How's Hudsyn??

The princess is 5 months old. She has been
through so much in her 5 short months and still manages to have this beautiful smile on her face and twinkle in her eye. We love this precious baby girl and are so glad God chose us to be her parents!

It was a LONG day, but we made it!!! Hudsyn couldn't have formula after 4:00 this morning or pedialyte after 7:00; but, when I tried to wake her up to eat at 3:30 she was totally uninterested and at 6:30 she wasn't really a fan of the pedialyte... We had to be at the hospital at 9, and due to some scheduling confusion between the doctor's office and the hospital, Hudsyn wasn't scheduled for surgery until 12:05. She had her moments, but she was sweet for the most part - it could have been MUCH worse!

The surgery was supposed to take approximately 90 minutes; so, after speaking with the doctor, nurse, anesthesiologist, and a few residents, Isaac and I walked Hudsyn back to the holding area and saw her off to the operating room.

After 2 hours I finally got a call on my cell phone from the nurse who took her back letting us know everything was ok, but Dr. Smith was still working on her. Of course, my mind started racing - if it was taking so much longer than expected, then obviously something didn't go as planned... or something! I had been pretty calm up until this point, but now I was starting to freak out a little!! But, then, another hour later (after 3 hours of surgery) Dr. Smith came out and told us things went well and he was very happy with the results. Soon after that, I was able to go back to recovery and snuggle my precious baby girl. She drank some sugar water and had some pain medication and was resting well in my arms while we rocked.

When she had her first surgery in December, the nurse had already fed her some sugar water by the time I was brought back to recovery. This time she was just starting to wake up... that was hard! Seeing her look around wondering where she was and what was going on.... but, I was able to pick her up quickly and soothe her. Isaac really wanted to come back to recovery but only one person was allowed at a time, so after I got some sweet snuggles in and saw that Hudsyn was okay, I asked the nurse how long she thought we'd be in recovery and decided we could switch out. But, because we were all expecting things to be the same as last time, when she went to get Isaac, the rest of them (Hoot, Honey, and Barrett) hopped up and followed... thinking they were going to meet us in her regular room - not in recovery (where only one person is allowed). :) I was shocked to see all of them coming around the corner with our plethora of stuff! But, no one said anything... likely because it was so close to the end of the day... :) Soon we all loaded up in the elevator and headed up to room 9120 where we sit now. Poor Hudsyn has been uncomfortable a large part of the time we have been here. But after some pain meds and then some breakthrough pain meds, she is able rest a little before the pain returns. Poor baby girl. :(

She looks SO different. It is hard to tell at this point what the end result will be due to the nasal stents, swelling, stitches, and steri-strips, but I know she is going to look a lot different. I will miss her sweet cleft smile and her adorable scrunchy nose half smile, but I am so glad to be one step closer to her forever smile.






I hope she is able to get some rest tonight. I know she is tired and doesn't know what is going on. Sleep is the best thing for her now, so I am praying for a restful night.

We are so blessed to have so many people thinking about and praying for our sweet Hudsyn (and the rest of us). God is good, all the time!

This sweet sparkly-eyed princess will have her second and final (hopefully) surgery to repair her cleft lip in the morning.















When I was pregnant with her I often questioned how I could possibly love another human being like I did her big brother. Before him, I never knew I could experience a feeling like I have.... with both of them. I love them the same but I love them so differently... Barrett and I have a very special relationship... and when he bats those pretty blue eyes at me it's really hard for me to say no. But, as a baby, Barrett was content if he could see me. He was pretty independent as long as I was near. Hudsyn - not so much! She needs me. She needs me to hold and snuggle her every minute. She crinkles up her sweet little nose and ducks her head - looking up at me with her sparkly blue eyes and reminds me that she is tiny and she needs me. She is fragile, ornery, stubborn, sweet, and tough. She is so strong but she still needs me. And as frustrating as that can be at times, I'm so glad she needs me. I'm so glad I am able to comfort her; and, the smile that flashes across her face when she spots me absolutely melts my heart.

When Hudsyn had her first surgery, she was around 2 1/2 months old and I was still experiencing some post-partum issues... although I didn't realize it at the time. I thought I was really tough and stayed strong for my baby.... but, looking back I was just disconnected - going through the motions. This time, however, I'm feeling very connected and am really struggling... When I expressed these feelings/concerns/fears, one of my best friends told me "Bailey, one thing we know is that she is in God's hands. She is strong and she is a fighter." I needed those words and am so thankful for sweet friends who lift me up when I am down.

I am so excited to have one more step in this journey complete, and I can't wait to see what Dr. Smith and his team accomplish tomorrow; but, I am also very nervous about the recovery over the next few weeks. She will have nasal stents again to help shape her nose and will have to wear arm immobilizers to make sure she doesn't irritate or mess up the stitches. She was young enough at the time of her first surgery that she didn't really care about her arms being immobilized; but, I have a feeling she is not going to appreciate it this time. She recently discovered her toes and she loves to play with them. She is also trying to get a tooth so she really likes to chew on her fingers. Obviously, she won't be able to do either for a while, so she is not going to be a happy camper most likely. She also won't be able to have her pacifier or drink from a bottle for 3 days. Lastly, she will not be able to pull her favorite leopard blanket up over her face to go to sleep. I am so afraid that I will not be able to comfort her after surgery. All of the things I am usually able to use to do so are no-nos for at least a few days. :(

On top of that... Barrett tested positive for Flu and RSV yesterday... so we've had to keep
him and Hudsyn apart as much as possible... which is not easy when you have a son who loves his baby sis like Barrett does.

I know Hudsyn and the entire situation are in God's hands. So many people are praying for and thinking about her/us and we appreciate every single one! But even knowing that doesn't stop the worrying or the anxiety. If you have a spare minute any time during the next couple of days, please say a little prayer for this sweet baby.

Baby girl is 4 months old! She keeps us hoppin' and never lets us forget she's the princess! She has had a rough week - in the hospital with RSV, but she's a trooper and still has a smile on her sweet little face (as long as she is being held of course). ;)

I've said it lots of times before.... but we truly do have the best people in our lives! Although the first several months of Hudsyn's life have been eventful, they will be memorable! We have received tremendous amounts of support through sweet Facebook and text messages, phone calls, visitors, monetary help, encouraging cards, and yummy home-cooked meals. Many of these are things I used to take for granted, but mean so much to me now. As a mother, hearing and reading encouraging words and being told I am doing a good job is one of the most impactful things for me. Over the last several weeks I have heard these words from several people - just when I needed them! I have come to realize that God's timing is perfect - whether I realize it or not. He knew just when I was feeling defeated as a mother and sent these sweet people to encourage and support me. I am so grateful for each and every person who has encouraged and/or helped us in ANY way. We are SO blessed.

Just like many young couples starting their lives and raising children, Isaac and I were not financially prepared for the medical bills we have and will continue to incur in order to ensure we get the best care for our sweet Hudsyn. God, however, has a plan! The last month has been a roller coaster dealing with insurance, bills, copays, deductibles, in and out of network services, and so on.... We were unsure how things would work out for a short period of time, but later received great news - in more than one form - assuring us that Hudsyn will continue to receive the best care and we won't even have to eat ramen noodles for the rest of our lives ;). Kidding. We would do whatever it took to provide the very best care for either one of our babies, but not having to stress about it so much definitely makes things easier! :)









































Recently, Isaac and a friend hosted a coyote hunt which paid out more than 90% to the winners. The day after the contest, a member of the first place team - someone we've known for years, but expected nothing from - came by our house and donated his part of the winnings to our family to help with medical bills and expenses. These are the kinds of people I cannot imagine this world without. I am so grateful for people like him!




Our sweet babies are SO loved!! I have never been more thankful for our small community and the wonderful caring people who live here!

This little lady has RSV and spent Friday, Friday night, and Saturday in the hospital trying to get well. Luckily, the breathing treatments every 2 hours were effective and we got to come home Saturday evening. We will continue to do treatments at home to ensure she makes a full recovery. We need her to be 100% healthy by surgery time!






We spent most of our time in the "croup tent" while we were at the hospital. Sissy was a trooper though, and didn't fuss much at all.


























Because she was in isolation and Barrett is so young, he was not allowed to come in and see her at the hospital. He was heart broken. He kept saying "but, my sis is missin' me!" He is the sweetest big brother and he was SO excited to see her when we got home.








Although it has been a pretty crazy week, I wouldn't change this precious family for the world! We are so very blessed!