Happy Heart Day!

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 lives of the babies born with this condition, but the lives of their family and friends.  My boys still express anxiety about what's to come with Zachary.  Alex is confident that he will pull through his next surgery, just as he has in the past.  David is very fearful of our next trip to Michigan.  He does not easily accept change, and will have a hard time being separated from us again, knowing that his baby brother is in critical condition so far away.  Joseph doesn't talk much about Zachy's future, but looks back often with a book we made about Zachary's first surgery.  He shared it with his kindergarten class so they would understand why the pull tabs they are collecting for Ronald McDonald Charities are so important.  The first time we read the book to him, Joseph broke down and sobbed uncontrollably at the thought of Zachary so sick in the ICU.  Samuel, of course, still doesn't understand.  He tells us that "Zachy had hawt sudjewee in Michigan!" and recalls his time at the Ronald McDonald House.  We are so thankful that the boys' grandparents, aunts, and uncles step in to care for and comfort our boys as we go through Zachy's ordeals.  But still, we worry.  And to you, our friends who follow his story and pray for his healing, we are grateful.  Some of you we have known for many years; some we only know through his CarePage.  But we treasure your prayers, your encouragement, and your support.  We could not journey this path alone.

So, just as I suggested last year, there are many ways you can make the future brighter for children born with CHDs and their families.

• PRAY
• Educate yourself and others about this most common type of birth defect.  SPREAD AWARENESS.
• Advocate prenatal and newborn screening.  A simple, inexpensive pulse oximetry test after birth could save many newborn lives.
• Donate life.  Become a blood and organ donor.
• Give financial support to hospitals, charities, and organizations that fund research for CHDs.
• Volunteer at the American Red Cross, the pediatric floor of your local hospital, or a Ronald McDonald House.
• Check out the websites for Zachary's Heart Friends and other CHD warriors on the right sidebar of our blog.  Let their families know you are praying, and offer words of encouragement.  They will appreciate it more than you know.

From our family to yours, we wish you a special HEART day filled with lots of love and hope.

The boys spent their snow day earlier this week designing personalized valentines.  This moment, in which the three were sitting and working diligently and peacefully was so unreal that it deserved some pictures!

The little guys didn't draw any pictures, but their sweetness is Valentine enough!