Natalie's Baptism - October 28, 2007

Hey there,

I have been several months behind on pictures and wanted to get a few posted while the time presents itself.

On October 28th I was baptized at Northland Church in Longwood, Florida. Northland usually has their baptisms and child dedications in an afternoon seperate meeting, but this particular Sunday they did the baptisms during the service due to a special sermon.

Here some footage of the actual baptism my Aunt Janet took:

Here are some pics from the day. God is truely awesome.

Janet, Dad, Me, Grandma, and Grandpa

Grandma Moatsie, Mom, Me, Aunt Kim and Daddy Ron

My cake!

My first taste of cake!

My first trip to a Zoo..

Here are some pics from my trip to the Sanford Zoo that we took last Sunday with Mom's - Mom group.

Dad and me at the entrance

Did someone call me a spider monkey?

Taking a break on some hay..

Mom helping me see the big birds on the ground..

Biggest animals in the park were the elephant.

For some reason Dad has a goofy look on his face, but I'm sure cute though.

By request: The Bear Crawl

I WANT YOU, to check out my video!

Here's Natalie's preferred moving method: the Bear Crawl!

October is here! Baptism this month.

Hey there,

It's me again. I'm about 10 1/2 months now. I am learning all sorts of things and am still very inquisitive. I still am a petite little girl with my weight still under the charts at an average of 15lbs 7 ozs. This month I am set to be baptized at Northland Church. My parents are happy that it will be done during the service and with the Senior Pastor. I will post some pics after the event. The services are broadcasted over the Internet so if you're interested in watching E-mail my parents and they'll shoot you the date and time.

I'm still very active with standing and climbing on everything in my reach. I like to spin in a circle on floor sitting up. I also am pointing now at objects and things I want to touch. I also have been showing that I can have a temper when I don't get my way (but doesn't everyone?).

On a medical note I am completely off my medication now. The original problem still exists, but my Neurologist says it will probably go away in time. We meet again with him on November 12th. My parents are just thankful that they couldn't find anything. They now just stress about my weight, but they know God is in control of it all. I keep trying to tell them that I will gain weight once my top teeth start coming in and I can eat what interests me so much on their dinner plates.

Love,

Natalie

Hello! Here I come to get you.

I was so tired at the pumpkin patch, although this picture still turned out nice.

Me and a friend at play group. I had a good time now that I can crawl around.

Smile, I see you!

Dad thought this was a cute shot.

Something fun!

Quick video of me playing in the morning. Dad is still trying to figure out the video option on the camera so hopefully more to come. It's short and not the best quality, but it is small is size so quick to download. Love you all.

I'm tired of having my head examined!

Hello again,

Just another update to let you know that I had my 24 Video EEG on Monday/Tuesday of this week. They had a cancellation so Mom and Dad had to act quickly to get me loaded and back over to Florida Hospital. I got a room at the end of the pediatric hallway (6322) and then Dad began bringing up all my stuff to play in to my room. The room was rather small with a couch for Mom to sleep in and a huge metal beast of bed for me.

When they got me admitted they checked my vitals and then began the grueling task of placing all those wires on my head and then a ton of gauze around it to keep them in place. My head wardrobe gave the impression I was going out in the freezing snow to play. The wires were attached to a box that was plugged into the wall. The rough part is that the box was in a book bag that had to be carried or arranged where ever I went. I couldn't crawl around or leave the room. I was a real champ getting the wires placed on as long as Dad kept feeding my more puffs. Mom and Dad had to push a little button when I did my strange straining activities (thought to be seizures) and write down the times so they could be looked at especially on the charts.

Me wrapped up sitting in the giant bed.

Dad had to leave around 10pm since there was only allowed one visitor after visiting hours. He came back at 8am with coffee and a few goodies for Mom. I took a nap with him that morning since I didn't sleep to well that night being tied to that machine on my head. I think my longest stretch was two hours.

Like my new winter outfit?

The good news finally came when Dr. Barr (my neurologist) came about 10am. He said that their were no abnormalities during the exam, even when the button was pushed for my supposed seizures. He said I could slowly start to come off the medication and hopefully in six weeks when I see him everything will still be fine.

We still haven't explained away the strange behavioral thing I do, but the overall thought process is that I will outgrow it.

Thank you all again for all the prayers for me. I know their were many out there that prayed that I didn't even know. It is most humbling to know that I was cared about so much and that God did some wonderful healing and comforting for me and my family. God is awesome!

Love,

Natalie

MRI Over

Me and the one of Doctors at the Hospital.

Haaaah,

I wanted to post a message to let you know that my MRI is over. I took the MRI on Thursday at Florida Hospital. I had to go without food for a good part of the day because of the MRI and because of the backlog of getting me in. My appointment was for noon so I could only have some milk until 7:15am. While I was there I got to play in a pretty good size play room and they had a big stuffed bear I liked to smile at. Mom and I sat inside a playhouse for awhile and I took a good nap around one. The staff there was really nice and although my appointment got pushed back two and half hours, I wasn't too fussy. Mom and Dad cried a bit when I was put under but I was too busy trying to get that smell out of my nose to notice (smell of fingernail polish remover). In the recover room I was weak and upset, got a little better when Mom and Dad got there and the nurse remove the huge IV needle out of my hand. I quickly drank down a box and half of juice and then went home.

The big bear in the playroom.

Me and Mom playing in the little playhouse.

Dr. Lacy (My pediatrician) was able to get the MRI report on Saturday and he called Dad and told him that the report was normal. YEAH!! Thanks for all the prayers for a good report.

I went in for my nine month visit last Tuesday. I am up to 15lbs 3ozs and my length is 26". I am still a lightweight, but my parents are still working on me. My parents invested in a baby scale so we can see my process as we go.

On Friday Dad poured some sand in my sandbox. At first wasn't impressed and a bit apprehensive of the sand, but I eventually got into it. I started throwing it around and mashing it between my toes and fingers. I even took a big handful of sand in placed it my mouth.. mmhhh sand.

I think Dad was the one who wanted sand in the sandbox. ;)

Aunt Jan and Cooper were layover'd at MCO on Friday afternoon so Mom and Dad took me to the airport to see them. We had a good time showing them my new skills. We also got to see this big fish tank that I enjoyed watching the fishes going round and round in.

Aunt Janet, Coop and me playing at the airport.

Aunt Jan talked the folks into a photo. Check out the fish tank to the left.

Well Mom and I are delivering meals on wheels today. Tomorrow I get my nine month shots. Wednesday we have Kindermusic. Hope you all have a good week.

Love,

Natalie

9 months, 8 days later

Which one doesn't belong in this basket?

Good Evening,

It has been a few weeks since my last post and I wanted to update you all with what has been new in my short life. First I will start out with the new things I've learned how to do. I am crawling and sitting up on my own. I can clap my hands together quite well. I am starting to figure out how this voice thing works and am saying, "da, da, da, da .. " quite a bit now. I have been learning sign language for almost three months now and am pretty good at recognizing some signs Mommy and Daddy do now. When prompted verbally or with the sign I am really starting to catch on. My favorite one my parents do is "Where is Daddy?" and then I look for my Daddy.

I am attending my second session of Kindermusic now which is hard to explain, but we meet once a week and play with different toys and music and learn new songs. I always have a good time watching the other kids and playing with the new toys. I am starting to stand up by holding onto things, but I am obviously still a little wobbly on my toes. I received a new sandbox recently from Dad's friend Chuck and even though they have not put sand in it yet, it is a lot of fun. The sandbox is in the shape of a big red dog and I like to sit in there and play with my little beach balls.

From a medical perspective things are still a bit up in the air. My weight has been a problem, but I feel I am making great progress at getting that in order. I went in a few weeks ago and weighed 13lbs 6ozs. The Doctor really wasn't impressed and said I needed some more work on it. My Mom took me back in a week later and I was up to 14lbs 11ozs. The Doctor still doesn't seem impressed, but I think 1lb 5ozs in a week is good progress. It has been a couple weeks since I went in for a weight check, but Dad ordered me a scale and it should be here next week so we can check more often. Also next Tuesday I go in for my nine month checkup so I'm sure I will still be moving up on the weight.

As far as the neurologist goes, I went back yesterday for a follow up. The medicine had been bumped up two times and none of us had seen any real change. Mom and Dad were not ready to leave this appointment until they could show one of the specialists what exactly I was doing. We met with with CPNP and after placing me in my Bumbo for a minute she was able to see what I was doing. She was pretty sure what we were seeing was not seizures because of some of the symptoms I was not showing like she could move my feet (they were not locked like someone having a seizure) and my eyes were not focused off into space and I was still dis tractable. This was sort a plus, but they still don't know what is wrong and with the abnormal EEG they still want to do the MRI and now they want a 24 hour video EEG. The CPNP still did not want to take me off the medicine until after the MRI and EEG since I could still be having a seizure in the future and it is not easy to just stop the medicine. The video EEG is done in the hospital during 24 hour period and the equipment is still strapped on my head (which I hated last time). My parents and I are to try and carry on a normal day in the hospital room while the Doctor monitors the results. My head size was marked in the 2nd percentile, which was not that strange to me since everything about me is low on the chart.

Next Thursday I go in to get the MRI. My parents are a bit worried since I will have to be put under and an IV stuck in my arm to insert the dye. It will start around noon, so if any of you think of it we could certainly use your prayers.

I am still pretty much a happy baby and have lots of fun time around the house with Mom during the day. Mom still takes me places even though I still have my little spells when we travel, but she limits them to short trips unless I nap on the road. My Mom has made my situation better by just learning to cope with it and not placing me in the devices that cause my spells and I do quite well most of the time. Our hope and prayer is that the MRI won't show any problems and I'll just out grow this over time.

Much Love,

Natalie

Someone help me out of the prison!

Thanks Chuck for the Big Red Dog!

Trying to enjoy myself at the water park. All this fun for a buck!


Me and My Da, Da, Da, Da..

Ms. Carole gave me the best set of balloons. I had the best time with them. Hopefully I can figure out how to upload the video.

Where's Natalie?!? Daddy made me a pillow nest

I like to sit on Dad's shoulders and pull his hair..

Baby update.. 8-22-07

Friends and Family,

It has been just over a week now since we went to the Neurologist and got medication. The first few days were rough since I lost my appetite and was having diarrhea quite a bit. I bounced back from the appetite I lost after a few days and am now eating quite well. Actually the past few days my whole personality is back and I am quite happy most of the time. I am still working on crawling and enjoy my walks and pool time. Unfortunately the seizures (or whatever they are) have not improved much and last night the Doctor had us increase the medication. The seizures are not constant as long as I am not in the car seat. It mostly happens when I am tired or hungry or have been in a toy requiring a sitting position or high chair for a little while. My parents are happy that my demeanor has been amazing and I am actually taking the medicine quite well.

Here are some more recent pics. We will continue to keep you all posted and thank you all so much for your prayers an thoughts.

Mom and Dad got me some new mats to play on.

Aren't I cute in tub? :)

Pediatric Neurologist update

Just got back from the Pediatric Neurologist. Dr. Barr thought it was probably child epilepsy and would treat it with medication. He expects with the medicine we would see a positive change in 3-5 days. They want to schedule an MRI to make sure there are not any other problems. The visit went well and we were able to show him video of what she was doing. Dr. Barr didn't rule out that it could be some behavioral activity also. We will continue to pray for a good MRI.

Requesting Prayers

Good morning,

I wanted to make a post requesting your prayers. We have gotten the results from Natalie's EEG and the results were abnormal. We are not exactly sure what this means and we have an appointment to see the neurologist on Monday at 1pm. From what I can tell the EEG measures brain waves and one side of her brain is producing a different waves then the other and certain times. This seems to be an onset of seizures which is why we took her to the Doctor since we were experiencing some random spasms of sorts. Medication will most likely be needed to control this. We pray (and request your prayer) that whatever this is that it would be minor and go away over time. We also pray for the tests going forward that Natalie would not be to upset during them. The EEG was quite a challenge and we know they will want to put her under for an MRI soon. This will be a challenging weekend as we wait to know what is going on with our Little Nugget.

Thanks in advance for your prayers, for we know there is power in prayer.

Love,

Michael, Krystie and Natalie

August Already?!

Grandma bathing me while Daddy was out of town

Hey there,

Here it is already August and I haven't updated photos in a month. Well I am going to post some pics from mid-July and hopefully post again real soon.

Quick synopsis on the month: I got the opportunity to go to two parties in July and see lots of people. My Daddy left for a week for some training in St. Petersburg and Grandma flew up to for part of the week to help keep me busy. Daddy and Mommy had their 5th Anniversary and Grandma Moatsie came over and watched me solo for 24 hours. I went to the Doctors a couple of times and the Doctor told my parents I had to eat more solids. I now get four solid meals a day and only a couple milk sessions. I currently weigh 13 lbs 6 ozs. I got to go visit Missy and Evan and see their new baby Amelia Jean. Grandpa came up for his 62nd birthday. I also had to go in for an EEG (eeww!). I am close to crawling, but I am still having troubles getting my arms doing what I need to do to really move. I usually can get to what I want as long as it is close by doing my face plant scoot.

Now onto the pictures:

Amelia Jean (Mia), Daddy and Me

My routine before bed

Daddy loves the way I am reaching up into the picture on this one.

My buddy Jacob and me. (Can you believe he is only a week older than me)

Me, Grandma Moatsie and Daddy Ron and the 4th of July party.

Me and Mommy again before bed.

Almost July! Summer Times

Gee, Gee, Ouu, I mean Hello world!

Hi again. It is near the end of June and I am almost ready to turn seven months! Let me update you on the past few weeks.

Last Tuesday, June 19th I went in for my six months shots. I am in the 25 percentile as far as height (25 inches) and below the chart in weight (12lbs 12 ounces).. finally doubling my birth weight, but not enough to stay on the chart. The Doctor didn't seem worried since I am still progressing. Dad noted that I was up 8 ounces in two weeks since the last time I was in prior with a viral infection. I guess that's good, but maybe I'm a little just a little petite girl.

Grandma and Grandpa from Naples came up for Father's day (6/17) and Grandma's birthday (6/16/07). We went to a BBQ over at the Waterston's house and I got to swing in a home depot race car on a full swing set. It was a good weekend.

Grandma and me on the back porch.

Grandpa and me opening up a Father's Day gift. I love to rip paper!

Let me think of things I can do now. I am enjoying stage two baby food and still trying to find the right sippy cup or way to get some juices in my body. Sometimes I will take it from a cup and Mom has found sometimes she can squirt some in my mouth with a straw, but I haven't really taken to one thing I like best. I do enjoy some juicy fruits through a baby strainer device that I just gnaw on for a while.

I have start to enjoy my Johnny Jumper a little more lately. I can stand it (or bounce in it) for quite awhile as long as someone I love is in visible range.

In my Johnny jumper gear

I have started getting out of the house a bit. I have been to Miss Connie's (Day care) house twice now. She is the nice lady who watches Paige (my neighbor) a few times a week. I am trying to start a routine of going there on Wednesday mornings for four hours. The first time I went I cried for awhile and then took a long nap. The second time I went I cried for a few minutes and seemed to have a decent time. I am experiencing some separation anxiety so we are trying some new things so maybe it won't be so bad. I have been trying to go to Grandma Moatsie's once a week for a few hours (to get me out of the house) and I have had babysitter Julie (new person, but at my home) come over once watch me. Mom and Dad finally had a date last Monday (6/18) when Miss Julie came over for two and half hours. Mom and Dad went to Houston's and I heard had a good time together.

I have gotten in the pool two more times and humor my parents for a little while before requesting I get out. I am doing much better at sitting up and properly motivated I can do it by myself for quite awhile. I got an opportunity to go see my Uncle Ken and Aunt Kimmie a few Sunday's ago. It was nice to sit down with them for awhile.

My Uncle Ken and me.

Mom, cousin Audrey and me

Well I am going to run off. I woke with a temperature today and a little rash and my Mommy is taking care of me all by herself tonight since Dad had to go to a training in St. Petersburg. Hope to see you all soon. Here is a cute pic of me in the tub and a couple with my favorite Mommy in the whole world. God Bless and please pray for healing on my cold.

Love,

Natalie

Yummy.. Ducky taste so good.

Mom doing what she loves most, making me laugh

Aren't we cute together. God picked out the best Mom for me.