Clarity's Story

Love at First Sight

Why, hello there...What's your name?

I just loove your crow.

Would you care for a dance?

(I think I'm falling for him....)

I think we make a cute couple, don't you?

Siblings

Quite possibly one of the most wonderful parts about having a new baby in the house is watching your two children interact. Although basic (esp for a 5 week old)the connection between the two warms our hearts daily. 

 
Clarity decides that it's time that Wyatt learn all about Ariel, The Sea Witch and all of The Little Mermaid folks. (I actually think that my favorite part of this photo is the puddle of spit-up pooling under Wyatt's cheek while he watches intently) 

 Wyatt's first trip to a pumpkin patch... more of these to come...

My favorite (just taken tonight)

Great news!

Recently got Clarity's CT scan results back on her lungs. Looks like the new cuffed trach is actually doing it's job and keeping her saliva and tastes of food from going down her trachea and into her lungs. Dr. Conrad said that aside from mild inflammation around her major airways ( the left and right main bronchi) everything looks "great". Music to our ears. 

Thank you, thank you to the powers that be for allowing Clarity to continue to taste foods. Next up, a bronchoscopy in November to make sure the cuffed trach isn't scarring her upper trachea. 

Did I mention....

what a hotty Clarity's little brother was? This just in from Leandra, an amazing photographer we have been working with. Click on the link below to view her blog. Way to go Wyatt... You made the cut!

http://gooseandbugsphotography.com/blog/

A Dog Named Faith

 This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with  2  legs.He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.

 His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep.' But then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted  to take care of him. She became determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself. She named him 'Faith.' 
 
 

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the movement. Later she used peanut  butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk. 

 
 
    
Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his hind legs and to jump to move forward. 
 After further training in the snow, he could now walk like a human being. 
  

 Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he attracts people to him. He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is now a book entitled 'With a Little Faith' being published about him... He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies. 

In life there are always undesirable things; so in order to feel better, you just need to look at life from another direction. 

 
 
    

I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day. Faith is the continual demonstration of the strength and wonder of life.

OMG!

Ok...I had to take a moment to post this. Just under 2 hours after I submitted the last post, Pat came running into the kitchen with his hand tightly wrapped in a paper towel, blood dripping through. 

"I've got to go to the hospital right now," he said. I thought he was pulling my leg. Unfortunately, he wasn't. While out at the garage working on his bike, he had accidentally sliced a gash in his left hand. Minutes later, he was off to get a handful of stitches at El Camino Hospital. 

Unreal

So, could this be true? Primo, you are the only Keller left in our family to have stayed out of a hospital this week. Good luck little buddy!

Dodged a HUGE Bullet

Very fast and very scary...The weekend after Wyatt was born was just delicious....Having our whole beautiful family home was a dream. The only issue was these darn varicose veins of mine. My gut was telling me that something was wrong. Two of my veins  on my left leg were very hot, hard, painful and swollen. Monday morning, I called my vascular specialist first thing. I was able to get an appointment at 1:00. From that moment on, life took a crazy twist. The doctor immediately had an ultrasound done of my left leg. Within an hour and 1/2 I was in the OR under general anesthesia at Good Samaritan Hospital. I had a blood clot in my leg and groin that was dangerously close to the femoral artery. Dr. Kokinos was to tie off the vein in my groin to to avoid an embolism. Yikes!

Funny thing happened though...Although I obviously care about my life  :),

 my main priority was to feed Wyatt and make sure he could be nourished while I was unable to breast feed him. It was like a primal mothering instinct  thing in a way. Pat, Mom, Barb and Jodi kicked it into high gear and were the amazing team that they have always been. Mom and Pat brought Wyatt to the hospital and while I was being questioned, poked, weighed etc... at lightening speed, I fed Wyatt on one side while I pumped on the other. I was unbelievably thankful when I had heard post surgery that he was able to take a bottle while I was out of commission. In fact, the little Milk Man is actually able to do both bottle and breast easily only one week after being born. What a chubba wubba!

So today is Thursday and the dust has settled somewhat. I am hobbling around (don't tell my Mom though...) and able to pick up Wyatt now. Today Clarity finally got HER chance to do some hospital time. DOES IT EVER STOP? She and Pat checked in this morning for 2 CT scans. We have been postponing these for a month now and needed to just bite the bullet and get them done. The first is of her lungs and the second is of her temporal lobes (inner ear structures). The CT of her lungs will tell us if in fact the new trach that she has is actually doing the job it is supposed to and keeping secretions from dripping into her lungs. I'll post again as soon as we get the results. 

So, I'll wrap up with some fun snaps of the kids. 

(I LOVE the way that sounds!)

No more drama for now... I promise...

Nina (Clarity's Godmother, Kris), Bean and Wyatt

Grandpa and Bean

How cute is he??

Holly and Wyatt

Our Perfect Family

The night before Wyatt's birth. Bean falls asleep with his ultrasound picture in hand.

6:25pm Thursday, Sept. 10th 2009

Welcome Baby Wyatt Stephen Keller!!

8 lbs 6 oz

19 1/2 inches of gorgeous baby boy

(Stephen was Pat's dad who passed away 11 years ago)

Proud Daddy!

Excited Nana!

Loving Grandma!

Hmmmm... Now, let me take a look at this little guy we've been waiting for for 41 weeks...He is kinda cute....Is he going to be loud? What about those poopy diapers everyone keeps talking about?

Where's his trach? Does he understand sign language?

I think I might be getting used to this little man...I only have one more question...Does he have a wig on?

The deal is sealed...Ok.... We can keep him...

Yahooooo.... Clarity likes me!

Love my Auntie Kristin (who is also my God Mother)

Cuddles from Jamie

Headed home

This is the life...

The Singin' Bean

Download Video_090109_001

Who says you need a a voice to be able to sing? 

I took this on my phone in the car today and I just HAD to post it. Click on the link, turn up your volume and give it a minute. A video of Clarity singing will download. Can anyone guess what the song is? 

When was the last time you heard a more glorious rendition of Fera Jacka such as this one...

Enjoy!

Clarity's First Bar Fight