Happy 7th Birthday Hailey!

Hailey's 7th Birthday was a blast! It started out as a regular day, seeing Sara in the hospital. Then we went to Ronald McDonald House for the afternoon & supper, and surprised you with friends and a pizza party! Later we had cake with Sara at the hospital, and Hailey was completely spoiled!   :)

Hailey you are a beautiful girl, inside & out! You are so loving & compassionate to Sara, you're a great helper, and you have so much energy that you excite others around you! You love being at the hospital, and at Ronald McDonald house, and you make friends with everyone you meet! Thanks for being the best big sister to Sara, and for being the best little cowgirl in our family, we love you! You are such a blessing to us!

Feeling better!

Sara's infection is still an issue, but she's more & more herself everyday. Now that they know what strain of bacteria she has, they are changing her from a broad spectrum antibiotic to a couple that target the infection. She'll most likely be on antibiotics for a couple weeks. Thankfully it looks like the infection hasn't infected the Berlin Heart. Please keep praying for her to be healthy again, and that the IV she has in her right hand will stay as long as they need to be giving meds through it for this.

Blood Infection

Sara's IV pic line has an infection, so it was removed today. They found a common bacteria that's often found on the skin. I'm so glad they caught it quickly, and that it's not the flu or a cold, or something contagious. The Strep Bacteria was found on the line that when into her vein, and then in her blood. So she's on 2 antibiotics and looking and feeling better with no fever. She had a rough night and morning with all the test, swabs, x-ray, echo (ultrasound on her heart), many pokes, and a new IV put in her right hand. Because the IV is hooked up to give her meds, they'll have to keep drawing blood to see how she's doing. More pokes, OUCH!

Thank you so much for praying, Sara has been a little trouper through it all, and she'll hopefully be back to her goofy self soon!

FEVER!

Please pray for Sara. She has a high fever, and they've given her tylenol, and starting her on 2 antibiotics. When Hailey & I left this evening she was slow to eat her supper, and I felt her tempurature was high, at 37.1C/98.7F. So I asked the nurses to keep taking it to see if it was rising. I left at 7pm, at 7:30 it was at 40C/104F! Pray that they find out what she has, and how to treat it best. They're doing all sorts of bloodwork and other tests to figure it out.

This week she's been feeling well, but we were in isolation for a couple days after we heard a cough that turned out to be nothing. After finding out she didn't catch that cold, I'm so sad she's sick! There is a fever going around the ward, so we are hoping we don't end up being responsible for making more patients sick!

Pray that we don't get sick while we care for Sara. Pray that Sara will continue to eat. Her weight gain is constantly being monitored, and it has been a very slow gain as it is. Pray for wisdom for the doctors, for Sara to be well again, and for a good sleep for us all.

Thank you so much.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

Thanks for praying for us, Sara is doing so well! We're getting to know some new families that are passing through and families that are here long term. Please pray for Joell, Isabel, Isabel F., Jace, Lukas, Muskan, Hope, Alexis, Cohen, Precious and Morgan. We're especially saddened to hear about the passing of a sweet little boy Drayton. He was in the PICU when Sara was back in August. Please pray for his family, they are wonderful people, going through a great loss.

"Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7

 

Here we are, enjoying the snow! Also loving the times with friends that are in the hospital, and visitors from home, and Red Deer. We loved the River City Round up, Farm Fair, Heritage Ranch Rodeo, visit with Miss Rodeo Canada (miss Rodeo Airdrie), tobaganing, Oil Kings Hockey, saw the mascot of the CFR T-Bone, Barrel Racer Adele Hanson, and the Canadian Finals Rodeo!

 

We're looking forward to surprising Hailey with a Birthday Party tomorrow! She'll be SEVEN!

 

 

 

Halloween

 With a horse on one side, and a horse shoe on the other, our pumpkin won 2nd place in the carving contest at Ronald McDonald House yesterday!

 Here is the first place winners, carved by another family. Love it!

 Yesterday we bundled up and had fun in the snow!

 

 

 Snow Angel!

 Painting the costume for the IKUS!

 

 Minnie Mouse driving the Minnie Mouse Mobile! It's the first time anyone has decorated the IKUS, and everyone loved it, including Sara.

 

 Beautiful Belle getting her face painted for the day.

 

 Trick-or-treating down the hallways of the hospital! Later on in the afternoon while Sara napped, we went back to Ronald McDonald House to for some games, songs and more trick-or-treating!

 Cutest Minnie Mouse ever!

 Our family - Nurse, Minnie Mouse, Cowboy and Belle. (And yes, I did get mistaken for a nurse a couple times today, lol!)

Hailey, you're so beautiful!

Hailey with the nurses.

 

 

It was a long day, with a lot of candy, but a lot of fun!