Hello Everyone.....
I just wanted to let you all know that Ayanna had her 1st appt with Dr. Meehan a fabulous surgeon who is going to be doing her big surgery the 1st week of January.....it's going to be a "whopper" they say that it's going to be about a 12 hour surgery, so please continue your prayers for her strength...and speedy recovery. 
Ayanna is now 16.1 pounds, and 26" long....she has gained 2 pounds since she's been home. Praise God....
Thank you all again!
Teresa

Goodmorning...I would like to thank Madigan Ortho & Urology Deptartment for all of there generous donations from last fridays bake sale....we will have the totals posted soon....but it was a HUGE success thank you all!!!!!!

Momma & Ayanna leaving the hospital in route to "home"

Finally home

 

This is "Auntie Ann"....the greatest nurse n the whole world!!!!!

I so love my Ann........she spoils me with "oh so much love"

Dr. Dan....my favorite pulmonary dr that played with me everyday.....



Momma Betty....no words can describe the love that we all have for her...she is the greatest...



I was just going thru more pictures that we've taken this week and week and wanted to share them with all of you....we are so happy & blessed to have such amazing love and support....

Ayanna's 1st Halloween-10/31/2010

 

Mommy & Ayanna on Halloween 10/31/2010


Hello Everyone....we are finally home and getting into a routine..  She loves all of the constant attention that she gets.  We have lots of wonderful nurses that help mom get some sleep & errands run.  We went to our 1st doctor's appt on the 18th and Ayanna weigh's 14 pounds and is doing Fabulous!  She is scheduled with the surgeons the middle of this month to start all the planning for her bootie and little girl surgery.....she is now starting bolus feeds 3 times a day and is doing really well.....all the people at church and family friends can definately see that she isn't missin' any meals....she is quite the little pudge.....
She is still super happy and her temperment is more than we could've ever prayed for.  She is now makin kissey sounds and moving sound out of her trach...Sam & I would like to thank you all for your continued love and support and all of your prayers......

Ayanna Simone .....the cutest ladybug EVER!!!!!

Here I am sittin up like such a big ladybug

This ladybug is really lovin' that 1st tooth that is coming in....

Ayanna Simone.....Boo....

Here I am....makin noises out of my trach.....

Daddy & Ayanna....trick or treat

Finally.

Ayanna & Ericka

"I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers.  It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage.  Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at."  -Maya Angelou

Sisters

      Hey everyone! I am Ayanna's older sister Ericka and today, I was just lucky enough to meet her. On 10.10.10 no less! After a long drive and being stuck in a ridiculous amount of traffic Gavin (my two year old son) Mom, and I got to seattle childrens hospital and I was badged (i know... so official!) I'll admitt i had no idea what to expect..i was extremely nervous to hold her considering when we walked in the room i was alot of tubes and contraptions i had no business being near but when i saw that sweet face i couldnt help but smile.
           She is without doubt one of the most accepting little babies i have ever met. She looked at me with those big brown eyes and i was hooked! Gavin fell in love too, her perfect little face made him giggle and we have officially decided to call her YaYa. :]]

        After a bath and a couple hours of cuddling she was ready for a nap and we decided to head home.. what a great day. I can't wait to see her again..

         I just want to thank all of the wonderful people who have touched her life so far...there have been countless doctors and nurses... all medical personel in general and all of the people who work behind the scenes to make this adoption happen, thank you so much..

        She's had an extremly tough start to life but you would never know it by her disposition...shes happy and full of love... Shes the best kind of blessing :]]

Ayanna, Nephew Gavin, Mama and Sister Ericka

              

**Thursday 10/6/2010**

Hello Everyone.....Ayanna is so amazing :)  She is set for a Wednesday discharge to come home...We had all of her nurses over for dinner last night and I am feeling very lucky to have nurses standing in line to come and play with her.  She is completely off her cpap all day and is only using it at night when she is sleeping.  I changed her trach today for the 1st time and she kept looking at me like "we got this momma" and didn't cry a tear....i was shakin' like a leaf.....but I passed with an A+ the Oto dr said so that made me feel good.  It's so funny the second I leave her room there is a volunteer to immediately come in and play with her so that is really nice....Please say a prayer that some more grants come in as I am really starting to stress that all of our legals aren't done/paid for yet but I know the man up stairs is trying to teach me to just let go and let him handle it.....anyways I will post again Saturday as her and I are going to have a sleepover.....i can't wait to snuggle her all night long.....

**Sunday post**

Hello Everyone...Ayanna is doing fabulous :)  She is off the ventilator all together now and just on cpap and only at night or when she is sleeping.  She is going into surgery tomorrow to get the broviak (central iv line) out of her chest in the morning as we are going to let her rest and get bigger and strong before we tackle the build her a bootie surgery and all the other repairs....the surgeons say we will wait till January so she can get good and strong....All the nurses at Seattle Children's are just in love with her and wanna keep her but we are still hoping to come home around the 18th of October...I am going to be doing all of my trach training this week and next so that way she can come home hopefully the 12th.....i really want her home so we can just love on her....thank you all again for all of your wonderful well wishes and prayers.....God is so good and is healing her by the day and making her so strong.....

**Saturday Update**

Hello Everyone....It has truely been an amazing week for us.  Ayanna is gaining weight she is up to 6.36 kg (12.7 pounds)....she is just on a cpap now and as of this morning she is not on anything whenever she is awake....
We had such a crazy busy day yesterday all of the nursing companies came to interview...it's so hard as they are saying that she has 16hrs of RN care per day available to her but I really want to do the majority of her care....I wish that I would hit the lottery I would fly Lisa out here....I am really missing her so much!!!! I find myself wanting to call her and give her report just so I can hear her voice....I need to have her make me and Ayanna a cd of her just talking.....
We are hoping to come home the 18th of October, but my goal is the 12th....we have amazing Dr's at Children's Hospital it's just so hard leaving her each day...I wish that I could just room-in, but I think Cameron and Sam would dis-own me. 
We are going up to see her and spend the day with her after I get off work...Cameron is excited to give his sister a bath and play with her crazy hair....he is so excited for her to come home...it's so funny he is constantly making excuses why he shouldn't have to go to school and he knows that he can't say he is sick as he really can't go....but some of the excuses are so funny....boy does he have an imagination!!!
I just wanted to thank you all that have bought pieces of Ayanna's puzzle...it is here and Cameron's youth group at church are putting it together each Wednesday so this week I will have new pictures to post of it coming together!!!!!
My goal is to have the last of the legals paid for by the time she comes home, so I can just focus on spoiling her and taking her to all of her appts....
She is starting binky training and seems to dig it...no gaggin' so we have lots of yummy food in our future!!!!
Thank you all for the continued prayers and support and hugs each week they are so amazing.....we love you all and I will post again tomorrow...
love you all
Teresa

Update from Tuesday

We have ayanna on just cpap no support from the ventilator and so far so good.....GOD is so good!

Family Photos

Ayanna at the Hospital in Seattle

Ayanna's Transport Team

Bathtime

Ayanna and her puppy

Playtime!

Our Adoption Story

Good Morning Everyone.....its with HUGE joy that I tell you that our 4 month old flew to Seattle last Friday....Ayanna is now almost "home" she is at Children's Hospital for awhile but not in Florida anymore...For those of you that don't know our adoption story I will share with you...our adoption journey started 4 years ago when we were all ready for a baby....we waited and waited and nothing came of it...we signed up with Betty @ A Little Bit of Heaven and then things started to really happen...but me being impatient and wanting a baby right now we found a birthmom ourselves and the birthmother and her 2 yr old came from FL to live with us and she delivered a beautiful healthy baby girl.....and chose to parent her, so we were all so crushed. Then a year later we heard about an older child from a disrupted adoption and we started that process, but after 5 months he went back to his disrupted home as it wasn't a good fit with our family....so this whole ti me I am thinking "why isn't this happening" and I kept hearing over & over it will happen when GOD says your ready.....and this last May I was at work in the ER when my cell phone rang and the voice on the other end says to me....hello Teresa are you still looking to adopt & I said "yes" and she says a AA baby girl was born with severe special needs....and I said ok and the voice on the other end said no severe special needs and I said "ok, I heard you...I want her...." so I told her that I would call her back at the end of my shift and get all of her information. I called the lady and told her again that we wanted her...she told me that she would start the process....and it's now 4 months later and she is amazing....she was born with no anus, one kidney, and her female organs aren't all hooked up, and she was born with severe trachea malacia. She has had 4 major surgeries thus far and is doing better but we have a long road ahead of u s...She just recently got a new trach and is not having anymore "death spells". She has the most amazing temperament and personality it's such a blessing....It was so hard getting the approvals to have her medically air-lifted to Seattle....just a quick note I had to call the Gov of Florida and he helped alot.....but anyways the adoption is moving right along and she is only 30 minutes away now not 3500 miles away and we are going to be meeting with all of her specialist's this week.....

Ayanna now has her own blog that an amazing friend that has adopted 10 beautiful kid's help me build so you all could see her and know how she is doing...On her blog there is a puzzle that we are selling pieces of for $1.00 you are welcome to buy more than one piece if you chose, but if you could help us pass the link around to all that you know that would be so great......the funds raised from the puzzle will go to Heart of Adoption to finalize her adoption.....I want to thank each of you for taking the time to read "our story"...and wish you all blessings.....and the moral of our story is God will provide and answer your prayers we just have to ask him and be patient......here is the link.....PLEASE pass on to all of your friends, church family, and your facebook friends, and anyone else that you can think of....and we'd love to hear your adoption story too.....after all we are all ONE family.....www.ayannaspuzzle.blogspot.com

Ayanna's Puzzle

What: We are raising $7000 in funds to complete our adoption of Ayanna Simone.

When: We need to raise this money as quickly as possible to pay our legal fees in order to finalize the adoption.

How Can You Help: Purchase a puzzle piece. Each piece is $1.00, but feel free to purchase as many pieces as you would like. As you purchase the piece, we will add it to the puzzle to complete the picture and complete our adoption.

Watch: The thermometer on our page daily to see how we are doing. You can also check our webpage to see updates as we put the puzzle together with each piece that is purchased.

Go: To the Donate button and purchase your puzzle piece.

Share: Our website http://www.ayannaspuzzle.blogspot.com/ with everyone you know.



Ayanna's Puzzle

Ayanna's Send Off From Florida

Ayanna is on her way....

It's finally here my little princess is on her 1st offical "field trip" home...I can't believe it! I haven't slept all night...neither has Cameron her new big brother...we are trying to get her bag ready to meet her at the hospital today..Elisa & Cindy called me bright & early and said that she had a royal send off at the hospital and that she was all smiles...when the phone rang at 7:15am this morning i was still crying and when I heard Lisa's voice the tears of joy just made them pour more as I know that she is going to miss her so much!  Kathy the fight nurse is supposed to call me at the 1/2 post so I will post an update...and I will make sure that we get TONS of video and pictures today....Sunday will be the day that we get to take our 1st family pictures as big sis "Ericka" & Gavin Max will be home, so those phones will be posted as well.....i want to thank you all....the nurses, and our famiy and the AMAZING church family that we have with all of the phone calls and constant prayer and support and re-assuring words...thank you all!

Ayanna with her Nurses

Ayanna with Dad and Mom

Daddy, Mommy and Ayanna

Ayanna with Mommy

Ayanna with Daddy

Ayanna Simone Taylor

Ayanna Smiling



Ayanna in high chair

Ayanna with Puppy



Ayanna Sleeping Soundly



Coming Home Tomorrow

Ayanna Simone Taylor is coming home to Seattle tomorrow!

Ayanna is such a blessing. She was born on May 1, 2010. She has the most amazing disposition. Ayanna was born with severe trachea malacia and a T fistula. She was also born with only one functioning kidney, no anus, and vaginial issues. She has had a T fistuala repair surgery, as well as a nissen fundoplication to help the reflux. She also has a custom trachea to prevent an airway collapse, an temporary ostomy and she is fed by a G-tube. I will take more pictures of her tomorrow, when she arrives.