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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Countdown to Gabe's birthday

Thanks to all who have been with us on this journey! Gabriel will be 2 on Sunday! I have another slideshow that I will post on Sunday, highlighting more of the past year.

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Gabriel's Story

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Gabriel Timothy

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Josh, Peg and Boys

Happy Birthday Gabriel!
15 years ago
Chain of Prayers

16 years ago

The Whole Family

The Whole Family

Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel

A very special gift from Bill and Marty Keim

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About Me

Wittmer Family: This blog page was created to keep our friends and family updated on Gabriel Timothy Wittmer, born May 24, 2007 with a rare congenital diaphragmatic hernia - referred to as a Morgagni's hernia. Our many ups and downs are chronicled here to share with those who care so much about us.

View my complete profile

Peek-A-Boo!!

Peek-A-Boo!!

Where's Gabriel....?

Where's Gabriel....?

Fun with food

Fun with food

I think this was a piece of a little debbie oatmeal cream sandwich. Gabe loved it

Visit with Laura

Visit with Laura

NICU visit

NICU visit

Marsha, Deb and Shannon

Second one down...

Second one down...

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas The Night Before Christmas

The perfect bedtime story on Christmas eve

Bounce Time!

Bounce Time!

He is really getting into the bouncer seat, and getting better and placing those feet!

Grumpy!

Grumpy!

We show all of his happy faces - but don't get me wrong, he has a temper!!

Porcupine Play

Porcupine Play

I want that bug

I want that bug

He really works hard to get the toys he wants now - but it still easily distracted by other things like voices and camera flashes ofcourse

Look at me!

Look at me!

He is getting stronger all the time - I love seeing him really get the shoulders up

Sleepy Baby

Sleepy Baby

Now we have pictures of all three boys asleep at the table

Holding Hands

Holding Hands

these two brothers are fascinated by each other.

Sitting up

Sitting up

The joys of eating!

The joys of eating!

"Bib licking Good"

"Bib licking Good"

Prune Face

Prune Face

Gabe's first Halloween!

Gabe's first Halloween!

Ok, where's the patient. It's not me.

This is pretty fun

these are for chewing, right?

AJ Goebel, Justin and Kendrick at the YMCA Fall Party

Reunion

Reunion

Well, just a teensy one. Since she was just coming to work and hadn't held any NICU babies yet, Tabatha got in a little cuddle time before work.

Bedtime prayers

Bedtime prayers

looking at Justin's legs - I am trying to figure out how the little contortionist did that. Ahh...to be so limber!

Gabe thought prayer time was funny. Justin is telling him to pay attention....hello kettle? This is the pot and you're black!

Roll in the Hay!

Roll in the Hay!

Justin, Kendrick and Austin on the hayride

Scarecrow Race

Scarecrow Race

Justin racing

Kendrick in the scarecrow race

The guys

The guys

I guess they were pretty excited to be riding in the back of the truck

Kendrick

Kendrick

can you tell what he had for breakfast? powdered donuts!

Favorite Toy

Favorite Toy

Gabe really loves his Octopus toy - it was Justin's favorite when he was a baby for a while too.

My hands really taste good!

My hands really taste good!

He's really been chewing on his fists. Over the weekend he was almost sucking his thumb - yesterday Grandma Maggie heard sucking noises, and sure enough - mission accomplished!

EEG

EEG

...and he was NOT happy about it

Uncle Tim

Uncle Tim

Cereal Time

Cereal Time

MMM...let me see if I can get some of this in myself...

Chow time!

Chow time!

He seemed to like peaches, and sitting up in a chair!

Happy Sitting up!

Happy Sitting up!

Mom propped him up on some pillows and he really loved sitting up all on his own. He was smiling and jabbering!

I got it!

I got it!

He finally grabbed a toy sitting in his bouncer - this is actually kind of a big deal developmentally.

Getting stronger!

Getting stronger!

Gabe is doing so much beter getting his head up!

See my tongue?

See my tongue?

I like my hands

I like my hands

Boys getting ready for bed

Boys getting ready for bed

Justin and Kendrick were getting him to smile for the camera - it was fun to watch

I'm so cute

I'm so cute

Sneaky picture!

Sneaky picture!

I didn't even know this picture had been taken until I loaded the pictures on the camera and saw it. Nice one Josh - just remember what they say about paybacks...

We enjoy bath time now!

We enjoy bath time now!

He used to get a little cranky at bath time, but last night he was really hamming it up - I think we are approaching our first real laugh (as this picture shows). Actually he may be so happy b/c we took everything off of his face and out of his nose. Well, he pulled the ng tube out, we just figured if he could go through two hours without oxygen during the sleep study with no problem, we could get through a few minutes in the tub without it.

Now I love bath time Thiiiiiiiis much!

Rubbing of the eyes! I guess that means bath time is over!

Such a happy boy!

Such a happy boy!

First Pic with Grandpa O

First Pic with Grandpa O

Gabe and Grandpa O having a chat

Baptism

Baptism

A special gown and a family tradition. The gown was made from the underskirt of Gabriel's great great grandmother's wedding dress.

Blessed baby

Father Gregory did us a huge favor by letting us come to the cathedral a full hour after mass was over.

Gabriel's Godparens: Ryan and Jennifer

Godparents

Godparents

Very good friends Ryan Echert and Jennifer Sieben.

The whole Family

The whole Family

Grandparents

Grandparents

Aunts and Uncles

Aunts and Uncles

Uncle "Big" Justin

Uncle "Big" Justin

We couldn't believe after all this time and all of his visits to the hospital that we never got a picture! It was also Justin's first time holding Gabriel.

Uncle Gerald

Uncle Gerald

Also a first picture with Gerald of the first time holding Gabe.

Cuddle time

Cuddle time

...with Aunt Kaci

Getting ready for a walk

Getting ready for a walk

Daddy getting everything together.

Our first walk around the neighborhood

Playtime!

Playtime!

Gabriel loves his kick start gym

Grandma Maggie and Gabe

Grandma Maggie and Gabe

Head's Up!

Head's Up!

Well, trying anyway!

What's that?

What's that?

That is just what his face looks like to me. He is probably looking at a light. Note the improving head control!

Nice hair!

Nice hair!

I would say he has his Grandpa O's hairstyle, but Gabe still wins for more hair.

Brotherly Love...?

Brotherly Love...?

He looks a little worried...

Snuggle Time

Snuggle Time

That is what Sundays are for, right?

A special Eagle

A special Eagle

A special gift from The Knopsnyder's, in reference to "Gabriel's Song".

Another little smile

Another little smile

Hi Grandma!

Hi Grandma!

I love th is picture, it is so sweet - and demonstrates how much better Gabe is holding his head up!

Tummy time

Tummy time

Justin loved "helping" Gabe with his tummy time, and ofcourse giving him lots of love!

Hmmm...

Hmmm...

just thought the finger on the cheek looks very, well, thoughtful!

Awww...

Awww...

Just a cute picture after bath time

Riley's Tube Feeding

Riley's Tube Feeding

Kendrick's bear, "Riley"

Leo's Tube feeding

Leo's Tube feeding

Justin's lion, "Leo", from Build-A-Bear

Breathing Treatment...

Breathing Treatment...

... for "Riley"

snuggle!

snuggle!

Another perfect shirt

Another perfect shirt

Aunt Brooke found this one.

down time

down time

nap time at home

A new smile

A new smile

Justin's first lost tooth

The guys

The guys

Happy Birthday, Daddy

Happy Birthday, Daddy

"Welcome Home Gabe"

"Welcome Home Gabe"

A special gift from Justin and Kendrick (they had some help)

One big happy family

One big happy family

Here we are!

Here we are!

Trying to figure out how to juggle the car seat, the monitor and the O2 tank.

Ready to go!

Ready to go!

I'm in my seat, got my new duds on (courtesy of Laura) and I'm ready!

One last cuddle

One last cuddle

Laura was there today to send us off!

NNP

NNP

Kathy Nawa is the neonatal nurse practitioner who was there the day he was extubated (and made the recommendation to the neonatologist). We talked to her right after we had decided to take Gabe him home. She basically told us to believe in our decision. If we felt it was right, then it was and not to second-guess ourselves.

Say Cheese!

Say Cheese!

Paula made the tape balls with the boys last weekend. You can imagine how often Justin had the nurses laughing with those.

See my picture?

See my picture?

the boys have a lot of fun with Ally, unit secretary

Project time

Project time

Laura is a great teacher for art projects.

Fluorscopy

Fluorscopy

This was neat. We cold see his diaphragm moving on the screen.

Note the dark line running down and into the stomach. Josh placed that ng tube perfectly!

to really see the diaphragm move, they needed him to cry. The radiologist told Josh to blow (gently) up Gabriel's nose. It worked!

Sleep Study

Sleep Study

the room for the sleep study was very cute - ZZZZs on the wall and moons and stars in the tile on the floor.

how can he sleep with all of that stuff?

Don't you wish you were me!

Don't you wish you were me!

I was standing down in the lobby talking to the Hufty's, back for an appointment already, when they started setting up for the trophy to come in. We hopped in line right away!

very cool!

Blood pressure

Blood pressure

I just think the teeny blood pressure cuff is cute, no other reason to put in on here.

Dietician

Dietician

She is frequently in the module and always has nice things to say to us and about Gabe.

Xray!

Xray!

For real this time! One more xray before we go home!

Pretty feet

Pretty feet

Amanda did his feet molds the first week he was here. A few days before, a nurse was working on foot molds for a baby that wasn't going to live, so when I saw Amanda with his molds, I had a bad moment. They actually do them for everybody up here.

Another night nurse

Another night nurse

Monica has never been his bedside nurse, but she was his ECMO tech his first night on the circuit. She told us about a baby who was getting cpr as she came into the module. She went on ECMO and is now 7 or 8 years old. That story really gave us hope and I am so glad she told us about it.

Car seat study

Car seat study

Lori getting Gabe snapped in for his car seat test - he had to sit there for the length of his ride home. He got his phenobarb, atavan, and morphine right after getting buckled in. He slept through the rest!

I think he likes his car seat - it's a good thing, it is a long ride home!

Treatment time

Treatment time

RT helping Kendrick give Gabe his albuterol treatment

Checking in

Checking in

Kim, in respiratory therapy, arranged for us to meet Ellen Fleig - mother of a left DH who was here for months! She works down in surgery.

Tattoo Parlor?

Tattoo Parlor?

No, just Deb and a marker in the NICU

monke tattoo, courtesy of Deb

First Tub Bath

First Tub Bath

The boys just loved helping give Gabriel his first real bath.

He was not at all too sure about his first tub bath, but came through it ok.

Clean and Dry

Clean and Dry

...and exhausted.

The Hufty's

The Hufty's

well, minus Logan. This was just shortly before they took Jack home.

Pretty pictures

Pretty pictures

Gabe has lots of beautiful picture collages by his bed - all of them made by Laura. She was there for our first time holdng Gabe and many other important milestones.

Gabe's special friend

Gabe's special friend

Nancy said when she did his first echocardiogram (and she has done several) he curled his fingers around hers. She knew he was strong right then - she checks on him often, even when she is not there to scan him.

Dr. Denne

Dr. Denne

Gabe's third Neonatologist

Sweet Baby

Sweet Baby

Happy Baby

Happy Baby

He's really been starting to smile!

And then I want...

And then I want...

Doesn't it look like Gabe is having a conversation - and making a point about something!

First feeding

First feeding

...at least the normal way

Breathing Treatment

Breathing Treatment

Daddy giving Gabe his albuterol treatment

A special gift from special friends

A special gift from special friends

a very special gift from Shannon and Melanie, long time friends. The printed words are comments from the blog

Hearing Screen

Hearing Screen

...and he slept through it, just like he is supposed to!

Neonatology rounds

Neonatology rounds

I didn't tell them I was snapping the picture (I wanted it to look real!) and they begged me to delete it. Ummm...don't tell!

The party nurses

The party nurses

well, they are the night nurses and b/c he is always asleep during the day, we assume they are keeping him awake! ok, probably not. Cindy, Katie and Stephanie

More Party nurses

More Party nurses

more party nurses - Queana (sorry if I spelled it wrong), Sabine and Pam

In the CT scanner

In the CT scanner

I couldn't go in, so Marcia took a picture for me

Gabe did not like being strapped down for his scan

Xray!

Xray!

That is what they always say just before taking an xray. OK, so he isn't really getting one right now, but since he has had so many, I asked the tech if we could get a pic of the machine, and he offered to position it as if he we really taking one!

A real fighter!

A real fighter!

The hat and booties are from Jenni and Abby Becker, Big Justin's Mom and sister. After we blogged that Gabe could wear clothes, Abby ran out and got the rest of the outfit!

Surprise!

Surprise!

I picked that title just because he looks surprised

Another fav nurse

Another fav nurse

Even though she doesn't get to be his nurse too often, she is another module 3 favorite, Shawna

Aunt Brooke's first cuddle

Aunt Brooke's first cuddle

Grandma Maggie's first cuddle

Grandma Maggie's first cuddle

Aunt Kaci's first cuddle

Aunt Kaci's first cuddle

Grandpa Mike's first cuddle

Grandpa Mike's first cuddle

Brotherly love

Brotherly love

Justin and Gabriel

Kendrick and Gabriel

Independance Day!

Independance Day!

I had to put a flag on his crib!

Here's my face!

Here's my face!

No more cpap!!

check out my new "crib"!

"Waiting to Exhale"

"Waiting to Exhale"

Rebecca (his Respiratory Therapist) preparing to extubate, along with Marcia's help

There it goes

There it goes

his ET tube, coming out!

That's...better?

That's...better?

A look at his face without tape, and his first cries!! Ok, so it should be better, but the process is a little traumatic

Much better

Much better

He is a lot happier on his belly, with his pacifier. This is my best picture of the cpap

His first nurse!

His first nurse!

Kathryn was his nurse the night he was admitted and has been his night nurse many times. His actual first nurse was Deb - see below.

Our Social Worker

Our Social Worker

I can't say enough wonderful things about Betty. She just knows what to say and is the perfect listener. We love her! Note Gabriel watching his toy!

The perfect shirt!

The perfect shirt!

In case you are having trouble, it reads "I won't remember any of this"

First Meal!

First Meal!

I think I have snorted milk out of my nose before, but never had it going in....

Go Colts!!

Go Colts!!

Justin and Kendrick posing with a couple of Colts players visiting the NICU - check out the ring!!!

The Boys

The Boys

Justin, Kendrick and Logan - hanging out at Logan's parents' house - another NICU family that invited us over for dinner

Lonnnng Day

Lonnnng Day

Kendrick catching a quick nap in the car

A favorite nighttime nurse

A favorite nighttime nurse

Lori takes such good care of me at night!

Surgery number four!

Surgery number four!

This is how they transport me to surgery - here we go again!

Yet another Hero

Yet another Hero

Dr. Bryan Duffy

Don't I look alert?

Don't I look alert?

"Battle Scar"

"Battle Scar"

This is his incision from the BIG surgery - the hernia repair and moving the liver back down

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day

air hockey challenge!

we love trains in our house

...and cars

More favorite nurses

More favorite nurses

Tabatha on the left, Vicki on the right

Most recent family photo

Most recent family photo

My Three Sons

My Three Sons

Justin and Kendrick get so excited when Gabriel has his eyes open. Even when they are in Evansville, they ask us every day if his eyes were open.

Are they blue? Still hard to tell

Our favorite Things...

Our favorite Things...

Not exactly "raindrops on roses" but the people mover definitely tops our list!

riding the glass elevator is probably second from the top of the list of favorites!

First cuddle

First cuddle

Daddy's boy!

Words can't express the joy...

So content...

So content...

Gabriel loved his new blankie and pacifier

Fun at the Zoo

Fun at the Zoo

Everybody had fun at the zoo, and it was a nice break

G is for Gabriel!

G is for Gabriel!

Actually, it's for the Gap, but don't tell...

"Believe in Miracles"

"Believe in Miracles"

A beautiful cross hanging at Gabriel's bedside. It was found by Grandma Maggie, Aunt Kaci, and Aunt Brooke

Another Hero

Another Hero

Dr. Little came to my room that first night after Gabriel was born, and has been involved in all of his surgeries.

Real clothes!

Real clothes!

well, sort of. They told us last night that he could wear socks and a hat

Froggy hat

More special people

More special people

nurses Shannon and Stacia - regulars at the bedside

Hey bright eyes!

Hey bright eyes!

He is waking up more and more often - but didn't really care for the flash!

Grandpa O checking on Gabe

Grandpa O checking on Gabe

Grandma Carolyn checking in

Grandma Carolyn checking in

The blanket under Gabe was made by Grandma Carolyn

Miracle Ride

Miracle Ride

Lots of money for a great cause

Watching Cars

Watching Cars

Justin and Kendrick made friends with another big brother - Logan

Fun at the Children's museum

Fun at the Children's museum

On surgery day, Kaci's future in-laws took the boys to the Children's museum - Thank you!

Chest X-ray Before Surgery

Chest X-ray Before Surgery

No wonder he couldn't breathe! The black spaces denote air. The biggest black space is his stomach, not his lungs. The two tiny black spots down at the bottom of the chest cavities are the only air pockets in the lungs.

After Surgery

After Surgery

That's better!

Post-op with Dad

Post-op with Dad

real smiles, at last!

Post-op with Mom

Post-op with Mom

real smiles, at last

Heros

Heros

ECMO Director (Jim) and nurses/ECMO techs Susan (far left) & Deb (middle)

Heros

Heros

Two fav nurses/ECMO techs:Marcia (left) and Laura (right)

Heros

Heros

Dr. Rouse and ECMO Tech/Nurse Staci

Hopeful Hands

Hopeful Hands

Justin holding hands with Gabriel

Hopeful hands

Hopeful hands

Kendrick holding hands with Gabe

Moving to CT

Moving to CT

It's amazing what this staff can do.

New scenery

New scenery

It took 8 people to move me.

Big brothers

Big brothers

The big brothers wait patiently...while watching Nick Jr. Their favorite things to do in the hospital are riding the People Mover, playing with their cars from the movie, Cars, and riding the glass elevator.

Meet the Family

Meet the Family

on the way to Riley

Gabriel's baptism

Gabriel's baptism

ECMO

ECMO

Great source of information

http://www.chop.edu/fetalsurgery/everything_in_place/index.html

http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/factsheets/families/F030174/index.html