Roswell's Cutest Baby

A couple weekends ago, Kevin took his motorcycle to the Harley Davidson dealership where they have a service shop (they service all bikes) to get his 12,000 mile tune-up. He came home with a flyer for a benefit Harley Davidson was hosting which included a "cutest baby contest". We had nothing to do this weekend, so we decided to check it out. We entered our cute girl, Anslie, into the contest, and guess what?! She won! How could she not have?!?!

Anslie picking out her prize

Proud papa and the cutest baby ever!

Kevin and I LOVE Harleys sooooo much. We were thrilled that she picked out a Harley Davidson outfit! (note sarcasm)

Parading her cuteness around the store

We also found these Harley Barbie dolls there. Interesting.....


The whole experience was just exhausting, so I came home and fell asleep on the swing in the backyard. Have I mentioned how much I like having a backyard?Okay, I have a confession to make. Although in my eyes Anslie is the cutest baby not only in Roswell but the entire world, she won the contest by default. She was the only baby who showed up. But we'll take it! Too bad the prize wasn't a million dollars. That would have been awesome!

Visit with Grandma and Grandpa

Kevin's parents, Connie and Walt, came for a visit last week. Here are some pictures of our adventures with g-ma and g-pa!

On our way up to Ruidoso

Little squaw Anslie

We decided to let Anslie have her first pony ride. This lady was a "worker" at the pony place. As I was about to put Anslie on the horse, she asked if she could hold her. I said yes. The lady never gave her back. She put Anslie on the horse and then walked around with her while we took pictures like she was Anslie's mother. Freak. I was soooooo mad!!!

Anslie and her REAL mother
I thought she liked them but....
Maybe she was afraid of them? Anslie and Kevin cuddling amongst the carved, wooden bears.

Bumper boats at FunTrackers. It was a blast!

Anslie and Grandma

We also drove these cars. I totally kicked Kevin's butt in the race!

Putting sunscreen on at Bottomless Lakes

It's not the beach in San Diego, but it's all we got :)

Grandma and Grandpa tag-teaming pushing Anslie on the swing. It's all she wanted to do at the park!

Mom and Ans at Denny's

Happy girl!

Anslie got ahold of my camera. This is a demonstration of her rockin' photography skills. Those pinkish blobs on the left are grandpa's knees under the table.

We had a really fun visit with Grandma and Grandpa! Thanks for coming out, guys!

I won BEST photo!!!!

I am thrilled to announce that the portrait of my dear hubby, Kevin, won this week's adult photo challenge! How exciting! This made my day -- I Heart iheartfaces.com! To view the winning image, click on the link above or just scroll down a few posts :)

The Plan for Anslie

We met with Anslie's new Pediatric GI in Albuquerque on Tuesday. His name is Dr. Fahl. Here is what is going on:

We know that Anslie's digestive system works and that she is capable of gaining weight because she has proven that while on the feeds through the NG tube in her nose. She has also proven that her swallow function is correct via a swallow study that we did Tuesday morning. Her anatomy is perfect and everything is functioning as it should now that Anslie is on the reflux meds. What we need to do now is get her off that tube. She was refusing to eat anything solid so it has been determined that she has a psychological aversion to food and that is the only thing that will prevent her from gaining weight on her own. The NG tube is helping her do that, but it also seems to be irritating her throat so that it is probably sore, which makes her not want to eat. We were told that the NG was never designed to be a permanent solution and that it has been in for long enough. We just need to make sure Anslie will eat on her own.

So - Dr. Fahl has prescribed Anslie Cyproheptadine which is an antihystamine who's side effects include increased hunger and appetite. (It makes her really sleepy too, but we're not complaining about that:) His hope is that the meds will make her extrememly hungry so that she won't rest on the formula for all of her dietary needs and therefore eat more solids. We are starting on a half dose to see how things go for a couple days and if Kevin and I feel like the effect isn't strong enough, he told us to increase the dose to the full amount. We will weigh her at the Pediatrician's office next Thursday and if the meds are making Anslie hungry, if she is eating more solids, and if she has gained at least 4 ounces, then we will eliminate one of the 4 formula feeds per day. We will continue this course of action until the formula feeds are all eliminated and she is gaining the appropriate amount of weight (at least 1 lb per month) just by eating solids. After that, I assume we will faze out the medication until her natural appetite alone is getting her to where she needs to be.

Now, sometimes this medication doesn't work. It's not a "miracle drug" and there is a chance that, even if it does increase her hunger (which it doesn't do in all children) that her psychological aversions are too strong for the hunger to overcome. We will know by next Thursday if that's the case. If the meds don't work, the next step is to have a G tube surgically implanted into her stomach, continue with the formula feeds, and then enter Anslie into a feeding clinic where she will work with Speach Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Pediatric Gastroenterologists until her aversions are overcome. The formula feeds will give her the nutrician she needs while the doctors rewire her brain.

This course of action will be a lengthy process. Anslie and I will stay in Albuquerque for one week out of every month so she can go to the feeding clinic for 6-8 hours a day to receive treatment. It will be hard, but if that's what we need to do to get her healthy, we're willing to do it.

Anslie received the first dose of the meds last night. She slept in until 9am this morning. She ate some cereal for breakfast, the one meal of the day that she absolutely will NOT eat. I offered her some Chex mix as a snack a few hours later. She ate a pretty good amount of it. Lunch was offered about an hour after her snack, but she still ate some veggies and applesauce. She also took two of her four feeds. It's really premature and I most certainly DON'T want to get my hopes up, but I do feel like we could be on the right track here. Already, Anslie has eaten more solids today than she would normally eat over two days. But, this could be a fluke. I'm not counting her cured yet! We still have a long way to go!

I will post more info next Thursday after her weigh-in.

Let's Hear it for MY boy!

This week's theme for iheartfaces.com (a photography blog that I follow and participate in weekly contests) is all about boys who become men, and eventually loving husbands and fathers (hopefully in that order). I have a picture of my dear, sweet husband that I absolutely adore, much to his chagrin. Here is my entry for the adults category this week. I celebrate the amazing person my sweetheart is. He is strong, compassionate, gentle, hardworking, patient, and loving. Everything I could ever want in a partner through this life and eternity. I love you, dear Kevin, and my life is better for having you in it! Happy Father's Day!
And this is my entry for the kid's contest. Nothin' sweeter than a daddy playing with his little boy!

Make sure you head on over to iheartfaces to look at the other beautiful entries!


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I can't believe it! This is so exciting. Thanks to my (H.O.T.) husband for being such a willing and enduring model. My muse, so to speak, especially when I am short on faces to photograph. Love you, honey! You're the best!

Check up with the Pediatrician

Anslie and I went to meet her new pediatrician today, Dr. Karen Carson. I really liked her and thought she was attentive, compassionate, and proactive. I also really like the nurses and office staff and I think we will be in good hands. We spent a couple hours at the Dr.'s office today, going through Anslie's history and recommended course of treatment.

We have an appointment with a pediatric GI next Tuesday and Dr. Carson said she knows the GI we will be seeing and that she would email him with the information we discussed at our appointment today and her recommendations. Give him a 'heads up' so to say so that he is prepared with all of the answers to the questions we have.

I also met a member of their staff named Barbara aka "the Bull Dog" who is their "Patient Care Coordinator." Her job is to send referrals and battle with the insurance companies. She said to me,"My job is to make sure our babies get what they need, and I promise you your baby will be taken care of!" Amazing. I feel sooooo taken care of!

So far I am really pleased with the level of patient care we have received! The one thing I am a little worried about is that Dr. Carson said that she would be recommending that a "permanent" G tube be surgically put into Anslie's stomach (through her abdomen) instead of running an NG tube through her nose. She said that she doesn't know the length of time before we can get Anslie off the formula feeds, but that by doing things that way it will be much easier to care for and protect the tubing. No more tubes hanging from her her nose that can get caught on things, no more worrying if Anslie will pull the tube out herself, no more inquisitions from strangers on her health condition. I can see the value in that, at the same time I hate the thought of cutting a hole through her perfect little tummy. But, the operation is an outpatient procedure and one that the doc said is "no big deal". And kids heal quickly and if there is a scar left, she is so little that I doubt it will be noticeable when she grows up.

Anyway, this is all still just a possibility. I will have more info next week after we see the GI. Here's to hoping the news is good!

PS - Anslie weighed in at 19 lbs 0.5 oz. At her last weigh-in exactly 2 weeks ago, she weighed 18 lbs 4 oz. She has gained almost a whole pound in two weeks! That's amazing, for her!!!

iheartfaces Week 23: Sepia

These are my entries for the "Sepia Toned" theme. Hope you like 'em!




Be sure to swing by http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com to see all of the other entries for this week's challenge! (or click on the button below!)

Adventures in Roswell

I can't help but laugh at the "culture" we are experiencing living in Roswell, NM. It's refreshing and scary, at the same time.

For instance, I was feeling lazy last night so we decided to go out to dinner. We stopped at a restaurant where, upon arrival, we were instructed by the hostess to seat ourselves. Okay, that's fine. When we found our table, I excused myself to use the restroom. There were 3 stalls, the first of which didn't have any toilet paper and the other two didn't have locks on the doors. Luckily I was the only person there, so I quickly used the stall that had at least half it's lock. And then...the toilet wouldn't flush. Yuck. There was toilet paper all over the floor and I was terrified to touch the handle of the door to get out of the bathroom. Disgusting. After informing the hostess about the condition of the restroom, I returned to my table. We sat for another 10 minutes before a server came over for the first time and apologized for the wait and then said he would be right back. So, after a horrible bathroom experience and waiting for over 15 minutes just to get water, we left. And the saddest part of this (part of the) story is that this restaurant is one of the most frequented by Roswellians.

With stomachs still grumbling, we moved on to our second choice of restaurants for the evening, a BBQ joint that promised delectable pulled pork and ribs. We knew something was wrong when we pulled into the parking lot and, on a Saturday night, there wasn't a single car in there. It was closed. Grrrr. We were running out of options and it was getting late.

So, we decided to be "adventurous" and try a fast food restaurant neither one of us had ever been to. Not my favorite choice of food, but it was filling, quick, and cheep. But, this is the crowning moment from the entire event: This poster hung right next to the cash register- Priceless. It's almost like they knew their food was disgusting and they were prepared for the consequences. Only in Roswell.

And then there was this. As I was getting ready for church this morning, Kevin called me to the living room. He was peeking out our sliding glass door at our neighbor who's backyard meets ours. Here is what I saw:

Click on the image to enlarge the fine details!

Check out the BB gun. Dat dare lil' ole' man is gunna git dim vermin and git er dun! Seriously?!

Take a Look

Please consider these wonderful people if you or someone you know is looking for a loving family for a child in need. It doesn't get much better than these two! Click on the picture above to view their adoption profile.

Feeling Domestic

This is the first time in our life together that Kevin and I have a normal Monday through Friday, (7)am to 5pm schedule. Weekends off. Holidays off. Since I get to stay home with the munchkin, dinner is ready and on the table when Kevin gets home from work. We have a real routine. It's weird, but enjoyable.

Today was our first Saturday living our new life. I thought I would make it special with pancakes and sausage for breakfast. Kevin got to sleep in 3 hours past his normal waking time and Anslie slept until 9:30am. After breakfast, Kevin washed the car and motorcycle while Anslie and I played with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, the next door neighbor's kitten, and the sprinklers.

We bought a $10 kid's sprinkler head from Walmart for Anslie to play in. This is her excitement when she saw it......and this is her running away from it when she realized it squirt cold water at her.She wasn't too pleased with what I had in store for her with the water. Oh well. I guess she will grow into it.

Yup. This is last year's bathing suit. She is 19 months old and still fits into a 0-3 month bikini. After lunch, I put Anslie down for a nap. Then Kevin and I showered and got ready for the day. Kevin fell asleep as I finished getting ready.

I would have taken a picture of Anslie, too, but I didn't dare risk waking her up...

Currently, I am the only person in the house who is awake. Silence. Time for myself...to do whatever I want. Blog. Edit pictures. Stare out the windows. Read. Ya. I can get used to this!

Can you blame me?

After LITERALLY two weeks straight of doing nothing but packing, driving, and unpacking, I'm starting to get a little stir-crazy! I really needed to do something other than put things in boxes and then take them out again. So, Anslie and I hopped in the car and went the the Roswell Zoo this afternoon. Now, that's the title, but I really think it should be called the "Giant Roswell Park With a Few Animals Stuck in Cages Behind Chain Link Fences". There, now that we have the title of the location fixed, now I can show you some pictures. Since I don't have any people to take portraits of, I thought I would take a few "portraits" of some of the wild life. (Sorry, no pics of Anslie. She pretty much just sat in her stroller and stared at the animals. Literally no reaction. I was pretty glad it didn't cost anything to get into the Giant Roswell Park With a Few Animals Stuck in Cages Behind Chain Link Fences!)

The Red Fox. He seemed bored. So were we.

I think this is the hairiest goat I have ever seen!

Pretty Falcon. This little lady couldn't take a bad picture!

Little baby goat hiding behind daddy.

It's always hard to get a good picture when your subject is behind bars. I couldn't believe how huge these birds were in real life!

I have no idea what animal this is. But he made a good show of pacing and grunting at us.

The Antelope. Strange looking animal. He seemed lonely.

A Bison. Or a Buffalo. I forgot to read the sign to find out which it was. It was shedding it's winter coat and looked really nasty. Smelled nastier!

And my personal favorites from the visit: The Geese.

I have never understood why there are always geese at every single zoo I go to. To me, it's like catching a bunch of sparrows or pigeons and throwing them in a cage and then charging people to look at them when they can just look in their back yard and see them for free. Without exception, there are ALWAYS geese at the zoo. Maybe there's something special about geese that I'm not privy to? Just in case there is, here are some really special portraits of the geese at the Roswell Park/wannabe Zoo.

Presenting, The Goose Series:

I don't mean to be judgmental, but it's hard not to be when you come from an area that had one of the world's best zoos in your backyard. Miss you , SD Zoo! Regardless of how lame Roswell's zoo was, it was really nice to get out and enjoy the fresh air. I'm sure we will be back. Keep an eye out for more super-fantastic animals portraits from The Giant Roswell Park With Animals Stuck in Cages Behind Chain Link Fences!