Thanks..to those I love!!!

I guess a family with four kids takes up all my time.... I am so grateful for my children and all that comes with it. I am also grateful for my husband who has stood by me while I have pursued all my dreams. I wished to marry the love of my life...he granted me that and asked me in 1995. Married him in 1998....I wished for healthy children...he gave me four. I wanted to work with children with Autism and I became a full time employee with our public school board and love my student to bits!!! For years I wished to learn how to take beautiful photographs but it was always.."I will do it someday." Well someday came just over 2 years ago when I went back to school and learned my passion. Then Nicole Wood Photography was born. My first year was a learning experience and this year was AMAZING!!!! My husband picked up all teh slack and did it all.....dinner, groceries, laundry and the kids....and most of the time I was here..EDITING!!! This has been an amazing ride and I am so blessed that Kevin, Emma, Gracie, Lexi & Dani were as supportive as they were....I could have never done this without you!!!!

My new adventure...CDH Awareness!!!

Welcome to my special blog entry just for Cherubs- CDH Awareness!!!

I have embarked in a new adventure to raise awareness for a birth defect known as CDH or

Congenital Diaphramatic Hernia.

What is CDH?

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) occurs in approximately 1 in every 2,500births (1,600 cases in the U.S. each year). The cause of CDH is not yet known. The diaphragm is formed in the first trimester of pregnancy and controls the lungs' ability to inhale and exhale. CDH occurs when the diaphragm fails to form or to close totally and an opening allows abdominal organs into the chest cavity. This inhibits lung growth.

Every patient diagnosed with CDH is different. Survival rates depend on the types and number of organs involved in the herniation and the amount of lung tissue available. There are many surgical procedures and complications that may or may not occur with each individual, including in utero surgery.

Roughly50% of babies born with CDH do not survive. Of the 50% that do survive, most will endure long hospital stays, feeding issues, asthma and other problems. A few of the survivors suffer from severe long-term medical issues.

I am taking part in a huge campaign along with several photographers from North America and so far I am the only Canadian. My friend Fernanda is the only photographer from Mexico.

Her son Juan Pablo was born with CDH and survived...bless his heart. There are several taking part from the U.S.

I will be taking pictures of a local child with CDH known as a CHERUB. Stay tuned as to when I will do this and how awareness will help these angels!!!

To learn more or join me.....

http://www.savethecherubs.org

http://savethecdhcherubs.blogspot.com/

http://www.cdhsupport.org

Thanks ,

Nicole

Life keeps changing......

Well first of all I have to apologize for not keeping up with this the last few months. Our house has been so busy with Danikah learning how to walk, the girls going back to school, my surgery, everyone starting daycare when I went back to work and then potty training Lexingtyn. Oh and I am trying to get a photography business to be successful. Just being a mom has been a blessing and a very hard task!!

First of all, Danikahs feeding issues sure all resolved and you would never know she had any issues if it weren't for the pictures and stories on the blog. It is but a memory. Thanks for all yours prayers, they were answered.

I do have another update for you and it is but a memory as well. Kevin and I wondered how it ever came to pass that we were to be blessed with danikah as she was not planned and we were trying to be careful...LOL!! After a very easy nine month pregnancy and very fast, and easy delivery. I was blessed yet again with a healthy baby girl.
It was not until my 6 week check up that I discovered why she was meant to be. Cancerous cells were found on my cervix and it was suggested or should I say decided for me that I would have a biopsy. My biopsy was done I April 2009 and my cervix was a mess and basically removed. It was covered in lesions and rated stage CIN I. My OB decided that answer was not good enough so it was sent out again and it came back CIN III. It was time for some decisions. I could have paps every 3 months to moniter or have a hysterectomy. It was a no brainer. I had 4 perfectly healthy girls and Kevin had already had his vasectomy so we opted to remove anything that resembled cancer. I was booked for September 15th 2009. I had a partial vaginal hysterectomy and I was able to keep my ovaries. They were crystal clear. No menopause for me!!!!!

I had a very rough recovery, developed an infection and ended up on several meds but in the end...I was CANCER FREE!!!!!! Kevin was fantastic...took time away from work to care for me and the girls. Let me tell you how blessed I am to have him. He made that part of my recovery and time away from the children stress free!!!

Our next obstacle was Gracelynn. Her teacher contacted me while I was recovering and had major concerns with behaviour and her work. She was not working up to her potential and was in fear of losing her year. I was not surprised but I was. Gracelynn had struggled socially and we had other agencies involved in the past year. I suspected ADHD but the school and the agency we had involved did not agree. They said she was a late in the year baby (Dec 2002) and she seeemed to have anger management issues. After this phone call...I insisted in a psychiatric evaluation to weed out there conclusions or mine may it be the case. We waited from October until yesterday. I was right....she is a very classic case of ADHD!!!! We had a very thorough examination of Gracelynn and her issues. The Dr was able to read her like she had been living with us for the last year. It was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. We have some things in place to help Grace and we feel she is ready for her fresh start and she is excited!!

I will leave with the video we made with Gracie and how we wanted to celebrate her life to date and to show her that even though she feels liek a bad girl who makes bad choices...she is a girl full of "grace" a huge and loving heart and she has ADHD and that makes her special..not bad. We know why she does what she does , thinks like she does and reacts like she does. Now it is time to make Gracie believe that even though she has something that could stand in her way, we are going help knock ADHD out of the way to make way for Gracelynn's dreams. She is going to be a Dr. and possibly work in China to save the pandas. It will all make sense when you watch the video..she loves her pandas!!!

Take care and God bless...
Nicole and family