Kayleigh's Blog

Kayleigh loves Lukey

2010-02-20T16:41:00.001-05:00

It’s hard to believe that another six months have passed since the last post. Kayleigh was just going through a transition to preschool the last time a post was made. It was a difficult decision to pull Kayleigh out of the daycare that she had been in since she was 12 weeks old, but Mom and Dad quickly learned it was the right decision.

Kayleigh has learned so much in preschool. The new environment is much more geared towards learning and creative play, and she is really enjoying it. It took awhile to make some new friends. Kayleigh has always been shy, but within the first couple of weeks, she was coming home and rattling off the names of her new classmates.

Kayleigh continues to adore her brother, Lucas. Of the two, he is the aggressive one. He can even be a bit of a bully at times, but on good days, he showers her with hugs and an occasional kiss. He is very lucky to have Kayleigh as a sister. She just loves having him around as a buddy. It has been so much fun watching them interact with one another and play together. Mom and Dad find themselves laughing at the two of them on a daily basis.

Preschool Bound

2009-08-26T21:07:00.001-04:00

Is it really possible that Kayleigh is almost 4? It can’t be so. Today Mom and Kayleigh went to the new preschool to meet the teacher and make some new friends. Turns out – Kayleigh’s teacher lived in the same dorm as Mom during her sophomore year at Ohio University. Yet another reason to always be kind to people – they may someday be taking care of your kid! It was a good visit. It took a couple hours before Kayleigh would venture to one of the play stations on her own, but she will get there. Her first day will be next Monday, and we are all preparing for an exciting change.

Water Girl

2009-08-16T16:06:00.001-04:00

Mom and Dad have been wrapped up in enjoying both their kids and find little time to make blog posts. It is still surprising how fast time passes. Summer is coming to an end, and there is still so much more fun to have. The family recently returned from a vacation in Michigan. This was Kayleigh’s second trip to Holland, Michigan and her brother’s first. Kayleigh loves the beach. Several times throughout the year she would ask to go to the beach. She loves the sand and the water. She was really excited to be at the beach and at the hotel pool. She is becoming quite the water girl.

Throughout the summer Kayleigh has been to the zoo, the beach, the county fair, the playground and the Wapak pool. It is such a joy seeing her have so much fun. There is never a dull moment in the Rickert house.

Kayleigh has remained healthy throughout the majority of the entire year. She is seeing most of her doctors on an annual basis now. All of the checkups have resulted in good news. She is really thriving and becoming such a mature little girl. She loves to help Mom around the house. She voluntarily looks after her brother. She tolerates his tantrums and is always eager to give him a hug. She also likes to “tickle the grumpies out of him” when he is having a rough day. Her favorite activity with Dad has been learning to ride her big girl bike. She is growing up too fast!

Kayleigh is transitioning to a new preschool at the end of the month. Although she says she is excited, she will have to put on her brave face the first couple of weeks. She has some difficulties with change, but Mom and Dad are confident that she will adapt just fine, and she will quickly make new friends.

My Baby Lucas is One!

2009-01-20T19:24:00.001-05:00

Kayleigh helped Lucas celebrate his 1st Birthday. Kayleigh was a little overwhelmed with all the people at the house and all the attention on Lucas, but she made it through like a champ. Kayleigh has really taken to her little brother. She gets genuinely excited when Lucas learns new "tricks" like clapping his hands or waving. As Lucas becomes more mobile, the sounds of "Lucas STOP" and "NOOOOO"become more frequent. Nonetheless, she seems to adore the little guy, and Mom and Dad hope they will become great friends as they grow up together.

Nice to meet you, Santa

2009-01-19T21:36:00.002-05:00

This is the first year that Kayleigh met Santa and she was truly excited to see him. Years past, she has been a little timid, but this year, she hopped up on his lap and even told him she wanted a monkey and a tractor for Christmas. Turns out, Santa listened and brought her the monkey she wanted, and even a set of tractors for her brother, Lucas. Guess he'll have to share them! Kayleigh wrote Santa a letter the night before Christmas, helped Mom bake him some gingerbread cookies and put out a glass of milk. Kayleigh was a very good girl this year, and Santa must have been watching because she received lots of very special gifts - among her favorites was a Minnie Mouse back pack (Kayleigh calls it a "pack pack") and foam building blocks.

A Minnie Trick or Treat

2008-11-10T20:20:00.001-05:00

Kayleigh was Minnie Mouse for Halloween. She had a great time going around the block to get candy, but she had even more fun passing out candy to other kids when she got home. She collected lots of candy, but it’s going to take her a long time to eat it because Mom and Dad only let her have some when she finishes all of her dinner, which is still a challenge for Kayleigh!

MIckey and Minnie are still her favorite. She loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and even though it’s a little early, the Mickey Mouse Christmas DVDs. At night, Mom or Dad reads a couple of stories before bedtime. Almost always, she picks the book of Mickey Mouse fairy tales. Every once in a while, Dad gets to read a Dr. Suess book. (The Sneetches is his favorite.)

"I Like Panda Bears!"

2008-09-02T20:59:00.001-04:00

Kayleigh loves to go to the zoo. Her favorite thing at the zoo is the choo-choo train. Last time she rode a pony for the first time. Mom was in Washington, D.C. all last week. Kayleigh missed her very much, but when she came back and gave her a Panda bear from the National zoo, she was very excited. She just kept saying, "I like Panda bears!"

My Baby Lucas

2008-01-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh has really adapted well to being a big sister. She loves to hold her baby brother and enjoys giving him lots of kisses. She calls Lucas "My baby." Kayleigh is back at the daycare with her friends. Everyday when Mom arrives to pick her up, she proudly shows Lucas off to her friends. Mom and Dad are very proud of how Kayleigh interacts with baby brother and enjoy watching her shower him with hugs and kisses.

Michigan's All Dirty!

2008-01-05T19:29:00.000-05:00

Can't Get Enough of Mickey

2007-12-19T19:52:00.001-05:00

Kayleigh loves her Mickey Mouse buddies! Almost every day when she comes home from daycare, she says, "I watch Mickey Mouse!" She watches the same episodes over and over again, but never seems to get bored with them.

Another Successful Surgery

2007-10-23T21:20:00.000-04:00

Today, Kayleigh traveled to Cincinnati Children's Hospital to have the pin removed from her arm. This was a surgery that was long overdue, but had to be postponed this summer due to her heart surgery. After spending nearly 3 1/2 hours on the drive from Columbus to Cincinnati (thanks to the rain and rush hour traffic), we finally arrived, and Kayleigh went immediately to the surgery prep area. Mom and Dad stayed with her until she went to sleep. Mickey and Goofy went with her to the operating room, and just a mere 45 minutes later, the doctor delivered the good news that the surgery went well.

Kayleigh no longer has the pin in her arm, but she will continue to wear a splint most of the time to keep the ulna and tendons surrounding the wrist stable. Kayleigh slept most of the way home, but once she arrived home, she was ready to play. Mom and Dad, on the other hand, felt like they had been through surgery themselves and were completely exhausted. Kayleigh continued to play for the next several hours until her normal bedtime, at which time, she was ready for sleep.

This was Kayleigh's 5th surgery in just 2 short years. Mom and Dad are hopeful that this will be the final surgery for a very long time. Although it has really been a stressful road at times, Mom and Dad have really learned how strong Kayleigh is and what she is able to overcome. She proves over and over that she is a little fighter.

Two Year-Olds Don't Sleep in a Crib!

2007-10-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

On September 23rd, little Kayleigh turned 2 years old. Hard to believe. Mom and Dad celebrated Kayleigh's birthday with a Mickey Mouse theme, including a Minnie Mouse dress. Mickey Mouse is one of Kayleigh's latest obsessions. Kayleigh enjoyed the low-key party with her grandparents, and marveled at all the attention. She loved when everyone sang Happy Birthday to her, but better yet, getting to eat all the cake -- well, mostly icing.

Since turning two, Kayleigh has kissed her pacifier goodbye, and she just recently moved into her big girl room/bed. She made a very smooth transition and seems to be enjoying more independence by exploring her new surroundings. Next step - potty training.

Home Sweet Home

2007-07-24T22:12:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh came home on Monday, remarkably just three days after her surgery. She has been laughing and playing and is very happy to be back home. She's starting to get her appetite back and is eating better. Things are very close to being back to normal. Mom will be staying home with her for at least the next couple weeks. Mom and Kayleigh have really been enjoying their time together so far. Daddy, however, really misses Kayleigh when he's at work.

Mending a Broken Heart

2007-07-21T22:01:00.001-04:00

Kayleigh's surgery was very successful. She's recovering very well and is now out of the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). The surgery lasted for about four and a half hours and went about as well as possible. She was in the PICU for 22 hours and was moved into a recovery room at 3:00 this afternoon. All of the tubes that were connected to her have been removed and she's now just hooked up to a wireless monitor, so we can pick her up and move her around or hold her.

This afternoon, Mom and Dad took her for rides through the hallway in a red wagon. She really enjoyed getting out of her room for awhile. She also enjoyed watching Elmo videos. She's been starting to eat and drink, but her appetite is not that big, yet.

Overall, everything is going very well and we hope to be able to bring her home within a couple of days. We also want to say thank you to everyone for their thoughts and prayers and support.

"Giddyup, Horsey"

2007-07-19T20:34:00.000-04:00

This was a fun-filled day at Windmill Island in Holland, Michigan on Kayleigh's recent vacation. Kayleigh really enjoyed riding this antique carousel and repeatedly said, "Again, Horsey" after the ride came to an end. She also got to wear a pair of wooden shoes. Mom and Dad ended up buying her a pair of her own, and she loved wearing them around the hotel the remainder of the trip.

Pretty soon, Kayleigh will have a little partner to play with and share all of her toys. Mom and Dad are expecting baby #2 in mid-January. Kayleigh is excited to be a big sister and already stated she would like to have a brother. We'll see how that goes. Mom and Dad are a little anxious, but looking forward to bringing another child into the family.

Little Dutch Girl

2007-07-19T20:16:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh recently traveled to Holland, Michigan for her first official vacation. It took a little convincing to get Dad to travel to the "state up North", but he finally agreed. It turned out to be a relaxing and fun filled week for all. Kayleigh had her first experience at a beach and playing in the sand. She was a little timid at first and actually refused to touch the sand, but after she was slowly coerced to play with her buckets and shovel, she loved it. She also enjoyed sitting at the water's edge despite the very cold water temperatures. Kayleigh also watched her first fireworks display on the 4th of July. She exclaimed several times, "Wow!" and "See that?"

The vacation couldn't have come at a better time. Shortly before the vacation, Mom and Dad were informed that Kayleigh would need a second open-heart surgery. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, July 20th. The same surgeon who performed her first surgery will also be conducting this surgery. Kayleigh's left ventricle has some muscle tissue growth that resulted from her first surgery. The tissue near one of her valves and is blocking blood flow, so it needs to be removed. The entire surgery will take approximately 4-5 hours. She will once again be at Children's Hospital in Columbus for about a week.

Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers.

The Future's So Bright

2007-05-05T14:21:00.000-04:00

Now that the weather is getting warmer and sunnier, Kayleigh loves going on walks with Mom and Dad. She gets very excited, almost like Shadow, when going for a walk is mentioned.

She's also starting to pose for pictures, as you can see. She's a little rock star now.

Spring has Sprung

2007-05-05T14:13:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh finally got to wear one of her new Spring dresses. Here, she is on her way to church on a nice, sunny morning.

Kayleigh -- and Mom and Dad -- have been dealing with another bout of Rotovirus this week. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as bad as last year's and it's completely over now. Kayleigh stayed home from daycare from last Friday until this Wednesday. Grandma even came to stay with her on Wednesday! Thanks, Grandma!

Scarlet and Gray Day

2007-04-21T20:56:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh attended the Scarlet and Gray game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. The annual event is an Ohio State intrasquad scrimmage, marking the end of spring practices. An Ohio State record 75,301 fans got a glimpse of what the Buckeyes will look like next season. During Kayleigh's first trip to the Horseshoe, the Gray came from behind to beat the Scarlet 17-9.

Kayleigh enjoyed herself on a beautiful day. Because of the large crowd, the walk from the car to the stadium was a long one for Mom and Dad, but Kayleigh had it easy in the arms of Mom or on the shoulders of Dad. Kayleigh experienced her first stadium hot dog and soft pretzel. It was an exciting, but exhausting day, and unfortunately, she couldn't make it to the end of the game. Leaving at the start of the fourth quarter made Dad very sad.

"Off, off!"

2007-04-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the day Kayleigh was able to say, "Bye, bye, purple cast." Her arm was finally free to move around and feel the air. The doctor said everything is healing well, including the bone that was straightened. Shortly after the cast was taken off, Kayleigh was fitted with a new splint. The splint is much smaller and allows her to move her elbow and use her fingers and hand. She has to wear it 24 hours-a-day, though, for probably about a year. She's been saying, "No!" when Mom and Dad try to put it on, but she'll get used to it after awhile.

She'll see the doctor again in two months for a follow-up, and she'll have another minor surgery to remove the pin in her arm in August.

Kayleigh is already noticeably happier and, to Mom and Dad, it feels like they have their Kayleigh back now. On the ride home she talked on her Elmo cell phone and giggled a lot. She's been learning more and more words and speaking them more clearly -- none of them, it seems, more clearly than "No."

Kayleigh LOVES Momo

2007-03-18T20:50:00.000-04:00

It has been nearly 3 weeks since Kayleigh's arm surgery, and she is feeling much better. She has adapted very well to her cast and is getting more and more brave using it. It was only a matter of days before she was resting her sippy cup against her arm and balancing it when she took a drink. She is now able to use it a lot more and even held a crayon with her little fingers.

Kayleigh had several doctor appointments last week, one of which was to see the orthopedic doctor in Cincinnati. The doctor removed her cast, took an x-ray, and put on a new and improved purple cast. Her current cast is not as bulky or heavy. The doctor was very pleased with the results of the surgery and even stated she may get her cast off at the next appointment in April. This is much sooner than Mom and Dad anticipated. Kayleigh's arm would then be protected with a splint, so Mom would be able to give her a regular bath again. Kayleigh is not too fond of sponge baths!

Aside from the doctor appointments, Kayleigh did get to enjoy some time outside during the beautiful weather this past week. Mom and Kayleigh spent time at the park and Kayleigh had a ball going down the slide. It was great to get outside and take in the warm weather.

Tomorrow, Kayleigh heads back to daycare to play with her friends. Mom and Dad are hopeful that the transition will be smooth. During her time away, Kayleigh was introduced to Sesame Street and Curious George. She LOVES Elmo (or Momo as she calls him) and will miss seeing him everyday. Mom will also miss the time she has spent with Kayleigh. She is already looking forward to the weekend.

I Have a Boo Boo

2007-03-01T19:37:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh's arm surgery went very well. It took a little longer than anticipated just because it's a complicated surgery, but there weren't any problems. Kayleigh has been in a lot of pain since, but she's getting happier each day. Now, she just seems very unhappy at times, trying to get used to the cast on her arm. As you can see, though, she's starting to get back to the Kayleigh that we all know, smiling more often and being the happy little girl that she is.

She got her first sponge bath since the surgery tonight, and though she hated it at the time, she seemed to feel much better afterward. She's been keeping Mom and Dad (OK, Mom) up quite a bit the last couple nights while she tries to get back on her schedule. Her eating has slowly improved and she's talking more.

Overall, things could not have gone much better considering what she's been through. It's been quite difficult for Mom and Dad (and Kayleigh, of course) the last couple of days, but the worst seems to be over. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

Snow Fort!

2007-02-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh is having a good time near the fort the kids next door built.

It's been a while since the last update. Kayleigh is still doing well. Her EKG and echocardiograms have continued to be stable, which is good. She's learning lots of new things, like saying, "Choo, choo!" every time a train comes around. She can climb up and down the stairs, and pull all the pots and pans out of the cabinets. And, she loves to say, "Bye, bye" and "Night, night."

In less than two weeks, February 27, Kayleigh will have surgery on her right arm. The "centralization" will straighten her hand, so that it's in line with her arm. She'll be in a cast past her elbow for up to three months and will need to wear a splint for several hours a day after that. The end of the ulna bone is quite narrow, so positioning her wrist on the end of it is difficult. The splint will help to ensure that, as she grows, her wrist doesn't curl back.

Mom and Dad are feeling more and more nervous as the time nears, as they've grown so fond of her just the way she is. However, they know that this will be best for her in the long run. Kayleigh will again need your prayers to ensure that everything goes well during the surgery and during her recovery.

Kayleigh's One!

2006-10-10T21:09:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh's 1st Birthday

Sep 24, 2006 - 34 Photos

Click on the picture above to see many more!

Mom and Dad have had a hard time updating the post lately due to all of the activity in the household. There are no soccer games or piano lessons to attend, just a very quick one year old to chase around the house. Kayleigh celebrated her 1st birthday a couple weeks ago and had a blast. Kayleigh had many loved ones come from as far away as Chicago, IL to help her celebrate her 1st year on Earth, and what a year it has been! Those of you who have been with Kayleigh since the very beginning know what a roller coaster ride it has been. From the first few days of not really knowing what was ahead to now watching this beautiful little girl laugh, play, walk and even say a few words has been an amazing adventure.

The past few months have been really exciting. Since the last update, Kayleigh has learned to walk and even has her first pair of shoes. She moved up to the next room at daycare and loves interacting with the other kids. She has stopped taking formula (YEA!!) and is drinking regular old milk out of sippy cups - yes, she was even weaned from her bottles. Dad put her to bed without her pacifier tonight, but Mom isn't ready to give that up yet. It seems that at the blink of an eye, she is no longer a little baby. She has her mother's ornery streak, so when the house gets quiet, you better go look for her. Most of the time, you will find her making her way up the stairs. One of Kayleigh's favorite evening activities is still going for walks. It is really the only time you can get her to sit in one spot for an extended period of time.

Mom and Dad have attached some pictures from Kayleigh's party. Thank you to all who could come and help us celebrate what a great year this has been.

Everything's just Ducky!

2006-10-05T20:48:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since we've made a post and we know some of you are eagerly awaiting an update and some more pictures. We'll be putting several posts up in the next few days, so check back often to see what Kayleigh's been up to!

This picture was taken the night before Kayleigh's big Birthday bash. She was surrounded by her favorite animal and the theme of her party - Ducks!

"Duck!"

2006-07-29T17:15:00.000-04:00

July started off with a bang as Kayleigh celebrated her first 4th of July. She slept through the fireworks, so she'll have to wait until next year to enjoy the sparkles in the sky. Kayleigh came down with a bad cold at the beginning of the month and has had ear infections on and off the rest of the month. Though feeling under the weather, she managed to not only muster up a smile, but also get into everything around the house. This month, Kayleigh improved on her crawling technique and increased her speed. She also started pulling herself up to a standing position. She loves to stand and can hardly wait to get moving on her feet.

She is becoming quite the communicator these days. She waves hi and bye, claps her hands, blows kisses, and loves to play patty cake and peek-a-boo. She also said her first word -- duck. She is becoming such a big girl!

Kayleigh had her 9-month check up and cardiology follow up this month as well. She weighs just under 18 pounds and is 28 inches tall. At the cardiology appointment, the doctor said that there hasn't been any significant change in the areas that were repaired during surgery, so he will continue to monitor her at 3-month intervals for now. After that appointment, Kayleigh stopped by to visit her very nice occupational therapist for new splints. Kayleigh showed off all her tricks and the therapist was impressed, especially by her ability to pick up veggie puffs with both hands. The therapist said Kayleigh's development is advanced at this stage compared to other children with radial club hand.

Mom and Dad received good news at all of these appointment, and continue to be thankful for having such a fun, playful and beautiful little girl.

Summer Time!

2006-06-30T22:08:00.000-04:00

This has been a busy month for Kayleigh. On June 4, Kayleigh was baptized. The preacher told us in the early days of baptisms, it was believed that when the baby cried, it was because the devil was leaving the child's body. Kayleigh was a very good girl during the baptism and did not cry at all. Since then, however, let's just say that the devil has definitely left her.

Kayleigh had her nine month check-up this month. She weighs 17 lbs. 11 oz. and is 28 inches tall. She also has another tooth that is starting to come in. She is continuing to have problems with ear infections and has been on a number of antibiotics. For the most part, though, she is doing very well health-wise.

Kayleigh likes to play with everything that is not a toy. Her favorite thing is the spring-like door stop. She loves the sound it makes when she flips it. Doingggg! Kayleigh is doing very well at the daycare and has been crowned with the nickname "Tropical Storm." Apparently, that means she's moving around everywhere and is getting into everything. At least she hasn't developed into a hurricaine yet.

Mamma's Little Piggy

2006-06-02T22:07:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh got pigtails today at daycare! It's almost time for her first haircut.

Pineapple Head

2006-05-30T20:49:00.000-04:00

May has been another exciting month. Kayleigh has gone a little more than a month with no doctor visits. First time ever! She continues to do well taking her bottle and enjoying all of her solid foods. So far, she hasn't turned her nose up at any of the foods and gets very excited when seated in her highchair.

Kayleigh learned to sit on her own this month and in addition to rolling around the house, she is now doing the "army crawl." She is slowly transitioning into the "inchworm" crawl and is well on her way to crawling. It is becoming more and more apparent to Mom and Dad that she is going to be a very active little girl. She is also very talkative and mimics the noises around her, including "Mama, Dada, Baba, and Ha."

Kayleigh also spent some time with her little friend Miranda who came to visit all the way from Hawai'i. Kayleigh enjoyed the company of another little one to play with and hopes to visit Miranda back at her home soon!

Kayleigh's Mom wins MVM Award

2006-05-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

In just her rookie year, Kayleigh's mom has been awarded World's Most Valuable Mom. By winning this award in just the first year of motherhood, Kayleigh's mom has accomplished an unheard-of achievement. Kayleigh's mom earned the award through lots of hard work and dedication rarely seen in a mother.

Staying by Kayleigh's side through many weeks at the hospital and through open-heart surgery was just the beginning. Once home, Kayleigh's mom worked through several months of difficult feedings, sleepless nights, appointments with many different doctors, multiple ear infections and a few viruses.

Through all the difficult times, she stayed strong and did a remarkable job of taking care of Kayleigh. Now that she has a great deal of experience, Kayleigh's mom makes everything look so easy and effortless, the sign of a true champion.

Watching the Cars Go By

2006-04-30T20:42:00.000-04:00

Once again, another month seems to have passed us by in the blink of an eye. April was a very busy month, with lots of family events, doctor's appointments, and more and more milestones. It is so exciting watching Kayleigh grow and discover her surroundings.

Kayleigh enjoyed playing with her cousins, aunts, uncles, and of course, both sets of grandparents over the Easter holiday. Unfortunately, she had dual ear infections, so it was difficult eating and sleeping, but it didn't seem to affect her mood nevertheless. Kayleigh also went home this past weekend, and again, loved seeing her large family. She gets so much attention that it is hard for Mom and Dad to keep up with her demands during the week. She loves to be around people and is trying her hardest to communicate with everyone.

Kayleigh's doctor's appointments have all gone well. She had another visit to the cardiologist, and there has been no change to the areas that are narrowing. The goal is to postpone another surgery as long as possible, so mom and dad will continue to have routine apointments to monitor her heart.

At the last pediatric appointment, she weighed 15 pounds and measured 25 inches. The past few days, her eating has improved significantly, and she is finishing every bottle plus eating cereal and fruits or veggies. Mom and Dad can't explain the change in her appetite but are enjoying the ease of feedings as long as it lasts.

Kayleigh has been rolling all over the house these days. She isn't quite able to sit on her own, but she is giving it her best effort. She can stand with assistance and actually prefers standing to sitting. It seems she is going to be pretty active once she gets the strength and coordination to get moving. In the meantime, watch out because she will roll you over.

Ba Ba, Ba Ba

2006-03-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

March is almost over and Mom and Dad didn't want it to slip away without providing an update. Kayleigh now weighs 14 pounds and is 25 inches long. She has been relatively healthy this month, but currently has ear infections in both ears. Feeding her formula continues to be a challenge, but she loves all the new foods that are being intoduced (rice, oatmeal, carrots, beans, bananas and sweet potatoes.) She is much better at taking food off the spoon than drinking from the bottle.

Kayleigh has been meeting all of her developmental milestones. Each morning, Mom and Dad find her in a different area of her crib, usually on her belly. A big difference in her appearance are the two bottom teeth that are visible when she gives you her famous smile. Kayleigh can also be heard saying "ba ba, ba ba" over and over. The most exciting development is that she attempts to wave at whomever is waving at her - with both hands! She also enjoys playing in her exersaucer which has a lot of things for her to grab, spin, and pound with her hands.

All of the doctors appointments have been going well. The ortho doctor in Cincinnati was worth the trip. He was much more optimistic with his outlook on Kayleigh's right arm, and suggested less invasive strategies to making the arm and hand more functional. Mom and Dad will continue to follow up with the doctor once her heart is healthy enough for the surgeries.

Cupid Has Pigtails

2006-02-14T21:09:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh got all decked out in pink and hearts to celebrate Valentine's Day. The caretakers had fun playing with Kayleigh's hair and giving her pigtails for the first time. One of the boys at daycare got her a bowl with hearts on it to use when she eats cereal. Kayleigh had so much fun celebrating Valentine's Day that she fell asleep at 7:00pm and gave Mom and Dad time to spend together.

Not Quite Cap'n Crunch

2006-02-08T19:26:00.000-05:00

So much has happened since the last update and Mom and Dad wanted to take time to share some of the experiences that occurred this past month. Kayleigh has been in daycare for a little over a month now. Although it was a rough start for all, the overall adjustment has been good. Kayleigh is finally eating better and getting used to her new friends.

She had her first cold and ear infection at the end of January, which led to her first antibiotic. Luckily, she liked the flavor of the medicine and didn’t give Mom and Dad any problems getting it down. She is feeling better now and getting more and more active. She is kicking her feet, squealing, and occasionally rolling over from her tummy to her back. At her last pediatrician appointment at the end of January, she weighed in at 12 pounds and measured 24 inches.

She also started taking cereal for the first time this past weekend and doesn’t seem to mind it too much. She is a little unsure of it, but even opens her mouth for more. Maybe this will be the feeding breakthrough Mom and Dad have been waiting for!

On a serious note, Kayleigh had a follow up with her cardiologist a few weeks ago. Based on the results of her echocardiogram, it appears the areas that were repaired during surgery are narrowing, and she may need another surgery. Nothing has been scheduled, and the doctor is going to monitor her heart every 2-3 months by repeating the echocardiogram. The news was disappointing, but Mom and Dad remain hopeful that Kayleigh will continue to thrive and get through yet another challenge.

In addition, Mom and Dad are taking Kayleigh to Cincinnati later this month to get a second opinion from an orthopedic doctor regarding her right arm. This too will entail several surgeries over the years, to give Kayleigh the optimal functioning of both arms. Again, Mom and Dad will keep everyone posted on the upcoming events.

Kayleigh Goes to Daycare

2006-01-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

This past week, Mom started back to work fulltime, and Kayleigh went to daycare. So far, the adjustment has been rough for both. Mom and Dad are hopeful that Kayleigh will make lots of friends and get to experience unique interactions with the other babies that she wouldn’t get at home. However, she hasn’t been eating well, and the whole process has been somewhat frustrating. It has only been a few days, and Mom and Dad are confident that she will adjust to her new environment. She has adapted very well to all of the challenges presented to her and will no doubt do the same with the transition into the daycare center.

Since Mom and Dad are both back to work now, and evening time with Kayleigh is precious, the blog is not going to be updated as often. There will be periodic updates, but now that Kayleigh is doing better and her health is improving, Mom and Dad are going to spend most of the evening just hanging out as a family. Thanks again for all of your interest, comments and prayers over the past few months.

Kayleigh's New Puppy

2005-12-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh had a nice first Christmas with all of her family members, and of course, Santa was very generous. Mom and Dad feel very fortunate, and know that the best gift of all was just spending time with family and their beautiful baby girl.

Kayleigh has had a lot of changes to her schedule since Mom started back to work a week ago. So far, she has been able to stay home through the holidays with the help of Grandma L. and Dad watching her a couple days during the week. With all the changes, Kayleigh hasn’t been eating as well, but Mom and Dad are hopeful that her feeding will increase again before she starts daycare next week. Sleeping through the night was also short-lived, and she is getting up once each night. Kayleigh went to the doctor yesterday, and she now weighs 10 pounds 4 ounces. The most impressive growth was in her height. She is 24 inches – up from 18.5 inches at birth!

Merry Christmas

2005-12-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh wants to wish all of you a

Merry Christmas!

Fuzzy Head

2005-12-11T18:46:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh is all ready for Christmas. She is keeping warm by cuddling next to her bears (and wearing their warm clothes). She is smiling almost as much as she cries now, eating very well, and overall doing great.

A couple of days ago, she slept through the night for the first time! That is very exciting for Mom and Dad (especially Mom). She also moved to larger bottles and is taking up to 5 ounces now. The best news is that she is down to only one medicine a day for her heart. She recently stopped taking two other medications for stomach problems and acid reflux.

Kayleigh's in Charge

2005-12-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh had an appointment with the Pediatrician yesterday to get her first Synagis shot to help prevent RSV, a respiratory infection that is fairly common in children. She cried, but surprisingly, Mom didn’t. J She goes back to the Pediatrician next week to get her two-month immunizations – more shots. Kayleigh weighs just over 9 pounds now. She is still pretty small for her age, but she is gradually improving. She is now going through a phase where she cries after only drinking 2 ounces. She will only take more if Mom or Dad gets up and walks her. Mom and Dad are suckers and are completely aware that Kayleigh is now in control. Mom and Dad also know when Kayleigh flashes her smile, nothing else really matters.

Laughing Out Loud

2005-11-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh enjoyed her first Thanksgiving with lots of family. She played with two sets of Grandparents, four Aunts and Uncles, one Great-Aunt and Uncle, twelve cousins, as well as some friends of the family. Needless to say, she is still exhausted and catching up on her sleep. Kayleigh also got to see her first snowflakes, but she wasn’t too impressed.

The highpoint of the holiday was hearing Kayleigh laugh for the first time! It was so sweet that it brought tears to Mom’s eyes. Kayleigh captured the hearts of many this week with her contagious smile and has many adoring family members. Kayleigh is very lucky to have such a large and loving family that cares so much for her.

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh is drinking between 3 and 4 ounces at each feeding. This is a huge accomplishment and suddenly Mom and Dad have realized she isn't going to be this small for very long. We are so happy with her progress, but also want to freeze this moment in time because she is too cute.

Mom and Dad were also told that Kayleigh no longer has to be fed every three hours during the night. Since stopping the scheduled feedings, Kayleigh now sleeps 5-6 hours in a row. So, if you count midnight to 5:00 am as sleeping through the night, we are on our way to gaining back some much needed sleep.

Since Thanksgiving is this Thursday, we want to take time to thank all of you for your prayers and wonderful comments during the past 2 months. Just knowing how many people care about us and Kayleigh’s well-being has been so helpful during the rough periods. Thankfully, Kayleigh is healing, and we are enjoying watching her cute little smile and now listening to her coo. We are very fortunate to have her in our lives and couldn’t think of anything to be more thankful for this time of year. We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Kayleigh says, "O - H - I - O"

2005-11-19T21:29:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh was very excited to watch the Buckeyes beat that team up North today for the first time (25-21). She and her buddy, Brutus, had a long and busy day, getting up early to help Dad decorate the living room scarlet and gray, listen to TBDBITL CD's, and watch all the preview shows. By the time the game was on, she had a hard time staying awake. Dad tried to help by yelling at the referees and getting excited about big plays, but he couldn't manage to keep Kayleigh and Mom awake for the whole game.

In the end, though, we were all on the edge of our seats when the Buckeyes came back from nine points down in the 4th quarter to win the game and declare themselves Big Ten Champions.

After a relatively short celebration, it was back to sleep for Kayleigh.

A Happy Little Buckeye

2005-11-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh was very happy to watch the Buckeyes win today (48-7 over Northwestern). She can't wait to watch her first Michigan game next week. Hopefully the result will be the same.

Kayleigh also enjoyed the beautiful weather while on her first hike. Mom and Dad took her to Highbanks Metro Park and saw three deer just ten feet from the trail. Of course, Kayleigh slept through the whole thing.

It was great to see all the comments on the last post. When there were no comments for several days, we thought no one was visiting the site anymore, but it turns out that Dad had one of the settings wrong. It's all fixed now. Keep the comments coming!

Play Time

2005-11-08T21:23:00.000-05:00

When Kayleigh isn't eating, sleeping or CRYING, she enjoys playing with Mom and Dad.

Little Cutie

2005-11-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad have learned that Kayleigh loves her bouncy chair. A friend from work shared a calming technique with Dad, and it has worked wonders. Dad sits on the couch and constantly bounces the chair with his foot; as long as she is bouncing, she is happy! She also loves to swat at the daggling animals and smiles when they swing. It never gets old watching her explore her surroundings!

My First Boo

2005-10-30T19:34:00.000-05:00

Kayleigh met several furry friends this week including her little pumpkin bear. She enjoys play time with her singing duck, Spot the Leopard and her doctor bear. Since she is too small for Halloween this season, we just got her a little sleeper with bears and pumpkins on her feet. Our little boo is doing well and continuing to eat better each day and she is spitting up less. She goes to the pediatrician again tomorrow for a weight check.

Happy Halloween! Don't eat too much candy!

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

2005-10-27T19:57:00.000-04:00

Our little girl is getting stronger, eating better, and crying louder. She's keeping Mom and Dad (OK, mostly Mom) up at night with constant feedings, diaper changes, and general fussiness. She's getting stronger every day and is starting to lift her head up and move it from side to side. She enjoys her bath time, but has gotten into a routine of throwing up all over herself after she is freshly cleaned. Mom and Dad are really discovering the joys of parenthood!

Say Cheese

2005-10-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh is a happy girl and wanted to let everyone know that she is adjusting well to home life and thrilled to be away from the hospital. She saw the pediatrician on Monday and has gained several ounces just since leaving the hospital on Friday afternoon. Feeding continues to be a challenge, but it is improving each day. She goes to see the Cardiologist on Thursday for a check up. All these appointments are forcing Mom to venture out on her own - a daunting task.

This picture of Kayleigh was taken shortly after a bath and a diaper changing. This girl likes to be clean! All the frustration of fussiness goes away when she hits you with one of these grins.

Stay Tuned

2005-10-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned! A new post is coming soon along with a picture, of course. We'll continue to update the blog with new pictures and keep everyone up-to-date on Kayleigh's progress. We've been very busy lately just trying to feed her, change her diapers, bathe her, play with her, take her on walks...

Going Home

2005-10-14T17:32:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh came home today!

Mom and Dad are nervous but very excited. This is the first time in a couple of weeks that she's been completely untethered, with no monitors or tubes hooked up to her. She is currently sleeping soundly in her swing.

Thanks to everyone for all of the thoughts, prayers, and gifts. We've received a tremendous amount of support from family and friends as well as many people that we don't even know, and we appreciate it very much. There will still be many challenges ahead, but we know now that we'll be able to handle them.

No More Feeding Tube

2005-10-14T09:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the feeding tube was taken out of Kayleigh's nose. She continues to improve her eating and no longer needs it. She is wearing clothes for the first time since the surgery.

She had another EKG and electrocardiogram done to make sure that her heart is working as it should. We haven't heard the results from that yet.

As you can see in this picture, Tigger is her best friend.

Making Progress

2005-10-12T20:54:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh is doing much better with her feedings now. Today, she was able to take between 25 and 30 ml during each feeding. This is about twice as much as she has been doing since the surgery. The doctor says that she needs to be taking at least 45 ml consistently in order for us to be able to take her home. Hopefully, she will continue to progress at this rate.

As you can see from this picture, she's a little fighter!

Milestone Reached

2005-10-11T07:15:00.000-04:00

Last night, Kayleigh's final IV was removed. That means that she no longer has any needles poking her. She now only has a feeding tube and monitors hooked up to her. She is also now able to use her left arm which was wrapped up with tape and a splint.

She is still having some trouble with feeding. She doesn't take very much from the bottle and has been throwing up about once a day.

Moving Day

2005-10-09T10:40:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh moved out of the ICU yesterday and into a regular room. She is still recovering well from the surgery. The IV was removed from her leg, so now she just has the IV in her arm and monitors hooked up to her. We can also pick her up and hold her again.

We are back to trying to feed her with a bottle, but so far, she is not very interested in it, so most of it still goes down her feeding tube. According to the doctors, this is her greatest obstacle to getting out of the hospital and going home with us.

Removing Tubes and Wires

2005-10-08T10:34:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh is recovering from surgery very well. Yesterday morning, by the time we arrived at the hospital, they had already removed her drainage tube and catheter, as well as the lead wires for a pacemaker (that were never needed) and an IV line that went directly to her heart. She still has a couple of IV's, one in her leg and one in her arm, but is now only on a couple of different medicines. Yesterday, they began feeding her again. Once she was fed she looked much better and more comfortable.

She was also getting oxygen through a tube in her nose, but that was removed this morning. The doctors have said that she could move out of the ICU as early as today. Her next challenge will be eating consistently. Once she starts eating well and doing other normal activities, she'll be able to come home.

Successful Surgery

2005-10-06T21:15:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh's surgery went very well today. She is now back in the ICU and is doing well. The narrow part of her aorta was too narrow to patch, so instead, the surgeon removed the narrow portion and connected the ends together. He indicated that this was more of a risk during the surgery, but will be better for Kayleigh in the long run because of the absence of a patch. The surgeon also told us that the patch he used to close the hole between her ventricles (VSD) was about the size of a dime. The ventilator was removed just a few minutes after the surgery and she is breathing on her own.

We appreciate everyone's prayers and support. We have received so many wonderful messages the past two weeks and are grateful for having such wonderful friends and family to help us through this difficult time. We have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have shown their concern for Kayleigh. We are looking forward to Kayleigh's recovery and finally bringing her home!

Surgery Tomorrow

2005-10-05T22:47:00.001-04:00

Kayleigh is having surgery tomorrow. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Surgery is Scheduled

2005-10-04T18:52:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh's heart surgery is now scheduled for Thursday. Dad went back to work today, but stopped by the hospital in the afternoon. Mom spoke with the surgeon, and he explained the procedure. Kayleigh's defect is actually called Hypoplastic Aortic Arch (not Interrupted). The Aorta, rather than being disconnected (interrupted), is very narrow. She also has a small hole between her left and right atrium as well as the one between the ventricles. Apparently, all newborns have the hole between the atriums, and it usually closes on its own, but the surgeon is going to stitch it closed. He is going to place a patch between the ventricles since that hole is too big to stitch.

One of the Catholic priests who works at the hospital came in today to say a blessing for Kayleigh and for Mom and Dad. We've also had a couple of other pastors come to say prayers, and we've heard from many people that they've offered a prayer in their church as well as personally. We are very thankful for all of the prayers.

We've heard many great things about Children's Hospital and a couple of people have mentioned to us that the surgeon that will be performing the operation is "one of the best." We're very lucky to be able to provide such great care for Kayleigh.

No Surgery Today

2005-10-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh did not have her surgery today. Apparently, the two surgeries scheduled before Kayleigh's took a little longer than expected. The best estimate is now for Thursday, but they're still not sure.

Kayleigh did well today. She still hasn't had any problems keeping her food down since she started taking the Regulin. Her temperature came down as expected and has not been a problem since. Now it's just normal life in the ICU until the surgery. Kayleigh's favorite nurse got her a mobile and she really enjoys looking at it when she's awake.

Look at Me

2005-10-02T20:46:00.000-04:00

We just liked this picture and wanted to share it.

Surgery May Be Tomorrow

2005-10-02T19:55:00.000-04:00

Today, Kayleigh had lots of visitors, including Auntie Cindy and Uncle Pat, Andrea, and Ryan, Auntie Pam and Uncle Mike, Laura, Rachael, and Matthew, Grandma and Grandpa R., and Great-Uncle Tom and Aunt Sandy.

We also learned that the surgery could happen as soon as tomorrow. It is tentatively scheduled for late afternoon, but it depends on how earlier surgeries with other patients transpire. If the other surgeries take longer than expected, Kayleigh's will have to be done another day.

Kayleigh is now on a couple of new medicines: Zantac for controlling acid reflux and Regulin to help her digest better and more quickly. The Regulin seems to be helping her to stop vomiting as she hasn't done so since early this morning.

Kayleigh was awake and alert much more today, so Mom and Dad were a bit worried that something might be wrong. (Mom and Dad were also worried when she was sleeping all day yesterday.) She did have a temperature of 100.4, but hopefully that will go down by morning.

More Tubes

2005-10-02T09:43:00.000-04:00

Kayleigh has not been eating well and she's been spitting up some of what she does eat. So, yesterday, the doctor's decided to constantly feed her through the tube in her nose. That means that, unfortunately, we will no longer be bottle feeding her. Also, they tried to take a blood sample from the IV in her belly button, but couldn't get it. They ordered an X-Ray to make sure that the IV hadn't become dislodged. Luckily, the x-ray showed that it is still in place because this is how Kayleigh is getting her prostaglandin. This is the medicine that is keeping the PDA, a temporary vessel in her heart that usually closes a few days after birth, open. The bad news, however, is that they needed to put a second IV in her arm. This IV is there just in case they need to give her anything else. So, now she has her left arm taped up in a splint to keep it straight.

Grandma and Grandpa Coming to Visit

2005-10-01T09:17:00.000-04:00

Grandma and Grandpa L. are coming to visit today along with Auntie Kelly and Uncle Chad. Grandma and Grandpa R. and Auntie Patty visited on Thursday and Aunt Sandy came to see Kayleigh on Wednesday. We also had a preacher from our church come to give Kayleigh a blessing on Friday. She will be baptised sometime closer to the surgery date. Mom and Dad are very thankful that so many of our family members will be able to see her before her surgery.

Introduction

2005-09-30T22:53:00.001-04:00

Kayleigh Alexis was born on September 23, 2005 at 10:13 p.m. She was 7 lbs. 3 oz. and 18.5 inches long. Unfortunately, Kayleigh was born without the radius bone in her right arm and she is missing the thumb of her right hand. A kidney ultrasound a couple of days after her birth revealed that she has only one kidney. After an echocardiogram and an EKG, it was discovered that Kayleigh also has a couple of serious heart defects and will need surgery.

We'll be posting updates on Kayleigh here periodically to let everyone know how she's doing. This will allow us to keep everyone informed since we don't always have time to call everyone. Feel free to post comments.