Kaoru Mulvihill

THE MULVIHILL PHOTO GALLERY

kaoru@cs.ucla.edu

My testimony (May 2003)

Below are a few favorite pix of the family:

Christmas Greetings 2005 (December 2005)

Its chilifries season - I mean baseball season!

(mason on the right) "wah sah cottah caandah?" (translated... "want some cotton candy?")

Baseball - Opening Day 2005

Now batting for the Braves, #12, Mason

Big Bear - February 2005 A couple of spuds! (1/05)

Christmas Greetings 2004

(December 2004)

Ryan graduated from Fairburn Elementary and is off to Culver City Middle School (6/17/04).

Another unsent Christmas card

(December 2003)

Trenton (7 yrs) / Mason (4 yr) / Ryan (9 yrs) / Kendall (2 yrs)
(4/03)

Our first Hawaiian vacation `03
(more Hawaii pix)

Kendall Chronicles

Kendall surprised us all when he arrived 16 weeks early! He wasn't due until January 20, 2001, but couldn't wait and was born October 2 (weighed in at 1 lb. 8 oz., 11 3/4 in.)

The picture in the middle shows him wearing Daddy's wedding ring. It easily fit over his hand and IV. (10/29)

This experience is proving to be the rollercoaster the doctors and nurses promised. Kendall is being cared for by the wonderful team at UCLA's Neotatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) -- they are truly God-sent. Big brothers Ryan, Trenton, and Mason can't wait for Kendall to get better and come home soon. He's had some setbacks (including having to have chest tubes), but God willing he will overcome. We have a very long bumpy road still ahead so any prayers you can send our way would be greatly appreciated!

THE CHAMP!

I couldn't let Kendall's first Halloween come and go without dressing him up. After all he is my heavyweight (or should I say featherweight) fighter! Ryan (scream-dude), Trenton (army-guy), and Mason (handsome devil) collected enough candy for all of them.

UPDATE 11/7/00:

Kendall is doing better. He caught a bug last week and was put on antibiotics Friday. He was taken off of them yesterday and his O₂ level seems to be doing better too! He still partially collapses his lungs, so we ask that you continue to pray for his lungs to mature and get better.

UPDATE 11/16/00:

Kendall started feedings with breast milk on 11/10 and seems to be tolerating them pretty well. He is fed through a gavage tube (a tube that is in his mouth and goes directly into his stomach). He's huge now - almost 2 lbs!! And now that he's been more stable, we've been able to hold him for short periods of time. Its really wonderful. He has not been requiring as much oxygen assistance and so the next hope is they wean him off the ventilator. The power of prayer has done wonders for him. Thank you.

UPDATE 12/13/00:

Progress, progress. Kendall has been taken off his ventilator! (Actually he was taken off once before (12/3) and was for two and a half days, but he was working too hard (collapsed a lung) so they put him back on to rest and grow.) He was extubated yesterday and hopefully it will last longer than last time. Either way, any time off the ventilator is a break for his lungs. He is now on c-pap; oxygen thru the nose with a little pressure behind it - definitely less damaging to the lungs.

UPDATE 12/18/00:

We 've been put in Obs (observation - step-down unit of NICU). Its a good sign that things are going well.
(click thumbnails to enlarge)

MERRY CHRISTMAS 12/2000

As usual, here is our Christmas card that didn't quite make it to the post office. God bless you all and hope yours was merry!!

FINALLY ANOTHER UPDATE 5/16/01
Kendall came home 1/19/01 (one day before his original due date). When we checked out of NICU, he was a hair over 5 lbs. He did very well until he caught a viral infection the beginning of February and we were basically in and out of the hospital that whole month. All of March and April were recuperating months. His weight gain fluctuated because he was unable to keep food down because of his terrible congestion.
I'm happy to report that he is starting to gain weight again. He is a huge 8 lbs. 11 oz. not bad for a guy who entered the world at 1 lb. 8 oz.!!

He smiles and laughs now and will occasionally surprise us by rolling over.
Congestion surfaces with the change in weather. He definitely enjoys warmer days (like his mommy)

KENDALL'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

MERRY CHRISTMAS 12/2001

What can I say - I've got issues with the post office. I don't know why getting cards to the mailbox is so hard!!
May the glory of Christmas be yours!!

50th Anniversary - Tamotsu and Aiko Kobata
Jiichan and Baachan (grandfather/grandmother) June 22, 2002

Baachan and Jiichan

20 grandkids/1 great-grandchild
(21st grandchild born the following month)

Everyone

1001 origami cranes

tiled table gift

MISC PIX 2002
Ryan - 4th grade (9 yrs)	Trenton - 2nd grade (7 yrs)	Mason - Preschool (4 yrs)	Kendall - Life 101 (2 yrs)

Razor Day with VSFMC (10/15/00)

Our church held a Razor Day in October where kids of all ages got to show their stuff. Ryan "Rhino" getting much air (1) and Trenton not far behind (2-3).
Thank God for health insurance!! Both had a great time. (Thanxs for the pix Rob.)

Trenton (5 yrs) / Mason (2 yr) / Ryan (7 yrs)
(8/2000)

Trenton (4 yrs) / Mason (1 yr) / Ryan (6 yrs)
(12/99)

Wanna play ball?
Mason (1 1/2 yrs)
(5/00)

Do you think someone
likes to play baseball?
Mason (3/01)

Got any room this holiday season?

For warm wishes from the Mulvihills

Tony, Kaoru, Ryan (4 yrs), and Trenton (2 yrs)
Christmas card 1997

Trenton (3 months) and Ryan (2 yrs)
(11/95)

Ryan (3 months)
(12/93)

Venice High Prom - Class of `82

I married my high school sweetheart and best friend, Tony, in August of `89.

20 years later at our Venice High School Reunion, August 2002 - what a blast!!

THE CHAMP!
	I couldn't let Kendall's first Halloween come and go without dressing him up. After all he is my heavyweight (or should I say featherweight) fighter! Ryan (scream-dude), Trenton (army-guy), and Mason (handsome devil) collected enough candy for all of them.

UPDATE 11/16/00:
	Kendall started feedings with breast milk on 11/10 and seems to be tolerating them pretty well. He is fed through a gavage tube (a tube that is in his mouth and goes directly into his stomach). He's huge now - almost 2 lbs!! And now that he's been more stable, we've been able to hold him for short periods of time. Its really wonderful. He has not been requiring as much oxygen assistance and so the next hope is they wean him off the ventilator. The power of prayer has done wonders for him. Thank you.