Siblings

Happy 4-month-birthday Gabrielle!! We love you so much and love your smiles, cuddles and your beautiful and calm temperament!

We have been at the hospital with Gabrielle for 6 days today and the boys miss having their sister at home.

James and Michael just love "Abrielle"; she definitely lucked out in the brother department! Michael cuddles his little baby doll "Abrielle", while James really would like to come and live at the hospital with Gabrielle and I.

The boys came to visit 2 days ago and her face lit up when she saw her noisy, busy, and energetic brothers. James loved to stand on the chair and help the nurses. He started by giving her a saline nebulizer while talking to her whole time. This line sticks in my mind: "Don't worry sweetheart, you're ok". A future doctor in the making perhaps? It was a beautiful moment for me to watch.

Gabrielle seems to be slowly improving. I wish she was able to bounce back as kids sometimes do, but I am noticing little differences each day. I stayed the night last night and we both slept the entire night. Before bed, she needed a new IV site, and after much poking and proding, and crying they finally were able to find a vein in her hand. It was not fun, watching them try so many times before finally finding one.

Today is a new day. I do not know what tomorrow will bring or what the rest of the day will bring. Gabrielle has taught me that we can only live in the present.

I do know that she continues to need oxygen support, saline nebs every 4 hours, antibiotics, and a saline drip to keep her hydrated. Her feeding has slowly improved, and she continues to flash the cutest, gummiest smile. She has lost weight and the doctors are concerned. The next step...an NG feeding tube will be inserted later today to increase her volume of breast milk.

Gabrielle you are the most beautiful, strong and brave little baby I know. I love you.
xx

Look At This Team

Gabrielle has been the luckiest little girl when it comes to the attention she's received here at B.C. Children's Hospital. From the day she was born she has had specialist after specialist helping her and contributing to the master plan to make her as healthy and happy as possible.

We've also come to appreciate how incredible doctors and nurses are. Not only do they have some serious skills, but they're all really good people. I just may become one of those parents who wants his kids to become doctors.

Above and below are pictures of some of the members from the B.C. Children's medical team who have been working with Gabrielle. Some key people are missing, and some were just reviewing her file that day; however, and nevertheless, she's a lucky girl.

I think every father hopes their children will view them as a hero of some sort. Especially fathers of daughters. I know I've always hoped for that.

To share something personal, I always imagined myself playing my daughters Bron Yr Aur on my acoustic guitar ... somewhere in the mountains ... with the wind rustling the leaves ... and the leaves screaming "we're alive!"



It's funny how life pans out. Sweet Gabrielle isn't able to hear leaves blowing in the wind. She won't be able to appreciate the melody of this song in the way I imagined. And that's okay. Because it just is. How could it be anything else?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Gabrielle's my hero. I'm not hers. She's taught me more about life than I ever could have taught my children otherwise.  Life is raw. Life is.

How wonderstruck Gabrielle is by so little. Her infancy, innocence, and fragility is, in my opinion, heroic. You are my hero, Gabrielle. You knew we would name you that, for you have the strength of every god incarnate.

Wonder: what a wonderful word.

Thank you Gabrielle. Bron Yr Aur will forever remind me of you, and the wonder you've inspired me with.

Pneumonia

Hi Everyone,

Gabrielle was ambulanced from Langely Memorial Hospital to BC Children's hospital so that the best medical team available can monitor her bout of pneumonia. Gabrielle's state slipped a little bit the morning after Amy's "on the mend." Ironic thing about this condition: nothing's for certain.

Tonight she's doing well and Amy's staying over night with her. The phlegm, coughing, and fatigue, however, need to be monitored, especially with her I-Cell predisposition.

As up and down and exhausting as this all is, we're doing well. Thanks to so many of you for your well wishes and prayers.

Here's a picture of the whole family at Langely Memorial last night. The photographer was none other than the hospital's very own Dr. Benjamin Ross (Jimmy and Mickey's funny uncle).

On the mend...

Gabrielle is finally on the mend after having such a nasty cough, pink eye, runny nose, low grade fever etc. The poor little girl was not feeling well at all, but thankfully, is starting to get her colour back and looking a little happier. Her little body has such a hard time clearing all the mucus and she worked so hard at trying to cough it out. Her body must be sore.

I found this poem posted by one of the mom's who I've 'met' on our FB I-cell support group. She also has a little girl who has the same disease as Gabrielle and they live in Newfoundland. Although I haven't met her (the mom), she seems pretty special and her little girl is so adorable.

There are definitely good and bad days and as we gear up for her stem cell transplant at the end of the month, I am finding that most days I feel saddness that won't go away. I have found some amazing poems that really describe how I feel as I find it so hard to find the words to express the whirlwind emotions.


~I Chose You~

I came to this world to fulfill part of God's great plan
I chose you as my parents, knowing you would understand.

It takes someone with an unyielding faith,
strong, loving, full of grace

To understand all it takes to be me
For only you , my true beauty & worth could see

You'll laugh with me, love me, make me smile, hold me in your arms
if just for a while.

Pushed to your limits I know you will be, as together the world we teach of God's
compassion for humanity.

Such an important life changing message I was sent to bring
My help could not be just a random thing.

I needed parents who could be my voice,
So you see You were the only choice !


Thank You Gabrielle for choosing us, you've taught us more than you could imagine.



Here is a cute little video of Gabrielle a few weeks ago sitting in her Bumbo chair on the counter amidst all the mess!