Photographer, Educator, Student, Mother & Wife Obsessed with sharing moments through pictures & words
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” ~ Leo Tolstoy Just over 3 weeks ago our baby boy was born. Hard to believe how much our lives have changed in just 3 short weeks. We all had hoped and prayed to be have been spared the challenges of spina bifida, and perhaps we […]
Yay for 24 hours home! I think that, and when they’ve been home as long as they’ve been in the hospital – very important days to remember!
I LOVE that little hat!
With Nick’s back, I had a whole routine going, involving dressing changes and oral antibiotics and saline water to clean it. We also kept Nick on his belly for the first 6 weeks (but Nick’s insicion was an odd shape and covered the whole lower part of his back).
It is great that you could send a picture to his neurosurgeon and skip another trip in.
Hopefully it will start healing better very soon!
The photo of his wound gives me a whole new understanding of “growing pains.” He is doing so beautifully, though. He’s so beautiful and his spirit is amazing. I’m in awe of the physical strength and endurance that he has.
AVON Online Fundraiser for Baby Chance: http://bit.ly/gWwaTY
You may know Amanda as a Graphic Design Professor, Photographer or Blogger. You may know Jason as Officer Kern. Many of us know them as wonderful human beings, and parents to beautiful children. Their newest child – Baby Chance Matthew Kern – was born with Spina Bifida. When you make an AVON purchase today, 88% of profit goes towards helping Baby Chance. Make sure to write CMK (in uppercase letters) in the Coupon Code Box. Share this link with your friends. Thank you for your support.
This morning as Chance and I were taking photos, I prayed he would be home all day. Instead, he had other plans. His shunt began to leak again and we found ourselves rushing around and heading back to the hospital for him to undergo another surgery. His shunt required a revision to shorten the catheter […]
by Amanda Kern
5 comments
Happy to hear that he is nursing and happy to hear that he is showing more of a favor to this shunt. God bless that beautiful baby boy.
Dagnabbit y’all just can’t catch a break 
I hope all is fixed now and no more bumps on the road to complete recovery. He is absolutely beautiful.
My own Elizabeth has been in the hospital since early Weds. morning – I feel your pain and have been where you are many times. Hang in there! It will be easier to handle when you are feeling better too. Also, if he still has some issues nursing, but has nursed before….keep in mind that once his shunt is working properly for a little while, he will probably be able to latch and swallow better (that is one of the signs of shunt malfunction/increased intercranial pressure which it sounds like he was having)…so keep pumping like you are – you know it is the best thing you can do for him – I did it for 15 months! Keep up the good work Mommy and I hope this shunt provides what he needs!
Your works reflects all that is beautiful and bright Un this world. The precious moments people and times if our life. They are joyfully melancholic and exuberant with love. I am thankful for your passion and friendship
hi. i’m just dropping by. i read what had to go through with Chance. Congrats! Chance is BEAUTIFUL. May God continue to bless him and your family.
Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed. ~ Abraham Lincoln Yesterday was Chance’s first full day home. I suppose we can add an asterisk to that sentence and include that we took a 4+ hour trip to the ER in the middle of the day. […]
by Amanda Kern
5 comments
Amanda,
The pictures are beautiful, and the one with the scar is my favorite! He is still perfect in my eyes as he has inherited your strong fortitude. I also love the smiling ones he is smiling cause you are his momma! I love you!
Miss Shanna
The pictures are wonderful, Amanda, and his scar really looks good compared to some I’ve seen. It will get so much better as he grows. You have a beautiful family, I hope you can just enjoy them all for a while. It’s hard with the stresses of the unknowns and worrying about shunts, etc. But as you have a few normal days under your belt, you’ll relax and not worry so much. Hang in there!
I love seeing that smile! The picutres are great and I agree, Chance is perfect just the way he is. I just know that you, Jason and the kids are all blessed to have one another. I hope you all have time to relax and enjoy being home. Love you all.
I know what you are going through and how tough it is. My son, Patrick, was born with spina bifida 17 years ago. I am not going to tell you it is easy because that would be a lie. His level is much higher than your son’s. His defect is in the thorasic area. He was given three hours to live at birth. He had club feet and hydrocephlus also. After four shut revisions, three sets of rods that was rejected by his body, multiple bladder surgeries,he is looking forward to graduating in May 2012 from high school, only one year behind his age group. He intends on being a 911 dispatcher or a missionary.
Amanda, you’re pictures bring tears. Baby whisperer, indeed. I have to admit, the very first thought I had when I saw the picture showing the incision was, “Beautiful scar.” Our little one has a few beautiful scars and it’s just part of who she is. Just last week she gained a new one through a long-awaited kyphectomy (rods to correct a serious curve right where her original myelomenigocele repair was, T10). It’s amazing how quickly the scars go away, and sometimes I’ll go months without really looking at them. When I do, I’m amazed at the body’s God-given ability to heal.
Glad you’re both home. Praying for smooth days with lots of cuddling!
“Above the storm, the smallest prayer will still be heard.” -Dolly We’ve waited what has seemed like an eternity to finally bring him home. This afternoon Chance escaped the NICU and is now home. He enjoyed a bit of the Florida sunshine on the way home. Jason and I spent time trying to see who […]
by Amanda Kern
7 comments
All I could see in those first pictures of Chance is God’s light shining down on him, what an amazing baby boy!
You look HOT, lady. No one would know what you’ve been enduring. I do and you’re the more beautiful for it. Te vez BELLA! So glad Chance is home and The Kerns are together. <3
Hurray!!!! So, so glad to see you holding Chance at home! He is such a handsome little fellow. The pictures are just perfect. And you look positively radiant holding him. Congratulations! Much rest and many blessings!
Congratulations. So glad he’s home where he belongs. Enjoy your new family!
Congratulations – your little man looks full of character and spirit…love to you all
Jo x
He’s beautiful!
So glad you guys are home! Love the shirt!
”We always want what we can’t reach” ~ Taylor Swift Chance has been in the NICU for 2 1/2 weeks. It seems as though every time he makes progress we either have another setback or something prevents us from escaping. I feel as though I’ve heard “tomorrow” is the day or “lets see how he […]
by Amanda Kern
6 comments
He’s absolutely amazing!
You nad Chance will be in our prayers.
Sending many blessings your way
I hope he gets to come home too!!!
Sweet, sweet pictures. You all are in our prayers.
Your little dude is so precious! I definitely know how you feel with the ups & downs, hang in there. God can carry us through amazing situations. Praying your family is home all together soon.
What a beautiful baby! Praying for uplifting results.
He’s adorable!
Hope tomorrow comes soon!
by Amanda Kern
3 comments