Poker Run

Ollie's Army Poker Run was a HUGE success!
We had a great turnout and a wonderful time.

We ended up selling 201 poker hands! Thats $4020 in poker hands ALONE!!!!

Not to mention the food, the raffle (around 800 tickets were sold), t-shirts,

armbands and straight up donations. Whew, it's overwhelming!!

I am so proud of my family and my friends for helping me pull this off.

Here are a few pictures from our day.....

Ollie sporting her army attire.

One of my many homemade signs.

Sweet family of 3.

Signs for our sponsors.

(I made all these as well)

The "Pier" Girls.

Thank you ladies for your help. Yall we're awesome!

Ollie's boyfriend Nix on the mic! He said "Dread Clampitt in the House!"

(that kid cracks me up)

Thank you Scott & Phillip for the entertainent!

Thank you everyone for the support. With your help, Ollie's Army raised close to $13,000.

I guess I'm wired wrong, but I am so excited about moving on to the next project!!

The Real Lynsey

Introducing the real Lynsey. Not the funny Lynsey, not the brave Lynsey, not the tough Lynsey. I am a mother. I am scared for what the future holds. I am hopeful for what the future holds. I worry, day in and day out about every little cough Ollie has. Is she breathing OK? Is the person admiring her in the checkout line at wal-mart carrying some terrible germ that could place my child in the hospital. When it comes to my adorable baby, I am weak. I am a wreck. I am a mother. I want nothing more in this world than to fix the things going on in her tiny body. I want her to forever be healthy. I want her to be happy. As I watch Ollie coo and smile and observe her surroundings, I wonder if she knows she is sick. Does she have any clue as to what her life will forever entail? The daily rituals, the breathing treatments, the doctor's visits? Does she know that when I pat her chest and sides and back, I do it because I love her. I do it because she needs this to remain healthy. Does she know I love her more than life itself? And, will she be OK? These are questions that run through my mind on a daily basis. This is how I feel. I am a mother. There is no other way to describe it.

Please help my fight.

Help me find a cure.

Help me fix my baby.

Help me change the lives of everyone suffering from Cystic Fibrosis.

Make a donation to the CF Foundation.

Even one dollar is one dollar more than yesterday.

Every little bit helps.

The Foundation is what gives me hope.

It is what helps me to sleep at night.

Donations can safely be made by clicking the Great Strides Link on my sidebar.

For more information on what you can do to help, e-mail me at lynseydubose@gmail.com.

The true Lynsey is simply a mother who wants the best for her baby-just like you.

who who who who?

Ollie has been very vocal lately, especially when she wants something or just wants attention. Her new sounds change from day to day but this one stuck around for a while. I haven't heard it in the past few days and maybe she has moved on...hopefully! I love everything my sweet baby does, but after a 3o-45 minute car ride hearing nothing but this, it kinda wears on you. Anyway here is Ollie and her who who who who! It reminds me of the sounds Forrest Gump made while sitting on the front porch, but I promise she didn't learn it the same way he did! ;)

We have been one busy little family here lately and I will be more than happy when things slow down a bit. Here's just a few things that have been going on.....

Ollie's daddy bought her a new toy! She has been trying to push herself to stand up while being held so we thought this would be great excercise for her little legs as well as wonderful entertainment. We placed a box under her feet since they don't quite touch the ground. She loves the new jumperoo and sometimes gets a little overwhelmed from all the new and exciting toys it has.

We've had a few visitors (besides my sis who visits just about everyday-We love you Aunt Essie!) . Kellie came to meet Ollie yesterday. She is in town for a few days so made a special stop to see little O.

Shonna and Caroline also came by yesterday. I always love seeing Caroline! (and you too Shonna). Caroline helped with feeding Ollie. She did a great job! I can't believe Caroline will be 3 this month! Happy Birthday C! We love you!

It was wonderful to get to visit with friends! We don't see each other enough!

Ollie also had her first trip to the First Methodist Church nursery. She looked so cute. I think the nursery workers fought over her just a bit.....

And last, we have been busy planning the Ollie's Army Gantt Lake Poker Run. The Poker Run is just a few weeks away, August 22nd. I hope that you will all spread the word and come out and support Ollie's Army. Everyone is welcome to come and participate in the run (which will be done by boats going to various piers on Gantt). If you don't have a boat, come on up and I sure we can find someone for you to ride with. If Poker is not your thing come out for a day of swimming and watching the boats go by. We will have music, food, a raffle and a wet slide for the kids. It all kicks off around 1:00 and proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

*We also still have Ollie's Army t-shirts. $15

With all that being said, I'm suprised I had enough time to type this post! I better go get busy!

Praise The Lord....

The pseudomonas is gone! Ollie has been taking an antibiotic for almost 2 months now. This antibiotic was to kill a bacteria known as pseudomonas. Pseudomonas is very common in people with CF and will always come back, usually within 2 months. For now we are so happy it is gone and did not develop into an infection! At this point we will finish up with the antibiotic (about 6 more days). Once that is done and as long as Ollie stays healthy we will not be required to do any breathing treatments. We will only be doing chest PT's twice a day. This will give O and ourselves a much needed break from the inhaled medications. Praise the Lord!!!

Check-Up

Ollie had a check up at Children's Hospital in Birmingham on Friday. We visited with her Doctor, her nurse, her nutritionist and the social worker. All we're very pleased with her progress. She weighed in at 10 lbs 3 ozs. They all agreed her weight gain was good but we needed step it up a little to catch her up with other babies her age. Right now her weight is in the 19th percentile....we want it closer 50th (which is average). In order to pack on the pounds we have up'd her enzymes to 2 capsules with applesauce before each feeding. I thought getting those tiny beads on the spoon and into her mouth was hard enough with just 1, but giving her 2 is VERY difficult. The house is covered in enzymes! Her length is normal, but we all know she's going to be tall (judging by her feet anyway). The doctor listened to her chest and said it sounded good. He also ordered an x-ray. He said it was to have a baseline of what her lungs look like now so they will have a comparison as she gets older. He said he would let us know if something out of the ordinary showed up on the x-ray. So far no word and I pray it stays that way. (Whew, my heart starts beating fast just thinking about it!) They took a culture to test for the bacteria that Ollie has been taking antibiotics for. (She's not sick...they just like to fight bacteria before it turns into an infection.) We should know next Friday if it is gone or not....please pray that it is. All in all the visit went very well. Each person we talked to said Ollie was the most cooperative baby they had seen all day. She smiled and talked and bounced around all day. She was too sweet! Below is what Ollie wore to her check up. They also said they felt like it was a contest for the cutest baby day (there were 2 other CF babies in for check ups that day), but we ALL know Ollie won hands down!! ;)

In other news, Ollie's Army t-shirts are in. I have ALL sizes, but very few youth sizes. I plan to get more in the next order. I know most of you ordered your shirts and paid in advance....thank you. Feel free to stop by the house to pick yours up or to buy one if you haven't already. (Usually, if my car is home-I'm home.)

He is a picture of one of my neices and my nephew showing their support for Ollie's Army. When they got their shirts, they all ran around yelling, "We're fighting for Ollie!!"

Also, The Poker Run is scheduled for Saturday August 22nd from 1:00-9:00PM at Gantt Lake. The after party will begin around 5:00 at Sleepy Point next to Dunn's Bridge. There will be hotdogs, chips and drinks for sale as well as live entertainment by Phillip and Scott. Please come out and support Ollie's Army and help us raise money for the CF Foundation. For those not interested in playing, bring the kids out for a day of fun! There is a nice area to swim in the lake as well as a bouncy wet slide for the kid's enjoyment. Bring a lawn chair and watch the boats go by. We simply ask for a small donation to attend. For more information you can e-mail me at lynseydubose@gmail.com.

"Whale" Of A Time

I know, I know, I'm getting a little too much into the blogging but Ollie is doing new things everyday and I want to share! On a whim last night, John and I decided to get out her "whale" bath tub Miss Jennifer got her. I don't know why I had been thinking she was too small for it...boy was I wrong. Up until last night we were bathing O on a little foam mat with barely any water in the tub. Once she sat in her whale tub, she went nuts, kicking and splashing and having the best time. John and I sat back and watched and laughed for at least 15 minutes. She loved the water and actually cried when I took her out. Looks like the whale tub will be a part of our everyday bath routine...I could never deprive my child of this much fun! Excuse all the laughing in the backgound, I was totally amused!