Big Brady & Lil' Nate

A Heart Mom

2012-02-10T14:18:00.001-06:00

Today I'm going to borrow some words. They were beautifully written by another heart mom. I got goosebumps as I read it, thinking not only about our experiences with Nate, but so many other heart families I've come to know and care for!

Since this is the month in which we try to bring awareness to Congenital Heart Defects, I thought I'd share this with you all. Thank you, Abby's mom, for giving words to those feelings that rest within our hearts!

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Things You Should Know About a Heart Mom

Chances are good I’m not the only heart mom you know. I know that at least 4 other people in my high school graduating class alone have kids with congenital heart defects. I’m sure if you looked hard enough you would find them at work, at church, in your children’s school classes, in your past, in your neighbourhood, after all heart defects are the number 1 birth defect. They occur in one out of every 100 births and between 33,000-35,000 babies are born each year in the US with a heart defect. So, here are things that I think you should know about heart moms (and dads for that matter).

1. We have faced the mortality of our child. We have been told that their hearts are broken and the only chance of survival are through open heart surgery or heart transplant. We have sat at hospital bedsides and counted every heart beat and watched every breath, hoping it wasn’t the last. Some have lost their babies to this killer. After experiencing any of these things, we find it hard not to value the life of every child, knowing that life in itself is a miracle to be celebrated and life is also a treasure to be protected at all costs.

2. If we don’t return your phone calls or make it to appointments or cancel out on dates with you, it is nothing personal. We may be overloaded with the care required to take care of our heart child. We may be emotionally exhausted, and not up to a chat or a movie or a night out. Some times all we can do is fall into bed at night and cry. Some times we don’t want one more person asking about our child’s condition, because explaining it is hard, and painful. Some times we just need some time away from it all. Please don’t give up on us. We still need you there when these times are over. We still want you there when these tough times clear.

3. We talk about heart defects and our heart kids a lot. We don’t find our children any more amazing than yours or any more amazing than our heart healthy kids for that matter. We do know that having a baby and having a doctor tell you your child has a serious heart condition that threatens their life is overwhelming, furthermore, when we find out that it is the most common birth defect, we are more overwhelmed. We hope to prevent this from happening to another mother. Preparation and knowledge is the key to making it through having a baby with a heart defect. We hope to educate others. And some day, we really hope to learn how to prevent these defects. For some of us, our children’s lives can only be saved through organ donation. Others want to offer support and love to those who are going through what they have already been through. Some have lobbied local and national governments to get newborn screening, pulse ox testing and better tests for heart defects. All these things take a voice…one who dares to speak out. If our talking bothers you, we know that there are others out there who it will be the difference between life and death for. If our talking bothers you, we know that somewhere a mother or father or grandparent is feeling alone and frightened and despondent and completely in despair and agony, and our voices can help them. If our talking bothers you, we don’t intend to offend, but we do hope to reach out to those who want to listen to what we have to say.

4. We have learned to be good at listening through our journey with heart defects. Somewhere along the way someone listened to us, or maybe they didn’t, but either way, we vowed to listen when it was our turn to offer help or hope. We hope to be a lifeline to others. We are accepting of others problems because we know what life is like with a fragile child. We champion the child who may be different or left out or picked on because of something beyond their control. We have empathy for any parent watching a child suffer. We sorrow over any child that is feeling different or isolated. We understand, or at least try to, because we hope that others do it for us and our children.

5. We have learned to love a little deeper and live life a little fuller. If you ask us about the best schools and the fabulous plans laid out for our children 10 or 20 years down the road, we may not have thought that far ahead. We live moment to moment, because with a heart child, that is how life runs. We enjoy today for what today brings, because we know that tomorrow may bring stormy weather. So we may not be concerned about grand achievements or the highest grades in the class or the smartest or most talented or prettiest or best athlete because for us, each smile is more than we asked for, each memory is worth more than every good grade ever earned. For us, it is the little things that are the biggest achievements. A first birthday is a success to be celebrated. Every heart beat is our pride and joy and just the fact that they were here and lived for moments or days or hours with broken hearts is enough for us.

6. We have a need and a duty to protect our broken hearted children. We use words like fixed or repaired when discussing our children’s hearts, but the fact of the matter is, their hearts will never be normal. Surgeries and procedures and medicines and artificial stimulation may help our children’s hearts to work, but they will never be whole. We may seem to overreact to colds or flus or viruses, but what is a minor illness to your child, could be disastrous to our child. A sickness that gets in the blood stream and attacks the heart or upper respiratory tract or heart’s lining, can damage it beyond repair, causing a need for more surgery, heart transplants, or death. We are not being overdramatic. We are not making a mole hill out of an ant hill. All of us know heart parents whose children have come down with a “cold” on Friday and are hospitalized and fighting for their lives on Sunday. Please respect our concerns and trust us, that they are real.

7. We are all different in a million ways. This list is certainly not all inclusive and not all encompassing. Other heart moms might wish to add to it or take things away, but it is a broad spectrum of what we wish others might know about us. We still want your friendship. We love a friendly phone call, an invite to dinner or a girl’s night out. We value our time with others, even though it may be limited. Don’t run away from us. Don’t ignore us. Even if you don’t know what to say or how to act, tell us that, and we’ll reassure you that just being there is more than we could ask for. The journey of the broken hearted is challenging and lonely, and those of you who take the time to walk it with us, lighten our heavy load and help us carry our burdens.

Catch up...

2012-02-04T12:23:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure what's been keeping me from updating here...Yikes! I was looking through my pictures, realizing I hadn't taken any in January, so it's actually a good thing I haven't posted since before Christmas so I will have something new to share!

Brady was quite thrilled to have his cousin in the audience for his school concert!

Dec. 24th was the Schmidt Christmas extravaganza!

Some traditions are just too good to change!

We missed having family from Mississauga, but skyped them in,

and enjoyed Christmas 'together'.

Yes, another Big Bang analogy....remember when Sheldon created the "Shelbot" so he could stay at home, and send Shelbot into the world and work instead.... okay, sorry, just a brief departure here!

Christmas morning had a Lego theme...

And we had to document the green GRASS.....absolutely crazy for Manitoba!

The Lego theme continued at the Hiebert Christmas!

And my scientists enjoyed creating their very own volcano.

But the Biggest and Happiest news had to be these two!!!! Congratulations!

So excited for you!!

Short & Sweet

2011-12-19T21:16:00.001-06:00

Those two words sum up a few things!

There was very little waiting this time around, probably about an hour start to finish, so that was good!

Short also describes Nate's disposition: oh yes, he was not a happy camper! He had been doing so well leading up to this appointment, even with the role playing we'd been doing at home, but once we were inside the clinic he was a different boy again. While we were trying to settle him for the echo he even gave me a verbal: "You are bad!" several times! But, like usual, in the end we were able to get the tests done.

So where does the "sweet" come in? Well, of course, when we're putting our jackets on and saying goodbye, Nate was just the sweetest little guy waving and talking to the staff.

And the report was very similar to the last one. The gradient remains the same, or maybe slightly higher, which shows the band is starting to do some work. Liver remain normal, leakage is still the same.
She considered coming off the Lasix completely, but given the 'sick' season we are entering, it would be best to have the Lasix to help in case he does come down with every virus this time around!
All will be re-evalutated in April.

Thanks again for thinking of us and for praying!

December, so far!

2011-12-18T18:17:00.001-06:00

Does anyone else feel like December brings with it a complete whirlwind of activity? The Hiebert household has certainly felt that way! We've been party central for the last couple of weeks and up to our ears in birthday cakes and snacks, Christmas concerts and functions, parties and activities! I have been greatly outnumbered by a houseful of grade one boys - at a ratio of 14:1....oh yes! And there also may have been an event with some very ugly Christmas sweaters involved!! In all, it's been full of great memories! And it's been so much fun to enjoy the many traditions and special events of this Christmas season with our boys.

We've been counting down to the celebration of our Savior's birth with our Advent calendar. Everyday has brought with it some sweet treats and a note, describing that days special activity. The excitement and anticipation of opening the Advent Calendar each morning has been so fun to watch!

But of course, life's realities still appear in this busy month, so tomorrow Nate gets to take a trip to see his cardiologist. I am prayerfully anticipating an excellent appointment, with a cute and adorable and cooperative Nate to accompany me! Your prayers for tomorrow are always appreciated!

Did I happen to mention my ridiculously talented niece took her first solo flight last week?

And my handsome Brady chillin' with his cool cousin after the school concert!

11 in '11

2011-11-26T11:17:00.001-06:00

December is a great month full of celebrations for us! The first day of December we get to celebrate 11 years of marriage! Some time ago, we planned that we'd head out for supper to celebrate 'sans kids'!
Last night, I was just reminding Don of our plans, and here is how the rest of our conversation played out.

C: "Can you remember the last time we went out on a date?"

D: "Ummmm."

C: "Hmmmm."

D: "Well, remember that last time we went to Mulligan's for a late supper?"

C: "Oh, yes. Hmm....that wasn't our anniversary last year, it must have been the year before that?"

D: "Yeah, you're right."

C: "Well, do you remember that one day I needed to run in to Winnipeg to pick up a lens, and you came along, the boys stayed at my parents, and we had supper at the Keg?"

D: "Right, but that wasn't this last summer, that was the summer before."

C: "Hah. You're right."

Oy. Now, I don't say this to complain, but rather to challenge/motivate/nudge you to go on a date!! If you can't remember the last time you and your spouse went out, or, if you clearly remember - and it was in a year other than 2011, I say just do it!

Now, let's have fun: We all need some 'me time'/'we time' once in a while. Leave a comment with what you did on your last date or what you did for some 'me time' OR what you would love to do on your next one! Don't be shy!

And since a post is way more fun with a picture, here are my boys enjoying some 'brother time'!

Brothers

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.
~Marc Brown

Treats!

2011-11-01T22:24:00.001-05:00

Well, there weren't a lot of tricks - but certainly a lot of treats!! Spiderman and Mr. Fireman enjoyed ringing a few doorbells and collecting a bit of loot!

And if you check the date, you'll know it's November 1. Don's official "You may now begin to decorate for Christmas, Carole!"

And he let me know without even knowing.... or saying it. After dumping a large box of Smarties, he ate a bunch and while we were chatting in the kitchen I noticed him absent-mindedly arranging the rest. He left the room and I captured the design he had made.

Even though today is my go-ahead day, you won't find anything festive in the house just yet. I seem to be getting later each year! All in good time!!

Seriously?

2011-10-29T23:08:00.000-05:00

Don says that I say that a lot. And I just said it again. Has it really been over a month since my last post?

Seriously?

What have I been doing?!?

Well, apparently the last month has been a flurry of activity - both big and small! We've been very busy celebrating some big birthdays - and some younger ones, too! We finished up soccer, started up story time at the library, bought a residential lot to build on in spring, enjoyed Thanksgiving with our families, got into party planning mode for an awesome 70th party for my dad, welcomed my brother and his awesome family back to Winkler for a week, tried to keep up with laundry (sort of), and began spending our late nights 'house designing' with graph paper and our thinking caps on. That's a start.

And here's one thing I never thought I'd do...

Yup, my first ever cattle drive! I was feeling a little bit 'pioneer-ish'! Thanks, Bonnie, for the awesome rear shot and Kristy for the fun off-roading!!

Hope to be getting back to some more blogging now - daylight hours are dwindling, and 'inside the house' hours are increasing!

Happy Saturday to each one of you!

Insert 'fist pump' here!

2011-09-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo! Do you know how much fun it is to share good news?!

Nate was a stellar patient......until it was his turn!! Oh man, even if Nate wasn't seen - he was certainly heard! But we got the job done.

And the report? His gradient number (the amount of squeeze the band is applying to the artery) jumped from 35 - where we've been sitting at for the last year - to 60!! That's pretty awesome! That means the band is finally starting to do some work! Nate isn't showing any signs of heart failure. His heart has not enlarged further since our last appointment. His liver is normal. How's that for news?

She did a little switch up with one of his meds, decreasing the frequency of his lasix to only once per day. We'll watch and see how he copes with that.

I had done some baking the night before, and brought a platter of some yummies for the staff. Apparently it was good timing. When she came in to see us this afternoon, she commented that she hadn't eaten since last night, and it had been a crazy day so far. So the cream cheese brownies, indeed, were just what the doctor ordered! Another neat connection - her daughter is at Winkler Bible Camp right now with her school for an outdoor ed retreat. Kinda neat!

So, I left the appointment feeling pretty pumped up! Only when I could know with certainty that surgery wasn't imminent, did I realize all the emotions I was holding at bay....not wanting to go there. We celebrated prairie style....a quick Costco trip with my sister, and a quick supper at Roxy's on the way home.

I'm so thankful for the prayers of so many of you - and I'm so glad I can share this awesome news with you. It's a good reminder to continue to praise God, even when He is silent...even while we are waiting.

It's that time again!

2011-09-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

Alright - it's time to rally the troops! Nate's army of prayer warriors, that is!

The last three months have gone by quickly and it's time to see his cardiologist tomorrow. He's had a really good summer! He's been active and happy, growing in height - and slightly in weight.
We are prayerfully optimistic about tomorrow's results. If you remember back to our last appointment... well, how about I just give a quick recap.

Nate's surgery (pulmonary artery banding) was well over a year ago. At our last appointment in June, there were still no positive improvements as a result of the surgery. So, she basically said enough is enough! We've waited it out long enough, and if the results of his next appointment show no improvement, it's time for surgery. She felt that it was more than likely that we'd be doing surgery in fall, but would wait until September and then make the call.

So here we are! Ready to take a peek into Nate's heart, and see what's been happening in the last few months! Praying for a HAPPY, cooperative and charming patient.....why not, right?

Thank you - to each one of you praying!!!

And some pics - just for fun!

Brady's "Station"

VHS tapes are good for one thing....destroying!

How "fortunate" to find a lovely mud hole across from our campsite on September long.

Yes, how fortunate!

Take a Smile break!

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a little something if you need a reprieve in your day.

It's a great video, capturing a senior couple trying to remember all the steps their granddaughter gave them, to use their webcam. I love the interaction with each other.....it's just plain cute!

Hope it makes you smile!

In His Arms

2011-09-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

Praying for the Pauls family.

I Couldn’t Love You More

In the night

He is with you

At morning light

He is with You

Do not fear

For He is with you

When I'm not here

He is with you

I couldn’t love you more

No, I couldn’t love you more

But somebody does

Jesus

Rest your eyes

He is with you

I pray you find

He is with you

When I let go

He is with you

And I can know

That He is with you

I couldn't love you more

No, I couldn’t love you more

But somebody does

Jesus

You are mine for a moment

But you are His

Forever His

And in this life

I am holding You

But in His arms you live

I couldn't love you more

No, I couldn’t love you more

Oh, but somebody does

Jesus

Written by Matt Hammitt and Jason Ingram

Before & After: The Bathroom

2011-08-17T13:33:00.007-05:00

Who doesn't love bathroom renos?!?!? Well, I can tell you honestly that I don't! Plumbing has not been our forte in the past. Luckily we didn't have to do any kind of complete gut here!

No great 'before' pics, but this one, taken on our walk-through of the house, gives an idea!

Using melamine paint, I updated the counter tops. We changed the sinks and faucets, put up a real mirror (the original was small and centered over the countertop, ie. not above the sinks where you need it!)

We also replaced the toilet and window, freshened the walls and cabinets up with paint.

The Before:

The After:

Maybe it's a 70's thing. The sink area is separated from the toilet/bathtub area by a door, which has actually turned out to be pretty handy. There is also a door from the master bedroom to the toilet/tub area, so it feels like an ensuite, but it's really the main bathroom.

Here, you can see the 'sneak door' into the bathroom from the bedroom.

And here it is now!

I won't go into more detail about the bedroom; the headboard and carpet was a whole other post a while back! And did I mention the next-to-new window that I got on PVOL for a fraction of what a new one would have cost? And that it was the right size?!? So good!

It really is pretty amazing how even just changing up the 70's baseboards and trims can totally update a home!

I don't have any good before pics of the sunroom; but just imagine with me....updated the brown panelling with some paint and changed out the blah grey commercial (thin) carpeting.

Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me! It's been fun and nostalgic looking back at all of the old photos!

Before & After: The Basement

2011-08-15T14:48:00.008-05:00

We'll head downstairs now! The basement was pretty standard. A bit of panelling, white paint, no defined activity areas, good carpet but not my color choice.

There were some things I wanted to change (carpet), but couldn't justify it. Other things were definitely in my scope to do.

Before:

After:

Biggest change was paint! Typically, in a basement, you want to brighten things up, keep them light and airy. Well, I didn't do that! I went for impact, drama, and a bit of cozy!

Dark brown paint from floor to ceiling, covering up the panelling, and taking attention away from the 'not as current' carpet. The photo makes it look like 2 browns, but it must just be the lighting, as it's all the same color!

Do you want in on a secret? Here goes: I wanted to create a cozy living room/TV watching area, but needed something to frame it all in. My solution? Bamboo blinds and full length side panels on a black iron rod. But the secret?? There are NO windows behind those blinds!!!!

The other side of the basement is Toy Central! In other words, no pictures! I tell you, it takes about 38 seconds for that room to go from tidy and organized to chaos!

On to another little basement project. Behind the rec area, there was a small room with some nasty carpet, interesting doorway, but the room had no purpose.

So, if you know me, you know I enjoy a bit of sewing (I come by it genetically if you look at my family!). I thought this would be the perfect little spot to set up!

I painted out the panelling, bought a carpet remnant from a flooring store, and installed some cabinetry that was getting taken out of my dad's business (ie. free for me!).

I love having my sewing machine set up all the time. Also, having a place for storing crafty stuff, wrapping supplies etc. My butterfly table sits in the adjoining bedroom which can be pulled out for a bigger work surface.

I've still got some 'good' (ie. hilarious) before pictures....I'll be back with another room soon!

Before & After: The Kitchen

2011-08-14T15:22:00.006-05:00

Well, you can't get much more of a change than going from white to black! And that's what we did in the kitchen. Looking at the 'before' pictures shows a kitchen that I really don't recognize! I can hardly remember it looking like that!

So, with out further adieu, here is our kitchen...

Before:

White cabinets, brass hardware, green countertops. There was a lot of work to do, but good bones to work with! As you can see above, Don is removing the trim that closed off the space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling so we can continue the cove moulding through the kitchen.

We kept the original doors, but applied beadboard and trim around each door. Then, painted them BLACK! I love it when Don gives me carte blanche and goes along with new ideas!

And our little cutie - Brady - at about 8 months old!

A better look at the trim/beadboard

The next major improvement was the countertop. We replaced and extended the countertop into a peninsula/eating bar. If the truth be told, we eat all of our meals there, and only use our dining table when company comes! We needed to add some lighting over the counter, and had two junction boxes installed.

Wow - this trip down memory lane is going to do one of two things for me. It will either motivate me to find another home that needs a little TLC; or, it will make me want to just stay here and just live a little without any projects on the go!

Hmmm.....I think I need a project!

Before & After: The Living Room

2011-08-12T15:13:00.013-05:00

First, I apologize for the zero quality of the before pics....they are pictures of prints that were apparently printed without full ink tanks. But, I suppose the lack of clarity helps protect the original home owner's belongings from being identified!

The Waaay Before:

The After:

Oh, just ignore the functional - but no so pleasing to the eye - recliner in the corner. I'm still working on Don....trying to convince him that the Eames is what we need. After all, how could you go wrong with a piece that's rightfully made it's way into the MoMA in New York!?!?

The biggest improvement is definitely the fireplace. The original brick had already been painted white, but I wasn't going for that look in this particular room.

First, I painted the (nasty) brass surround with a black high heat paint. Almost could have stopped there...(almost!).

Next we built up and covered up the brick (thank you MDF!) and beefed up the mantle with trim. The hearth was green tile, which I painted again with the high heat black paint, and again built up the lower part of the hearth with MDF and trimmed it up with baseboard.

More to come!

Seven Years

2011-08-12T14:40:00.008-05:00

It was exactly 7 years ago that we signed the deal for our Maple Drive house. Maybe it's just me getting nostalgic - or the focus on getting the house ready to 'show' - that made me peek into the old folder with all of the paperwork from the deal. In there, I also found the pictures I'd taken when the realtor showed us the house, before the 'for sale' sign had been put up (yes, I'm a keener that way!).

Looking at those pics showed me how far we'd come with this house. Many, many hours of sweat equity, but also some pretty fun (not always in the moment, I suppose) adventures along the way.

I thought it would be fun to do a Before & After party and show some pictures.

The first one isn't the most complex or dramat

ic, but it completely changed the feel of the house (in my humble opinion!). We got rid of all the white! Painted the window trims, pillars, garage and entrance doors and removed some lattice

Oooh! Here's a good one that really 'shows off' the white!!

And the After:

More Before & After's of the inside to come....gotta get some pictures taken!

Work Holidays!

2011-07-22T00:31:00.000-05:00

Well, the Hiebert boys are having a camp-out in the trailer on the driveway..... that leaves me alone in a very quiet house! And it gives me a moment to do this!

We've been going non-stop this week. Don took a week of holidays - but we haven't been doing too much relaxing! It's been a work week. We picked the 2 hottest and humid days of the year to tackle a shingling project on the house. We worked HARD! And I developed a new respect for roofers! Which reminds me - I should submit my hours to Don....wonder how well he pays! We've been finishing up a few other projects, and purging a lot of 'stuff'..... a load of 'donations' to MCC, a load to the e-waste drop-off bin (really....that 486 isn't going to come in handy any time soon!), and another post-renovation load (ie. toilet!) to get taken to the dump. Feels good to do one of these clean sweeps, and is necessary too, as we ready our house for sale (SURPRISE!).

No details to share yet....simply because we don't know them yet, ourselves! But I will say that I'm excited about where this adventure called life will take us....(although I'm pretty sure we'll stay in Winkler.....I think!). And even though right now, we don't know what the next step is, God is so faithful. That's just how he leads us. One step at a time. Through all of our circumstances, I've come to trust and rely on Him like never before. He has been showing us how He clearly cares about this big things, and yet we fully see how He is just as concerned with the little stuff, too. It is SO incredible to have this sense of peace and assurance. When we are quiet, and wait for Him to lead us, He will show us the way we should go. And guaranteed, his plans are so much more beautiful than anything we would have arranged!

And since no post is complete without a picture, here's one to remind me about the other kind of holidays we like to take!

Brady's Day of Adventure

2011-07-03T23:58:00.003-05:00

We surprised Brady yesterday with some news that was super thrilling for him! It involved a day away from the campground, a few hours of driving, a train ride to Minneapolis - and most importantly - a very exciting baseball game!

His first words when he woke up this morning were: "I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so excited!"

What an unforgettable experience for Brady to enjoy with his dad, uncle, cousin and "buddy".

He also took my old camera along and got some pics of this day of fun.

This pic isn't so much a picture of Don, but a really fun reflection of my photographer extraordinaire!

Apologies to all of the random dudes that got their picture taken and were part of Brady's train videography!

Saturday Smiles

2011-07-02T23:11:00.001-05:00

Holidays make me happy!

It's a Mini!

2011-06-26T22:33:00.004-05:00

Those were Brady's words when he saw Don pulling up on the driveway with our 'new-to-us' camper. It did make me laugh....this boy is used to camping in Grandma and Grandpa's not-so-mini motorhome!

And we're excited about the fun family trips and memories to come, as we become campers! We took it out for our very first 'test' weekend on Friday. I'd like to say we were super adventurous....but I won't lie. We parked at the Winkler Campground. Yup, a whopping 1.4km from our driveway! It's alright, I agree that's a little pathetic - but we needed to get a little trial run in before heading out on holidays.

The boys loved it. The nights were short - and the mornings were much too early, but fun was had! We even weathered a nice thunderstorm on Saturday night!

Pure joy!

Doing 'blackies' and trying to make each one longer than the last!

Let's Play Ball!

2011-06-16T22:57:00.004-05:00

Today we wrapped up our first ever season of baseball.

Apparently you get more power this way!

Brady is pretty serious about the whole thing! He's SO into it and loves playing with the team and at home.

He informed us yesterday (and confirmed it again today with his Grandma) that he wants to be a professional ball player. That came after explaining what 'professional' meant. As in, it's your job AND you get paid!

Brag Book

2011-06-13T11:04:00.005-05:00

Can I just take a moment, as a proud auntie, to do a little bit of bragging? See, I have this uber talented, uber beautiful niece that I just have to tell you about!

We celebrated my mom's birthday this weekend, and she made a cake for her grandma that took our breath away!

And that's just the tip of the iceberg! She does these cakes - we're not talking just the basics here - we're talking SLR cameras (seriously!!) and Purses (incredible!!) just to name a few!

And if this talent wasn't enough, she is Miss Volleyball Extraordinaire, (Hello Team Manitoba!) has the most caring and loving personality which she uses to dote on her younger cousins! And she can pull a violin out of her back pocket and play a sonata (if she chooses!)

We love you!!

Now, hopefully she will stop blushing!!

And We're Back

2011-06-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

Things I've learned:

1. Husbands are handy. It's like the phrase 'all hands on deck'. Some things are easier when you're not the only one dealing with a given situation. I'll invite him again next time!

2.. Five year olds have a lot of questions when they see their little brother's heart pumping on a computer screen. Add in some color on the screen for blood flow, and you've a lot of questions. Good experience for him, though!

3. A Lightning McQueen toy that talks and has real lights does a lot to redirect attention! Next time, be sure to check for those crazy wires attaching it to the packaging. Especially when you bring it out for a very strategic time (ie. screaming along with refusal when echo is supposed to begin) when time is of the essence and intervention is needed STAT!

4. Knowing so many of my friends and family truly care so much is enough to make me get totally emotional, but also feel so covered in prayers, while reading email notes from so many during the drive to Winnipeg.

The Lowdown:

No change with the gradient. The band still is not doing it's job.

Monitoring weight carefully, some irregularities from last weigh in to today. Drops in weight carry more significance with heart babies.

Liver size is good. No signs of heart failure. Both ventricles still pumping effectively.

To summarize, Dr. Soni feels that we are heading down a path that will bring us to Toronto for another PA Banding in the near future.

My heart's summary - Though tears may fall and my heart will long: We will not stop Believing. We will not stop Hoping. We will not stop Praying. I rest each night in the comfort of knowing that our God, the God of love and mercy is with us. So then, I can "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Isn't that great?!? We can come BOLDY before our God. Don't ever give Him any limits.....He is able to go above and beyond what we can only imagine (Eph 3:20). He can answer our prayers - or he can take that prayer and go way beyond that!

Here We Go!

2011-06-07T21:12:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the day! Nate has a morning appointment with his cardiologist. We're being open and honest with Nate - talking to him about the upcoming appointment. But, today already, he is saying "No". Even while Don was saying bedtime prayers and praying for the appointment tomorrow, Nate was shaking his head and saying 'no'. So....needless to say, we need your prayers!

This time I'm arming myself with a few extra tricks up my sleeve. For one, I'm bringing Don along with me! Second, we're going have Brady join us on this one, too. It's worked at other appointments - having Brady there, showing Nate how easy it is. Third, a trip to Walmart this evening provided some cool toys, to be brought out at strategic times during the appointment!

So, thanks for praying the God would do immeasurably more than we can even imagine!

Sunshine!

2011-06-06T13:22:00.002-05:00

Finally! A sunny and hot Sunday!! The best part is that we could spend it together as a family!

Now, I'm sure the original owner's of our house didn't think about all of the extra benefits of installing an in ground sprinkler system....but boy, am I glad they did! Instant water park in our front yard! The boys loved it!!

They'll do just about anything their dad says....."hey boys, put your head right into the sprinkler!"

(and it was fun to watch....here, Nate is trying to drink water out of his hands!)

And one of our favorite summer activities is taking the top off and cruisin'!!!

Nate has been asking for the top to come off for weeks already.

And a little ice cream 'stache after cruising while trying to eat his favorite Iceburg cone!

How was your weekend?

A Child's Prayer

2011-05-21T22:27:00.005-05:00

There is something so sweet....so innocent, about listening to a child's prayer. The boldness of their prayers can challenge even the most devout believers.

Today, one line from Brady's prayer caught me off guard for a moment - and certainly made me smile.

"....and dear Jesus and God, can you please work together as a team and heal Nate's heart tonight during the night so that Nate doesn't have to have medicine anymore...."

I suppose we need to work on his theology a bit, and explain the Trinity 'team'!!

Crazy Good

2011-05-13T13:59:00.002-05:00

Okay: Quick, before anything changes, I need to tell you how beyond thrilled I am right now. Are you ready?

For the last three (yes, 3!) nights, Nate has slept through the night.

How crazy good is that? And how does that happen? Do they just decide one day, that tonight, 'I will sleep all night'??? So, I just had to share that. We need to celebrate the big things and the little things! Now, I don't want to get too disappointed if this doesn't continue - but for today, I won't hide my excitement!

Speaking of celebrating....and the number 3....The Nate-ster celebrated his 3rd birthday! I'm so thankful God has blessed us with our little Nate! Every day is a gift. Even through those hard days, that we don't exactly celebrate, we know God is giving us just what we need for each day, and we delight in these exciting milestones!

Nate's birthday supper was picked by the boys. We went to their favorite restaurant. As Nate says, "the one with the car on the roof!".

And I caved under the time crunch (and the elaborate request for a construction cake) and bought one instead.

Yes, wholesome and healthy, with a good dose of unnaturally colored icing!

Happy Birthday Nate!

And sleep well tonight, my child!

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-23T21:14:00.003-05:00

Take just a few minutes and watch this - and see how quickly you get goosebumps!

The Question!

2011-04-20T12:13:00.006-05:00

Well, thanks to the two smarties for giving it a go, and guessing at the question! In my best interest in keeping my 'Flyer's Most Devoted Fan Since He Was A Child' husband happy, I won't get into Nikki's first answer! And Blackie's answer may very likely be absolutely true.... that's why in our house, he has his own bathroom!! But, it's not quite where I was going with this!

So, hats off to Miss Nikki for her second, more dignified answer! She is absolutely right! I won't ask how she figured that out....or if Google was used in her calculations. Congratulations, Nikki - your prize is a 30 foot flag pole, erected centrally on your front lawn, complete with a Flyer's flag, proudly flying at the top!

So, yes, 0.548% is the equivalent of 2 out of 365. And it's relativity is Nate and his sleep.

In the last year, he has slept through the night 0.548% of the time.

That is:

Crazy

Ridiculous

If you want to turn the tables, you can look at it this way: Out of the 365 nights of the last year, Don and I have both stayed in our own bed, for the whole night, on 0.548% of them.

That is:

Crazy

Ridiculous

You see, the longer we let Nate cry (and we have a very hard time letting him cry for a great deal of time) the more worked up (ie MAD....have you been privileged enough to see his scowl?) he gets, and the longer it takes for him to finally settle. I think we're talking P.T.S.D. That would be Post Traumatic Surgery Disorder.

So, on most nights, Don and I find it 100% more 'restful' to just go lie down with Nate and try to settle him that way. And, it's just my heart that says: if I can even do one thing to bring a little bit of comfort to my Nate, I'm going to do it.

So for now, that's just the way nights are around here. But I will stick to my manta:

This too, shall pass.

We just pray, a little sooner - rather than later!

0.548%

2011-04-18T15:11:00.005-05:00

There's a mathematical equation answer for you. Can you guess what the question is?

Let's play a game! Leave your answer as a comment!

And don't worry - it's no where near as complex as Dr. Sheldon Cooper's scientific theories of quantum mechanics!!! (Love that guy!).

It's Play Off time!

2011-04-13T10:02:00.002-05:00

Hockey fever is at an all time high right now! Play offs begin!! And of course, the hope is that the Flyer's take home the cup! In keeping with Don's tradition, tomorrow we'll be having our

"First Flyer's Play Off Game of the Year Steak Supper".

I'm a lot of you have seen these funny twins 'conversing' with each other - here they are again, with an NHL twist....thanks to TSN.

Enjoy....we sure did!

Spring has Sprung!

2011-04-11T13:41:00.004-05:00

Although there is still a bit of snow left in the backyard, it's definitely feeling like spring is here! The outside toys are getting hauled out of the shed, and the novelty of having mud and dirt to play in, is in full swing!

The birds, however.....oh, the birds.

In the last day, I've heard the 'bang' of at least a dozen birds slamming into our windows. And it's NOT because my windows are spotless or clean! You'll probably remember this photo, from last April. Yes, the bird is in his hand. Brady is my right hand man for taking care of the dirty business!

Well, when Nate and I got back from walking Brady to school at lunch today, I found another 'victim' in front of the living room windows.

Now I'm waiting for Brady to get home from school! He's got work to do!

My Lovely Longhorns!

2011-04-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, while we're on the topic of decor this week, indulge me with a moment of your time, and either roll your eyes with boredom, cringe with dislike, or laugh at the very thought.

A couple weeks ago, I decided it was time to change things up in the living room, and that meant a fresh look for the fireplace.

Now hear me out. Since the very first time I saw these horns at Don's work 4 months ago, I knew that they needed to fit into my house somewhere, sometime. I just didn't think they'd work in my current house. You could say they're a little bold and lend themselves to a certain look!

A few more pieces from the Loft at Eldon's were added, bringing it down to a style that works with the rest of the house - and I'm loving it! Now, I know some of you grew up with the real thing in the back pasture, so this might not be what you'd like displayed in your living room! But for me - I'm loving the juxtaposition of the shiny chrome and my good ol' longhorns!

Birthdays in Heaven

2011-03-31T21:36:00.001-05:00

Remembering Grandma....

DIY

2011-03-30T12:37:00.013-05:00

Yay! The carpet went in today, so I'm slowing putting the room back together again. I thought I'd share a DIY project from a while back.

Making headboards has been a fun project for me. I've made 4-5 in the last few years (not all for me!!). When we changed from a queen to a king a while back, I had an excuse to build another one.

I don't have construction pictures, but it's pretty easy. Here are the steps:

Determine the size and shape you'd like, and cut a sheet of plywood to the desired dimensions.

To give the headboard more depth, creating a more chunky look, screw 2X4's around the perimeter of the back of the headboard. If doing a curved top, cut out another curve out of your plywood.

Cut dense foam in the same shape of your headboard.

Lay out a large piece of quilting batting on the floor, enough to cover the whole headboard plus an extra 5-6 inches around all sides.

Lay your headboard frame, with foam on top of this batting. Staple the batting to the back side of your frame.

Follow the same routine with the fabric of your choice. Avoid any fabric with stretch.
A few options for mounting. You can either buy semi flush mounting brackets, or 'hang' it up, like we've done with this one. Some heavy duty nails into studs and you're ready to hang it up, using the ledge that is created with the 2X4's. It's super sturdy, and not going anywhere!

Add any embellishments: I did tufting on this one, you could nail on upholstery tacks or just keep it simple!

We thought it was OLD!

2011-03-28T16:37:00.013-05:00

Okay - how about a departure from my regular ramblings...

If you know me well, you probably know that I love a good home reno project. I also love all things related to design and decor. So, since that's what is happening in our house right now, you're invited to come along and take a peek.

This week's project is our master bedroom. We haven't touched it since moving here about 6 years ago (has it been 6 years??? and we're still in the same house?!?).

Anyway, the carpet has always been on our radar for replacing one day.

It's pink.

Plush.

Oh yes! Are you loving it? It's in pretty good condition, but seeing as how all the other bedrooms in the house have newer carpet, we were pretty sure that this lovely pink must be original to the house. So we'd talking about 34 years. That in itself is enough to make me cough up a dust mite! And the pink....well that was another motivating factor!

You can imagine our surprise, when we pulled out the carpet a few days ago, and found the previous home owner's name, who only lived here a few years, written on the back of the carpet.

Not so old, after all. I guess that explains it's good condition!!

Anyway, with the carpet out, it's a great time to paint, so that's been my project for today. Thankfully the boys have allowed me the time to do two coats already....thanks in part to a new 456 piece Lego set (I'm sure he'll have a 'review' posted to Youtube sometime soon!).

(getting his 'review' all set up!)

And so, the carpet gets installed tomorrow. None too soon....we've got bedroom furniture in the dining room and sunroom, and our mattress in the living room entrance. Yes, we've been sleeping in the living room.

No need for any late night drive by's, you hear?

Brady Boy

2011-03-25T14:05:00.009-05:00

I have been delighting in my big boy, Brady. He has been bringing so much fun into my life! He fills me with love, with pride, with wonder and amazement. He says the craziest things, and sometimes the most profound things.

His love of reading has been one of the best gifts to me. My Brady, barely 5 years old, is growing up so fast! It is incredible to watch him read, to listen to him, and to witness his growing understanding of the world around us. Very much like his dad, Brady has become a 'fact' guy. The precise information that he 'keeps in his brain' always astounds me!

I came upon this scenario the other day. He has a book about the Titantic that he loves to read to me. When I walked into the room and saw this, I needed a little explanation.

He was reading the book to Nate. He told me that he was in the Titanic, and Nate was in the Carpathia (did you even know that the ship that came to rescue the survivors was called that?).

And then, there is that cute innocence that is so adorable in kids. In an email he sent to his Grandma and Grandpa (whom he hasn't seen in 4 weeks now) he ended the letter with this line:

"I miss you a lot but I still love you!"

And I love that as I'm transcribing the emails he sends, he tells me where to put the exclamation marks!

Looking back...

2011-03-25T13:58:00.003-05:00

Here's something I shared with all of you one year ago. Even if just one person finds hope and courage through this verse, it's all worth it. From March 25th, 2010:

Here's my prayer:

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

Psalm 143:8

The Report

2011-03-18T22:23:00.004-05:00

I should have known better. I was using the last time Nate went in as my guide - the time that he was a perfect patient and did so amazingly for his whole appointment - but today's appointment was about as different as it could be. My own fault....I certainly should have had Don come with us, but I thought I'd be able to do it on my own again.

Well, the drive in was great and horrible! The roads were perfect - but the passengers.....well, not so much! Malfunctioning DVD players, sun in the eyes, hearing "no appointment" how many times from Nate, whining and complaining. Doesn't that just sound like a great start to the day?!

To summarize:

Nate refused to take his shirt off at the clinic. There was crying, arguing '2 year old style', and just plain old refusal to do what we needed him to. The ultrasound technician didn't even try, but brought in Dr. Soni instead. She did an 'abbreviated' echo on Nate's heart (that's code for 'the child made it impossible to do a full study'!), while he sat upright in my arms, with his sweatshirt on (yes, she is a pretty amazing cardiologist!).

Things are about the same as last time. Not worse, so that is a good thing. The band is still where it was after surgery, ie. it is no tighter now than it was a year ago. But Nate has been gaining weight more consistently, so as long as he is medically well, we'll wait a bit longer. We'll go another 3 months and see where things are at then. She'll also communicate with Toronto after that next appointment to keep them in the loop as to where we're at. If at any time he's not doing as well, they will definitely go in and get that band to a tightness that they want - to help reduce the leaking from his valve. No electrical issues showing up right now, which is also good.

Maybe we're just now heading into the terrible two's....would that explain the changes in Nate's behavior? We did lose out on a couple of months last year; one month in Edmonton and the next 3 months at home. They have kind of become a 'black hole' when we think back! So even though he's turing 3 next month, maybe in his mind, he's really only starting on those 2 year old issues now!

Thanks for praying - hope your weekend is a fun one!

Friday appointment....

2011-03-17T23:11:00.003-05:00

Brady, Nate and I will be heading to Winnipeg tomorrow morning! Nate has an appointment to see his cardiologist, Dr. Soni.

A few prayer requests:

* Good driving conditions (really don't want to deal with icy highways and poor visibility!)

* A co-operative Nate (in the last month or two, we've been seeing a stubborn and let's call it 'negative attitude', I need a happy and compliant Nate tomorrow morning!)

* A miracle (God is in the business of changing hearts....I'm asking Him to change Nate's!)

As of right now (11:15pm) Nate is still wide awake here. Praying that we all get enough rest for what is required tomorrow!

Wishing you all a great weekend ahead!

One year ago...

2011-03-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

It is so hard to believe that one year ago, this is where our lives were....

Time has a funny way of making events feel so long ago at times, and then, like it was just yesterday.

So many emotions, thoughts and memories in my heart today!

Looking Back

2011-03-07T14:17:00.005-06:00

Today I'm thinking back. One year ago we left for Edmonton, for Nate's surgery. I'm sure that for the next month, my thoughts will go back to where we were exactly a year ago. I'm so glad I blogged through our experiences. It now gives me a chance to go back, and as hard as it is, read about our daily experiences and my thoughts and emotions. I can go back and re-read all of the encouraging notes that so many of you left for us. You may not know how much those words of hope and encouragement meant to our family. I thank God for each one of you....for everyone who prayed so earnestly for us during that time. Here's a little blurb from the blog entry I did after arriving in Edmonton.

It's been a pretty emotional day for me. Every step of the day brought us closer to the reality of what is ahead. Saying good night to Brady on the phone tonight was also incredibly hard.

Nate is blissfully unaware of what is to come, and that just breaks my heart.

So, you'll have to bear with me this month. Although it's hard, emotionally, to 'go back' to those days, it allows me and you to see how far we've come, and how faithful God has been, even in the dark days.

While I'm Waiting

2011-03-05T14:47:00.004-06:00

I've been moved and challenged by verses in Ephesians.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Immeasurable more....exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond.

He is able.

The waiting can be hard, no matter what you circumstance. No matter what your prayer is.

But He can take that prayer, and do something SO much more.... exceedingly more than you can even imagine.

And while we wait, we trust Him, we honor Him with our worship....with our praise.

A good friend sent me this video, take a few quiet minutes to watch it.

CHD Detection

2011-02-17T09:45:00.006-06:00

When it comes down to it, Congenital Heart Defect detection begins at the prenatal ultrasound. It's true, some babies, whose special hearts are not screened prenatally can come into this world with hospital staff that are unaware and unprepared to provide immediate and specialized treatment.

Other times, babies are born - seemingly healthy - brought home; and hours or days or weeks later, sometimes without any clues or indications, like sweet little Cora's tragic story, turn into emergency situations or even death.

Diagnostics. Awareness. Advocacy.

These three things can save a baby's life.

I was so thrilled to read an article about a local (Winnipeg) sonographer who IS making a difference in the diagnostic aspect of CHD's. Read it if you have a minute. This is someone who has gone beyond the call, to ensure CHD's are detected.

Click here to read the CBC story on Karen Letourneau.

As a pregnant mom-to-be, it's also up to you to be sure your baby is being screened for any heart problems. I know we have to trust our health care professionals, I certainly do. I can't be an expert in every field, and I trust those who are. However, to be aware gives you the power to ask the right questions, to open dialogue with your health professional.

I came across an article, in which Dr. Nina Gotteiner, a pediatric cardiologist at Chicago Children's Memorial Hospital gives a list of 5 proactive questions that every expecting parent should ask regarding their 20 week ultrasound:

1. Do you see 4 chambers?

2 Do you look at the arteries of outflow tracks as part of your scan? *Note: Extremely important to focus on artery views. CHD is often missed if only a standard 'chamber view' is performed.

3. Are the heart and stomach in correct positions?

4. Is the heart rate normal? Is the heart rate too slow (less than 100 beats per minute), too fast (over 200 beats per minute), or irregular? *Note: A normal heart rate range is 120-180 beats per minute.

5. Is the heart function normal? Does the muscle work normally? Is everything hooked-up correctly?

Knowledge is power. Just by asking the right questions and being an advocate for your baby's health is a step towards greater awareness. You can read the whole article here.

Pulse Oximetry. This is another big one. This is a very simple, totally painless, non invasive diagnostic tool, that should be used after baby is born and before you go home. This is that little sensor, either put over a toe or a finger with that little red light that detects oxygen saturation. A low oxygen sat may indicate the presence of a heart defect.

And Nate's story?

Well, it's not the first thing to come out when someone asks about Nate. In fact, I haven't told too many people. And there are a couple of reasons. But here's a quick glimpse into our diagnostic story.

I went in for my routine ultrasound. This was my second pregnancy, so I kind of knew what to expect with the ultrasound appointment. And it was going routinely for the first while; scan around my belly, hold for the measurements, click for the image being saved. This went on for a while. Then the 'clicking' stopped. The ultrasound tech was no longer taking measurements or saving images. She was doing a lot of looking. From all different angles. This was taking a long time, and in my mind I was already thinking worst case scenario. Something was wrong. After a very long time, she honestly told me she was having trouble seeing some areas, and was just going to get the radiologist to come in and take a look as well.

The radiologist came in, and together they did some more looking. I kept hearing them talk about the right side and the left side, but I didn't have a reference to what they were talking about. Finally, at the end, he said they were just trying to get a good look at the heart, but with a pat on my leg, he assured me everything looked good.

I applaud my ultrasound tech. She knew something was up, there was something different, and she did the right thing, calling in the radiologist. If I could talk to her now, I would tell her she was on to something!! She was right, that things were not as they should be. It would be great to go back to those ultrasound images and turn it into a learning opportunity. Chances are she had never seen this CHD before, and like you already know it's a complex one!

And I thank God. I am so thankful that Nate's heart did not need any immediate intervention at birth. It scares me to think about what could have happened had things been any different. But God was in control of this situation. He knew Nate would be okay at birth and gave us the most incredible gift that day....our sweet little Nate!

Twinkle Toes

2011-02-12T14:13:00.004-06:00

The whole family went bowling last night to celebrate a very special birthday. It was Brady's first time bowling.....and he loved it! We'll be doing this again soon!

Nate's Heart!

2011-02-08T08:30:00.013-06:00

Nate's heart is classified as a Congenital Heart Defect - meaning it was not acquired, but rather he was born with it.

C-CTGA or L-TGA:

Early in a baby's development in utero (about 9 weeks gestation) the heart first forms in the shape of a tube. This tube bends and folds in on itself, creating the four heart chambers and the four heart valves. If the tube bends to the left instead of the right, the ventricles are reversed: the weaker, larger right ventricle grows on the heart's left side and pumps the blood to your body; and the stronger, smaller left ventricle grows on the right side of the heart and pumps blood to the lungs. Two of the heart valves "follow " the ventricles so they are also reversed: the mitral valve is on the right and the tricuspid valve is on the left. Although the two heart valves and the two great arteries (the pulmonary artery and the aorta) are transposed or exit from the "wrong" ventricle, the blood flows to the correct place because the ventricles are also reversed. That is why this heart defect is called "corrected" transposition.

That's the anatomy in a nutshell.... a very short and concise nutshell. I won't get into all the implications of leaky valves, and the 'electrical system' this time. Don't want your eyes to start glazing over! Too much information can lead to confusion...I speak from experience! It takes a bit to fully understand it!

Ready for a quiz now?!?

Your Heart!

2011-02-06T22:10:00.006-06:00

To understand CCTGA, it helps to firstunderstand how a normal heart works. Here is your assignment forthe day. Get to know your heart and understand it. There *may* be a quiz!!!!

I'll be back later tonight with a description of Nate's heart.

A normal heart is

divided into two sides. The right side
pumps blood from the body into the lungs. The left side
pumps the blood from the lungs out to the body. Each
side has an atrium and a ventricle. The atrium acts like a
“waiting room” for the blood. The ventricle does the hard
work of pushing the blood out to the lungs or body. At
the entrance and exit from each ventricle is a valve, which
acts like a door. These valves allow the ventricle to fill
with blood from one side, and then push it out the other.

Each ventricle and valve is designed to do its specific job.
The right ventricle is designed to give the blood a gentle
push to send it to the lungs. It is bigger than the left ventricle
and does not have as much muscle. The left ventricle
is designed to give the blood a strong push out to the
body. It has less space inside because its thick walls take
up more space. The valve between the left atrium and
ventricle, the mitral valve, is the body’s strongest valve.
It is designed to stay shut against the strong push of the
blood out to the body.

It's Heart Month!

2011-02-04T10:22:00.000-06:00

Good Morning!

And it is a good morning. I'm sure you've had those mornings, too, when you're actually really thankful to wake up from a crazy, seemingly 'real life' dream. It usually takes a few moments to adjust to what is actually real, and remove yourself from the circumstances that you thought you were just in.....or am I the only one?

Anyway, I was happy to wake up to realize we were in actuality NOT preparing both Nate and Brady for surgery in an unknown hospital!

So, it's Heart Month! Yes, February is the month of love and valentines, cupids and chocolates, love notes and romantic dates (ha ha, maybe for some of you :)), but it's also the month that we devote to Hearts....and to the world of Congenital Heart Defects. Through out the month, I'll share some info about CHD, and hopefully some tips on Healthy Heart Living.

For example, did you know:

One to three of every 100 Canadian children are born with one or more types of CHD's.

More than 50% of all children born with congenital heart defect will require at least one invasive surgery in their lifetime.

There are more than 40 different types of congenital heart defects. Little is known about the cause of most of them. There is no known prevention or cure for any of them.

In the United States, twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined.

It's been a while!

2011-01-31T10:15:00.011-06:00

I guess it's time! Time to crawl out from the wood work and get back here!

Lots has been going on - and yet at the same time, if feels like nothing has changed too much!

On the very positive side, the boys have been totally healthy, and mostly happy(!) since Christmas. Their health, in itself, is such a huge blessing and relief. Nate continues to emerge from his protective shell, and is becoming more of the boy that we've missed. His vocabulary has taken off, which makes him much easier to understand and gives him the opportunity to communicate so much better with us. His comfort level with other people has also done a 180 degree change. He talks to people, happily goes to Sunday School and actually stays for the whole time without one of us in the room (this is HUGE!). Naps are hit and miss with him, but it's to be expected as Brady was also done with naps at 2 1/2 years old. As a whole, his nights are improving, he usually ends up spending at least half the night with me (but at least we both can sleep!).

I, too, feel like I've finally come back to the person I want to be. January left me feeling rather empty inside, with nothing much to give. It was more than just winter cabin fever; planning a winter holiday or a fun renovation was not what was needed to spark me on. I think I knew all along what I needed, and now that I'm back into doing devotions, reading my Bible and meditating on God's words, I don't feel like I'm running on "E" anymore.

Another bonus - Don and I actually went out on a date....together! Might not sound like much to you, but the last time the two of us went out, without kids, was a veeerrrrrrry long time ago. I can't even tell you when. I know we haven't taken any time to go out since coming home from Nate's surgery - and that was last March. Yikes! Isn't that ridiculous? To go over a year without any alone time with your spouse?!? So, on Saturday, we enjoyed a nice dinner together here in town. The boys were happy to go to Grandma and Grandpa's!

I also wanted to share a link with you. No one is immune to the pain or suffering that this life brings. And it seems that in the last few weeks, there have too many people that I know and love that have lost, are suffering or are dealing with hard circumstances. Last week, I listened to a meaningful message shared by Matt Hammitt. He talks about Pain and Purpose. How God uses this pain to draw us to Him....to realize that we can not put hope in the things of this world, but need to look to him. I found the words God gave him so encouraging. Take some time to listen. Just click here, and go down to the bottom of the post. He has a link to the message he gave at a church called The Grove.

2010.....we'll remember you!

2011-01-05T10:44:00.005-06:00

Welcome to 2011! Things are getting back to normal here. I had a brief flu episode after Christmas, combined with being totally out of routine with no work or school after Christmas, has led to an absence here!

What a year we had in 2010! So many memories and good times! Sure, there were some pretty significant memories that weren't the happiest, but God brought us through those times, so here we sit, ready for what this new year has for us!

If you've got 10 seconds, you can watch some excitement Brady displayed on Christmas Eve, upon unwrapping a pretty fantastic Lego set from his Grandma and Grandpa!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T14:24:00.003-06:00

May the God of Hope fill you with

all Joy and Peace...today and always.

Merry Christmas from our family!

Your opinion?

2010-12-20T10:23:00.002-06:00

Well, he woke up chipper this morning, so that's a relief! He must be fighting something. His night was more settled after the advil. Although he woke up many times, it was never for a long time like the previous night. But, as I've found out, if you take care of the fever, those other symptoms - like the breathing and heart rate - usually reduce.

So, now it's your turn. I've been using an electronic thermometer in Nate's armpit for readings. He doesn't mind it, but I find it be be really inconsistent, and I do 3 or 4 readings just to see a range of temperatures...usually differing by a degree.

So the options are the ear thermometer and the temporal artery (or scanning) thermometer.

My favorite nurse in Edmonton told me that the ear thermometer requires a technique to get a proper reading. She told me if a nurse came in and didn't tug (gently!) on the back of his ear before inserting, the reading wouldn't be accurate. I also think that this will be much more annoying to a child than an armpit reading!

The temporal artery thermometer is quick! Just press against forehead and scan across to the temporal artery. It's really quick too. It appears to be quite accurate from what I've read, although there always are disclaimers. There were only a couple of nurses using these in Edmonton.

Any experience or information you'd like to share?

Ugh!

2010-12-19T22:46:00.002-06:00

Well, we'll see how tonight goes!

We gave it a try! Last year, we didn't take Nate to any functions, other than close family get togethers. This year, since he is a year older, and we don't have a surgery date looming, we felt a little more free to venture out!

We enjoyed two different family Christmas parties on Saturday evening. Nate enjoyed himself, it was evident, as he played and hung out with the kids. His night was a different story.....awake and restless from 12:30am - 4, then on and off till 8.

He seemed fine throughout the day today - I kept him home from church, but he played the day away with Brady, no problem. I was putting him to bed tonight, and again he was really restless. High heart rate (in the 130's) and rapid respirations. A slight fever too, so I gave him a dose of advil. He's sleeping now, so thankful for that! We'll see how the night goes!

So, this is either a little warning for us.....or a consequence of a decision made! Or maybe it has nothing to do with all of his interaction yesterday, but it's hard to ignore the results!

Praying for a good nights sleep! Hope yours is restful, too!

He did it again!

2010-12-17T23:20:00.003-06:00

Our Nate made us proud (again) this morning at his appointment! We went in to see his cardiologist in Winnipeg for an 11:00 appt. This boy has come around, 180 degrees!! He studied the numbers as his blood pressure was being taken....not even a wiggle (he was getting really good at this already near the end of our stay in Edmonton....his job was to tell us when he heard the beep - and then he could take the cuff off himself!). He laid perfectly still and calm for his entire 20 minute echo. Although he was trying to make sense of the crazy stories I was telling him, I'm sure! Something about dinosaurs....in a rocket ship, landing on planets, and then zooming around earth, looking for his cousins' houses! Hey, you do what you can to keep their attention! Very fortunate to have a very smart tech (and mom to a 4 year old) who helped me confirm a few dino facts in my story!!

He was 100% compliant through 2 physical exams and prodding around his tummy and heart. Not even a peep or sign of fear. Such a relief!

The summary is this:

Nate looked a lot better at this appointment, compared to his last one, six weeks ago. He was showing some signs of failure then, but one of his meds was increased at that time, and there has been improvement in symptoms. His liver was not enlarged this time - also good news related to heart failure. The gradient on the band has not increased, ie. it's no tighter now than it was after surgery, so no improvements in leakage. He is wheezy in his lungs, and she suspects there might be an asthma issue, but we've been dealing with those symptoms for a long time.

We are waiting on Toronto's opinion for Nate's treatment. She feels that as long as Nate stays out of failure and continues to gain weight, as he has been now (he is 31lbs), and stays healthy, they will probably want to give him more time to grow and get that band tightening on his artery.

Thanks for praying for us through all of this! Prayer requests for the coming weeks are for Nate to stay healthy and be able to fight off any bugs that he'll be exposed to as we plan lots of fun family events!

December...so far!

2010-12-13T13:11:00.005-06:00

We're not even halfway through December......how has yours been?

It's felt like a bit of a whirlwind in our house. Coming....or going....it's anybody's guess! It started off with a bang on our anniversary.

I discovered the extra star cookies we'd served at our wedding, that I stashed away in our freezer. After 10 years, it was time to acknowledge them and move on!

We've had a little bit of time for play, too!

Um, it didn't seem as much fun for Nate. First time on skates and he wasn't too impressed with the whole thing!

Then, there was the opening of The Loft, at Eldon's Furniture. I tackled 200 mini cupcakes for the event. It's a beautiful gift, furniture and accessory boutique in the store - you'll have to check it out!

The next day was the Birthday! Happy Birthday to our 5 year old!!!

In between, it's been the usual work days for me, along with our staff Christmas party at the Gates on Roblin (even tried calamari....cross that off my list now!). Lots of fun volunteering in Brady's kindergarten class, putting together 9 gift baskets for my boss, a super fun bake exchange with my book club (I'm now ready to retire my mini muffin pan....after putting out 25 dozen mini's in just a couple days!!). And then trying to find some special gifts for some special people on my list!

While I was getting some shopping done in the mall, and passed by Empire movie theatre, I had to laugh. Don and I haven't gone to a movie together for at least 5 years (ie. before the boys were born). I've gone to movies....and he's gone to a couple, but never together! I suppose we need to work on our dating! We used to go to a couple of movies each month, back in the day! And now that things are getting a little easier, leaving Nate, we'll have to start dating again! There are a couple of movies coming up that I'd really like to see - and if you buy $30 in gift cards, you get $30 worth of coupons to use! Now, that's a win-win! It's an easy gift to give, too. And you can choose to be super cool and generous and add those coupons to the gift....or you can keep them for yourself.....no one will tell!

Coming up this week is Brady's first ever school Christmas concert on Wednesday! And then on Friday we'll head into Winnipeg for Nate's scheduled appointment at the heart clinic with his cardiologist.

We'll that's my December update - for the first 13 days, I guess!

A Note to Nate's Cousins...

2010-12-05T23:08:00.004-06:00

At about 10:30 this evening, Nate was finally ready to go to bed. We had already done all the bedtime and Bible stories earlier, with Brady, so now Nate and I were just going to say his own prayer and go to bed. At the age he is now, if we'd ask Nate to pray before bed, he'd end up just saying one of his meal time prayers, so Don or I pray in short phrases, and then Nate repeats what we say.

So we prayed, then Nate and I lay down in his bed. After about 2 minutes of quiet, except for some soother sucking, Nate suddenly said "Didn't say cousins". Sure enough, in the prayer tonight, I forgot to pray for all of Nate's cousins. We quickly did another prayer, especially for all of his special cousins!

It made me think. These precious little children are watching and listening to us so carefully. We don't always realize what they are all taking in, but it's moments like these that remind me. The biblical truths that we are teaching them are already taking root. What an awesome (and huge) responsibility.

So, to all of Nate's cousins....whether you live a few blocks away, or a little (or a LOT!) further away, and to his 2 very special cousins that we are all so eagerly awaiting to come home - Nate was thinking about you tonight and you are ALL in our prayers!!

Advent

2010-12-05T19:50:00.002-06:00

I cherish this time of year.

To me, Christmas celebrates the love of our Father, and the gift of his Son.

Christmas is about family. Togetherness. Love. Joy.

Being a 'Christmas Baby' also brings extra meaning and celebrations. Christmas should be my middle name....it's not, but Carole is my first name! Add to that our anniversary and the birth of our first child, December brings with it special memories and so much joy!

Be present in the moment, in these days of Advent.

10 Years

2010-12-01T10:09:00.005-06:00

Friday, December 1, 2000.

It was a cold day, much like today, but the trees were a thing of beauty, hoar frost covering every branch. After a fun day of photos at various locations, (the outdoor shots being my favorite!) we headed to the Chapel at the Winkler Bible Camp. Later that evening, as guests started to arrive, they walked down a snowpacked sidewalk, lined with twinkling Christmas lights. As they approached the entrance, carollers - dressed in long coats and muffs, and the men wearing top hats - lined both sides of the walkway, and filled the air with the beautiful sounds of Christmas Carols in four part harmony.

Our guests were seated around tables in the cozy cedar chapel. We all enjoyed a time of worship and singing, words from our pastor, our vows were spoken... the beginning of our life together. Then the party started!

10 years later....two beautiful little boys, family and friends who love and support us, a marriage that gets stronger through every adventure and our God who has blessed us and carried us through each and every day.

All Night

2010-11-26T10:44:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-11-21T23:18:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-11-20T11:10:00.001-06:00

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

2010-11-12T14:10:00.003-06:00

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...

2010-11-05T09:42:00.003-05:00

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.

Betcha didn't know!

2010-10-30T12:02:00.010-05:00

Family history.....

It's fascinating to look back at family trees and the history that we do know about our ancestors. On the Schmidt side, there is documentation of our family back to 1536. Very cool to read little snippets about their life, their faith and their different settlements both in Prussia and Holland.

But, I think one of the very coolest things that we've learned about our heritage, is about my dad's Great Grandpa Solomon (born 1818). We he was 30 years old, he fell in love with Maria (born 1824) an adopted child who was of oriental lineage! They had 11 children. The family sailed all by themselves on The S.S. Circassion and settled in Blumenfeld, south of Winkler.

The amazing thing is that a physical oriental trait has certainly been seen in old photos of the Schmidt family, and some of my generation as well! These traits seems to randomly appear in different extensions of the family, especially in the eyes and the jet black hair of some of them. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of Maria, but I can just imagine her beauty (and why Solomon was smitten!!).

Maria would be my Great Great Grandma, giving me just a sliver (1/16) of oriental descent!

Here is a picture of my dad's father, as a child. I never met him, as he passed away before I was born.

You can't miss it!

And a picture of my dad, as a child.

And here's Brady and Grandpa - I just couldn't resist throwing this one in here.....I know he's doing a goofy face, but if you look for it, there is maybe just a glimpse of the orient in his eyes!!!!

How about you? Tell me something, big or little, that I probably don't know about you!!!

Outtakes

2010-10-23T19:41:00.003-05:00

It finally feels like I am on the mend....and it couldn't have come at a better time. The diet consisting of ice cream and jello, with the occasional bowl of soup was ready for a change. Although ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner isn't all bad!

I've been working on getting some pics of the boys, long overdue. The last two evenings we've tried to take advantage of the mild evenings and sunshine. Even though for every hundred photos taken, there may only be a couple that are useable, sometimes the 'outtakes' are just as fun!

Here are some of our outtakes. They won't qualify for any cards or exchanging with friends, but they are fun, none the less!

Outta there!

2010-10-15T22:47:00.000-05:00

My date with the great oral surgeon (Dr. Canosa) went well: translate: I have absolutely no recollection of it!!

Perk: got a hefty chunk of Visa points as a result of this procedure.

My face is an Ice Pack Sandwich.

I count down the minutes till my next T3 cocktail.

My breath is foul. I've been told.

I have a handsome male nurse tending to my needs.

He gave me a walkie talkie after I couldn't get his attention by knocking on the wall.

So thankful for my gracious drivers (sisters!!) who drove me to and from the appointment.

Wonderful to now have regained control of all facial muscles.

Hmmmmm....just realized I have nothing to put under my pillow tonight. We're talking FOUR here. That could have been a good haul. Anyone want to text/email my tooth fairy to remind him?

Sent from my iPod

The Scoop

2010-10-13T20:30:00.004-05:00

Nate was an A+ patient today! I was so impressed and very proud of him. Lying down on the different tables as required, no fuss, no question. Not even needing the usual BIG story/distraction from me. He was a star!

The echo shows no positive changes. The leakage is still severe. The gradient on the band is still unchanged, not serving any purpose at this point. His ventricle (pumping chamber) is showing signs of being tired, a change from August. His liver is also larger than at his last appointment. These are both red flags, so for now, we are increasing his Lasix dosage slightly to help alleviate some of his symptoms (wet cough and laboured breathing). Dr. Soni is also going to discuss Nate's situation with Dr. Redington (head of cardiology at Sick Kids in Toronto) again. He has previously discussed Nate with Dr. Soni, after our return from Edmonton. She'll be seeing him next week, so she will talk to him about Nate's options, in light of the current changes, and get back to us the following week.

And now it's my turn to get some advice from Nate, him being the star patient and all, to see if he can give me any pointers. The day has come for my wisdom to be removed, by way of my 4 wise teeth on Friday! But, hey, if my little boy can get through heart surgery, I think I shouldn't be complaining too hard about a bit of dental surgery!

Here we go again!

2010-10-12T22:27:00.002-05:00

Just a quick Nate update! We weren't due to see his cardiologist until December, but in the last 2 months we've been noticing some changes, and Dr. Soni wanted him to come in to see her. He's had more 'wetness' to his cough and his breathing has become a more laboured or heavier with exertion. I'm hoping it may be as simple as increasing his meds, but they'll do an echo just to see what's really going on!

You can pray that Nate does just as great as he did (for the first time) at his last appointment. They key to getting awesome diagnostics is a very calm and still child, (ie. not wiggling and crying!). Thanks - and I'll be sure to update when we get home!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-08T09:59:00.003-05:00

That is, if you're north of the 49th!

Wishing you a great weekend! Hope it includes a lot of fun with family and friends, along with great food and at least one piece of pie!

I have so much to be thankful for.... a list that would have no end. Here are just 2 - they rank pretty high on my list!

And thank you - to each one of you. For the countless times and ways you've supported our little family. Exactly 7 months ago, Don and I, and our sweet little Nate, got on a plane, unaware of what kind of adventure we'd be in for. But your prayers, love and support surrounded us. God bless you all!!

Watch this...

2010-10-02T11:24:00.002-05:00

I was checking up on Bowen, and watched this video that his dad (Matt - from Sanctus Real) had posted. Watch just one minute of it, and I guarantee, you'll watch it to the end.

A 70's Weekend!

2010-09-27T16:29:00.004-05:00

Well, to sum it up in the theme of the weekend - the Women's Retreat was groovy, totally gnarly, ridiculously radical and far out!

The times of worship, hearing the stories of everyday women and their decision to choose God and to choose joy, some pretty fantastic food, cool 70's activities.....that's just the beginning!

Really, I only had my camera out for about an hour, so this is just a little snippet of a peek into the weekend!

Here we have our fearless tie dye leader!

And some fun and laughs at the climbing wall....

This is

NOT me, I had climbed a wall of a different sort that morning, but my sister did a fabulous job scaling this wall!

And there are definitely NO pictures of the disco dancing class.....oh yeah....'Stayin' Alive' now has a some good time memories!!!

Sharing Nate's story was difficult in a personal way - but I knew it was something I needed to do when I was asked. I met some wonderful ladies, and was blessed and encouraged by them, and can now feel a part of their journey as well.

Gearing Up!

2010-09-24T15:24:00.002-05:00

The Winkler Bible Camp's 'Women's Retreat' starts today! I'm purging my bag of all diapers, wipes, dinosaurs and Hotwheels, throwing in a little lip gloss and my camera! It's going to be a great weekend....the cheesecake and nachos are calling my name!

Enjoy your weekend!

Scattered!

2010-09-17T13:52:00.004-05:00

This funny little cartoon just about sums it up! Anyone else having a day like this?

Between extra work projects on the side, getting Brady (and me) into school routine, prepping for the Women's Retreat (are you going?), regular work days and just the everyday life stuff, I'm feeling a little frazzled!

My prescription is: turn off your computer, unplug the phone, go find some cheesecake and get cozy in your favorite chair!

Well, we can all dream, can't we?!?

(I do have some cream cheese in the freezer..........hmmmm!).

Wishing you a great weekend and the gumption to crawl out from under the bed!!

Bowen's Heart

2010-09-15T20:45:00.009-05:00

If you enjoy the music of the Christian band Sanctus Real, you may know about Matthew (the lead singer) and Sarah Hammitt. Their third child, a boy - Bowen - was born this week with the very rare and complex heart condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). He underwent his first surgery and there have been some very intense moments. You can pray for the Hammitt family and follow Bowen's journey here.

Here is one of the group's songs.

And another one. If you're a husband or a dad, you should watch it! If you're a wife or a mother, you should watch it, too!

Say it ain't so....

2010-09-13T23:40:00.002-05:00

My handsome little boy started kindergarten!

Nate wanted in on the picture taking too!!

I totally caved and surprised him with THE COOLEST (according to Brady) and tackiest (according to me) backpack ever. Oh yes, it lights up and everything!!

A new world of adventure....

We're Hooked!

2010-09-06T18:35:00.002-05:00

We went on our first ever geocaching adventure today - right here in Winkler! Fun for all of us! Brady loves to navigate and gives us all very precise directions. We found 2 today, and we'll check for at least one or two when we're in Morden tomorrow evening!

Brady's first treasure...

And searching for the second one...

Already excited about our next adventure!

The boys...

2010-08-28T13:15:00.005-05:00

I'm mostly laughing about the influence a person can have on a child's interests and activities. I guess Brady has been picking up on my never ending search of the perfect house plan. I thought the boys were coloring jeeps and hotwheels this morning, but when Brady came and showed me the house plan he was working on, I had to chuckle, of course only after telling him what an amazing house that was going to be!

When I came across these monstrous marshmallows, we just had to get a bag and try them out. They're ridiculously huge, but since it's one of Brady's favourite 'foods', I thought it would be fun!

It makes for quite a mouthful when you add the smores cookies!

And everything basically ends up squishing out!

And you kinda end up with 2 cookies and a trace of marshmallow left between the cookies!

And really, they're so huge, you really can't get them nice and toasted and gooey all the way through! They were more successful in the 'layer roasting' technique - just peel off the outer layer of toasty goodness, and then stick it back over the fire and roast it again!

Nate's been enjoying life too! Putting his feet up and taking it easy!

And being coy...

And eating corn!

Have yourself a great weekend!

This 'n that

2010-08-19T16:49:00.003-05:00

The Harvest Festival was a bit cool and soggy this year, but we were still able to enjoy the parade, some rides, mini donuts and fireworks (the essentials, I suppose!).

This is the first year Nate joined in on the late night fun! The boys loved the fireworks!

There are a few projects going on in the house right now. The boys have always had their own room, but recently we put them together in one room (in an effort to improve night time issues....still working on that!). That freed up an extra room upstairs, so we are turning it into a play room. Here, the boys are working on a project to help contain lego! More pictures to come!

On a totally different note, I've been asked to share some of our experiences through Nate's journey at the Winkler Bible Camp's Women's Retreats, coming up on 2 identical weekends in September. For information, click here. I sure would appreciate your prayers as I 'go back' to that time with my thoughts and emotions, and prepare what I hope will be the right words to share with the ladies.

Good Times!

2010-08-10T21:13:00.007-05:00

I got home just about 24 hours ago! What an amazing weekend! There aren't enough words to describe how incredible the time away was - all thanks to my dear friend for all the extra special memories....

Here is just a very small glimpse into some of the adventures we found ourselves on!

I haven't eaten such wonderful food in the most relaxed atmosphere in forever. We're talking about eating at our leisure.....with music playing in the background.....and cloth napkins. Enough said, I think!

A fun day at Granville Island in Vancouver - discovering the talent of so many artisans, and undoubtedly, some of the tastiest food!

This was definitely one of the coolest things. During the Olympics, I remember watching a feature story during the coverage. They told the story of this man who, amazingly, had a talent for balancing rocks. He did this down at the beach with rocks of all shapes and boulders! It was incredible to watch. So imagine my surprise when we happened to meet up with him along our walk by the water. Take a look - it doesn't seem possible!

Here he is teaching the basics with some small stones to an amazed boy! With great detail, explained the physics of it!

A day spent in Fort Langley was full of shops and treats! We enjoyed some incredible macaroons at this very cool Parisian cafe called Little White House - and yes, everything was black and white. Adorably cute!

Some tasting at the Fort Wine Company - red and white cranberry wines and some tasty dessert wines.

And a trip out to White Rock, right on the coast.

But it appears I wasn't the only one having fun! Don quite capably took care of the boys and did a lot of fun things with them - from mini golfing and the dinosaur museum to the world record breaking Harvest for Kids! Here are a few shots Don took during their 'boys time' together!

Okay - some explanation is needed on this one. Don thought it would be really funny to do some photo editing on this one, all on his own. As he played around, he started to like the muscle definition he was giving Brady. He took the liberty of emailing this to me while I was away. It did make me laugh (and groan at the same time!).

A+ Patient!

2010-08-04T20:22:00.004-05:00

Nate totally impressed me today! We had a great ride in to Winnipeg right after lunch today (ie. Nate slept!). It meant he was happy and ready for his 2:00 appointment.

For the first time ever, he did great for all the diagnostics! We were just getting ready for the EKG, when Dr. Soni popped in and told the technician (whom we'd never seen before) that she shouldn't worry or push it if Nate starts acting up (Dr. Soni is quite familiar with Nate's response to these tests!). But, like a calm and experienced pro, Nate just lay there with only a little bit of distraction required. Getting his blood pressure even went alright. After a short wait we were ready for the echo. Once again, he lay there and I just talked and played with him through it. He stayed so nice and still and they got some great diagnostics as a result! Maybe a few extra months made the difference, or maybe after Edmonton, he realizes that this is pretty easy!

Here's the summary of our talk with Dr. Soni:

No change in the leakage, still severe
The band is not as tight as they want, so not affecting the heart they way they want it too, but the heart is growing so the band will start putting more of a squeeze on that artery as the artery gets larger
The ventricle (pumping chamber) that is having to do the hard work and compensate for the leakage is not showing signs of distress or failure at this time (yay!)
The 'electrical system' or cardiac conductive system, responsible for heart's beating and rhythm is good. Complete heart block is an issue with many L-TGA patients.
She has conferenced with the heart centre in Toronto. They feel that as long as Nate is clinically 'well' we should hold off on redoing the banding, and let him 'grow into' the existing band. If at any point in the near future Nate starts showing signs of heart failure they would go ahead with the surgery right away.

That's it in a nutshell! We are happy that there are no immediate changes needed - it feels like we just now are getting our old Nate back! Also so relieved that there aren't any negative issues right now or new issues - heart, or otherwise - to deal with.

Thanks for praying! Off to pack now! Saying good bye to the boys in the morning before I leave for work, since I'll be driving right to the airport after work. I'll say 'hi' to the mountains from y'all!

Whirlwind!

2010-08-03T22:13:00.004-05:00

Literal: We had a great weekend camping with great friends - and are very happy that the crazy whirlwind of a storm that whipped through East Grand Forks (and our campground in particular) only lasted 20 minutes and that we were all kept safe!

Figurative: A whirlwind of busyness, fun and adventure is where I find myself at the epicentre of! A busy night yesterday of unpacking and cleaning up, and busy day at work today, a trip to see Nate's cardiologist in Winnipeg tomorrow....and then after my work day on Thursday I'm taking off to enjoy an extra long weekend....away from home! A weekend initiated and coordinated by a sweet husband, and hosted and planned by my dear friend!

I'll be sure to update the blog after Nate's appointment tomorrow.

Our version of 'Sunday School' on Sunday morning!

One of the best play structures we've ever seen!

Tender Moments...

2010-07-29T08:21:00.002-05:00

We had nearly finished our night time routine with the boys. We read the stories and the boys and Don said their night time prayers. After Brady was done, he paused for a moment and then looked up at Don and asked him:

"Why did God give Nate a different heart?"

Precious moments! And they lead into wonderful teachable moments to talk about God's love and care.

And the neat thing is, I know this isn't only happening in our home. Family and friends have told me that as a result of Nate's story, and the family's discussion about and prayers for him, there have been many more teachable God moments within those families.

There is a purpose and a plan!

Funny Reads!

2010-07-25T12:34:00.003-05:00

Here's some funny reads I've come across lately. The first one is a hilarious blog that one funny lady has come up with. It's called Catalog Living, written by Molly Erdman - writer and comedian. She's created Gary and Elaine, the couple who lives within the pages of some of our favorite (and over the top) decor magazines. Hope they make you smile!

Our entryway set-up is great! Now I never forget my hat, burlap satchel, or life preserver.

Just in case anyone doubted that Gary and Elaine valued books over television, Gary brought in the secondary book stool to drive the point home.

While Gary and Elaine were in the kitchen getting popcorn, the brave yellow sweater attempted its escape.

Gary got the idea from a parking lot in New York. Sure the kids get rope burns climbing into bed, but their upper-body strength is amazing.

Sure Gary’s out of town, but I’m perfectly capable of starting a fire in the fireplace by myself, thank you very much.

Someday when Elaine is out of town I’m going to find out once and for all if those are sports balls or gourds.

Gary’s eyesight has gotten so bad he can’t even read an atlas with binoculars anymore.

And here's a funny from our local community college course catalog.

Advanced Guitar: "Barre chords will be studied, along with some fun songs like Joy to the World....."

How's Nate?

2010-07-19T16:29:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I've done any updates on Nate and lots of you have been asking, so here's some quick info.

We've been home from Edmonton for 3 1/2 months. When I think back to the first 2 months, they are pretty much a blur...and rightly so. Those were some hard times. I'm so happy to say that the last month has been so much better.

His personality is much more to where he was before surgery. So thankful for that. He's still apprehensive in new situations and environments, but not nearly to the extent that he was. Even though he is still our night owl, going to bed after 10 or 11 each night, at least falling asleep is not preceded by an hour of extreme unhappiness (okay - screaming!) Either Don or I spend most of each night sleeping in his bed, and he still wakes frequently, for the most part, he's never awake for long periods of time. Another relief! He's back to his 2 heart medications: Enalapril and Lasix, and thanks to our wonderful pharmacy, he's back to enjoying his concentrated and flavoured meds! Oy, just thinking about that brings me back to a place that wasn't fun for any of us!

Other than our one trip to Children's in Winnipeg, health-wise, Nate has been doing well in our eyes! We haven't had another follow up with his cardiologist since his post-op check in April, but we are scheduled to see her in 2 weeks. Praying that the echo will surprise them all and we will hear awesome news, despite what the results were in Edmonton.

His language has shown marked development in the last month as well - so good to be hearing 2 words being put together. Brady was doing this easily at 1 1/2 years, but this is probably more so related to Second Child Syndrome ;) than anything else!

So, he's made great strides in the last few weeks. Thanks for keeping him in your prayers!

Suspicious!

2010-07-18T16:15:00.002-05:00

Don's been acting a little funny lately! He's had something up his sleeve. His Blackberry was off limits for me...I wasn't allowed to plan any weekend activities without checking with him first....He made me look through the calendar with him and talk about potential busy weekends....

Yes, the boy was up to something. The only clue he gave me is that it was time for me to get away! Now, I LOVE surprises! Nothing gets me more giddy than knowing there's a surprise waiting for me! But the waiting......it's AGONY!!

So, anyway, the guy FINALLY told me what he's been up to! He's been scheming with my dear, dear friend on the west coast about shipping me out there for some overdue 'girlfriend' time!!! I'm so excited! He's made all the arrangements and I fly out in less than three weeks!

If the promise of that won't get me through my impending wisdom tooth extractions on Tuesday, I'm not sure what will!

Adventures!

2010-07-10T21:05:00.006-05:00

We had a pretty fantastic week of holidays!! Mostly adventures, with only a few misadventures along the way (but we won't talk about my water skiing right now!).

There was also a diamond lost....and a diamond found - seriously!! A Blackberry drowned.....and was amazingly brought back to life within one day. A lot of scrumptious food, campfires, visits to town, a Mexican Fiesta birthday, pool/beach/boat fun, and you'll never believe who we ran into at the local Walmart!

We were beyond shocked and thrilled to meet my brother, sis and family from TO. They surprised us and had made arrangements to join us for the week of camping in MN!!

We stopped en route at Thief River Falls and spent the afternoon at the water park.

And we got to enjoy some 4th of July fireworks at Park Rapids, too!

The campground was beautiful, the lake nestled just down the hill from the campsite and pool.

Next to the pool, in the lodge was a very cool soda shop, where you could run up a tab during your stay!

Uncle Rich provided lots of fun - boating, tubing, skiing and docking at the lake's sandbar.

We set up a little (actually, rather large!) outdoor movie theatre. We laughed at RV one evening, and the kids enjoyed other movies during the week.

We went to the Logging Camp for breakfast one morning. We were transported over 100 years back, and enjoyed a pretty incredible breakfast!

Enjoying the shops, restaurants and boardwalks of Dorset.

A pretty amazing bike trail, this one is 27 miles long. It's an old train line that has been paved. Beautiful bike trip, which took us to the touristy area of Dorset.

Lots of pool time at the campground pool, too! Perfect weather all week!

Packin' up!

2010-07-03T23:09:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty excited about heading out for some family holiday time! We haven't done a big camping trip with Nate, so this could be interesting! As we get things packed and loaded and I have to laugh at how 'camping' has changed...it becomes very evident when I start looking at what is getting packed. Sure, you have your staples: beach stuff, camera, bikes, strollers....and then it starts getting interesting!

iTouch for email
Garmin and iPod for running
projector, for the outdoor movie theatre experience
DVD's for inside/rainy day entertainment
cables and chargers for all of the above
walkie talkies for campsite to beach communication

Someone please assure me, that camping is still camping,

even if you're sleeping in a motorhome with A/C, all the plumbing amenities

to make life comfortable and a full kitchen to cook in!

Canada Day....so far!

2010-07-01T15:43:00.002-05:00

We've been having fun outside - I think this is the hottest day so far this summer!

There is more fun to come! Heading downtown for the Kids Carnival and some great musical entertainment!

JOY!

2010-06-27T22:33:00.002-05:00

Does this boy look happy that he can 'do' a Starfish???

That look of joy is something that our whole family had today! We witnessed my beautiful niece sharing her faith story and being baptized at our church's lakeside morning service!

The joy made me feel like I would burst! It was a beautiful Sunday!

Crazy 8's

2010-06-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

First of all, before I get into my crazy 8's, won't you all join me in a little 'happy dance'? It's 10:30pm, and Nate just fell asleep. That's the earliest in a long time. Not sure how long this stretch of sleep will last, but for now I'm just glad, and it feels like I have extra minutes now to do a little blogging!

Well, it appears I'm joining Nate in the teething department! Every tooth that emerges through a baby's gums is cause for celebration....not quite the same sentiment when you're talking about adults and wisdom teeth!

The date has been set for 2 of my wisdom teeth to come out...won't this be fun! I'm going straight to the top and will give an oral surgeon the pleasure of removing these teeth! Having worked in the dental world for 12 years, in this case, has it's advantages and disadvantages....on the positive side, I know exactly what they are going to be doing. On the down side, I know EXACTLY what they are going to be doing!

Oh well! I'll be in good hands!

Although I am now lamenting the fact that my dear Mississauga family is coming to visit that week in July, and I fear I may not be much fun. But according to Don, after he gets me topped up with T3's, I'll be the 'funnest girl around'!

Now - just a side note - and for your factoid folder.....The term '8's' are used in the dental field to refer to wisdom teeth. They are the 8th tooth in each of your mouths' 4 quadrants. Specifically numbered 18, 28, 38 and 48.

Aren't you glad you know that?

Cheers to all teething babies and adults alike!

Well, since I'm on a roll here, and Nate is still asleep, here are a few pics from a pretty fantastic Father's Day on Sunday! We fed the men just what they wanted....meat and potatoes!!! And Kali shared a special surprise that she had made for her dad - a cake decorated just for him!

The dad's had some fun with the gifts my Dad brought back from a recent Nascar holiday.

And Dad liked his gift too.... a must-have for any RV'er!

And Nate, well, he ate some cake!

Thought I'd share 2 prayer requests too....my brother's job description is changing just slightly for the next 10 days as a result of the G20 Summit in Toronto. Please pray for safety for him and all the other OPP involved in security and patrol. Also keep Kathy and the kids in your prayers as they are home alone for the next 10 days.

And remember my friend, Christine and her family, and specifically their little boy Tim. Tim had the 'Double Switch' surgery in Michigan last week. He's a cute little 3 year old who was born with the same heart issue as Nate. He's doing well, but as we know, sometimes surgery is the easy part. Recovery can be a rough road for these little guys. Even though Christine and I have never met, she has been such a great friend, through our emails, my questions, and sharing all of our emotions.

Don's Blog post!

2010-06-09T14:19:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple of Don's pics of his amazing weekend in Chicago.

(Hockey stick tree???)

Michael Jordan is dressed for the occasion.

It's all about who you know! The guys were very lucky to be able to sit in on both the Flyers and Blackhawks morning skates.

Went to a White Sox game to pass time in the afternoon.

And then the real reason for the trip!

The Flyers didn't win the game, but that almost didn't matter. Don had such an incredible time. And apparently the Chicago fans (okay, the drunk girls) sitting close to Don thought of him as quite the novelty....wanting their pictures taken with this crazy Canadian that was cheering for the Flyers! It seems that as soon as the Chicago fans found out he wasn't actually from Philadelphia, but from Canada, they were able to have a good time together!

Getting there...

2010-06-04T14:35:00.003-05:00

After several pretty difficult weeks, days and nights, it seems that Nate has decided that it's okay to be happy sometimes! His days are happier, his nights are still late (we're talking midnight), but for the most part they are more calm! What a welcome change!

But if you want to see someone who is 'over the moon' happy, you need only look at my dear husband. You know, I thought I had made him the happiest man on earth when I married him....apparently it is possible to be happier....thanks to his boss! He's going to Chicago this weekend with his boss and 3 other guys. I don't think I have to tell you where he'll be! (But if I do, it's Game 5 - watching his Flyers take on the Blackhawks!)

Although he'd better heed a warning a friend gave him...it may be dangerous wearing his jersey in Chi Town - this ain't Winkler!!!.

Game On!

2010-05-29T18:12:00.003-05:00

Don loves his job and really enjoys the people he works with! It always makes work more fun when you share common interests and enjoy some of the same activities.

When the Flyers (Don's team) made their way to the semi finals against the Canadiens (his boss' team), a friendly wager was expected!

As you can see, Don won!

Enjoy the finals!!

Sleep....(in my dreams)

2010-05-26T13:44:00.001-05:00

A few days ago, I was going to do a little update about how Nate was doing, the most notable thing being the hard time sleeping at night since being home from Edmonton. Then, Friday night, turned into a pretty horrible night. I might have slept...but I can't be sure. Nate was up and restless through out the whole night. A runny nose and fever began the next morning, and Saturday night was even worse (and I really didn't think it could get worse!). Sunday and Monday, still feverish, a nose that is completely plugged, sleep at night ranges from 5-20 minutes at a time, still only eating a few bites of food each day. Ugh! The last 2 nights have been getting better, thank God (although yesterday took 2 van rides and a lot of crying and unhappiness from 8pm, when we first tried getting him to sleep, to 11:30pm, when he finally fell asleep); still not eating well and overall pretty irritable! This sure makes his regular nights look amazingly restful!

Pre-surgery, I'll admit Nate wasn't a great sleeper, but he was getting better. A marked difference since coming home from Edmonton: either Don or I spend most of each night with him (good thing he graduated to a queen sized bed!); Falling asleep isn't easy, and now instead of a few sips of water once or twice through out the night, he's going through 2 or 3 sippy cups of milk (a habit that was formed in Edmonton, I'm sure, when we were trying desperately to get calories in him at any time).

So, not a very happy place to be for now! I'm sure many can relate to sleepless nights and being pushed to the limits of your own endurance! So thankful for a sunny day today, and hopefully some time spent outside.

Smile!

2010-05-20T19:17:00.001-05:00

Brady was walking around outside with the camera, taking some random shots while we were weeding. This one made me smile!

Isn't it Obvious?!

2010-05-11T18:08:00.003-05:00

How could the Flyers lose when their biggest fans were cheering them on?!!

A Little Aha Moment

2010-05-10T14:11:00.004-05:00

I had a little 'aha' moment yesterday, so I thought I'd share it here. Here's the background:

There were many times during our stay in Edmonton, that the word 'grasping' would sum up how I was feeling. Often at night, if it was my turn to sleep at the hotel, before falling asleep I'd open my Bible and just search for encouragement or for some piece of scripture that God wanted for me. There was also a notebook a friend had given me with some verses especially for our time away. Every time someone would email or leave a comment on the blog with a verse, I added it to that notebook. So there were other times during the day, when I felt I was grasping for some hope, I'd open this notebook and read the scripture.

Then yesterday, I was reading this devotional in My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers) and this line stuck out:

"If, when a crisis comes we instinctively turn to God, we will know that the habit has been formed in us."

So even though it may have felt like I was grasping for something, I think I really knew the only place there was to go was into God's word. I needed that truth and to hear God's voice in those moments.

So that was my moment....hope it kind of makes sense to you! Click on the link and you can read that devotional if you like!

2!

2010-05-02T22:50:00.005-05:00

Our little Nate turned TWO on the weekend!! I guess he's not so little anymore, but he'll always be my 'baby'!

When we left Edmonton, I was already thinking ahead to Nate's upcoming birthday. I didn't have any specifics in mind, other than there was going to be one HUGE party....and absolutely everyone was going to be invited!

Then, after being home only a week, we had the whole pneumonia thing come up, and I realistically told myself that it really wasn't the smartest idea at all. So, I was fine with just our little family having a nice little birthday party together.....until my sisters got involved. They would have none of this 'low-key' birthday celebration! (It reminded me of the Christmas Eve that Nate got bronchiolitis - and the two of them personally came to my house to bring Nate and I to Mom and Dad's!) They planned a fabulous day in Winnipeg at Brady's favorite cousin's house! After watching my amazing niece rock the volleyball court, we headed back to the H home to get the party started!

The kids enjoyed 'their' pizza party first....

And then the adults moved on to a Chinese take on a birthday supper!

Nate did his best to blow out his candles (through his nose....when do they catch on to that blowing thing!?!).

Nate and his big cousin had to check out the ducks, who were hanging out on the neighbor's lawn.

It was a super great day! We sure missed the Schmidt's from TO....can't wait to party with you all too!

Thanks Bonnie and Michele. You guys rock. I love you both so much!!!

A Glimpse

2010-04-23T13:01:00.002-05:00

just put together a little video for Nate. If you followed his story, you've seen most of these pictures, but I still thought I'd share it with everyone here.

Big Brady & Lil' Nate

A Heart Mom

Catch up...

Short & Sweet

December, so far!

11 in '11

Brothers

Treats!

Seriously?

*Insert 'fist pump' here!*

It's that time again!

Take a Smile break!

In His Arms

Before & After: The Bathroom

Before & After: The Basement

Before & After: The Kitchen

Before & After: The Living Room

Seven Years

Work Holidays!

Brady's Day of Adventure

Saturday Smiles

It's a Mini!

Let's Play Ball!

Brag Book

And We're Back

Here We Go!

Sunshine!

A Child's Prayer

Crazy Good

How Great Thou Art

The Question!

0.548%

It's Play Off time!

Spring has Sprung!

My Lovely Longhorns!

Birthdays in Heaven

DIY

We thought it was OLD!

Brady Boy

Looking back...

The Report

Friday appointment....

One year ago...

Looking Back

While I'm Waiting

CHD Detection

Twinkle Toes

Nate's Heart!

Your Heart!

It's Heart Month!

It's been a while!

2010.....we'll remember you!

Merry Christmas!

Your opinion?

Ugh!

He did it again!

December...so far!

A Note to Nate's Cousins...

Advent

10 Years

All Night

Thanks for the invite, Nate!

Hallelujah!

Borrowed words

Hearts...

Betcha didn't know!

Outtakes

Outta there!

The Scoop

Here we go again!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Watch this...

A 70's Weekend!

Gearing Up!

Scattered!

Bowen's Heart

Say it ain't so....

We're Hooked!

The boys...

This 'n that

Insert 'fist pump' here!