Yesterday we went to the Doctor for Kate's 3 month post surgery visit.  Based on the way she had been acting and growing we were optimistic that things were going well for her.  While her Doctor would not say we are out of the woods yet, he gave us reason to be optimistic.  To all of you that have been praying for her we thank you.  We will have to go back in 3 months for more tests.  In the interim we will go on with life and stay positive that she will have a full recovery.

Last Thursday our Princess went under the knife again. This time to remove the stint that was inserted in December. This procedure was delayed twice due to severe rashes.  We are happy to report that she came through like a champ and is keeping her parents and brother busy chasing her around the house.   We want to thank everyone who has kept her and our family in your thoughts and prayers. They are appreciated!

We want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009! If you are a frequent visitor to the site you know that something was amiss over the past few weeks.  Our custom on this site is to post weekly on Tuesday (US+2sDay). The story  and reason for the delay in posting is included at the end of this post. We have a lot to be thankful for!

Kate was able to come home for Christmas and is on the Mend!

This was not quite the Christmas season that we had planned.  It has however allowed us to reflect on what is truly important and to take stock of our blessings. Throughout this month we have felt the thoughts and prayers poured out for her.  We have been the recipients of a lot of love and friendship over the past few weeks. We especially want to thank our family, friends and church family; the visits, cards and calls all were uplifting.  We were not able to attend church this past month, however we were able to focus on the season through daily email advent messages from our pastor (Thanks Tom)!  Grandma B and our friends took good care of Mr H while Mom and Dad took care of Kate. A special thanks to Miss Joy, Mr Tom, Carley and Riley and to Miss Andrea, Mr Randall, Olivia and Julia.  Words cant express the gratitude that we feel.  To Aunt Heather, Uncle Mel and Cousin Carter, sorry we were not able to carry out our Christmas plans with you. Thanks for being so understanding.  Here are the Christmas Pictures: (This is a slide show, navigate through it by clicking on the picture with your mouse) [Gallery not found] Kate's Story: Sonograms taken prior to the birth of our twins indicated that our daughter had Hydronephrosis. This is a collection of fluid on the  kidneys.  Shortly after her birth she had an operation that we hoped would correct this condition.  All seemed to be going ok but we had to wait for her to develop.  She was tested every six months and the yearly checkup looked promising.  However at the 18 month visit it was discovered that she had developed reflux and urine was backing up toward her kidneys. For the past few months it has been UTI after UTI.  Her urologist recommended surgery.  Two weeks before Christmas she underwent major surgery to reconstruct the path between her bladder and kidneys. The surgery lasted over four hours, but she came through like a little trooper. Here are pictures from the first visit to the hospital:

Surgery Prep

Bedside with Dad

Bedside with Mom

Scooting around the 2nd Floor

Grandmothers

Cousins

FunUncle and Mr H

Get Well Poster from our Church Friends

As planned we were released from the hospital on Sunday the 14th of December.  Our princess had a catheter removed on Wednesday, and we thought all was going well.  The next day our princess took a turn for the worse and by Friday morning we were in the ER.  Our precious daughter was gravely ill.  An infection was surging through her body and she required immediate care. By Saturday she had a fever approaching 105 degrees and the Pediatrician informed us that a full attack was needed to combat this strain of ecoli. By Sunday they better identified the bug in her system and were able to pinpoint the required antibiotic. She received three doses and a lot of care over the next few days. We are grateful for the loving care she received from all of the hospital staff.  Kate even got a bear from the Jaguar Football Players. We were finally released from our Second stay on Tuesday before Christmas. What a wonderful Christmas Gift! It is great to be back!

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