It’s difficult when you’re in a stormy part of your life to take a step back and reflect on all of the blessings that got you here or even all the blessings still surrounding you that are getting buried by the trials. For those of you that don’t know, I have a gynecological disease that…

I really wanted to sit down tonight and write something strong, courageous and encouraging. I wanted to share good news and spread joy and declare peace. I wanted to close the day with restored faith and healing. But tonight, I’m worn. My tank is empty. Tonight I don’t feel strong enough and that’s just my…

Remember yesterday when I said setbacks are often followed by comebacks? Our Maddy boy made his comeback today. He got his oxygen mask off mid-day and did great with all his feedings. It seems like he was maintaining his temperature as well but they are going to monitor it overnight and hopefully tomorrow we will…

Today was a tough one. They say the NICU life can be a rollercoaster – the babies are so fragile this early that one day they look like they’re heading in the right direction, and it only takes a few bumps to derail a bit. While I’m continuing to try to stay grounded and faithful,…

Today was a good, good day. When we walked into his room this morning we saw the pop topped off of his isolette (this means he’s regulating his temperature on his own!) and… no feeding tube! He had also gained some weight. These are all great signs and steps closer to us taking that sweet…

It’s Adam’s first Father’s Day! While the day started with some tough news it ended with such joy. We found out in the morning that Maddox is pancreas insufficient. This is very common in Cystic Fibrosis and basically means his body can’t naturally create the enzymes needed to absorb nutrients from the food he’s eaten.…

No news is good news. Today Maddox was stable with no new updates. We are waiting on lab results for his pancreas since that is an organ effected by CF. They should be in soon.  We spent our whole day with him as usual and he got snuggles from both sets of grandparents. This is…

Today was hard. I got discharged in the morning and we started our transition from the hospital to our stay at the Ronald McDonald house. We are beyond grateful for this privilege – we have a room and bathroom and access to kitchens where dinner is cooked by volunteers most nights. There are free snacks…

The rest of the day on the 14th was a blur of nurses, social workers, lactation consultants, and pulmonary doctors. A lot of holding him, learning, and recovering.  The next day we got to the NICU as soon as we could, eager to hear updates and to snuggle our little gift. We met with the…

Maddox Jay Carlsen made his early appearance into our world during the early hours of 12:48AM on June 14, 2023. Early signs of labor started on Monday the 12th, by Tuesday morning I was rushed by ambulance from Pen Bay Medical Center to Maine Medical Center, and after a long full day of labor, our…