All Night

He slept! All night!

What a surprise for me! I woke up every few hours, just because that's what I'm used to, and each time, Don was still sleeping in our bed....which meant Nate was still sleeping in his bed!

I'm not sure what made this last night any different from the hundreds before this one, but I'll take it! Also, not sure what to do to make tonight the same as last night!

I'll probably never figure it out, but for now I'm happy that there is hope that this 2 1/2 year old WILL one day routinely sleep all night!

Hope your weekend is great! Take time to slow down, live in the moments, savour each memory and listen to your heart!

Thanks for the invite, Nate!

December 2008

Thanks to the adventure that Nate has been taking us on, we were once again invited to the annual Christmas Party, put on by the family support network at the Variety Children's Heart Centre. It was at a new location this year, since the Children's Museum is closed right now. It's called Kids Zone, and it was a pile of fun for all who were there.

One hi-light is the visit with Santa. As you can see, when we went 2 years ago, Nate had no problem with the Jolly Red Man! Last year, we didn't attend, since we were waiting for surgery and pretty much making ourselves scarce. This year was another story - Nate was excited about it and anticipating meeting Santa, but when we got close, he changed his mind! I'll let you watch the sequence of events!

What I love best is Santa's eyes in the last picture!!!

(And yes, it's the same Santa every year!)

We did have a good time and I had a chance to chat with another heart mom that I met when I spoke at the Women's Retreat a few months ago.

And a little update. Nate is now on the board, waiting for the referral to Sick Kids (Dr. Redington). Right now, all of his records are being transferred there, and we await the recommendation from Dr. Redington.

Hallelujah!

Now this is what it's all about!!! Some friends posted this on Facebook, and I just had to share. Gave me the shivers!!

Borrowed words

I was checking up on baby Bowen again, and just wanted to share something that his dad, Matt wrote. It's a snippet from the book "Wrestling With An Angel" by Greg Lucas:

“I hear religious minded people say all the time with good intentions. ‘God will never place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot possibly carry it.’

Really?
My experience is that God will place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot possibly carry it alone. He will break your back and your will. He will buckle your legs until you fall flat beneath the crushing weight of your load. All the while He will walk beside you waiting for you to come to the point where you must depend on Him.
‘My power is made perfect in your weakness,’ He says, as we strain under our burden.
Whatever the burden, it might indeed get worse, but know this-God is faithful. And while we change and get old, He does not. When we get weaker, He remains strong. And in our weakness and humility, He offers us true, lasting, transforming, and undeserved grace.”

-Greg Lucas

I've been anxiously waiting to hear back from Nate's cardiologist. I'm expecting some information regarding what Dr. Redington (Head of cardiology at Sick Kids in Toronto) is recommending. As much as I want to hear what the next step is going to be, large parts of me don't want to find out.

Thanks for keeping Don and I, and Brady and Nate in your prayers.

Hearts...

My heart has been full this week. A lot of things going on - and a lot of wrestling in my heart and mind!

Do you remember, way back on Nate's second scheduled surgery? His was cancelled so baby P (who later became his room mate) could get his Berlin (artificial) heart. I got to know P's mom, too, but were never able to say good bye or exchange information before we left, since he was moved back into the intermediate care unit.

I've thought of them so much, wondering if had received his new heart yet. How his big brothers were doing, being away from their mom and brother for such long periods of time, since the family lived hours away from Edmonton. And wondering about how P's mom was.....day in and day out, life in the hospital, away from family and friends.

Well, the other day I was looking for other heart information online, and I came across an article from the Globe and Mail from May '10. It was about 2 babies with Berlin hearts at the Stollery. There was a picture of a family that I recognized from our time there, whose son was still on the Berlin. Then, they wrote about baby P, and that he had just received a new heart and was recovering from the transplant surgery in the cardiac ward. I couldn't help but become emotional, thinking about their family. They got a heart!!! But you can never stop there, because then you think about a family whose baby is no longer with them, but whose heart is providing another family with life.

Praying for heart families everywhere.