Tuesday, 10 Aug 2004

10 August, Tuesday: The last few days have been pretty hectic as we scrambled to do the last few things before Dad goes back to work. Please remember Lisa in your prayers as she will be flying solo until the 16th of August – when her “helper” Michelle starts work.

Gabriella received top marks today when they did an ultrasound examination of her hip joints…the doctors were concerned that her left hip might be displaced. On the eating/feeding front: Gabriella has both good and bad days. Monday she seemed a bit out of sorts and not overly interested in eating. Today, she was back on track and eating well. We will know more after her next weigh-in this coming Friday.

Please know how much we appreciate the prayers, and kind words and deeds we receive – YOU boost our morale when we are low and that means so very much to us. Please continue to tell Gabriella’s story to others and feel free to pass along the address to this web site – the more prayers the better.

Finally, if you would like to give Lisa a little boost during the day, try sending her a “text message,” it’s easy to do (exactly like an E-mail just a different address), and she’ll receive your words just moments after you send them. To send Lisa a text message just type the following address in the “TO: line of an E-mail: 8082232018@mobile.att.net Then add a few words in the subject line and your short message (MUST be less than 100 words). That’s it! Moments later, Lisa will receive your words on her cell phone. Give it a shot. All for now…time to sleep.

Thank you for your prayers.

Sunday, 08 Aug 2004

08 August, Sunday: Our weekend was a quiet one, in part, due to some fairly warm weather. Last week’s storm stole our lovely trade wind away, so it has been hot and humid…such is life in the tropics. Gabriella takes it all in stride – continuing to exceed her daily eating goals by an ounce or two, so we feel a bit more at ease.

When she is not eating she usually sleeps – as that places the least amount strain on her wee heart. However, over the past few days Gabriella has been much more alert and lively during daylight hours. It is a joy to watch her begin to “take in” her surroundings.

Lucy continues to be Lucy – a sweetheart of a 2 year-old, but still a 2 year-old. Wee temper tantrums flair when her routines are alter by her Dad…”No, Mama put Lucy in chair.”  After Mass on Sunday, Gabriella received the “Anointing of the Sick” sacrament. It was both a beautiful and painful experience. Dad made sure Father anointed not just her head and hands, but also directly over little Ella’s heart.

Thank you for your prayers.

Friday, 06 Aug 2004

06 August, Friday: We were off early this morning to meet with Ella’s cardiologist for another check-up. Ella put on one ounce which doesn’t seem like much but it averages out to an increase of 1 oz per day for the last week, which is excellent progress. She now weighs 7lbs 11ozs. Thank you for the e-mails, phone calls, and cards – your support means a great deal to us.

Please keep Gabriella in your prayers.

Thursday, 05 Aug 2004

05 August, Thursday: Yesterday’s tropical storm has passed, we survived the 24 hours of rain, and the sunny skies have returned to Kailua. Gabriella continues to eat well, so we feel positive about her weigh-in tomorrow. Rumor has it that Grandpa Yates (Lisa’s father) now has a high-speed internet connection… we are looking forward to our first Yahoo Messenger video conference with them in Halifax. All for now.

Thank you for your prayers.

Only One Visit to the Doctor’s

04 August, Wednesday

Yesterday was a good day – only one visit to the doctor’s office and that was a scheduled appointment for Dad. Gabriella continues to eat well, so we are hopeful her weight will continue to increase. Her next weigh-in and doctor’s appointment is this Friday.

Yesterday was also Gymboree Day for Lucy. Gymboree is Lucy’s play group – she always has a great time playing with the other children. Pictures of that visit, as well as others, are posted on the Photos page under Album 02.

Dad, Lucy, and Gabriella met the young woman we are considering for the position of “Mother’s helper.” The interview went well and Michelle seems to have all of qualities we hoped for, so we shall see if this is meant to be.

We must take a moment to give credit to the source of our inspiration for these updates and this website. Please visit the following website: www.prayersfortracy.com Tracy Anzalone is the daughter of a Navy doctor we knew in Italy. She was injured in a freak auto accident which broke bones but little more. Her real injury came when her heart stopped for several minutes in the recovery room following surgery to repair her broken bones. Her family began a website to provide updates and to ask for prayers. Tracy’s amazing progress, the faith and devotion of her family, and the thousands of people praying for them is truly inspirational. It is now past 6 AM, so it is time to tend to the girls.

Thank you for your prayers.

Tuesday, 03 Aug 2004

02

03 August, Tuesday: (click on photos) Yesterday afternoon Gabriella weighed in at 7lbs 10oz, an increase of SIX ounces in 72 hours. Mom, Dad, and the doctors are all quite pleased with her weight gain. However, Dr. Mahnke (Gabriella’s Pediatric Cardiologist) informed us that Gabriella’s weight and her ability to gain will probably be an ongoing issue until she has recovered from her heart surgery. Still, it was wonderful to receive some good news. In an effort to increase the caloric punch, Dr. Mahnke prescribed another additive for Gabriella’s formula.

So our kitchen sort of resembles Starbucks when it comes time to mix up the formula. “Yes, I’d like a full-fat Mama’s Milk Grande latte with formula boost – extra sweet!” When we returned from the hospital we received a lovely present from our cousin Pamela – matching outfits for the girls. Lucy was very pleased with her “proper big-sister dress.” Thank you Pam. Today is another busy day so I will bring this to a close.

Thank you for your prayers.

Monday, 02 Aug 2004

Gabriella ate fairly well yesterday, finishing off the last of her 325 ml just before mid-night. As you can imagine we were a bit disappointed that she didn’t top her mark set on Saturday. This afternoon we will be heading to the hospital (TAMC – Tripler Army Medical Center) for another weigh-in and check up – we will provide an update ASAP after we return home. Also, please sign our Guest Book below – your words do wonders! All for now.

Thank you for your prayers.

Sunday, 01 Aug 2004

03

Gabriella’s BEST Day of Eating

She ate 420ml (milliliters) over 24 hrs. To put that into perspective, the volume your typical wine bottle is 750ml. That may not sound like much but when you weigh less than 8 pounds, it is a lot.

On the advice of the Lactation consultant, we bumped up her feeding to every 3 hours (from every 4 hours). It usually takes her about 45 minutes to finish her meal of 60 ml (2.0 ounces). After a quick burp session it is back to sleep for about two hours and then the cycle begins again.

Gabriella’s weight remained the same, 7lbs, 4oz on Friday’s visit to TAMC. Although she is in no immediate danger, everyone is eager for her to put on some weight. As such, we are now boosting her caloric intake by adding a bit of formula to the Milk Mama pumps for her. Well that’s about all for now……………….I think somebody needs to eat 🙂

Thank you for your prayers.

Lucy’s First Burger

Wednesday, 28 Jul 2004

We headed to TAMC bright and early this morning for Gabriella’s appointment. She weighed in at 7.4 oz – the same as two day before. We were disappointed she had not gained weight but at least she had not lost any – a small victory.  The doctors were pleased with her appearance and how her lungs sounded.  They said they won’t do another chest X-ray for several weeks – as this type of pneumonia changes very slowly.

In the afternoon Dad and Lucy went grocery shopping at the commissary.  On the way there we made a special trip to the USMC Kaneohe airfield to watch the aircraft in the pattern doing “touch and go’s.”  Lucy loves watching the aircraft up close and always exclaims “WOW!” when they fly by.  The big treat of the visit was when two huge CH-53/Sea Stallion helo’s flew directly over us…double WOW!!!

Once home, we made barbecued hamburgers for dinner.  Lucy decided to finally try one of Dad’s famous burgers…first a nibble, then a bite, then several bites – she’s hooked.  That’s all the news for now.

Thank you for your prayers.

Possibly Pneumonia

Monday, 26 Jul 2004

Gabriella’s lack of appetite and increasingly frequent cough prompted us to take her TAMC (Tripler Army Medical Center) this morning. Her weight 7.4 oz, was down from 7.7 oz on 23 July.

The doctor’s felt her lack of appetite was probably attributable to a cold/congestion. Since infants breathe through their nose when they feed, Gabriella made the prudent choice of oxygen over food. They directed us to use saline solution and a bulb extractor to keep her nose clear. Additionally, they bumped up her diuretic medication in order to reduce her fluid throughout.

Once we were back home the doctors called to inform us that today’s chest X-ray revealed possible indications of pneumonia, so she is now on a once-a-day antibiotic (Zithromax dose: 0.5 ml) medicine for the next five days. On the bright side! Lisa seems to have cracked the feeding code this afternoon. By positioning Gabriella on her side with her head slightly elevated and turned, she can breathe and eat! She has been eating very well since this afternoon – polishing of more than 6 oz of milk in what has been pretty much continuous feeding. Good interest, appetite, and sucking action all have Mom and Dad breathing a much needed sigh of relief.

Thank you for your prayers.