Movin' on down

Well today we made the move from PICU on the 5th floor to the surgery unit on the 3rd floor. This means that we were able to get Gabrielle completely of the Dexmedetomidine... YAY!!! We don't get as much nurse attention here because they round every 4 hours instead of every 2 hours. But hopefully it will give her more time to rest and perk up a bit. She still isn't talking to us much... just a few words here and there. I think she is pretty comfortable pain wise as long as we stay on top of her Morphine PCA and they are now giving her Methocarbamol and Ativan around the clock. She also gets doses of Tylenol as needed. We are sitting her watching Brave for the third time today. All of the rounds have been made today and everyone seemed pleased with what they saw. Urology said that we could start placing a pillow under her back and rotating her slightly from one side to the other. Pain management said that they would really like to switch her to oral medications instead of IV. Oral medications have a longer life in your body than IV medications do so she would get better and longer pain relief. The only problem with this is that she won't drink or eat anything. Dr. Alam says that this is common and that there is a possibility she would have to have her NG tube put back in to start being feed liquids through it.

So this is our prayer request tonight... we NEED Gabby to take something, anything by mouth. Please put all of your prayers toward that, we really don't want the NG tube placed back in. Your other prayers have worked thus far so please continue to pray for her. Thank you and we love and miss you all!

Nurse Julie and the Angel Wings

As you read yesterday was a rough day and it has continued. We are still trying to find the right mix of medications for Gabrielle to be "comfortable". She is more agitated than in pain. To add to the agitation they are steadily dropping her Dexmedetomidine. She has to be off of it before they will let us out of the ICU. They added Ativan to her growing list of drugs to help with relaxation. It does seem to give her time to rest but I tend to be hesitant to give it because it knocks her out. But as of a few minutes ago I wrapped my mind around the thought that if I was agitated I would probably welcome a little sleep. I can't imagine what her little body must feel like at this point. She has been poked and prodded over and over again and she has strange people coming in her room to look at her all the time. Other than the agitation she has been doing pretty well. If we can get her under control tonight they will consider moving her to a regular floor tomorrow. Bart said that early this morning he did get a couple of smiles from her. I have yet to see any myself today but she did ask for me while I was gone to lunch which is a comfort. She does reach toward us when we are at the bedside. I told her earlier that if I could hold her I would but that I wasn't allowed to yet... her response "Why?". Bart described the feeling perfectly earlier, it's like someone has pulled your heart out and thrown it on the floor.

Nurse Julie has been our night nurse all weekend and Bart and I adored her. She wanted Gabrielle to like her so much but of course Gabby was having none of that the first couple of nights. Apparently while Bart and I would sleep at night Julie would spend time in our room watching whatever movie was on with Gabby. She would change out her movies for her. Julie even offered to paint her toenails but Gabby wouldn't let her. I heard from Bart that Gabby did give Julie a smile this morning. Julie was the person that really pushed to get Gabby's NG tube out of her nose. On Saturday night, the second night with her, she brought Gabrielle these fabric angels wings. They give them out to patients and Julie snagged two pairs just for Gabby. She was very particular about the colors and fabric they were made out of too. They are meant to drape around you and wrap around your shoulders to give comfort. There is a picture of one of the sets attached to this update. I thank God for sending Julie to us for those three nights to lighten our spirits and to try to show Gabby that there are even angels on earth to take care of you.

 This pair of angel wings actually has little pockets on the other side

 so I think these will be Gabby's favorite. :)

This is the poem on the inside of both pairs of angel wings.

How do you explain?

Well today has been a day of ups and downs.  Our biggest up of the day... NO MORE VENTILATOR!!! But with no more ventilator brings a whole new word to pain. At least we think it is pain. When we ask her if she hurts, has ouchies or is uncomfortable she says no. Yet she jerks and arches her back and gives the saddest little face I have ever seen. She is on a list of medications... still on a low dose of the Dexmedetomidine, Morphine, Valium, Oxytrol patch, Tylenol and Robaxin. Those are just to treat pain and varius muscle spasms. She is also on Cefoxitin an antibiotic, Lasix for fluid, and Decadron for inflammation in her throat from the ventilator tube. I think she is relatively comfortable for the surgery she has had. She has been awake most of today I am praying that she will get some rest tonight. Also today her A-line was removed. And hopefully either tonight or in the morning her NG tube will come out.

The hardest part for Bart and I is watching her. She is just so pitiful, it just breaks my heart. I think also she is upset with Bart and I. Even though we told her that she was coming to have an operation to have her bladder put in and to fix her tummy, does a 3 year old really comprehend what that means. She is sitting her while I type this looking at me with the biggest frown on her face, like why did you let them do this to me? How do you explain that even though this is painful that it is so worth it? We have explained what the incision is on her belly and told her what the pins and fixator are for. She didn't seem interested. I believe this is honestly harder than anything we have been through with her. I know my happy little girl is in there somewhere and I am sitting, waiting, wanting to hear that sweet little voice again.

Tonight I pray for peaceful rest for Gabrielle and acceptance to what has been done to her. I also pray for enlightment for Bart and I on how to help her accept this.

A not so lazy day for Gabby

Well even though it was a lazy day for Bart and I such was not the case for Gabby. I noticed this morning during her urology round that her right kidney was hardly putting out any urine. The urology fellow decided to flush the drain tube but that still didn't resolve the problem. He brought it to the attention of Dr. Reddy (Dr. Alam's partner) who decided that it was probably because the drain tube was kinked, which they repositioned it. Or that the ureters swelling has gone down which would allow urine to pass around the drain tube and go into the bladder. They decided to do a renal ultrasound. Dr. Alam came in on his day off to be here when the ultrasound was done. He said the kidney looks good and there is nothing to be concerned about. She also had an abdominal xray done, it also showed no concerns. This afternoon her pulse and blood pressure started dropping. We have known that this could be a possibility because of the Dexmedetomidine (sedative). They decided to cut back her dose of that and her blood pressure and pulse have come back up to normal. They also did a EKG just to make sure that her heart looked good... it came back normal. She had a panel of blood and urine cultures pulled this morning but we won't hear back from those for a couple of days. She also got her bed linens changed which requires several of the nurses to lift her up off the bed. All in all she has remained pretty comfortable all day. Her nurse during the day Michelle asked her one time if she was in pain and she shook her head no. She asked her if she wanted her to leave her alone and she shook her head yes. They will continue to bring down her morphine and the dex through out the night and tomorrow so that hopefully she can come off of the ventilator. The respiratory therapist told us to be prepared that it might be Monday though. She said they normally don't take them off the ventilator on a weekend, so I guess we will see.  

These are couple of pictures that show you what rounds can look like. This was urology, ortho and the ICU doctors all looking in on Gabby today.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to Bart's Granny Dolores and her friend Mary. They made the journey with us from Louisiana to Ohio to help out with Avery so that we can concentrate on Gabrielle. They also have been cooking us wonderful home cooked meals each day. How fortunate we are to have them hear with us.

Covered in Prayer

As we know Gabrielle has been covered in prayer from the moment we hit the road this past Sunday. I am learning over the last 3 years plus 9 months that God will not give us anything that we can not handle. Even in times like this when you wonder "Why?". Why Bart and I? Why Gabrielle? Why OEIS/Cloacal Exstrophy? It is all for a reason. I am learning to stop asking why and to accept that this is why Bart and I were brought together. Gabrielle cross to bear is much more painful than ours but we all bear our crosses. The lord prepared Gabrielle to walk this path and jump these hurdles. Bart and I are not hurdlers by any means but we are just trying to keep up in the race with her. In today's world there is so much bad going on around us that I wonder if there is anywhere that has not been touched by the devil. But I know in my heart that this angel lying in the bed across the room from me represents everything that is pure. She represents the good in the world and so does her story. The fact that her life story can reach out to so many people all over the place makes me realize that God is still here and the reason she is here to bring people together. And even more importantly to bring people closer to our savior.

This prayer shawl was made by a group from St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Austin, TX.

The shawl was given to us for Gabrielle by Bart's Uncle Russ and Aunt Gwen. The shawl is draped across the area where Gabrielle's surgery was performed. It came with the paper pictured above. In the paper is as follows:

The Prayer Shawl Ministry

A prayer shawl or prayer cover is meant to bring comfort to the wearer and an awareness of God's presence in our daily lives. God knows our deepest needs and we trust His promise to sustain us.

The person who created your shawl prayed for you while knitting. That person may or may not have known your name or your circumstances, but every stitch was combined with prayer specifically for you.

Whether in times of distress or moments of joy, let you prayer shawl be a reminder that God loves you. Remember when it rests on your shoulders that you are covered in prayer. Wear it for its beauty, for its warmth, for its solace.

This gift is offered to you in love.

A Prayer Shawl Prayer

Loving Father,

I praise you for your power and I thank you that you have a plan for my life. I am grateful for the love you show to me every day.

Open my heart, Lord, to your healing energy and cover my spirit with your peace.

Give me a renewed sense of your presence in my life. Let this prayer shawl enfold me as your love does.

Let its comfort remind me of your love an dits beauty of your splendor.

Allow me to draw strength from the prayers that were woven into its pattern. Reassure me of your faithfulness to deliver me from my times of trouble.

Thank you, Father, for the loving support of the other Christians and the encouragement given through their prayers.

In trust, I give myself to you and your perfect goodness.

All of this I pray in the name of your Son and my Savior, Jesus.

Amen

Colossians 1:17 In God all things are held together.

A lazy Saturday

Last night she woke up several times prior to Bart and I going to sleep around midnight. We would ask her if she was in pain or uncomfortable and she would shake her head no. We ended up giving her bolus doses of Morphine (pain) and Versed (sedation) anyway to help her drift back of to sleep. She definitely knows that Bart and I are here, when she wakes up she rolls her head back and forth until she spies us across the room. After speaking to the resident last night we decided to increase her morphine drip/ hour throughout the night. Usually night time is when the pain is the worst. They have brought it back down this morning. She seems to be resting well so far this morning. She does have a little bit of fever again but she recieves Tylenol round the clock so hopefully it will start coming down soon. They are talking about doing some cultures right now to check for infections.

 Please pray that if they decide to culture her that they show no infection. Also continue to pray that her pain continues to be managed and that her lungs stay free of pneumonia. Also please make sure if you attend church today or tomorrow that she is added to your prayer list.

Today we will be spending a lazy Saturday with our baby girl. Lots of "lounging" around for the three of us. We have already had some rounds on the unit so it should slow down until this afternoons rounds.Thank you from the bottom of hearts for all the texts, calls and messages we appreciate the outpouring of love and support. 

A lesson in patience

As most of you know I am not a patient person. I have learned with having Gabrielle in my life that God gave her to Bart and I to teach us. Teach us life lessons and about our faith in him. I have felt that since learning we would have a child with a birth defect such as this that I have learned to hand everything over to him. Our lord will take care of us and her if we only have the patience to let him to do so. As I said before patience is not my strongest quality but this week I am certain that is what he is trying to teach me. I had to wait patiently for almost 12 hours before Bart and I got to see Gabrielle after letting her to go pre-op yesterday. Today and the next many days will be about patience of her healing. We often get in the way of what the lord is trying to teach us, we let things get in the way of our path. I have learned this week to step aside and let him lead. God knows your path, he created it... Follow him!

As for Gabrielle and how she is doing (which I know is the true reason you are here) she is stable. Her vitals signs and her actions are how we tell she is in pain. She is in and out of consciousness and of course still on the respirator, so she isn't able to speak or cry out to let us know that she is pain. They are trying their best here in the PICU to stay ahead of the pain. For most of the day she has rested well. Earlier they decided to add a mattress pad to her bed to help prevent bed sores. This was a nerve wracking process. It required 4 nurses and the respiratory therapist and took about 30 min to an hour to do. They got the mattress pad all ready with sheets and blankets and then had to lift her in the air and slide the mattress pad under her. The nurses and RT were great with taking their time and being in unison. Dr. Alam stopped by this evening and took her incision dressing off. He seemed really pleased with the way it looked. Dr. Pan also stopped by and checked her drainage from the incision site he was also very pleased. They both again said that the most important thing is letting her get lots of rest and keeping her as still as possible. One time today she opened her eyes and looked at me, the pain in her eyes just about broke my heart. I just reassured her that daddy and I are here and that we loved her very much. I asked her if she wanted to see her daddy and she shook her head yes. What an amazing and fleeting moment it was. Bart and I took turns holding her hand till she went back to sleep.

Granny D and Mary stopped by with Avery so that Bart and I could snuggle time with her. We brought both Granny and Mary back to see Gabby. We also had  another couple of visitors today... Gabby's little OEIS/CE friend Isaac and his mom, Jill, stopped by for a few minutes to meet us today. Isaac and his family brought Gabrielle a gift, I can't wait to give it to her. Also another happy note today is that we got a room at Ronald McDonald house today. We went and checked in a couple of hours ago. It is an amazing place, huge they can house up to 78 families at a time. We have a nice size room with 2 double beds and our own bathroom. They provide meals everyday or we can cook our own meal in one of the two massive kitchens. God has provided us with many blessings yesterday and today. We are so thankful to him for each and every one of them. Please continue to pray for Gabrielle's pain to be managed and for God to heal her body.

Surgery day- Final update

So this will be my final update for surgery day. We were able to get in the PICU room with her around 9:30 pm (Cinci time). She looks so peaceful. Bear is right by her side. He even got to go into the OR with her. He has made almost every step of this journey along with Bart, Gabby and myself. Today has been a incredibly long day for everyone but I have been relaxed and at peace the whole day knowing that the Lord was watching over her and the surgical team. She is on several different medications currently as they try to find the right combination of pain/anxiety/sedation medications to help her rest and not make any major movements. Her heart rate has been a little elevated since arriving in the PICU, this is to be expected from being moved around and getting her situated. Her tiny body has been through so much today. If I could get on that bed at this very moment and take her place I would do it. Even though the surgery is behind us now, her long road to recovery now begins. The pain she is currently feeling is probably unlike anything most of us adults have ever felt. The pain is so intense around her pelvic region that most people would receive a epidural. Because of her spinal defect/ tethered cord she can't have a epidural so we have to rely on several IV medications to try to relieve the pain. It will take a little time to find that magic mixture that is just right for her. Thankfully she is still on the respirator and able to be sedated so that she doesn't move to much and hopefully lack of movement will help prevent pain.

As for the surgery itself. I realized later on today that I put the start time of her surgery to early b/c I used central time and we are on eastern time right now. Her surgery started around 9:15am or so and finished up after 6pm. We were able to meet with Dr. Alam, Dr. Mehlman, and Dr. Pan after the surgery. Each one of them walked out and greeted Bart, Granny D, Mary and I with a smile. They each seem very happy with their own personal parts of the surgery. Dr. Pan (plastic surgery) was who we met with first. He told us that he was very happy with the amount of lower abdominal wall muscle she had a available to work with. He was able to completely close her abdominal wall with only cutting a little fascia (white part of the muscle) to give him a little more room to work with. He also put in a drainage tube to prevent fluid from gathering between the ab. wall muscle and her skin. Dr. Mehlman (ortho) was the next doctor we met with. He also seemed pleased with results of his part. He was able to get her entire pelvis pulled together. He also said that the pins he placed during the end of the surgery are extremely secure. Lastly and most important was the meeting with Dr. Alam (urology) this surgery was his baby. He started out by telling us that Gabby's is one of the most complicated cloacal exstrophy cases he has ever worked on. He said that he had the bladder itself closed at around 1pm today but that the rest of the time he was dealing with the omphalocele and trying to get it under control. He said that he could tell that there was quite a bit of scar tissue from her original surgery at birth but that he didn't mess with it much because his primary concern is her bladder. He feels that they were able to get everything closed and that even though there is some pressure it shouldn't be enough to be concerned. As he said he will be in control of the situation with her fluid intake and output. Her bladder has already started producing urine, this is great news! When Bart and I asked him if he had a day that he would feel comfortable saying we were safe. He said that we probably wouldn't see him smile a lot over the next two weeks, he tends to be a worry wart.

Tonight we ask that you pray for her comfort. Pray that her pain be minimal and that they are able to find the right mixture of pain medications for her. I also ask that you pray that she doesn't get pneumonia.

At the moment I was typing my prayer request.. she woke up. Even though she never made a sound you could tell she was crying. Her little body was shaking- I think that was probably one of the hardest things I have ever watched her go through. We feel completely helpless at this point. Thank you to everyone that has been keeping up with her all day and praying. Please continue to do so because it one of the major things that is going to get her out of that bed and into our arms the fastest.

Surgery Day- Update # 4

We just recieved another update around 3:30 pm (Cinci time). Bart said that they told him that Gabrielle's vitals are still stable and looking good. Dr. Alam had finished operating on the bladder itself and had it in place. He is currently working on putting everything else that he had to move back in place. Next stage is Dr. Pan (plastic surgery) to come in and help with the abdominal wall closure. Then they will decide the best way to close the wound. After that Dr. Mehlman (ortho) will be back to reset her hips and place the pins and external fixator.

Thank you to everyone that has been praying for Gabrielle. We appreciate it greatly and please keep them coming.

Surgery day- Update # 3

We have just recieved our third update it is around 12:30 pm (Cincinnati time). Mary the RN in the OR just called and said that Dr. Alam is very pleased with the way the surgery is progressing. He did say to tell us that they have many more hours of surgery ahead of them though. Mary also said that the Gabrielle's vitals are so stable that they consider them boring... but of course that is great news. It is probably the only time in her lifetime that anything about Gabrielle will be referenced to as boring. LOL!

Keep the prayers coming, God is hearing them and protecting our precious baby girl.

Surgery day- Update #2

It is 10:33am (Cincinnati time) and we have just recieved our second update of the day. The RN in the operating room just called. She said that Dr. Mehlman has finished up the first part of of the osteotomy process. She said that there was minimal blood loss, this was supposed to be the part of the surgery where blood loss could be highest. So thankfully so far she has not had to have a blood transfusion. Dr. Alam has started his part of the surgery working on the bladder and abdominal area. She is currently stabile and doing well.

Surgery Day- Update #1

Well here we are surgery day. Even though there were minimal interruptions last night the three of hardly slept. I believe that we watched Finding Nemo at least four times through out the night. Around midnight or a little after I crawled in the bed with Gabrielle and slept with her the rest of the night. We were brought down to the pre-op area just around 7 am where we met with each of the doctors and the RN on duty. I just recieved a call from the OR room and Dr. Mehlman, the orthopedist, started the opening of the surgery around 8:15am. He will start the surgery out by cutting open her pelvic bones to make more room for the urology surgery team and the plastic surgeon to work. At the end of the surgery Dr. Mehlman will be back to close her pelvic area back and place the external fixator pins. I will be posting updates as we get them through out the day (they said they will call us around every 2 hours or so).

Thank you for your continued prayers. Having such a wonderful support system is a huge comfort to both Bart and I.

The day before

Today has been an pretty good day. This morning we checked into the hospital. After we arrived they placed a NG tube down Gabrielle's nose to start a bowel prep. Most of the time if you are an adult having a colonoscopy it is the big gallon of liquid you drink the day before. Instead of drinking it they fed it through the NG tube. They purpose of the bowel prep was to thin her stool enough that her bowels become loose. This will benefit the surgery team tomorrow during the procedure. The bowel prep caused some cramping and discomfort but it is over and done and the NG tube has been removed, YAY!

We spoke to Dr. Alam (urology) about the procedure itself. We asked him and his nurse practitioners lots of questions about the procedure itself and what they expected to happen. He reassured us that he expected this to go easily but there is not a cookie cutter set of directions to fix the problems that Gabrielle has. He gave us about 4 scenarios about how tomorrow can go. We will place this in God's hands that he will help Dr, Alam and his team choose the best way to close Gabrielle's bladder and hips. He also reassured us that this is a good time of year for him to perform the procedure. He has done around 4 other closures already this year. We have also had visits from pain management and anesthesiology.

Her spirits are pretty good at the moment. She keeps talking about whst we are goig to do and eat after surgery. Right now we are eating a popsicle. Tonight we ask for prayers... prayers for Gabby tomorrow. Lift her up and keep her safe. Pray for Dr. Alam and the team of doctors and nurses. Pray for Gabrielle to not have fear going into surgery in the morning. Lastly, pray for Bart and I to have peace of mind tomorrow that God knows all and that willl keep our family by his side.

Avery came to visit Gabby at the hospital today.

PICC line- check!

Hey everyone! Gabrielle had her PICC line put in this morning. It went pretty well, lots of tears. Bart received training on how to flush the line with Heparin. He has flushed it once with the help of home health and is about to flush it again. After sleeping the anesthesia off Gabrielle has been back to her normal self. The picture attached is her PICC line certificate. The line was too long so they attached the remaining line to the certificate. We will be checking into the hospital in the morning. Good night everyone!!

We have arrived!

Gabrielle sitting on the riverfront at the Ohio river.

Well, we have arrived! We had a great two days of traveling. Both Gabrielle and Avery were terrific passengers and Granny (Dolores) and Meme (Mary) have been great entertainment on the ride. God blessed us with beautiful weather the whole trip. We also have a suite that we are staying in this week. It is so nice to have a kitchenette and two great "south Louisiana ladies" to cook us home cooked food while they are here with us this week. Makes for a much better start to our trip. Tomorrow morning we have to be at the hospital @ 6:30am for Gabrielle's PICC line placement. This shouldn't take long at all but we felt more comfortable having Gabrielle put under sedation to have it done. When they called to schedule the appointment for the PICC they asked if I thought she would just sit still for it.... YEA RIGHT!!!

When we got into to town today we continued our tradition of bringing Gabby to the Newport Aquarium. After 2 days in a car it was great for her to run around and burn some energy. We also treated her to a little ice cream. Now we are kicked back at the hotel awaiting a early morning.

 Granny Dolores, Gabby and Meme Mary

Bart, Avery, Gabby and me

Leaving soon... mixed emotions

This coming Sunday we will be leaving for Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Bart and I both have mixed emotions about this trip. We know it is what we have to do for Gabrielle and what is best for her. But to knowingly putting your child into pain is a hard pill to swallow. This will be her longest surgery and recovery to date.

Our timeline:

April 21st- leaving for Cincinannti. Driving to Goodlettsville, TN and staying the night.

April 22nd- driving the rest of the way to Cincinnati, planning on bringing Gabrielle to the aquarium in Newport.

April 23rd- arrive @ same day surgery for PICC line placement @ 6:30am. This is so that she won't have the discomfort of an IV in her hand/wrist. Meet with home health agency to learn how to flush PICC line @ 9am.

April 24th- checking into to hospital @ 8am to start colon irrigations to clean her out prior to surgery. Meet with anesthesiology for consult. Meet with Dr. Alam (urology) about surgery.

April 25th- SURGERY DAY! begins @ 7:30am

April 26th & after- they have reserved an ICU room for her for 3-4 days for pain management. This time may be extended if needed. Eventually we will move into a room.

Please start sending prayers now that we will have a safe trip to Cincinnati, OH. Also prayers to bring Bart and I peace of mind and that Gabrielle's surgery is successful with minimal complications. Lastly if you will prayer for the surgery team that will be involved. We appreciate them greatly...

The BIG one

We are currently getting ready for Gabby's next surgery. Bart, me and the girls will be leaving this coming Sunday to make the 14 hour drive to Cincinnati, OH. Bart's Granny Dee and her friend Mary will be also be coming along for the first week to help out with Avery. We will drive to Goodlettsville, TN Sunday and then continue our journey Monday the rest of the way to Cinci. Please say prayers for safe travels for us all.

 This will be one of, if not the biggest surgery she will ever have. The plan is currently to go to the hospital Tuesday morning at 6 am for Gabrielle to be put under light sedation to get a PICC line put in. Wednesday morning we will check into the hospital to start colostomy irrigation's to clean out her bowel prior to surgery. Thursday morning by 7:30am surgery will begin, I am currently not sure how long the surgery will last but we were originally told at least 12 hours. I think that this will possibly be the longest day of mine and Bart's life. There is nothing like the feeling of worry that comes over you while your child is in surgery. Knowing that you yourself have absolutely no control over the situation and that you have trust in God that he will take care of her. The surgery will consist of at least 2 to 3 surgeons: urology, orthopedist, and a plastic surgeon. The orthopedist will start the surgery by performing what is called an osteotomy. This will be done because Gabrielle's pelvis is splayed wider than most peoples causing her legs to stay in a slightly bent angle all the time. After that is started the urologist will come in and close her bladder and place it inside the body cavity also creating a draining tube so that the urine can empty. The orthopedist will come back in at that point to finish the osteotomy process: he will place pins in her hips and attach them using what is called an external fixator. There are lots of risk along with this surgery. Risk 1 is body cavity pressure building causing a prolapse. Risk 2 is that she won't respond to her paralytic and pain medications. There are countless other risk also such as kidney reflux, aspiration, pain medication withdrawal along with many, many other things.

Please add Gabrielle and our family to your prayers list now because this will be a long and trying process for our family. I will continue to post here and on her caringbridge page through out this process. Thank you for following her story and praying for her.

Gabrielle becomes a BIG sister!



Gabrielle holding little sister Avery for the first time. 3-27-2013



On March 27, 2013 we were blessed with a new addition to our little family. Bart, Gabby and I welcomed Avery Grace Himel. Gabrielle is over the moon to be a big sister of course there are those moments when I think she would send her back if she could. She is adjusting pretty well though. Gabby has been helping out by helping with the diapering and the feeding. And of course she is there to let us know when Avery is crying, lol!