Found My Camera

Thought I would show you guys around Ashley Kate's new room. Hope you enjoy the tour as much as we are enjoying our new space. We are SO thankful to have it.





This is our bulletin board. We are counting down the days until our plane leaves on a magical vacation fit for our princess. Sure hope we get to take it. When we arrived we had 72 days to go and now we are already down to 48!



This is our "office" where I stay connected to all of you.



The next photo is of our view from the sixth floor. We kind of ignore all the brick buildings and concentrate on the magnificent sky that God created. The clue you see is one of our favorites. At night we pull the shade and it hides and then when the sun comes up Ash can see the silhouette of it and points to it for me to lift the shade. I love that!




This is a full shot of our window. We are using the window box as a storage area for her toys and books. Notice all the clues? I love that my sister suggested this game. Ash is having a good time watching me run around and slap the paw prints as she points to them. I'm really glad you can't see me or hear me as I sing the themes from Blue's Clues to entertain our gherkin.



The next photo shows you one of my favorite places in our room. This is our family wall. Ashley's crib is right in front of it and she can stare at the faces of those who love her as she drifts asleep. I can't tell you how many times a day I stand in front of this cabinet and smile from ear to ear as I see the faces of my children and my best friend.


This is where I keep track of Ashley's vitals and her output. The level of output is our ticket out of here. We desperately need for it to normalize in order to make it home. The numbers on this board dictate all of our decisions concerning care and treatment of Ash.



This is Ashely Kate's bedroom. Its NOTHING like her nursery, but we have tried to make it as comfortable as possible for our pickle. The recliner you see is where I have spent many, many precious hours holding this gift our God gave to me. I honestly could not trade those moments in the dark with her resting on my chest for anything.



This next picture is my "living room" shelf. It houses my Bible, a novel, my all time favorite Yankee candle scent(Christmas cookies. Candles don't get any better than this), and one of my favorite photos taken this year. It was taken on my birthday while we were RVing at a lake. Blake and Allie are fishing off the dock at sundown and when I stare at it such a feeling of peace comes over me. I love those children so, so much.



Finally, I present to you our "extra" room. Not really another room, but the extra space has afforded us the pleasure of pretending we have a living room. This is where I sleep. The pull out couches are brand new to the pedi floor and I am so grateful to have them. What a blessing it is to be able to lay flat while resting. Ashley and I spend most of our days here on the floor(her good days). I wish all chronic pediatric patients could have a rug to play on. It has made such a difference for us during this stay. I know the hospitals would not go for it(I didn't ask permission and therefore didn't allow them the opportunity to tell me I couldn't have it) because of having to use a vacuum and that's not allowed. I don't use the vacuum. I keep it clean with a little dust buster(one of my "larger" Target items that was desperately needed) and a lint roller. Each morning and evening I clean the rug by rolling the brush across every inch of it and then dust busting. This way Ash and I have a soft, clean place to hang out.








Hope you enjoyed out little tour. Ash is currently sleeping on her rug and I am going to sneak down to grab some soup and a sandwich. Things are about the same today as yesterday. We have gotten permission to take a walk this afternoon, so when she wakes we are going outside for the first time in a month! I'm so excited.

Please join Dave and I as we pray for a transfer to come our way. He has a plan that I will share with you later that cracked me up. I agree, it could happen and so he and all of his staff and patients are praying for it. I love that guy!

Hope you have a wonderful day. We'll talk later. Trish