Patrice is one of ten finalists for Mother of the Year and I need your help!/ UPDATE

Patrice won Mother of the year!!!! 
http://triadmomsonmain.com/_blog/My_Blog/post/Announcing_Our_2011_TMoM_Mother_of_the_Year_Winner!/

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Let me start out by saying I am so excited Patrice (Jonah's Mom... I stayed with them for 8 days and learned all things EB)  is one of ten finalists for Mother of the Year for Triad Moms on Main. I am going to write a SUPER long post about how much I love her and why I think she should win but for those of you who just want to trust me in saying that Patrice deserves to win this Mom of the year award and 1500 dollars in prizes just go vote for Patrice Williams HERE.


For the rest of you who want me to convince you as to why she should win and what this has to do with Baby A's adoption please read on :)

I have been following Patrice's blog since about 2008. Patrice's and I shared a common bond that not many people get to or really want to for that matter. Patrice and I both have babies living with Jesus. I started following her blog around the time I delivered Melody and Madison and I had checked in off and on since then.

Patrice and Matt's second born son Jonah surprised them all when he was born with a rare skin condition called EB. Most of you know what EB is but if you don't check out this link. Patrice and Matt were shocked to say the least but they have spent the past 2 years taking care of him and learning new and better ways to care for his EB.

Patrice found out about Baby A and fell in love with him. She was determined to help find him a home and to help raise funds for his adoption. I found out about Baby A on my friend Kristy's FB page and she found out about him from Patrice so in a round about way God used Patrice to lead us to Baby A.

When we started the process to adopt him we were told we wouldn't be able to go forward with the adoption process because we didn't have any experience with EB and there was no way a judge would give us Baby A with out experience. I loved him so much and when I told Patrice what we were told she encouraged me to keep going and fight for him if I thought he was supposed to be our son. So I went out on a limb and asked Patrice if I could stay with them for a week and learn all things EB. Without thinking twice she said yes and plans were made for me to go stay with them.

From the moment I arrived Patrice took me under her wing and included me in every aspect of Jonah's life. I learned so much the 8 days I stayed with them but I think the neatest part of it all was getting to watch Patrice be Jonah's Mom. She is AMAZING! She does not stop from the time she wakes up until Jonah goes to sleep at night. Matt is a huge help to her when he is home but while he is at work she handles it all (she does have help for his dressing changes because that is a 2 person job).

So now I will show you a day in the life of Patrice

This is the day we found out Jason and I were officially committed to Baby A's adoption (Kristy this picture is for you). Jonah (in the background) is being fed through a G-Tube that Patrice has to push his food through every 1 minute and 40 seconds to keep him from throwing up. If is was me I have a feeling I would just sit there the whole time (over and hour) and not really do a whole lot but not Patrice she uses every second of that 1 minute and 40 seconds to get things done for Jonah for the rest of the day. Like prepare his other meals, clean his supplies or wash his clothes.

After his breakfast she heads upstairs and changes out his bedding (it is normally pretty bloody from Jonah rolling over in his sleep and rubbing his skin off). 

She adds layers and layers of super soft pillow cases and blankets to try to protect his skin and so it's easier to change if they get super dirty.

Then she prepares his bath. She gets super soft blankets to put over his bath chair and makes sure the water is just right. 

These are his soft towels for after his bath.

I told y'all this was a day in the life of Patrice and it was going to be long.

 If you want to vote now CLICK HERE :)

Then she undress him...

Then takes most of his bandages off.

Some of the spots have to soak off in the water.

Then she carefully puts him into the tub making sure not to rub his skin against hers 

so his skin doesn't shear off.

Then she bathes him as gently as she can. 

Then wraps him in a soft towel to dry him and protect his skin.

Tries to get some of the extra water out of his arm and leg bandages.

And starts dressing change. She unwraps one limb at a time, washes it, checks for blisters, pops blisters, puts medicine on blisters, rubs aquaphor all over, puts transfer on, then conco (soft gauze), then tubifast. She does this on his arms and legs and does the same thing for his back and tummy only she doesn't have to wash him since she did that in the tub.

Washing his arm.

Washing his hand.

Taking time to calm him down.

putting transfer on

putting conco on

  She does this everyday.

Matt and Patrice get all of Johan's dressing change supplies ready the night before.

cutting the transfer

 Everything ready to go.

'

Patrice spends a lot of time caring for Jonah's medical needs but the thing I love about her most is she takes time to play with and love on her boy. Matt and Patrice give Jonah as normal of a life as possible. They wrestle with him, build blocks, play cars, let him swing, really most anything a "normal" two year old can do so can Jonah.

One memory that stick out to me from my trip is when we had to take Jonah for his two year old check up. He flipped out once we walked in there because he knew whatever they did was going to hurt. I was crying knowing how scared he was and I don't cry... well not a lot anyway.

Patrice just sang to him and talked to him until he calmed down. He LOVES it when she sings to him!

 This is right after she was able to calm him down.

He was all giggles once he know it was going to be okay.

I love and miss him so much!

And that was a day in the life of Patrice, only she does so much more than I posted.

I love this picture of Patrice and I in fact it is hanging on my fridge.

Patrice, 

 Your love for the Lord and passion to see His name made great is a beautiful thing. The fact that you would welcome me, a complete stranger, into your home and show me everything you know about caring for EB is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. 

 Jonah and Gabe are both very blessed to have you as their Mom. I know you are not getting to raise Gabe because he is with Jesus but I know you love him more than words could express. Thank you for sharing his life with me. 

 The love and support you have for Jonah is amazing and I know that he can do anything he wants to with you behind him (even be THE best basketball player on the street)! 

 I will never forget our mornings of bacon, bagels, diet cherry coke and zebra cakes :)  

 Even if you don't win this Triad Moms of the Year award you will always be Mom of the Year in my book! 

 I love you more then you will ever know. I pray God would continue to use your life for his glory! 

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

If you haven't already please go vote for Patrice to be "Triad Moms on Main" Mother of the Year.

 CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK.