Kennedy will be 15 months old in a week and just started to walk like a big girl. Larry said it was her Father's Day gift to him :-) She has been walking for 7 days now, and it hasn't gotten old yet. All of us are full of smiles every time she walks over to us. Kennedy is very proud of her achievement and has a huge grin on her face every time she walks around. It is the cutest thing ever!
She had her tubes put in a few months back, but still had a bad episode of the mysterious illness she's been struggling with since November. They were hoping that the tubes would stop them, but apparently there is another problem that noone can find. Her white blood cell count got up to 30 and all the doctors went into a panic testing for everything possible to diagnose why she keeps getting sick...but were unsuccessful with finding the cause.
We took her to see her surgeon at CNMC in DC earlier this month and asked him if he thought these illness's were related to her tumor and all the complications she had at birth. He has no idea why she keeps getting sick, but does not think it is related at all. He did a rectal exam to check on the growth of her current tumor and gave us the wonderful news that he could not feel the tumor. We did a blood test to check her AFP levels as well and they were 5.1---which is amazingly low!! Kennedy is finally TUMOR FREE and we couldn't be more happy. Dr. Powell said that either this tumor was mis-diagnosed over the past 2 MRI's and was just scar tissue....OR it was infact a tumor that has disappeared. Either way, everything is gone and he said that her gluteal area feels just like a normall butt. VERY VERY COOL!! Just another miracle from God.
Now...if we can just get her off the bottle! lol. She hates sippy cups and does not want to give up the nipple. If that is all we have to worry about, I think we are okay! :-)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Post-Surgery Check Up
Kennedy's surgery went well and she has been feeling great ever since. Larry took her for her check up on Wednesday, and the Ear Nose and Throat Specialist said that her tubes are in place and lookin the way they are supposed to.
KNOCK ON WOOD, but none of us have been sick since she had her tubes put in. She was real congested the other night and has a little runny nose right now---but it is clear. I am just passing it off as a sign of teething.
Everything is wonderful right now, and our house isn't feeling as heavy to me (if that makes any sense to you). The energy is positive, and we are working through every challenge that God has for us. I cannot tell you how nice it is to have everyone cold free....especially myself! lol. Wow, how nice it is to be able to have a break from all that.
We pray that your life is going well for you too!
God Bless!
KNOCK ON WOOD, but none of us have been sick since she had her tubes put in. She was real congested the other night and has a little runny nose right now---but it is clear. I am just passing it off as a sign of teething.
Everything is wonderful right now, and our house isn't feeling as heavy to me (if that makes any sense to you). The energy is positive, and we are working through every challenge that God has for us. I cannot tell you how nice it is to have everyone cold free....especially myself! lol. Wow, how nice it is to be able to have a break from all that.
We pray that your life is going well for you too!
God Bless!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Upcoming Surgery
It has been a struggle to get the approval for this procedure, but Kennedy will finally be able to get tubes put in her ears. She has been very sick with double ear infections since November and she has been in pain ever since. We wanted the surgery to be done in Hagerstown instead of DC, and that has been a nightmare to get records transferred to the correct departments.
Kennedy was very sick for her birthday party and cried the whole time! The following week she was in the Pediatrician's office three times because of a 104.6 fever that we could not keep under control. Kaylee ended up getting Strep throat and Mono the same week! Larry and I started to feel sick, so we were given antibiotics as well.
Kennedy was back to her old self a few days ago, and we hadn't seen her that happy since October. You could tell that her ears weren't bothering her and she felt great. Unfortunately, she started vomiting and got a bad case of diarrhea yesterday! I am afraid she got a virus, but Larry is hoping it was bad food or something. If she gets sick again, the surgery will have to be cancelled----AND WE DON'T WANT THAT!!
So her surgery is scheduled for this Monday. We are trying to keep fluids in her and monitor her temperature right now. I hope Larry is right and maybe she ate something that was bad....but I have a feeling it is a virus. Help us with prayer over the next few days that she is well enough for the surgery that she desperately needs.
Kennedy was very sick for her birthday party and cried the whole time! The following week she was in the Pediatrician's office three times because of a 104.6 fever that we could not keep under control. Kaylee ended up getting Strep throat and Mono the same week! Larry and I started to feel sick, so we were given antibiotics as well.
Kennedy was back to her old self a few days ago, and we hadn't seen her that happy since October. You could tell that her ears weren't bothering her and she felt great. Unfortunately, she started vomiting and got a bad case of diarrhea yesterday! I am afraid she got a virus, but Larry is hoping it was bad food or something. If she gets sick again, the surgery will have to be cancelled----AND WE DON'T WANT THAT!!
So her surgery is scheduled for this Monday. We are trying to keep fluids in her and monitor her temperature right now. I hope Larry is right and maybe she ate something that was bad....but I have a feeling it is a virus. Help us with prayer over the next few days that she is well enough for the surgery that she desperately needs.
Monday, March 30, 2009
One Year Old
Wow....I just can't believe it! Kennedy is going to be one year old this Thursday and it is hard to grasp it. Her birthday crept up on us, and we didn't have enough time to plan a big party. As much as I wanted to shout to the world, rent out a place, and invite tons of people to celebrate her life with us...it would be way out of our budget. The place I wanted to have her party would have cost $150 and then we would have to get food, decorations, etc.
We decided to have a small party with family and just a few close friends this weekend. It is in our price range, and the most expensive part of the party will be her cake. I want to make the cake...and being that I am still in the beginning stages of being a cake decorator, buying the pans and all the Wilton stuff isn't cheap.
We are so excited to celebrate her birthday, and I can't wait to see if she tears into her cake. Kaylee was scared to touch her cake when she turned one because I would never let her get dirty. I had to take her hand and smash it in the cake! Kennedy is more assertive than she was, so I have a feeling she will not have any problems making a mess.
We decided to have a small party with family and just a few close friends this weekend. It is in our price range, and the most expensive part of the party will be her cake. I want to make the cake...and being that I am still in the beginning stages of being a cake decorator, buying the pans and all the Wilton stuff isn't cheap.
We are so excited to celebrate her birthday, and I can't wait to see if she tears into her cake. Kaylee was scared to touch her cake when she turned one because I would never let her get dirty. I had to take her hand and smash it in the cake! Kennedy is more assertive than she was, so I have a feeling she will not have any problems making a mess.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Correction in journal story
Here is the link for the story in the journal.
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/515973.html?actionAlert=emailcontent
Overall, I think that the editor did a great job on Kennedy's update. Apparently she must have used pieces of the previous story on Kennedy in 2008...which made some information inaccurate.
Just to make it clear, we DO NOT have $300,000 in medical debt for Kennedy. I flipped out when the first editor put that in the paper...and was totally surprised to see it in today's paper. WE HAVE INSURANCE, and they have been slowly paying their portion of Kennedy's bills.
So.....we DO NOT have $300,000 in medical bills.
Just wanted to clear that up :-)
To see more pictures of Kennedy, go to www.babyruffner.blogspot.com
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/515973.html?actionAlert=emailcontent
Overall, I think that the editor did a great job on Kennedy's update. Apparently she must have used pieces of the previous story on Kennedy in 2008...which made some information inaccurate.
Just to make it clear, we DO NOT have $300,000 in medical debt for Kennedy. I flipped out when the first editor put that in the paper...and was totally surprised to see it in today's paper. WE HAVE INSURANCE, and they have been slowly paying their portion of Kennedy's bills.
So.....we DO NOT have $300,000 in medical bills.
Just wanted to clear that up :-)
To see more pictures of Kennedy, go to www.babyruffner.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Farewell JR
The community showed their respects to the family as we buried JR yesterday. For me, the viewing was difficult...but seeing his casket closed at the funeral and knowing that it would never be opened again was very hard for me. Natalie (JR's wife) chose three beautiful songs to be played and they couldn't have been more perfect for him.
For those of you who had the honor of knowing JR, please remember and cherish all the good times you shared with him. JR and I were good friends in college and stayed in touch after we graduated by chatting at the gym whenever we saw each other. There was never a dull moment with him, and I have so many hilarious memories of things we did together. Don't harp on the difficult struggles he had with cancer and the heartache he must have felt through it all. He would not want us to relive that emotional pain.
Last night, Larry and I spent the evening reflecting on all the good times we had with JR. We laughed... we cried... and it helped us heal from the loss. I was able to talk to Larry about my emotions and the guilt I was feeling about his death. We were able to help one another deal with unanswered questions. I felt uplifted afterwards, and I think we both felt at peace with knowing that JR is now in Heaven and no longer in pain.
There is one huge aspect of life that JR's passing should remind all of us. Don't take anything for granted. If someone would've told JR that his life would end at 30 years old, he wouldn't have believed them. None of us have a guarantee that we will live to an old age. As a police officer's wife, I have learned to cherish every moment I have with my husband because every time he goes to work, it may be the last time I get to give him a kiss. But what if my time comes before his? Have I lived my life to the fullest? Have you?
I will close with this: If you perished tomorrow, would you have any regrets about your life? Would you be proud of your accomplishments? Have you been a good parent, a good spouse, a good samaritan? Have you lived your life the way Christ would want you to? Do you have Christ in your heart? Will you leave a legacy that your children will be proud of? I'm sure JR thought of these questions before his death, and I know that he stood tall when he entered through the gates of Heaven. I pray that each of us will be able to stand as tall as he did when our time comes.
God Bless
For those of you who had the honor of knowing JR, please remember and cherish all the good times you shared with him. JR and I were good friends in college and stayed in touch after we graduated by chatting at the gym whenever we saw each other. There was never a dull moment with him, and I have so many hilarious memories of things we did together. Don't harp on the difficult struggles he had with cancer and the heartache he must have felt through it all. He would not want us to relive that emotional pain.
Last night, Larry and I spent the evening reflecting on all the good times we had with JR. We laughed... we cried... and it helped us heal from the loss. I was able to talk to Larry about my emotions and the guilt I was feeling about his death. We were able to help one another deal with unanswered questions. I felt uplifted afterwards, and I think we both felt at peace with knowing that JR is now in Heaven and no longer in pain.
There is one huge aspect of life that JR's passing should remind all of us. Don't take anything for granted. If someone would've told JR that his life would end at 30 years old, he wouldn't have believed them. None of us have a guarantee that we will live to an old age. As a police officer's wife, I have learned to cherish every moment I have with my husband because every time he goes to work, it may be the last time I get to give him a kiss. But what if my time comes before his? Have I lived my life to the fullest? Have you?
I will close with this: If you perished tomorrow, would you have any regrets about your life? Would you be proud of your accomplishments? Have you been a good parent, a good spouse, a good samaritan? Have you lived your life the way Christ would want you to? Do you have Christ in your heart? Will you leave a legacy that your children will be proud of? I'm sure JR thought of these questions before his death, and I know that he stood tall when he entered through the gates of Heaven. I pray that each of us will be able to stand as tall as he did when our time comes.
God Bless
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Prayer Request
Please join me in prayer for the Butcher family. We were informed that the doctors are giving JR four to six weeks to live. He is not feeling any pain because they have him on a bunch of medication to help him rest. Unfortunately his brain cancer has consumed his body, and the doctors have done everything they can to keep it under control. JR has always been a fighter, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will continue to fight until he takes his last breath.
Pray that God will continue to hold him close. If the time must come that JR has to leave us, I pray that his spirit leaves his body in a peaceful and painless manner. Even though we may lose him in the physical being, he will never leave our hearts. I am still praying for a miracle because God can do the impossible! A part of me knows that I have to come to terms with JR living out his last days, and it definitely pulls at my heart.
Thank you for all your prayers!
Pray that God will continue to hold him close. If the time must come that JR has to leave us, I pray that his spirit leaves his body in a peaceful and painless manner. Even though we may lose him in the physical being, he will never leave our hearts. I am still praying for a miracle because God can do the impossible! A part of me knows that I have to come to terms with JR living out his last days, and it definitely pulls at my heart.
Thank you for all your prayers!
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