Intrahospital Weight and Aerobic Training in Children With Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to assess the effects of an 8-wk intrahospital combined circuit weight and aerobic training program performed by children with cystic fibrosis (of low–moderate severity and stable clinical condition) on the following outcomes: cardiorespiratory fitness (V˙O_2peak) and muscle strength (five-repetition maximum (5RM) bench press, 5RM leg press, and 5RM seated row) (primary outcomes) and pulmonary function (forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s), weight, body composition, functional mobility (Timed Up and Down Stairs and 3-m Timed Up and Go tests), and quality of life (secondary outcomes). We also determined the effects of a detraining period (4 wk) on the aforementioned outcomes.

Methods: We performed a randomized controlled trial design. Eleven participants in each group (controls: 7 boys, age = 11 ± 3 yr, body mass index = 17.2 ± 0.8 kgöm⁻² (mean ± SEM); intervention: 6 boys, age = 10 ± 2 yr, body mass index = 18.4 ± 1.0 kgöm⁻²) started the study.

Results: Adherence to training averaged 95.1% ± 7.4%. We observed a significant group × time interaction effect (P = 0.036) for V˙O_2peak. In the intervention group, V˙O_2peak significantly increased with training by 3.9 mLökg⁻¹Imin⁻¹ (95% confidence interval = 1.8–6.1 mLökg⁻¹Imin⁻¹, P = 0.002), whereas it decreased during the detraining period (−3.4 mLökg⁻¹Imin⁻¹, 95% confidence interval = −5.7 to −1.7 mLökg⁻¹Imin⁻¹, P = 0.001). In contrast, no significant changes were observed during the study period within the control group. Although significant improvements were also observed after training for all 5RM strength tests (P < 0.001 for the interaction effect), the training improvements were not significantly decreased after the detraining period in the intervention group (all P > 0.1 for after training vs detraining). We found no significant training benefits in any of the secondary outcomes.

Conclusions: A short-term combined circuit weight and aerobic training program performed in a hospital setting induces significant benefits in the cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength of children with cystic fibrosis.

Full article can be found at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/756304?src=nl_topic

Thankful Thursday: Sick Baby & Dog Sitter

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for my coworkers/job. I may have one of the most accommodating and fun jobs in the world: the Pediatric Pulmonary Center at the University of Arizona. I work with a set of fabulous people, and to top it off, they're all about family first. Yesterday I was down at the office (I generally work from home) for meetings, but Ronnie had a call that he had to take while I was at the office. This meant someone needed to watch Mckenna, and that someone was me. They were totally fine with me having her in the office with me for a bit...what a blessing. What's even better, they're cool with her in the office more frequently while Ronnie's in the hospital. I was so stressed about jobs, etc and man the Lord sure provided the best job ever with the BEST coworkers!

I'm thankful for a happy, sick baby. Mckenna has a bit of a cold, but you'd never know it if she didn't breathe like a gremlin, cough and have a slight temperature. She's still happy as a clam.

I'm thankful for date nights. No we didn't get crazy and go for a night out on the town, but the other night after Mckenna went to bed, we went and snuggled up outside on our patio, turned the heater on, and enjoyed each other's company. That's date night enough for me :)

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for various ways of coffee making. As many of you know, I'm a coffee addict. I always have a cup or three when I first wake up, and I always have a cup before I go to bed. Recently, our coffee machine busted, so I've had to come up with other ways to get my fix. One way that I have done this is with a stove top espresso maker. It's super old-school and I love it. It makes great espresso and I've been cranking out vanilla lattes left and right!

I'm thankful for a willing dog sitter. Anytime Mandi and I go out of town, or I'm in the Hole, my mom always steps up and takes Jezzabel into her home. Now, I must point out that she loves her as much as I do and often refers to JBell as her first granddaughter, but still, it's something she doesn't have to do, but does. It's so awesome to know that we always have a safe place for my four-legged friend.

I'm thankful the baby carrier thingamajig. We also call it the magical sleep machine as Mckenna always enters wide-eyed and leaves, or stays, sawing logs. It really comes in handy when I'm on Mr. Mom duty cause it frees up my hands to still get some work or things around the house done. It's also perfect for our many walks throughout the day!

So, what are you thankful for today?

Quick At-Home Workout

We're all busy. None of us have 30 minutes to spare each and every day to get in a solid workout. But, as many of you know, one thing I preach around here is "a little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing". So, on those days that you only have a few minutes to spare, I present to you The Super Quick At-Home Workout :)

This will hit almost your entire body and best of all, it will make you breathe some deep breaths.

Start out with a wall sit. You'll want to do 3 sets of these and hold them for as long as you can.



Now that your warm, we're going to get you into a front plank. You'll do 3 sets of these and hold them for time as well! (FYI - the extremely fit instructor in this video is none other than super cyster Julie D!!)


What would a quick workout be without isolating those arms? Finish off this at-home workout with 3 sets of 10 (or as many as you can do to 10) of chair dips.



That's it, you're done!! How'd that feel?

Jump!!!

We took a big step forward in the old Sharpe household today!! We left Mckenna-bear with complete and total strangers for the first time ever!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Oh, sorry, that was Mandi you heard screaming :)

Mandi and I were on our afternoon walk when she said, "Maybe we take Mckenna to the childcare at the gym and workout together today?" which was quickly followed by, "Ahhh, I just wanted to see how I felt with saying it out loud...and I don't like it!". I figured that was the end of the conversation and we would just split up our gym time like we have been doing since Mckenna was born.

After we got home and I hopped on a treatment, Mandi sent me a message on AIM (which by the way is how we communicate at home even though we're only a room away). It said - I'm doing it. I'm calling right now and we are just going to go for it!. I was very proud in that moment. You see, I have absolutely no reservations leaving Mckenna into the care of others. I've never been a worst-case scenario kind of a guy, so I figure that everything will work out at the very least, acceptable. Mandi on the other hand? I wouldn't say she is a worst-case scenario kind of a girl, but she is a self-proclaimed control freak! Letting go of something so close to her, whether it be me, Mckenna, work, etc can be a little tough for the wifey. So when I saw that message come across the screen, I beamed with pride. Both of my girls are growing up!! (Kidding babe) :)

I had such a great time working out with Mandi. It's the first time we've been able to hang out at the gym together for quite some time and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Mandi even agreed to partake in the workout I've been doing for the past couple of months that is an absolute killer. It definitely kicked her butt and I can't wait to see how sore she's going to be in a couple of days. She's a trooper though - she looked about 100 times better than I did after my first time going through it.

Anyway, wouldn't you know, after our workout Mckenna was still alive. Better yet, she was sound asleep in a little bouncy chair. All of the caretakers at the gym seem very kind and it was actually heartwarming to see them handle Mckenna with such care. I think it's safe to say that we'll be back.

It turned out to be one of the best times that I've had with Mandi and it was all a result of us deciding (and more so her) to jump!

What are you going to jump into today???

Permission to Nag

There are many things I love about Ronnie (obviously, I did choose to marry him after all). One of the things I really love and respect about him is the fact that he is very self aware, especially when it comes to taking care of himself. Let me explain.

I think it's easy to kid ourselves when it comes to how we're doing at taking care of ourselves. For example, I may feel like I'm eating really healthy, and then I sit down and write what I've eaten for the last few days, and soon realize that I've probably had 3 too many handfuls of chocolate chips, not nearly enough fruits and veggies, and slacked on water consumption. Or I may think I'm doing well with my working out, but realize I've gone to the gym half as much as I did while pregnant. These explains seem a little detailed? That would be because in writing this I did a bit of self reflection...yikes! It's easy to have our perceptions be way off from reality when it comes to how we're taking care of ourselves. I'm definitely guilty of this!

Somehow (probably not a fluke, I'm sure it's the way God wired him, knowing he'd have CF and how important it'd be) Ronnie is very aware of how he's doing when it comes to taking care of himself. He knows when he's slacking and he knows when he's kickin' booty. The best part is, when he knows he's slacking, he makes every effort to get back on track. I totally love that about him. Just yesterday he said, "hey honey, call me out about doing my treatments and getting to the gym this week. I can feel myself slipping a bit." How many people ask their spouse to be a nag and call them out? I'll answer that for you, not many. But he knows how important it is for him to go above and beyond to take care of himself as best as humanly possible. And you know what I love even more? "Slipping" meant he was only doing 3 treatments and he wants to do 4, even though his doctors only have asked him to do 2. And he's been going to the gym 4-5 times, instead of 5-6. Even though he was doing well, he was aware of the fact he wasn't doing as well as he should, and recognized he needed some external motivation to get him going. The natural born nag in me was thrilled...permission to nag?! You got it!

It's all too easy to kid ourselves about how healthy or unhealthy we're living (CF or not). And sometimes it's hard to get back on the wagon alone. So this week, do as we're doing, give someone in your life permission to be a nag.

Mckenna's First Laugh Ever!!!

Making the Most of Opportunities

Hi, Y'all...Mandi Here (thought I'd give you the heads up since it isn't Monday!)

The title may make it sound as if I'm going to share with you some great, life-changing opportunity that I have triumphantly capitalized on that resulted in me being transformed and bettered. If you're looking for that kind of post, you're definitely going to be disappointed. This is a tale of a tiny, insignificant opportunity that you'll likely question why I took the time to share it...never-the-less, here we go...

Mckenna likes to wake up to eat in the night...but shoot so does my mother-in-law (sorry, Denise, it was too easy...Ron Sr., maybe don't let her read this one!). Afterall, that's what babies are wired to do, right? Anywhoo, she tends to wake up somewhere between 3 and 7 to eat, and then goes back down until between 8 and 9. When I hear her on the monitor, I typically stagger down the hallway, illuminating my steps with the light of my cell phone. I then sit half-consious as she enjoys her mid-night snack, stagger back to my room, slither back into bed, and quickly drift back into dreamland. Well last night (Thursday night), I carried out my typical nightly ritual, except I crawled back into bed, only to lay awake. For those of you who have ever been up in the night, and tried with all your might to will yourself back to sleep, but couldn't, you know the feeling. It can be frustrating...right?

Well I had two choices, I could take a sleeping pill (which would require going to the store because we don't have that kind of thing in our pharmacy, I mean house). OR I could get up. So instead of getting annoyed that my little hungry monster was back to bed and I was awake, I decided to make the most of the opportunity. I got up, made a cup of coffee and started in on my work day. I figured if I was awake, why not just get up, finish my work day before she and Ronnie wake up, and then I could PLAY the rest of the day...maybe even nap. And I have to say, I have been incredibly productive (well until I decided to write this blog when I realized Ronnie didn't have anything scheduled to post...but what's a 20 minute break, right?).

Moral of the story? There are a few. First, if you don't want to be up in the night, don't make a baby. Second, if you can't sleep, but want to, choose Unisom, not coffee. And lastly, make the most of opportunities today.

Thankful Thursday: Webcams & Generosity

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for giggles. As I think we've mentioned, Mckenna is a SUPER smiley baby. But what she isn't is a giggly baby...at least she isn't yet. She'll smile and throw her head back with her mouth open, as if she's going to laugh, but no sound actually comes out. However, that all changed yesterday. We actually got a couple goo laughs out of her, and oh my goodness, that may be my favorite sound in the whole wide world!!

I'm thankful for webcams. We are so blessed that there is the technology available where people far away can see us and we can see them. I webcam with my mom and dad pretty much daily, and this week we webcammed with Ronnie's mom, dad and stepmom. What a blessing it is to get to see their faces and have them get to watch Mckenna grow.

I'm thankful for heat. It doesn't get all that cold in Arizona in the winter, but it does get pretty chilly at night (in the 30s). And even though it's not super frigid outside, I'm still huddled under a blanket with the heat on. I LOVE being toasty warm, and thanks to heat, I can be if I want to be :)

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for my little girl still being a little girl yet sometimes acting like a big girl. Follow that? It absolutely warms my heart to see Mckenna stand with her little legs and support her own weight. Or follow me with her eyes as I walk through the room. Or get excited when she "rolls over". Or giggle. I'm seeing more and more of a little girl inside that baby of mine.

I'm thankful for the generosity of others. Whether it be a contribution of time, money, support or prayer - I'm thankful for those who God has placed in our lives. We working on a pretty sweet project right now with CysticLife, and it's been awesome to watch it gain some major momentum because of the generosity of others. Stay tuned.

I'm thankful for Skype. I finally got my mom to download Skype in order to see Mckenna up close and personal when we haven't had a chance to get down to Tucson for a while. Because Mckenna seems to change daily, it's a very nice way to keep my mom on the up and up. My dad has been all over Skype since the beginning; I'm just glad I got my mom to come around :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

Interval Training

"Has anyone else noticed that a minute of running is at least 45 seconds longer than a minute of walking??"


I posted this yesterday on Facebook after my cardio workout. I decided that I would do some interval training to switch it up a little as just running can get a little boring sometimes. (I would actually highly suggest interval training to anyone else who wants to change up their running routine as well). Basically, it's a series of sprinting, running, jogging and/or walking done in timed intervals. Yesterday I decided to do 1 minute interval training. I started with a five-minute warm-up walk and then immediately went into a 1 minute sprint followed by 1 minute of walking. I repeated the sprinting/walking cycle for about 16 minutes. All in all I covered about 1.5 miles of ground.


One thing that I love about interval training is that it always seems to get out more mucus than just straight running. I have a feeling it's because I bounce much more sprinting than I do when I'm running. And I know for a fact that I'm pulling for air much harder and it's getting deeper into my lungs. Doing the sprints followed by a 1 minute recovery walk lets me concentrate on getting as much air into my lungs as possible (as well as trying not to fall flat on my face from a lack of oxygen!). Yesterday was no different as I'm pretty sure I coughed up some stuff that has been down there for quite some time. Again, I would highly recommend this form of training to everyone.


But to get back to the quote I started with in the beginning -  it is amazing how true that feels. Like clockwork, I would look down at my watch 40 seconds into my sprint thinking that there was no way I would have any time on my minute left. And just like clockwork, about 1 minute into my walk I would look down at my watch swearing I was only 30 seconds into my recovery. It was seriously astonishing to me! It was consistent the entire 16 minutes and I can't help but think what my brain must've been processing each and every time I took off into my sprint. The hope of course is that those sprints feel shorter and shorter and those walks feel longer and longer. Although when I happens, I have to change up the routine!


Have any of you ever tried interval training?

Top Ten Favorite Candies

Before I get to my top ten favorite candies...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! Love you and thanks for reading this blog every day :)

These are in no particular order as it's almost impossible to decide...except for the top 3! Actually thought of this post after devouring my second favorite candy today.


Cherry Sours - I dig anything cherry, especially pies.

 Chewy Sprees - Favorite are red or purple.

 Hot Tamales - Recently cracked my top ten...bumped out Milk Duds.

 Mini Chewy Sweet Tarts - You can get a big ol' box of these at Sam's Club...and we did...last week :)

Pumpkin Candy Corns - Love eating these while at the gym...don't ask me why.

Skittles - red and purple all day.

Starburst - If the bag only had pink ones I wouldn't be disappointed one bit.

3. Mike and Ike Original - I've eaten far too many boxes of these than I'd like to admit.

2. Conversation Hearts - I love it when Valentines Day is right around the corner!

1a. Brachs Jelly Beans - I go crazy on these things when I'm in the Hole...love the pink ones!

1b. Canadian Wintergreen Mints -  I've loved these since my Grandma gave them to me to keep me quite in church :)

Mckenna Monday: Head, Shoulders...Hands and Roll

Happy 3-month birthday to me...well almost. Tomorrow (the 17th) is 3 months officially. The time has flown. It feels like just yesterday that I was warm and cozy, snuggled up in mom's tummy. Man, I kinda miss being in there. Luckily mom brings back some for the comforts of my old home at nighttime: I get white noise and I'm swaddled while I sleep. So while it's not quite as awesome, it'll take it! Helps me sleep better at least.

This week has been a big one. Mom and dad keep saying "it's like she grew up over night." First, I'm using my hands a lot more than I used to. They seen shocked by how I'm grabbing things...but I'm not sure why. Of course I'm going to reach up and grab my butterfly, Buddy, and all the fun stuff hanging off of him while I'm on my playmat. I mean, when I grab the rings at the bottom and move it around, Buddy makes fun noises. Plus when I move Buddy around, I can see all the fun different patterns he has. They sure are impressed though. What's funny is that I'm still not that great with my hands and they're already impressed. I'll really blow then away when it doesn't take me 10 tries to actually grab what I want to grab. Maybe then they'll take 20 videos and pictures instead of just 10..ha!

Another thing I've been doing that really gets them excited is partially roll over...but you'd think I was totally rolling over by their reaction. I can't totally roll over yet though. As of now, I have to be half way between my side and my tummy. You can see how it unfolds in the pictures below. Mom and dad thought it was maybe by accident...so they had me do it over and over again and finally believed it was intentional when they noticed I do it the same way every time. It gets a bit frustrating though, because they take forever to get me set at the beginning. They want to make sure I'm far enough on my tummy that I can't topple over to my back by accident, and it takes what feels like forever.

This is how I start. Arm underneath me. Knee, foot and, shin of top leg on the floor.

I used my leg to give myself the momentum to get to my back.

My new favorite song is "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes"...do you guys know that one? I think it's one that everyone knows, but I never quite know because mom and dad make up songs about everything that happens in the day. Anyway, I love that song. I mean who wouldn't? They sing a body part and touch it at the same time. I really start smiling when they get to "...eyes and ears and mouth and nose" because I think it's funny to touch all over my head and face.

Well that's it. I'll leave you with this picture. It's post bath time...man, I LOVE bath time!

Heart Explosion

This video makes my heart hurt, explode and then melt....

Thankful Thursday: Smiles & Talks

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for a smiley baby. Mckenna is SUUUUPER smiley. She smiles when you smile at her. She smiles when she's playing by herself. She smiles at you to get you to smile at her. She smiles when you smile at her...even when she's crying. She smiles ALL the time and I LOVE IT. Her gummy little smile is adorable, and my favorite part is that when she smiles big she throws her head back, scrunches her nose sticks her tongue out a bit AND smiles all at the same time!

I'm thankful for more great nights. Mckenna was doing great a couple weeks back at night, and then we had a bad week, and the last few nights she's been doing great again. Two nights ago she went down at 10:15, woke up and ate at 6:30 and then slept until 8:40. Last night she went down at 10:30, ate at 4:30 and was up again at 8:45. I can totally handle that!!! Although, it has now taken me 30 minutes to write this blog because she won't go to sleep tonight, I've re-settled her 3 times now...so we'll see how tonight goes!

I'm thankful for Muddy Buddies. If you don't know what they are, GOOGLE THEM. They're possibly the tastiest treat in all the land :)

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for the wonderful weather we've been having. On most afternoons this week, Mandi and I have been going for an afternoon walk or run to crystal blue skies and a temperature right around 70 degrees. I can't believe it's still so nice in January. I'm absolutely loving it right now...just check back with me in August.

I'm thankful for my talking baby. Mckenna is starting to have little conversations with her mommy and daddy and it is one of the cutest things in the world to see. You can tell she really is trying to communicate and the look on her face is priceless. I just need to continue to sharpen my goo-goo gaa-gaa skills.

I'm thankful for 2 great years so far with CysticLife.org. The Website celebrated it's 2nd birthday yesterday, and my oh my does time fly. It felt like just yesterday we were coding that thing and deciding what features were going to go where. Well, 2.5 million hits later, and it still feels like we're doing the same :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

What I Tell Myself...

I think a common myth among my friends and family, and possibly some of you out there, is that I really enjoy working out or exercising. Don't get me wrong, it's not something that I absolutely hate, but it certainly isn't something that I look forward to each day. Generally speaking, I talk myself into getting to the gym or lacing up my shoes to go for a run.

1. You've never regretted going to the gym. Sure, the 10 minutes before I actually get to the gym I go through about every excuse in the book as to why I shouldn't be going, but if I can actually get my butt in the car, it only gets easier. I actually start thinking about what I'm going to do when I get home from the gym even before I pull up in the parking lot, and I've found that can serve as somewhat of a motivation. I find if I can think of at least one thing that I really want to do after my workout, I tend to really push it and get through my workout as soon as possible. This usually means that I am very out of breath while exercising, but for someone who needs to breathe deep, that's a good thing!

2. You always take your deepest breaths while working out. Whether it's from running, doing box jumps or push-ups; I always breathe the deepest during workouts. And as only people with jacked up lungs can understand, man, that feels good! Can anybody out there reading this explain that sensation? You know, the feeling you get when you feel air get to places it hasn't been a while? More often than not, this is the feeling I get when I exercise. So in the regard, exercise is kind of like my drug, because the feeling I get from those deep breaths can't be beat by any narcotic.

3. If you don't push yourself, then shut your mouth. Like that one? One great benefit of having this blog, is that it holds me very accountable. I'll be the first one shouting from the rooftops that exercise is key in our battle with CF. Some people think it's too much and would rather me just shut up about it all, but I believe it in too much to be quite. Not only do I believe in it, but I live it. I've seen the amazing things it can do with lung function, energy and life. If I don't live it out in my daily life, how in the heck can I expect anyone else too?

4. Give 60 minutes for 60 years. Now, does pushing myself each day really guarantee that I'll be able to say that I lived a good 60 years? Of course not. Does it hurt my chances though? No way. It's all about putting myself in the best position to succeed and doing everything that I can to be the very best version of myself. I'm convinced that being faithful with exercise and treatments does just that, so I won't stop until I'm convinced otherwise. By the way, I better make it to at least 60...or Mandi will kill me!!

5. You're not doing this for you. I often hear people say "You've got to want it for you" before embarking on a life of treatments and exercise. Hogwash. The key is to do it, no matter who it's for. Do I love life? Sure. Do I love me? Yup. Do I love Mandi and Mckenna more than me and my little world combined times 1,000,000,000,000? You better believe it. If I'm ever out of energy to get up for the next workout, all I have to do is look my girls in the eye. There is no greater motivating factor on this earth.

So what about you? What do you tell yourself in order to "get up" for a workout?

My compressor: Mobilaire 50 PSI

I get a lot of questions about my compressor, so I thought I would share some answers to those questions...


What type of compressor do you use?


I use a Mobilaire 50psi compressor from Invacare


Where did you get it?


I purchased it from an online durable medical equipment store


Did you need a doctor's prescription?


No


Can you use LC Plus tubing or tubing from other nebulizers?


I only use AeroEclipse tubing, but in general, nebulizer tubing is pretty universal with only a couple of exceptions.


What PSI setting should I use for each drug?  


I've run by all settings with my CF pharmacist, and as I understand it, if the med is dose dependent (ie antibiotic), then the recommended PSI would be 25. The CFF website only lists TOBI at 25 psi as that is the most common inhaled antibiotic on the market. 


Does the setting matter?


Whether it really matters or not could be up for interpretation. Considering that the compressors we're used to have a much lower PSI, one has to wonder whether or not we've been getting really effective treatments this whole time. They obviously are doing something at a lower psi, but is it ideal? Who knows, but it makes you wonder. 


Will it affect the effectiveness of the drug if it is at a "wrong" setting?


I don't think you have to worry to much about setting a drug at the "wrong" setting. Just follow the loose guidelines stated above and I have a feeling that you'll be fine.


Will it really make my treatments go faster??


YES


How much time do your treatments take now?

Albuterol/Atrovent combo (double dose): 10-15 mins run at 30 psi

Hypersal: 15 mins run at 30 psi

Pulmozyme: 7-10 mins run at 30 psi

TOBI: 20 mins run at 25 psi

Is the compressor heavy?

Yes, heavier than any other compressor you're used to.

Is the compressor loud?

See answer above, just insert the word loud

Is this compressor expensive?

I've seen it sell anywhere from $250 to $400.

Would you recommend the Mobilaire to others?

Without a shadow of a doubt!

..........

Do you have any questions that I didn't cover here? Ask them below!

Reality Check!

Another week has come and gone. Somehow life post-Mckenna goes faster. It's like days are shorter now! Mckenna is now 12 weeks old...and I have NO clue where these 12 weeks went - one week and a day and she'll be 3 months old already. CRAZY!

This week was my first week back at work. Back to reality for this momma. Luckily I'm only back at work 20 hours a week. That helps big time. I'm able to get in 2 hours during her morning nap (what's funny is she only takes a long nap (longer than an hour or so) when napping in her swing next to daddy doing his treatments. Ronnie's morning treatments are LONG now because he just continually restarts his vest so we both can get in a long stretch of work. Treatments may be my new favorite things on earth.) Anyway, so I do a 2 hour stretch in the morning, and then another 2 hours or so while Ronnie plays Mr. Mom. All in all it was an easier transition than I thought. But I am glad I'm part-time and that I'm still at home because I think I would die going 8 hours without seeing Mckenna and I still get jealous when I hear them playing and I can tell she's being cute...so I run in to see what she's doing. Maybe one day she'll get boring and I'll be less obsessed?

And come to think of it, Reality is slowly creeping back in in other ways too...one real world first at a time. First, work. Now we're discussing hospital stays. Ronnie won't be going in anytime too too soon, but he's getting closer, as he's been out since September, and he's pretty consistent on how long he can stay out. So as we started talking about a possible tune-up in the next month or so, I started putting together what the reality of a tune-up would be. And it's not pretty. As you may remember, we live in Phoenix and he gets treated in Tucson (2 hours away). I have an office in Tucson that I enjoy working from. We have family in both places. These are all of factors that play into the "where do Mckenna and I stay during a tune-up?" debate. Right now I'm thinking we'll spend 4 days a week at home, and 3 days a week down there - sleeping at his mom's or grandma's. I obviously want to be with him as much as possible. But I also don't want to inconvenience his family (read: keep them up all night with a crying baby) and I don't want to get her all out of wack by sleeping in a different place, etc. We knew that hospital stays would be a bit tricky, but I don't think I really knew just how tricky they'd be until she got here. Needless to say I'm a bit nervous about this new reality, but we'll get it all sorted out once we fumble through our first one. I will say that the biggest blessing is that my office is walking distance from the hospital AND they are ok with me bringing Mckenna to the office with me. Man I love my work - they're awesome! So that will provide some flexibility.

And the last reality that has crept in in the last few weeks is the realization that this is forever. Some of you I'm sure just let out a laugh. I'm sure many of your blurted out a "DUHHH!!". And I know, this statement sounds really dumb. It's so obvious. Yes, a baby is forever. I, of course, knew that. However, I didn't quite know the REALITY of it. What I mean, for example, is I knew that I'd have less sleep with a baby...I didn't grasp that I'd never have the chance to catch up on sleep...because a kid creating sleepless nights is (what feels like) forever. It's not like a little blip where you don't get sleep for a week, and then you can catch up. Or I knew I'd be tethered to her day and night because I'm breastfeeding, but I didn't realize what that looked like in terms of my days. I didn't realize what it means to only have 2 hours away from the house on my own, max..."forever" (I get this isn't forever, but right now, it kinda feels like it! ha!). The permanent-ness (yes, I didn't just say permanent-ness) of having a baby is a no-brainer, but the reality of the permanent-ness didn't quite sink in until the last couple of weeks.

The theme of life the last couple of weeks has been "reality check" for me. It has been both fun and scary to come back to real life after 11 weeks of "baby bliss" on maternity leave. It's been fun and scary to realize what our new life looks like - certainly not bad, just different and a little scary trying to navigate through it all. But man, when I see her smile or feel her little hand on my skin, it makes me so thrilled to be in this reality!!

Have you ever had this happen to you though? Where you know something, but you don't quite grasp it until you're in the thick of things?

Mckenna's First Christmas Gift

...and she's starting to get it!!!

Thankful Thursday: Yoga Pants & "Magic Touch"

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for Mckenna's daddy...aka Ronnie. I say is that way though because Ronnie wears many hats around this house, and Mckenna's daddy is one of them. He is such a great daddy. He's fun. He's attentive. He's loving. He's knowledgeable. He's everything Mckenna could ever ask for in a daddy. I love watching him grow as a dad and watching Mckenna be totally smitten by him. If we want BIG smiles out of her, she needs her daddy. If we want her to be content and nothing is working, she needs her daddy. If mommy is frustrated with trying to figure her out, she needs her daddy. Bottom line, she needs her daddy and I'm so thankful that Ronnie is such a good one!

I'm thankful for yoga pants. Ok, so this one's a little silly. But I have to admit, I live in yoga pants. If I'm home, I'm in yoga pants. Shoot, many days, whether I'm home or not, I'm in my yoga pants. The are so stinkin' comfy I can't help but live in them. Plus, something about yoga pants makes them acceptable to wear in public in the middle of the day at 25. Somehow sweatpants in the middle of the day looks like you never got out of your PJs (which is ok too), but yoga pants can look deliberate and as if they're not your PJs but your choice of outfit for the day. And comfy pants mid-day in public is always something to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for zoo memberships. Ronnie and I got a year long zoo membership. It's AWESOME. For $80 a year, we both can go to the zoo as much as we want, we get 2 guest passes, and free or discounted admission to over 150 zoos across the country. Here's the best part: going one time is $18. So with the 2 guest passes (value $36) we only have to go once each to make it worth the money. My girlfriend and I are going to meet there weekly to walk and chat while our girls get to look at fun animals and learn new things. Win-win for everyone! 

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful that Mckenna is still alive and well after two full days of me being Mr. Mom. Now, I certainly didn't think I was irresponsible enough to get her killed, but the fact that she hasn't been injured in any way is a miracle. I hope that trend continues.

I'm thankful for my new U of A cup. For Christmas, Josh and Chrissy got me a UofA 24 oz water cuppy thermosy thingy that has been awesome to drink my water out of. It keeps it colder than a regular cup would and of course, I get to see one of my favorite sights on earth every time I take a drink - the block "A"!!

I'm thankful for my "magic touch". I'm not convinced of it, but Mandi says I have the magic touch when it comes to burping Mckenna. I'm not thankful for my sake, but for Mckenna's. Air in her tummy must drive her crazy and I'm just glad that I can help her feel better. So, come to think of it, when she feels better, she's a happier baby and in turn, we are happier parents. So I AM thankful for my sake :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

First Day as Mr. Mom

The time has come.

Mandi has returned to work and now it's time for me to change into my "mommy pants". Thus far, Mandi has been doing the bulk of the entertaining while Peanut is awake so I could continue working during these past 10 weeks or so. Thankfully, everything slows down around the holidays, so I was still able to get in plenty of family time. But now the holidays are over and things are going to start moving again. This year will definitely be the year of balance and adjustment!

Mandi's employers have allowed her to come back at part-time for the beginning of the year which I'm sure is going to be a big help. It will give me an opportunity to see how the "flow" of the day is going to go before I'm on the boat all alone and Mandi is standing on the shore. No, it's not going to be that bad since she works from home, but I will be responsible for making sure she's actually able to get her work done. I'm actually looking forward to coming up with unique ways to entertain Mckenna throughout the day if anyone wants to throw something out there. And in case your wondering, not unique for her sake, but for mine :) If I have to watch her play on her little mat or read her books for 8 hours a day, then someone is going to get hurt - and since hurting myself, Mandi or Mckenna is not an option, it will probably be a random stranger and we all know that nothing good can turn out of that.

I am however really looking forward to this time I get to spend with Mckenna. Since we know that Mandi has to work and someone has to watch the baby, I don't feel so guilty when I'm away from my computer. It's still not easy, but it definitely makes it easier. A lot of this is going to come down to me shifting my schedule a bit and re-prioritizing what the most important things to get done every day will be. I may have to look into getting to the gym at a different time. Or maybe eliminating a show or two from my normal line-up. Or maybe, just maybe, I'll have to get up an hour earlier than I normally do (GASP).

The bottom line is: Things are a-changin'; it will be up to me how much they change.

The Year Ahead

I'm not a big New Year's resolution kind of a guy. I figure that if I need a certain day of the year to get me motivated, then making some a "must do" resolutions is the least of my worries. I do however like to look at the year ahead and figure out some things that I would like to accomplish or continue to do. They're not resolutions as much as they are plans for the future.

My number one focus this year is my family. Not only do I want to be the husband my wife has always dreamed about, but I want to be the kind of husband that blows away her expectations. I know that she would never say this, but she deserves that from me. The day I was blessed enough to make her my wife was the day that she made my life complete. I was finally given the woman that God created just for me and I could not have been happier. She "checks off all of my boxes" and my hope is that I can check off all of hers...and then maybe add some that she never thought about.

I also want to be the dad that my precious daughter deserves. There really isn't a whole lot that I can do right now besides meet her basic needs, but I can prepare myself for the future. Part of that is taking care of myself physically and also being there for Mandi so she can take care of herself. If we're there for each other and co-parent like we've always planned, that gives us both the much needed mental breaks once in a while as well. As we anticipate Mckenna growing from an infant to a toddler to little girl to a teen; I just hope that I can continue to sharpen my skills to be the father that God created me to be.

A big part of that is making sure that I'm capable to be the spiritual head of this household. I'm sold out on the fact that God has already laid out a plan for our family that is perfect, and a big part of that plan is for us to seek His Will. That of course is always a tough thing. How do I know His Will for my life? I don't have a blueprint for my life, or my family's(although that would be nice), but He did provide a blueprint for all of humanity to follow. This year I need to be sure to open up that blueprint, focus on what it says, talk with the Author and then wait for His response.

There are also some other things that I'd like to see done this year, but compared to what I've already talked about, it seems very arbitrary. I'd like to continue to pour into CysticLife.org and make sure it's the space that the CF community deserves. I'd like to I'd like to replant and spruce up my garden. I'd like to do a couple of house projects, not sure what they'll be, but something cool. I'd like to travel with my family of three. I'd like to continue to reach a couple of people with this blog.

So that's what's in store for me (if I have my way) - what about you???