Caywood Clan

2010-11-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

I can't decide which picture to send with our Christmas cards this year......?

Fall Pictures

2010-11-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

We just took these today...it was so stinking cold....the girls were little troopers! I absolutely LOVE this picture of the girls! Our sweet little miss Gwyneth is getting so big so fast!

Cute Pics!

2010-11-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

Are my kids too cute or what???

I just love her little smirk!
Brynnah was so excited that she got to feed Gwyn "All by herself"

Gwyn's Blessing

2010-11-10T10:25:00.001-08:00

We blessed miss Gwyneth Anne on Sunday the 12th. Ryan did a wonderful job with her blessing and we were greatful to have many family members there with us.

I just fell in love with this picture of our sweet family!

I just thought this picture of Brynnah was so special! Her cousins were here for the blessing and the girls wanted to dress up....Brynnah picked this adorable fairy dress.

Happy Halloween

2010-11-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Weight Gain!!!!!

2010-10-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

I took Gwyn in for her 2 week checkup last week and to my surprise she had lost 1 lb from her birth weight! I totally freaked out and wondered what I was doing wrong. The doc. told me to bring her back in a few days later. I was breastfeeding and decided that I better make sure I was getting enough milk in. I totally wasn't. I was devastated to find out I only produce an ounce...for both sides. So, I had a decision to make..either keep breastfeeding (which Gwyn is a really LAZY eater. It would take her about an hour to nurse.) pump, and then try and get her to drink a bottle...which would consume about 2-3 hrs. Or just switch her to formula. I chose the latter. I took her back in to get weighed and she lost another ounce. I thought we really had a problem then. My mind was reverting back to thoughts of feeding tube placement. While we were at the docs. she was hungry, but of course I didn't bring anything with me. I thought we were going to be in and out. The nurse brought me some formula and a bottle to feed her. To my surprise she ate almost 4 ounces! The nipple on that bottle was a life saver! I took little miss Gwyn in today to get her weight re-checked....She gained 1 lb!!!!!! I couldn't believe it! I feel so much better knowing that she's actually getting full! Poor little thing being starved! So her weight as of today is 7 lbs 1 oz! Almost back to her birth weight!

Brynnah's Birthday Party!

2010-10-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Brynnah's Birthday on Saturday the 16th. I think everyone had a great time! The theme for her party this year was "Ocean Life". I made cupcakes with fish, octupus, and shark and dolphin sprinkles! Brynnah was so excited but... not suprising...only ate a bite of her cupcake!

Of course we also had a pinata! It's a dolphin-in case you can't see it very well. Brynnah picked it out all by herself and has been asking non-stop to play with it!
Too cute right!?!

Brynnah was thrilled to wear a skirt for her Birthday Party! She asks to wear a skirt or dress every day now!

2010-10-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

My Grandpa came up from SD for an extended visit. He came down for the day to spend time with Brynnah and to see our new addition! Brynnah sure LOVES her papa!

I just LOVE this picture of Brynnah and Gwyneth!

Minus the fact that I'm totally washed out from just having a baby....This picture is just too sweet not to post!

2010-10-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

So apparently we now have new addition to the family that wasn't expected until Oct. 6. The baby decided she couldn't wait any longer. Jacqui started having contractions the night of the 28th. We went to the hospital and they ran some tests and gave her some fluids. The contractions were staying around 2min apart for about an hour and that's why we went in. After a few hours they decided that she wasn't ready bc she was only dialated 1cm. So come the morning of the 29th Brynnah was sent off to school about 30min later Jacqui's water decided to break. So we went back in and got settled into the triage room in L&D. Come to find out her placenta had ruptured and was starting to pullk away from her uterus. Once they realized what going on they rushed her back to the OR ofr an emergency c-section. Gwyneth Anne was born at 1057 on Sep. 29. She is beautiful and healthy as can be. We have been home since yesterday and have been enjoying a nice quiet house. Both Brynnah and Kirra are Ryan's parent's house until tomorrow. Brynnah really loves her new little sister. She has been really good with her and loves to hold her. She was also really excited to go stay with grandpa & grandma for the first time without her mommy & daddy.

2010-09-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

For some reason my computer won't let me upload the pictures. I will try again later. So I had an interesting Birthday....I woke up at 4 am (I've separated some ribs and they really bother me especially at night.) I felt like I was having contractions but, they wouldn't ease up. I never had contractions when I was prego with Brynnah so I didn't know what to expect. Especially because I have a scheduled c-section this time around. So at 5:30 am I decided to call labor and delivery to see what I should do. They told me to come on in and that way they could monitor me. I was hooked up to the fetal monitors for a few hours before the attending came on. They started an IV and gave me a whole lot of fluids trying to stop the contractions. By the time the second bag was about half done, my contractions had slowed. The doc. came in and checked me ....I was a 1. -I only got to a 2 with Brynnah. So they made me walk for a while to see if the contractions picked back up. They did, but not consistent enough. So...they sent me home. Darn it! I was kinda hoping to have this kid a little bit earlier. We'll see I have 9 days left before my c-section and I'm still having contractions, just nothing consistent. I guess she just doesn't want to come quite yet! Either way I will have a baby in 9 days or less right!?!

Happy Birthday....To ME!

2010-09-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

So I decided that I'm really SPOILED! My sweet hubby got me the flowers, shoes, and book. Erin thanks a ton for the socks...LOVE them! And the movie!!!!! A big thank you to my mom who made this quilt for baby Gwyn! Thank you for making it a special Birthday for me I love you all!

2010-09-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ok. since I haven't been on my blog FOREVER I totally need everyones invites if you have a private blog! My email is: caywjacq@gmail.com. Thanks a million!

Brynnah's First Day of School!

2010-09-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Internet Finally!

2010-09-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say a quick Hi to those of you who keep checking the blog with anticipation of a new post. Sorry I've disappointed you! We finally have Internet now so hopefully I will be posting a lot more often! Quick update:
Ryan: just started school. He's taking some generals hoping to get into an architectural program. He's still working at the jail and is still OK with it. He works weekend day shift which is really nice. Not only can he go to school but then he's able to help out more with appointments and everyday stuff!
Jacqui: It seems like I'm always crazy busy! I have Dr. appointments once a week now, NST(non-stress tests) twice a week. Of course I'm working on Christmas projects, trying to get them finished before the new baby comes. I'm due in 3 weeks from tomorrow! We are so excited for this little one to join our family. It's gone by so fast I can't believe it! Everything has gone so much better this time around. The gestational diabetes is well controlled so I've just been treated with oral meds. I've hit my 20# mark which is enough for me. My c-section is set for the 6th of October. I was hoping for the last week in September but my Dr. is pretty conservative....so 3 days before Brynnah's birthday it is! I'm feeling great and definitely ready. I can't believe I already had Brynnah at this point in the pregnancy with her. Sandi took some pictures of us so I will post when I get those back from her!!!
Brynnah: Is doing just great. She really is starting to look like a little girl now! She got a new haircut for school and it's way cute! Her first day of school was today and she was so excited to tell me about her day. It's so great to hear her get excited and actually give me some feedback. She still has therapy: OT and PT have decided to go every other week now instead of weekly so that's nice. Speech for language and feeding is still once a week. We are hoping this year at school she will start talking and interacting with the other kids in her class. She's excited for her new baby sister to come! She loves putting her head on my tummy and picking out clothes for her sister!
I guess I've blabbed enough. It's good to be back!

Brynnah's Hospital Stay

2010-04-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I'm actually updating my blog!?! I know it's been months and months since I last updated! I'm not going to try and catch up...I will just start from scratch! Most of you know that Little Miss Brynnah is currently at Primary Childrens. She got sick about 3 weeks ago with a cough. It started getting worse and worse...so I took her into the clinic every day for a week. The docs really couldn't find anything wrong with her. On that friday I told them I wanted her in the hospital because her oxygen levels were dropping and we don't have a way to check them at home. They admitted her and still couldn't find anything wrong. They ended up sending her to Primary's in an ambulance on sun. When we got here everything started getting worse. The doc's decided to put her in the ICU. The next day she continued to require more and more oxygen. They finally decided to put her on a ventillator(breathing machine). The regular ventillator wasn't enough for Bryn so they put her on an oscillator (a high frequency ventillator). We've been here for 2 weeks and haven't made a lot of progress. The doc's have been keeping her totally sedated and immobilized. I stay up here all the time and Ryan gets to come up on the weekends. I'm staying at the Ronald McDonald House and have met some really fantastic people. It's nice to have made some friends here that can be a support! Today they switched Bryn back to the regular ventillator...which to be honest I was really nervous about. But, she's doing well so far. They switched her about 12 noon today. If she's still doing well tomorrow they will start to let her be awake a little bit more! Which is really nice for me I haven't seen her beautiful eyes, or her smile, or heard her voice for over 2 weeks now! Thank you so much for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate all of you so much.

Long Over-due Update

2009-12-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

Wow! I guess I hadn't realized how long it's been since I updated the blog! Let's see....Thanksgiving Ryan had to work...so Brynnah and I wen to Salt Lake to his sisters. We had a great time and of course lots of good food! Ryan said that they had a good thanksgiving dinner at the jail too.
Ryan: has just been busy working. He's getting ready to change shifts so he will finally be able to go to church with me!!! He's also been going to TKD (Tae Kwan Do) class as much as he can. He will be able to test for his 4th degree black belt in a couple years so he's learning all his forms and practicing ALL the time! Ryan also goes down to Bear Lake quite a bit to help his parent with the addition on the house.
Jacqui: I've been busy with Brynnah! As always. She still has therapy a few times a week, and she has school twice a week...so that means really early mornings...we have to get up @ 6! Other than that I've been busy getting everything done for Christmas! I made a lot of stuff this year...silly me! It seems like that's all I do....is make stuff for Christmas.....I usually start right after Christmas so I don't ever have to hit the after thanksgiving sales, and I don't have to do any last minute shopping!
Brynnah: Started school and is LOVING it! She is so excited to "ride the bus". They have a small bus that comes right up to the house. The bus picks her up @ 7 and drops her off @ 11:30. I thought I would have a harder time with her being gone that long ....but I totally love it! We had a meeting a couple weeks ago with her principal, teacher, and therapists. They discussed new goals for Brynnah for the next year. I'm really excited, we have some good goals set and I can't wait to see her progress! She's doing so great, all of her appointments are going great and her kidney is still doing FABULOUS! Her speech has showed really great progress the last couple of months. She is saying 4-5 word sentences....a few months ago she was stuck at 2-3 word sentences. She has started to say more about what she does during the day, and is constantly following us around the house!
We had a really wonderful Christmas this year. We did the 12 days of Christmas again this year, which is always fun. Brynnah helped make sugar cookies and we had a blast...she totally made a huge mess but we all had fun anyway! We had Christmas at our house this year. My mom and her boyfriend came over the wed. before and we had dinner and opened gifts to each other. We did Christmas on Christmas Eve since Ryan worked the whole time. Brynnah was sooo funny. Every time we turned our back she was opening presents! She kept saying " I wanna rip it" It was so fun to have her be interested this year! We also sprinkled sparkles and oats (for Santa and the reindeer) My sister came down the day after Christmas and spent the night. We had a lot of fun together! We got some great gifts this year! I got Ryan a Karaoke machine...which Brynnah loved! I got a wii fit and my sister was exercising and Brynnah did too! Brynnah was excited about EVERYTHING this year. She got lots of books, an art kit, and a room done in Zoo Animals! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. And best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!

San Diego Trip

2009-11-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

So we are still in San Diego right now but will be coming home on Wed. We have been having a wonderful time. The zoo was a lot of fun and Brynnah really loved it. We think that she enjoyed Sea World more, though. The zoo was really tiring because of all the walking around we did. The place is really huge and we ended up taking the tour bus ride to see the the animals that were clear in the back areas. If you ever decide to go there you need to take 2 days to do it. It is too much for one day. Sea World on the other hand was a blast because we could walk around the whole park and see everything we wanted to. We did miss a couple of the shows that we thought Brynnah would have loved because of the scheduling conflicts. We did get to feed and pet the dolphins and we also had "Lunch with Shamu." Brynnah really loved that because we were sitting right next to the pool where a couple of the killer whales were swimming. They had a trainer out there talking about the whales and then she had one of them do a bunch of tricks. It was really awesome. There are so many thins there to do and so little time to do it all, but we still had a lot of fun.
We are really looking forward to coming home even though we have to leave this wonderful weather. I'll get more pictures posted another time. We hope you enjoy these ones for now.

Family Photos

2009-10-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

So we finally did our annual fall photos, and I personally think that they turned out really great. Brynnah was having a fun time with the leaves. We didn't have time to go up one of the canyons like we wanted to, but they look great anyways.

We are also getting ready to try and do the San Diego trip again next week, so everybody keep their fingers crossed that nothing will happen this time. We will be posting some photos from that trip once we return.
Everybody is doing really well. I have doing a lot of canning this fall. Lots of jam and applesauce and I will be helping a friend with some grapes.
Ryan got his deer during archery season but missed his elk. They saw a lot of elk but only one that would give him a shot opportunity. Maybe next year.

We hope that everyone is doing well and is enjoying the fall weather.

2009-10-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

You know I've decided that we really need internet at our house!!!! I hate that I can only update about once a month ...if I'm lucky! So lets see first things first...we had Brynnah's Birthday party on the 3rd of October and it was a blast. We did a jungle animal theme and Brynnah loved every minute of it! I made her cake this year and it actually turned out really cute...despite my lack of cake decorating talents! She of course got spoiled she got tons of clothes, not one but two doll houses! Not to mention a bunch of littlest pet shop toys! We had a good turn out of people and of course I think the big hit this year was the pinata (it was a monkey this year!) Even Brynnah got to take a swing this year! Last tue. the 6th we headed to SLC where the make a wish foundation put us up in a motel then we were to fly out the next morning....little did we know that Brynnah's body of course had other plans! I should have mentioned before that she had been fighting a bout of the flu/cold for the previous couple weeks. Her symptoms kept getting worse and I ended up calling her physician and the kidney docs in SLC. Unfortunately they had us go to the ER where we stayed enduring horrible tests and lots of "pokes"(as brynnah would say) we were there for 7 1/2 hrs. They finally decided to admit her to the floor where we were there for almost a week! So we totally missed our trip to San Diego...bummer! But we did get it rescheduled maybe next week or the week after! They really didn't find much while we were in the hospital...she got diagnosed with a UTI that progressed into her kidney, at one point they thought kidney rejection which scared us all! But then they found that she had a trace of rhino-virus and they figured between the two it was too much for her already poor immune system and poor little body. She hasn't had any fevers going on day 3 now!!! So overall we had a great time! ha! Thank you all for your love and support. Your calls and prayers! We love you more than we can ever express!

2009-09-19T10:13:00.001-07:00

Ok so I am finally updating again! I know all of you have been anxiously awaiting new info on our family!! haha! Not much new actually (which has been FABULOUS) We went to SLC last week for appointments. We got labs which were good. Then off to see the docs at kidney clinic. Everything was good there too! Then we had to go to the lung specialist. Which went ok, he requested that we get an oximeter....which they submitted a request a couple weeks ago and it was denied by the insurance. They said she didn't qualify! Isn't that rediculous??? So we will see if they approve it this time! Other than that she is still on 2 liters of O2 and doing well. She has been continuting to do well in her therapies and has started to walk agian without any help. So out came the little stroller to push along all of her equipment! She also got a new backpack for her feeding pump. So she sports that now too and does so well carrying it around even though it probably weighs almost as much as she does! She has definately developed some independance and is a little bit sassy! Go figure she is turning 3! I still can't believe it I think I'm in denial! Brynnah will be starting school next month after her birthday! I'm so excited for her to be able to be with other kids her age and to develope some socail skills with people other than doctors! Our trip to San Diego is getting close and we are sooooo very excited. Brynnah doesn't get it yet....but she is going to flip when we get there!! Ryan has been working away and of course bow-hunting! He took some days off so he could go to Montpelier to hopefully get his animals. He hasn't had any luck yet but he still has time! He's also been doing some work on his parent's addition on their home. So he's had plenty to do. My Grandpa also is in town for a couple months and Brynnah is just LOVING it!!! I've been busy doing the same things....jewelry making, crafting, sewing, and getting Christmas stuff done! We ended up going to the Fair in Blackfoot on Labor day which was a HUGE mistake!! There were so many people there I felt chlostrophobic....is that possible when you're outside!?! Anyhow, Brynnah had a ton of fun and LOVED seeing all the animals...she even got to pet some! Well, I guess that's about it. We love you all and a big THANKS for all you do!

2009-08-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ok....are you ready for the longest blog post in the history of blogging????? So we have been home ...well sort of...for a few weeks now. Everyone is doing really great! Do i have an AMAZING family or what!?! Brynnah is just the most strong willed little gal I know!! She is doing soooo much better so much sooner than we anticipated! She is starting to walk (she lost a lot of ground after being sedated and immobilized for what....almost 5 weeks!) loves to push things around, and is crawling like crazy! She has also begun EATING! Now if that isn't a miracle I don't know what is???? She eats at least 2 meals a day (like 3 oz each feeding) which doesn't sound like much to most of you...but if you know Brynnah you know what a huge acomplishment it is! She also is ASKING for food!!! She is also become somewhat of a chatterbox! She talks non-stop and doesn't care who it is...she will just start talking up a storm about animals or colors or whatever she feels like repeating. And overly thrilled when everyone tells her how smart and cute she is! She has also grown a TON...they had to decrease what she's getting in her feeding tube because she keeps gaining weight. Daddy's kidney is still plugging away and doing fabulously! Labs have been great and there's no sign of rejection. This week is our last week of going to Salt Lake every week....which is pretty exciting for me....I Hate going up there all the time! She will be going every other week now! She did have a little setback last week and required more oxygen...she came home on 1/2 a liter and now she's on 2 liters...bummer I know...but I would rather have her breathing well on more oxygen than not breathing...! Ryan is doing AWESOME! He's been back to work for a few weeks and has been on regular duty the last 2 weeks! He sure is a trooper! I have been keeping busy catching up on scrapbooking and christmas gifts. We are doing the final planning for our big trip to San Diego on the 7th of October....we are way excited and can't wait to get to go on a VACATION!!! We are extending our stay and will get 6 whole days to do whatever we want! We are also preparing Brynnah to start pre-school...is that CRAZY or what!?! Other than that just alot of appointments, medication, and more appointments!! Thank you all for your love and support...we sure love you!

2009-08-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Jacqui finally got sick of her longer thick hair in the heat and decided to cut it off again. It looks super cute I think.

Chillin at the PCMC

2009-08-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

So this is how Brynnah rols when she's finally able to leave the confines of her room at the hospital. She really loves her sunglasses.

Here she is with the cutest smile on her face. She's the prettiest girl in the world.

2009-07-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated sooner....so here's the scoop...Brynnah actually is being discharged tomorrow!!!! Bad news is....is that we have to stay in SLC for another week. They kidney specialists want to see her twice a week for the first week and then once a week for a month. After that if there aren't any problems we go to every other week and finally once a month! We're soooooo extremely excited at the prospect of going home soon. I can't believe the whole summer is almost gone...it's kind of been nice in a way...I HATE the heat. And...it will be closer for our vacation to San Diego!!! Brynnah has been doing really well! She's been doing a lot of therapies here in the hospital...so hopefully that will make things a little easier when we get home! She has lost most of her muscle and strength in her legs...she hates crawling and refuses to walk or stand...but we'll get there! We've been doing some feeding therapy with her and I am amazed to find that she does really well with a spoon(which she never did at home with therapy) and she LETS me brush her teeth and will "open wide" on command!!!!!!! I'm sooooo surprised at her improvement already. She is definitely a whole new girl. Of course all the nurses, doctors and staff just LOVE her and can't get over her extremely mellow personality. On the ICS (immuno-comprised unit) when we leave the room she has to wear a mask...which she absolutely loves and insists on wearing it even when we are outside and she no longer needs it...she also sports her very fashionable Tinkerbell shades(which she also insists that she wear with her mask...even inside!) Ryan went back to work this week and is loving the fact that he has something to keep himself occupied! He's such a trooper! I tell you what I have the BEST family in the whole world! I am definitely so blessed! I'm so grateful to have my little girl back to her somewhat normal self and to see her get stronger and better every day! Thank you for your prayers they are what really kept us going... Lots of Love.

Extubation!!!!

2009-07-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

So they extubated Brynnah last night and she is doing really well. She is soooooo excited to not have the tube down her throat any more. She is now back on a nasal canula at 6 liters. She has been sitting up on her own and still is a little wobbley but doing great. They had PT come in this morning and work with her. She did really well and the therapist was really pleased. This afternoon she was sitting up and pulled herself into the crawling position and moved forward a little bit to reach one of her animals. She loves to be playing again and was really excited to watch he "hippo movie"(Madagascar 1 & 2) again. They are planning on moving her to a different floor in the next couple of days and then if things go well she might be able to be discharged by the end of next week. We really appreciate everyones prayers and look forward to seeing everyone again. We love you all.

2009-07-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Also, so many of you have been going private lately and I always forget to send out my e-mail so that you can update me and give me an invite....so everyone that has a private blog send me an invite (even those who already have!) My e-mail is caywjacq@gmail.com

UPDATE

2009-07-07T15:34:00.001-07:00

Things are finally looking up for little miss Brynnah! They switched her from the oscillator to the conventinal vent...(which means that her lungs are starting to look better and her body can handle less pressure being pushed into her lungs) They have been slowly turning down the settings... a little bit each day! The docs are hoping to take her off the vent next week! Wouldn't that be FABULOUS!?! They have also been letting her be a little more awake....it's so nice being able to see her big beautiful eyes! It's crazy how much I miss the little things...her bright smile, her laugh, and her little voice saying "hold ya". Ryan had a check-up today with the surgeon. They said everything looked good and to keep up the good healing! He also got the green light to drive so he will being going home tomorrow! he is sooooo extremely bored being up here in the room all day. So it will be nice for him to feel like he's doing something! For those of you who have offered to take care of my husband...I'm going to take you up on your offers. So PLEASE call him and bring him dinner...it will make me feel better! A never-ending THANK YOU goes out to all those who have prayed for us, are thinking of us and are currently giving us support! We love you all!

2009-06-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

When Brynnah developed pnemonia they had to keep her very sedated...but at least her bows are cute right?

Ryan's stomach post-transplant.

2009-06-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

Brynnah was really excited to "wash" her hands after surgery!
The staff made this poster for Brynnah...I thought it was sooo cute!

This is Brynnah right before they wheeled her back to surgery.

2009-06-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

I got Ryan a TRANSFORMER for his post-transplant present...I gave it to him before the transplant...he was a little nervous!
I asked him if he needed the instructions to figure out how to transform....he said no...but I caught him consulting the instructions!

Here's Ryan's stomach pre-tansplant....

2009-06-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

Brynnah had labs drawn before transplant. The lab techs spoiled her just a little! She thought she was really cool!
I made sure that Brynnah had her nails painted pretty before she went in for surgery...she thought I needed to have mine done too!

Saying HI to daddy!

update

2009-06-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me soooo incredibly long to finally get you all updated! life has been just a little more than crazy right now! As you probably all know Brynnah did have her transplant on Wednesday the 17th. Ryan did incredibly well. He was up and walking in no time! he really is "SUPERMAN" (I brought him a card and a balloon with superman on it) I'm so proud of you babe!!! He had a hard time getting out of recovery. He was on a ventilator for about 4 hrs. He was also on O2 for a couple of nights...but his O2 is great now and he's doing pretty well. He got released on Sunday, but had a really tough day! He was really sick to his stomach from the pain meds. His incision site got infected a little bit the other day. We took him to go get it looked at and they re-opened the incision and dry-packed it. He sent me a picture today and it looks a ton better than it did. He went home with his parents yesterday and is hopefully resting and taking it easy. Now.......the baby's update. She is having a really hard time with her breathing. She came out of surgery really well but was still on the ventillator. She developed viral pnemonia, which really can't be treated...she also had minor infection where her breathing tube is but they put her on antibiotics and everything looks better. They are trying to figure out what to do with her. The kidney docs want her to have a lot of fluid so the kidney doesn't go into shock. The regular docs want to "starve" her so that the lung infection can get better....one way or the other they have to do a sacrifice. The docs put her on a new ventillator that does all the breathing for her which is a bummer because they also have to keep her completely sedated. All of her labs have been really wierd and kidney function is going down. They have her on insulin because her blood sugars are really high. They gave her blood yesterday and she of course has tubes EVERYWHERE! They are also worried about her heart...the problem that they fixed when she was born looks like it's acting up so they are doing a lot of chest x-rays. The cardiology docs said they are fairly certain it's because of everything else that's going on right now...all the problems she's having is causing the heart stress and making it work harder. I talked to the doc not long ago and said ultimately if they have to choose they would rather see her on dialysis than have her gone....I think that's the best thing i've heard in a while. We had a really scarry episode on sunday...she decided she didn't want to breathe and her O2 and heart rate plummeted....they almost had to do chest compressions. Isn't it AMAZING all the technology they have now! I keep her very fashionable her nails are painted hot pink with sparkles and she has "hello kitty" ribbons in her hair. I'm so greatful for every moment i have with my sweet girl! I'm so thankful that she's stable now and everything is ok for now. I will keep you posted if anything else comes up. I'll try to post some pictures soon! Thank you so much for all your love, support and prayers. I know that Heavenly Father is answering those prayers and loves our family. thank you , we love you!

UPDATE

2009-06-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

So....we are just over a week away from SURGERY......YIKES! I'm totally nervous so thanks to those of you have been a huge support for me! We met with the "Make a Wish" foundation this afternoon and Brynnah was approved for a trip....so we applied for SanDiego zoo/Seaworld. It will be happening in October of this year! We are sooooo excited! They pay for EVERYTHING....flieght, hotel, food, spending money the whole bit...what a great foundation right??? It will really give me something to look forward to! They are also sponsoring a walk for Brynnah in Pocatello the day after surgery...the 13th which is a Saturday. It's at the old town pavilion (where they usually have the farmer's market) it's $15 per person and you get a t-shirt, bread and milk will be provided. It's a 3 mile walk through historic down town area. It will be at 9:30 am (the walk will officially start at 10 am for those who have already pre-registered)for pre-registration or you can register online at idahowish.org and click on walk for wishes. The proceeds are going for Brynnah's trip. It's a really cool thing and those who can participate please do it would be a great help! Thanks again to those of you who are thinking of us, praying for us and putting our family's name in numerous temples! You all are wonderful and we are so blessed to have such fabulous friends, and family! We love you

MADAGASCAR on the brain

2009-05-30T16:28:00.001-07:00

The first and second Madagascar movies are Brynnah's most favorite movies of all time! She askes for them from the time she wakes up in the morning to the time she goes to bed at night! They are also the ONLY movies she will actually watch the whole way through!

The ZOO

2009-05-30T16:24:00.001-07:00

Here are some of Brynnah's FAVORITE animals at the zoo! I think her absolute favorite is the Zebra!!!!

SLEEPING BEAUTIES!

2009-05-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

Graduation and the Davis family

2009-05-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

The Davis' came to visit us....FINALLY during college graduation! We had so much fun even though our time was really rushed! The kids had the most fun I think. Brynnah got this princess tent for christmas from my sister. I always thought she was too little to use it...but we took a shot and put it up for the kids to play with and they had a ball! Even Trevor loved it and it's PRINCESS. They played the whold time...they really missed each other!

Our Little Drummer Girl

2009-05-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

How can you get mad at such an ADORABLE face???

Update

2009-05-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

So, I guess this is my new thing....to wait for months and not do any blogging and then do a couple pages of updates! Sorry they are always so long....we're a little busy. I guess you all read that Ryan got cleared to be the donor for Brynnah....he was so excited he didn't even call anyone first...he went straight to the blog...you should all feel very special! As he said the date is June 12th...which is quickly approaching...although I am very proud of myself...so far I haven't totally freaked out yet!!! Let's see where to start...Ryan of course is still working and enjoying his job...for those of you who don't know we moved and are now about a mile away from the county jail and century high school, in Pocatello. We are totally LOVING life in the country! Brynnah goes crazy over all the new animals we have coming around our house. Our neighbors had a little of retriever puppies and just had a litter of kittens...which are soooo much fun! We also put bird feeders out so we get the cuttest little song birds every day and we just started feeding squirrels (mostly because they keep getting in the bird feeders and eating all the bird food!) I have been busy busy busy....I moved my mother up to an assisted living center in Pocatello...which was totally draining but necessary. We have been going to Salt Lake a lot the last few months for testing. We are going down agian this week to do some more testing....but hopefully we get to do somethig fun....maybe the zoo! Anyhow, I've also been doing a lot of crafting...mostly jewelry which I totally forgot to take a pic....next post I promise! We had a meeting with one of the schools in town to see if Brynnah qualifies for a special needs preschool...most likely she will just because of her health issues....which means when she turns 3 she will be going to school...how scary is that? I can't believe my little girl is that old already! She has been progressing so much...everyday we wait to see what she will say or do! I want to say a special THANK YOU to those who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers! We love you all very much and appreciate all your support!

Our little PIANO gal

2009-05-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Some of you might remember when I posted last summer that I got this piano at a yard sale ....even though I don't actually play...well my master plan has already begun to take effect...I got it so that I could learn to play but also so that I could put Brynnah in lessons when she is old enough! the little stinker has already gone to town and LOVES to play any chance she gets...that's my girl!

Brynnah's new FAVORITE book

2009-05-04T17:44:00.001-07:00

I found this book at the DI and Brynnah is totally in love with it...we read it at least once every night for the last month!

2009-05-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

My Easter present was the BEST! The Mama Mia soundtrack.....YEAH! I listen to it all the time! Thanks babe! I found Ryan this really awesome CD...."Celtic Thunder". We had never heard of them before...we saw a PBS special one night at his parents house and LOVED them!

Brynnah was totally excited about every aspect of Easter goodies!

Happy Easter!

2009-05-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

These first 2 pics were taken at Grandma and Grandpa Caywood's House...we went down for a couple days while Ryan was working.... I LOVED this totally cheese-ball grin!

Isn't this pic adorable?!?

Brynnah had so much fun coloring Easter eggs...It's so much fun for her to be able to participate and get excited over holidays!

I think her favorite part of coloring the eggs were.......STICKERS!

2009-05-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

This is my "new to me" fabulous rug! I have been looking for a rug for our front room since we moved to the new place. I went to Kandas....which is a second hand store in Pocatello...which is FABULOUS!!! And I found this rug...it was love at first sight!

2009-05-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

Brynnah's New Monkey PJ's Ryan and I were looking for new pj's for Brynnah and came accross these!!! Brynnah LOVED them and insisted on carrying them throughout the whole store!

Transplant Date Set

2009-04-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

So we went SLC on Wed. because Brynnah had an check-up with her doctor and Ryan had to get another test done. It was his GFR testing his kidney function. He also talked with the nephrologist and other members of the transplant team. They gave him the okay and we have set June 12 as the BIG DAY. We are really looking forward to getting Brynnah her new/used kidney. We hope that everybody is doing well.

2009-03-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

♥ How long have you been together? Married 5 years and 3 months
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? 5 years but I barely had the nerve to say hi to him!
♥ Who asked who out? Funny story, I was at a institute social with another date when I saw him. He looked familiar but we hadn't seen each other in like 3-4 years...so I just went up to him and asked him who he was and he totally remembered me! I gave him my number and he called to ask me out the next day...unfortunately me having the huge guilt factor ....never called him back...then we ended up having a summer class together and I called him to ask him to come study with me....he asked me out the next night and we've been together ever since! (my plan for "studying" worked like a charm!)
♥ How old are each of you? I'm 25, and Ryan is 32 but you'd never guess it!
♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most? probably my sister but only because they live about 10 minutes away...we would definately like to see his family more often!
♥ Do you have any children together? Yes, a 2 1/2 year old little princess....Brynnah
♥ What about pets? We have a small black pug named Kirra. we got her a year after we were married and we love her to death...she's like having another kid though!
♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? It would definately be our little princess....she has a lot of heath problems and some of my friends/aquaintices kids have died...wome of which had some of the same problems as Brynnah does. It's defiantely hard on us and any other couples...to have a constantly sick kid!
Did you go to the same school? We did actually but not at the same time. Ryan graduated in 95, and then me in 01.
Are you from the same home town? Sort of, Ryan was born and raised in Montpelier. I was born in Las Vegas, then moved to Montpelier when I was almost 11...then we had some brief moves in between
who's the smartest? Depends...
♥ Who is the most sensitive? Definately me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where do you eat out the most as a couple?ummmm....since we're pretty poor we don't actually go out to eat that much, we'd rather eat at home and then spend our extra money on a movie!
♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? we've been to BC canada, Arizona, and Northern California...I'm not sure which is the furthest away!
♥ Who has the craziest exes? Probably me....I was really niaeve when it came to dating.
Who has the worst temper? hmmmm....it takes me a while to get worked up but I probably have the worst temper....it comes with the red hair!
♥ Who does the cooking? I cook the most but Ryan is always willing to help!
♥ Who is more jealous? You know I'm not really sure...hmmm
How long did it take to get serious? Not very long I think Ryan confessed his love within a couple weeks...it took a little longer for me but nevertheless....we dated for 3 months and we were engadged 3 months after that!
♥ Who does/ did the laundry? Both of us.
♥ Who’s better with the computer? That would be Ryan! I'm constantly asking him how to do something!
Who drives when you are together? Ryan...he loves to drive and I love to sleep in the car...but I do have to constantly be on him about speeding!

Update!

2009-03-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry I had so many blog posts. Our computer crashed about a month ago so we had to get a new hard drive and we haven't got it quite up and running yet. We've all settled into our new place and we're loving it more and more every day! Brynnah had a kidney appointment in Feb. Everything went fine she's still doing about the same although she did finally grow! Ryan is still liking his job and it's much nicer only being a mile away from his work....he's getting really excited for riding his bike this spring! I have been busy working on my new favorite hobby...making jewelry...I'll need to take some pics and post them! I've also been trying to make our new home nice and comfortable. Brynnah has been doing fabulously. She's been talking up a storm, she's been doing really well on colors, and can count to 10. She loves to sing and her favorite songs include: Itsy bitsy spider, twinkle twinkle little star, old McDonald, and the wheels on the bus...she's also loving some primary songs: the wise man and popcorn popping. She also started walking about a week and a half ago...we all knew she could do it we just had to be patient with her...next on the agenda would be potty training....so fun right? As far as Transplant goes were getting closer...one step at a time. We went to salt lake yesterday....we had a little mishap with Brynnah's feeding tube. The balloon burst (which it has done before) but this time the tube was falling out of her stomach. So they got us in and got her all fixed up! While we were there....Ryan got some testing done to see if he's a possible donor match...Hopefully we will be getting some results next week and we will definately keep you all posted. Thanks for thinking and praying for our family. We appreciate and love you all.

Brynnah's New Haircut.

2009-03-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Brynnah's hair was getting really ragged and stringy looking so I decided to take it upon myself to cut it...not the best job in the world but I thought I did a pretty good job. I think it makes her look like a 2 year old!

Isn't she just a doll!?!

Brynnah's favorite game!

2009-03-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

We had our friends Sam and Kari and their kids over the other night and Brynnah had gone into the other room ....we thought she was playing in her room....to our surprise she was in the spare room getting her Hungry Hippo game! She was so cute that we decided to pull out the game and play!

Kisses for Mommy, daddy and of course the puppy!

2009-03-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Valentines Day!

2009-03-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

We had a really great V-day! Brynnah got lots of fun stuff...well we all did... I was sooooo EXCITED to get Anita Stansfields new book Winds of Hope....if any of you haven't read the Jayson Wolfe story you totally should...I absolutely love them!

Brynnah was really excited about the shredded paper at the bottom of her basket...silly me I didn't think it would distract her so much from her present....

Her next favorite of course was the books we got for her...one of our fav. kids authors...Sandra Boynton...

Last but not least Brynnah really enjoyed this My Little Pony I got for her at the DI. There's a button to push on her neck and her eyes blink, and she lights up!

Moving week!

2009-03-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

We were preparing for our big move....Ryan and Brynnah had a great time...while I was packing!!!

We moved just to the other side of town. Most of you know our friends Rick and Erin. They had been renting a house just past the county jail on 4th street. They moved to Boise so we were able to rent their house. It's FABULOUS! We absolutely love it there. It's so quiet and peaceful. We get to see deer all the time which brynnah adores! Best of all there are no neighbors that smoke, drink, and party all week long!!! Our new address for those of you who don't have it....7634 W. Katsilometes Rd. Pocatello, 83204.

Ryan's Harry Potter Party!

2009-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

For Ryan's Birthday in Feb. I threw him a Surprise Harry Potter Party. He had absolutely no idea I was formulating it...I sent out harry potter invitations and made tons of Harry Potter themed food and goodies.

Brynnah and I were the only ones to dress up...everyone had a really great time! Hopefully we can do it again sometime in the future!

Brynnah's New Chair!

2009-03-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

My grandma got this chair for Brynnah and she absolutely adores it! My Aunt bought her this teddy and she loves it as well....as you can tell...

She has soooo much fun sitting in her little chair and she LOVES to read books in it also!

Usborne Books

2009-01-13T09:49:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I FINALLY have my website up and going....it's ubah.com/z2745. Check it out there's a lot of fun books...have fun. Let me know if you want to do a party or order some books I'm putting in my first order at the end of this week!

UPDATE

2009-01-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

We FINALLY got to keep and go to Brynnah's appointment on the 5th! Her appointment went well....but we did find out that she hasn't really grown and she hasn't gained any weight. So, they increased her calories a little so hopefully she gain a little bit of weight! We also met with the service coordinator for transplant services and she said that after some blood work results were in that they would introduce her file to the Doc over Transplant Services. If he gave the OK they would then present her file to the whole Board. If they gave the OK she would officially be "TRANSPLANTABLE". So that's terrific news...still a ways away but one step closer right? We asked about when we could start the testing for Ryan to see if his kidney is compatible....they said that we have to call someone to get the paperwork started and we have to see the results for Brynnah's blood work. They took a TON of blood for the tests that they did....It was like 6 viles full! She was soooo BRAVE! We go back in 6 weeks and will find out more about when she can possibly get a new kidney. Hopefully we will find out the results from her blood work in about 3 weeks. So we will be keeping everyone posted. Thank you all so much for all your prayers on our family's behalf. We love you all very much. Thanks for all your love and support.

Brynnah's Kitchen

2009-01-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

This was Brynnah's BIG gift for Christmas! For those of you who don't know we found this kitchen at the DI for $8! From there we just fixed it up and gave it some new paint....what do you think?

Brynnah just loves to "cook" in her new kitchen....she especially likes to use the "spices".

Here she is modeling her new apron that I made for her! Too cute if you ask me!

2008-12-30T16:01:00.001-08:00

If everyone could send me your address' and Birthday's that would be awesome! One of my new year's resolutions is to send out Birthday cards so hopfully I can do it this year!!!!! You can either post them on my blog, email me caywjacq@gmail.com , or text me @ 244-2294 Thanks Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

St. George

2008-12-30T12:08:00.001-08:00

Here's a pic of the scenery..........Breathtaking!

IN-N-OUT Burger.....Yum....Are you drooling yet ERIN?????

Christmas was a zoo....we had 11 grandkids there....

Here's Brynnah and Seilina as ANGELS!

2008-12-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

Ryan got his favorite thing in his stocking ....lots of CHOCOLATE!

Of course Brynnah got more books in hers!

Ryan got this bracelet for me....I LOVE it! Thanks for the great CHRISTMAS honey!

Our CHRISTMAS....

2008-12-30T11:43:00.001-08:00

Ryan was totally excited about getting the Tales of Beatle the Bard !!!!!! He needs his Harry Potter fix...he was really bummed when the new movie release date was pushed back a year!

We had our Christmas early so that we could leave for St. George .....and we didn't want to
haul all of our presents there and back....Ryan's parents decided to have Christmas all together this year so they rented a time-share in St. George! The weather was a lot nicer there than it was here. It was in the mid 30's the whole time...Ryan was totally bummed...he wanted to go golfing...but we had a great time anyway. We got there on Tuesday before christmas. On Wednesday night we did a nativity scene and Grandpa did the narrarating! It was really great all the kids got to participate and we got to sing songs!! On Christmas we just spent time together as a family and the guys(aka.... Ryan, Marc,and Fati went to Mesquite to hit the slots!) Friday we went to the temple ....it was BEAUTIFUL! I was SOOOOO excited to go because Ryan and I haven't been able to since Brynnah was a year old! We left on Saturday but not before checking out the outlet mall and tai pan traiding co. (which is rapidly becoming one of my favorite stores!) We then hit the IN -N- OUT drive in ...which was totally awesome best fast food burger ever!!!!

Ryan enjoying his new book!
Out of all Brynnah's presents she was more interested in her books!

And of course she LOVED daddy's gift to her a little puppy and kitty set!

I found these little Monkey socks for her at the dollar store and couldn't resist!

Our Little "ROCKER"

2008-12-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

Ryan has really gotten into GUITAR HERO lately and Brynnah loves to "HELP" daddy play!

2008-12-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

Tag...this time about me.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago ...
1- Sophomore at Bear Lake High School\Soda Springs High School
2- The School Musical auditions - Bye Bye Birdie
3- Planning on going to college in Phoenix....obviously that didn't happen!
4-Hanging out with friends and talking about guys I'm sure!
5-Wow, I didn't realize it has been that long ago!

5 things on my "to do" list...
1-Worry about my daughter
2- Make the finishing touches on Christmas presents
3- Call doctors...etc....and get everything ordered that Brynnah is in need of
4- Officially become an USBORNE book consultant...because I don't already have enough to do....
5- Uplifting spiritual night with my mom and a friend

5 snacks I enjoy...
1- cheese balls...with blue cheese
2- fruit
3- anything with chocolate and peanut butter
4- popcorn
5-cookies

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire...
1- get out of debt.....completely
2- Go somewhere really fun...like IRELAND with my husband
3- Go to Disney world...mostly for Ryan to see harry potter world....and for Brynnah to see the Princess'
4- donate to the Ronald McDonald house!! They have done sooooooooo much for us and I would definitely like to give something back to another family in need!
5- Put some of it away ...lame I know

5 places I have lived...
1- Las Vegas, NV
2- Pocatello, ID
3- Spokane, WA
4- Modesto, CA
5- Hudson, SD

5 jobs that I have had...
1- Secretary for a Physical Therapist
2- PMC as a CNA on Med\Surg.
3- Portneuf Valley...Now Beacon Hospital....CNA
4- Hope Haven....ICFMR instructor ....I worked with handicapped adults
5- Arctic Circle

Putting up the Christmas Tree

2008-12-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

We put up our Christmas Tree last night! We had a lot of fun...especially Brynnah...she loved getting into all the ornaments!! Here's the finished product! tada!

Pictures I promised!

2008-12-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

Here's the pictures from Thanksgiving weekend! Brynnah had SO much fun playing with her cousins. One of the biggest hits for the kids was a stethoscope....they got a kick out of Brynnah knowing exactly where it goes and how to use it! Rick, Melissa, Jeremy and I were all playing phase 10 and Bryan and Brynnah decided they wanted in on the fun.....we gave them a deck of cards and of course they went all over the floor...the kids had a great time anyway!

Update

2008-12-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

So here it comes again....another pretty long and boreing update...are you ready for it!?! So as many of you know Brynnah's feeding tube got a little messed up and we spent our anniversary in the ER trying to get someone to try and figure it out and get a pic of it so we would know what to do next....Anyhow, we ended up getting called on Tuesday afternoon and they asked if we could be in SLC the following day for a tube replacement. So off we went to Ryan's brother's to stay (her appointment was at 9 am) I just want to give a big thank you to Rick and Melissa for opening their home to us and doing all the entertaining and such!!!! You guys are FABULOUS! So the next day when we go to Radiology to get the tube replaced....we wait for about an hour...then go back for the proceedure. The doc asked me when Brynnah had her tube placed...it had been about 8 months....and he proceeded to tell me that we were supposed to have it replaced every 4-6 months! YIKES! As most of you will remember....when we got Brynnah's tube placed the doc told us NOTHING about the tube...So I guess now we know to get it replaced more often! Everything went really well...Brynnah was soooo brave! She was charming all the docs and they wanted to keep her! Honestly, I think the doc asked me like 5 times if I would just leave her there! I have to admit she is ADORABLE! Anyhow, after that fiasco, we went back to Rick and Melissa's for THANKSGIVING which was fabulous! (i'll be posting some pics) The kids had so much fun playing together and everyone had a wonderful time! I decided to stay in SLC as we had another appointment for Brynnah on Monday and as I was going to be going down by myself anyway I decided not to make more trips than necessary....so we hung out and was able to see TWILIGHT for the second time! LOVE IT! When Monday morning rolls around I get a call at 7 am ....it was the clinic telling me that they had to cancel Brynnah's appointment and wanted to know if I could come back on Thursday.....I told them a big fat NO! We had already spent almost a week there waiting for this appointment. So we re-scheduled for the 22nd....which actually works out. We're going to be spending Christmas in St. George with Ryan's family and we can leave a day early from SLC! So no new news about Brynnah's condition and no further testing on Ryan for the kidney transplant....bummer I know! Soon...we're hopeing so we can get things rolling! And....another bummer Brynnah is sick right now...and it's slowly but surely progressing...I'm just praying she's not hospitalized for Christmas. We knew this day was coming but weren't entirely prepared for it to happen just yet. So definately keep us in your prayers!!! I also wanted to list some things I'm greatful for because it seems like it's going to be a downhill slope for us for the next while and I have to keep positive thinking for Brynnah's sake so here it goes.....
I"M THANKFUL FOR:
MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY
A LOVING AND VERY PATIENT HUSBAND
A BEAUTIFUL AND SPUNKY LITTLE GIRL
A VERY HYPER DOG
A FISH TANK AND FISH THAT AREN'T COVERED IN GREEN
A BEAUTIFUL APARTMENT AND THE DWELLING OF THE SPIRIT WITHIN
A WONDERFUL FAMILY WARD.....THEY DEFINATELY FEEL LIKE FAMILY
AWESOME CALLINGS WITHIN OUR WARD
A STRONG TESTIMONY OF THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THE GOSPEL
TEMPLES
MY HEAVENLY PARENTS
MY SAVIOR AND ELDER BROTHER JESUS CHRIST
ATONEMENT
OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN ETERNAL FAMILY
FANTASTIC IN-LAWS AND EXTENDED FAMILY
WONDERFUL GRANDPARENTS THAT CALL AND CHECK ON BRYNNAH
FRIENDS
CHRISTMAS
MINE AND RYAN'S HEALTH
BRYNNAH'S PROGRESS
BRYNNAH'S THERAPISTS
ANSWERS TO PRAYERS
HOW IN LOVE WITH MY HUSBAND I AM
BOOKS....TO LET ME KNOW THAT OTHER'S HAVE IT WORSE THAN I DO
PCMC....AND TECHNOLOGY THAT HELP MY LITTLE GIRL LIVE
HOLY GHOST
I'm sure the list could go on and on! Thanks to all of you for all your love and support we are forever greatful!
Lots of love

Kids Playing

2008-11-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

We had the Davis' over for dinner tonight. It was a ton of fun! I've been feeling like I don't have any friends lately....*sniff* Anyhow, we put the kids in the kitchen with the fishing game and they had a ball! They play so well together (most of the time).

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2008-11-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

After a long day of celebrating.....I still love my family more than anything and am so greatful for them!After 5 years we've still got it!!!

So our anniversary was typically uneventful....I was out at my sister's in the am to finish Ryan's gift(we decided to make homemade gifts this year!)Anyhow, on my way home Ryan calls and tells me he thinks that Brynnah's feeding tube isn't working. So when I get home we go to the ER for an x-ray so we can verify that it's not working...If it's not working we have to go to SLC and get it replaced. And of course the doc's here know NOTHING about her feeding tube. So....they try to get ahold of someone in SLC to ask them what to do. And of course there's no one available....so we end up waiting for like 4 hours.....SO much fun right!?! After 4 hours waiting time and nothing done for Brynnah they send us home and tell us someone will be in touch with us on Monday! Can you believe it? Oh....wait we are in Pocatello right? Anyhow, after the whole big fiasco we were totally worn out so we came home and fixed dinner exchanged gifts and watched a movie. It was still great though because I got to spend the WHOLE day with the people I love most!

Heating Pad/Telephone.....?

2008-11-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

So the other day Brynnah and I were laying on the couch together....and she totally thought my heating pad was a telephone...she kept saying "hi, hi".

Her current favorite word is "push" So when she sees anthing that might be a button she says "push".....so of course when she was checking out the heating pad....she kept pushing the button and saying "push" I LOVE to hear her talk it is too stinkin cute!

Hasta La Vista BABY!

2008-11-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

So we finally got rid of our big fish tank!!! Yeah for us....we did give it fair game though. Here's the story if you don't know it already. About six months ago we bought the fish for Brynnah because she LOVES them! We thought it would be no big deal...boy were we wrong! Fish are really hard to take care of ...as we found out the hard way! Our tank kept turning really green from the algae. We took everything and cleaned it and even bleached it...it would turn green again!!! So finally we decided we'd give it ONE more shot and if it turned green we would get rid of it.....So one of Brynnah's therapists gave them to her mom and in return bought us the Beta(she absolutely adores Brynnah and couldn't bear the thoughts of her going without a Fish!) Hopefully we can keep it alive and algae free!

Party!

2008-11-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

I'm having an USBORNE book party on Dec. 4th at 7pm. I'm just posting this in advance because otherwise I'll forget. If you want anything you can get a hold of me and I'll let you know the details! You can also check out the website to see what they have to offer at: www.rockinbooks.com

a very MOMENTOUS occasion

2008-11-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

I know this sounds really stupid but I am totally excited! I can fit my hair into a ponytail....I haven't been able to since Brynnah was first born...then I kept chopping my hair off! I know it just barely fits but hey....a ponytail is a ponytail right!?!

Tagged yet again!

2008-11-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

What is your husbands name? Ryan David Caywood
How long have you been married to him? Our 5th anniversary is on the 22nd of this month!!!
How long did you date? Ummmm....3 months...then engadged for another 3 months...Yeah...I totally swore I was NEVER going to be "one of those people"...but lo and behold I turned out to be one!
How "young" is he? Loaded question...No one would ever guess but he will be turning 32 in Feb.
Who is taller? He is
Who can sing the best? He would say me....but I LOVE that he sings(or raps) as loud as he can and doesn't care if he's on tune or not!
Who is smarter? hmmm....depends what it is
Who does laundry? Both of us...but, usually me.
Who pays the bills? Me of course...sometimes I tell Ryan which ones to pay!
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Ryan does
Who mows the lawn? Actually our landlords do....but if we had our own place Ryan would. I'm all about men doing manly things....like taking out the trash...pumping gas...
Who cooks dinner? Mostly me but Ryan loves to also!
Who's the first one to admit when they are wrong? Don't know probably Ryan I'm pretty stubborn!
Who kissed who first? Ryan...long story but we had been talking about who takes the initiative on the first kiss...
Who wears the pants? Totally me...but not in bad way...I'm just usually better at making a plan and sticking to it.
The six people i tag...I don't know...I think everyone including me has already done this once!

Handbag

2008-11-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

This post goes out to everyone who asked me how to make the fabulous bag! Sandi, is this what it feels like to be you everyday!?! Anyhow, we got the kits for an enrichment night....all it is is two placemats (sold at walmart) sewn together horizontally one set of stitching around the bottom (right sides together) and another set of stitching up the sides. I put the ribbon accross the top and added pleates, then attached ribbon for the handles. That's it....hopefully it makes sense....if not get ahold of me and maybe I can show you!

Handbag...

2008-11-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

I went to my old University Ward's big Christmas Craft night...we all had soooooo much fun! I picked up the stuff to make this bag and modified it ....what do you think? Janelle are you proud of me???

Here I am MODELING my new handbag....i love it!!!!

Haircut!

2008-11-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

I have been debating on whether or not to cut Brynnah's hair....as you can see in the pic she has some really long peices on the sides and the back is still trying to catch up..... TaDa.....I don't know if you can even tell or not but I finally cut off the long straggly hairs (there were only like 5!)

These are the last of the Halloween Pics I PROMISE

2008-11-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

On Halloween Night we went to my mom's and did Trick or Treat there...then we headed out to my sister's in Inkom....Can you take a wild guess at who we are.....?

Here's a better pic of us before we got all dressed up.... Brynnah with her Auntie Cass

Our little TIGER!

2008-11-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Here we are getting ready for the official Halloween Night...(complete with lip gloss...she saw me put it on and wanted some!) Brynnah is practicing her best "ROAR" for the big night

ISU Carnival

2008-11-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

Ok Ok....I know we're no longer students at ISU but how could we pass up a night of fun and candy!?! This pic we went up on stage for a "cutest costume" judging....but....we didn't win I think this was Brynnah's favorite thing at the carnival....FISHING!

She actually sat pretty still when they were painting her face...she got a heart on her cheek!

In this one we're digging for eggs...to turn in for a prize....She was really creeped out by the texture of the sand and wouldn't put her hand in....so it was left up to me to dig for the prize!

2008-11-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

I loved these pictures of Brynnah....eating the sucker with the wrapper on...silly girl! While she thought no one was looking....sneaking into her candy!

One of the only picture I got of the Davis kids.....lovely face right?

Trunk or Treat....

2008-11-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

We went to the ISU Trunk-or-Treat and had a lot of fun... I loved that Olivia was in her own world....she was good with just eating candy

I LOVE this picture of Kari and Miles....

Actually I loved it so much I put it on here twice!

Carsen made such a cute little MONKEY!

Carving Pumpkins at the Davis'

2008-11-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun carving pumpkins...... Everyone hard at work...

Alisha DILIGENTLY working on making delicious donuts for us all! Thanks!

TP fiasco!

2008-11-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

So Ryan and I were busy getting ready for a Halloween activity and left Brynnah to do whatever....and after a few minutes alone this is what we found...we're really going to have to baby-proof our home!

I swear this is the last post for today!

2008-10-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

When we had the break from our Transplant Clinic we took a walk outside the hospital and there is this really cute little area that has a fountain and a little pretend bridge and some benches so we decided to take some pictures....

update

2008-10-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

I know I know...there are a ton of posts I'm doing today...bare with me. On our trip to Salt Lake our primary reason for going was to go to a Pre-Transplant Clinic for Brynnah. It's the last thing you officially have to do to be placed on the Kidney Transplant Donor List. We definately got an information overload! We first met with the Nephrologist over the Kidney Transplant services and he talked about recieving a kidney and the process to get there. The surgery itself and the meds, and complications associated with getting a new kidney. Then we met with the nutritionist on the team and talked about what will happen between meds, actually having an appetite and what it will be like after transplantation. That in itself was a lot of info. Then we got a break for an hour and then proceeded to meet.....EVERYONE else on the Transplant team: Nutritionist, Doctors, Surgeons, Financial and Social Services, Service Coordinators and I'm sure I forgot someone in there. We spent like 5 hrs meeting and talking about concerns with everyone. Wow...we have a lot on our plate right now...I didn't realize how overwhelming it could be. This is what we've been looking forward to since Brynnah's birth...but now that we're here it's really scarry! On a good note and least we got it done with and we know all of you are thinking of us. Thank you so much to those of you who have been praying for us it definately is a huge blessing to have so much support from you all. We love you!

Our trip to SLC

2008-10-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

We went to SLC this month and since we usually don't have any spare time when we go we usually don't get to do anything fun. This time we decided to go to Temple Square. We had a lot of fun going through the visitors center and the Joseph Smith Bldg. Here's the pics we took out in front of the temple.

It was really great going to the visitors center and seeing the Christus it's really uplifting.

New Signs

2008-10-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Our little Ray of SUNSHINE....
this is my very favorite shirt of Brynnah's I was coveting this shirt when I first saw it in Fred Meyer....then I found it of course at the DI. I just love putting her in it especially when it's yucky outside.... Brynnah was so thrilled in this picture if you couldn't tell....but this is the sign for puppy. We've been really working hard on her communication and she loves animals...so of course her new signs mostly have to do with animals...

This one is the sign for Birdie

Sorry I don't know why it's on there twice

This one is kitty...it's supposed to be like the kitty's whiskers but she totally grabs her cheeks off!

This one is the sign for water and it is totally her FAVORITE! she says it ALL the time...at first we thought it was only when she's thirsty but then we figured out she says it just to say it sometimes!

Walking and carrying her own stuff

2008-10-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to figure out a way for Brynnah to start being more independant and walking more on her own. I had an epiphany a couple weeks ago and we set out for a baby stroller (the ones for dolls) and lo and behold what should we find at the DI for 2 bucks...this wonderful stroller and Brynnah absolutely loves it! We got it for her just before our trip to SLC and she was running around with it the whole time! She is such a big girl and I can't believe how much independance it's given her!!! Go Brynnah!

Brynnah's Princess Party!

2008-10-26T20:09:00.001-07:00

Princess Pinata

Everyone had sooooo much fun with the pinata....Brynnah actually got to participate this year!

Here's Brynnah's LOVELY cake (ok....so not lovely....I made it myself and didn't work out the way I wanted it to....but it still tasted great!)

2008-10-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for not being better at keeping this up...it feels like our life has been CRAZY lately! Well, here are the pics from Brynnah's Birthday Party the theme was "PRINCESS" (isn't that suprising?) Anhow, we had a lot of fun and I want to thank everyone for making it such a special day for Brynnah!

Tagged

2008-10-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

4 things I love about my husband:

When he doensn't have to say anything and I know what he's thinking.
The way his smile lights up his whole face!
When he sends me text messages from work just to wish me goodnight.
His kisses!

4 movies I could watch more than once:

Count of Monte Cristo
Ratatouille
Iron Man
Stardust

4 T.V. shows I watch:

ummm...we actually don't get any chanels on our tv...so I'll just write down which ones I would like to watch if we had tv....
So you think you can dance
anything on TLC
Smallville
Hero's

4 places I have been:

Seattle, Washington
Phoenix, Arizona
Fort Bragg, California
Mt. Rushmore

4 places I'd like to go:

Ireland/Scottland
Navoo
New York
Jerusalem

4 things I look forward to in the next year:

Brynnah getting a kidney transplant
thinking about buying a house
Ryan going to school
Playing the piano

4 people I tag:

Anyone that hasn't done it yet!

More family pics

2008-10-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

I just loved this picture of Ryan and Brynnah...ryan was trying to teach her how to blow kisses....so ADORABLE!

Ryan and I were joking about this on the way home and decided that this was the only picture we liked out of 20 that we took of us....Ryan's just not very photogenic! But we had such a good time and had the most beautiful scenery.

Family lifes greatest treasures......

2008-10-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

These pictures we took up the canyon on Buckskin Rd here in Pocatello they always have the greatest places to take pictures!

Brynnah's new MONKEY

2008-10-07T21:22:00.001-07:00

I told my grandparents before they cam down to watch out because Brynnah has an absolute love for MONKEYS! So they picked this monkey up on the way! Can you tell that she loves it?

She's too cute for words.....our daughter not the monkey!

Brynnah and her Papa

2008-10-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

My Grandparent came down from South Dakota last week so we are having sooooo much fun having them around ....especially little Brynnah she just loves her papa! Brynnah wanted to go outside and papa was the only one that would take her....so here they are just enjoying themselves!
This picture was my absolute FAVORITE....papa's big strong working hands and Brynnah's itty bitty tiny hands!
Thanks to Papa and Ma for being here and having special moments with our little BEAUTY!

Brynnah got caught in the cookie jar!

2008-10-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

So, the other day I had made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for a friend. I covered them up and set them on the couch while I ran to the bathroom real quite before we went to deliver them.......this is what I found when I got back into the room....a little thief!! Boy was she enjoying the cookies!

In these pictures I asked Brynnah : "Brynnah your not getting into those cookies are you?"......this was her answer: .......um.....yeah!" To smart for her own good I tell you! I'm glad she at least enjoyed them!

UPDATE

2008-10-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend we went down to Salt Lake to have a second opinion for Brnnah the doc's name is Dr. Grinsell. He is fabulous and I don't know why we didn't switch Brynnah's care to him way sooner... Honestly I just hoped any one wouldn't be mad at us for switching! But I overcame it and now Brynnah has a wonderful doc!! He actually didn't really tell us anything new. But he came down to our level and I think he understood more because he has young kids at home as well! So he just sat down with us and asked what was going on and what our concerns were. He then proceeded to tell us specifics.....which I LOVE! Finally!!!!!!! So nothings new as of right now she does have another appointment in SLC on the 23rd of this month for a pre-transplant evaluation.......I know it sounds kinda cool but it's totally not! We have to sit in a classroom all day and learn about the kidney....just like being in school again right? Anyhow, I might be MIA for the next couple days my grandparents are coming in from South Dakota. they Will be here tomorrow so let the festivities begin!

Husband Tag

2008-09-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

1. What is his name? Ryan David Caywood
2. Who eats more? definately Ryan
3. Who said "I love you"first? again....Ryan
4. Who is taller? yet again...ryan...good thing cause i'm really short
5. Who is smarter? depends...but probably Ryan
6. Who is more sensitive? oh here's one that I can claim
7. Who does the laundry? both of us....I hate to fold so Ryan usually does that!
8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Ryan sleeps on the right side if you are laying in it.
9. Who pays the bills? I do
10. Who cooks more?not sure....probably me though
11. What meals do you cook together? nothing....Ryan doesn't like me to help and he always gets in the way!
12. Who is more stubborn? Not even a debate on this one ME!
13. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? not sure....we're both pretty stubborn
14. Who has more siblings? Definately Ryan...he has 6 sibblings...I have 1
15. Who wears the pants in the relationship? he likes to think it's him but it's totally me!
16. What do you like to do together?We play alot of games and of course the wii...but we totally have different interests.....
17. Who eats more sweets? not sure....?
18. His guilty pleasures? groping me in public...haha...it's soooo not funny when he grabs my butt in front of his dad!
19. How did you meet? I was totally in LOVE with him when I was a soph. in high school
20. Who asked who out first? Ryan....twice!
21. Who proposed? He did outside my apartment
22. Who kissed who first? i actually think it was me....we had just had this conversation about both of us being too scared to initiate the first kiss.
23. His best features? hmmmm....definately his butt...(that's for you hun!)
24. His greatest quality?extremely easy going....which i'm totally NOT
25. Tag: Everyone!

Hairbows

2008-09-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

I made these hairbows for Brynnah a while ago but never had anything to go with them....then Kari Peterson gave me this top and I was so EXCITED that the bows matched so a big thanks to kari for the perfect top!!!