The Six Pack

Did you know that Zachary is one month post-Fontan (surgery) today? Did you know that he is becoming the little daredevil, and that he has a spicy attitude and quite the toddler temper? Did you know that just in the past couple of weeks, he started calling me "Mama," and he does it all the time, in the sweetest little voice, and knows just what buttons to push to melt my heart? Did you know he gives real kisses now, puckering up and smacking his lips like a little casanova! Did you know I can't let him run around in just a diaper, because he will take it off! Did you know he will point out the window as we're driving: "Tat-O, tat-O!" (tractor), and squeal "Deee!" (Deere) if those tractors happen to be green? Did you know he loves to go toilet diving, and loves even more to unspool all the toilet paper off its roll? Did you know that Zachary will crawl and climb up anything, and that several times a day I have to remove him from sitting or s...

This post is dedicated to all those super-cool dads out there... Only a real  man can drive a minivan! We love you, dads! Keep doing what you do best!

Did you know... that as a baby Sammy earned the nickname "Porkchop"?  Steve came up with this "term of endearment," even against Mommy's protests that it was a bit rude.  But the name was catchy, and soon everyone was calling our little butterball "Porkchop."  It's no wonder, for our Sam was somewhat of a porky baby.  He was born weighing a whopping nine pounds!  (No c-section, either... ouch!)  And by six months, he weighed nearly as much as Zachy does now! He was our roly-poly porkchop ...and had a wide base to support himself sitting up Don't squish your brother, Sammy! Those ornery cheeks were so pinchable! Each time he used his Bumbo seat, Sammy would get, uh... stuck Ugh... try climbing a mountain with THIS attached to your front! But Sammy started crawling, and then walking, and those layers of baby fat have become but memories.  He's no longer our Porkchop, but he's still fun to love on!

Lately our updates have all been on Zachary, but his big brothers are staying busy, too!  Once again I underestimated how busy they would keep me this summer, so I'm not getting the chance to write about their daily activities.  But rest assured, we're having fun (for the most part,) and for the first time ever, it seems summer is going too fast!  (Usually I can't wait for them to go back to school.) Earlier this summer the boys delivered over 35 pounds of pull tabs that SEAS kindergarteners collected for our local Ronald McDonald Houses Alex, David, and Joseph attend swim practice a couple times a week, and Alex has been participating in swim meets every other week.  Alex is also the lead engineer when it comes to water slides, and he seems to attract the whole neighborhood over for water fun (I wish he would charge the neighborhood an "entry fee" to help cover our water bill.) David is spending the summer outside and has developed a deep dark bronze ...

Just two weeks out from OPEN HEART SURGERY, our little Zachary is unstoppable. It did him good to get back with his brothers, back to his home, back to what he knows. It's like he never left. Almost. Zachary is still timid around anyone other than his close family. Even around Grandma and Papa... just a little bit. He's suspicious of anyone who walks through our door. That will change over time, but I imagine his doctor anxiety will never leave him. Zachy has been off all pain meds for several days, and his incision and chest tube wounds are drying up and healing just as they should. He takes his meds like a champ and is eating with the appetite of, well, the appetite of your usual toddler. He scales the stairs, up and down, climbs the ladder of our playset, and zips down the slide contrary to our inhibitions. Doctors told us that he will self-limit himself, so as long as he doesn't hurt, there's no reason to hold him back. Still, we are in disbelief how well ...

Zachary is home again, our family is reunited, and we are loving it!  Actually, I'm already getting fed up with Sammy's whining, with the bigger boys' fighting, with the mess... but it's WONDERFUL to be dealing with normal things again. Zachary is still in some pain on and off, usually as his pain meds are wearing off.  He is not quite himself; we don't see as many smiles yet and he is very clingy.  But he will get there!  Zachary is taking Tylenol and Motrin for pain, with an occasional dose of oxycodone.  He is back on diuretics (Lasix and Aldactone) to keep fluid from building around his lungs and throughout his body, easing the workload on his heart.  Over the course of the next year he will wean off his diuretics.  The only other med he is taking is aspirin, which thins the blood to prevent clotting.  He will take aspirin for the rest of his life. Zachy is very fearful and suspicious of strangers, especially young, pretty girls, who look like...

Zachy was discharged yesterday afternoon.  He is doing wonderfully and we are headed home tonight.  We have more pictures and stories, but will post them later.  Right now we are packing and headed out to meet a special heart friend!

Zachy is on the mend!  Yesterday he had the last of his chest tubes, pacer wires, and central line removed.  He came off the monitors (except for spot checks) and is otherwise free to roam the fifth floor!  Right now he's napping through a discharge echo and will also have a final chest x-ray.  If all goes well, we will be discharged this afternoon, and hope to head HOME tomorrow. I know, I know... lots of pictures of the same thing.  But I can't get over watching Zachy get back to his normal self... just five days after major open-heart surgery! Since becoming "unhoooked" yesterday, Zachy insists on walking the halls.  Here he is waiting to go down for his echocardiogram.  He's a tough boy.

Happy Independence Day, Family and Friends! We don't get to go out for fireworks today, but we certainly do have plenty to celebrate!  Even though the day started rough and Zachy didn't feel well all morning, after a long nap he woke happy and playful. The drainage from his chest tubes has slowed considerably and he no longer needs extra oxygen.  He's getting much easier to hold as he sheds all this equipment!  This afternoon we were given orders to get him on his feet, but I was doubtful he would have the energy to do much walking.  Surprise, surprise!  Zachy took off! He kicked back and watched a movie with Daddy, strolled around the hospital, and ate a HUGE spaghetti and chicken dinner!  He is now settled in for the evening. BIG NEWS FLASH:  We were just given NPO (fasting) orders for tomorrow morning because his last chest tubes are coming out!  Do you know what this means, guys?  WE WILL SOON BE HEADING HOME!  Tomorrow they will tak...

Zachary is making some progress and has been feeling a little better.  Yesterday afternoon one of the NP's proposed trying a half dose of ativan to calm his nerves and anxiety.  What a transformation!  Within half an hour, Zachy was a little mellow fellow, content to lie in his bed and watch PBS.  He even snarfed some yogurt and let the nurse change his chest dressings. In the afternoon while Zachy was sleeping, we had a very special visitor!  Heart friend Tommy stopped by after a routine heart cath and biopsy to test for rejection of his transplanted heart.  Last summer Tommy was in the hospital recovering from his heart transplant when Zachy was here for his Hemi-Fontan.  He is somewhat of a little celebrity in these parts, and has recently befriended the likes of the Detroit Tigers and Guy Fieri from the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."  He is the poster child for Mott Hospital's Congenital Heart Center and was suffering from HLH...