Moving On

When we were anticipating Zachary's birth, we discovered a whole community of heart families who were documenting their children's journeys via CarePages and blogs. Eager to learn more about my son's condition and his future prognosis, I became engrossed in these children's stories and very fearful of Zachary's fate. The doctors at his hospital cautioned us about these online journals. "Those are the sick kids. What you don't read about," they explained, "are the majority of kids who have made it through their surgeries and are living a relatively normal life. Their parents are too busy, and their lives too normal, to write about. They are through the critical early years and are moving on."

Now, so are we.

Finally, I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, Zachary seems to be out of the woods, at least for now. Finally--and for the first time ever--Zachy's oxygen saturations measured a perfect 100% at his cardiologist check-up in mid-January!!! Finally, when Zachary throws his little two year-old tantrums (and he demonstrated a real good one tonight when we said "no more pop") he turns beet red, not pale blue. Finally, we are watching his scars fade and stretch, and are praying that they will never again be opened, that someday his dark and later gray chest hair will hide any trace of the rocky beginning he had in life.

We are moving on.

We are the lucky ones--one of the families whose child made it through. Who now reach for the Kleenexes but not the oxygen when Zachy catches a cold. Who laugh at the spectacle of our two youngest boys wrestling on the living room floor. Who thank God that Zachy can laugh, run, and throw a two year-old tantrum without the threat of losing consciousness. We are the family who thanks God for the mundane, and who gladly accepts the stress of raising five little boys (and one very ornery puppy) over the fear of a very sick child. We are the family whose mommy is simply too busy to document Zachary's journey like she once did. We have made it through his critical early years, and...

...We are moving on!

Over the next month we face another challenge, one that will again change our lives and hopefully bring us even closer together. We are leaving our home of ten years in the hopes of a little more space for the boys, a little quieter neighborhood, and a little more peace of mind for Mom and Dad. We opted for a bigger, fenced yard and a roomier house in town, on a quiet cul-de-sac with plenty of neighborhood children to keep Zachy and his brothers entertained. We are overwhelmed by the enormous task of packing, moving, and leaving the only home our boys have ever known. But we are thankful that we have reached this point as a family, where we can get past Zachary's touch-and-go health and forge ahead to tackle new, more common challenges.

And though we are moving on, we often look back on the past couple of years and remind ourselves just how blessed we are to have experienced them together. And we remain committed to helping improve the lives of all those touched by CHDs (congenital heart defects.) So as you look forward to celebrating with your sweetheart next Monday, take some time to celebrate CHD Awareness Week (February 7-14.) Continue to pray for Zachary and the thousands of children and adults who suffer from CHDs--the most common birth defect. Remember especially the families of children who lost their battle, and of those who are still fighting and looking forward to the day when they, too, will move on...