Blessed

I have not always felt blessed in my life, but looking back I know I should have. Its hard though when your in the moment to think of somethings as a blessing for example having premature babies, or Jason being out of work for 2 years. I didn't see them as blessings, but now I am able to handle rough medical problems with out freaking out, and I am also able to understand doctor talk with all their big words.

So having 2 premature babies has given me the blessing of medical understanding. Jason not having a job, that was rough how could anything good come out of that, well I got to have my husband home a lot as we had a new baby I needed his help, he saw how much I needed him and started helping more with everything, we also learned to live off a lot less. So being unemployed brought the blessing of a more understanding husband and father. Those are some pretty great blessings!

Having Haleigh has been a blessing from the moment I found myself expecting, all my kids are blessings sent straight from heaven from God to me. We have been blessed to have our family, our church, and our friends.

We have been given so much help, God has provided for us diapers when we had one left and no money, formula when Haleigh needed the most expensive kind ever made. Gas money when we didn't know how we were going to get her to her 5 doctors appointments that week.

Today God blessed is providing a FREE hotel room in Atlanta, for our first trip for the first 2 nights! The hotel is donating the room to Haleigh. This is so so exciting for us, while we still need to raise money because we do not know about other trips and such, these two nights at this hotel comes to about 500 dollars!

This is not a hotel we would have stayed at because of price, it is a very upscale hotel and you better believe we will be taking pictures while swimming in the indoor pool! I am not sure how I will thank them, I have cards and such for everyone that is helping, and that really doesn't show how very thankful we are to everyone, but its what I can do. How do you thank someone or really a company for this? My thought is maybe writing them a thank you note, not sure where i would send it though.

This is just another blessing God has sent to us to help us through our travels with Haleigh. He will never lead down the wrong path, or open the door that you should not go through. God is opening all the doors and windows for us!

As long as it's healthy.

I bet you have heard almost every pregnant woman and maybe even some expectant fathers say that they do not care if they have a boy or a girl, as long as the baby is healthy that is all that matters to them.

So my question is what is the difference, in wanting a boy, a girl, and healthy? No one wants to say they want a girl because if then they have a boy people will say aw sorry you didn't get what you wanted. So goes for if you wanted a boy. But what if you say all you want is a healthy baby?

What if your baby is not healthy? What then all you wanted was healthy and you didn't get it, so do you love your baby less because they are not healthy? What do you say to a new parent who for 8 months have said all they want is a healthy baby? Then they have a baby who is not completely healthy?

We didn't care if Haleigh was a boy or girl and yes as every parent we prayed she would be healthy. But I never said all I wanted was for her to be healthy, because really being perfectly healthy is not all that important. I wanted nothing more than a child to bring into our home and love. That is all that mattered to me. I think a lot of parents would agree with me on that.

I think people that have children that never have a health problem, will never truly understand how much some other parents go through. Having had children that were and still are healthy from the moment of birth and then the other side too. I can say as different as parenting a sick child is your love for them is the same and your protection for them more!

Money Savings

Tomorrow morning at 9 am I will be in a coupon class at church! I am so excited, the coupon lady is hopefully going to teach me how to buy stuff for pennies on the dollar! Its going to be so helpful to be able to cut our grocery bill by more than half. With our trips to Atlanta getting closer any where we can cut back is wonderful, and before we cut out other things I think starting with coupons and food is the smart way to go.

We are also making sure everyone turns the lights off when they walk out of a room and water off while brushing teeth, and believe me the youngest kids do this the best, the older ones I feel like I am telling all day everyday.

One other thing is the heater, I wish I had one that locked, my kids get cold and do the put on a sweater, um... No they bump the heat up! I always set it for 68 and down to 65 when we leave the house. But now they know how to use it. I got up the other night sweating, the heater was on 78! Who needs it almost 80 to sleep? No one would say who did it either. So we are all learning something new, to save money. I hope its enough! Oh we got our paint and pals check today ready 360$ YAY!!!
On another note can everyone please pray Haleigh's great grand pop, we would be very grateful! He is sick and in the hospital. We are not sure what all is going on yet, thanks!

Through the Eyes of a Child

Have you ever thought of how a child sees the world? How everything is new, exciting, and sometimes scary. Think of how big everything must look and feel to them. It has to be scary sometimes, but I think most of the time its fun and exciting. I love to look at Haleigh while she is learning new things. Her eyes get bright, she stairs, tilts her head and starts talking random words about whatever she is looking at.

Today she was looking at fish and she has seen fish before looked at them talked to them, but today she was asking about them. She was looking at them eyes wide open, what's that she said? Fish I said. Fish? Yes Haleigh Fish! Oh mama look blue fish! I see orange fish Haleigh. Oh orange fish mama! Look swimming mama!

We talked and she learned about fish for an hour! And when we had to go she was not ready, she could have stayed there all day, just looking and talking about the fish.

So simple so pure. I wish I could look at things the way she does everyday all day. She has no worries, not a care in the world. I hope she looks at the world the way she does now for a long long time!

Change of Plans

I got an e mail from Dr.C's office last night, and we got a small set back, a small change of plans. They had to move her surgery date from Feb 22 to March 8th. This date is set though and everyone has agreed. I know in the end its only 2 weeks and everything is going just as it should be going, but being her first surgery I wanna scream WHAT DO MEAN 2 MORE WEEKS!! But I am just trying to be patient although I have never been good at that ever!

So our plan is to leave our home at 5 am on Monday morning, I am going to be taking lots of snacks so that we don't have to stop every time our drinks need to be refilled. We have a nice cooler that plugs into the car outlet we got from Jason's trucking days, we will use that for cold things.

We will stop for lunch, and have Haleigh's appointment with Dr.C around 1 Monday after noon, then we will head to the hotel or the Ronald McDonald house where ever we will be staying. We'll most likely nap then take Haleigh to a park or some kind of open play place so she can run around, we will eat dinner and head back to the hotel.

We will need to go to sleep early because surgery is at 7:15 am Tuesday morning! We will need to be at the hospital at 5:15 am! So up at 4!?! Going to bed early will be a must. I am not for sure but my thought is we will be back at the hotel after lunch but before dinner.

I am not sue how Haleigh is going to feel either buy my thought is she'll feel pretty rotten, so I will probably send Jason for food that night. The next day, Wed, Haleigh will go back to see Dr.C, we will stay one more night then come home on Thursday morning. Sounds like a lot but I think every thing will run smooth.

We will rest and relax at home until the next Sunday. Sunday we will drive back to Atlanta spend the night have an appointment with Dr.C on Monday and drive back that night. We will not have to go back after that until her next surgery 3 to 6 months later!

YARD SALE

Need motivation to for spring cleaning?

Why not donate items to help raise travel funds for Haleigh’s surgeries?

This March we will be having a yard sale!!!

Stay on the lookout for more information!!!

Painting for Haleigh Pictures

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE THAT CAME OUT!!!!

money wise

When it comes to money I have been known to spent more than I should have, but I have also made money go a along way when I needed to. It looks like I am going to be making things Stretch until Haleigh's surgeries are over.

We made over 300$ last night painting for Haleigh, and I have about 200$ left from what the ball park brought in. That is 500$ total. We will need about 700$ for each trip and in case and one wants to know that is
150 $ for gas at 3.50 a gal
400 $ for hotel at 100 a night for 4 nights
150 $ for food for 4 days.

Some things may be less like if we can stay at the Ronald McDonald house and we will not know that until we get there, then we will save the hotel money for the next trip. Gas could go down, it could also go down. So I choose to go a little higher with that. Meals we will need 3 on Monday, the hotels have fee breakfast so Tues, Wed, and Thursday just 2.

And as I sit here I realize we have to go back one week later for post op appointment. They tried to find a Dr to see her here for it and no one would, because she also needs stitches removed. Gas for that trip will be less because we are going in my sisters little car. We will need a one night hotel stay and then 2 meals Sunday and 2 Monday.

I know God will provide for us to care for Haleigh. He has sent her to me because he knew she needed someone who could handle everything with out falling apart. She needed parents who would fight to get her the care she needs, and not every mother can stand for her children that way.

He has always provided everything we have ever needed and he will continue to provide for us.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Painting for Haleigh

Thank you to everyone who came out tonight to support Haleigh! And the ones that couldn't come but sent in donations and the ones who were there in spirit and praying!

We had such a good time tonight! And I am so glad we did this and I am thinking of doing another paint night next year, doing it every January, as a fund raiser for Haleigh, it was really that great. I hope every one else had as good as time as I did! I do wish my oldest daughter could have went tonight, she will not miss the next one for sure though.

I hope everyone knows how much it means to us that y'all came out tonight, its always nice to see your friends and family, but tonight you made the effort to get dressed, and drive some of you a long way, to come help us, there are no word to express how grateful Jason and I are. With your help we are going to be able to provide Haleigh with everything she needs and get her there of course! The next fund raising event is not too far a way and as soon as I know details I will be air to post them!

Oh and we are planning a yard sale, so start going through all you old junk so that it can become a treasure for someone else!

Pictures will be posted soon!

A Picture A Day

This is something I wish I would have started doing 13 years ago when I was pregnant with my first baby. But I think its something that is never to late to start doing.

I am going to take pictures every day one of each of my kids. Some might miss a day when they are gone, but it will be mostly every day. I know people do this for their kids first year and while pregnant, but for me it started when I was thinking about when to take pictures of Haleigh through out the surgeries.

She may never want these pictures but I think it is important to take them. Not even just for me but for other moms out there that might be pregnant with a baby that is like Haleigh. They might need to see before and after pictures to decide on surgery. Dr. C might need them for parents or even just to show and teach other doctors.

But mainly these pictures are for me to see my kids grow and how they have changed from one year to the next. I will not post pictures everyday, but I plan on making a special slide show the will be posted in 6 months then in a year, for everyone to see. I will post pictures of Haleigh after each surgery so that every one can see how she is doing.

The first should be around the 24th of Feb!

Parenting

Sometimes I think we forget Haleigh is normal.

She is no different than other 2 year old, ok well, she is the smartest 2 year old there is of course, but she is not frail. She is not sick, she is normal. I think we have treated her as if she is slightly frail, and I am now seeing that come out in her in fits! I know all 2 year olds have fits, but this is really my fault!

I have always attended to Haleigh with what ever she needed and would put everything else on hold until she was taken care of. I did that to some point with all my kids, as Jason and I use a lot of Dr Sears' attachment parenting tools, but with Haleigh we used all of them, except co-sleeping, but that was Haleigh's choice to sleep alone, she has changed her mind the last couple weeks though. I think attachment parenting has taught us how to be more attentive parents, more caring, and I think we know our children better because of it. I think our children know what to expect, and what is expected of them, and that we're always here for them all thanks to attachment parenting. I know not everyone uses any of the tools we do and that is fine too, I firmly believe parents should do whatever works for them, not what works for others.

Now for the past month, maybe longer Haleigh has decided that when she wants to do something she's going to do it and if you tell her no she is just going to do it faster before you can get to her. And then when you get to her she is going to cry and scream and kick until either she falls asleep or you give in.

There is no middle ground! Sometimes when she wants to be held, and that is all the time, even when I am cooking she will cry then fall asleep at my feet in the kitchen floor unless I pick her up, and that is not always the safest thing to do. I really think if the sling still fit her she would lay in it all day!

The only thing I can think is its because we have babied her so much that she now expects it all the time. Changing the way we parent is not something we are going to do, but I do believe we are going to have to teach Haleigh some boundaries, that came natural to the other kids by this age, and maybe its just that, maybe the other kids learned them naturally with out much help from us, and for Haleigh it just needs to be taught, just like all else. Math comes ease for some and for others they brew hours of work at it. Haleigh just needs to work at it, and is with her.

She really is a good kid, as long as she is in a good mood! She smiles all the time she is happy, she also knows exactly what she wants, if she doesn't want to wear a dress there is no getting her into it she is set! She know what she likes and what she doesn't. And again there is no changing her mind.

Maybe we just have a strong willed child, a child that knows what she wants, when and how to get it and is firm to it. As an adult that will be something to be very proud of, as a child its something us as parents have a hard time dealing with. Because after all we are the parents!

Staying Well

It has come to my attention that Haleigh has been doing very good this winter with her asthma that is mild and only comes up with colds anyway and with just staying well altogether. I need to keep her that way for surgery if she gets sick her doctor will not clear her for surgery and then the trip to Atlanta will be off.

Another mom with a child that is having surgeries like Haleigh posted a blog to let every one know to be extra careful with her daughter. And she is right. EVERYONE MUST WASH THEIR HANDS!

Do not get mad if you have a get together or party and Haleigh is not there, I am not going to put her on lock down the way I did last year, but I think its important not to have her around sick people so if I ask if you have been sick do not lie to me please! I don't want you or anyone else to be the reason surgery was delayed.

I understand I can not keep her from every germ and that is not what we are doing. I am just limiting the amount of time she is exposed . We are all starting extra vitamins with extra C in them and I have a lot of OJ in the fridge.

So Haleigh will still be at church, but not wal mart. Time to get out the Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer like were fresh out of the NICU!

Remember the days after Aden and Landon came home, not as bad as that but close to it. And remember its just for a month, our surgery day is fast approaching. And after surgery we can, take her out for at least a week so I think we are good there!

I really hope everyone understands as I know you all love Haleigh and do understand that this is for her!

Excited about fund raising

I have so many events coming up that are going to help get Haleigh to and from Atlanta, I want to be sure everyone has a chance to come to whatever they would like to do.



Heather & Haleigh

The first one is this Saturday we are Painting for Haleigh planned by her aunt Heather. Unfortunately Haleigh will not be able to attend this fund raiser she is too young to do the painting and to allow me to attend and paint I will have to allow her to stay home. I will have some pictures of her there that I am going to take this week! If you would like to attend the party please register at www.paintandpals.com.
After that we will have some things coming at church. There is talk of a dinner maybe for Valentine's Day. With those and the money we have left from other things I believe we will be able to make the first trip. But of course we need to then work on the next trip!

We also have a yard sale, a softball tournament, my brother in law has a football tournament planned for may, a Chili Cook Off, and we are putting together a cookbook too. My family and I are so thankful for everyone involved in the planning and everyone that will come out to support is!

I know a lot of you have been asking how much each trip will cost and I really do not know, I am going to put together about how much that first trip will cost, after that trip I will have a better idea of how much things are in Atlanta.

On another note, Haleigh is getting over her cold! She didn't need any extra asthma med to help her through it just some Vicks vapor rub and mommy's love!

Church Family

About three and a half years ago a friend from the ball park invited us to go to church. We had been in and out of church for years, and we didn't take her up on the offer.



My 5 Children at the Beach



Not long after a guy Jason worked with invited us to Wednesday Night supper at his church, we decided to take him up on it and went. Funny thing when we got there it was the same church the other friend invited us to and didn't go. For me it was a sign we should go back. We did and became regulars on Wednesday night.



Aden - Football



We came some on Sunday morning but like a lot of people we wanted our Sundays to sleep and well do really nothing! We came and went taking a month off here and there when we were busy. Then on Easter 2009 we decided we should join the church and become apart of the family. I intended to become more active and I failed a lot of things got in my way. Things that a lot of people say, school, work, health issues.



Madalyn - Softball



Then the doctor told us to keep Haleigh at the house so we just stopped going, it was easier that way. The summer of 2010 again we were busy with ball and it took all I had just to get out of bed on Sundays.


Then I got my wake up call. A lot of people do not understand how you can go from not going to church and living wrong to totally turning your life around in one moment for me it was just that, and my son made me understand that I was not teaching my kids about Jesus and if I didn't who would, I knew a lot but they didn't. 


Collin being baptized at Church Fall 2010



My son Collin asked me to take him to church because he wanted to be saved and go to heaven! My 4 year old asked what's heaven? I do not think i have ever cried so much in my life. How did I let this happen, how did he not know, well because I never told him, and I never put him in Sunday school long enough for him to learn from anyone else either. It really made me sick to my stomach.



Landon playing at the park

 I decided we would go to church every chance we had, but because my children needed it, I was solid in my faith and didn't need to go but would for them. Then something else happened I realized I was not as solid as I thought I didn't know near what I thought and in Aug 2010 I realized I needed to be in church for me just as much as for my children, I needed a church family, people who shared my faith, people to worship the lord with, people to grow in faith with, people who love is and who we love back.

I found all of that at Airport Blvd. Baptist Church. That is our home, they are our family, I feel like I am in my own living room there, there is no show boating, no upping one another, just love and praise and worship for the lord!



Haleigh doing her "mad face"

Today they held a luncheon and listened to me talk and cry about Haleigh and they asked questions and I now have a new understanding of just how much we mean to them and how much they mean to us. We are doing some fund raising at church and some of these people have some great ideas! Somethings I had never thought of, others that we have talked about before. I never thought I would need help and I never thought I would stand in front of the church and talk about Haleigh, then again I never thought I would have 5 kids either!
I love my church family and I hope everyone reading this has what I have at their church, if you don't or you don't have a church home, I invite you to mine. We would love to have you. I think of my church as a marriage of some sort, your there in good times and bad you stick through it for the love of God through the shared faith you have in Jesus Christ. If that is missing in your life, because I know a year ago it was missing in mine and I didn't even know it, come and join us, I will be there you can sit with me, I promise you will not walk away disappointed.

The Ronald McDonald house

I have been given some helpful information about the Ronald McDonald house. And its very exciting.

We have a house here in mobile and when Landon was in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) the social worker asked us how many miles we lived from the hospital. Families that live 50 or more miles can stay there while their baby is at the hospital for 10 dollars a night and that includes meals! I spent more than that in gas every day.

We didn't live that far so we couldn't stay there. I always thought that your child had to be in the hospital to stay there.

I have found out that kids needing treatment but not needing to stay in the hospital, kids like Haleigh, can stay there with their parents!

I am going to call them as soon as I have a for sure surgery date. From what I can see Atlanta has 2 houses, one of them is on the same road as the doctors office we will go to! Also from what I have been told it's 15 dollars a night unless you are needing to stay long term then its reduced to 5 a night and includes dinner every night along with snacks and of course the other families that you will meet there that know how you feel and what your going through. Even though no two stories are the same, the other parents are also away from home and their support system and this becomes your new support.

They help so many families everyday, that even if they can't help us they are doing great things. I figure the worse thing they can say to us is no, or there is not room, so its worth trying for.

A Cold

Haleigh has a cold, no fever just a runny nose and a cough. Please pray she gets over this fast! Even just a cold can delay her surgery. She has not had any asthma problems though so that is a good point!

Fund Raising

I sure everyone knows we have been raising money for Haleigh's surgeries. Well last week we were approved through Atlanta children's fund. The only thing we now need money for is travel expenses. And while that is wonderful its still a lot of money, and when it comes down to it if you do not have the money to get to the surgery site what good is free surgery?

So the ball park last fall let us out out a bucket to donations and the was a big help. Although some of that money went to our useless trip to Birmingham last month.

My sister talked to her Sunday school class and they gave to Haleigh, they have never met her, but knows she is a child of God and needs their help.

This Sunday I am speaking to my church to see if we can come up with some fund raising we can do as a church.

On Saturday the 22nd of January we are having a paint party, you will pay 40 dollars to learn how to paint a picture that you will then take home with you!Not a bad deal. This money will be used to get Haleigh to Atlanta. http://www.paintandpals.com/
The plan is:

To drive up there and have an appointment on a Monday stay in a hotel that night she will have surgery Tuesday morning she'll be able to go to hotel with us sometime that day, not sure how long she'll stay in the hospital but not over night. The next day she'll have a follow up appointment and then we'll come home either that night or the next morning depending on how she is doing. We will then go back a week later for stitch removal and stay one night in a hotel. We will repeat this every 3 to 6 months until her nevus is complete gone. That is a lot in hotel stays and a lot of on the go eating that is not cheap.

Thank you to everyone who has already given those that can't but are praying for us, and those that will attend a fund raising of any kind! You will never know how much you helping us! Your changing a life for the better I hope that makes you smile!

Going to Atlanta

Well first I want to say we had the best Christmas and a great new year!

Last Friday afternoon I got a call from Dr.C in Atlanta. We got really good news Haleigh has been approved to have her surgery covered by children's hospital of Atlanta children's medical fund!

This covers what we have been waiting on every thing else has been donated. I almost cried when I heard the news.

But I held it together for the phone call so that I could really hear everything that was being said. I am so excited to get started, I am also scared I have peace with my choice of course and I feel this is right I know this is where we are suppose to be, I have prayed so much about it and talked to so many people that I know this is right.

I am not sure when we will be going I called to give the appointment scheduled the best days for us in Feb and March on Monday, but I got a message saying the office was closed so I called back yesterday, again closed. I am thinking now it's because of the weather up there, so if I do not hear anything by Friday I will call his cell phone.

No that is not a typo I have the doctor's cell phone number, just in case I need something. Another reason Atlanta feels so right, he really cares for Haleigh.