Born 12 weeks early and diagnosed with cystic fibrosis shortly People didn’t think I’d live past 5 and tomorrow I turn 34 years old. BOOM BABY! I wear my age, gray hair, and wrinkles proudly (yes, even the wrinkles). Hats off to all the medication for keeping me alive. And OF COURSE… my parents, doctors, family, and friends. Research and fundraising has really helped some AMAZING, life prolonging drugs come to market. I have a large support system that helps…
Finding ME TIME can be hard, even feel selfish. But, I have learned a lot. It’s a bit of a story, let me start back at February 5th… February 5th, it was a cold, dark, stormy night. OOPS! Nevermind. This isn’t a murder mystery. Feb 5th: I had Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, my first appointment of the year. Which means mental health screening. Like my usual- I score zero signs of depression and very high on anxiety. This is an accurate…
It’s challenging to foster, it’s not a challenge to love the kids Andrew and I began fostering in August of 2017. We have had two cases and 4 kiddos live with us during the last 1.5 years. Jumping into fostering 3 kids at once, was a lot. You become an instant parent. READY or NOT! Prepping? It’s hard to know what you will need. An expecting mother has nine months to plan. She knows the age (and sometimes gender) of…
Andrew and I moved in October of 2018. We wanted slightly more space and being closer to family helps when I’m sick (I have Cystic Fibrosis). We are now super close to my sister and 30-45 minutes closer to the rest of our family. Which really helps during times (like now) when I’m on Ivs and extra meds. But, did you know I’m a Realtor (with Keller Williams) and house-enthusiast?? I LOVE homes!! I’m not just saying that. I have…
And I’m not talking about the new hit show “Tidying up with Marie Kondo,” although I DO love to purge items and be minimalist as possible. I’m talking about juggling life. Having a career, being a foster mom, with a chronic illness like cystic fibrosis can make it feel like I’m juggling 10 items at a time. I think I’m finally getting an idea of what I need to do! I sleep 9:00 pm-6:30 am (yes, full 9.5 hours) and…
This was the first FULL year we had kiddos in our home. We became fosterparents in 2017. We loved sharing memories and moments with all the kiddos we had in our home this year! Celebrating birthdays, holidays, and other big events! 2018 started a little rocky health wise. I was admitted multiple times between Jan-April. However, I started a new medication this year that was a bit of a game changer so far for me. Since starting symdeko I haven’t…
My husband and I have been foster parents for just over a year. On August 4th 2017 we took in our first set of kiddos. If you have reading my blog you will know I refer to them by Cajun,Barbie, Shoes. All three are amazing kids! It was a whirlwind of lots of learning, and firsts for them. But the learning and proud moments made up for the pure chaos. Being a part of all that learning, creates a bond….
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been a year since we moved our blog to MoreThanDNA.org! A lot has happened in that year. My husband and I became Foster Parents to some amazing kiddos and still have one of those kiddos living with us. We have loved having “Shoes” with us and can’t believe how much he has grown and learned in the year!I’m so proud of him! We have court next week, so prayers that it goes okay (and doesn’t…
I feel so incredibly fortunate to have such amazing people in my life. This Father’s day I not only celebrate my father (Grandpas, Father In Law, Uncles, and more), but I am happy to celebrate Andrew’s first “Father’s” day! He may not be a biological father, but he is a father figure and role model for all the kids we have in our home. Every year in the past I have focused my blog on my own father. I even wrote…
I was lucky enough to try on both the Monarch and AffloVest (portable therapy vests) while I was in the hospital. Luckily, since those two hospital stays I have been doing fairly well healthwise. I caught one virus that knocked me down for a bit, but my immune system fought it off with meds at home. No hospital or IVs this time, whew. I have needed to be healthy lately, considering I have been super busy between work, “Shoes’ Appointments…