Trying New Things

I am experimenting with our pictures and trying to make life a little more simple. (Thanks, Kristen, for your help with Picasa). Hopefully this will work. :)

This is a random album of almost every picture we have on Picasa...enjoy!

The Sweeney 4

Update on Ryan

Ryan is finally starting to feel some improvement. He started 2 new medicines on Friday and has noticed marked change. He has been able to go off oxygen for short periods without to much "stress" to his body; and he is feeling a lot better on the oxygen too. He seems to have more energy and is able to play with Lily and Wyatt more -- yeah! We were able to go to church as a family today which was great! It was a lot of work, but well worth it.

We will be having a visit from a respiratory therapist tomorrow. This will begin the process of getting some form of oxygen for Ryan to be able to go back to work in the office, which he is really looking forward to doing. We are not sure if 24 hour/day oxygen is a permanent thing or if it is just temporary. Please pray for all of us during this time of adjustment.

Merry Christmas!

Here is just some of the video that was taken during our Christmas parties. Hope you enjoy.

2nd Christmas

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! Our Christmas was a whirlwind, but it was so much fun. We celebrated with just our family and my family on Friday. On Saturday we left for Illinois to celebrate Christmas with Ryan's family. We spent a lot of time relaxing because Ryan was/is still not feeling well. The kids did great and they seemed to adjust to being away from home quickly. We were able to spend time with both Ryan's mom and Dad, as well as Auntie Amanda, Uncle Nicholas, Uncle Mark and Great-Grandma Jean.

The kids were a little unsure of what was going to be happening with Christmas, but by the end of the visit Wyatt was opening presents that weren't even his. Lily would say "ohh" whenever anyone would open a present -- it was really cute. We tried to teach the kids that Christmas is Jesus' birthday and we even sang Happy Birthday to him and had some Christmas/Birthday cupcakes.

Lily and Wyatt had fun playing with their cousins on Friday night. Lily has gone from having one baby last week Thursday to now having four...she loves them all!

Lily and Wyatt were able to have a couple play dates while we were in Illinois. The picture on the top is with our friend, Stephanie's, little boy, Daniel. The picture on the bottom is with Lily and Wyatt's 2nd cousin, Emily.

We had lots of fun celebrating Christmas with Grammy and everyone. Grammy gave us all Christmas pj's on Christmas Eve and we stayed in them to open our presents. Lily and Wyatt LOVE their Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. They have also been enjoying their snacks that were in their stockings.

We had fun celebrating Christmas with Grandpa Steve too! Lily loves her new slippers, but Wyatt is still a little unsure of his. Wyatt loves to play with the new Alphabet Train that they got from Grandpa!

To Us a Child Is Born

"For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

I just want to take the time to wish you all a Merry Christmas! You have all been a wonderful blessing in our lives and we are so thankful for all of you. Remember the reason we celebrate Christmas is because of the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ!

Good News!

I just wanted to share with all of you the good things happening around here.

1st: Ryan was able to come home yesterday. He is still not feeling great, but he is receiving IV antibiotics at home and hopefully he will start feeling better soon. The kids and I are so excited to have him back home with us! Wyatt and Lily will not leave him alone, which is both really nice and extremely difficult at the same time.

2nd: Our visit to the University of Michigan was truly an answer to prayers. I don't think words can express how much relief/reassurance this visit gave to us. Ryan and I are both beyond pleased with the doctor, Dr. Ojo. She has worked on CF lung transplants at U of M for more than 10 years and the success rate is MUCH above normal! Of the 35 transplants that have taken place on CF patients, 32 are still living. For the average lung transplant, the percentage of people still alive after 5 years in 50%; with CF transplants, the 50% statistic is at 10 years! Dr. Ojo told us of one patient that she saw this morning who was transplanted 10 years ago and his lung function was 102% today and he now coaches soccer (Ryan's was only 20% today). I told Ryan that I wasn't going to know what to do when he is able to breathe so easily! She gave many positive suggestions for Ryan's current medical care which we are excited to start implementing.

Today's visit does NOT put Ryan on the transplant list, but it does bring us much closer. We will return to see Dr. Ojo again in 9 weeks. By that time Ryan will hopefully have completed his exercise program, seen a GI specialist, and gotten some blood tests out of the way. Ryan will have to have a procedure done to check for pulmonary hypertension in his heart when we go back in 9 weeks as well. There is a strong possibility that Ryan will be ready to be placed on the active transplant list at that time. Currently the average wait on the list is around 18 months, but it is a NEED based list, so time can change that.

I would just like to again thank everyone who has helped us over the past 10 days. Thank you to all of you who have offered up prayers for Ryan and myself and the kids. Thank you to my parents who are always willing to help in numerous ways, but especially with Lily and Wyatt. Thank you to both April and Jessica for watching the kids for me so that I could go see/get Ryan from the hospital. Jessica, thank you also for the use of your computer. Thank you, Kelly, for the really yummy meal. Thank you to Trevor, Terry, Scott, Bert, and Mom and Dad for going to visit Ryan in the hospital. We appreciate you all so much!

Happy Birthday!

This is Ryan. As most of you know, today is Kristin's birthday. I would appreciate it if all of you who read this blog would comment about what you appreciate about my wonderful wife. I for one, think that she is a tremendously caring individual and a spectacular mother. I can't even begin to describe how much she means to me and our family. She is a Godly woman that will have a profound impact on our kids. Please join me in voicing our appreciation for Kristin on her special day.

Life While Daddy's Gone

Lily and Wyatt have been staying busy while Ryan is in the hospital. They are such a bright spot in my life! In these pictures, Wyatt is reading a book...a favorite activity and Lily is walking with her feet in her stacking rings (yes, she did this all on her own).

Lily and Wyatt have recently been introduced to one of the finer foods in life...cheese puffs! They love them and they always get super messy. I am not sure whether they really like the cheese puffs or knowing that they will get to wash their hands in the sink when they are done.

Wyatt and Lily have been re-introduced to their animal train (a Christmas present from last year). They love playing with it and it will usually buy me about half an hour to get some things done around the house.

Lily and Wyatt are modeling their Christmas outfits (or part of them in Wyatt's case). Lily likes her outfit so much that she cried when I took it off.

We were all cold one day, so Wyatt and Lily had to lay on the couch with pillows and blankets like Mommy and Grandma.

I have recently started babysitting for my friend, Kate's, kids while she works. Here are Lily and Wyatt with Ethan (4) and Molly (2). It is fun to watch them all interact together.

Update on Ryan

I just want to say thank you to all of our friends and family who have been praying for us and have offered to help in numerous ways! Your support has been overwhelming.

I am happy to report that Ryan is feeling better and has been able to go from 6 liters of oxygen to 4 liters of oxygen. He felt almost immediate relief when they put him on the higher amount of oxygen on Monday. He was also able to get him PIC line placed and IV antibiotics started right away when we got to the hospital (within 4-5 hours). The doctors are now thinking that his headaches may be related to his sinuses and not sleep apnea. He is supposed to meet with an ear, nose and throat doctor sometime today.

The kids and I are doing fine. It took a day for the kids to adjust to Daddy not being around, but they are doing great. We were able to go up and visit him last night for a little while and we will go and see him on Saturday too.

The plan right now is for Ryan to come home next week Wednesday using home health care. We would be able to continue his IV's from home and still make our appointment on Thursday at the Univ. of Michigan.

When God's Plan Aren't Our Plan

I just wanted to let you all know that we have decided that it would be best for Ryan to go into the hospital today and do his tune-up. He is just not getting any better from a lung perspective and has continued to struggle to participate in general everyday activities. We were planning on Ryan going into the hospital in a few weeks to do his tune-up, but we just cannot put it off any longer. We all could really use your prayers during this time; it is always so much harder when the hospital stays are unplanned.

Ryan will be taking the laptop with him to the hospital, at least for the first few days, so I will not be able to update the blog about how he is doing. Please feel free to give me a call or call Ryan's cell phone if you are wanting an update.

Two Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

We currently have a mattress in our living area in preparation for Grammy, Auntie Amanda, and Uncle Mark coming to visit this weekend. The kids thought it was great last night, because I had it laying down in the middle of the floor. They would climb on it and bounce. They both kept repeating the same actions...Wyatt would climb on, scoot across on his bottom, get off the other side and walk all the way around to do it all over again. Lily would climb on, walk to the couch and climb up, turn around, laugh and then get down. (I have some video that I will try and put up later). In the picture above, Lily and I were cuddling on the mattress and reading books. Lily and Wyatt are so great; what better gift could a Mom ask for?

Update on Ryan:

As far as Ryan's headaches are concerned, things are still a little rough. He was able to go to work yesterday. He did not have a headache overnight on Monday night, but it was back again last night (Tuesday). He is currently back in bed trying to get some sleep. His lungs are starting to suffer because of the lack of sleep. He was finally able to talk with his doctor yesterday...he thinks it could be one of two things: sleep apnea or the CF progressing. We are waiting to have an apnea test done. Please pray for Ryan ...

Also, he was able to schedule an appointment to begin his exercise program for the Lung Transplant evaluation. Thankfully it is at a facility that is only about 15 minutes away. His appointments will be about 1 hour twice a week. It is scheduled to be every Tuesday and Thursday for 8 weeks...it could be shorter if they feel he understands the exercises that are to be done at home.

Please Pray

I would like to ask all of you to be in prayer for Ryan. He has woken up the past two nights (2-3 am) with terrible headaches. They are effecting his sleeping and they are lasting well into his day. It is hard for the kids to understand that Daddy needs a break even though he is at home. Please pray for all of us, but especially for Ryan!

New Baby

I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS to my friend, Kristen and her husband Kevin. They have welcomed their son, Seth Norman Yaiko into the world! He was born 6:17 pm Monday night in Hungary. Kristen and Kevin are serving as teachers at the International Christian School of Budapest. Congrats also to Grandma Patty, Grandpa Doug, Aunt Stefanie, Uncle Josh, and cousin, Daniel!

Seth Norman Yaiko

3.2 kilo = 7lbs 1oz
51 cm = 20 inches
Dark hair!

See pictures of Seth: http://picasaweb.google.com/stefaniejphillips/SethNormanYaiko

Tubbie Time

I thought that I would take some video of the kids during Tubbie Time since they are enjoying it so much. The video is almost 4 minutes long and the program would not allow me to edit after 4 times trying....Sorry. The best part of the video is the last 2 minutes, so fast forward if you don't have a lot of time. I hope that you enjoy!

Blessings Abound

I sit this morning thinking about all the blessings in my life. I keep hearing the song "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin running through my head. I want to share with all of you just some of the things that are blessings in my life. The list could go on and on, but this is what comes to mind:

1. A God who loves me in spite of my sinful nature -- GRACE!
2. Ryan, a wonderful husband who also loves me in spite of my sinful nature :)
3. Lily Grace and Wyatt Ryan -- what would my life be without them?
4. My Mom and Dad who help me so tremendously.
5. All of my family and friends, Michigan and Illinois alike, who love me and support me in this journey called life.
6. A great friend who is a terrific example of faith in all situations.
7. A GREAT church where I am able to worship God and grow in Him.
8. A small group with people who care and challenge me in ways they don't even know.
9. The insurance in MI that covers 100% of the cost of Ryan's CF medical care!!!
10. Ryan's great job and the flexibility they offer with Ryan's health.

There are so many more blessings: a roof over my head, food on my table, a car to drive, my health... I could sit here all day and list the things I am thankful for, but I am a busy mom with two kids who are waking up :)

Thank you, God, for all your blessings in my life!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to wish everyone a very, happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time with your family and friends and hopefully find some time to relax.

Grammy, thanks for the Thanksgiving cards.

We love them and we ask Mommy and Daddy to read them a lot!

Bubble Beards!

Lily and Wyatt have finally decided that tubbie time is a great adventure! Bubbles were the key to our success -- Wyatt gets all excited for his tubbies. Both Lily and Wyatt can hardly stand it as the tub fills up and the bubbles grow bigger and bigger.

Daily Adventures

The kids are still suffering from their colds, but the doctor says they are just colds. They did have a better day today and actually took good naps! They are both starting to talk more. In the following video, you will hear Lily say: thank you, touchdown, and all done. Wyatt says tractor. I also told them to say "cheese" when I took their pictures tonight and they both did with really cheesy grins on their faces....too cute!

(Sorry about the length and quality of the video...it wouldn't let me edit and I didn't want to have to cut out the only video with the kids sort of talking in it.)

Just Another Day?

Yesterday was an interesting day. The kids were a little "off" because Ryan was back at work after a 3 day weekend. I decided that it would be good to stay home all day and just let the kids play. I ended up putting them down for their naps a little early because they were so cranky and acting really tired. Well, they slept for about 30 minutes. There was some crying up in their cribs, but mostly it was playing and laughing. Unfortunately, Wyatt got so excited that he somehow managed to crack part of his front tooth off. I felt really bad for just leaving them up there and hoping they would go back to sleep. Thankfully, it isn't too bad and it doesn't seem to bother him.

Lily had a good day. I had my Dad switch her car seat around. She was still facing backwards because technically kids need to be at least 20 lbs. to face forward. At her 18 month appointment (4 weeks ago), she weighed 19 lbs. I honestly doubt that she is 20 lbs. because she had only gained 1lb. 3 oz. in the 3 months between check-ups. I had her switched because her legs were getting too long to fit; she was starting to push off the back seat. I am not sure if that was dangerous or not, but she was getting really mad! Now she gets mad when I take her out. :) I am happier too, because I can push my seat further back!

When Life Doesn't Make Sense

I was given news this morning that a 4th grade student from Westminster lost her fight with cancer. Death is always very sad, but when a child dies it seems so difficult to understand. I did not know Taylor or her family, but I knew her teacher and some of her friends. I have read about Taylor almost every day on her Caring Bridge Site and I was so saddened this morning to read her mom's entry. Thankfully, Taylor is no longer suffering but is now rejoicing in the arms of Jesus. Please pray for the Baum family as they deal with the loss of this little girl; pray that this family will be surrounded by the love of Christ.

You can read Taylor's story at the following site:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/taylorbaum

New Things

When we were in Illinois this past weekend we got Ryan's step stool that he had as a child. Lily and Wyatt love having it at home. Lily will push it around so she can see in the bathroom mirror. Today I put it in the kitchen and they stood looking out the window together.

Lily and Wyatt also got Halloween bags from Grandma Patty of fun "toddler" treats. It was full of things that the kids had never tried before: Gerber Graduates fruit snacks, fruit bars, and cereal bars; juice boxes, and teddy grahams. They LOVE the treats! Thanks Grandma Patty.

Head Banging and Christmas

Here are a couple new videos of the kids. I have one more on the camera that will not download and it is my favorite. Hopefully Ryan will be able to figure it out for me later.

For some strange reason, Lily and Wyatt love to hit their heads on different things. Lily especially finds this hilarious -- hope it makes you smile.

Yesterday afternoon I had the television on when the kids came down from their nap. They saw the commercial for the new Hallmark singing Christmas figure (the one on the sled) and they got super excited. Great-grandma Jean gave me the Hallmark Christmas figure two years ago for my birthday and I actually have it at the townhouse (99% of our Christmas stuff is in storage at my grandma's house). I got it out for Lily and Wyatt and they think it is GREAT! They both know how to turn it on and if you watch carefully you will see that Lily is holding hands with the snowman while he sings. It could be a long month and a half until Christmas. :)

Weekend in Illinois

We went to Illinois this weekend to celebrate both Grammy and Grandpa Steve's birthdays. We were super busy, like usual, but we had a great time. Lily and Wyatt are really starting to remember people and warm up more quickly. They both had colds for our trip, but they did great! It was so good to see a lot of friends and family, but there are so many people we don't get to see when we come back to visit. Hopefully we will be able to see more people during our longer Christmas visit!

Lily had fun reading Grammy's birthday cards with her.

Wyatt thought that Grammy was quite funny while reading books!

They both had a great time getting into trouble any way they could at Grammy's house: climbing stairs, opening cupboards, picking up breakables.

Lily and Wyatt love playing out at Grandpa Steve's. They got a special treat this visit -- Grandpa got out his tractor! Lily took 1 1/2 rides and although Wyatt LOVES tractors he would not take a ride (except on Mommy's lap). They were also able to go exploring in Grandpa's BIG yard. They both love to walk through all the leaves on the ground.


Wyatt had to have faux-hawk like Uncle Mark!

Wyatt and Lily were being goofy with the different discoveries of Grammy's cupboards. At one point, Lily was walking around carrying a can of soup under each arm. She was so proud of herself!

U of M

We have received an update on our going to the University of Michigan for Ryan's transplant evaluation. I was delighted to open up the mailbox and see that we had a packet from them. They scheduled us to go in for the appointment next week Thursday, November 8. Unfortunately they did not contact us to see if this would work and it does not. Ryan will be in Kentucky next week Wednesday through Friday (Nov. 7-9) for work. Ahhh! Ryan did call to reschedule and they have us going on Thursday, Dec. 20. They only have evaluation days twice a month and the 2nd one for November would be on Thanksgiving and the first one in December is booked. I am thankful that we now have a date scheduled and that my mind can be somewhat at ease. Please be praying that Ryan is able to start the 6 week exercise program before we go; it is my understanding that he has to complete that before he can be listed.

Getting Rid of Pollution

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: ... to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I tend to struggle with making quiet time a priority in my life. I know that it is important, but I manage to find so many other things that are more "important". In reality, what is more important that my spiritual health and my relationship with my heavenly Father? What is more important than teaching my kids what it means to have a personal relationship with my savior? The answer is: NOTHING.

The verse above is James 1:27. James is probably my favorite book of the Bible and I have read it several times, yet yesterday was the first time I took notice of this verse. I know the best way to keep myself from being polluted by the world is to spend time with God. I just need to make sure that I am doing it.

Lily and Wyatt's 1st Jack O Lanterns

Lily and Wyatt's 1st Jack O Lanterns!

Auntie Val carved the pumpkin with the star eyes and I carved the one with the crazy mouth. Ryan was in charge of camera duty and Lily and Wyatt took care of being cute!

Wyatt and Lily experiencing the pumpkin innards for the first time!

I put a table cloth on the floor and Wyatt did NOT like that. He refused to step onto the table cloth so it took him a little while to get into the fun. Lily, of course, was in on the action right away! She was sticking her hand into the pumpkin, carrying around the "gick" and even eating the pumpkin seeds (oops). Wyatt did eventually enjoy putting his hand into the bowl of pumpkin innards and even had fun flinging it around; He too tried eating a pumpkin seed.

Enjoying the finished product.

Wyatt likes to put his fingers into the different facial openings (a little dangerous with lit candles inside). Lily likes figuring out the puzzle of putting the tops back on the pumpkins. Thankfully neither of the kids is afraid of the pumpkins and they enjoy having them lit. The continually go to the kitchen table and point at them. I think Lily would like to carry them around like she does with her little pumpkins. Kids find joy in the simplest things!