Posts

Faith's Blended Diet and Other Things that Help with Her Digestion

Image
This page contains affiliate links and Faith's Mom may earn a commission if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, Faith's Mom earns from qualifying purchases.  Learn more.   Ever since Faith was born, she has struggled with her digestion. When she was in the NICU, she would spit up after eating even the tiniest amount of formula. Her dad and I were convinced her tummy was too small to handle large volumes of food. Sometimes when she ate, her heart rate would drop really low, which is why she needed to be in the NICU for longer. She just could not get the hang of eating and breathing at the same time!  Faith receiving food through an NG tube in the NICU.  Grandma giving Faith a bottle when she was 2 months old.  After finally bringing her home, eating continued to be an issue as she struggled with severe reflux and constipation. We tried various formulas, but she was never able to drink enough formula to gain a lot of weight. She also had trouble burping, and she...

We Made It Through December

Image
Every December, I look for Christmas shows to record and then watch them after Faith has gone to bed. I love curling up with a fuzzy blanket and a cup of tea with the Christmas tree lights on, watching a holiday program. Usually, there is Christmas music involved!  This year, one of the shows I watched was Little Big Town's Christmas at the Opry . It was really good, and one of the most memorable performances was the country band's rendition of the Merle Haggard song, " If We Make It Through December ."  When I heard them sing that song, I resonated with the title. Faith and I had both come down with COVID. Before that, I was just getting over a bout of the stomach flu. (Thank goodness Faith didn't catch that!) In between sicknesses, Faith and I managed to make it to The Nutcracker, but that's about the only thing we did in the days leading up to Christmas.  We made it to our 7th annual Nutcracker performance!  One thing I missed that I was very disappointed a...

My Little Vacay to Nebraska

Image
When one thinks vacation, they probably don't think about Nebraska, especially in November! But when I heard that a friend of mine was going be having surgery in Omaha, I began thinking about how great it would be to go down that way. That, and the fact that my sister, Tesa has lived in Lincoln for 17 years, and I have never had the chance to visit made me seriously consider the possibility.  Lo and behold, my dad had also been talking about heading South to Texas in November to hunt wild pigs. My two respite care workers were available to look after Faith starting on a Friday morning through Tuesday evening. All I had to do was book a flight so I could get back home.  Despite all the details falling into place, I was still anxious about it. I haven't flown since Faith was a baby, so I was especially nervous about that part. I prayed about it and believed that everything would be okay.  On the morning of my departure, Faith woke up just in time and her respite care staff ...

Faith Turns 21!

Image
Faith's 21st birthday was on Friday the 25th and it ended up being an all-day celebration! She didn't sleep well the night before, so I was a little concerned she would run out of steam, but she just kept going! It ended up being a beautiful fall day, so I didn't even need to put a jacket on her, which is rare for the end of October.  Faith in her new birthday shirt!  This year, she was able to bring cupcakes to HIT. Last year, due to the dietary restrictions of her peers, she didn't bring any treats. This year, however, she is a new room, where they truly love their snacks! After I dropped her off, I raced around like a maniac getting her ballons, presents, and everything else ready for the surprise party we would be having at the end of the day.  Faith with some of her staff making a cupcake delivery.  When I picked her up from her day program, I informed her that some friends of mine that I worked with wanted to give her a special birthday treat. So, we made our w...

Faith's First Concert Experience

Image
Earlier this year I decided it would be fun to do something extra special for Faith's 21st birthday. Ever since I went to Bon Jovi a couple of years ago with my sisters, Faith has been telling me she wants to attend a concert, too.  When she was younger, I knew she could not have handled all the noise, and that a concert would be way too overstimulating for her. I did, however, take her to a NDSU Bison game a couple of years ago and she handled that like a champ! Because of how well she did with that, I began searching for concerts coming to the area.  The only one that I thought Faith might be remotely interested in was the Zach Williams Revival Nights Tour . The best part was that it was going to be held in Fargo just a few weeks before her birthday! The tour also featured Matt Mahar and CAIN, who both perform songs that we sing in church.  First time ever at Scheels Arena in Fargo!  To make it even more exciting for her, I asked her dad if he could meet us ...

Our Review of Wheel of Fortune: The New Era

Image
This page contains affiliate links and Faith's Mom may earn a commission if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, Faith's Mom earns from qualifying purchases.  Learn more.   Last year, when I heard the news that Pat Sajak was retiring from Wheel of Fortune , I knew I better prepare Faith. When season 41 began, I told her, "This is Pat's last season. Next year, there will be a new host."  Faith likes Vanna but loves Pat!  Faith and I have faithfully watched Wheel of Fortune every night since she was about 5 years old. It's how she learned that AEIOU were vowels. The show was also a great way to reinforce the rest of the alphabet. Counting was reinforced, too. When Vanna turned the letters, she counted how many T's, N's, or other letters there were.  She also learned some geography skills with the different trips they gave away. Upon winning a trip to Aruba, she would ask, "Where's that?" Sometimes I honestly didn't know and had to loo...