Nathan’s doing really good. He’s as happy as can be. Not much new going on, just life as usual with his therapies, swim class, and playing with everyone at home. Here are some pics: Playing with daddy He looooooooves the pool Chilling in his swim collar He’s enjoying right before…. He ate it and fell [...]

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Well we’ ve had a busy week. Nathan had swim class on Monday and Wednesday. It went great he really loves the water. He also had his first vision therapy: He also practiced in his stander: He sat in the bumbo chair to strengthen his core muscles: Ate a balloon: Cousin Gabriel and the family: [...]

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We went to Vegas for a day and Nathan of course loved it. He was just amazed by all the people, the lights, the sounds. It was incredible to watch as he stared at everything with wonder and delight. We stayed at one of the border hotels Friday night to minimize the driving, then went [...]

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We finally got our stander in the mail today thanks to Amy Colletti Of course in our excitement we put him in it right away. He seemed to like it! But only for a few seconds of couse, after a little while, he wasn’t thrilled to be in there. Here are some pictures: holoprosencephaly

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We gave Nathan a cracker for the first time today. At first he tried sucking on it. Of course that didn’t work. Then he figured out he needed to bite it and chew. We were so excited to see how quickly he figured it out! He LOVED the cracker and was happy as can be [...]

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We had a lovely time for Mom’s bday. Nathan got to taste chocolate for the first time (oops) for the sake of oral stimulation We had company, then had swim class, then crashed exhausted as the entire household is sick. There are lots of photos here: Bday photos

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On Easter we went to visit the Gentle Barn. It is an absolutely beautiful place full of beautiful, loving animals and people. We loved it! Unfortunately we didn’t take pics, but here is a beautiful one from their website: They were very kind and Ellie, the lady in the picture above, has agreed to work [...]

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Nathan went underwater today for the first time – and did okay! I was really scared to even try to take him underwater, as he usually freaks out if his face touches the water. But we had a lovely, kind instructor today and she encouraged us to at least try. We let her do it [...]

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Nathan’s first tooth broke out on Easter day! In fact we think he has 2 teeth coming through at the same time. He is, of course, miserable, but we are so excited!

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On Easter we went to visit the Gentle Barn. It is an absolutely beautiful place full of beautiful, loving animals and people. We loved it! Unfortunately we didn’t take pics, but here is a beautiful one from their website: They were very kind and Ellie, the lady in the picture above, has agreed to work [...]

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Today Nathan had Tara Empowerment with Gen Lekma. He wasn’t feeling great so it was a bit rough. He fell asleep towards the middle of the actual empowerment so I was able to go inside the meditation room with him and we both got most of the actual empowerment. The most amazing time was when [...]

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He’s still not doing too well, the flu is getting to him a bit more. He’s started coughing a lot and is having a tough time breathing as he’s full of boogers. Yet even with all the discomfort he’s still happy and smiling. We bought him an exersaucer today to stimulate him and encourage him [...]

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Let’s get the bad news out of the way – Nathan has the flu. He had a fever so we took him right in and they did a nasal swab and confirmed that he has a flu. He’s being a trooper though and not complaining too much. Now the Good news: He started turning and [...]

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Nathan had his first swim class today. He was soooo tired. Poor baby wanted to go to sleep so badly. He enjoyed it, but next time we have to time it better to make sure he takes a nice long nap. The first couple of pics are of him in therapy. Lots more pics here:

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We had a great time on April Fool’s. We took Nathan to the park in the morning and he got to ride Lucas our little Great Dane. Then we went to Wes’s April fool’s party where he got to play with Presley. Finally he visited his great-grandma and grand-aunt. Some pics below, more in the [...]

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We had a fantastic time at the baby pool party today! The babies came over to get in the pool together for the first time. We have a ton of pics in the photos section, here are just a few:

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Today was his last day at the baby sign language class. We’ve learned how to sign things to Nathan like, milk, cereal, all done, more, diapers. We hope one day he will be able to use these signs to help us understand his needs. We signed him up for swim classes today, he’s going to [...]

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Well I’m trying to post as often as possible. I’m awful at scrapbooking, playing with photos, etc. So I figure this will be Nathan’s scrapbook. This I can do. So I will be posting short updates, pictures, and videos often. Today was just another day. It was very cold and rainy so we couldn’t take [...]

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The last week has been fantastic. Nathan has been doing so well, he’s been happier than ever and just full of sunshine. We are saying a lot of progress also in his head control and trunk muscles – he’s doing a bit better at holding up his head and his trunk. Of course it’s tiny [...]

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We took Nathan with us to Joshua Tree desert this weekend, to a meditation retreat, and it was lovely! We all had a great time. Nathan got to see the desert, the Joshua trees, and lots of friends. He slept a lot as he was still recovering from being sick, but he did enjoy hanging [...]

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We took Nathan to the pediatrician today and he seems to be doing a little bit better. She thinks he might have SSV – some stupid virus Her other thought is he might have mono, from the EEB virus. She gave him another shot of antibiotics just in case. He was feeling a little bit [...]

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So Nathan woke up today with a fever again, so we had to take him to the pediatrician. He was running fevers and just not doing well. He was tested for flu and strep throat and both were negative. We still don’t know what he has. They took a urine sample, and blood, and lots [...]

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Good news is that Nathan had craniosacral therapy today and he really enjoyed it. Bad news is he’s sick again. He had a small fever today. We have to watch him and if he gets worse we may have to go to the hospital. Please keep him in your prayers.

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Nathan’s favorite game

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We’re trying to incorporate a daily visit to the park to Nathan’s routine. Some days he likes it but others he’s just not happy about it. Here’s a couple of quick pics:

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Nathan went to see his great grandma and family on Owen’s side. He had a good time, he got to play with all his cousins and to run around in just his diapers (it was hot).

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Nathan went to the LA Zoo!

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Just a quick update to say Nathan is doing GREAT! He’s having a great time, we all call him Mr. Smiley. He’s just a great little guy to have around. His head control is getting a little bit better, we see him making an effort to hold up his head and we can see him [...]

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I wanted to share with everyone a couple of very inspiring experiences. Today we found out that baby Lincoln Carter got a heart! We requested prayers for him some time ago, and the family has been praying and asking others to pray for many months. Well this week he got a heart, he’s already had [...]

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Well another little miracle happened. When we got to the hospital last Friday things were very dire, they said it was very serious and were talking about all kinds of invasive procedures and another long hospitalization and multiple surgeries. After we sent out the email, things changed. Saturday morning things were completely different, all of [...]

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Nathan was admitted today at UCLA and has been diagnosed with meningitis once again. We are waiting to find out if it’s bacterial or viral. If it’s viral, we just have to wait it out. If it’s bacterial, it’s a repeat of the last time he was hospitalized. Please please keep him in your prayers. [...]

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As Nathan missed Xmas, we waited and celebrated his first Xmas on on Jan 19th. Everyone had a great time and he loved being the center of attention and getting lots of gifts. You can see photos of him here: Xmas Party

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We are home! Wohoo! Today Nathan was discharged from the hospital, after a 23 day stay. He recovered marvelously from his 3rd surgery and is just happy as can be to be home. Things got a bit rough at the end – they discovered he has CMV and weren’t completely sure there is no more [...]

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Happy New Year’s! We want to wish everyone that stops by a wonderful New Year’s. We are all doing well and looking forward to the upcoming year. Nathan is doing great…he had a very very rough couple of days as they couldn’t get an IV in him and they spent 3 days poking and trying, [...]

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Nathan is recovering very well from his surgery. He was really groggy and out of it the day of the surgery, but he has been feeling very well the last couple of days and today he was already looking around, cooing at all the nurses, and having a good old time. Yesterday was his 3rd [...]

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Merry Xmas! I hope this holiday is bringing you lots of peace, love and joy. Nathan’s first xmas has been full of surprises. He got better after his last illness, then he got sick again last Sunday. He’s been really really sick all week, and finally today the pediatrician sent us to the emergency room [...]

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Well we’ve had a very interesting few weeks. Last week Nathan got sick, and we were afraid he might’ve had a shunt infection. We rushed him to emergency and they ran a million and one tests to find that all he had was a virus. It was great news that he didn’t have anything serious, [...]

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Yesterday we went to the pediatrician to have Nathan’s stitches out. Both incisions look really good and he is healing great. He is back to his normal cooing, lovable self as if he hadn’t undergone any major surgery. One great thing that the pediatrician mentioned yesterday is that apparently he DOES have parts of his [...]

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Yesterday we went to the pediatrician to have Nathan’s stitches out. Both incisions look really good and he is healing great. He is back to his normal cooing, lovable self as if he hadn’t undergone any major surgery. One great thing that the pediatrician mentioned yesterday is that apparently he DOES have parts of his [...]

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Well, we’re back home – the operation was successful! He’s a very brave, strong little guy. He didn’t have any complications at all..and everybody that saw him in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit couldn’t believe he’d just had surgery! The neurosurgeon that did the operation he said he had very high intra-cranial pressure. The normal [...]

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It’s hard to believe how quickly time is passing! It feels like just yesterday we updated the site..but it’s been 6 weeks! Thanks to those of you that have been keeping baby Nathan in your prayers, we really appreciate it. And thanks to those that have been checking in with us, you’re very very kind. [...]

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Well, we’ve had a few interesting days, not quite what we expected. We arrived at UCLA Friday afternoon with our bags packed, expecting surgery, a stay in the hospital, etc. Instead, we got sent home within a few minutes. The doctor, Jorje Lazareff took one look at him and said, “why are you here?” We [...]

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This week we saw Nathan’s first smile! On Wed Sept 13th, he smiled and cooed at his grandma. It was very cute! He’s starting to “wake up” a lot more to the world, he spends more time looking around and observing things, he is cooing a little bit, and is letting us know how much [...]

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Our appointment with the pediatrician today was a little bit discouraging. Nathan is still crying a lot, and it’s very hard to get him to calm down. He’s not sleeping much as he wakes up crying. There doesn’t seem to be much we can do to help him or calm him. Dr. Feldman doesn’t know [...]

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Today we went for baby Dorje’s first check-up with the pediatrician. As the miracle continues to unfold, it turns out that the pediatrician we contacted (who is just down the street from us) is one of the few pediatricians that has experience treating children with this type of neurological problem. I don’t know the details, [...]

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As we have learned more about Nathan’s condition, we have realized how much he still needs everyone’s prayers and support. His every breath is already a miracle, but to have a normal, healthy life, he needs more prayers. Already he has beat the odds, but he has so many more to beat. Nathan’s condition is [...]

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This is from Owen: I want to thank everyone for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers as it’s been truly a rough month and a half for us. It was quite a emotional roller coaster as we spent 2-3 hours before the cesarean deliberating with doctors over the resuscitation limits, and his post death [...]

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I can’t begin to tell you how joyful I am to be online today, thanking you for the miracle you made happen. Baby Dorje is alive, he’s a beautiful, healthy baby boy, who completely beat all the odds. I have no doubt it was solely due to prayers that this baby is home today. So [...]

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Well it’s been 2 weeks and fortunately we have more good news. We had our first appointment with the opthalmologist, and she was delighted to find Nathan’s vision intact. She examined his eyes, dilated his pupils, and found his retina and other eye structures functioning well. She needs to continue checking him to determine if [...]

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Nathan is going to be born on Monday, Augst 7th. We are sooo excited (and scared). After consulting with a neurologist, we decided not to wait for labor and to schedule a c-section. As baby Dorje will be full term on Monday, the neurologist reccommended having him so we can determine his needs and begin [...]

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