Who we are and how we got here

Hi, my name is Kristi. I am wife to a wonderful, supportive husband (Dustin) and mommy to two little munchkins.

Munchkin number one is Addison Hope. She is my first miracle. I became pregnant with her just days before being diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer at the age of 28. While carrying Addison, I endured many chemotherapy treatments and a radical mastectomy. She stuck with me through it all! She was born on November 27, 2007, at 31 weeks, 2 days. Her due date was January 26, 2008. Her delivery was by emergency cesarean due to fetal distress. Her cord was tightly wrapped around her neck twice. God saved my daughter that day, by way of my amazing doctor. Addison spent exactly 4 weeks in the NICU at Ohio State University Medical Center and came home on Christmas Day. She is now one of the smartest, sweetest, most affectionate, charismatic 3 year olds you'll ever meet. I couldn't imagine my life without her.

Chase Anthony is my second munchkin and also my second miracle. Chase was conceived after months of trying with the odds stacked against me. Thanks to 1 1/2 grueling years of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the chances of achieving pregnancy were slim. By the grace of God, we were able to get pregnant and at 17 weeks, found out we would be adding a little boy to our family! The pregnancy was uneventful, with no nausea and little fatigue. At 31 weeks, 5 days, I had a doctor-ordered non-stress test (NST) to make sure the baby was doing okay before we were to jet-set across the country for vacation in Southern California. The test showed that I was having contractions. Another test followed, indicating that I was at high risk for pre-term labor. Vacation was cancelled and I was put on bed rest. On January 29th, 2010, at 35 weeks, 1 day pregnant, Chase Anthony was delivered via cesarean due to premature rupture of membranes (PROM). His due date was March 4, 2010. He spent ZERO days in the NICU and came home with us a few days later. He was the easiest baby imaginable, always smiling and content just watching everything going on around him. He quickly turned into a sweet one year old with a huge personality!

My children are the lights of my life.; the twinkle in my eyes. I fall more in love with them every day. Just when I think my heart is about to explode, it makes room for more love! They are two of the best gifts that God has ever given me. God has also granted me with good health, for which I am eternally grateful. I remain cancer-free and though life post-cancer is not a walk in the park, I remain optimistic about my future with my family.

This blog is a small reflection of life with my munchkins. It's a great way for me to catalog all of the wonderful things they do in their lives and provides great enjoyment as I write about them.