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.

Kidneys

Haleigh's kidney test came back normal. She had blood work, a renal ultrasound, and a VCUG. She did really good for  a 2 year old. Although the VCUG upset me more than her, I hate seeing my baby cry.

The reason for the worrie was because she had the infection for a while, it looked a lot worse than it really was. Haleigh can not tell me, "hey mom it hurts when I pee", all she said was pee....pee....pee, So we were thinking it was because she watned to potty. And now that I know what it was there was other signs too...but again I related them to potty training. It was not until she was crying in pain that I knew something was wrong. I know now though what to look for and will be on the out look for any new problem!

Thank you to every one who said a prayer for us.

Christmas Time & Other Updates

Haleigh is loving the lights and the tree. When we ride down the road she is always saying "mama mama look look lights!" Its so exciting to see your children so excited about Christmas lights.

We have taken Haleigh to see Santa a few times. The first time was before Thanksgiving, we were just at the mall and didn't expect to see Santa, but he was there and all the kids wanted to talk to him. Haleigh sat in the stroller and did not cry, she took her book he gave her and waved good bye to him. This made me think, we needed to have Santa pictures made, because they would be really good since she was not scared. So the week after thanksgiving we took them to the bass pro shop to have Santa pictures made. Haleigh would not get down, would not talk to him, would not wave! We got their free offer picture of none of the kids looking and Madalyn holding an upset Haleigh. Then we went to a family Christmas party, Santa showed up and as soon as he walked in the door, Haleigh starts screaming like someone was hurting her, it was crazy, but by the time he was going she had waved a few times. This past weekend we went to the Shriners Christmas party for kids they have helped this year. They sent me a invite in the mail in October, we RSVP in November. They fed us lunch and had a DJ playing Christmas songs and other children's songs. Haleigh no plays Head, Sholders, Knees, and Toes all day long! The Shriners are so so nice. The bought Haleigh a gift, a peek a boo baby, she loves it. I think that is going to be it in Santa visits, although Haleigh was not scared at all at the Shriners party.



Other news, Haleigh is off her formula, she is on whole milk! We are so excited, we go to the GI on the 16th of December and can not wait to tell him she is doing so well on whole milk.

We are traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to see plastics at UAB on December 28th to see what they have to say! They were willing to do the surgery but seemed to have cocerns about her size. I am still trying to decide what to do.

Haliegh playing in the waiting room at UAB Children's South

I want to again thank all the people who have given money to Haleigh, please know it is all going to her. Some will be used to get her to her appointments, because if we can't get her there what's the point of having all the medical covered?

Haleigh is doing good with her Asthma too, we now have her on the right meds it believe to help her get through the winters. She weighed in the other day a 24 pounds and 8 ounces, and even though her iron level is a little low at 10.6 she is healthy, there is nothing better than hearing the doctors say she's healthy!