Cassiana's Tender Heart

Thankful!

November 27, 2009

Cassiana is doing well and she enjoyed some baby sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. She is still not gaining as much as the docs would like and they have upped her formula intake. She didn't particularly care for it last night but I am hopeful that in the coming days she will adjust. We are so thankful that she is doing so well and has made an amazing recovery.

We are also thankful for...
* the freedom to worship God
* being blessed with 6 gifts from the Lord (TJ, Kaetlyn, Bradley, Greysen, Lilea & Cassiana) and for Jeff and I to have each other,
* AMAZING support from our church, friends, heart families, and many other caring people
* The WONDERFUL people that help to care for Cassiana: Dr. Rick Mersch and his staff, home nursing services (Kristin & Cheryl and the other staff members that provide support services), and the Univeristy of Iowa Children's Hospital staff(doctors, nurses, housekeeping, pharmacist, phlebotomy, nutritionalist, social workers, and the many others involved with caring for the many children in the hospital)
* our health (no major health issues right now)
* a roof over our head,
* food to fill our tummies
* a van that runs for the most part
* bills being paid for another month
* and there is so much more that we are thankful for

Often we don't take enought time to give our sincere thanks for all that we do have. We are blessed with so much!!

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
~1 Thessalonians 5:18~

Posted by Tina Ashcraft.

keeping up-to-date

July 1, 2009

I am finding it difficult to post updates in two different spots right now. If you would like to follow the daily updates on Cassiana please visit her carepage at http://www.carepages.com/carepages/BabyCassiana. Registration is required but it is very simple to do. If this doesn't work for you please let me know by emailing me at babycassiana@gmail.com.

Currently, Cassiana is doing well. Her breathing tube was removed yesterday!! She was started back on her feedings through her g-tube ea...
Continue reading...

Posted by Tina Ashcraft.

Praise the Lord!!

June 26, 2009

Cassiana arrived back in the PICU around 4 PM. There were lots
of people in the room getting her stable. She is doing well right
now!! The surgeon did what he could to repair her tricuspid valve,
he said it may or may not work and they would need to watch it
closely. All the other procedures went well.

Please give the Lord praise for our little miracle
Cassiana!!

Posted by Tina Ashcraft.

New diagnoses and new surgery date

June 25, 2009

This all might be alot of info to taken in but I wanted to make sure that at least you are informed.

Diagnoses have been revised to Double Outlet Right Ventricle, Unbalanced AV Canal, Mitral Atresia, large ASD, and tricuspid valve regurgitation.

Cassiana will leave at about 6:30 AM for surgery and will spend most of the day in surgery. The procedures being done are pulmonary artery transection, tie off pulmonary valve, Blalock Taussing Shunt to create new pulmonary blood flow, and attemp...

Posted by Tina Ashcraft.

Cassiana Day 2

June 24, 2009

Today has been a busy, busy day!!

Cassiana had her eyes open today and was sucking on a binki! She has been keeping the nurse busy by pulling off the leads monitoring her heart.

This morning we talked with lots of doctors and nurses and were given lots of information. Cassiana was taken off some meds and another echo was done this morning. After all of that she was moved from the NICU to the PICU (take elevator I to the 7^th floor, check in at nurses station). Finally, we wer...

Posted by Tina Ashcraft.

Cassiana Day 1

June 24, 2009

Praise the Lord!! Cassiana has had a wonderful first day of life! She is stable and doing well.

This morning Cassiana had another echo to look at her heart some more. They don't think that her great vessels are malposed as previously thought but will do repeat echos over the next few days to continue to look at her heart structure and function. All the other diagnoses were still seen on the echo. The surgical team will decide later this week what the plan is for her.

(Malposed great vessels...

Posted by Tina.

Cassiana is here!!

June 23, 2009

Sorry I didn't update you all sooner. Jeff didn't get a chance to see Cassiana until after midnight and I was feeling very sick for several hours and finally was able to see her at 2:30 this morning.

Praise the Lord, Cassiana is doing good!! She is breathing on her own and her stats are much better than they had thought they would be. She will have more testing done on her heart today. When we know more we will let you know.

Cassiana Briar Rainey Wentzel-Ashcraft

Born on June...

Posted by Tina Ashcraft.

One more day!!

June 21, 2009

Induction day is coming soon... 1 more day!! I have had my bloody show already and have been having contractions but they are irregular. At least my cervix is thinned out and ready to go. With the luck I have been having lately I will go into labor while in church. LOL!!

Update on van: The van is fixed. The fuel pump had to be replaced. $$$!!!

The van breaking down wasn’t enough excitement for us… the refrigerator stopped working today. Tried to fit all the food in TJ’s...

Posted by Tina.

Oh what a day!!

June 18, 2009

Today was my weekly appointment check-up at UIHC. Got the kiddos all dropped off at the sitters and headed to Iowa City. The drive was going great until I got to Perkins right off the exit. My van stalled and the streering and brakes locked up. I managed to get the van into the parking lot and parked. I tried starting the van a few times but it would do nothing. So, Jeff and I decided to get a bite to eat and give the van a chance to cool down. Cooling down the van didn't help at all. I de...

Posted by Tina.

10 more days to go...oh my!!

June 11, 2009

My appointments yesterday went well. Right now baby Cassiana is estimated to weigh about 5 lbs 11 oz. I didn’t have much change in my cervix since last week. Last week I was 1 cm and this week I am 1.5 cm dilated. She has dropped lowered but no signs of going into labor yet. Next week will be my last set of appointments at the University before she comes.

Only 10 more days to go until I am induced! Apart of me wants to go into labor naturally because it is so much easier but another ...

Posted by Tina.

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