Happy 5th Birthday Anslee

You have come a long way.

Anslee Elleen Copeland is the youngest granddaughter of Monte and Toni Crawford and youngest child of Kevin and Milicent Anslee Crawford Copeland. The name Anslee was created by Monte and Toni by squishing together Anson Lee Crawford’s name.
For those of you who do not know the story of Anslee, it really is a big deal that she is alive. Here is the before and after shots.

Anslee was born at 30 ½ weeks by emergency c-section. She had Hydrops Fetalis and was very sick. Quick medical lesson, hydrops is massive amounts of fluid built up on the body, usually caused by anemia. Something is usually wrong with the blood and the heart has to work extra hard to deliver enough oxygen to the body. Hydrops was more common prior to the 1970’s with mothers who were RH negative and the baby was RH positive. Now there is a drug to give to mothers to prevent hydrops and the cases of hydrops has dropped since then. In the US hydrops is not very common and Anslee was my doctor’s first hydrops baby since her residency.

So how did Anslee get hydrops. I was exposed to parvo virus, which is the virus that causes fifths disease in toddlers. Statistically I should have already been exposed to the virus and statistically even if I contracted the virus the chances of passing it on to Anslee were small. Statistics were not on our side. But statistically, Anslee should not have lived. Hydrops has a 60-90% mortality rate, so thank the Good Lord he does not follow statistics. Anslee spent 7 weeks in the NICU and came home just in time for her big brothers 3rd birthday.

So here is our precious miracle child that God blessed us with.

We love her very much and are blessed to have her in our lives. She has been a fighter from day one. She is sweet, caring, feisty, smart, hot tempered, opinionated and loving. She makes life interesting and does keep us entertained. I am not sure what God has planned for her, but I have to assume that it is something big.

By the way, I am now taking suggestions on how to handle such a wonderful child during the teenage years.

Happy Birthday Ila Jean!

Ila Jean Montgomery Stratton, the youngest daughter of Moddy Evertt Montgomery, celebrated her 87th birthday on March 21st. 

Pictures provided by Rita Young, Ila Jean's 3rd child.

From left to right: Marla Stratton (Roger's wife), Roger Stratton (Jean's youngest), Ila Jean, and Monte Stratton Wright (Jean's 2nd child)

Roger, Jean and Monte

Editor's note: First I hope all of this is correct, and second I have not had the privilege of meeting these beautiful people, but boy are those Montgomery genes strong.  And might I add that we age well!