Waiting...

(I found Natalie all curled up on the couch one day-during her recent illness)

Two weeks can take a really long time when you're waiting for a phone call.

Natalie had a cardiology appointment on the 16th of May. I've not been able to put into words a post since then. I didn't realize how stressed I was about her next cardiology appointment until I asked for prayer in church for the appointment and broke down crying. It all came to a head. I try not to dwell on the inevitable, but as a parent I can't deny that my third daughter is a miracle walking and living on borrowed time. Usually I'm right on top of making appointments for Natalie and don't waste any time. But this time I waited...I even got a reminder in the mail...and a phone call. I was just dragging my feet. Maybe it was my subconscious saying that there would be big things discussed at this doctor's appointment. I don't know. But I was dreading it. Outward symptoms were telling me that Natalie was ready for something more than just a doctor's appointment in Achorage.

"Well, I have an idea..." Dr. Brauner said as he put down the pulse-oximeter and thumbed through Natalie's chart. "I think it's time for Natalie to take a trip to Seattle for a cath. She hasn't had one since her Glen surgery, right?" Nope, Nattie's done great since then. Though other children her age have already finished their Fontan or are scheduled for it, Natalie continues to hang below 30 pounds. She just hit 29 at Dr. B's office. At home, she's been in the middle of 28 for a long time. But what has concerned me the most is how much Natalie has lost her reserve. She's always lagging behind. She asks to be held or carried and anything that taxes her system gets her breathing really hard and her color changes. She flat doesn't have much reserve. In the doctor's office, her sats were anywhere from the upper 60's to low 80's (the last one that they took after she had been sitting there for 10 minutes). So I'm guessing that when she's active, Natalie's sats can go down into the 60's pretty fast. Anyway, we are waiting for a call from Seattle Children's to schedule a heart cath this summer. I'd like to get it done and overwith. If they can tune her up and get her functioning a little better so she can wait for her Fontan surgery until she is 33 pounds, then hopefully she can be a little more active this summer.

After we got back from Anchorage, both Craig and Natalie got sick. Both wanted to be held all the time and Natalie had fever for three days straight. (I didn't get much done around the house.) This illness just confirmed that it takes Natalie a little more effort to get over things. She looked terrible when she had fever. I didn't have to even feel her little forehead, I could just look at her and tell. Maybe that's why two weeks have taken so long. Either way, I'm pushing for a cath sooner than later in hopes that my girl can find some relief.

Resurrection Day

Happy Resurrection Day! I had been composing something profound in my brain, but don't have it put together yet, so this will be short and sweet. We had a great day celebrating Jesus' death and Resurrection to make payment for our sins. (Hebrews 9:28) We are thankful for His ultimate gift and continue to try to live as a living sacrifice for Him (Romans 12:1), realizing that it's not by our works, but by His grace that we are saved from sin. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The kids got to do their egg hunt and have lots of candy thanks to Aunt Mindy. Jessie wanted to share her candy with people at church, so I let her take her Easter basket. My little social butterfly was so cute flitting from person to person handing out candy. I'm just thankful that she was thinking of others.

What do you do with Spring? (in AK)

You help Daddy get fire wood on the snowmachine.

You visit what's left of the ice sculptures in Anchorage (because now it's warm enough to be out for a long time).

You draw a few murals on the bathroom walls...and then get practice scrubbing with Mr. Clean.

You make slushies out of "clean" snow, Mtn. Dew and Otter Pops...
...and then have a picinic with grilled hamburgers and french fries in the garage (because mom says it's still too cold to eat outside).

Heidi's Birthday

This post is about Heidi's birthday (which happened at the beginning of the month). This was one of her three birthday cakes. It was a Candy Land birthday cake created by Heidi and Jessie all by themselves. It was their idea and they put it together. Sure took the load off of me. There's Hershey kisses, licorice, starburst, gum, suckers and hard candy on it. They cleaned out the closet of all the candy we've had in the past year! All the kids loved it.

This is Heidi's Horse cake that I took to school for her school party. It was fun to make and relatively easy. The kids loved it and it was all Heidi.

This shows Heidi's start of her birthday celebration, her birthday brownie. Since Uncle Anthony and Aunt Daisy weren't going to make it for her actual birthday, we celebrated with them a bit early.

Heidi's eight years old now. I'm going to have to practice saying that one. For some reason, eight just seems really old. Heidi has grown up in so many ways this past year. She's matured and is looking so much like a young lady. We get reports that Heidi is studious and very helpful to others in class. She reads and writes all the time. There is always an idea brewing in that pretty little head of hers. Inevitably it comes out on paper or in some project that she puts together here at home. She's started to sew and is enjoying putting her creativity toward making bags and "clothes" for other people. It's really fun to see the things that she's come up with. What a blessing we have in our firstborn.

The Eiffel Tower

After a long weekend in Anchorage and a morning of dentist appointments we made the 3-1/2 hour trip home. The "when are we going to be home?" and "can't we stop?" started in the first half hour of our trip. Then, our scheduled car wash in Palmer was aborted due to a long line and a sleeping boy. (This did not make Jessie happy. She had been looking forward to a car wash the whole trip.) We went through CD after CD, listened to lots of Heidi trying to make Craig laugh, endured Natalie wanting her "plug" (i.e.-pacifier which we banned after the dentist appointment) and hoped that Jessie's stomach that "didn't feel very good" was just a diversion tactic. We made it to 10-mile-hill (yep, ten miles outside of Glennallen.). At this hill you can look all the way down to Glennallen and see the radio and AT&T towers with their blinking lights. The girls all know to look for the lights of home. So as we headed down into the valley, we heard from the back..."Yippee, we're almost home! I see the Eiffel Tower!" I just love what my second-born comes up with!

"Caggie" i.e.-Craig

It's been awhile since I've updated about Craig. He's getting into everything these days. He runs and tries to jump. He jumps off of things. I've found him on the dining room table if the chairs haven't been pushed in. Craig yanks off the chair cushions and pulls himself up onto the chair and then climbs onto the table. The girls all say that he loves salt, but his facination really is with dumping it out of the salt shaker.

Craig has just started to try to say a few words. Ball and more are his starter words. With three older sisters and a mom around who cater to his every need, who needs to talk? He communicates his needs quite clearly though and understands most things that we say.

He's been working on three molars here for a couple of months. That on top of getting a cold has had him waking up at night...again.
Watchya get when you have three older sisters? Rides in their pink stroller. According to Natalie, "Mommy, I be careful. I not push Cagg too hard!" Since that day, we've scaled down the "racecar" by folding up the stroller so he sits closer to the floor. Jess and Natalie love to push him around and he soaks it up.

A favorite Daddy/Son picture of mine. It's hard to believe that Craig is almost 16 months old. He doesn't like to be left inside when Daddy goes out. With the days getting longer and more sunlight showing up, I've taken the younger two outside for a bit in the afternoon. It's still getting really cold at night (-20F or colder) but the sun warms things up to zero or the teens during the day.

I sent to kids out to the garage last night while Tim was working on the snowmachine. (That didn't last long. Heidi came in and said that Daddy was finished with the kids help!) Later on that night, Tim said that Craig had been doing his own "work" on the snowmachine and has put a bunch of Legos in the track. Tim didn't find that out until he drove out of the garage and looked back to see a steady trail of Legos behind the sled!

Craig's love of climbing has extended to the back of the futon. He climbs up and down, over and over again! There's another couch that's put back to back with the futon so he is safe as he does a "header" over the other side. (The animal on the wall is Tim's 70" moose...we'll save that story for another post.)

This one was captured one morning when Craig just couldn't get enough of his mom...but I had things to do, so he got a shoulder ride. He's figured out a "cheese" smile and says, "Cheese" whenever he sees the camera come out. It's so cute.

I love my little snuggler. He gives up hugs pretty regularly. I love it when little ones this age start to show compassion. He comes up and gives me a squeeze and says, "Ahhh." Melts my heart. Yesterday I saw him giving a tearful Jessie a hug of sympathy. So sweet.

Jess lost her first tooth. She even let me push it back and forth until it finally let go. I think it probably had a week of strength left in it, but she was determined to get it out. This is the same girl that frets and screams when I try to cut her fingernails and toenails. I usually have to chase her around the house or give ultimatums for her to comply. Like I've said all along with this girl..."It's all in her head!"