Hiatus ... ends in 2009

It's Your Birthday Babies was on hiatus during much of October, November and December due to economic/technical upgrades.

Because everyone's child is precious and important, updates from 2008 will be posted during early part of this new year as we keep current as possible through 2009.

We apologize for the inconvenience to our families and visitors, and we thank you for your patience and all your support.

Again, thanks so much.

ExcelLent School Celebration at the Beach

Hundreds of children and their families gathered at Beach Park on Oct. 18, 2008, to celebrate Pascagoula becoming an Excel-By-5 Certified City.

Brice Wiggins, chairman of the Pascagoula Excel-by-5 Coalition, welcomed the large crowd. Wiggins gave a special thanks to Chevron Inc. for providing the seed money for the Pascagoula program, one of four pilot sites in Mississippi. ...

More Photos and story by Debbie Anglin

Alyssa Smith

A month from today Alyssa Smith of Schertz, Texas, and her mother Terri will have a lot to celebrate, as has been the case for the last 20 years.

Thanksgiving 2008 will be another very special day for the young woman, who expects to turn 21 in February 2009.

Alyssa was 21 months old when she became the first recipient of a liver from a living donor, who was her mother Teri Smith, according to http://www.todayinscience.com/%2011/%2011%2027.htm.

"On Nov. 27, 1989, Dr. Christoph Broelsch's team of doctors at the University of Chicago Hospitals implanted part of a woman's liver in her 21-month-old daughter in the world's first successful living donor liver transplant. Alyssa Smith from Schertz, Texas, received a portion of her mother Teri's liver.
"Dr. Broelsch performed the first liver transplant using a segment of a cadaver liver while at the University of Hannover in 1984. At the University of Chicago, he performed the first segmental transplant in the United States (1985), the first split-liver transplant (one donor, two recipients) in the U.S. (1988) and developed the technique for transplantation from a living donor. "

Thanksgiving all around.

On Nov. 27, 2003, President George W. Bush secretly flew to Iraq to spend Thanksgiving with American troops, says www.infoplease.com

At http://www.todayinsci.com/ learn the 50th, 100th and 200th science anniversaries marked by Year 2008.

Brody Michael Long

Brody Michael Long turned "1 year old" on Aug. 8, joining older brothers Presley and Taylor.

His parents are Bo and Crystal Long.

Grandparents include Howard and Pam Hubbard and Mike and Jerri Long.
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Great-grandparents are Aubrey and Elaine Baty, BG and Louise McDaniel, Joyce Fancher, the late Russell and Helen Hubbard, the late Earline Williamson and the late Walter Long.

Makyla Lynn Treece

Makyla Lynn Treece will celebrate her "1st" birthday this Friday, Sept. 25.

Her parents are Tony and Heather Treece.

Relatives also marking the joyous celebration are grandparents Sheila Carver, Chuck and Debbie Carver and Darlene Treece. Makyla is also the grandchild of the late Lynn Treece.

Great-grandparents are Kenneth and Faye McLeod, Robert Nelson, Lee and Sue Jean Carver and Peggy Baker.

Gustav Babies Born in Louisiana and Arkansas

Two babies were born during Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall in Louisiana on Sept. 1, about 50 plus miles west of New Orleans.

Audrey Bickham, daughter of Jennifer and Thomas Bickham of Central, La., came into the world at the height of the storm, according to Keitha Nelson with WAFB News.

Nelson reported that Audrey was born at home after 50-mile per hour winds and heavy rain made it impossible for emergency personnel to reach the family.

Family delivers baby at home during Hurricane Gustav

Posted Sept. 12, 2008 @ www. wafb.com

The Bickhams and Jennifer's mother helped with the home birth, said Nelson,

"I told him, I was like, ‘I don't want to have my baby at home.' But you gotta do what you gotta do," Jennifer Bickham said.

The family says it had quite a few frightening moments. The baby girl silently arrived with no crying or screaming. It turns out that Audrey was asleep.

"My mom caught her and she rubbed her face and then she cried. Then, I was like, ‘Okay I can exhale now,'" said Bickham.

Gustav Baby born in Arkansas

Posted Sept 2, 2008 @ CountOn2News

Evan Michael Kozman was born Sept. 1 in Little Rock, Ark., after his mother and family had evacuated from Slidell, La.

He is the son of Lauren Kozman, who gave birth to her first child, Matthew, in Dallas, Texas, where she had evacuated for Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

EXCELebration set for Oct. 18

The Pascagoula School District has planned an EXCELebration in honor of Pascagoula's official recognition as a certified Early Childhood Community.

The event will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 18 at Beach Park, and include pre-school children from birth to age 5 and their families.

Festivities includes games, activities, a children's parade, jump booths, storybook characters and food.

Debbie Anglin, communications director, said four years of hard work by business, government, education, childcare, church and community representatives have gone into meeting the requirements to become an Excel By 5 community.

Anglin said the community based educational program is designed to improve a child's overall well being by age 5. It aims to prepare students physically, mentally, academically and socially for the start of pre-school.

"Funded with a $650,000.00 grant from Chevron Inc, the program is currently underway in Cleveland, West Point, Mid Jackson, Monroe County, Petal, Pascagoula and Moss Point," said Anglin.

For more information contact Debbie Anglin, Director of Communications, Pascagoula School District, 228-938-6503 or danglin@psd.k12.ms.us .