Haven’s Asthma Attack

We have been so fortunate that in our 4 years of being parents we have only had to take our children to the hospital once so far. The one time was when Haven was a year old and had a bad virus we wound up in the ER for a long night but we able to go home. Our one time record was broken a few weeks back when Haven wound up being admitted to the hospital one night and staying for 3 days.


            (Playing with blocks in the hospital)

Finding a house in Midland initially proved to be a bit of a challenge and we spent 3 weekends/weeks in a row down there trying to get a contract on a house that would suit our family. While we were down there the kids got to play with their cousins and in the dead heat of summer that mostly meant playing in pools and sprinklers. Haven got a little snotty nose and cough the last weekend we were there. When we came home she was still coughing some and not feeling quite like herself so I gave her some medicine and put her to bed early thinking she needed some good sleep in her own bed. At 10 pm that night Haven woke up crying and breathing very hard. I immediatly got concerned and thought back to her heart issue in the womb not knowing if that could come back. I took her to a new remote Emergency Room that opened up not far from our house thinking it would be a clean place to get fluids and antibiotics quickly to help her.

(Strawberry ice cream was the first thing to make her smile after a horrible night being admitted) 

If there were to be any silver lining to your kids being sick it would be that they just want to be held by Mama. Haven is up and moving constantly and is not in a stage where she really wants to be snuggled much unless she is about to go to bed and thinks it will get her a chance to stay up a little bit later. The horrible part of taking your little baby to an Emergency room is that they want to run all sorts of test and gather blood, which is good to figure out whats going on of course, but she couldn't understand any of what they were doing and it was absolute torture as a Mom. Haven's cousin Merritt had gotten strep throat while we were in Midland and I was sure that our little visit would prove that she also had strep and we would be sent home with some meds for that. However, the nurse came in and told me that the doctor was going to be admitting us to Northwest Texas hospital for Haven's trouble breathing. He said that Haven's heartrate was also accelerated and that her oxygen level was extremely low. I was shocked! Haven was put on oxygen and a breathing treatment along with an IV in her arm to get her some meds and I began frantically calling Drew who had stayed home with the other two kids. I was told that we would have to be taken via Ambulance to the hospital to keep Haven on oxygen. As we waited for a room and the ambulance I held Haven in my arms, she was only wearing a diaper because she had thrown up all over her pajamas, and I wept not knowing what in the world was going to happen with my girl! Her strep, flu, and rsv tests had all come back negative so we were not sure what was causing this reaction.

     (Playing in the playroom after two days in bed) 

The ambulance came and I got on the gurney and snuggled Haven down against me while they strapped us in to take us to the hospital. She was absolutely exhausted as it was now 4 am and had been up for hours with no sleep. Thankfully Aunt Cindy was in town visiting Nana and was able to come over to stay with Everett and Rory so Drew could come meet us at the hospital. Immediately upon arriving we were swarmed with nurses, doctors and techs. They began frantically examining Haven and analyzing her every vital without indicating much to us of what was going on. Things like "Reactive Airway Disease" was thrown out along with "Intensive Care Unit." I was freaking out! They began giving Haven some aggressive breathing treatments to help her labored breathing which would hopefully help her heart rate and oxygen to normalize. After hours of unknown and constant treatments the admitting Doctor finally came to tell us what was happening. He told us that Haven had Reactive Airway Disease, which meant basically she is too young to be officially diagnosed with Asthma but that she has Asthma. A mild ear infection, a Urinary Tract Infection and possible other infection all contriubuted to her having a massisve asthma attack. He didn't think we would need to be admitted to Intensive Care but we would remain in the hospital for 2-3 days to get her lungs and infections cleared.


We continued a routine of aggressive breathing treatments every 2 hours, which Haven hated until she was just worn down from fighting them. In between the treatments we were challenged with trying to keep a 2 year old content to staying in a bed all day and night. Not an easy task but especially for a child like Haven who just wants to be up moving constantly! Initially I was upset about being taken to Northwest Texas hospital bcause it has never been our preferred hospital but God knew what he was doing. We received amazing attentive care while at NWH where a circulation of doctors, nurses, and volunteers were constantly checking on Haven’s progress. After about a day and a half Haven’s IV blew out and was able to come off all the cords containing her to her bed with the exception of occasional oxygen use. This allowed her to get to move about her room and we even got to visit the pediatric kids playroom. Haven was like a kid in the candy store at this point getting to run and play in a room full of toys. 

(Such a trooper with her breathing treatments at home)

After 3 days in the hospital Haven’s breathing finally regulated and we were able to bring her home and give her breathing treatments ourselves. We were sent home  with the knowledge that Haven will have triggers that could set her down this road again and we need to be hyper aware of what those could be. It is highly likely she will face these attacks again and be diagnosed with asthma within the next few years. This was very disappointing news to hear for our active girl but we know there are easy treatments now to help her cope with this in the future. And more than that, God has got her wrapped up in his hands!! 

A little weekend getaway

This summer has been full of readjustments for our family. The first part of the summer was all about welcoming Rory to our family and ensuring that Everett, Haven and Rory have all been well adjusted to the changes. This involved a lot of time indoors hiding away from the heat.  Quickly and simultaneously as we were doing this we began preparing mentally and physically for the move to Midland. We have all been a little drained and disconnected this summer and needed an opportunity to pause for a minute to regroup with one another.






We decided to take a long weekend trip to Oklahoma City because it was a somewhat quick drive with our one not very tolerable rider (Haven) and it offered an array of fun activities that Amarillo doesn't supply. Our number one priority while in OKC was visiting the Zoo. Animals are Everett's absolute favorite thing right now, he loves every single one. Haven's favorite thing is anything that Everett loves so naturally she is very into animals as well. We lathered all three kids up with sunscreen and hats and set out for a fun day. Quickly after walking past the first habitat Rory decided a stroller was not for her and I wound up wearing her in a Moby wrap around me the rest of the day. Everett and I read over all the animals that were on exhibit at the zoo before we left to amp up excitement for our weekend. He and Haven were very excited to see the tigers and bears but when we finally got to them they were more interested in moving on to the next animal than lingering on watching them. Everett's most favorite while we were there was a massive Orangutan that he watched climb up to a perch high in his exhibit. Everett immediately began calling him "King Louie" from the Jungle Book and loved all his orange hair. Haven's favorite of all wound up to be a carousel that she rode with her Dad. They both also loved the tank of stingrays where they could pet them although neither of them managed to do so, they both enjoyed being so close and putting their hands in the water with them.







We were all exhausted after a long hot few hours at the zoo. After a quick bite and check in at the hotel the kids and Drew headed to the pool where there was a large kids splash area for them to enjoy! While there Drew and I both wanted to go to the Memorial of the Oklahoma City Bombing. I had been once before when I was in college but it took on a completely different meaning to me being there with my precious children on the grounds where others lost their lives. As we walked around the serene beautiful monument and I got on to Everett and Haven for pestering one another I couldn't help but be so incredibly grateful for the gift of being their Mom. The rest of our trip was soaking up time just being together whether out shopping, eating good food or playing in the pool it was all about being a family of five.








This trip was greatly needed for each one of us! I have realized how important it is to take time to just refocus on being a family now more than ever.

Rory is 2 months old

Oh Rory what a JOY you are! Somehow two months with you has crept up on us and yet it feels as if you have always been here with us! 

For the most part we have gotten all of our colic issues under control and you are a pretty easy baby. You have discovered your smile and it is the absolute sweetest sight! You are extremely generous with it and smile at anyone smiling at you, who is of course anyone looking at you. You are such a beautiful baby Rory! You have the brightest blue eyes just like your Nana’s. I feel as though I’m looking in her eyes when I look into yours. Currently your hair is also a beautiful red color like hers and I am hoping it stays that way.

You love to be cuddled up in someone’s arms but have been really good about taking long naps in the afternoon in your bassinet. You have also teased me by sleeping through the night a time or two but haven’t nailed down your consistency on that yet. When 7:30-8 pm rolls around you still like to be bounced on a medicine ball while being held tightly against my chest, I think it reminds you of being in the womb when I bounced with you. 

At your 2 month check up the Dr was thrilled with how much neck strength you had and how alert you were. You follow noises and movement like a pro but you’ve been that way since almost the beginning! You weighed in at 12lbs. 9 oz and were 24 inches long putting you in the 90th and 98th percentiles. 

Rory your siblings continue to be completely in awe of you! When either of them wake up you are the very first person they want to see. Haven can hear you make a peep from across the house long before I can! Everett will come peek at you and marvel on how “adorable” you are or tell me “ mom she is just a beautiful girl “ to which I couldn’t agree more! We all adore you my love and are so thankful God chose us to be your family! 

Moving on...

" For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord... to give  you a future and a hope " 

Jeremiah 29:11

I have looked pack over the past 15 months and we have experienced so much of which I have often wondered how God's plan could contain goodness amongst so much sadness and hurt and anger I had felt. Of course all I had to do was quickly look into the faces of my beautiful, healthy children and know his plan for us contained so much more than just goodness but hope in the future.

Over the past several months there had been lose talk around Drew's work about him possibly making a move into a management position at a different location. Of course as I was getting prepared to welcome our 3rd baby all I could do to keep my sanity was to put my head down and ignore any ideas of us uprooting the life I had come to be used to and moving. Drew and I had been praying that God's will would be made clear and had decided to table any discussions about work and moving until after we welcomed Rory. As we sat in the hospital two days after welcoming Rory, Drew got a congratulatory call from his boss and the proposal to move to a manager's position in Odessa,TX. God was making his plans for our family abundantly clear. It helps that Lane & Neeley's family lives in Midland, TX the adjacent town to where Drew would work. Our heart's desire since they moved from Amarillo has been to be back together to raise our kids along side each other and experience life with one another. So two weeks after getting Rory home we made our first trip with her to Odessa/Midland for Drew to check out the branch and see if he would want to take on the manager's role. 

I tend to be a creature of habit and can get extremely overwhelmed with the idea of change, even good change that I have prayed for. Looking back over some of the biggest and ultimately best "changes" in my life have come with so much speed and force that I simply wasn't able to try and stop them. It has been no different with this one. After working out some details and less than two months since having a new baby we have a start date for Drew's new position and have just put a contract on our first house in a completely different city.

I am incredibly proud of Drew and his work ethic to be given this opportunity. It is so telling of the man he is that in 6 years he has gone from warehouse driver to branch manager. There is no doubt in my mind that this move will be life changing for our family and bring us so much joy and happiness for the future. However there is a lot of sadness about leaving this place I have called home for the past 10 years. Not only are we as of now leaving behind family, hopefully Tammy, Kelsey, and Nana will be coming to Midland soon after we move, we are leaving great friends and a church community who has loved our babies since the day they were born. I am also leaving the places that I have the most recent memories of my Mom and I together, our driving routes, our ice cream stops, the places we used to walk and hold hands. 

So as we look to the future with uncertainty and anxiety about how it will all work, with pride and fear of owning our first home, with excitement of being with our buddies again. We are also reflecting on all that Amarillo has meant to us and the familiarity of this town and the people in it.

5 year anniversary trip

I wrote this before Rory arrived and forgot to publish it... 


In the midst of the chaos over the past few months Drew and I celebrated 5 years of marriage. We managed to sneak away for a quick weekend getaway back to Santa Fe for an anniversary  / pre-baby trip.

We went with absolutely no plans but relax and enjoy time together. There is something truly wonderful about just getting to walk and explore while holding hands with the love of your life. The urgency of loading and unloading kids from cars to wherever we go and escorting them around often denies us the simple luxury of holding hands while out on adventures and it was so nice to just get back to being what we started out as... a couple!


The past 5 years of marriage has brought with it alot of life changes for Drew and I. Some we anticipated and others we did not but I can say with 100% confidence that through all the highs and lows I love and adore that man more today than I did 5 years ago! I am thankful every single day that he asked me to be his wife and that I got the most amazing partner in Drew!

I often find myself wondering what my parents felt for one another during the happy times of their marriage and welcoming their children to their lives. I have lots of family members say how much my Dad loved to be a father in the early years and how fun and amazing he was. I know my children's story with end up far different from mine because they will have not only a father that sticks around but an example of parents who love one another through thick and thin and they won't have to wonder like I do. But I want to write to them down the road for a minute about what an incredible person their Dad is.


Everett, Haven and Rory, your Dad could not be prouder of anything in his life than to get to be your Father! He makes decisions every single day with the single intent to make your lives better than ours is. He works tirelessly to provide for us not only what we need but all that you could want as well. At the end of a days work your Dad comes home to give kisses to us all and spend time wrestling, reading, and playing with you. Your Dad has had to overcome alot in his life and choose to be a different man than the example set before him in his parents. He does this every day by not only working hard to make something of himself at work but by his devotion to being the best dad he can be, an incredible loving husband and trying to follow God's guidance to the best of his ability. Sweet babies I want you to know that your parents are deeply in love with one another!  Your Dad does things daily to make your Mom's life a little brighter and easier. He has been my rock since I met him and the greatest supporter of all my desires. I have the utmost respect and love for your Dad and I want you guys to know that every day we fall more in love with one another. He is my best friend and brings laughter to me daily. The best thing though is knowing that through my highs and lows, my good days and bad, make up covered face or not he sees me for the best that I am and loves me through it all! I think it is important for you to know not only how much he loves being a Dad and how amazing he is at it but how much he loves your Mom and I him!

One Month with Rory

We have been loving on Rory for one month now and we all agree she is the absolute sweetest! We are all madly in love with this girl. Everett and Haven can hardly go 10 minutes without coming over to give her kisses. Haven only refers to Rory as "baby Rory" and Everett greets her every day with "Hello Beautiful Baby."

Rory is my snuggliest baby yet, she prefers to spend her time wrapped up in my arms or snuggled up to me in the Moby wrap. Throughout my pregnancy with every sonogram appointment the tech would remark on how snuggled up to me you were in the womb and you have kept this trend up and I must admit I absolutely love it!

With our second night in the hospital we noticed that Rory was having some gas pains and these only continued to worsen once we got home. After two weeks of being more and more "unsettled" the Dr. diagnosed her as colic. Thankfully from experience with our family we knew it was a very mild case but nothing seemed to help give her relief. Rory had been my best baby at breastfeeding from the beginning but we discovered she was suffering from a milk allergy that has resulted in us switching from breastmilk to a specialized hypo-allerginic formula. I was really hoping to nurse for a lot longer but Rory has already been very responsive to the formula that I know this was just what she needed to feel better. However as of now she is still not a fan at all of her carseat and finds the most comfort in being held. Her favorite position is snuggled up in a ball laying on my chest. I cherish all these moments of getting to keep you snuggled up to me though and hoping we are setting a trend for the future when you are a toddler!

Rory has already rolled from her front to back a few times while trying to get some tummy time in. I was shocked to see her do this so early following in her sister's footsteps! She has given us lots of sweet smiles and is focusing more clearly on the world around her. She recognizes voices of people around her and tries to follow them with her eyes and head which she has been lifting since day 2 of life. Rory is a strong girl who will push away anything she doesn't want with her arms and legs. Her favorite thing is still keeping her hands up by her face like she did in the womb. People seem to remark that as of now she looks more like her brother right off the bat but those who know you well think you are a perfect combination of both your siblings looks. When we took Rory to her two week checkup she weighed in at 9 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 inches long.

Rory you are pure perfection! We are so thankful for the gift of getting to be your parents and can't imagine our lives without you!

Rory Ashton has arrived

Our family was abundantly blessed on Monday June 11, 2018 at 2:47 PM when Rory Ashton Neal made her debut into the world! She is perfect in every way weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz., 19 inches long, with a 13 inch head circumference. We are all head over heels in complete love with our sweet baby girl! Welcome to our family Rory we are so glad God gave us you!