Anna is doing really well --  she is down to one therapy session a day! Her lungs have been clear, her respiration rate has been good and she continues to thrive. She has a healthy glow about her and I am perpetually amazed by her curly hair. I find myself marvelling at Anna and her radiant personality, contemplating the divine interplay of this gift of CF into our lives. I often wonder how this cross will form her as a grown woman.

Cutting out the evening therapy has been a big deal for us, since that treatment session would typically coincide with Pajama Time for the other four kids.. oi vay...

Thanks again for all the prayers and support.

Today Anna turns 10 months old. Her favorite thing to do is stand up on her own two (incredibly tiny)feet and doing the wobble-walk across the floor while Mommy holds her by the hands. She has a look of total satisfaction on her face like the cat who ate the mouse.  She had her first walk in the park yesterday!

Her least favorite thing to do is therapy, which she is back to doing four times a day now. Simon, Jesse and Luke all have colds--  and now so does Anna. She  swats at her mask incessantly and wiggles, kicks and screams during therapy time. Sometimes we have to restrain her which is slightly traumatic and unpleasant for all.  Needless to say we are worried once again--- still haunted by her last cold which ended up having her hospitalized for a week-- 6 months ago today as a matter of fact. Sorry to be a downer here.  The purpose of this blog is not to make you worried but to pray for Anna.

Anna is 9 months old!

It is hard to believe, but Anna is 9 months old already. She really likes being outside and can sit up and play by herself for long periods. She has two therapy sessions a day and we strive to get as many calories in her as possible. She is still nursing, supplemented with formula and extra salt. She is eating solid foods augemented with extra fat (usually vegetable oil or butter) and takes CF specific vitamins and an ever-increasing amount of digestive enzymes. Anna is doing her job-- she is thriving. Her visit with our CF team a couple weeks ago went well and they are pleased with her progress. Thank you for the prayers and support. Please keep it going.

Anna with her (almost) 3 year old brother Luke who likes to keep her company and, yes, he really DOES need the life vest when sitting in 4 inches of water.

At the Fourth of July Parade with Mommy

Just a little update here. Anna is doing well. We still do two therapy sessions a day: albuterol and pulmozyme by nebulizer followed by chest percussion. Each treatment session takes around 50 minutes. She still has a cough with feedings but our CF team is thinking it is not related to the Cystic Fibrosis-- perhaps a little reflux. She is gaining weight and is thriving. Other than expressing some irritability cutting her first tooth, she is showing an amazingly cheerful and easy-going disposition. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray. 

More of the same

Last Thursday we took the kids to the Naperville Children's Museum, otherwise known as the Naperville Germ Park and are paying the consequences.  Our two year old's nose is a virtual faucet at the moment -- he had a fever a few days ago too. The seven year old has a fever and a cold and the five year old is hacking and sniffling constantly. He has perfected the art of wiping his nose with his bare palm. We have run out of kleenex in the house. Anna has gotten the bug too, unfortunately, and coughing more frequently. She had a fever a few days ago but was gnawing on her gums like crazy we chalked it up to "teething." It is disturbing to have so many sick people in the house at the moment. Anna has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and we'll see what they have to say.

Anna still has a cough. Some days are better than others and today happens to be a good day. The good news is her respiration rate is on her low side, she does not have retractions and her lungs sound clear after therapy. She has a cough, but she is not struggling to breathe. Anna is still getting 3 therapy sessions daily and our goal is to get her down to one session a day. Wende and I are able to tell when it is getting time for a therapy session: her breathing gets noisy.

Our doctor wants us to look into improving the air quality in our home speculating she may have allergies.  I have an allergen highest rating air filter in our furnace blower and have covered the vents with filters as well.  I am looking into buying a couple air-filtration units for the house. Does anyone have any experience with these and can recommend a particular brand or type?

On another note, you may have noticed I have allowed ads on this blog--  please click on them. These ads are helping to fund Anna's medical bills. Thank you.

Also, please enter your email address to the right and when I update the blog it'll show up in your email.

Finding Normal

Thus far we have been sharing with you our struggle as parents with Anna's Cystic Fibrosis and the rollercoaster it has been. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. The primary purpose of this blog is to remind everyone to continue to pray for Anna (and her family) and to keep eveyone updated on how she is doing. As a side note, if you are not accustomed to praying for someone, please check out this article and give it a whirl. If you are not sure how or what to pray for, give me a holler.

Wende and I feel strongly that Anna not be known as the "sick" child. She is a fun and particularly joyful little child. With the five children, our house is "high-energy"  and she is the cause of so much joy and delight in it. As I type this, Anna is sitting up in her bouncy seat talking to her 5 year old brother-- who is delicately listening to Anna's heart with his stethescope. He is reporting to me that her heart sounds good.

Here are some observations from Wende:

-Anna likes to do a full body stretch while I am changing her first diaper after getting

  her out of her bed in the morning. Her legs go straight out as far as they will go.

- Grandma Foht has declared that she has the “Foht smile”- because her upper lip

   disappears when she flashes you her cute little smile.

- We were told by the pediatrician to give her more “tummy time” to strengthen her

   upper body.

- She actually responds to “sshhh” when you are trying to sooth her.

- She attempts to hold her bottle and the nebulizer.

- She displayed some “stranger anxiety” when a friend came over for a visit.

- She had her first conversation on the phone with her dad.

- While on the diaper table she usually puts both feet straight up in the air.

- Everyday she soils one or two outfits that I end up scrubbing in my sink.

- Her eyes follow her mommy everywhere.