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Monday, March 30, 2009

Not Me Monday

This Not Me Monday is in honor of Precious Stellan. He is MckMama's 5 month old son who is in PICU with SVT. He is fighting for his life. Please continue to keep this baby and his parents in your prayers. Please check out his mom's site at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/.



I did not wake up all through the night all week long just to pray for Stellan.

I did not completely fall apart several times this week thinking and praying for this special little boy.

I did not go out and buy a card and a gift certificate from Wal-Mart for them and send it off. Seeing that I have no clue who they are except through blogging, I totally wouldn't do anything like that.

I did not get up every morning and run to my computer to see if anything significant happened overnight.

I did not check twitter and blogger.com every 10 minutes or so throughout everyday just to see if there were any updates on Stellan.

I did not totally consume my thoughts about this little boy all week long!

I did not tell all my friends and family to pray for this precious boy whom I don't even know.

I also did not post about him on my blog several times. Seeing that I don't know the sweet baby, I wouldn't do anything like that. Not me!

This sweet baby has not touched me in a way you wouldn't believe. Nope, no one could do that that I don't eve know. Not this sweet, Stellan!

It's amazing the things that you won't do for a family that you don't even know.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Pray for Stellan

Hey Everyone,
This is supposed to be Wordless Wednesday. Here is my picture below. Click on it and go to the blog. Read all about Stellan and start praying! This little boy needs all the prayers he can get!! His family is staying strong and leaning on God!
Prayers for Stellan

P.S. - Say a pray for my bff Cassandra as well as she will have surgery this a.m.
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Monday, March 23, 2009

Pray for Stellan

I'm asking for everyone to go over to McMama's blog and pray for her little one Stellan today! He really needs some major prayer right now with a heart condition that he has. He's only 6 months old...way too young! Please, jump over and start praying!!!

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Well, today is Thursday and it's a day to let everyone in bloggy land know what you are most thankful for this Thursday. This was started by my bff Cassandra. So, grab the button and start telling us what you are most thankful for!
Today, I am most thankful for my wonderful husband, Quint! He is my provider, my shelter, my protector, my comforter, my partner, my best friend, my laughter when I'm sad, my patience, he's my everything!

Quint and I have been married for 6 1/2 wonderful years now. I absolutely would not change a thing! I love him more than he will ever understand. He's the most wonderful husband, he can do anything in my eyes. He can be my Mr. Fix it or he can be my cuddle bug, it doesn't matter, he always does it best! He's the best daddy anyone could ever ask for. Caden loves him so much and it's very evident when he chooses his daddy over me anyday.

Quint and I have had lots of fun times together. We were married 4 1/2 years before Caden was born and frankly, I can even hardly remember those 4 1/2 years. I'm sure we had lots of fun and did lots of things, but everything felt just right after Caden was born. I just love watching him with our little boy. Once Caden came along, he changed our world! For the better, of course. Quint turned into this perfect father with tons of patience as soon as he was born. He is the daddy who would get up with me at midnight and 2:00 feedings just so I don't have to do it by myself. He is the daddy who will kiss a scraped knee and fix it all up for Caden so it doesn't hurt anymore. He is the daddy who will run circles all over the yard chasing Caden just because Caden says to "run daddy." He is the daddy who get's Caden from preschool right when he gets off work at 3:00 just to have some father and son time before I get home from work. He is the daddy who loves, cares, protects, helps, encourages and enables our son. He is the most awesome daddy ever!

When Quint and I were dating (which was only for 5 months before we were engaged) those were all qualities that I looked for. It didn't matter to me what he did for work or whether he had lots of money, all that mattered to me was that he would take care of us and love our family more than anything. He does! He would do anything for Caden or myself. He is the most selfless, caring person that I know. That's my husband! I thank God everyday that he sent Quint into my life. I couldn't imagine my life without him!

I love you honey, more than words can ever express! You are my everything! Thanks for putting up with me these past 6 1/2 years, I pray that we have many, many more to go!

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Monday, March 16, 2009

Caden's Kidney Story

This is my background story on our little boy, Caden. This is an article that was published in our local newspaper that I was asked to write. Hopefully this will give everyone a little insight into our miracle.

When we discovered we were expecting, we were as excited as any young couple would be. At twenty weeks we knew we would be blessed with a little boy whose name would be Caden Robert Burdick. The trouble began at twenty-eight weeks into the pregnancy. One Friday morning I woke up knowing something was wrong. I didn’t wait for an appointment; I went straight to the doctor and told them that I really believed something was not right. Another ultrasound was not due, but the nurse decided to do an ultrasound to give me peace of mind. The ultrasound revealed that Caden’s kidneys and bladder were enlarged. From that point on, my pregnancy was a whirl wind of doctors, ultrasounds, stress tests, every week to make sure Caden was doing okay in the womb. We met with doctors in Montgomery and specialists in Birmingham who explained that Caden could have one of five blockages but that could only be known when he was born. You can imagine the trauma when the doctors mentioned that our little boy might need a kidney transplant, but they would not know for sure until extensive tests could be done when he arrived into this world. At thirty-four weeks, the doctors decided to do an amino test to make sure that nothing else would be genetically wrong with Caden. The doctors were unsuccessful in getting the necessary amino fluid and after three failed attempts, they put me in the hospital for close monitoring of not only me, but Caden. It seemed like everyday brought new decisions to be made and we had to decide whether to deliver in Birmingham or Montgomery. From those consultations, it was decided it would be best to for Caden to enter this world in Montgomery because the doctor thought his problem was not severe and there would be plenty of time to go to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

At thirty six weeks my blood pressure was not stable and I was starting to swell which would create stress for our child. So labor was induced and Caden Robert Burdick came into the world on December 29, 2006 at 11:36 p.m. Of course, he was the most precious child that my husband and I had ever laid eyes on.

The morning after he was born tests were run to determine the blockage and the severity. The test results came back more severe than anticipated resulting in us going by ambulance to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham when Caden was just two days old. Upon arrival to Children’s Hospital he was immediately put into ICU where a catheter was inserted to drain his bladder and the fluid out of his system. The problem was a blockage where his bladder and his urethral tube meet - called Posterior Urethral Valve Blockage – the worst scenario possible! Caden’s bladder was backed up, urination was impossible, causing his bladder to become enlarged. This affected his urethra tubes and kidneys causing permanent damage to his bladder and kidneys. An added problem was reflux in one of his urethra tubes making an infection possible to his kidneys.

At one week old Caden underwent surgery to remove the blockage. The blockage was a flap of skin that did not absorb normally while his body was forming. The doctors assured us that his problem was “severe,” and that it was possible that he would have to undergo a kidney transplant somewhere around his first birthday, and even be on dialysis before that. The official name of his condition is Chronic Renal Insufficiency. For my husband and me, it was a nightmare. We felt that all hope was going down the drain and we almost shut down physically and emotionally. Our thought was that no parent should have to go through such trials when their child is just days old.

The entire process from the first appointment when we knew something was wrong many people started praying for our son. Caden, Quint and I were covered in prayer. People were praying for us from all over the world, from China to Brazil, and all over the USA. We have a strong Christian background, and we totally believe in the power of prayer and the power of miracles. However, sometimes it’s easier to believe in a miracle for someone else than for yourself. The real reality is that faith is the key that unlocks the door and opens up your total spirit to the power of God. We knew God created Caden and we will trust Him to heal him.

The name “Caden” means “Fighter.” Our son has been a little “fighter” throughout this whole process. After the hospital, with Caden doing much better, he has continued to improve everyday. Every appointment brought good news of improvement. At first we went every two weeks, then every four weeks, and now we go every three months for check-ups because he is doing so great. His disease is far from gone. He has only one kidney that functions, the other will wither away over time. The bible says, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made,” so much so that God made it so we could function with just one kidney. In the event that his one good kidney fails to handle the filtering then it is back to square one of needing a transplant. That is reality. But, for now his one kidney is functioning great! To God Be the Glory!

**UPDATE - Since this article was written, Caden had to go ahead and have his right kidney removed. He had reflux in his ureter tube which caused a lot of infections. The doctor had two options. Either remove the whole kidney and tube together and nix any other chance of infections or try to repair the ureter tube. The repairing would have actually be the harder of the two surgeries. After several tests, we found that Caden's right kidney only functioned at 7%, so it was not worth the pain and trouble to repair the tube, it was then the right decision to just remove the right kidney all together. He went in the hospital on August 1, 2008, a Friday morning and WALKED out by himself the very next day less than 24 hours later. God is so good to us!

Below are a few pictures from that hospital stay.

This is the first time I saw Caden after surgery, above.

How pitiful do those little eyes look?

Caden's incision from where his kidney was removed....looks great!


Caden was very happy the next day. A totally different child!
He walked out on his own less than 24 hours later! God is amazing!

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Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. Check it out!


We did not buy a used vehicle this past week just to take it to the shop that very next day. No, we aren't that stupid to not get the vehicle checked out before we bought it. Nope, not me. And it was not on Friday, the 13th either.

We did not go out to eat Friday night on the 13th to have terrible service and get our meal for free. Nope, not me, I'm definately not one to complain when there is terrible service.

We did not go to a birthday party yesterday at Pump-It-Up to have my child act like a terror not understanding that he has to take turns and wait in line. My husband and I did not each have to take him to the bathroom for a talking to. Nope, not us. We weren't embarassed at all!

I totally did not skip church yesterday since it was raining just to catch up on some good rest. Nope, I'm not that bad.

I did not lay around in my pj's all day yesterday until I had to get ready to take Caden to the birthday party. Nope, I was not that lazy!

So, those are the things I didn't do this past week...what did you not do?

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

Are you superstitious?

Well, I'm not a very supersitious person at all...but this past Friday was the 13th and well, it gave me a reason to start being a superstitious person.

See, what had happened was.......my husband had been looking for a vehicle for a while now. He's been driving my dad's old cadillac. He was embarassed by it and longing for another vehicle to drive. So, I told him if he wanted to use this years tax refund that he could buy a little something cheap just to get us by until he could get something nicer. Well, he found a 95 Isuzu Rodeo SUV and he loved it. We test drove it, looked all in it and really thought we looked it over well. Well, as soon as we got it home, it wouldn't crank. UGH! I was thinking, great, this is just our luck and on Friday the 13th as well. They told us that the battery cables needed to be replaced, so we had that head's up. We replaced both battery cables and the car still wouldn't crank. I take that back....sometimes it would crank and sometimes it wouldn't. So, my husband took it to a mechanic and they thought it could be the starter. Great, another $400 on top of what we just spent just yesterday for that stupid vehicle. I should have known better, I really should have. I told my husband that it was totally his choice on if he wanted to buy the car or not...he was like a kid at Christmas and really wanted it.

Anyway, all that to say, I'm becoming supersititous after all. I don't know what will happen to that dang vehicle and at this point I'm just frustrated beyond belief. I will never make any major purchases on a Friday the 13th again in my life. You sometimes wonder why junk like this happens to you. Because if it's gonna happen, I can guarantee you my life, I will be the one it happens too.

To top it all off last night, we went out to eat last night and our service was terrible...on Friday the 13th. We all ended up getting our meals for free. I mean nothing was going right last night, nothing.

So, there is my saga for this weekend...maybe it can only get better from here, who knows.
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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Today is Thankful Thursday...my bff Cassandra started this a few weeks back. It's your chance to stop and take time to realize what you are thankful for. This world is crazy enough, we all need to take time out and realize what we are most thankful for in life. Go ahead, try it! Grab her button and have fun!
Today, I am most thankful for my sister in law, Jessica! Wow, I don't even know where to start with her. We have been through so much together. She is married to my husband's brother, so we have each other to lean on when it comes to their family...haha! But, she and I started way before that and didnt' even know it. See, Jessica always says that we were destined to be sister in laws. Reason behind it is that we both dated a different set of brothers in high school. I dated the older brother and she dated the younger brother. We didn't realize it at the time and then later on came to date the set of brothers that we ended up marrying. I married the older brother and she married the younger brother. We got married just 4 short weeks apart. Wow! Their family had 2 major weddings in just 4 weeks apart. Good thing it was for the boys and they didn't have to do anything but the rehearsal dinner.

Anyway, back to my story. Jessica and I have always had each other to lean on in this family and in life. At first she wasn't so sure she liked me....(I mean, who could imagine that, I'm so sweet...haha). She told me that she had heard that I came from money (which is COMPLETELY NOT true) and she just wasn't sure about me. I don't remember the whole story. Anyway, so we decided to all four go on a six flags trip together. That's where we both really opened up to each other and it's been history since then. We have been with each other through thick and thin. God knows we needed each other in the family that we have! We have called each other up crying, laughing, confused, fighting, all of it.......and at the end of the day, we were still best friends!

We have gone on several vacations together, we have watched each other give birth to perfect children, we have completely taken our friendship and ran with it. We both realize that we are blessings to each other and we realize what we have is the most special relationship ever! Jessica and I always know no matter what happens, that we are always there for each other! She has two beautiful little girls (my nieces) whom I love more than anything. They are 3 and 1 and are perfect in every way! I can't wait for all our children to grow up together and have the bond that Jessica and I have. It will be amazing to watch.

Jessica is my best friend, and as an added bonus, my sister-in-law! She is my comforter, she is my strength, she is my wisdom, she is my motivator, she is my partner in crime, she is my best friend!! Thank you, Jessica for all the wonderful years of friendship and putting up with me! I love you more than words can say! Below is a picture of myself, Jessica and her husband Joe with Caden, Josie and Jolie!
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Caden got to ride the "big" tractor with his Pops yesterday. He was in Heaven!!! Here are just a few of the pictures from his "Tractor Day."








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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Do I feel spring in the air?

It has been such a beautiful past few days. It's so wierd how we had snow last weekend and then in flip flops and shorts this weekend. The weather has been absolutely beautiful! It was such a great weekend, we decided to take Caden and my nieces to the zoo this past Saturday. It was so much fun! Caden had lots of fun looking at all the animals and making their sounds. He was smiling the entire day. It was great family time. My dad and Shannon even came up there which was really nice! We played on the new playground at the zoo and just had a great day all around. Unfortunatley I don't have the pictures with me to post now..I'll have to post them when we get home.

I can't wait for the weather to continue to become spring time and then into summer. How the seasons just fly by. When I think of seasons, I think of friends, family, laughter, experiences and fun! Each season brings a new day and a new start. Are there any new starts you need to make right now? I've always heard the saying, "Friends come in Seasons." Which now that I'm almost 30...I'm finding is absolutely true. You only have a handful of great friends, but friends really do come and go just like the seasons. Let your friends know how much you love them!!! I just this past Sunday heard the saying, "A friend to everyone is a friend to no one." Think about that one. If you spend all your time being everyone's friend, you really will have no quality time with any of your friends. You can spread yourself too thin. I'm learning not to do that, I'd rather be a great friend to a few people rather than a lousy friend to a lot of people. God has put some awesome friends in my life, some which have gone their seperate ways now and some of which are still great friends of mine. I thank God everyday for the friends He has lead my way. Each of them which I can learn something new from, each of which, I hope I can teach them something new in life.

So, spring is in the air.........friendships are planted, watered and blossoming. I want all my friends to know how much I love you and am so glad you are in my life!!!! You know who you are and a few of you are my IRL bloggy friends too....Jessica, Cassandra, Heather....I love you girls more than you will ever know. Thanks for all the prayers, encouragement, laughter and fun! You girls are the best!
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Thursday, March 5, 2009

Thankful Thursday

This is a new idea that my bff started...Thankful Thursday. It is your day to be able to tell everyone in bloggy land what you are most thankful for. Each Thursday gives you an opportunity to look around at what God has blessed you with the most and tell about it. Jump in on the fun. You can grab her button on her blog, "Momma Needs A Time Out."

Today in honor of my bff, this blog will be about how thankful I am to have her in my life! Afterall, today is her birthday, so everyone jump over and wish her a Happy Birthday!!!

See What Had Happened Was.....it all started out with her sister in law, Kelly...we were best friends all throughout high school and grade school. Kelly decided to move on to Colorado to explore vet school. My best friend was leaving me, what would I do? Then God decided to bless me with another best friend! Cassandra and David were getting married and moving back to Alabama at the exact same time my other bff was leaving me. Cassandra and I instantly connected in a way that I cannot even explain. It ended up that we got married about 6 weeks apart from each other, so we already had that in common...the stresses of planning a wedding. I remember right after she got married, she really hardly knew me. She happened to be at the church helping out the day before I got married...I really can't remember why she was there to tell you the truth, it was all a big blur to me. I started flipping out because the decorating wasn't going how I wanted it, one of my moms friends made rice bags and I didn't want that, I wanted bubbles...I remember sitting on the back pew just crying. So, Cassandra just happened to be there and someone told her to take me away from the church and go get pedicures....I think that is truly where it all started! It's all history from there...really! We instantly bonded and have been unseperable ever since. Cassandra and I have been through many good times and bad times in life. God knew that I needed a bff like her in my life...she's always got her head on straight and can give the best advice ever! She has been there with me through everything! God knew I needed her. I've been through three pregnancies, only one of which we have a beautiful baby boy from. The other two, well, they were just nightmares. She was with me through all three even when she was hurting from a loss herself just a month earlier than my loss. My son was born with a kidney disease and has been through 2 surgeries and TONS of doctors appointments, she has been with me EVERY step of the way. She has driven the long haul to Birmingham with me more than anyone else. (That's the blessing of being a SAHM). To say that she's always there for me is an understatement. I can never explain to her how grateful I am to have her in my life. We have had great times together too...a great trip to Texas together and several beach trips, just the girls...girls nights out, shopping when we just need to get away from the house, wow, the memories are endless!!! It's so good to truly have a bff in life that you can do anything with!

So, today, I can truly say that I am thankful for my bff, Cassandra! Happy Birthday!!! I love you more than you will ever know! God truly had a sense of humor when he made us friends! You are my confidant, my shoulder to cry on, my partner in crime, my reasoning when I'm not able to, my true bff!!! I love you!
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

God's Beauty

Quint and I got to go away this weekend for a fellowship reunion with my work. Quint's brother and my sister in law came with us as well. We had an awesome time together!! The weekend was absolutely beautiful. We went to a camp retreat right outside Helen, GA. This weekend we had many opportunities to explore and appreciate God's beauty. The mountains were so georgeous and peaceful. Just looking around thinking that our God made this was just amazing. Then to go and sing about it, it was completely awesome. It rained off and on the whole time we were there and even the rain in the mountains was beautiful. On the way home, we got to experience a great amount of snow. It snowed on us almost the entire way home. How amazing it was to watch the snow fall and to remind me of Christ's forgiveness. I thought of the old hymn several times and the verse that says, "He washed me white as snow" as the snow continued to fall on our car during the drive home. God has great ways of bringing His children back to Him and reminding us of who really is in charge. This weekend was a perfect example of that and exactly what I needed to be refreshed and reminded on how awesome our God is!

We were also able to spend good, quality time with J &J. It had been years since we were able to go off together and just have fun. We all have had kids since our last adventure and this brought back many sweet memories. God places certain people in your lives for a reason and this weekend was a great reminder of that! You could tell that we were more exhausted and not as energetic as we use to be on our adventures, but that didn't keep us from having fun!

All in all, God put many reminders in front of me of His beauty! His beauty when it comes to the mountains, the rain, the snow, nature in general and then His beauty when it comes to family and how lucky we are to experience God's beauty together on this earth.
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