Sunday was this little girls last full day at the hospital before she would get to go to her new home! We all enjoyed spending more time with her before parting ways and letting mommy and daddy enjoy their time at home with her.
Bridgets SIL made these 'HERSHEIS' bars and special water to hand out to visitors. So cute!
Our entire family is just over joyed and thrilled to have Ivey Ann as part of our family! We fell in love with her the moment we saw her sweet face!
I couldn't be happier for my big brother! I enjoyed just watching him over the past few days. Kyle loves his little girl and it was precious to see the joy in his eyes as he held his baby girl!
This is Auntie Brookes 1st time holding Ivey! Please over look the way we look in these 1st few pics. By the time she was finally born the family had been in the waiting room for around 30 hours! Mom, dad, Whitney, Bridgets parents and I all slept in the waiting room because we were all too afraid we would miss something if we left!
I just adore her already!
Yaya and Auntie Liza
Born on Friday, January 29. 2010 @ 9:26pm
She weighed 7lb 10oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.
She is a little angel!
With a head full of dark brown hair!
Enough for a pretty bow!
She is so alert and has kept her eyes open more than the usual.
She already loves her paci!
and enjoyes looking around at everyone!
See...I told you she was an angel!!
So I'm pretty sure that everyone that reads my blog has facebook and has probably already seen my request, however, I'm putting it out there anyways!
As most of you know, last week I got choked on a piece of broccoli and ended up in the ER because the silly thing would not go down! I was even unable to swallow my own saliva. Despite multiple attempts and some meds in my IV, I was still unable to swallow. The next thing I know the Dr. is speaking to me about the next phase that will happen. A surgeon will be called in. What?! Surgeon?! Why?! I would have to be put to sleep in order to remove the 'hung chow', as they referred to it at the hospital! Great!
The next thing I know is that I'm being wheeled off to the procedure room where all of this would take place. After being put to sleep in order to scope my throat, I was awake and felt great! Besides a sore throat and all. I was told I had an esophageal 'web' that he successfuly removed and that he saw signs of acid reflux. Both, however, he would treat with medication. He sent me on my way and said he would need to see me in 8 weeks to redo the entire procedure to make sure the 'web' didn't grow back.
Great, I'm on my way home. Liquids for 24 hours. Meds 5 different times a day. No big deal, right?! That's what I thought!
Today I received a phone call from the nurse at the surgeons office to inform me that my biopsy results were back. Biopsy? What biopsy? Apparently the Dr. takes a routine bx every time this procedure is done. I'm still not sure why we weren't informed of this part. I guess it's so routine for him and he didn't think anything would come of it. The nurse proceeded to explain to me that my results came back abnormal!! The pathologist stated that he was unable to exclude a certain type of cell. She started saying words like, HIGH GRADE and DYSPLASIA. This isn't my field of expertise in the medical field, but I know what those words mean, they are universal in the medical world! What? What was she trying to tell me! That's what rolling through my mind that is now clouded and eyes are tear filled. David was flying so I was home alone and I think that made it worse on me. The nurse informed me that precancerous cells of my esophagus could not be ruled out and futher testing needed to be performed. Sure! Anything! Just tell me what I need to do.
I ended up going in the Dr.'s office for further explaination and more drug precriptions. She explained to me that all this controversy could be because of the acid reflux that had irritated and destroyed part of my throat. Therefore, the plan of action for me is to take a regiment of meds over the next 7 weeks and then they would rebiopsy that same area to see what these results will yeild.
7 weeks? That really isn't all that long...unless your worrying about the "what if's" until then. Please keep me in your prayers over several things. That all this will come back normal, peace for me until then, guidance and understanding of this. I know that I am in Gods hands and He is in total control over all this! I know that whatever the outcome of this is that He will see me through it all!
Thank goodness for that piece of broccoli!! That's all I have to say! Looks like the broccoli was the easy part of this episode. How else would these issues have been found?!
Since I'm in a funk and have nothing exciting to post about I'll post about this awesome giveaway! Go on over to Becky's and check it out!
This past Sunday we threw Bridget and Ivey (and Kyle too) a baby shower! This was there 4th shower, so needless to say that baby Ivey has everything that she needs! We are all so excited and anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ivey Ann!
Tinker Bell Diaper Cake that I made for Ivey!
Tinker Bell for the little Tinker baby!
Oh so yummy cake!
Mints made by mom and me
The expecting mother!
My SIL Bridget, baby Ivey and Auntie Brooke
Kyle is excited over baby Ivey's Bama shirt....mommy, not so much! (She's a TN girl!)
Mom, Dad, Whitney, David and I all went over to our great friends, the Hammond's, to watch the game with them. Growing up I spent pretty much every Saturday during football season at their house. 2 of their kids, John and Kelli, came up to watch the game with us, along with Kelli's daughter Emma. For me, it was like old times!
We enjoyed good conversation, fun laughs, good food and a great football game!!
Gearing up for the big game!
Whitney and sweet Emma
She wanted to do everything he did....and had him mock her in a few things too! :)
David and I had decided several weeks back that we would drive up to north Alabama to my parents house for the National Championship game. It worked out well for me since we already had Bridget and Iveys baby shower planned for the same weekend. Little did we know that we would drive into a 'southern winter snow storm'!! We headed up on Thursday morning and made it in around lunch just in time for the snow. Temperatures quickly dropped as the snow began to fall. David and I were glad we drove up this weekend since we missed the snow in Ohio over the holidays. I know to all you northerners and friends in Alaska that this isn't much snow, but trust me when I say this much snow pretty much shut our entire county down for 4 days!! Growing up this was always the norm for us, however, after living in Alaska and actually experiencing extreme cold temps, snow and ice this was actually a piece of cake. The roads did ice over and were rather dangerous to drive on. It just seems so crazy to me that in Alaska we HAD to do it! We didn't have the choice because business/schools didn't close down due to icy roads! The schools up there do not close unless it's 60 BELOW or colder!!
Our 1st pic in the snow for 2010! It's rather difficult to get a pic in mom and dads yard unless Cooper is in there with you! :)
David and I drove up Thursday to visit with my parents and watch the National Championship game with them! (more to come on that!) David had only planned to stay the one night and then head back today so he could make it in for Mens Breakfast at church as well as an activity for all the men. We had no idea that the weather would keep him from traveling back! He probably could have made it, but we wanted to err on the side of caution. I was totally ok with him getting stranded here with my family and me! :) We were all going to head out to the gym for a workout, but apparently the weather kept them out of work too. David and I decided to go for a run....a rather cold run! We bundled up and headed out and had a great run.
David and I had another companion with us on our run. My parents dog, Cooper, loved us being out and running with him!
I love the colors in the sky in this pic.
I wanted you guys to meet someone.
This is Daniel Noe Flores Bustamante. He just recently turned 5 years old and is from Peru. Daniel has been David's Compassion sponsor child for around 2 years now. Daniel is very consistent in writing David almost monthly. He always sends some kind of drawing to David as well. One was of a helicopter, him playing soccer and other typical children drawings. It's so cute! He is always full of questions and wanting to learn more and more about David. He always tells David about his mother reading the Bible to him and praying with him. David recently wrote and told him about me. He told Daniel that I would also be writing letters to him monthly. Daniel used to be David's child and now he is our sponsor child! :) I am so excited to start writing him. I never did before just because I wasn't David's wife and wanted that to be David's thing. We sent him several pictures of us from over the last few months so we could 'introduce' Daniel to me. I am very excited to start writing him and anxious to see what drawings he sends me and the questions that he will ask me.
Compassion is such an amazing organization and we are so thankful that we are able to help out in a small way. Are you a Compassion sponsor? If so, where is your child from? If you aren't a sponsor of Compassion I would encourage you to check it out and pray about being one. If you aren't able to become a sponsor you can definitely pray for these little children. Daniel is such a blessing to us and we are just thankful to be able to be a small part in this wonderful organization. They do an amazing job of spreading the love of Jesus Christ to these poverty stricken lands.
Isn't he just so cute?!
I have to say that my husband is honest to goodness one of the most thoughtful, passionate, and loving men that I know!! and here is why! For Christmas this year I received one of the most precious gifts that I will probably ever receive. I'm not sure where he comes up with the wonderful things that he does.
I'll give you a little background on the gift before you actually see it. No peeking!!
Back in the summer when David and I were doing our premarital counseling, we were ask to write down the top 10 things that we would like to have in our marriage. We each had a book that we were following through together and individually we each wrote down 10 things. David then turned some of those things into a precious keepsake that I will forever cherish!
Here I am on Christmas morning after opening up this gift! At my 1st glance a tear began to fall down my face. David quickly ran to grab some tissue before the waterworks began.
Another great gift he gave me was a digital photo frame filled with lots of pics, music and videos. I absolutely love that gift as well, but nothing could have topped this one.
The Cibik's Vision Statement
This gift means so much to me and will forever hang on the walls of whatever home we live in! The fact that my husband put so much thought into this one gift means the world to me! I'm not sure how he will ever top this gift...but I know he's already trying to think of something!
David, I love you with all my heart! I am so thankful that God put us together and gave me such a loving and kind man! Thank you so much for this precious gift!
David and I said a long time ago that we would not travel anywhere on our 1st Christmas as a married couple. I wasn't sure that we could stick to that, but we sure did. We missed seeing our family and friends (and I missed the Ohio snow!), but we definitely enjoyed staying home and having lots of QT time. It was so much fun to start our own traditions. We slept in that morning before getting up and opening up gifts for the 1st time together on Christmas morning! After a lazy morning we headed out for a long run before the baking and cooking began.
This was one of my favorite few moments and I can't wait to carry this on as a family tradition. David reading the 'real' Christmas story from Luke.
Enjoying our hot beverages in our pj's!
David playing with his new toy Blackhawk helicopter!
David and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve together. We enjoyed spending time together and getting some of our very own traditions started. It was so much fun!
We started off our morning with breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Yum Yum! The rest of the day was spent being lazy and listening to the rain fall before we headed off to church that evening. David and I both really enjoyed the Candlelight Service. After church we came home and opened up our stockings!! Stocking are my absolute favorite! We listened to Christmas music and then watched 'A Christmas Story.'
Here we are before our church service
I love him!
Our stocking that I adore
Apparently I was good. He filled 2 stockings for me! hehe
Us with our goodies
