JodySimmer.com

December 31, 2005 Dear Family and Friends, First, a huge thank you to all who sent well wishes to Jacy for her surgery yesterday. We are happy to report that she is now home and her recovery is going great! We checked into Phoenix Children’s Hospital yesterday (Dec. 30th) at 12:30pm. After over 6 hours of no food, she was still a happy, smiling baby. She has spoiled us! Jay and I were with her when they sedated her, and we got to give her a big kiss before heading to the waiting area. First stop was an MRI to get one last check of her brain before the surgery. The information provided in the MRI prompted the Dr. to slightly change the game plan for the surgery. The original plan was to insert a Ventriculo-peritoneal Shunt (VP Shunt), which is tubing that is connected to the ventricle and down to the abdominal cavity where the extra fluid would be absorb. However, the MRI showed that Jacy had an increasing amount of fluid in the area above her brain, which was more of a concern...

After a good breakfast Jacy was sitting up in her crib and playing with some of her toys. She also gave us her first smile since the surgery! But we didn't get it on camera =(

Jacy was very comfortable during recovery when she was snuggled up to her Daddy. If you look close, you can see the shunt tube that is just under her skin. It is about the size of a pencil. It is still swollen, and should become less noticable with time.

Jacy was such a trooper when her surgery was over. I have been fighting a horrible chest cold for the last couple of days, so I had to wear a mask whever I was near her. Jay stayed the night at the hospital with her, so that I wouldn't get her sick. I am just glad that they let me in to be with her at all!

Jacy was all smiles during pre-op. She enjoyed the new toys that the hospital had for her to play with.

Jacy is loves to grab at her toes, and chew on them every once in a while too!

Jacy is sitting with her older cousins, Rylee, Connor, and Tatum with the new hats that Pardner and Grandma Greta gave them. It is hard to see in the picture, but the hats say "Sundevils" on the front. Pardner and Grandma are the biggest ASU fans I know! GO DEVILS!

On Christmas Eve the whole Campbell Clan we into the "WILD" and cut down the perfect Christmas tree to decorate that evening. It was actually kind of warm outside, a little dissapointing that there wasn't any snow on the ground.

We had a great Christmas-just look at what we got! We spent Christmas morning in Pinetop with the Campbell Clan and spent that afternoon in St. Johns with the Richardson Family. It was so great to spend the holiday with family. If only we could have spent some of it with the Simmer Family too, it would have been perfect(but know that we were thinking of you!!!)

Jacy's Dr.'s have agreed that it is time to treat her hydrocephalus. She is scheduled for surgery to get a shunt on Friday December 30, 2005 at 2:30pm at Phoenix Childrens Hospital. We have been told that this is a very common procedure, not a very long surgery, and we will only have to stay at the hospital 1 night for observation. (Kim and Chu, we wish that you were the ones taking care of her when she comes out of surgery!) We should be home in time to celebrate New Years!!! We ask that you please keep Jacy in your thoughts and prayers during this procedure. She is such a stong little girl. We are so proud of her!!! Here is some information about hydrocephalus and shunts... Hydrocephalus is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within cavities called ventricles inside the brain. CSF is produced in the ventricles, circulates through the ventricular system and is absorbed into the bloodstream. Hydrocephalus occurs when there is an imbalance between the amou...

Dear Family and Friends, Warm holiday greetings to you all! As we near the Christmas holiday we can’t help but to reflect upon the past year and remember all of the wonderful gifts of love, support, and friendship we have received. This has been quite a year for our family. It was a year ago today that we were overjoyed with the news that we would be having a baby girl, and overwhelmed with her diagnosis of Spina Bifida. The months that followed seemed to last a lifetime, but brining our baby girl home in May was our greatest gift of the year! The saying goes that, “The greatest gifts come in small packages”, and we couldn’t agree more! However, our gift is now a chunky 17 lbs. with a smile that will melt your heart instantly!!! It has been such a joy watching Jacy grow and develop over these past couple of months. She is the most precious gift, and has brought many blessing and much happiness into our home. We have faced many struggles this year, but are grateful for thos...

With heavy hearts we said goodbye to our sweet dog Jake yesterday. He had irreversible medical problems and was in constant pain. We are comforted to know that he is no longer suffering. He was still just a puppy, with his 2nd birthday coming up in February. He was with us for only a short time, but became a huge part of our family. He was a such a sweet dog, and was a wonderful companion to Jay while Jacy and I were in California the first part of the year. GOODBYE JAKE-WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!

On Sunday December 4th Pardner and Grandma Campbell invited us, along with Justin's family, to the Mesa Country Club for a kids Christmas Party. We had lunch and the kids got to make Christmas crafts. They brought in snow for the kids to play in and Santa even stopped in for a visit and pictures. It was lots of FUN! Here is Jacy with her Great Granparents, Rudy and Greta Campbell. Jacy was pretty facinated with Santa. She really wanted to pull on his beard and take his glasses. I think Jacy's favorite part was the snow! She wasn't it in for too long because it was so cold, but it didn't keep her from trying to eat a snowball.

We spent Thanksgiving at Roosevelt Lake this year with Grandpa John and Grandma Linda, Aunties Jennifer and Janell and Uncle Jaylen. The Seagle's, family friends, also spent the holiday weekend with us. We were sad that Justin and Jonathans families coulnd't be there with us. Jacy got an early Christmas present, an Exersaucer! She LOVES IT! It kept her busy and happy while at the lake. It was pretty cold at the Lake. Jacy was all bundled up in her new winter coat with Grandma Linda.

These were taken during family pictures the beginning of November. We can't get enough of that smile!

Here is Jacy in her new Big Girl Highchair! Her new favorite thing to do is hold her own spoon as it goes into her mouth. She has such a good grip on it that it is hard to get it out if her hand to refill it with another bite! She also likes to sneak her hand down to the side and let Jake lick the food off of her fingers-Jake loves that part!

November 18, 2005 Hello everyone! We just wanted to give an update on Jacy’s last appointment with Dr. Manwaring, her neurosurgeon. First the big news.. she is up to 16 POUNDS!!! On Tuesday Jay took Jacy in for another MRI scan. (I didn’t get to go to this one because I was home with the flu! =) Jacy wasn’t real thrilled about it and cried the whole time. (I am glad that I missed that part!) We met with Dr. Manwaring on Wednesday to review the scan together. Jacy’s head circumference is at 45 ¼ cm which puts her in the 95th percentile. She was in the 50th percentile only a couple of months ago, so this was a significant increase. The MRI scan also showed that the ventricles (1 & 2) in her brain have also increased in size quite a bit. Because of this he is concerned about the long-term effects of her condition. The Dr. has indicated that Jacy is a good candidate for a procedure called a Third Ventriculostomy. This is the surgical creation of a channel between the third ven...

Jayden is the sweet little boy that was in the crib next to Jacy in the NICU. He has seizures, and they still aren't sure what is causing them. I am so thankful that Jacy was assigned to the bed next to him so that we could get to know him and his mom, Brandy. We quickly became good friends and were able to support and encourage each other. Jacy and Jayden were inseparable...really! We made sure that if Jayden was ever moved to a different bed, Jacy was to be moved to the bed next to him, and vice versa. We made a great team! Since going home Jayden has been fitted with a helmet to correct the shape of his head. He wears the helmet 23 hours a day. Isn't he so cute in it!!! HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY TO JAYDEN. Sorry that we are missing your party tomorrow buddy!

Little Kirstyn was born on May 31st. Her Spina Bifida repair was done in utero, just days before Jacy was born. Since Kirstyn's mom was sent to the family house to finish out the pregnancy I got to spend a lot of time with her. Kirstyn's mom and Grandma came to visit Jacy a lot, but we left for home before we got to meet Kirstyn in person. So far Kirstyn does not need shunts. She does wear corrective shoes to help straighten out her little feet. From what I hear she is the absolute joy of her 4 brothers and sisters, not to mention her parents!

This is Faith. She was selected to have the Spina Bifida repair surgery performed after she was born, rather than in utero. She was born on May 2 and I believe that the surgery was performed the next day. She does have a shunt, and has just recently had a shunt revision because it became partially blocked. Her recovery is going very well! Titus had fetal surgery in February and was born on May 4th. We got to see him the day before we left for home. Titus did get a shunt in a couple of months ago, and is doing great!

These are the other Mommy's that were involved in the fetal survery program around the same time as me. From left to right: Cristy (Faith's mom), Valerie (Titus's mom), and Kristin (Kirstyn's mom). Kristin and her mom Janice had the room 2 doors down from me in the Koret family house. It was so nice to have them there. They were so supportive and took very good care of me!

We hope that everyone had a very happy and safe Halloween! We had a great time Halloween night! We went to my brother Justin's house and sat around his driveway with family and friends while we handed out candy to all the kids. Jacy made a VERY CUTE cow and her Cowboy (Grandpa Zeke) took her Trick-Or-Treating with her Cousins Connor (A Storm Trooper), Rylee (Dorothy from Wizard of Oz) and Tatum (A Cowgirl). They had a great time. Even Jake got into the Halloween spirit with his Knife through the head costume! =) Love, Jody

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month! Be sure to wear your yellow shirts and bracelets! In honor of our daughter Jacy (and her friends Kirstyn, Titus, and Faith) we invite you to participate with our family in supporting those individuals with Spina Bifida and their families by making a donation to the Spina Bifida association. With our help the association can increase public awareness and work towards preventing this birth defect for future generations. Together we can make a difference! Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States and affects 70,000 individuals across the nation. For those who live with Spina Bifida, each day is a challenge. Spina Bifida is not one condition; it is a multitude of conditions that affect the mind, the body and the spirit. To learn more about Spina Bidifa, the association, or to make a donation please visit WWW.sbaa.org and click on "Make A Gift". Sincerely, The Simmer Family

Happy October Everyone!!! Can it really be time for Halloween??? Where has the year gone!?!?!?! Jacy is very excited to go Trick-Or-Treating for her first time! (well, I am excited to dress her up anyways!) Jacy's big achievement this month is ROLLING OVER by herself! Her little arms have been getting a lot stronger from tummy time, so on October 5th I grabbed the video camera to get on tape how well she was doing. As soon as I hit record she rolled herself over from her tummy to her back! I tried to keep the camera on her, but I was so excited I was jumping up and down. In the middle of yelling, "Jacy, you just rolled over by...." the battery on the video camera died! =( Oh, well.. at least I got the important part on tape. When daddy got home that night she rolled over for him 4 more times, and has been practicing everyday since. She has also found her toes and enjoys sucking on her big toe, and she has learned how to blow bubbles in her spit... Yeah! =) Sh...

Jacy LOVES chewing on fingers, toys, anything she can get her mouth on! We think that her first tooth will be showing up really soon! This picture was while we were watching her cousin Connor's soccer game, after having a nice midmorning snack of Daddy's fingers!

Jacy and I went on ANOTHER road trip with Auntie Jennifer. We went to Payson to watch Auntie Janell play in her Varsity soccer game. We dressed Jacy up in all the Red and White we could find. Auntie Janell's team won 2-1. GO ST. JOHNS REDSKINS!

On Jay's way to school he took Jacy for a little spin on his motorcycle...JUST KIDDING Grandma Debby! She didn't really go for a ride, she just got to sit on it for a minute to pretend.

Jacy has done so well with her physical therapy. She is getting stronger and can sit for a little while by herself now. As time goes on she will be able to sit up by herself for longer periods of time. This is her during 2 of her therapy sessions where she gets to sit in her special chair all by herself. It has toys attached around it so that it teaches her to turn, or rotate, to be able to play with her toys. She likes to watch "Finding Nemo" while sitting her her chair too!

Jacy and I went to lunch with my friend Mary (Who came to stay with me while I was in California) and her daughter Madison. It was time for Jacy to try real food for the first time, so Mary and Madison did the honors! =) Jacy LOVED the sweet potatos!!! Madison was such a big help, and always helps me feed Jacy when she comes over for visits.

Hello everyone! Jacy had her 6 month check up this week. It is so hard to believe that 6 months have gone by already!!! She is finaly on the charts at 13 lbs 10 oz . and 23 1/2 inches long !!! Yesterday was her first taste of real food-Sweet Potatos! I think she likes them. =) We have had another fun trip over the past couple of weeks. We went to St. Johns to attend the Court Of Honor for my youngest brother Jaylen, who earned his Eagle Scout award. As soon as we arrived in St. Johns we headed straight to the County Fair and got to see all kinds of animals, and the art and clothing entries that Aunt Janell and Grandma Linda had sumbitted in the fair. It was so much fun! Next on the agenda was Aunt Janell's soccer game-which she WON! Janell mostly plays the goalie position, and does a geat job! That evening was Jaylen's Court Of Honor. What a great excuse to be able to hang out with the whole Richardson clan!!! And, we are so proud of Jaylen for his hard work! On one...

Jacy is doing a great job with her physical therapy sessions. She enjoys "tummy time" a lot more now and is getting really good at sitting up in her special little seat.

When I was 18 I was a Nanny for Steve and Lisa Singer. I watched their little boy Ryan from age 8weeks to about 18 months. I recently caught up with the Singer family got to watch Ryan play in a baseball tournament on Saturday September 24th. It is hard to believe that Ryan is 11 years old now, and it has been about 7 years since I saw the Singer family last. They also have a younger son Cory, who Jacy LOVED hanging out with during Ryans baseball game. It was so much fun to get to see them all again!

On Sunday September 18th Jacy and I headed for Show Low to see Grandma Debby. We spend the morning at the Hook-N-Spur on the Ellsworth Ranch (the ranch where Jay and I were married) and got to visit with Pete and Betty Jo Ellsworth for a little while and hang out by the creek catching Tadpoles with my brother Justin and his family.