Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Reflection of the Lords Heart
Psalm 139: 13,16
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb..........
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Reflections of Something Better To Come
I often put forward this question during witnessing encounters with strangers "Do you believe in heaven and hell?" About 50 percent of the time the response I get back is this "I think we are living in hell."
How anyone can think earth is hell is beyond me, but here are some photos to prove it's not. There are better and more wonderful things coming for those who are in Christ.
How anyone can think earth is hell is beyond me, but here are some photos to prove it's not. There are better and more wonderful things coming for those who are in Christ.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Accident... Good-bye Tooth
So, yesterday the kids and I were at the park enjoying the beautiful Fall weather. We were walking through the forest and Zachary was doing some "work". He was carrying a pretty good sized rock in his hands to move it to just the right spot for his "work" to be complete. Then.... he slipped on the leaves and CRASH hit his face on the rock he was carrying. There was blood everywhere AND there was a tooth missing. One of his top front teeth. So there we were in the forest. I had Anna Grace on my hip and Zachary was screaming and there was blood gushing everywhere. So, I picked Zachary up. He was on my left hip. Anna Grace was on my right and I ran. I ran to my car as fast as I could. Got everyone buckeled in their car seats (amidst uncontrollable sreaming from both kids) and started driving while calling the pediatrician's office to find out what to do. (I know... I know... not the safest thing to do).
Unfortunately, it was lunch time so I had to then call the answering service. They told me to go to the dentist. So... I called my hubby and told him to meet me at the bookstore because I couldn't remember how to tell him to get to the dentist office. He met me at the bookstore and followed me to the dentist. They were closed until 2:00 for lunch. Ugh... so we caravaned back to our house and we put Zachary in the shower to wash some of the blood off and get a better look at the damage.
At 2:00 we called the dentist and they said to bring him in for xrays. So, Brian and Zachary went to the dentist. The xray showed that he had not fractured his jaw (so good), but that the tooth had not broken off like we thought. It had been pushed back up into his gum. Owwww. He also busted his lip and chin pretty good as well. The dentist said they were going to leave it alone right now but we are to watch for any signs of infection. If there is, then the tooth will have to be removed. There may or may not be damage to his permanent tooth. They said we won't know until it comes in... or that it may not come in at all. There is no way to know. The dentist said that his baby tooth will eventually come back down out of his gum and that when it does it will be black and possibly mishapen and then he will eventually lose it.
Also, we were informed that he could NOT under any circumstances suck his thumb. He is an AVID thumb sucker and blankie holder (the two go hand in hand). Ugh... so we bought thumb guards to put on his hands to keep him from sucking his thumb and we took the blankie away. Let's just say last night was rough. He hasn't really eaten anything but he has had a few sips of water. We have a scheduled dentist appointment on Wednesday for them just to look and see next week after some of the swelling has gone down. Poor little guy.
His little baby smile is forever gone and now he looks like a rough and tumble little boy... actually like a little hockey player. I was encouraged to find out that my hubby did the exact same thing when he was three years old and that his permanent tooth came in without damage. (Like Father like Son I guess). I am praying it will be the same for Zachary. So now we just have to pray for no infection and be patient for his little mouth and face to heal. He may look like his Mommy, but he is certainly his father's son! I will try to post some pics of his sweet little face in a few days. I asked him today if I could take a picture and he said no, it hurts too much.
Here is a temporary image (for effect)until I can add his real picture
My husabnd's mother also informed me that when Brian was little he jumped out of his bedroom window (at about Zachary's age). I am hoping that Zachary does not try that one as well. I don't think my nerves could stand it!
Oh... and today is my birthday. 35 today.
Unfortunately, it was lunch time so I had to then call the answering service. They told me to go to the dentist. So... I called my hubby and told him to meet me at the bookstore because I couldn't remember how to tell him to get to the dentist office. He met me at the bookstore and followed me to the dentist. They were closed until 2:00 for lunch. Ugh... so we caravaned back to our house and we put Zachary in the shower to wash some of the blood off and get a better look at the damage.
At 2:00 we called the dentist and they said to bring him in for xrays. So, Brian and Zachary went to the dentist. The xray showed that he had not fractured his jaw (so good), but that the tooth had not broken off like we thought. It had been pushed back up into his gum. Owwww. He also busted his lip and chin pretty good as well. The dentist said they were going to leave it alone right now but we are to watch for any signs of infection. If there is, then the tooth will have to be removed. There may or may not be damage to his permanent tooth. They said we won't know until it comes in... or that it may not come in at all. There is no way to know. The dentist said that his baby tooth will eventually come back down out of his gum and that when it does it will be black and possibly mishapen and then he will eventually lose it.
Also, we were informed that he could NOT under any circumstances suck his thumb. He is an AVID thumb sucker and blankie holder (the two go hand in hand). Ugh... so we bought thumb guards to put on his hands to keep him from sucking his thumb and we took the blankie away. Let's just say last night was rough. He hasn't really eaten anything but he has had a few sips of water. We have a scheduled dentist appointment on Wednesday for them just to look and see next week after some of the swelling has gone down. Poor little guy.
His little baby smile is forever gone and now he looks like a rough and tumble little boy... actually like a little hockey player. I was encouraged to find out that my hubby did the exact same thing when he was three years old and that his permanent tooth came in without damage. (Like Father like Son I guess). I am praying it will be the same for Zachary. So now we just have to pray for no infection and be patient for his little mouth and face to heal. He may look like his Mommy, but he is certainly his father's son! I will try to post some pics of his sweet little face in a few days. I asked him today if I could take a picture and he said no, it hurts too much.
Here is a temporary image (for effect)until I can add his real picture
My husabnd's mother also informed me that when Brian was little he jumped out of his bedroom window (at about Zachary's age). I am hoping that Zachary does not try that one as well. I don't think my nerves could stand it!
Oh... and today is my birthday. 35 today.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Quiet Times
There is not much to report for us these days - which is great! It rained here for the last two days which is hard when you're trying to be germ conscious.... can't take a trip to Monkey Joes or Chuck E Cheese or anything like that... so we just stayed in the house and drove each other a little crazy. But... today the sun came out and so we could go out and just enjoy being outside for a while to run around and release some energy from being cooped up inside for the last two days. Ahhhh..... I love the sun! It is so good to just go outside!
Thanksgiving is next week and we are excited. We are going to be spending the day with our parents - pending everyone being healthy. I think Zachary and both his Grandma's are going to make a gingerbread house together. It should be interesting.... full of memories. I will be sure to post some pics of the finished product on the BLOG next week.
We don't have any more scheduled doctor appointments for the month of November and so I am just thanking God for this time of peace.
Thanksgiving is next week and we are excited. We are going to be spending the day with our parents - pending everyone being healthy. I think Zachary and both his Grandma's are going to make a gingerbread house together. It should be interesting.... full of memories. I will be sure to post some pics of the finished product on the BLOG next week.
We don't have any more scheduled doctor appointments for the month of November and so I am just thanking God for this time of peace.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Synagis & A 10 Year Anniversary
Yes, it's that time of year again. Time for Synagis injections. Time for the flu vaccination. Yesterday Anna Grace got her first dose of Synagis. Synagis is a medication given by injection to help develop antibodies against RSV. Synagis is not a vaccination.
The Synagis dosage is caculated by weight and Anna Grace now weighs 19 pounds 13 ounces so... an increased dosage means two syringes to administer the medication... two sticks...ugh. She also received her flu vacciination yesterday as well - so in total she had three injections. Poor little thing. She cried during the shots and for about 5 minutes following the shots and then seemed to recover well. She didn't sleep well last night, but other than being restless she appears to be tolerating it all just fine. Thank you all for praying for her about this. This is all part of having a baby with a special little heart :)
She will have Synagis injections each month through March. It's ongoing through the winter and she will have these injections each winter until the age of two.
In addition to Synagis.... my husband and I also celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary on Wednesday. I can't believe that we have been married for 10 years. It really has gone by in the blink of an eye. I have been reflecting on how the Lord has changed us over the last 10 years. My husband and I are not the same people we were when we married 10 years ago. The Lord saved us both in 2007 and since then the Lord has changed our hearts in a HUGE and I mean HUGE way. I am grateful. I am thankful for the husband the Lord has given me. I am proud to be his wife. Happy 10 Year Anniversary sweetie!
What a big week!
The Synagis dosage is caculated by weight and Anna Grace now weighs 19 pounds 13 ounces so... an increased dosage means two syringes to administer the medication... two sticks...ugh. She also received her flu vacciination yesterday as well - so in total she had three injections. Poor little thing. She cried during the shots and for about 5 minutes following the shots and then seemed to recover well. She didn't sleep well last night, but other than being restless she appears to be tolerating it all just fine. Thank you all for praying for her about this. This is all part of having a baby with a special little heart :)
She will have Synagis injections each month through March. It's ongoing through the winter and she will have these injections each winter until the age of two.
In addition to Synagis.... my husband and I also celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary on Wednesday. I can't believe that we have been married for 10 years. It really has gone by in the blink of an eye. I have been reflecting on how the Lord has changed us over the last 10 years. My husband and I are not the same people we were when we married 10 years ago. The Lord saved us both in 2007 and since then the Lord has changed our hearts in a HUGE and I mean HUGE way. I am grateful. I am thankful for the husband the Lord has given me. I am proud to be his wife. Happy 10 Year Anniversary sweetie!
What a big week!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Christmas Card Outakes
Yesterday I took the kids to Milliken Park to shoot some pictures for our Christmas Card. The weather here yesterday was just perfect. The temperature was warm enough not to have to wear a coat but still cool enough to wear "Christmas" clothes that would be appropriate for a Christmas card. I had their Christmas outfits all picked out and ready to go (thank you Mee-Maw) and I thought to myself, "well, it's now or never". So the kids and I headed off to Milliken Park. I am not a trained photographer by any means and I was the only adult on the trip so I wasn't sure how the expedition would turn out. In summary, we were there about 1 1/2 hours. I took 115 pictures and only three of the 115 photos that I took were any good. So... the three good ones are going on the Christmas card. I'm not going to reveal the "good" ones here today. Inspired by a friend's BLOG (which I thought was so funny) I am going to share with you our "outtakes".
Looking back at it now it is funny. But at the time.... I had a little boy who kept saying over and over... "Are we done??? Can I play???" to which I responded "NO! Just keep smiling" Then he would give me the cheesieest "cheese" smile he could muster and I would say "Don't smile like that, just look at me" Then he would open his mouth wide. Ugh..... three year olds do not take direction well for picture taking. All the while Anna Grace is crawling around in the dirt picking up every little stick she could find and putting it in her mouth. I am seriously laughing now thinking about it, but at the time I was thinking that it was a terrible idea to try and take their pictures by myself for a Christmas card.
All that being said... I am happy with the final Christmas card result. Really, it actually turned out pretty good. AND I have some memories I can laugh about and I will remember for the rest of my life. How awesome is that???? Enjoy the outtakes.....
So I think all three of us decided that Anna Grace sitting on Zachary's lap for the picture was not going to work. Don't they look happy???? NO WAY!
As soon as I would put Anna Grace down for the picture she would try to escape.
Here is my 10 month old daughter eating dirt. Yes, that's dirt she is putting in her mouth. Ugghhhh....
Looking back at it now it is funny. But at the time.... I had a little boy who kept saying over and over... "Are we done??? Can I play???" to which I responded "NO! Just keep smiling" Then he would give me the cheesieest "cheese" smile he could muster and I would say "Don't smile like that, just look at me" Then he would open his mouth wide. Ugh..... three year olds do not take direction well for picture taking. All the while Anna Grace is crawling around in the dirt picking up every little stick she could find and putting it in her mouth. I am seriously laughing now thinking about it, but at the time I was thinking that it was a terrible idea to try and take their pictures by myself for a Christmas card.
All that being said... I am happy with the final Christmas card result. Really, it actually turned out pretty good. AND I have some memories I can laugh about and I will remember for the rest of my life. How awesome is that???? Enjoy the outtakes.....
So I think all three of us decided that Anna Grace sitting on Zachary's lap for the picture was not going to work. Don't they look happy???? NO WAY!
As soon as I would put Anna Grace down for the picture she would try to escape.
Here is my 10 month old daughter eating dirt. Yes, that's dirt she is putting in her mouth. Ugghhhh....
Monday, November 8, 2010
Medicine....
As all Heart Moms can attest - once you have a heart baby with a complex heart defect your medicine cabinet grows. It just happens - and soon it becomes normal. Just a part of your daily routine. You just integrate it into your "new normal" and you don't think too much about it. I was reflecting about Anna Grace's medicine the other day and how our life has changed from before we were heart parents to now. I think the pictures below say it all....... this is part of the new normal when you become a heart Mom.
This was our medicine cabinet BEFORE Anna Grace was born.
This is our medicine cabinet now that we are Heart Parents. We bought this cabinet shortly after we brought Anna Grace home from the hospital because we needed a dedicated place to store all of her "things".
Lots of things..... pill splitter, pill crusher, syringes, medicine bottle toppers, medicine cups, medicine, medicine schedule, medicine logs, etc, etc.
This was our medicine cabinet BEFORE Anna Grace was born.
This is our medicine cabinet now that we are Heart Parents. We bought this cabinet shortly after we brought Anna Grace home from the hospital because we needed a dedicated place to store all of her "things".
Lots of things..... pill splitter, pill crusher, syringes, medicine bottle toppers, medicine cups, medicine, medicine schedule, medicine logs, etc, etc.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Fun Fall Memories
In big news this week.....I am happy to report that one of Anna Grace's top front teeth came through the other day. Whew..... she is acting so much better so I hope she is feeling better now. She now officially has three teeth!
In other big news this week.... Anna Grace has been approved for Synagis and will be getting her first Synagis shot next week! Hooray! For those of you not familiar with Synagis - it is an injection that helps her build antibodies to fight against RSV. It is not a vaccination against RSV (as there is not a vaccination available) but should she contract RSV it should make her little body able to fight it better and perhaps avoid a hospital stay. RSV is VERY, VERY, VERY (did I stress that enough) dangerous to heart babies so a Synagis approval is a very big deal to us. She will get one Synagis injection a month for 5 months beginning in Novmber.
Some news about Zachary...... You may remember in a previous post I mentioned that Zachary is taking swim lessons this winter. This is my attempt in giving him an opportunity to be around other children while limiting his exposure to germs - because let's face it - there is A LOT of chlorine in the pool! He has really been excelling at swimming and he really enjoys it too. On Wednesday - he swam his whole swim class without his swim belt on. That's 45 minutes of swimming all on his own. He completed 6 laps - two of which were on his back and also did some diving. He made it look so easy - he is a little fish. His swim teacher told me about a "kids" triathalon they do in the spring and thought that Zachary might enjoy it. I told Zachary what it was and asked him if he'd like to do it... his response....... "Ohhhhh.... I can't wait!" So, it looks like he's going to be participating in his first triathalon in the spring. Now - let me just elaborate a little about the race - for his age group it is only one lap in the pool. Two laps on his bike around the parking lot and one running lap around the parking lot. It's not very intense physically. I think the hardest part for him will be telling him after ONLY ONE LAP that he has to get out of the pool and go to his bike. I can see him saying "NOOOOO - I don't want to get out of the pool"!!!! Anyway. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!
So this week we were fortnuate to have Mimi come spend the night with us and spend some time with us. We took Mimi to our favorite place to go..... you guessed it... Milliken Park! She had never been there before so we had to take her. It was a blustery, chilly day but we had a blast none the less. Here are a few pictures from our day! Enjoy!
Mommy, Zachary and Anna Grace!
Mimi, Zachary and Anna Grace!
Mimi and Anna Grace!
Our Baby, Anna Grace! (yes, she needs a winter hat, some shoes and mittens - we're going shopping TODAY)!
In other big news this week.... Anna Grace has been approved for Synagis and will be getting her first Synagis shot next week! Hooray! For those of you not familiar with Synagis - it is an injection that helps her build antibodies to fight against RSV. It is not a vaccination against RSV (as there is not a vaccination available) but should she contract RSV it should make her little body able to fight it better and perhaps avoid a hospital stay. RSV is VERY, VERY, VERY (did I stress that enough) dangerous to heart babies so a Synagis approval is a very big deal to us. She will get one Synagis injection a month for 5 months beginning in Novmber.
Some news about Zachary...... You may remember in a previous post I mentioned that Zachary is taking swim lessons this winter. This is my attempt in giving him an opportunity to be around other children while limiting his exposure to germs - because let's face it - there is A LOT of chlorine in the pool! He has really been excelling at swimming and he really enjoys it too. On Wednesday - he swam his whole swim class without his swim belt on. That's 45 minutes of swimming all on his own. He completed 6 laps - two of which were on his back and also did some diving. He made it look so easy - he is a little fish. His swim teacher told me about a "kids" triathalon they do in the spring and thought that Zachary might enjoy it. I told Zachary what it was and asked him if he'd like to do it... his response....... "Ohhhhh.... I can't wait!" So, it looks like he's going to be participating in his first triathalon in the spring. Now - let me just elaborate a little about the race - for his age group it is only one lap in the pool. Two laps on his bike around the parking lot and one running lap around the parking lot. It's not very intense physically. I think the hardest part for him will be telling him after ONLY ONE LAP that he has to get out of the pool and go to his bike. I can see him saying "NOOOOO - I don't want to get out of the pool"!!!! Anyway. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!
So this week we were fortnuate to have Mimi come spend the night with us and spend some time with us. We took Mimi to our favorite place to go..... you guessed it... Milliken Park! She had never been there before so we had to take her. It was a blustery, chilly day but we had a blast none the less. Here are a few pictures from our day! Enjoy!
Mommy, Zachary and Anna Grace!
Mimi, Zachary and Anna Grace!
Mimi and Anna Grace!
Our Baby, Anna Grace! (yes, she needs a winter hat, some shoes and mittens - we're going shopping TODAY)!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sleepless Nights and Weekend Fun!
Anna Grace did not sleep well at all last week. It started Monday night and continued on through Friday. She was up several times each night and didn't nap well during the days (hence my lack of blogging). I kept taking her temperature - no temp. I kept checking her mouth - no teeth. She was eating fine, just not sleeping. By Friday morning I was exhausted so I took her to the doctor to see if there was an ear infection or something else going on with her. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with her except she said that it looked like the four top teeth were going to be coming through soon. OK - so maybe that explains all the sleeplessness??? She slept fine Friday night and has done better since then - not back 100% yet, but certainly better than last week. As a heart Mom, you always think something more serious is going on - I'm still watching her closley - checking her temp - but she is acting fine now - in a great mood, playing fine, eating fine, sleeping OK. Her O2 sats at the doctor office were 89 so she was good there (hooray)! Perhaps the Tylenol is just not helping give her any relief because lets face it - once you've had as much Oxycodone and Versaid as Anna Grace has had Tylenol is just like candy. Anyway, I'm finally starting to feel a little more comfortable now that she seems to be acting more like "Anna Grace".
So, since we all got a decent night's sleep on Friday night I was able to take the kids on Saturday afternoon to Milliken Park with my Mom for some fun fall hiking. The weather was perfect for a hike - the sun was out - the leaves were falling. Oh, it was a really terrific day! It was just what we needed and we all throughly enjoyed ourselves.
Look Mee-Maw - you CAN jump the creek!
Zachary stopped playing long enough for me to take one quick picture!
Even Anna Grace was enjoying nature just "cruuising" on the rocks!
Say cheese everyone!
The woman behind the camera (me) and my two beautiful kids.
So, since we all got a decent night's sleep on Friday night I was able to take the kids on Saturday afternoon to Milliken Park with my Mom for some fun fall hiking. The weather was perfect for a hike - the sun was out - the leaves were falling. Oh, it was a really terrific day! It was just what we needed and we all throughly enjoyed ourselves.
Look Mee-Maw - you CAN jump the creek!
Zachary stopped playing long enough for me to take one quick picture!
Even Anna Grace was enjoying nature just "cruuising" on the rocks!
Say cheese everyone!
The woman behind the camera (me) and my two beautiful kids.
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