the ER on Friday was one of the therapists who had worked with Nina when she was hospitalized back in February. He is very good with kids and it was nice to see him again. Sadly, Nina doesn’t like the breathing treatments and cried/wriggled during the whole treatment. The physician who examined Nina concluded that she would need daily breathing treatments for at least a month, so it’s going to be fun doing those at home until Nina gets more comfortable with them.

Bottom line: Nina was diagnosed with reactive airway disease. The physician wrote her a prescription for a nebulizer to use at home with two medicines–Pulmicort (once daily for a month) and albuterol (every 4-6 hours as needed). The medical device company was able to bring the nebulizer out to us Friday night and Nina had her first breathing treatment at home on Saturday night (sadly she cried through that whole treatment too). Nina was also prescribed Zyrtec last week at her 6 month “well” child check-up, so she will continue taking that daily as well. We will follow up with our primary care physician on Monday for next steps. Nina also goes back to Mary Free Bed on Tuesday to repeat her head scan. If there hasn’t been any/much improvement to her flat spot and overall head shape, then she will be fitted for a helmet. (Lots going on!)

Please continue to keep Nina in your thoughts and prayers. All of these challenges are fairly minor and “fairly” manageable, but it does seem like the list of health issues continues to grow and compound. She’s definitely a fighter, but we’re hoping she gets a break from all this soon. It’s just so much for our precious little 6 month old to have to deal with.

May Trip to Fawn Island, Part II

The next morning, on the 30th – a wonderful breakfast, and some very satisfied peoples! Thank you Gramma Marcia! See this image larger.

Ian helps out with the flowers, tongue protruding in concentration… See this image larger.

… ok now it looks like he’s been doing this for 10 years, what an expert! See this image larger.

Who looks pretty in her dress? See this image larger.

Thanks for inflating and filling up the pool on a hot summer day! See this image larger.

Ah, the definitive summer experience… See this image larger.

Us again! See this image larger.

Happiest place is in Mommy’s arms. See this image larger.

Big toothless smiles! See this image larger.

A nice long hug with Gramma Marcia! See this image larger.

Chilling out and airing out her toes! So long Fawn Island, Gramma and Grampa, we’ll see you again soon! See this image larger.

May Trip to Fawn Island, Part I

I am praying that our May excursion isn’t our only trip up to the Island this year! Things are so busy right now it is looking like it’ll be August before we can even attempt trip #2! Anyway, here’s some pictures!

May 29th – Arrival at the island! This is Nina’s first trip! Ian looks sad, but I’m not always willing to bribe him with candy for a smile. See this image larger.

And I love you, little girl! See this image larger.

*Hi Gramma Marcia!* See this image larger.

*Hi Grampa Dave!* See this image larger.

Grampa Dave has been framed! See this image larger.

Look at the satisfaction in that little smile… I don’t think wild horses could tear Ian away from this lap and book. See this image larger.

This shot originally came in quite dark, and I didn’t think much of it until I lightened it up, and could really see everybody’s faces. So cute! See this image larger.

*cough cough* (Important to catch all these moments, don’t you think?) See this image larger.

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