Hi there! Once again, it's been about 6 months since my last post, and these last 6 months have been full of excitement! Kaitlyn started preschool, celebrated wonderful holidays with her family, and is on her way to becoming an independent little person!

School was a little rough for our Kaitlyn at first, as this was her first trip "outside the nest" so to speak. The first few weeks were tearful, from both of us, but we pushed through and now she LOVES to go to school. In fact, she asks each day if it's a school day. She is learning so much- more then I could imagine a tiny person learning at this age. Letters, numbers, and even drawing real pictures instead of scribbles. We are very proud of her, and all fo her accomplishments.

As stated in the title of this entry, "Wow! It's been 2 years!" and I honestly cannot believe it! This July 25th marks our anniversay of Kaitlyn's kidney transplant and all the success she has had. About a week ago we went back to St. Barnabus Medical Center for bloodwork, medication checks, and an overall evaluation and she is moving along at a great pace. She is taller, heavier, has more muscle tone, and is talking a mile a minute! Her doctors were amazed at how much she had to say to them, and how she is really maturing into a big kid!

Hello all! We have had quite a busy couple of months since my last posting. All fantastic, no worries! Kaitlyn spent the end of the summer swimming like a little fish in her pool, and enjoying every moment of the beautiful summer with her family and friends. Fall brought us mild weather, and Kaitlyn was able to play outside in the leaves, hike in the woods, and pay weekly visits to the local park to feed the geese bread.

It’s been about six months since my last entry…boy have there been some great things happening! Primarily, Kaitlyn continues to succeed at everything she does- bike riding, eating, laughing, gymnastics, water play, drawing…all the fun things a child should do! And had she been born a healthy child with no kidney disorder, these special activities may have gone unnoticed as wonderful milestones. Kaitlyn loves to be active, and not much will slow her down lately, even scraped knees from running.

Well....we made it!! Every year with her we take as such a blessing. Kaitlyn had a very good birthday this year...we've been practicing for weeks! She now thinks that whenever the song "Happy Birthday" is sung, it's only for her, and she looks for the candle to blow out. Very funny.

It is the time of year when we truly reflect on that which we are most thankful. This year especially, we are thankful for the health and successful transplant of our Kaitlyn. It has been a difficult journey from birth to transplant for us all. However, this major hurdle is behind us, and God willing, we can all look to smoother sailing in moving forward!

While Kaitlyn's continually improving health is the focus of our joy this holiday season, we want to express our gratitude for the efforts of those volunteers who have worked on the COTA for Kaitlyn fundraising campaign. Starting with only a few family members, the campaign has now expanded to several family members, friends, and quite a few newcomers, who are now working tirelessly for Kaitlyn's cause. Your kindness and support is sincerely appreciated, and our family considers your love for Kaitlyn a blessing to us all!

We are truly thankful this year. Last year, we had made it home from the hospital just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving...we were thankful last year for our miracle girl! However, this year was even more special because we didn't have to rush home and put Kaitlyn on her nightly dialysis. Although it has only been four months since her transplant, this old lifestyle of our seems miles away...

We would like to take the time to thank all of those who have truly blessed our lives this last year, and helped us through the difficult times.
*Thank you of course, to Dr. Corey, our pediatric nephrologist. His guidance, professionalism, and love for Kaitlyn has helped her grow and thrive, and has helped us understand the true nature of her condition, and how to care for her properly.

Hello all! Thanks for taking the time to view our Kaitlyn's COTA website. As you can see from our pictures, and videos, Kaitlyn is a much loved little girl who has endured a great deal her first year of life.

Kaitlyn was born at 33 weeks, at Morristown Memorial Hospital, and after a month of the NICU there, she came home on Daddy's 30th birthday! Discharged with a diagnosis of "Nephrotic Syndrome," Kaitlyn was closely followed by Morristown's finest pediatric nephrologist, Dr. Howard Corey. She received monthly visits and bloodwork, and every other month renal ultrasounds. Her growth was steady, and her development was on track, despite her early start. Her first 8 months revolved around many stroller rides, wonderful holidays celebrated with family and friends, new toys, her first vacation to NC, and all other blessings that remain dear to us.