If I had A child

This is A warning:If you have A weak stomach you may want to pass on this post!

I had off today and had EVERY intention of sleeping in. Then I woke up this morning to A house that was covered in foamy vomit  and blood. I was SO freaked out to find out that Jag was the culprit. We had A very sick furbaby on our hands,I had no idea what to do.

Jag and my brother in laws dog spider man like to adventure off into the woods. They always seem to bring back some kind of surprise for us.They also like to eat anything they think might be tasty.So when I saw the foamy vomit I just thought his stomach was upset as this has happened before. Then I saw A small pool of blood,Then I started freaking out.

Jag was having blood as A bowel movement.Thankfully our next door neighbor is A veterinarian (What A blessing/money saver this is). So Nick and I wrapped him up in A towel and his faviorite blanket and headed to the vet clinic. Our AMAZING friend got us right back, I kinda felt bad because there was A lobby full of people waiting.

When we got back into the room I unwrapped Jag and then I lost it. I didn't realize how much blood he lost,It was really scary. Then they had to put A muzzle on Jag because he isn't the nicest all the time. The Dr. came in and messed with Jag A little, I had to leave the room. I couldn't stay in there he was yelping and freaking out.The Dr. gave him two shots and hooked him up to A Iv.He told us Jag has some kind of intestinal anabolism.

This can be caused by eating human food ,Especially pork he said to NEVER feed A dog pork. He also said once in A blue moon the dogs get it on there own. We have to bring him back every day for 2-3 days until it clears up so he can get meds and go on ivs. He cant eat or drink until it clears up, The ivs will give him his nutrition for the day.

On the way home I told Nick, OK NO BABYS FOR NOW. I just couldnt imagine how I would handle it if I had A child and something like this went wrong. I use to laugh at my Mom ALL THE TIME because of the way she babied her dog. I know realize how much they are like our children I love him like my baby ....Some people call it silly but call it what ya want it.

He is doing A little better now oddly enough he just wants to lay in the bathtub. Nick and I put his bed in the tub and he napped there for almost three hours...Please keep Jag in your prayers!! Thanks

Can I get A Friday??

Happy Tuesday everyone!! I hope you all had A GREAT weekend and the weather was as beautiful in your neck of the woods as it was here.

Nick and I had A pretty good weekend and enjoyed the weather ourselves.Our friends Brad and Brittney who just had A baby have A much needed date night every Friday night,So we joined. All of us decided on SUSHI ROCK, OUR ALL TIME FAVIORITE. Funny thing is none of us really care for sushi,But the Japanese food is amazing.After dinner we were suppose to go to A concert at the Jacksonville Landing but knew it was going to be WAY crazy. Is this A sign that we are getting old? :( So we just went back to the house and hung out.

Brad and Brittney

All of us @ Sushi Rock

My honey and I

Brittney,Marsha and

Headed out to dinner

Saturday morning Nick and I headed up to Wolfson's to see our friend Theron who also has Cf. He is in the hospital due to A pneumothorax. They put A tube in his chest to inflate his lung again and seal up the hole in his lung. They had no idea he even had this until he started having pains in his chest so they went to the Dr.and did A x ray and that's what they found. He is doing MUCH better now but is still in some pain so please keep him in your prayers. I also got to meet his girlfried Beyonka who is as cute as a button. I really hope to see them at camp this year.

While we were there visiting the nurses station I looked over and saw our friend Shawn. I was SO happy to see him, he was in there due to his Trach being infected. He looked SO good, he put on A ton of weight and he looked really healthy and as always, He made my heart smile. I love seeing people who are so delightful even in the most unlikely situations.

Have A great day people and remember BE THANKFUL!!!!

Here is Nick with some of his nurses from when he went to Wolfson's,If only they knew how much we missed them...

What Transplant???

Yesterday Nick and I got up bright and early to head to Gainesville. As you previously read Nick and I were going to meet with the transplant team to see where Nick stands. It was A nice ride down there, I slept most of the time hehe. If you have ever been down to Gainesville you know it is very easy to get lost if you dont know where your going. We went to two different hospitals and then finally got some direction to the right building. When we got there we went back and they took Nicks vitals and weighed him. I was SO HAPPY when I looked at the scale and it said this...

136.04 That .04 really counts!!!!

The nurse probably thought I was crazy but this is the most Nick has weighed in quite A while. Nick is so funny I said "Nick I cant believe it" He said "Its all muscle".

Anyways we went back into A room and waited,And waited and then finally the Dr.came in.

Nick,and I ...He does this when he is tired of taking pics...

Can you tell we were bored?

He was very nice and Nick and I felt very comfortable with him. He got Nicks history and asked lots of questions then he pretty much laughed at us. He said Nicks health is WAY too good at this point to even consider him for the transplant. I told him Nick is in good shape now because since January he has been working REALLY hard to get healthy. Back in October when his health declined quite A bit I think it really scared Nick as well as everyone else. That is when Nicks Dr.said its time to get him evaluated,But since there he has kicked butt and improved A LOT.

The Dr. pretty much told Nick that by him getting  A daily regimen of going to the gym and working out along with really staying on top of his treatments saved his life. My concern was that Nick was going to wait to long to do the evaluation and be active on the list and then he wouldn't be able to get lungs. The Dr. explained to us that years ago the "list" was A little different.They use to do the transplant according to who had been on the list the longest. Now they have something called A allocation,You get lungs according to how sick you are. He also told us that the survival rate for post transplant is 50%,HOW SCARY IS THAT? He told us that if they were to do 100 transplants today that in 5 years only 50 would be alive. He really explained to us that the transplant is Nicks last resort and to of course take GREAT care of the lungs he has now. When Nick heard this it was just reassurance for him that he is doing A GREAT job and taking care of himself is really paying off.

Nick has been going to the gym so much lately,I have to admit I have been getting kind of lonely....:) He goes 5 days A week for 2-2 and A half hours. I talked to him about it yesterday and he said to me "Amanda, If you found something that you LOVED to do and you knew it was going to keep you alive longer wouldn't you do it?" It was A really eye opener,I felt then like I was being selfish and once I again I am thankful to have someone like Nick keep me in check.

When I got home I was cleaning up the room and came across Nicks stockpile of junk food. Nick is on A 4500 calorie diet. He has to eat that much every day to just maintain his weight.That is really hard to do believe it or not so our grocery bill contains is spent on a lot of these. I am so jealous if I even look at these I gain 10 pounds.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather it has been just perfect.Have A great weekend and please be sure to DONATE to our Great strides team and help CF stand for CURE FOUND!!! Just click the Donate now button on the right of the blog..Thanks

Shoot for A Cure

Today my friend Brittney and I had the opportunity to volunteer for the Shoot for A cure . I absolutely love volunteering for the CF foundation because it is something that is near and dear to my heart. When we went today I really didn't think we would have such A good time. Brittney and I were "Trappers" and were set at certain stations.At those stations we pressed the button to release the clay skeet for the guys to shoot. Other than the fact that my ears have not stopped wringing this was definitely one of the funnest CF fundraiser so far.We even got to meet Sam Kouvaris,Our local sports news broadcaster.Here are some of the pics from today, And dont forget to do your part and donate to our team by clicking on the DONATE NOW button to the right.

All the guys getting signed in

This guy came in and set up shop in the middle of know where and made us some Carabas that was O SO YUMMY

Brittney making the long trek out to our stations

We went the wrong way which ended up being the LONG way

Brittney and I with Sam Kouvaris

The girls who volunteered

Tomorrow Nick and I are heading up to Gainesville for A Dr.appointment.This will be our first time meeting with the transplant team,Kinda bittersweet. Just keep us in your thoughts as I know both Nick and I are kind of nervous. Hope everyone is having A great week....

FOOD REVOLUTION-MUST SEE

I am So excited about this new show coming up called FOOD REVOLUTION. I think it is just crazy at how many obese children there are today as well as adults. The other day while I was at work there was A lady come through my line. As she placed her items on the belt it was nothing but cookies,candy and sugary juice drinks.I asked her what all this was for because it was obvious this was for some kind of function.She then replied by telling me she was A teacher and it was for A party she was giving her class for doing well for A reading program.

All that ran through my mind was article after article of Americas children being extremly obese. I just think it is SO wrong to reward our children with nothing but FAT FAT and MORE FAT. When I saw the trailer for this show I was SO excited. Me being slightly pudgy myself hope that this is A HUGE eye opener for America.Please check it out tonight on ABC at 10 o' clock for the sneak preview.

I NEED BLOG HELP

PLEASE HELP!!!

All of my other bloggy friends have the CUTEST headers,and I know all of these girls didn't pay to have there blog made over. I know it seems silly but I just refuse to pay to have my blog made over.

So I am coming to you for help,How do you make A cute blog header? Is there anyone out there who is good at it and would like to make one for Nick and I...HeHe

One step closer

Whew, What A weekend

It sure didn't last long enough though!! Friday the weather here was B-E-A-utiful,Of course I had to work. Yesterday our friends Matt and Cassey were in town at Matt's parents house for his birthday. It was nice to see them and catch up.They live in Georgia,So we don't get to see them much.After we had some friends and family over for A cookout.The weather was perfect, not to cold and not to hot.

Last week Nick got A call from the transplant team at Uf and Shands in Gainesville. They wanted to let us know that they received his transplant application and we would be hearing from them soon. We just didn't think this soon....Friday afternoon Nick got A call from them asking if we were available to come meet the transplant team on Wednesday. This is such A bittersweet feeling,I know for Nick it is kind of scary.I am excited but I cannot even begin to imagine all the feelings that Nick is experiencing. This is only the beginning for us,I just want Nick to have A piece of mind about all this. He knows that ultimately he has control over when he goes active on the list so he is happy about that. Please just continue to keep Nick and I in your prayers. I know you always have,It is SO comforting to know we have you all.

I am really excited about this upcoming week,Its going to be busy busy. Tuesday my friend Brittney and I are going to be volunteering at the 9th annual cystic fibrosis "Shoot for A cure" sporting clay tournament.It is A awesome event to help raise money and inevitably find A cure for CF,Lots of fun. Then Wednesday is Nicks Dr. appointment in Gainesville.Does anyone know of any good restaurants in Gainesville to eat at?

I hope yall have A great week,Stay positive and smile...It makes such A difference!!

Beautiful Blog

WOOT WOOT!!! My very FIRST blow award
Big THANKS to Brittney

Here's the rules:

1.Thank the person who gave you the award

2.Then pass the blog on to 7 other bloggers who you think have A BEAUTIFUL BLOG

Confessions of A newlywed

Bella blue photography

Love to breathe

Mizell Mayhem

The Richardson's

To live is to love

Madycakesmuse

3.Contact the 7 bloggers and let them know they have been awarded

4. Say 7 things about yourself

• I love when I run into people who are uplifting and optimistic
• I love rainy days in bed with A good movie,But Sunny days at the beach are my FAV
• I WILL sky dive one day NO MATTER WHAT NICK SAYS!!
  
• My brother and sister are my world
• I love to see a girl who is confident with herself no matter what shape size and hair color she is
• I am in love with my husband and his new found love for the gym
• I secretly wish that I had A cute baby bump....What A miracle that would be

I like to move it move it

I just love this article.... 10fitness. It talks about the importance of A workout play list. I don't know about you,But I CANNOT workout with out my Ipod or some kind of music going. It is my motivation,Its what makes me go faster and longer and what gets me in the mood to WORK HARD.There is now scientific proof of what a good work out play list can do for you.

So I thought it would be fun to share what my work out play list is. Be sure you check out the article in the link above....Enjoy

1. 
   
   Morning after dark,Timbaland


2. 
   
   Louboutins,Jlo


3. 
   
   Revolver,Madonna


4. 
   
   Hard,Rhianna


5. 
   
   Did it again remix,Shakira


6. 
   
   Feel it,Three six mafia....On of my Favs for workout


7. 
   
   Sweet dreams,Beyonce


8. 
   
   Carry out,Timbaland Feat Justin Timberlake


9. 
   
   Billionaire,Travee Feat Bruno Mars


10. 
    
    Sexy chick,Akon


11. 
    
    Replay,Iyaz


12. 
    
    Nothing on you ,BOB


13. 
    
    Tik Tok Keisha


14. 
    
    Evacuate the dance floor,Casacada


15. 
    
    Stupify,Disturbed


16. 
    
    Like this,Kelly Rowland


17. 
    
    In ya face,Ebony Eyes


18. 
    
    Push it,Salt and Peppa


19. 
    
    Don't phunk with my heart,Black eyes peas


20. 
    
    Beautiful girls,Sean Kingston


21. 
    
    Wall to wall,Chris Brown


22. 
    
    Break it off,Sean Paul feat Rhianna


23. 
    
    Californication,Red hot chili peppers


24. 
    
    Stronger,Kanye West


25. 
    
    Cant Stop,Red hot chili peppers


26. 
    
    Miracle,Cascada


27. 
    
    That's not my name,The ting tings


28. 
    
    Shut up and let me go,The ting tings


29. 
    
    Loose yourself,Eminem


30. 
    
    Low,Flo rida

What are some of your favorite songs to workout to?

ZUMBA

Last night I got on the scale and I was SO mad at myself. These past two weeks I have well kinda cheated on my healthy eating/workout. I am now back on track and DETERMINED, It feels so good to watch the pounds melt away not pack on again. This morning I got up really early because I thought I had to be to work at 10:30. I knew when I got off of work I would not feel like working out. Brittney and I got up there at 9:00 and worked out some, Then we realized there was A zumba class. To be honest I was honestly intimidated by this class because its pretty intense. Brittney convinced me to do it and I am SO glad she did,It is SO much fun. I workout at Anytime Fitness so if you are A member I suggest you try it. Zumba is A dance class, I thought it was mostly Latin dancing but there was a lot of good music on. Oh and on the way to the gym I realized I didn't have to be to work until 4:30, I love when I misread my schedule...Anyways Have A fabulous day

Right place,Right time

This past Friday I had off and Nick needed to pick up some meds from the pharmacy downtown at Nemours.While we were there we ran into A good friend of ours Chelsea,We met her and her family last year at camp.They are such A joy to be around and are good people,It was nice to play catch up for A little bit. While Nick and I were there he really wanted to stop by and see A nurse that holds A special place in our hearts.Unfortunately she was not there,But can I just say how much I LOVE when God puts us in the right place at the right time.While we were waiting to see if this nurse was available another lady waiting asked us if Nick did studies for CF with this nurse. We said well we use to but haven't much lately,She told us that two of her children have Cf and they participate in the studies. So when we heard that she had two children with Cf we told her Nick also has Cf.For those of you who do not know, Cf has previously been more of A childhood disease as most Cf patients didn't make it into adulthood. Thankfully things have changed and the expectancy of ones life has also changed. With that being said when I meet another adult with Cf it is simply makes me smile and gives me hope. Hope and reassurance that there is A tomorrow for these children who are battling this disease and for Nick. So when we met Gail I know it warmed her heart to see Nick as good looking as he is and be able to relate Nick and her son.Anyways one thing went to another and we were just so overwhelmed and wrapped up in conversation.She did not have her husband nor the children with her. She invited us to have lunch with her family and I am so glad we did.

Nick and I with the Wade family at Op's in Fernandina

A goofy picture of courseThe wade family is from Waycross Ga but have A beach house in nearby Fernandina. The salt water air is REALLY good for people with Cf so I would say that is A great investment. Gail and Jeff have three adorable children Hannah who is 15 and really smart,Brent who is 12 and has CF and precious little Madison who is 10 and also has cf. They were such A FUN family and I tell ya everything happeneds for A reason. I am so happy to have them as apart of our Cf family, We hope to see them at camp this year. We ate at Ops in Fernandina, It was REALLY good and the house salad was O so yummy. We were really enjoying ourselves with them, So after lunch we decided to go grab some ice cream and browse the shops downtown. It was so nice to talk and laugh with them and listen to what works for them and share some of our tricks with them. Nick kept saying how much of himself he saw in Brent,and Madison just had SO much energy. They had to get going and head back to Ga,But I do believe we have met some life longs friends in this fight that we have going on here. I tell ya it sure makes things a lot easier when ya got people there. Before they left we snapped some pictures, It was nice to see I was not only the one who carries my camera EVERYWHERE. Gail is also A picture FANATIC,It was great. Thanks again to the Wade family, We had such A great time and hope to see you sooner than later. Brent,Gail,Jeff,Hannah and Madison

A little bit of this A little bit of that

Hey yall, It is A well not so sunny day here in Bryceville Fl. Sadly I am still in bed in between my rotten fur baby Jag and my husband,And I kind of like it. I hope everyone is having A great week,Its almost over and I am hoping for Mr.Sun to show his pretty face this weekend. Nick had his Dr. appointment on Tuesday,I am A little late on posting I know. He did really good and his lung function did go up 6 points. Two weeks ago it was A 25 and then Tuesday it was 35,HOW AWESOME. Nick worked really really hard in between Dr. appointments and I must say I am SO proud of him. This guy is pretty much AMAZING, He has the best out look on things. So its looking like no IVS this month which we are both really happy about. Reality is that Nick and I along with his Dr. I'm sure would like his lung function to be way higher than 31. With that in mind we still have A long road ahead of us, I have no doubt in my mind that Nick is completely capable of it.

Nick and I get to watch our nephew Trace on Saturday,I am really excited about this. We went and hung out with Courtney and Trace yesterday and Trace was smiling and laughing,It was just too adorable. So Saturday is going to be A lot of fun,From what I hear he likes to stay up all night. So Nick and I will get our baby fix and I'm sure will cure the baby fever I have had lately...

I hope yall have A great weekend and don't forget to donate to our great strides team. Just click on the DONATE NOW button to the right. Help CF stand for CURE FOUND.

Rubber Ducky,,,Not so fun

So this one is for all you Mommies out there. You should check out the article below and see what is really growing in your child's bath toys.I think spring is coming upon us and all you mommies should get rid of all the bath toys with holes in it,They are A perfect breeding ground for psudo.

Click the link below and check out the article

bathtime-goods/

You just dont look disabled

I came across this video through A friend of mine. I was very interested in the title, "You just don't look disabled" due to the fact that Nick well doesn't look disabled or sick. If you look at my husband he looks like every average 24 year old man.So often when I tell people weather it be someone we went to school with or A new friend, They often look confused when I tell them that Nick has Cystic Fibrosis. When I saw this video not only was I offended by the "definition" for disabled but I was in awe of this woman's outlook. It is just simply wonderful and I wish everyone had this outlook. It is kind of long but at least watch the first couple minutes,Where she talks about the definition of disabled. Hope everyone is having A great week....

Working hard

Hey Yall, I hope you guys had A great Monday....I know after A nice weekend its hard to get back into the swing of things, At least for me it is. I just wanted to ask everyone to PLEASE say some extra prayers for Nick tomorrow. Two weeks ago he had A Dr. appointment and his lung function was pretty low. So they asked him to come back tomorrow and see if they have gone up any more. Nick has been working hard to make sure that they are better. I know he is going to be so bummed if they are still low. Not only does he have A Dr. appointment tomorrow but I will not be able to go :( This makes me so sad, I really HATE to miss his appointments,Especially ones like this.I also wanted to do some recruiting, Team "Walking for Nick" NEEDS walkers. The Great Strides walk for Cystic Fibrosis is going to be on May 1st at Hannah Park. The walk is A TON of fun and is A great cause to be apart of. This is our 3rd year doing it and every year our team gets bigger and better. It is so nice for Nick to know that the people in our community care about finding A cure for CF. The walk is VERY child friendly and is right on the beach,The provide lunch which is catered by outback steakhouse and is Oh so yummy. If you would like to walk with us just click on the button below and join our team. There is no cost to join but we do have A team shirt that we have and you can get for 15 dollars.

Unfortunately everyone cant make the walk, But you can still do your part to make A difference. For every dollar that is donated to the CF foundation .90 cents of that dollar goes towards finding A cure... That is AWESOME, So please help CF stand for CURE FOUND and donate. NO AMOUNT IS TO SMALL.Just click the DONATE NOW button on the right page of the blog. Nick and I are SO blessed to have the support that we do from everyone, I am forever grateful for you. Thanks.

Check out our GREAT STRIDES page!!!!

http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/AmandaBrown6088

Is it Friday yet???

Hey yall,How was every ones weekend? The weather was beautiful,Finally A little bit of warm.

Nick and I went out to lunch on Friday with our great friends Brad and Brittney and there new baby Chase.Brittney and I LOVE Mexican food so there is A great little Mexican place in Macclenny that we ate at.They had baby Chase with them and I was trying to find every excuse to wake him up. I just love holding the little guy he is so darn handsome.It was so pretty out on Saturday, So Nick and I decided to go to the Flea Market. This is my FAVORITE place to find junk to "REDO",Nick thinks I am crazy when I get excited about something old and rusty.
While we were there I stumbled upon A cute booth selling MAC makeup,If you know me you know I LOVE makeup. I spend way too much money on beauty products and all kinds of makeup.So when I found this Boothe at the flea market I was well...Just A little bit happy. I just recently paid 20 bucks for A pigment from Mac. I was even more surprised to find out that this lady was selling the same pigments for only 6 bucks or 2 for 10.She also has the Mac liquid eyeliner,The Hello Kitty eye shadow pallets and the 24 mac brush set in A the Mac leather case for only 40 bucks. Needless to say I will be A frequent customer.Ladies go check out her booth,She is at the Ramona Flea market right next to the Snack Bar.

This weekend Nick and I also got A call that we have been kind of dreading but also looking forward too. Since Nicks hospital stay in October and his lung function dropping we have constantly been thinking about where we stand as far as his lung transplant goes. At Nicks last Dr. appointment his lung function was low again and quickly reminded his nurse about submitting the transplant application. So this weekend we got the call that UF and Shanda got Nicks transplant application and will be evaluating it and contacting us soon. So from here Nick and the family will start the 3-4 month evaluation process for his double lung transplant. Once we get through the evaluation the team will decided weather or not Nick is A good candidate. Some of the things they consider when they look at are Nicks will to live,His support system,and of course his health. If he is A good candidate Nick will then decided if he wants to Active or Inactive on the transplant list.If Nick decides to be active it can be anywhere from two weeks to who knows when before they get lungs for Nick. I don't think Nick is ready to be active, he is working hard to get his numbers up and is determined to prolong the transplant as long as he can. It is such A bitter sweet thing for us,So please keep Nick and I in your prayers while we go through this crazy process.

I hope everyone has A GREAT week and remember it is what you make it...SMILE

little baby

Hey everyone, I hope yall are having A GREAT day. If not I am sure this sweet face will make you smile. A couple of weeks ago my sweet friend Brittney had A session with our nephew Trace. She did A GREAT job and took some really beautiful pictures,Every time I look at them it makes me smile. As you all know I am just completely smitten with Trace,He is just so darn cute. Here is the slide show and be sure to jump on over to www.brittanybellblog.com and look at some of her great work.

Trace McCracken from brittany bell on Vimeo.

Girls Day

Yesterday I picked up my little sister from school for A "GIRLS DAY". I had SO much fun and really enjoyed spending time with Mackenzie. She has such A great personality and the older she gets the more I see myself in her,Which is kind of scary. Mackenzie and I went and got some lunch at Callahan Bar B Q of course. After that Mackenzie and I hit up one of the local thrift stores to see if we could find anything to makeover....We didn't find anything to great but I did pick up A old cookie sheet for .25 cents and plan on turning it into....Well you will have to wait on that post! Mackenzie was not feeling the whole thrift store shopping thing,So we soon headed to town for our pedicures. Mackenzie told me A while back that she had never had A pedicure,So with that in mind I told her I would take her.I myself was in need of A pedicure as well,It feels SO good and is so relaxing. Mackenzie was so adorable,She would not stop smiling the whole time. I am so thankful to have A sister who is so funny,beautiful and smart as she is,She has A heart of gold. I am so excited to see what this ambitious young lady grows up and turns into. Yesterday was A nice reminder that I need to slow down and take the time for what matters most. Happy Feet

Today is also my Grandmother (Mom Moms) birthday.This woman is one of the most important people in my life.She is actually my Step grandmother,But has never treated me anything other than her own.She has embraced me for me from when I was younger all the way until the person I am today.She is always there with A listening ear and GREAT words of wisdom. I know that I can count on her to listen to what I am going through and steer me in the right direction,even if I do not want to hear it.She has not only been A Grand mother to me but A spiritual mentor and example. She has opened my eyes to so many things and for that I am grateful. Mom Mom, I Love you and Happy Birthday!!!!

Mom Mom with our fur baby Jag

Out to dinner @ Bostons last summerOur trip to San Diego