Wednesday, October 28, 2009

On the front page

Ciara's story is on the front page of the paper today. If you would like me to get a copy for you, please let me know. I am so excited and Mike did an EXCELLENT job!!! If you check it out today the link is http://www.punxsutawneyspirit.com/




Premie baby’s mom uses Web to chart her remarkable progress


Front Page - Front Page Story
Written by Mike Ishman
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Ciara Lynn Anthony, held by her mother Tiffany (left), was born 16 weeks premature in February. Since then, her family has helped nurse her back to health. Tiffany has been maintaining a blog, documenting her daughter’s progress. Helping Ciara has been (from left) her father, Corey; her sister, Aaliyah; and her grandmother, Pat Benson. (Photo by Mike Ishman)




PUNXSUTAWNEY — Ciara Lynn Anthony, daughter of Corey and Tiffany Anthony of Big Run, was born Feb. 25 at DuBois Regional Medical Center.While that may tell you the bare-bone facts of Ciara’s birth, it doesn’t reveal the true gravity of the situation: Tiffany’s due date was June 10.The morning of Feb. 5, Tiffany woke up early not feeling very well. After calling her doctor and being examined at Punxsutawney Area Hospital, it was determined that Ciara was going to be born at 21 weeks, barely half of the normal pregnancy period. Tiffany’s amniotic sack had fallen out. “They told us my water would probably break within the day, and she would be delivered within the hour,” she recalled. “They told us they couldn’t save her because a viable baby is at 24 weeks gestation. She was only at 21 weeks.” After Tiffany was put on bed rest for several weeks in the Trendelenburg Position, she was transferred to DuBois Regional Medical Center. After six days, Ciara was born Feb. 25, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces. “She was only given a 15 percent chance of surviving,” Tiffany said.Once she was discharged from the hospital, Tiffany began writing a pregnancy blog. “Corey’s cousin, Brooke, wrote a blog during her pregnancy and I thought it would be a great way to keep everyone informed,” she said.With all of her and Corey’s family reading it, Tiffany wrote 20 entries that first month, providing updates to how baby Ciara was doing. With each update came photos, showing how Ciara was progressing. One photo in particular showed how tiny she was. She had Tiffany’s wedding rings around her arm.Following several months in the hospital, Ciara was released May 18, 12 weeks after she was born. That was still three weeks before the original due date. Her weight, upon release, was 4 pounds, 8 ounces.Since her release, Ciara has been progressing at a nearly normal rate. “She’s doing wonderful now. No setbacks,” Tiffany said. Ciara was recently baptized and had her seven-month checkup, which revealed she was 12 pounds, and 23 3/4-inches in length, which is close to the percentile for infants her age.Tiffany plans to keep writing the blog, as it is one of the best ways to keep everyone updated. She usually writes the blogs while Ciara and Aaliyah, her two-year-old sister, nap or go to sleep. Tiffany and Corey count their blessings every day. They know how dire the situation was. “Our doctor had had patients in similar situations, and they had all lost their babies,” Tiffany said. On her first blog post, Tiffany wrote of how wonderful it was to hold her child, and how she didn’t want to put her down. To go back and see the progress Ciara has made since her birth, go to http://www.ciaralynnanthony.blogspot.com/
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 October 2009 )

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Waiting for the paper

Tearing down the living room wall
After trim is up

Our pumpkins
Daddys pumpkin
Ciara fell asleep while watching us carve
Aaliyah enjoying dinner
Daddy looking so happy



My parents bought me a pink terrible towel and Aaliyah was wearing it as a dress!
Ciara in her jumparoo that we borrowed from Uncle Greg and Aunt Kristy. Notice I had to put phone books under her so she could jump!
Aaliyah showing her how it works

Aaliyah helping me bath Ciara


Three generations: Corey, Ciara, Pat, Aaliyah, and Pat's father Papa Long.

Ciara is doing well again today and is staying right around 12 pounds. We have another appointment on the 3rd and I'll see if she has gained anymore. It is not unusual for a preemie to plateau for a little bit. She is doing great in her therapy and continues to progress well. The therapist gives us different things to work on each week (rolling, sitting, grabbing things dangling in front of her while on back) and we work on them daily. She is still getting massage therapy once a week. We have only had 2 sessions because the therapist got ill. It seems everyone is or has come down with something and the girls have been sick twice already this season. Yesterday Ciara had a nasty case of diarrhea. We went through at least 6 outfit changes. Everytime I turned around she had it up her back or down her legs!

The Spirit (Punxsutawney paper) came to our house two weeks ago to interview Corey and I. They are doing a front page story on her and telling the town how much of a miracle we where blessed with. Pat was here visiting from Florida when Mike was here and he included her in the picture of the family. I watch the paper daily waiting for the story to print. When I talked to Mike last he was under the impression that the story would be printed within the week, but I have yet to see it. We are thrilled and honored that they were willing to share our story.

Aaliyah has been too sick to go to daycare these past weeks. She got over her cold and then got another one so I haven't sent her. She continues to work on potty training but is very stubborn! She will have a day when she goes potty everytime and then the next day she absolutely refuses. I have tried bribing her with quarters and I even told her that if she went potty all the time and didn't use diapers that I would buy her a present. So far she is still not interested. She continues to be Ciara's little mommy and loves to help me with her.

This past week Corey knocked out part of the wall that is in between the living room and the dining room. We have a wood burner in the fireplace at the back of the house and none of that heat was getting to the living room. The hole has really helped and sometimes it is too hot!! We will eventually find a happy medium. Corey did a really nice job.

On October 14 Corey and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. It was very low key. Corey had to work so we only saw each other for a few minutes before bed. He was sweet enough to buy me roses and I got him a Nickelback CD. Like I said low key.

On Thursday we carved pumpkins and Aaliyah had a good time. She was kind of disappointed I wouldn't let her carve much, but she was ok after I let her draw on the pumpkins. I made Corey do it with us and he enjoyed it! We bought a carving kit and they came out really nice. I just found out today that Punxsy is trick or treating on Wednesday. Aaliyah has Good News Club on Wednesdays so I think she will probably have to miss it. It is so silly that it is on Wednesday and not Saturday!!! I'm not sure when Big Run is having theirs but it is usually the same night. Aaliyah decided months ago that she wants to be Cinderella. My original plan was to make Ciara one of the mice, but every mouse costume I found was either white or gray and the mice on Cinderella are brown. So I decided to make Ciara the magic pumpkin. I had no problem finding a pumpkin costume!

Please continue to pray for Ciara and hopefully she will start gaining some more weight!! God is good! Please also pray that next Sunday we will all be well enough to go to church. We have missed two weeks in a row now.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

"Let the children come to me"

Her first cereal by spoon



Ciara and Pastor Maureen on Sunday

Poppa

Great Grandma Barnoff

Grandma and Grandpa Benson, Grandma and Grandpa Long, Jim and Jodi Campbell, Grandma and Grandpa Detwiler
Screaming after the water was put on her head
Aaliyah was break dancing in the aisle during the ceremony

The Godparents

Aaliyah jumping on daddy



Playing ball

picking up sticks for the fire




Aaliyah "helping" me make dinner. She ate half the can.


TWINS!! Tia Neal and Ciara
Yes, I know I'm not supposed to be in here






Praise the LORD, Ciara was baptized this past Sunday. The ceremony was so beautiful and I am so surprised I didn't cry!!! She did really well and the only time she cried was when the water was put on her head. I absolutely knew that was going to happen because she cries everytime I wash her hair. We had so many family and friends attend the ceremony. We are so blessed to have such a great support system. Jodi and Jim Campbell served as the God parents and did a great job.

Ciara had her 7 month checkup yesterday and weighed in at exactly 12lbs. She is 23 3/4 inches. She is growing wonderfully. She is not yet on the percentile chart for her age, but that is to be expected being 15 weeks early. She continues to have therapy once a week and is doing well with it. We also started Massage therapy once a week for 6 weeks. The therapist comes to the house and teaches me how to massage her. The concern was that her neck muscles were a bit tight. So far we have had one session and I learned how to massage the legs. She loves when I do it and just lays there and takes it in. Yesterday at her appointment she got 5 shots in her legs and then she drank another vaccine. In the 5 shots she got yesterday, the flu shot was included. At her appointment the doctor advised me that everyone that takes care of Ciara, or is around her should get their flu shot. I went to the checkout window to see when Aaliyah could get her shot and they had me come back in at 5 p.m. for her shot. So I had two cranky babies last night!!! Corey usually NEVER gets his flu shot but is going to this year, I'll make sure!!

We were given the go ahead yesterday to start feeding Ciara some cereal with a spoon. She already gets cereal in her bottle so I knew she would have no problem with the taste. She did really well for her first time and she ate about a tablespoon. The second time we tried she was really fussy so I just stopped and gave her the bottle.

Aaliyah started going to a daycare down the road from 9-11:30 two days a week. All of her friends went to school this year and she desperately wanted to go to school as well. I heard great things about this daycare and they offer learning time in the morning. Her first day was yesterday and she said she had fun. She did have one moment when she started to cry and asked for me, but the teacher read her a book and she calmed down. This will be good for her and when it is time to go to actual school, maybe it will be an easier transition.

We're still working on the potty training. She'll have a great day when she has no accidents and then the next day she won't use the potty at all. I'm not rushing her and when she is ready she'll do it. She got over her bronchitis very well and did not have to be hospitalized. Ciara did end up having a cough and runny nose but did not get bronchitis. She has started screaming in the evenings and most of the night. Aaliyah went through this as well so I was suspicious that reflux was to blame. Last Thursday I could not get her to calm down and she was running a fever so I took her to the ER. Her right ear looked a little red, but they didn't see anything else wrong. I brought it up at her appointment yesterday and her reflux medicine was increased. Hopefully this will give her some relief and help her (and me) sleep.

Please continue to pray for her good health and praise the LORD for answering our prayers!
Ciara telling me a story