The Six Pack

I have been following the story of Baby Ethan who is currently in the hospital recovering from the same surgery Zachy had this past June .  He was doing so well and expected to be discharged this weekend, but is now having trouble breathing and his heart rate is elevated. Ugh... reading his story brings back so many memories, and I recall these tense, scary moments as plain as day. Please stop by Ethan's CarePage and offer your prayers and support for him and his family.  Words can be incredibly comforting in these situations, and the simple knowledge that someone cares and is praying can get you through almost anything. We love you, sweet little Ethan!

Not bad, Michelle. You did it. And the house it still standing. As I relax here on the couch and sip a glass of well-deserved cheap wine, I'm amazed that I even feel like typing this. After any and all previous three-day stretches when Steve was away on business, I was ready to throw in the towel.  I remember one particular time that Steve called from Denver, only to hear me breaking down in tears and sobs of despair.  One, two, three, then four, and now five little boys... and one tired mama.  Who wouldn't  be at wit's end if your soulmate and trusty fallback was several states away? But not tonight. Tonight I am contented, inspired, and victorious.  Tonight I'm rewriting history. I didn't have big plans for the week.  Let's face it, on any given two-parent day, I'm happy just to keep dishes out of the sink and clean underwear on ten cute little cheeks (I mean eight... Zachy still wears diapers and Steve's butt is not that cute.)  And I was trying...

When I went to pick Joseph up after school one day last week, he came running out, grinning ear to ear, and carrying a piece of paper that was flapping around in the wind.  "Mommy," he exclaimed, "I'm going to jump rope to help people with heart problems--LIKE ZACHY!!!"  It's his school's annual "Jump Rope for Heart," an event hosted by the American Heart Association.  As I read the information, I learned that the American Heart Association helps fund research and new medicines for congenital heart defects.  Contrary to what I used to think, it's not just about acquired heart disease or the message of prevention for old farts like me.  They're helping kids like my baby Zach!  Of course, I'm ALL OVER that!  And Joseph is, too! (But it might have something to do with the prizes the kids get for earning so many dollars... he was talking an awful lot about some kind of "super ball" he saw on the flier!)  Alex and David came ho...

Our dear Alexander, Today you are TEN YEARS OLD! Ten wonderful years you have given us to be your parents. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say we were a little surprised God sent you so soon after we were married! We were downright scared , to say the least!  But that fear soon grew into excitement--the excitement of bringing a new child into the world and becoming our own little family. You surprised us again when you arrived a full month ahead of schedule, and though you were very small at only five pounds, you had a good set of lungs and doctors said you were perfectly healthy! Then you surprised us six weeks later when you became ill and required emergency surgery to save your life. You recovered well and thrived, and soon welcomed little brothers!  You always worked very hard in school and impressed us with your grades and study habits.  And when you had room for improvement, you always stepped up to the challenge!  Reminds me of the time your preschool tea...

Where has the time gone? Wasn't it just yesterday we held our little newborn Davy in our arms? We blinked our eyes, and suddenly that sweet baby is EIGHT YEARS OLD and nearly eighty pounds (the biggest of our five)! Eight years ago, we were sure we were having a girl... my pregnancy had been so different from Alex's. I was sick and throwing up until 27 weeks, and my tummy took on a whole different shape. I wasn't the only one convinced he was a girl... when my parents came to the hospital to await his arrival, they brought with them a pink balloon! My mom, a phenomenal seamstress, had painstakingly crafted a delicate and lacy baby girl's baptismal gown (not to mention several pink dresses!) Now eight years and four grandsons later, they are still waiting to be worn. I should have known from the exciting pregnancy and labor that happened so fast I had no time for an epidural (ouch)... there is no slowing our Davy down! One thing hasn't changed these past eigh...

Happy Valentine's Day! I had hoped to post something each day in commemoration of CHD Awareness Week, but the last half of the week we stayed busy with school parties, a Valentine date, and new car negotiations.  Yes, that's right... we finally upgraded to something a little roomier--a Toyota Sienna with seating for eight passengers!  So now maybe we'll try a road trip again.  We have a middle seat in the second row where Steve or I can ride to entertain the kids and mitigate arguments on long drives.  The extra seat will also come in handy if we have a friend over to play, host a guest from out of town, or, maybe, someday, welcome a sixth little blessing!  Now, don't go getting all excited... that's the furthest thing from our minds right now.  You just never know what can happen, and so we might as well upgrade to a vehicle with extra space! I wanted to close "Heart" Week with a few thoughts about how CHDs affect so many lives.  It's not simply the l...

Last night at dinner the boys were brimming with excitement at their upcoming school Valentine's parties. Still, Alex was very careful to design his valentines; he didn't want anything too "girly," too "lovey-dovey," and certainly nothing that would elicit a laugh or smirk from fellow classmates. Then, with all the fourth grade "coolness" he could muster, he made an announcement: "Mommy, from now on, I'm calling you ' Mom ' ." I stopped dead in my tracks. "Mom"? It seemed so blunt, so cold, so... grown-up. David must have noticed a hint of disappointment in my expression, for he jumped into my arms and gave me a full-body hug, then confided, " I'LL call you Mommy! I just say 'my mom' at school so I don't get embarrassed ..." Alex attempted to justify, "None of my friends say 'Mommy'!" I didn't argue. I think he may be right. But inside, I knew this was the be...

This is a beautiful... please pass it on.

Before Zachary had his Hemi-Fontan surgery last June, he underwent a cardiac catheterization (heart cath.) A heart cath is a test in which soft, thin plastic catheters (tubes) are placed in the large blood vessels usually in the leg and threaded carefully to the heart. The catheters are used to take pressure measurements inside the heart and to inject contrast or dye so pictures of the heart can be taken.  In Zachy's case, the cath measured pressures in his lungs and helped doctors take a good look at the anatomy of his heart to determine if he was a candidate for surgery.  (If you watched the video in my last post, you will recall that the Hemi-Fontan is not successful in children with high pulmonary pressures; they often need a heart transplant.) The doctors injected Zachary with contrast dye and took chest x-rays to get a good look at him in preparation for surgery.  Here's what they saw: Can you see a little ribcage and the four wires holding his sternum back to...

Over the past fourteen months, we have done our best to explain the anatomy of Zachy's heart and the types of repair that take place in his surgeries. It's not easy to explain, especially since we don't fully understand it ourselves. But recently I came across a video from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) that offers a much better explanation. CHOP is another one of the leading centers in the nation for pediatric cardiac surgery. The video features several doctors and surgeons discussing the three-stage repair of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). While Zachy doesn't have HLHS, his defect is very similar (his right ventricle, rather than the left, is hypoplastic, or small and non-functioning.) The final two surgeries he needs are identical to those for an HLHS baby. The first surgery this video discusses is the Norwood, which Zachy didn't need (instead, he had a pulmonary artery banding procedure.) The discussion of his Hemi-Fontan of t...

This week is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week.  Before Zachy was diagnosed just a year and a half ago, our family knew very little about CHDs.  When my obstetrician uttered the words "heart defect," I immediately had a sense of hopelessness.  I feared there was nothing that could be done other than hold and comfort our newborn, dying son.  Wow, were we uninformed!  It is true that many, many children die from congenital heart defects every year.  But many more go on to be treated and live near "normal" lives, thanks to recent advances in medicine and surgical intervention.  Please help us to spread CHD awareness, and pass this information on to at least one other person: CHDs are the #1 birth defect and the #1 cause of infant death related to birth defects. 1 in every 100 babies born will have a CHD (1 in every 800-1000 babies born has Down Syndrome). 1 in 10 of those born with a CHD will have a fatal defect. In the US there are nearly twice as m...

Last night right before dinner, Zachy reached a MAJOR milestone... No, he's still not walking. But just like Pinocchio, Zachy can declare "I'm a real boy now!" And just like Pinocchio, he has issues with his nose. Zachy is recovering from a cold, and still has some snot hanging out. You see where I'm going with this... Last night, for the very first time, he picked his nose and ate it . My baby is a booger eater ! Otherwise, Zachy's doing great. Stopping the Lasix went off without a hitch, so right now his only med is aspirin. This Sunday, February 7 begins Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week . I will (attempt to) post something each day related to CHD's and ways in which we can help make the future bright for children born with this condition. Take some time if you like to visit the websites of the Congenital Heart Information Network and CHD Babies , just a couple excellent references. And keep praying for our precious heart babies!

We have been blessed with so much winter beauty this season and fairly reasonable temperatures. The boys enjoyed a snow day last Friday, the remnants of which are still on the ground (which is uncommon in Wichita,) and it is snowing again today! We have also had several mornings of freezing fog, which left the trees looking like a scene from Narnia . Enjoy these photos of a beautiful Kansas winter and the fun we have had! Amazing, the ice crystals that form when fog freezes! A view of our church and school on a frosty day. Is this even real ? Better not bite your tongue off, David! A view from behind our house. Look at all those kid tracks in the snow! On our way to "sled hill." Don't laugh... at least we have a few hills in town! Joseph and Sammy enjoy the ride in the little snow that remains (school kids already wore off most of the white stuff on their snow day.) Sammy sleds down with cousin Andrew, and Daddy stumbles during the launch! Watch out--Alex is behind ...