tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10082672771748742972024-03-13T09:30:33.406-07:00Baby Michael's BlogJaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-86390175109770624012019-05-30T23:15:00.003-07:002019-05-30T23:22:29.002-07:00An overdue update..Hello all, it's been a couple years since we have posted. This is a good thing. Just a quick update on the last couple years... After we got through the initial terrifying news of having a baby with a heart disease, we had the baby, then we had a really rough couple months with his first surgery and labs, etc.. But as you can see from our lack of posts; once he was like 2-3 years old, he stopped getting sick all the time, we stopped going to the hospital every other week, and we stopped posting on this blog. We just enjoyed having our son around as a normal kid.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In 2017 he started kind of dragging a bit, he wasn't keeping up with his friends, he was getting wiped out and tired every day.. We had to go through another round of surgery. This time it was quite a bit different. We had a little kid that could talk to us and could tell us he was afraid or hurt. This was pretty hard. Even though we were really struggling with this internally, we could not let Michael know that. We wanted to be there for him, we wanted to make this an exciting thing for him; he was getting his Robot Heart! He could run faster, jump higher, he was going to be just like Iron Man.. No more deformed valve holding him back. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In October 2017 he had his mitral valve replaced. He handled it like a true champion. He was brave and excited. It is incredible how optimistic and fun he still was during his first couple weeks in the hospital. We took lots of pics and videos, he was in the hospital for like 2 weeks. The surgery went well, and he healed up pretty quickly. Within a couple weeks he was doing normal stuff again.. for the last 2 years he has been an animal! Riding his bike, riding scooters, roller skating, swimming.. He even jumped on one of the neighbors motorcycles and took off down the street by himself - that was terrifying! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are things they don't really talk to you about until after you get the valve replacement. One of those things is the meds.. Mike has to take a blood thinner EVERY night before bed, and he has to get his blood checked multiple times a month to make sure his INR levels are good. This is pretty crappy for a 5 year old.. He has to go get poked at least once a week. He has been a champion for the last two years.. never cries, just goes and does his business. He is so amazing. A kindergarten age kid should not have to deal with crap like this, but he handles it and is happy to live his life. We ended up holding him back 1 year and he did kindergarten twice. We didn't know how long the healing would be, we were worried about him getting hurt, etc.. There is no guide to follow when you have a kid with a heart condition, you just have to do your best and do what you are comfortable with. Bryt and I have been very fortunate to have each other. We both take turns being the 'stable' one... if that is even really a thing...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyways.. Mike has been a champ, we ended up having 2 more babies after him, Emma and Maisy. and then we moved to Utah. It has been a great move, but also challenging. We had to find a new cardiologist, new doctors, new lab for blood work, new emergency contacts, new Insurance. Lots of 'adulting,' but we are making it work. We miss our old cardiology unit in Colorado. The hospital there was incredible, the cardiology wing was very comforting,.. maybe just because had spent so much time there. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So with that long update out of the way... on to current events: Tonight Mike was hauled off in an ambulance again. He has been complaining about chest pain for a couple days and woke up tonight just looking miserable and in a lot of pain. We don't typically like doing the ambulance thing, but tonight it just looked like he was really hurting.. it is hard to handle because there is not really anything we can do about it. We had taken him to ER like 3 days ago for similar symptoms but they did not find anything really wrong with him and chalked it up to a belly flop at the neighborhood pool. We don't want to overreact, but we also don't want to watch him have a heart attack or something... so we usually just go with the ambulance route and play it safe. It is hard to see your kid go off in an ambulance, but after a couple times, you just learn to stay calm and trust the medical professionals. You also have to learn to just trust your gut, or your instincts, or the spirit, or whatever you call it. It is really hard to stay calm, but you cannot let your sick kid see you freak out and start losing it. You have to stay sharp in the moment. Once he is taken care of you can go cry yourself to sleep or whatever. I am still just trying to hold it together until we know what is wrong. Bryt is in the ambulance on her way to Salt Lake. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-48740407037093682762015-03-03T19:48:00.002-08:002015-03-03T19:59:15.388-08:00Is This For REALS?So... You haven't heard from us for a while. It's unbelievable that we've had the year that we've had. I can't explain how it feels.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6p8oL2jJM9ug3sVpm5bWK_nKhzshAiD2YX6qBDMxZTruiHJ16B1PCEIZ812PaKBJQGbUkB2ND12SbBNuF96aLrwXA8MxA_hkie09dUhGQG-d24riPpFTlnpVWrIPmHCWnjQDUqn5y1gFI/s1600/Ambulance+Ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6p8oL2jJM9ug3sVpm5bWK_nKhzshAiD2YX6qBDMxZTruiHJ16B1PCEIZ812PaKBJQGbUkB2ND12SbBNuF96aLrwXA8MxA_hkie09dUhGQG-d24riPpFTlnpVWrIPmHCWnjQDUqn5y1gFI/s1600/Ambulance+Ride.jpg" height="320" width="292" /></a>Michael has been hospitalized only ONCE since last March (2014). He of course had RSV and was put on oxygen to come home with but it was a very short stay. He was doing so much better after a couple weeks that we thought we'd passed the hurdle. He'd had a runny nose still (because those linger for a lifetime) and we'd put him to bed like normal. He woke around midnight barely crying and barely breathing. His oxygen was low but his heart rate was even lower. Never knowing if his heart is going to make it to his next appointment we will always be on edge. We called an ambulance and rushed to Children's in Aurora. By the time we arrived his oxygen and heart rate were stable and there was nothing to show as to what had just happened at home. After being monitored for a few hours we were sent home and the next morning went on to be completely normal. Michael's update with his cardiologist is on the 16th of this month. It's been 6 months since his last update and I know his doctor will be more than impressed with his status.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u8rLF-rqJmvPzm9zGi8K29MLUpsvRZdmJl-l44DRAx8tf73lzbq_bqIazQvyAKbKDgqrxNLIHhxEM3ZT3Op_pMjY8JAyDTJ1f-zOfLYyUvCXnmKHt6EV2_2kib4z2KXHZGFeP2ABXpHB/s1600/Hospital+Stay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u8rLF-rqJmvPzm9zGi8K29MLUpsvRZdmJl-l44DRAx8tf73lzbq_bqIazQvyAKbKDgqrxNLIHhxEM3ZT3Op_pMjY8JAyDTJ1f-zOfLYyUvCXnmKHt6EV2_2kib4z2KXHZGFeP2ABXpHB/s1600/Hospital+Stay.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20td5MImwMsx5CXXaNElw9_8kHn1-SKASOpirkw621BQiWvYkmzJPbGm4eU3c9sBI52G-F9MZf2IYW6Co5R23dNXG28ao3BWHaAzIDnWJsLLtGNXWucpM7w7yL_d854sioXFufVPE9Yqa/s1600/Cheese+Face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20td5MImwMsx5CXXaNElw9_8kHn1-SKASOpirkw621BQiWvYkmzJPbGm4eU3c9sBI52G-F9MZf2IYW6Co5R23dNXG28ao3BWHaAzIDnWJsLLtGNXWucpM7w7yL_d854sioXFufVPE9Yqa/s1600/Cheese+Face.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>Michael has recently shown a lot of interest in baseball. He's impressively coordinated with a ball and bat. Come April 3rd our little man will be 3 years old. I get so excited to say that. Not just because he is meeting all of his milestones and hasn't been delayed by his heart condition but because we made it. He made it. 3 years we weren't sure we were going to get. This little guy is my hero. He's shown strengths that I didn't realize were possible. I can't wait to give news on his updates. I pray that everyone healthy and doing well. Thank you to everyone for your support and prayers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b> The Phillips</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJdCTRGiGMeRieu1nT7X0-6-7H83Exe1qlK6RaepEglvK6NFnI8Kty5MKCoNaWBmn_X7Pbmo-qzuvKV3fGUKJGXLS_cPqjP_sNWij-eWdIapGvMNVDLx8LOXkHTHJRkTdgKCWjmBw7lG3/s1600/Snow+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJdCTRGiGMeRieu1nT7X0-6-7H83Exe1qlK6RaepEglvK6NFnI8Kty5MKCoNaWBmn_X7Pbmo-qzuvKV3fGUKJGXLS_cPqjP_sNWij-eWdIapGvMNVDLx8LOXkHTHJRkTdgKCWjmBw7lG3/s1600/Snow+Day.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-24028417118099270562014-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:002014-03-27T13:22:49.074-07:00Separation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZejp3N_R3uKvvCK5uA89cX0snGEhK8c1U572CPh4Uz9UNuHZTUhecJ1ox_u2adXlNVYK3oR6XimWMXRzBqZ6WKkaRvu7LsQBEmgrxCZ_B0_BS_8C_S-s9N2glFlgaKNkSQlyc2oaKga3m/s1600/Mike3-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZejp3N_R3uKvvCK5uA89cX0snGEhK8c1U572CPh4Uz9UNuHZTUhecJ1ox_u2adXlNVYK3oR6XimWMXRzBqZ6WKkaRvu7LsQBEmgrxCZ_B0_BS_8C_S-s9N2glFlgaKNkSQlyc2oaKga3m/s1600/Mike3-2014.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
To be separated from your sick child and not be able to care for him/her is something I am all too familiar with. This is not the first time I've been sick while Michael is in the hospital but I am definitely hoping that it's the last. So much has happened these last couple weeks I'm going to try and keep it all in order.<br />
<br />
We had Michaels follow up appointment last Monday. His Cardiologist was feeling positive that there are no changes since his last visit. Nothing is looking better but also nothing has gotten worse so we are happy with that news. He still had some edema in his lungs but it wasn't anything new that they were worried about and it didn't look like pneumonia to them.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr53gq8-Lgawo-cgH4HopxgpCgumH63PhaqwAZP-Sh7cq6jZWPhnu69xiiF2ZZIMHiGwR7r7liXTI9tgegrfshXJjep1FDMm_adZDy9h7ocYWcyc_Zo33tM46s3VpCvUbjy4hkhCwf-due/s1600/2014-03-24+18.24.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr53gq8-Lgawo-cgH4HopxgpCgumH63PhaqwAZP-Sh7cq6jZWPhnu69xiiF2ZZIMHiGwR7r7liXTI9tgegrfshXJjep1FDMm_adZDy9h7ocYWcyc_Zo33tM46s3VpCvUbjy4hkhCwf-due/s1600/2014-03-24+18.24.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr53gq8-Lgawo-cgH4HopxgpCgumH63PhaqwAZP-Sh7cq6jZWPhnu69xiiF2ZZIMHiGwR7r7liXTI9tgegrfshXJjep1FDMm_adZDy9h7ocYWcyc_Zo33tM46s3VpCvUbjy4hkhCwf-due/s1600/2014-03-24+18.24.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr53gq8-Lgawo-cgH4HopxgpCgumH63PhaqwAZP-Sh7cq6jZWPhnu69xiiF2ZZIMHiGwR7r7liXTI9tgegrfshXJjep1FDMm_adZDy9h7ocYWcyc_Zo33tM46s3VpCvUbjy4hkhCwf-due/s1600/2014-03-24+18.24.43.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a>Every month during the flu season we take him in for his RSV Synagis shot and every month we end up in the hospital from something he caught at the clinic while getting that shot. January 28th I decided not to take him in for the shot because I didn't want him to get sick again. Well it worked. We went through the whole month of February without any ER or Hospital visits. It was Fantastic!! We also got through most of March. After telling the Cardiologist about missing his shots and the progress we had he made me aware of how crucial it is that he has them and he was not very happy with me for missing them. Well.. He's not in the hospital with RSV but he is in the hospital.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdvPlqsf6KApzM83YVl-w8zMSIBDwcLuE4XQZEbBeZoiY5zWY50N3TySghJHvprexdEqRIyaRDrvNxs-fQRX_DEZd_JxPudLxmq-qUDfnd2f-snm7QK_yXAbouA0T4GWVoBMEql95BAmW/s1600/2014-03-24+18.29.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdvPlqsf6KApzM83YVl-w8zMSIBDwcLuE4XQZEbBeZoiY5zWY50N3TySghJHvprexdEqRIyaRDrvNxs-fQRX_DEZd_JxPudLxmq-qUDfnd2f-snm7QK_yXAbouA0T4GWVoBMEql95BAmW/s1600/2014-03-24+18.29.31.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a>Friday we took him in with Fever and cough. The Xray showed the same edema from Mondays apt so they still weren't concerned about pneumonia. We went home that night and by the next night his Fever spiked again. With Tylenol his fever spiked again and his heart rate was in the 190's which worried me. We took him in AGAIN ( I say that too much ) and they decided to admit him and got us in a room pretty quick. It's the first time we weren't in a Cardiac room and just in a general health unit. He'd been on oxygen since arriving and his fever came down after they gave him the correct dose of ibuprofen (turns out I didn't up his dose since he'd started growing). So that's why I couldn't keep his fever down. We slept the night Saturday night or Sunday night.. all my nights are getting all mixed up. I'm still not all the way better so I'm going to get a bit mixed up here and hopefully this doesn't come off by me rambling. Jaron took off Monday and Tuesday to stay with Mike but after I came home Monday night to be with Zoey and went to the doctor for myself. I didn't realize how bad I was feeling because I was so worried about Mike.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGhgXG4EO805yJnKdkCRHvPZc8AT0lrQVX7XM_Ufxv4RsxCy2Bw4BoV_MGXta3CKCNESBAOTGf8Qb_HvBLOEGuuvY-d_PGVGkB-K43FLwGOq7kRYOGtNeICef48dMY6KE2MoplGMJIgD5/s1600/Brytz3-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGhgXG4EO805yJnKdkCRHvPZc8AT0lrQVX7XM_Ufxv4RsxCy2Bw4BoV_MGXta3CKCNESBAOTGf8Qb_HvBLOEGuuvY-d_PGVGkB-K43FLwGOq7kRYOGtNeICef48dMY6KE2MoplGMJIgD5/s1600/Brytz3-2014.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a>Tuesday morning I made my Dr apt and the Dr hooked me up to an IV right away and got some antibiotics in my system and also a pain killer to kick the migraine I'd picked up on top of the pneumonia that was about to kick me with full force. I've been in bed since with a killer cough. Some nights with uncontrollable chills that are followed by a high fever. I've been wearing this really cool Mickey Mouse face mask when I get up for meds or water and have been washing my hands so much that they've started to crack. Today I am feeling so much better but the stupid cough is still there. Emotions? Anger, sadness, guilt, totally pissed off! and then peace. Somehow it's all been followed by peace. Peace of mind. A calmness knowing that he's ok and that I'm ok. He knows I love him even though I can't be there to hold him after he gets deep suctioned for the twentieth time. Or that I can't be his pillow when his fever spikes and he has no energy to fight. Everything his mom was supposed to be there for has been replaced with the most wonderful people in the world. If he can't have his mom then he can have Jarons, and he can have mine. I can't say or express in anyway how grateful I am to have these two women in my life. They've given their time to us and have been there for Michael when I haven't been able to. I can't tell you how hard it is to have to take that step back and not be able to make that choice on my own. I can tell you that if I did have to make that choice on my own that I hope it would turn out the same way it did this week. As hard as it's been for us we've been so thoroughly taken care of by family and friends. Whether it be your time, your thoughts or your prayers... or your food, Thank you. Thank you so so much.JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-83797211349322333832014-01-27T11:32:00.004-08:002014-01-27T11:40:03.775-08:00Couch Arrest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhFzM8XVOW7yEXXTZY7CeJsaTtFaHyrzNtIm6bapfzMbJMTfpMouzq9EZPW6GPHYldpXdfNFETWZ5N-5urp7uTZ_nRVUEcK-kwSR7vn2kRagl2-zJVEJidO19BZNhtUW4GzZYFWh9chCv/s1600/BatmanShopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhFzM8XVOW7yEXXTZY7CeJsaTtFaHyrzNtIm6bapfzMbJMTfpMouzq9EZPW6GPHYldpXdfNFETWZ5N-5urp7uTZ_nRVUEcK-kwSR7vn2kRagl2-zJVEJidO19BZNhtUW4GzZYFWh9chCv/s1600/BatmanShopping.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a>MIA - I feel like I've been fighting the urge to blog. Like I'm in denial about my situation being what it is. Day three. I'm so glad that my mom has been our only house guest these last few days. Michaels congestion never cleared up after the RSV diagnosis but he did get a little better before Christmas. We were able to see the family and enjoy the holidays before things got worse again.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Michael was doing a little better but still hadn't improved the way I thought he should have so I scheduled him an apt for the 28th. He had his next Synagis shot that morning and everything was pretty good other than his congestion. We then went to his pediatrician to see if he could get caught up on any of the shots he's been so behind on. His oxygen at that point was only at 84. They were going to send us to get X-rays because his lungs still sounded pretty cruddy but since his oxygen was so low they ended up sending us to the hospital instead. We were able to drive ourselves which was good and bad. We ended up waiting in the ER for two hours before being taken back to see a Dr. Michael was feeling better in the waiting room and wanted to play so bad with the other kids. In my head I was screaming because it was so packed with sick people. I didn't want him to get worse but I also felt horrible not letting him down to play. Jaron to the rescue! He got a little red wagon and set up his laptop with a movie for Mike. Yay for containment! Once we saw the Dr his oxygen was back up and he'd fallen asleep. We went back for X-rays and this is the first time ever that he's slept through them. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and we were sent home with antibiotic to fight it off. WOW! This kid catches everything.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhy_inbVXHovyHKRxyErxdDIuHLmkSMTGL5jVfUs17cVwXVhQOVo489OVL4tUarT7lHOvGyK6qJT5Id3cWPUm6sO66wA-Va34c_VzahDeKc6Yl90anT-arRdk632W5AOmN0ilvetWZbrFy/s1600/ChildrensWaitingRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhy_inbVXHovyHKRxyErxdDIuHLmkSMTGL5jVfUs17cVwXVhQOVo489OVL4tUarT7lHOvGyK6qJT5Id3cWPUm6sO66wA-Va34c_VzahDeKc6Yl90anT-arRdk632W5AOmN0ilvetWZbrFy/s1600/ChildrensWaitingRoom.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgOu3rId5Fzm355xnlaSTv1NTtfIBcUWq2LtwVYHRhh8fdBEvHeoqlg8bttE9Z_ePqowKkfalZNWx9_6iaUycaOY_oQiq8LIKcmpkmB_oPPQ2VyN0q4tQLxVlwgRoIdA7EkFKFMbAgc2t/s1600/MikePearlStreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgOu3rId5Fzm355xnlaSTv1NTtfIBcUWq2LtwVYHRhh8fdBEvHeoqlg8bttE9Z_ePqowKkfalZNWx9_6iaUycaOY_oQiq8LIKcmpkmB_oPPQ2VyN0q4tQLxVlwgRoIdA7EkFKFMbAgc2t/s1600/MikePearlStreet.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a>Again, he was doing better other than some congestion so back to the pediatrician we went. I've been hoping to get him caught up on his vaccines. He's now 21 months old and still hadn't gotten his 12 month vaccines because he's been so sick. He got 6 shots that day. The champ is back! He cried for a moment but then just wanted to play. The hardest part of getting him his shots was getting his band-aids off. Of course now, a week after his shots he's been running a 103.5 fever for the past three days. It only drops when he's doubled up on Tylenol and Ibuprofen at the same time. If I let them wear off at all his fever just jumps back up. Getting the dishes done or the floor swept is an accomplishment when he's sick. Putting him down isn't an option. He works himself up so bad that he starts coughing and then throws up. I'd rather it not get to that point. So here we are. Mike asleep on my chest. Me laying on the couch, Zoey making messes with her "experiments" (She's so awesome) and My Little Ponies on in the background. Home sweet home. Doctoring up my guy in the comfort of my own home is a prize in itself. I'm so thankful that I can fight off this fever at home. A blessing in disguise.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutzxOzZMySSqiPPZg6VMfcw6565dmPBiBjQL3r-y-Y-U8Ot9I5DFoc4rdErwEpizrodRhwprWV3vtIcOcmB0GZ2bUllgA2keDePvIW1FLWdBjTBSdsH7MZdkqebsbunkUeUHifUNb5TuP/s1600/ZoeyHorseRide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutzxOzZMySSqiPPZg6VMfcw6565dmPBiBjQL3r-y-Y-U8Ot9I5DFoc4rdErwEpizrodRhwprWV3vtIcOcmB0GZ2bUllgA2keDePvIW1FLWdBjTBSdsH7MZdkqebsbunkUeUHifUNb5TuP/s1600/ZoeyHorseRide.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
With blessings surrounding us daily we forget the biggest blessings we've been given. The strength we've found in ourselves and the happiness we have with our kids. Whether healthy or sick, we still have our kids to love and hold and play with. I'm so thankful to have been blessed with these two amazing spirits that challenge and change me daily (for the better of course!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Emjst97aYaNqY08vOKDTsv9H9roiEaP29Hr5yIBWAf-y6Wo3_k1r8TQEkBYKjIqnX12NayetKvlRq-NKghmEPjA2gvFD9CScmmOhk8QL_h5WuRh1l55R5ZbQca63kbx2LsokLXA9fyay/s1600/KidsPearlStreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Emjst97aYaNqY08vOKDTsv9H9roiEaP29Hr5yIBWAf-y6Wo3_k1r8TQEkBYKjIqnX12NayetKvlRq-NKghmEPjA2gvFD9CScmmOhk8QL_h5WuRh1l55R5ZbQca63kbx2LsokLXA9fyay/s1600/KidsPearlStreet.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-72727295252166633802013-12-19T14:48:00.001-08:002014-01-24T08:34:37.599-08:00Never-ending Story<div dir="ltr">
Week three of illnesses that just keep coming. I had started a draft after Michaels last Cardiology appointment. The first sentence started out as "Michael is doing awesome!!". Now.... I'm not able to start this entry the same way. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
At our last Cardiology visit I was extremely emotional. After the visit three months ago I was positive that the pressure in Michaels heart had gotten worse and that we were about to talk about his next surgery. On the way there I realized how unprepared I was. I sat and had a nice cry before going into Children's so that I would have less tears for the doctors. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
We started with his ECHO and went on with all his vitals. I was surprised that he'd gained weight because he's still so skinny. He's now 22lbs! Almost a pound for every month he's had since his birth. <br />
I was amazed at his other results. The pressure behind his Mitral valve had not gone up but instead had stayed the exact same! What?! I was shocked and thrilled and so happy. I couldn't believe it. The pressure for the last six months has been at a 13. Once this number reaches 15 is when we'll need to talk surgery. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
We were referred to the Syanagis clinic again this year. Michael is eligible until the age of 2. We went in a few weeks ago on Monday for his shot (rsv antibodies to help fight the virus). By Friday night we went to Children's emergency room with a 105℉ fever. We were admitted that evening as he needed some extra oxygen and only ended up staying the night. We were released the next day with oxygen for at home use. He's been doing good at home as long as we can keep his congestion down. I had high hopes that we were at the end and now we're dealing with a stomach bug. I'm now washing bedding for the second time to get rid of the throw up. After his bath he fell asleep on me whispering "owie, owie". Poor thing. Hoping this passes before Christmas. I want him to have the energy to play with his presents. I love the holidays. Thank you to everyone for your help this last year. It's been a long and amazing journey. I'm so blessed to have the friends and family that I do. Merry Christmas and God bless us... Everyone.</div>
JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-27662800145831444502013-11-15T15:15:00.001-08:002013-11-15T15:22:55.726-08:00To Sleep or Not to Sleep<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpjYTWIPwM_L0NDN5Oi0oo9cEEJHjqDgEh7fb8NaQcJQ92atjwnHmA_-LX7pmqeYz3WpiyLhjECUVpZaks_RzQDwaxJeVPShjPDFxaPo_0XvaUGdVmcX2q1ASOHSKjEhVCJQDdeMMVZCK/s1600/2013-10-31+18.21.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpjYTWIPwM_L0NDN5Oi0oo9cEEJHjqDgEh7fb8NaQcJQ92atjwnHmA_-LX7pmqeYz3WpiyLhjECUVpZaks_RzQDwaxJeVPShjPDFxaPo_0XvaUGdVmcX2q1ASOHSKjEhVCJQDdeMMVZCK/s400/2013-10-31+18.21.22.jpg" width="400" /></a>Im laying here at 2 in the morning waiting for our next round of Motrin to kick in. <br />
I'm becoming rather skilled in the art of fighting fevers. As I wait for his fever to break I begin my habit of counting heart beats. I can now lay my palm face down on the left side of his chest and feel his heartbeat clearly enough to get an approximate heart rate. I don't know if this has anything to do with his enlarged atrium or not. He fights me off when trying to feel his pulse any other way.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn4Omslw2BIUTe34dV1BetN6iCTYkvuBW0IIjgOPEHjupEOZWoXlXl_aMVRdk6tVSsfsWfXZoRbnHkpUjGWQYrqPnvKJQ79_JcYpnadD9GhtGyihl_OWMEa8xfGXEBTYcj3PsUHbbINwj/s1600/2013-10-20+15.55.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn4Omslw2BIUTe34dV1BetN6iCTYkvuBW0IIjgOPEHjupEOZWoXlXl_aMVRdk6tVSsfsWfXZoRbnHkpUjGWQYrqPnvKJQ79_JcYpnadD9GhtGyihl_OWMEa8xfGXEBTYcj3PsUHbbINwj/s320/2013-10-20+15.55.01.jpg" width="181" /></a>I can't believe it's been about 6 months since we've had a hospital stay. It starts to feel as if it's all going away until Michael starts feeling under the weather again. In these last 6 months Michael's gotten a virus about once every two months. This is actually relieving to me as it's no longer once a month. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
We have our next cardiology visit coming up on the 19th of this month. Anxiety and fear become more prominent the closer these appointments get. Emotions in Jaron and I have been heightened recently as we've realized the reality of surgery within this next year. So much is unknown until we get the results of his exams. We know the pressure behind his valve was worse during his last visit in August. Because of that they wanted to see him back in three months instead of the six month break they were hoping for. If the gradient through his valve reaches closer to 20 then our cardiologist will begin meeting with our surgeons to decide the least risky route to take. At our last visit his gradient was at a 14 so we're hoping it's not too much worse than that now. <br />
<br />
Michael has so much energy right now that he's hard to keep up with. He wants to be doing whatever everyone else is and if Zoey has it - he's going to get it. That's what seems to be his mindset anyway. We recently found that he is lactose intolerant so he's been on almond milk for the last few months. It's expensive but it keeps him happy and gives him what he needs. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu9nRGiJfuVfu7MvUVbUxKFSsfelYPe77olKpNHom_OZ64Lkfr2Cmm8CRFURkR4PP3rPBJWm4XjCy2o77nDwM6H0o9IpjRi_if1W6ZdobO_4IQY9lW0EN-BpoHcok-rZQuVqCLBpzBFfH/s1600/2013-10-20+21.55.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu9nRGiJfuVfu7MvUVbUxKFSsfelYPe77olKpNHom_OZ64Lkfr2Cmm8CRFURkR4PP3rPBJWm4XjCy2o77nDwM6H0o9IpjRi_if1W6ZdobO_4IQY9lW0EN-BpoHcok-rZQuVqCLBpzBFfH/s320/2013-10-20+21.55.29.jpg" width="181" /></a>We got some really exciting news this last week for one of our other heart warriors and his family. A successful valve replacement without having to do an open chest surgery. This procedure was done through the groin and the recovery time was incredible. I can't believe how strong this kid is. Mason you're amazing and your family is amazing! Way to go! This has given me hope that if Michael holds on long enough that a procedure like this could become more of an option than an open heart surgery. 'Crossing our fingers'</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
With Halloween already over with I wanted to post some more up to date pictures as I haven't posted any in a while. Here is a look into our Halloween with Michael. His first Trick-or-Treat was a success. After the first house we hit gave him a sucker he decided that was all he needed. We got about ten more houses in before it was too cold and windy to continue. Our Ninja Turtles got their sweet fix and Jaron and I had a late night since Michael was up on a sugar high. Happy late Halloween!!</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84gFpQyCDY8fq0ubEWTDmS-IkceHbgIzue-IE_KYkB9PprGuXebOgZWKDPzY4nV6fqWhwpxdg65P1dRiMV3HG4wt7ctiFsqGqpOTfr5SaHMEcyiphJvG9a9KylVtMraqk-SNUexVNrZN6/s1600/2013-10-31+18.20.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84gFpQyCDY8fq0ubEWTDmS-IkceHbgIzue-IE_KYkB9PprGuXebOgZWKDPzY4nV6fqWhwpxdg65P1dRiMV3HG4wt7ctiFsqGqpOTfr5SaHMEcyiphJvG9a9KylVtMraqk-SNUexVNrZN6/s400/2013-10-31+18.20.35.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvyG4eTgHWZt_LNhJYRHRunQ0mIHem_K20O2FKR45doLnz9x70Q26wcks5nZe808_3PTjjbAsTqHSTFB4AFMPWwtW8Mhyphenhyphenwd4pTQro7yTNtu-pWvBDLUY9oqvoZY5XjKJ-K9Nkc86oG9tb/s1600/2013-10-31+18.20.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvyG4eTgHWZt_LNhJYRHRunQ0mIHem_K20O2FKR45doLnz9x70Q26wcks5nZe808_3PTjjbAsTqHSTFB4AFMPWwtW8Mhyphenhyphenwd4pTQro7yTNtu-pWvBDLUY9oqvoZY5XjKJ-K9Nkc86oG9tb/s400/2013-10-31+18.20.53.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-71015226378611871522013-08-15T08:56:00.000-07:002013-08-15T09:19:10.718-07:00Living Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJZjUhiZSyYlcuZ66uvANxbrEEgcUxnGwN8fIsNL1WuEEqnEv0rk6EjcrjxD4Mqq3BtF-oRfBsqDeO-53WdhZ-GdrvqjKZ9spJ_8XR_57VxOGuLvTZjEvTJJNZ3ZuaHpzvWWRzVly0XJR/s1600/2013-08-11133140_zps5ab62b66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJZjUhiZSyYlcuZ66uvANxbrEEgcUxnGwN8fIsNL1WuEEqnEv0rk6EjcrjxD4Mqq3BtF-oRfBsqDeO-53WdhZ-GdrvqjKZ9spJ_8XR_57VxOGuLvTZjEvTJJNZ3ZuaHpzvWWRzVly0XJR/s400/2013-08-11133140_zps5ab62b66.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
How great is it that we've been able to take advantage of this time with Michael. We've been able to take advantage of the healthy little boy we brought into our family just over a year ago. Not knowing if we'd be able to ever see him this happy and energetic.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Today we are battling fevers and coughs at home. We are also going on week three of congestion. Let me tell you how this usually goes -<br />
<br />
Day 1: Congestion/Runny Nose - I freak out and go in to battle the congestion. Like this - Saline spray, bulb sucker, mentholatum on feet w/ socks and percussion therapy on his back.<br />
Day 2: Congestion/Cough - Still battling congestion<br />
Night 2: Michael wakes up with fever at about 9pm, starts grunting and can't breathe, we call an ambulance.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAvVPcpzd6fsw0jcs8eDUI23Vw115DMLDWhNExzl-jYslRhL8nVf4qoMa0jDLyH-FYmPl9MonqFEo3pN80weTrcAhyeovBYG0awN5a71zYSM38weyWVLR-z4jo9NzpuWJbrGHYre8_vDx/s1600/2013-08-12125123_zps7198ad24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAvVPcpzd6fsw0jcs8eDUI23Vw115DMLDWhNExzl-jYslRhL8nVf4qoMa0jDLyH-FYmPl9MonqFEo3pN80weTrcAhyeovBYG0awN5a71zYSM38weyWVLR-z4jo9NzpuWJbrGHYre8_vDx/s640/2013-08-12125123_zps7198ad24.jpg" width="361" /></a><br />
<br />
We get admitted and stay for a week with oxygen and deep suctioning. When Michael begins to run a fever his heart starts working over time.
His heart rate rises to around 170-180 when he's calm and asleep and its
gone up to 220 when he was getting angry and worked up. His normal
heart rate is around 100-120. This happens about every two months since Michael came home from the hospital after his surgery. We are blessed to have the insurance that we do that helps so much with the ambulance rides. The two times we went in on our own we ended up in the waiting room for an hour and in the back room for another hour only to be admitted the next morning. The ambulance ride ensures that the cardiac unit will be waiting for us and that they are already aware that Michael is making another appearance. <br />
<br />
This time I battled congestion as usual and also used the help of some essential oils that helped delay the fever for about two weeks. He hasn't been grunting or having problems breathing so I'm crossing my fingers that we get through this one without needing the hospital and oxygen.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
As long as we keep the fever down we should be good with the rest. So far so good.<br />
<br />
<br />
This last month has been fun and a struggle at the same time. Before Michael got sick we had his first visit to the zoo and the Denver Aquarium with his Great Grandma that lives out of town. It was great having her with us and we had a great time watching Michael enjoy life. Just after this Jarons car broke down so we are down to one car for the moment which hasn't been too bad. I didn't think we could do it but, seriously, what can't we do? Right? Before Michael got sick we got some bad news that our 5yr old Pit/Lab mix had gotten lymphoma. The vet assured us that even with chemo we'd only be buying him about a year and that year would be quantity of life over quality and she couldn't stress that he'd start getting more uncomfortable and more painful. We came to the decision that we needed to let him go instead of have him struggle through. We were able to love on him for a few more days after that very difficult decision and we've been at peace. Zoey's also made us aware that she'd like to play in the clouds with him. She is a little jealous that he gets to play in the sky and that she doesn't. This is something neither me or Jaron were ready to deal with but we feel stronger for having to experience the pain and emotion that came with it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0vGKiMWLmFnCVQF_MSHZV5X_W869kybYRmErgt6jvJYw7MTfy_n3mhCy7QV8ZqQSMndHIw-GfQ7BAZD1vRAVm6dV0UhzTwXEbPlmt_jiBuj5UTIpFDjF_abDQuqQEBxnV8m_V93pDgO6/s1600/MaximusAdjusted3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0vGKiMWLmFnCVQF_MSHZV5X_W869kybYRmErgt6jvJYw7MTfy_n3mhCy7QV8ZqQSMndHIw-GfQ7BAZD1vRAVm6dV0UhzTwXEbPlmt_jiBuj5UTIpFDjF_abDQuqQEBxnV8m_V93pDgO6/s400/MaximusAdjusted3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgam31ap3k7zBkFxCp_d9YQC31l4tQsYNR-TU6JwhideXdyoiso45qPcy4RT3GQxGrWr5wDslS2kyAFWkie4V7zXL30r6ZXRnXBOl9_JNJbA-3OfY8qzErzomFXgqp2g39VvatrxUexQ9bk/s1600/2013-08-12+16.39.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgam31ap3k7zBkFxCp_d9YQC31l4tQsYNR-TU6JwhideXdyoiso45qPcy4RT3GQxGrWr5wDslS2kyAFWkie4V7zXL30r6ZXRnXBOl9_JNJbA-3OfY8qzErzomFXgqp2g39VvatrxUexQ9bk/s640/2013-08-12+16.39.02.jpg" width="361" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- On a happier note -<br />
<br />
Michael also just got his first hair cut. Bye bye Baby Michael and Hello Godzilla! Haha - Just Kidding - Hello to this big kid that I didn't realize was hidden in that hair. These kids make my heart beat faster and harder the more my love grows for them - and the faster they get. <3JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-54147391099238295562013-05-25T08:53:00.002-07:002013-05-25T08:53:53.894-07:00My Poor Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI6Labn562kr-UEPGiH7nWXBHKB8j8EhpG-YGyVrdqXD4EkMtWqot4SMxz5aAp9TF_kK7yxXmNdEOsmPQadYKXkFUZ50z1HjL5Z0NvuPLfgzaJvJByH8QWs83wXrOrUl_H6Or-PGUfrkH/s1600/2013-05-22+08.23.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI6Labn562kr-UEPGiH7nWXBHKB8j8EhpG-YGyVrdqXD4EkMtWqot4SMxz5aAp9TF_kK7yxXmNdEOsmPQadYKXkFUZ50z1HjL5Z0NvuPLfgzaJvJByH8QWs83wXrOrUl_H6Or-PGUfrkH/s400/2013-05-22+08.23.21.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Back at Children's - Sunday morning Michael started running a low fever and had a minor cough so we decided to start treating it with Tylenol and keeping him home so that he wouldn't get any worse. Tuesday his fever spiked to 103, he started shivering then turned purple on his hands and feet and then he passed out. I called the ambulance and on the way to Children's his fever spiked higher to 104.9. Once we were in the ER he slept comfortably on my chest but again started to feel hot. At this point his fever had gone up to 105.3. There was originally talk from the paramedics that he may have had a seizure from the fever at home because we had described the shivering. The doctors and cardiologist at Children's feel confident that it was not a seizure and that this little guy was just really sick. I agree.<br />
<br />
We were admitted shortly after we arrived so that they could monitor Michaels rhythm for the night. The next morning lo and behold - I got sick. Jaron came to switch me and it snowballed from there. I got worse - then Michael got worse. He is still having episodes where his fever spikes to 104-105 and then his limbs turn purple and they don't know why. The x-rays show signs of bacterial pneumonia so he is being treated with antibiotic and fluids. He can only drink apple juice and water (and that with the antibiotic you can only imagine how sore is bum is). He's been trying crackers and snacks but he is so exhausted he hasn't stayed awake long enough to finish a whole lot.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvR-2UPWp9ScYp3SZrUp6Or-q2-fNuoZgclWZzGvdhQqUt8cIUs6YWFY4D_k-ZnHnsOKyvdh9VZudXHlSYLnyR0mJ2TimNc_vclCZEIIcIxQLhDN-uPcLqSsk8PXDd2ceTAW4D3gzEEnf/s1600/2013-05-22+08.27.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvR-2UPWp9ScYp3SZrUp6Or-q2-fNuoZgclWZzGvdhQqUt8cIUs6YWFY4D_k-ZnHnsOKyvdh9VZudXHlSYLnyR0mJ2TimNc_vclCZEIIcIxQLhDN-uPcLqSsk8PXDd2ceTAW4D3gzEEnf/s400/2013-05-22+08.27.04.jpg" width="400" /></a>Michael is also not too fond of his crib. Because he is so tall we need to put the rail to the top and then bring down the plastic curtain. It's a pretty sad cage - lol. Every time Jaron has tried laying him down he cries so the whole time he's been in Jarons arms in a pretty interesting recliner. They're not too bad if you don't have to stay sitting in them for 48 hrs straight. Jaron can let you know that once you reach 48 hrs you'd rather sit anywhere but there.<br />
<br />
We've had some amazing family and friends helping us this week. Jarons mom and brother and sister have gone to relieve him of his duties (if Michael permits) and they've been supplying him lunches. My mom also stayed the night last night so Jaron could sleep at home which was a dream come true for him lol. It was pretty funny watching him lay down. He's still not out of be this morning.<br />
<br />
Michaels Cardiologist went by the room with an update. His echo was good and his heart is the same as last month so there is no worry right now about this effecting his heart. His left lung is the thing giving him his troubles. His left lung is what is holding the bacterial pneumonia and is also barely able to pump any air. He is on heated high flow oxygen and doesn't seem to mind until his nose is being wiped. They are expecting to keep him for the next couple days to see if his left lung improves. I have yet to see my baby except over Skype on our phones. He hugs the phone and gives it kisses when he sees my face. I love this little man and cannot wait to be able to hold him and comfort him. I miss my baby so much.<br />
<br />
Thank you for everyone's help and support through this week. It is not my favorite time but it's definitely not the worst of times. Heart Hugs and Kisses from you Cardiac baby and Fam. We love you all. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzscyE8R0vJ2Up2uhKS1gs9s82tNeCvyYIVrrQgVCnRHRT_HuAQghtYMLXFxBRUSszDXuHut4Bm-hhChCPNKW5IDXe3NkvEh8qFPssizwQlJnSwmtizEhxreXqao59916qXgq7hFo8IgK/s1600/2013-05-22+08.24.32.mp4"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Dd86cefa05bce8f97%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1372089068%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D594E8F8D4AA3B03B4AEDD9DD860A7DCF4EC6ACA7.15683665AFF67A4A6124B51F45A5B121BFC550E5%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Dd86cefa05bce8f97%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1372089068%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D594E8F8D4AA3B03B4AEDD9DD860A7DCF4EC6ACA7.15683665AFF67A4A6124B51F45A5B121BFC550E5%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> </div>
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-66675573565817025122013-05-25T08:28:00.002-07:002013-05-25T08:28:48.061-07:00Echos and Updates<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MuYhN1CcdCKfsjdWpp0_IxWN_b-nBlutlXU6X72dNxlb2m6i3_eJNiFtHVYcjJc7_bk9XIYSa32GwAI-v29H-B8u7ArL_Mw-x6PvAyyZaP5YhHn_iNgXIN2x1cNBKbmeGQEBk4mYL61m/s1600/2013-04-15+18.23.55(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MuYhN1CcdCKfsjdWpp0_IxWN_b-nBlutlXU6X72dNxlb2m6i3_eJNiFtHVYcjJc7_bk9XIYSa32GwAI-v29H-B8u7ArL_Mw-x6PvAyyZaP5YhHn_iNgXIN2x1cNBKbmeGQEBk4mYL61m/s320/2013-04-15+18.23.55(1).jpg" width="240" /></a>I've been meaning to write an update on Michaels last Cardiology update
and now I have two updates to write because I took so long to get the
first one done. Michaels last Cardiology visit went pretty good for the
most part but he refused to sit still for his Echo so they weren't able
to get very good pictures of his heart. They even tried giving him the anxiety sedation which doesn't put him to sleep but made him act a little drunk. I felt bad for laughing at him so hard but he really enjoyed it. They got a few of the things
they needed so that they were at least able to give us a little
information. His heart looks ok, but not great. They are still watching
the gradient through his mitral valve (the pressure build up of the
blood that is trying to flow through it) and it seems pretty stable as
it was the same as last time. They are also keeping an eye on the scar
tissue build up from his open heart where they fixed his arch. The scar
tissue built up on the inside and is borderline obstructive. We may have to have that fixed or ballooned again in the future if it becomes a problem. They also decided that he is doing well enough that we can try taking him off his heart meds which is HUGE for me! That is four alarms I get to disable on my phone. He's almost weened off his last one and then in July they'll be sending us a heart monitor to see how he's doing off the meds. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUBYM99dzfrCLvJ3dzWRakcwQeuUpW31E1c1836D5vGiA2FG-QrC4yFIwWrni28RyhDyviqG2APxkNsPM8e1wp6QPpfecD_zCTw-sfXyio4fI-BFQ0u_s6uq-blOv1ziRAmPVBHOL3Krn/s1600/2013-04-18+18.29.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUBYM99dzfrCLvJ3dzWRakcwQeuUpW31E1c1836D5vGiA2FG-QrC4yFIwWrni28RyhDyviqG2APxkNsPM8e1wp6QPpfecD_zCTw-sfXyio4fI-BFQ0u_s6uq-blOv1ziRAmPVBHOL3Krn/s400/2013-04-18+18.29.50.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Mike has a few new tricks up his sleeve that have me rolling on the floor. When he gets REALLY upset - he goes into downward facing dog. haha it cracks me up. He's also been climbing up and over everything he can. This includes Zoey and our dining room chairs. He is a little dare devil that loves to get into mischief. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsMxpXOX9Ff7SIlQoM6iFk5OBR_egY6QbdMj1Q0V9wsSodzR-GXUvr8DTGIqIbcDwpCGsmd5_wpFH5vylTPeMx1cezmQfquoAVfzmntg22a67XsxAWBQSxaSBxzKzA4oKLdxwquBrD1Qk/s1600/2013-04-18+18.35.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsMxpXOX9Ff7SIlQoM6iFk5OBR_egY6QbdMj1Q0V9wsSodzR-GXUvr8DTGIqIbcDwpCGsmd5_wpFH5vylTPeMx1cezmQfquoAVfzmntg22a67XsxAWBQSxaSBxzKzA4oKLdxwquBrD1Qk/s400/2013-04-18+18.35.44.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9gA9MhedvyDqUax3fYb5Ji50VNYpPfE_4oKn5sw6OLRkf4RF8kc3WFygsmNtWjZIZiKawaYMIPLI-EkC8H-qE6ovOz79N3wMDk2CdQXdvRSQrZbwhxDOmsFvodCCDEP0vXXMJEEbicuF/s1600/2013-04-29+21.13.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9gA9MhedvyDqUax3fYb5Ji50VNYpPfE_4oKn5sw6OLRkf4RF8kc3WFygsmNtWjZIZiKawaYMIPLI-EkC8H-qE6ovOz79N3wMDk2CdQXdvRSQrZbwhxDOmsFvodCCDEP0vXXMJEEbicuF/s400/2013-04-29+21.13.00.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>He's also getting some pretty big curls. This kid is freaking adorable!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlXmBIAACIDLyGA803vUALgLI9hhrETlHi_495bLPlYM72eIq80yFY5h1BtCQXbm__fL8Ecf1haxcA3h8A2BtFkbGzEViIm7bC9KIRCO4jdolsT1rJvygcG3GI1V5k_JIJEayAPxtg36Q/s1600/2013-05-12+19.14.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlXmBIAACIDLyGA803vUALgLI9hhrETlHi_495bLPlYM72eIq80yFY5h1BtCQXbm__fL8Ecf1haxcA3h8A2BtFkbGzEViIm7bC9KIRCO4jdolsT1rJvygcG3GI1V5k_JIJEayAPxtg36Q/s320/2013-05-12+19.14.06.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-670813771186829842013-04-09T12:46:00.000-07:002013-04-09T12:56:44.002-07:00The Big One<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcb16N3oIXr_gdYA2atHOZlSeoHazr4n9Jt2umGhax64oCX2kFmj36QT_P1mFFwHZvxawknOVJRBvJb1oMJRfwuj3nPB7tp-MrS39sbq3t8FQCBDahfCzw-CIRwb3XiH3rd3GU2fG6qxW/s1600/94bfc7af-937f-4fde-a11c-fe9013e1b2da_zps9079f3da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcb16N3oIXr_gdYA2atHOZlSeoHazr4n9Jt2umGhax64oCX2kFmj36QT_P1mFFwHZvxawknOVJRBvJb1oMJRfwuj3nPB7tp-MrS39sbq3t8FQCBDahfCzw-CIRwb3XiH3rd3GU2fG6qxW/s400/94bfc7af-937f-4fde-a11c-fe9013e1b2da_zps9079f3da.jpg" width="300" /></a>Happy Birthday to my little heart warrior. It has been an amazing year. He made it through stronger. He has been showing great amounts of strength and energy these last few months. After he conquered the RSV virus he's been showing how tough he is. I was able to drive to Utah for a week to see my sisters and friends and was able to attend a beautiful wedding in Salt Lake. I
had the two kids with me and they did surprisingly well on the drive to
and from. I was definitely nervous about taking Michael that far away
from Children's but also realized that he is doing amazing right now. I
need to take advantage of these moments because I know it won't always
be this easy. He had his first bloody nose while we were there and the only thing he was actually crying about was that I wouldn't let him down to play. I needed to get the bleeding to stop so that it didn't make a mess and to make sure that his blood thinners wouldn't play a part in excess bleeding. It eventually stopped and because he wanted down so badly we both had a good amount of blood on our clothes. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Even with all the mess that made, he was able to make a bigger mess with the chocolate cake I made him on his First Birthday!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBhK5aM8IvFVMplpAfGwtk390UmfAe3GMp1Is3xx4CmiDqaD1_NeXH0RLKvXOpjEAaTDYMWWE1U4lC8PW1p8UtY-60ot2T1JgC6It8lxp9oOHxPSZ6G52kKddJ9dD7hyPqSvB3e88Uoeq/s1600/2013-04-06+13.25.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBhK5aM8IvFVMplpAfGwtk390UmfAe3GMp1Is3xx4CmiDqaD1_NeXH0RLKvXOpjEAaTDYMWWE1U4lC8PW1p8UtY-60ot2T1JgC6It8lxp9oOHxPSZ6G52kKddJ9dD7hyPqSvB3e88Uoeq/s400/2013-04-06+13.25.04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbZbPl6s19QBSuUK-sy7MPrHqbWnHD4TADua3yXs1PGS2z-FecVGuv3wHL3nQX4ZoQMkVL0UAAwVDUVaC71AWkH8H2-qewx2AWWoNCl8bg39b9m9ilYL-U8YbUG0sPxlsQKIu-85bD-op/s1600/2013-04-06+14.27.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbZbPl6s19QBSuUK-sy7MPrHqbWnHD4TADua3yXs1PGS2z-FecVGuv3wHL3nQX4ZoQMkVL0UAAwVDUVaC71AWkH8H2-qewx2AWWoNCl8bg39b9m9ilYL-U8YbUG0sPxlsQKIu-85bD-op/s400/2013-04-06+14.27.27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We had a great time at the park with our family celebrating his life and how far he's been able to carry himself. I made sure that after we sang "Happy Birthday" I sang out "and MANY MORE!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On the day of his birthday (4-3-2013) he decided it was time to start climbing the stairs, turning around to get off the couch by himself, and I successfully switched him to regular milk. No More Formula!!! YAY!!!! He's still not too fond of sippy cups but I'm working on that as well. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsOkzagl79jx7RQQJxP2i9bjHBPrtH_r4a31rRVc0gZRgFt0IP0pzCwOUire-xfyaSF9W6-yIoLXBa5RGMBXtN-_KLFdkXN77H5-AZfD1k7y63a6H7bkIRpToktJ0l4llbhDuGNs46ok8/s1600/2013-04-06+16.07.21%25281%2529.mp4"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D2c1606dc7851e4cd%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368129305%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D436DB533DFF48344726427288CB782235DD96401.59F0DF05724F64D5B87B62B81729163764EAE5%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D2c1606dc7851e4cd%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368129305%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D436DB533DFF48344726427288CB782235DD96401.59F0DF05724F64D5B87B62B81729163764EAE5%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Having this year come around was emotionally overwhelming. Looking back on this past year is hard to do. Knowing all that we've overcome and all that we will yet overcome makes me feel a little stronger and a little more proud of myself. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We have Michaels next Cardiology follow-up on April 15th. We're praying for a good visit and that everything will look ok. During our last visit they mentioned taking Michael off his medications and putting him on another heart monitor for a month to see how he does while being off of them. We'll see how his echo goes and what they decide to do. I am definitely looking forward to removing the medications from our schedule. Wish us luck!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmouwoNWxIDW3-obvJqcq-RAmGjKKpK9v24XfvY01V8DD0pSzmIf11FLsmWPoNITdfiNwNGsK0uA2OK116bScO7CYNxHQHKBF4Fv1tT49PLFvHubu07EMACG0nUUGKImLixsVIyLmUqwKA/s1600/2013-04-06+15.52.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmouwoNWxIDW3-obvJqcq-RAmGjKKpK9v24XfvY01V8DD0pSzmIf11FLsmWPoNITdfiNwNGsK0uA2OK116bScO7CYNxHQHKBF4Fv1tT49PLFvHubu07EMACG0nUUGKImLixsVIyLmUqwKA/s400/2013-04-06+15.52.18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-76881059271177849032013-02-10T15:07:00.004-08:002013-02-10T15:09:00.691-08:00The RSV Virus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOUFZaDRQabtB_TAin0B6VTHSdg01L9XtxRR2ifq5JfwSXlCIcTAfw1ocRQs07Az5KjrjkPFL6SWZzlBeZFNYPS7i25Wtcfm3dNIrZmYgq3xPaiL6a-QfU8dGim12bJ1uy0ge-ouxr2XX/s1600/2013-02-08165950_zpsaf992a11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOUFZaDRQabtB_TAin0B6VTHSdg01L9XtxRR2ifq5JfwSXlCIcTAfw1ocRQs07Az5KjrjkPFL6SWZzlBeZFNYPS7i25Wtcfm3dNIrZmYgq3xPaiL6a-QfU8dGim12bJ1uy0ge-ouxr2XX/s320/2013-02-08165950_zpsaf992a11.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Jaron and I switched spots for the weekend and for me it was so needed. Zoey kept asking if Michael was going to be ok and she wants to see him so much. It's hard explaining why she can't see him other than because he's sick and she'll get sick or she'll get him more sick. I came back today to a whole new baby. He was all over the place! He is a ball of energy. When I left Friday night he had still been sleeping all day and night but I guess he just needed a good ole' dose of dad. The nurses got a play mat for him to crawl around on and he loved every minute. We keep hearing how cute he is and how happy he is and it reminds me of how lucky he is to have this energy. A lot of cardiac patients never will. Most kids that I've read about with Shone's Complex have troubles playing because of how winded they get. One story that I've been following had me in tears because after her 4th surgery this 6 year old girl climbed up a ladder for the first time to go down a slide at a playground. Amazing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8C0tFNmeSR-Z9K2yp9BKOsv486IlcruFdQgVaHbLR9LaJVraLzMj-D9r4gs3dO68lA59nrAbl0ebvcHGDsAqCkm6iqtiITONRb5UbbWTdqWRkl-ODbfde0z0jeHPt4N_yymeBmxtgSzF_/s1600/2013-02-10131701_zpsa8a2e946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8C0tFNmeSR-Z9K2yp9BKOsv486IlcruFdQgVaHbLR9LaJVraLzMj-D9r4gs3dO68lA59nrAbl0ebvcHGDsAqCkm6iqtiITONRb5UbbWTdqWRkl-ODbfde0z0jeHPt4N_yymeBmxtgSzF_/s400/2013-02-10131701_zpsa8a2e946.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5p3gvji_3ZBCLKqV7waC2b0X8CfvMkdMkCZvBM9apM7A850yBEQqx44mFB90aU7SqVbw2UPD_v1b3VB8RznHdFs6q1odUt3tFtgpgI0l43n-31Vl-B0R3F4H60jqPM-QSOlWJYwtob-Jw/s1600/2013-02-10131534_zps52b0b8db.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5p3gvji_3ZBCLKqV7waC2b0X8CfvMkdMkCZvBM9apM7A850yBEQqx44mFB90aU7SqVbw2UPD_v1b3VB8RznHdFs6q1odUt3tFtgpgI0l43n-31Vl-B0R3F4H60jqPM-QSOlWJYwtob-Jw/s400/2013-02-10131534_zps52b0b8db.jpg" width="300" /></a>Michael hadn't seen Jaron for about 5 days so when Jaron came in Friday night Michael was smiling from ear to ear and a little in disbelief. At first he'd just woken up when he'd heard Jarons voice. He looked up at him and layed back down. It must've taken a moment for him to understand that he actually did just see his daddy because he shot right back up and had a huge grin on his face as he started reaching for Jaron. They had fun but our weekend was cut short by a blow out poopie. Michael covered Jaron so we needed to switch back just a little while ago so Jaron could shower. The antibiotics are definitely in full effect and fighting hard against these viruses. The nurses are supporting him through and cheering him on every day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv40RSuR1gqEeuGbyvM2vhD2JJPjdJFgd7yMgg8ME4q7dTDe8M6SXZOzol6jsD1FQVRsQgbzGOfySKibaolEXYGXzx82kCzBCw2F3nZrsDGNsLyXBXoqww3UlBaSipYEDE92-dUWcbuXCp/s1600/f8734988-8385-4b3d-8d2a-ce837fc8bfbe_zps32a72135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv40RSuR1gqEeuGbyvM2vhD2JJPjdJFgd7yMgg8ME4q7dTDe8M6SXZOzol6jsD1FQVRsQgbzGOfySKibaolEXYGXzx82kCzBCw2F3nZrsDGNsLyXBXoqww3UlBaSipYEDE92-dUWcbuXCp/s320/f8734988-8385-4b3d-8d2a-ce837fc8bfbe_zps32a72135.jpg" width="240" /></a>His lungs are clearing up slowly and his oxygen was almost completely weaned. On just room air alone his SATS are still only catching between 84-88. We need them in the 90's so they are going to bring it up again a little to see if they can get what he needs.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0mEbz2LKcC6dSxnf4mwLeaJk5AFSJ4OIfhkmNTyLTE73gWKpi6XQ1hPUaRb4Bws_Vd2s3QN26Y8dBFoSIHNfGb-2qnCtQD5nR_osE10hoLGFG0rKFNjw3hJa40Xp2X5gIgR6hJaW14Tf5/s1600/2013-02-10131624_zps173e2eb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0mEbz2LKcC6dSxnf4mwLeaJk5AFSJ4OIfhkmNTyLTE73gWKpi6XQ1hPUaRb4Bws_Vd2s3QN26Y8dBFoSIHNfGb-2qnCtQD5nR_osE10hoLGFG0rKFNjw3hJa40Xp2X5gIgR6hJaW14Tf5/s320/2013-02-10131624_zps173e2eb1.jpg" width="320" /></a>This kid is a crack up. He got two new blankets that had been donated and he's loving them.They are super comfy and he's finally snuggled up asleep in them. Thank you to those that donate what you can. You are wonderful and will be truly blessed in return. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxTVv8OX_oAY1qugcbn6SGOmvaxvE1dZQZvQpYvtg0vNW_9uO4Y-Dq2lthVRQ5PM6cvdiyP9bUFpgQZ9GFUyOvUdxh8rm9J4m8k4CeRclRYwdz2QWyvIPKj8_zh6KYPW0sjdu6xTgm5N9/s1600/2013-02-10131540_zpsd210072a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxTVv8OX_oAY1qugcbn6SGOmvaxvE1dZQZvQpYvtg0vNW_9uO4Y-Dq2lthVRQ5PM6cvdiyP9bUFpgQZ9GFUyOvUdxh8rm9J4m8k4CeRclRYwdz2QWyvIPKj8_zh6KYPW0sjdu6xTgm5N9/s400/2013-02-10131540_zpsd210072a.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZZlbnYUiOtU7X-W3Ej3f64t1_KPkPjjry_4CuLI9rNpw03c42X0NRBjUs5CTwumMHcdO6KdBUt3bfBVVaqrJ9kMiHcHu47NZg6XMGtYEuqxrINOnhA5qlU91wv6lO3-o74eX4RC-593X/s1600/2013-02-08165956_zpsacd5ca55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZZlbnYUiOtU7X-W3Ej3f64t1_KPkPjjry_4CuLI9rNpw03c42X0NRBjUs5CTwumMHcdO6KdBUt3bfBVVaqrJ9kMiHcHu47NZg6XMGtYEuqxrINOnhA5qlU91wv6lO3-o74eX4RC-593X/s400/2013-02-08165956_zpsacd5ca55.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-29126787905018809942013-02-07T10:38:00.003-08:002013-02-07T10:42:17.224-08:00We're Back!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEOLu3ItolV5Vl2tiln9PmZfQcmC2TF2hZI1nYj3EW5LOhlWb7N7BRPSl9aXLGyI1MYfYVdsrpMbFoNUCmSJQ1710_OwOUlAIowyyVK2ANWaWDQZAspPD8K7PRsylge4nkAqCvvIOHzs0/s1600/2013-02-04+06.25.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEOLu3ItolV5Vl2tiln9PmZfQcmC2TF2hZI1nYj3EW5LOhlWb7N7BRPSl9aXLGyI1MYfYVdsrpMbFoNUCmSJQ1710_OwOUlAIowyyVK2ANWaWDQZAspPD8K7PRsylge4nkAqCvvIOHzs0/s400/2013-02-04+06.25.29.jpg" width="400" /></a>Sunday night Michael got pretty sick and because of respiratory purposes we called the paramedics and took him by ambulance to Children's in Aurora. He was crashing pretty fast because he wasn't getting the oxygen he needed. Tuesday we got positive results for RSV and CoronaVirus. We're in the CICU as a precaution. He's crashed a few times since getting here which is per the Doctor "Classic RSV" - It's like a roller coaster ride.. He's doing better! - nope- He's doing better! - nope - He's doing better! and that's where we are right now. He's doing better! We've gotten him some toys to play with and he was eating a little better yesterday but crashed again last night. They had to raise his oxygen flow to 8 liters last night and are also doing nebulizer treatments every two hours as well as a suction/sinus rinse. Because of the high air flow he's unable to eat or drink (to prevent
asphyxiation). He hasn't gotten a bottle or food since just after 5pm
last night. They were able to bring his air flow down to 7 liters this morning and he seems to be handling it really well. He's sleeping a little more sound in between treatments which is showing how much they are helping.<br />
<br />
I haven't really had time to update the blog so that is kind of a short update. I've been able to get some pictures so I thought I'd at least jump on for a moment to post them for you :)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
He kept pulling of the leads to his monitor so they stuck them to his back instead</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2L9Nmo_Pw3vxB_APHZfmv6kIxBAMEEi8RfR-SsfarNyGVyznAwLMronEjAgPspYpA97PD7nkTEInr87DV-jiJ8ucaHAg1ySkK-wWS9SVpXVJhAiiGra4nNN5QhocKVhaDKD1-vWz4BWr/s1600/2013-02-06+09.45.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2L9Nmo_Pw3vxB_APHZfmv6kIxBAMEEi8RfR-SsfarNyGVyznAwLMronEjAgPspYpA97PD7nkTEInr87DV-jiJ8ucaHAg1ySkK-wWS9SVpXVJhAiiGra4nNN5QhocKVhaDKD1-vWz4BWr/s400/2013-02-06+09.45.25.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Mikes toy from his nurse Leah - He used his IV hand as a hammer and loves it! </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy4yC0rJDAzjATvqQNvmLeFqPjTxmHx_az41cTlJhbSwuM7mCplQCi7awSnj8Ai6ZLG3u2UBev_VpRgcbFFwbESXMEMn16fdCbiDbpJ9ah0W9IgZxIvw951Rtg25BD8UyMMJdv7KtyYVn/s1600/2013-02-06+12.18.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy4yC0rJDAzjATvqQNvmLeFqPjTxmHx_az41cTlJhbSwuM7mCplQCi7awSnj8Ai6ZLG3u2UBev_VpRgcbFFwbESXMEMn16fdCbiDbpJ9ah0W9IgZxIvw951Rtg25BD8UyMMJdv7KtyYVn/s400/2013-02-06+12.18.04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
He's not really enjoying his crib but this was the first time he was ok playing in it</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3wPvC0enQjFubBEC5u7NmG7-aUdViuOjl1EWgS7mGfVPBBp2UPu7PSnR1Dwff4YCxkqVawQ0PKCYU7FwTXAWLEM-NMm8b4wte4tdv4Mpxo0sydm9h6VaK7seQ8en46E7zal0IzqkCuPt/s1600/2013-02-06+12.21.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3wPvC0enQjFubBEC5u7NmG7-aUdViuOjl1EWgS7mGfVPBBp2UPu7PSnR1Dwff4YCxkqVawQ0PKCYU7FwTXAWLEM-NMm8b4wte4tdv4Mpxo0sydm9h6VaK7seQ8en46E7zal0IzqkCuPt/s400/2013-02-06+12.21.03.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
His IV Hammer </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptQ2TiVu1O6XFmCtTE6Y6KNRhDF7t56LhNQ4aHy46Mj5hVSlFMUGvNjaF-RfNofMTLTU3zuHUXp8c_eHZNuSruBYpL_OCyjL47XIojALzijfJxlfSSAnys0RhHR2otw1raMLxKdw-gylf/s1600/2013-02-06+12.13.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptQ2TiVu1O6XFmCtTE6Y6KNRhDF7t56LhNQ4aHy46Mj5hVSlFMUGvNjaF-RfNofMTLTU3zuHUXp8c_eHZNuSruBYpL_OCyjL47XIojALzijfJxlfSSAnys0RhHR2otw1raMLxKdw-gylf/s400/2013-02-06+12.13.54.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Not the best pic other than being a funny face - I wanted to point out how much he is pulling in while breathing. On the left you can see his ribs. The point above his belly button is a scar from one of his drainage tubes after surgery - possible herniation. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6NXSxL3R4uMxRTms3veP-_anoJQ0YNSuMAQ0qCFRnXLtxso3R958l5xOMgKtSffZQpXMhfd96YbGJ7Gr4nIWVR8IUO-D-MQhKXoUDxijwNtVR_vQEiWm5upB3Fu8WgfMPwIp8zpqW0M3/s1600/2013-02-06+17.50.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6NXSxL3R4uMxRTms3veP-_anoJQ0YNSuMAQ0qCFRnXLtxso3R958l5xOMgKtSffZQpXMhfd96YbGJ7Gr4nIWVR8IUO-D-MQhKXoUDxijwNtVR_vQEiWm5upB3Fu8WgfMPwIp8zpqW0M3/s640/2013-02-06+17.50.55.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
PS It is also CHD awareness week starting today. Just thought I'd spread the word and some info. There are so many babies, children and even grown adults dealing with CHD. 1 in every 100 babies is born with a heart defect. Michael's defect is known as Shone's Complex http://www.pted.org/?id=shones1</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our current nurse has two patients at the moment - Michael (10 month old) and a man in the room next to us that looks just over 30. CHD is all around us and the symptoms may slow for a while but for so many it never goes away. I encourage you to make an effort this week to pay it forward from one healthy heart to another. Fill your heart with love so that others may see that there is still plenty to go around <3 </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57qnSiyzm4tlzdBf7qB0CyH9sUsKn8aImwd3M0FJws4CgQ-nlLyXmHyduuTieOvmXKJnUTZOmYXygomvTt_Tc7tvwjJB_T1CybifurnpV2uPbsQUG5MKbBFQIyNJMQlkZpOyNSd8O1INu/s1600/EKG-Phlebotomy-Technician_zps11e1cd9c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57qnSiyzm4tlzdBf7qB0CyH9sUsKn8aImwd3M0FJws4CgQ-nlLyXmHyduuTieOvmXKJnUTZOmYXygomvTt_Tc7tvwjJB_T1CybifurnpV2uPbsQUG5MKbBFQIyNJMQlkZpOyNSd8O1INu/s640/EKG-Phlebotomy-Technician_zps11e1cd9c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-30500755828395585082013-01-22T13:01:00.002-08:002013-01-22T13:47:57.396-08:00SPF Required<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zUFYb8w_NTtVANZKPaqpUgs0x6eIIFm6wm8fYBtdg7raMV0Swe0mwiQoJ3gDkZYxKuJz53KH74ChMMWo9K_1mpRQ4XTOzzaoEyvgp5g1ac2z7TqDa-HGlHqu8lcxy9P3Iu50iVHa5oFI/s1600/2013-01-19122342_zpsef77c940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zUFYb8w_NTtVANZKPaqpUgs0x6eIIFm6wm8fYBtdg7raMV0Swe0mwiQoJ3gDkZYxKuJz53KH74ChMMWo9K_1mpRQ4XTOzzaoEyvgp5g1ac2z7TqDa-HGlHqu8lcxy9P3Iu50iVHa5oFI/s400/2013-01-19122342_zpsef77c940.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
The face that used to be ghost white is now red. Michael got his first sun burn this weekend as we went hiking at Chautauqua in Boulder. I haven't had him in the sun so much because one of his medications says not to. This certain medication makes him more susceptible to burning. Of course I'm the mom that didn't think twice because it was still too cold to get a burn right? Wrong! Michael beats all other odds so why not this one. Michael is also the most soggy baby you'll see right about now. He's getting a couple more teeth so the water works are on. I used to carry towels around for his excessive reflux and now I'm carrying things to mop up drool. I've never been big on bibs but recently I find myself thinking twice about how useful they may be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidm-EPSQzs6C8ErUgAqUpmkehMsedQ5RHfdILUlJTd_sw2HX8EOzXYHaDroTFyUSNab1d0QNgRsP5bRVEX1Yuds_Vo5KYtBKp5Ez544lZ4LBQNyno06xKcKrJVk0yns_2IsqODtTDO4JI/s1600/2013-01-09142902_zps50b565a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidm-EPSQzs6C8ErUgAqUpmkehMsedQ5RHfdILUlJTd_sw2HX8EOzXYHaDroTFyUSNab1d0QNgRsP5bRVEX1Yuds_Vo5KYtBKp5Ez544lZ4LBQNyno06xKcKrJVk0yns_2IsqODtTDO4JI/s640/2013-01-09142902_zps50b565a8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Michael is hospital free now for 43 days. I think of how long it feels but when you count out the days it feels like only yesterday. Michael no longer sees either of his therapists. I miss them but am also thankful that he has no need of them. He's not delayed in any way. I spoke to his physical therapist this morning and she asked if I could call her when he starts walking. Not for a follow up but because she's become so close to him. His therapists definitely became friends that I will always be thankful for having.We recently took a trip to Englewood to get Michael his RSV Inoculation. He'll receive two shots, once a month through April. These shots are full of RSV antibodies. This means a drive to Englewood once a month. Believe me, I've done the research and there are NO closer offices that provide these shots (at least that my insurance covers).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPMHJEYkkiawE6mrIX6FiVhUNmNT9CqPGXiV460DU0emef4Gvh3yfyDhYQeKfRP-cf_nHiM-k7iHo59W9qIu-p3CifwMJQ4uHGEXeSiIGCM2VCxJLldkQbXoHiT2e5Vf_kBSMysyDm_am/s1600/2013-01-06155529_zps71e9aec2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPMHJEYkkiawE6mrIX6FiVhUNmNT9CqPGXiV460DU0emef4Gvh3yfyDhYQeKfRP-cf_nHiM-k7iHo59W9qIu-p3CifwMJQ4uHGEXeSiIGCM2VCxJLldkQbXoHiT2e5Vf_kBSMysyDm_am/s400/2013-01-06155529_zps71e9aec2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
The bathtub is one of Michaels favorite places to be (other than being held). With just a little bit of water in the bottom he crawls and splashes and climbs all over. He gets a bath a couple times a day at the least, or just after he eats. He's the messiest and, I know it's weird, he's also the angriest eater I've ever met. He yells while he eats, almost as if he's demanding the food to do what it's made for and get in his mouth! His favorites include crackers and Nilla wafers because he can use his teeth on them. He loves scraping his teeth against anything that gets in his mouth. He uses his teeth to rip away at the food as he growls and eats at the same time. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMTYzer-culyLrECdc_uiTyiZpHRapSDBAgcrtpdbWHDDLHcB1o5Rt5CrhGp-BZf7pEglaLWdM1Fo_5BifnvTNthrX9v-VxQ_dd48oAGEPJcauRN4Z296E7eveyoFuDhuZsbR3ooJKIkf/s1600/2013-01-06155611_zps06f13b49(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMTYzer-culyLrECdc_uiTyiZpHRapSDBAgcrtpdbWHDDLHcB1o5Rt5CrhGp-BZf7pEglaLWdM1Fo_5BifnvTNthrX9v-VxQ_dd48oAGEPJcauRN4Z296E7eveyoFuDhuZsbR3ooJKIkf/s640/2013-01-06155611_zps06f13b49(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We just began trying to live a heart healthy lifestyle for the new year. We've began our weekend hikes as well as 20-30 minutes of cardio a day. If we want Michaels heart to be healthy then we need ours to be healthy as well. We're eating healthier and a lot better than we had been and just trying to stay more focused on what we're putting into our bodies. We're off to a great start and we're also feeling physically better. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfmxqCKmpYt-aAZA0JXAfKnYWVbUO__k_ENxSQCLJYTCCfRG30GZ57YBjkFDVoi4yd0grpnpk9PgfmWBVi2JWNxOprXdje9aDDhaeL8ydhNuVPgOzYpX0mEHLPlE7HMei5NOkm40Ugt3w/s640/2013-01-09141810_zpsdf844d41.jpg" width="480" /></div>
<br />
Coming up on Michaels 1st birthday we're also getting a good dose of reality checks. Financially we're still not making it. This has brought up a lot of conversations regarding Michaels condition and the possibility of leaving him in someone elses care for a few hours a day.As you can imagine, we're getting opinions thrown at us and even our own seem to be difficult to think about and our conversations seem to drop when they get to stressful to think about. Reality is, we need to find another source of income and it's not an easy thing to talk about. I don't like posting information like this because I don't like showing this side of our reality but I also don't feel like hiding our problems. I know that so many others are in similar situations and ours shouldn't be sugar coated. This is part of our daily story and even being 9 (almost 10) months down the road we're still running into road blocks. Life is full of lemons - The trick is finding use out of the ones that are bruised.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wf3MhSJKB5kdb7tcJ9vsMiCAs6pmhVTBckaCY3inxGaTAdaT69I_s9uR2HCsSGIZw8pQgK18UyPJPjV2bGntKxUfDLA99-lTlK-oNFcqbO7KMCDaYK2LQBXa25YPC8NWwpCpWE8VQFVv/s1600/2013-01-19122321_zps1eeb4c57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wf3MhSJKB5kdb7tcJ9vsMiCAs6pmhVTBckaCY3inxGaTAdaT69I_s9uR2HCsSGIZw8pQgK18UyPJPjV2bGntKxUfDLA99-lTlK-oNFcqbO7KMCDaYK2LQBXa25YPC8NWwpCpWE8VQFVv/s640/2013-01-19122321_zps1eeb4c57.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-19458634193562680112013-01-04T20:57:00.002-08:002013-01-04T21:03:41.521-08:00Tug-of-WarI am so happy to be sitting down and writing this right now. Michael just fell asleep and Zoey is distracted which means I get a few minutes to update and reminisce over the last couple of months. This time seems to be going by faster and faster and becoming a blur.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_QoyFRogS5Pxk1rrslVnQct7RbeHcWSvVRvkTzuTtD7avIpHaZ0TByVKyLg516qI3MbYma5ABWJUrlB3f9oLIj0n3pNazWeB4UgtPvO2mh5TsMuoaC832Hr1x0YwLYjEAgK-x83sp8yf/s1600/2012-12-08+14.00.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_QoyFRogS5Pxk1rrslVnQct7RbeHcWSvVRvkTzuTtD7avIpHaZ0TByVKyLg516qI3MbYma5ABWJUrlB3f9oLIj0n3pNazWeB4UgtPvO2mh5TsMuoaC832Hr1x0YwLYjEAgK-x83sp8yf/s400/2012-12-08+14.00.20.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Michael is doing fantastic! We just celebrated his 1st Christmas and his 1st New Year. Of course I don't have the picture of Mike with Santa on my computer but I promise I will post it soon. Santa loved him and Mike found his beard fascinating. It was so wonderful to have him with us when we got to see both our families. He's so happy to welcome people into his life. Stranger Danger is going to be a tough lesson for him as he meets so many new people daily; through his doctors, nurses, and even people I haven't met that are more than willing to participate in our heart journey. It is so wonderful to see such a huge positive reaction started by such a small baby boy. Michael is now 9 months old. He's been home for 6 months. At 9 months he has 4 teeth, he's crawling, eating everything he sees (even if it's not edible) and he is even throwing great big tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. This boy gets tougher every day and shows his spirit through and through. If you're grumpy - he's grumpy. If you're loud - he's loud. If you're quiet - he's still loud - haha. It's hard to appreciate it in the moment sometimes because he is so spirited but in these few moments of reflection I see a lot of me and Jaron in him. Also a lot of Zoey.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoYO_8rOaFDPTdGRMa_4w95QJn5UIeeaTWDBqO3YZCRiuIIg_UlYGpJjK3AeDQmg3zWSurkTT_RkN4a3aRpe-AJRulD223LmROmhQh64fcbtZUUQ9FrxQZSsv2sFz3z0xEc4tJyHtOgkh/s1600/2012-12-22+13.55.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoYO_8rOaFDPTdGRMa_4w95QJn5UIeeaTWDBqO3YZCRiuIIg_UlYGpJjK3AeDQmg3zWSurkTT_RkN4a3aRpe-AJRulD223LmROmhQh64fcbtZUUQ9FrxQZSsv2sFz3z0xEc4tJyHtOgkh/s200/2012-12-22+13.55.38.jpg" width="150" /></a>Michael follows Zoey Everywhere! He's her little groupie. She is his protector as well as his tormenter. If he has it, she wants it. If she has it, he wants it. Sharing is a tough thing to teach - Any advice is wonderful!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3n6Ku6aK4vwI3sz9EJlQ0EIT8-6kccQcjMrM6u133j4tNqvbAbCJsfGSM1J9Zb1PtqNdTzoN5H5kUFxEB6QtT0ZHbjD-Mt99pWj_6qYohfeqUmxNVaf5zpCov7K6sIlNpqUQ00wp_Hp1/s1600/2012-12-21+16.29.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3n6Ku6aK4vwI3sz9EJlQ0EIT8-6kccQcjMrM6u133j4tNqvbAbCJsfGSM1J9Zb1PtqNdTzoN5H5kUFxEB6QtT0ZHbjD-Mt99pWj_6qYohfeqUmxNVaf5zpCov7K6sIlNpqUQ00wp_Hp1/s400/2012-12-21+16.29.26.jpg" width="400" /></a>We've all had a tough 9 months. Our little family has felt trauma and emotion in a larger quantity than some feel in a life time. Zoeys 3rd Birthday was on December 10th and We wanted so badly to have her be #1 for just 1 whole day. She was definitely spoiled with gifts and love and she even had a princess birthday party. She was definitely a princess for a day. That evening Mike was sick and his color had been off for about a week. His color began to turn more purple moment by moment and again we made the trip to the ER at Childrens Aurora. During that drive I struggled with so many emotions. First off leaving Zoey on her birthday. Secondly, the thought that this could be it. This could be that moment that his heart gives out and needs his valve replacement surgery. That was the busiest I have ever seen a hospital. After we arrived Michaels color looked great and he was playing with us and having fun. But after waiting for an hour we finally said something and they didn't even have us set in the system. They got us in right away and ran every test they could think of and couldn't find what was causing this episode. They didn't see the discoloration as it had cleared up once we arrived. His mood was good and he was eating great. They did a blood test, an Xray, an EKG, And an Echo and found that everything was as good as it has been. As scary as it is not to have an answer, the fact that Michael was ok right then was everything I needed to hear. We got home the next morning at about 4:30am and I cannot describe the feeling I felt other than saying it was the worst hang over of my life. The rush so many emotions, good and bad, coming and going so quickly was more than our bodies could handle on no sleep. Another one of the hardest nights of my life.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5TB4c11pFmEvTiMSPLnoqS8St9gGoHwyDA7gorDvHUt_PCccB21vX3Xb1-BdBjmoE5v_HYxHHzsz2mQPGVtFg6026dDeJxYZmuxGzfOZebfu4kQHAoZdGzcpcM3R-D6uWY78ywvk_ovf/s1600/2012-12-22+14.16.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5TB4c11pFmEvTiMSPLnoqS8St9gGoHwyDA7gorDvHUt_PCccB21vX3Xb1-BdBjmoE5v_HYxHHzsz2mQPGVtFg6026dDeJxYZmuxGzfOZebfu4kQHAoZdGzcpcM3R-D6uWY78ywvk_ovf/s640/2012-12-22+14.16.49.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For New Years I prayed for a less stressful year. For peace and calming. Seeing as the world didn't end this could actually be possible, Right? I got to spend New Years Eve at my moms and fell asleep well before midnight. I felt so old but wanted to sleep so bad! After breakfast we went home and we could not believe what had happened while we'd been gone. One of the neighbors up the street and struck Jarons car that was parked in front of our house. The back was smashed in and the driver side tail light was gone. There was no note, no message, and no one around. AGH! Our neighbor who is, thank heavens, a police officer was able to give me the non emergency number to call in to and him and his wife stayed with us to assess the damage. As we stood in front of the car, a girl came from up the street to admit what she had done (while driving her boyfriends car) and we were able to get her information and Thankfully!!!! he had insurance. This morning the car was declared totaled and next week they'll be towing it and we'll be looking for another car. It all happened so fast it doesn't seem real. I made sure I thanked her for coming forward. It had to be hard seeing us all surrounding the car so upset. But, she did it. Wow. People are still good. Even if it takes them a little longer to pull themselves to their feet and admit that they are capable of wonderful things. This year I challenge everyone to pay it forward. We've been given so much this last year that it makes me feel the need to give back in any way possible. Give to others even if it's a smile. You never know when someone needs to see a good spirit.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEBPQ-uApRlmiDFGQknKsL4bTkmRg8oi5uJQ7kadC-ZLzQS_X8mFxCxxh4HnkXP7WBa9j2HrN5rfUgs67eLKDQxePfYcNIMSOcrRCQIodi-ragh_LHUnHMpWyfPywI7aBSE5SM-RPniZh/s1600/2012-12-21+17.21.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEBPQ-uApRlmiDFGQknKsL4bTkmRg8oi5uJQ7kadC-ZLzQS_X8mFxCxxh4HnkXP7WBa9j2HrN5rfUgs67eLKDQxePfYcNIMSOcrRCQIodi-ragh_LHUnHMpWyfPywI7aBSE5SM-RPniZh/s400/2012-12-21+17.21.44.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Happy New Years Everyone!</b></div>
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-23261647755143301102012-12-02T11:05:00.000-08:002012-12-02T11:09:32.940-08:00The AwakeningSounds like the title to a scary movie to me. It's like being woken
up from a dead sleep with a rush of adrenaline that lasts only for a
minute, which is about how long it takes me to realize that Michael is
awake. again. Its been going on for weeks where he wakes up in the night
screaming. Usually a bottle pacifies him, but what about when the
bottle stops to help? Or when he's already had a bottle and he isn't
hungry? Well, about 3 or 4 times a night this is how I wake up. The
screaming continues as we go down the stairs, into the kitchen, and as I
make the bottle while holding him (most of the time), and until the
bottle reaches his mouth. After talking to both his therapists and his
pediatrician we've decided that he needs to begin to learn some self
soothing techniques. This means we need to try having him put himself to
sleep and instead of the bottle in the middle of the night I try to
sooth him without it. So far its about 30 min of screaming and sleeping
patterns before I give in and get the bottle. I'm getting better
though!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDUavbbz7LA8wTu4f1llXmigzaKhZw9f_rkNpv2hKewAgKin-cNd2tJIfwzyeP2csRrDNpGXGL0rkUgwk2Jn5meFhbgUZEzGK7CJG5md8caNOsPF1chHGZgy-UkkrXciYzlN1piuNvT6l/s1600/2012-11-27+08.17.42.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDUavbbz7LA8wTu4f1llXmigzaKhZw9f_rkNpv2hKewAgKin-cNd2tJIfwzyeP2csRrDNpGXGL0rkUgwk2Jn5meFhbgUZEzGK7CJG5md8caNOsPF1chHGZgy-UkkrXciYzlN1piuNvT6l/s400/2012-11-27+08.17.42.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbdbm1xsoW13JrYYqjKWtbwRrMsFuX__bfR4kqpa7c55HH6u0xCZ6pikaOc3ZRy8UViL0FYD4-eIYLrtOsMqiYnBA0clruSTNJ8Kk8bXQTGtcYKSQiF2HFLYs38r9bx-z1zHzX9Lgb4Xj/s1600/2012-11-27+15.49.49.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbdbm1xsoW13JrYYqjKWtbwRrMsFuX__bfR4kqpa7c55HH6u0xCZ6pikaOc3ZRy8UViL0FYD4-eIYLrtOsMqiYnBA0clruSTNJ8Kk8bXQTGtcYKSQiF2HFLYs38r9bx-z1zHzX9Lgb4Xj/s400/2012-11-27+15.49.49.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG7nFnleh0tuU1kBLjZ7Y5AqH3bhn3Oc8ueSgAiY25HRglallbml4XEzu7Nq2foHtWSDF82UJDKTmstkrTLFOVke7VQzftANmUnckn7YK9VMnf_aDcXuFYdCxpp1fxaGa1aFZ5UpFfALq/s1600/2012-11-22+12.58.20.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG7nFnleh0tuU1kBLjZ7Y5AqH3bhn3Oc8ueSgAiY25HRglallbml4XEzu7Nq2foHtWSDF82UJDKTmstkrTLFOVke7VQzftANmUnckn7YK9VMnf_aDcXuFYdCxpp1fxaGa1aFZ5UpFfALq/s640/2012-11-22+12.58.20.jpg" width="640" /></a>It
is wonderful to say that Michael was able to experience his first
Thanksgiving! I was so happy to have him there with us, sitting in the
highchair next to the table. I bought a little jar of turkey dinner mash
so that he could have a proper Thanksgiving. As you can probably guess a
jar of turkey dinner mash tastes like poo so in reality he had half a
baby spoonful and that was the end of that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL98jVb64dJrHAj37o2d8sjnq_HWKsDG2ZVbCDLYDFb6RTRUWyEdK1EoQ5Vh0uy3Cj0s4ETMV8rF-kuGDV-ma3KwAuhZO5V_sCgEVsVs5zkb1JXxJOrvFvOLzJt2oPl_fTAoLPS1Dy3qDr/s1600/2012-11-29+16.15.35.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL98jVb64dJrHAj37o2d8sjnq_HWKsDG2ZVbCDLYDFb6RTRUWyEdK1EoQ5Vh0uy3Cj0s4ETMV8rF-kuGDV-ma3KwAuhZO5V_sCgEVsVs5zkb1JXxJOrvFvOLzJt2oPl_fTAoLPS1Dy3qDr/s400/2012-11-29+16.15.35.jpg" width="297" /></a>Thanksgiving
weekend was full of surprises and so much fun with family. Both my
sisters that live in Utah were able to come out and My sisters husband
met Michael for the first time. Thanksgiving also brought the flu. It
swept through our family like the plague. Not trying to jinx him or
anything but I think Jaron is one of the only ones that didn't catch it.
Michael threw up a few times and in the middle of the night woke with a
fever of 103.6. His heart rate was around 160 and he was kind of
breathing funny so we made the decision to take him the urgent care just
to be cautious. Like we could've guessed it was just the bug passing
through and like any other baby we treated him with Tylenol, Motrin and
Pedialite. The Cardiologist that came to urgent care to see him was so
happy to see her "boyfriend". The last time she saw him he was failing
with respiratory problems caused by his arrhythmia. She was shocked at
how big he'd gotten and said he was cuter than ever (which is so true).
After telling everyone that Michael had the flu the rest of the family
fell with a similar fate, one after another.We're finally feeling better and moving on to Holiday #2 - Enter: Christmas!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF0ulIO9LRfYgxrHRw-RW67Bw03ef9HIQ2IY4hDGkMJMYsjtBBOhd6TN6WGjnM3ES4oVxQqR5ocTPBNt_BNoxgxjEu1LxfKsNKt5UHqfx0kyzSYK35uSu5GtyhjDRQRKUBQxf7wfH3r8K/s1600/2012-11-29+16.18.44.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF0ulIO9LRfYgxrHRw-RW67Bw03ef9HIQ2IY4hDGkMJMYsjtBBOhd6TN6WGjnM3ES4oVxQqR5ocTPBNt_BNoxgxjEu1LxfKsNKt5UHqfx0kyzSYK35uSu5GtyhjDRQRKUBQxf7wfH3r8K/s320/2012-11-29+16.18.44.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl9aWXyMowoqrFWIfqcPvzVwMguupzc5oGXzuDYnYdq4pE5SzWAtyJdAplLTB8CMzpc7sGNSbJVw87KCjTp-OywGbH40IktbuaMp0CXB4SVf1uzNVKw8VyiTYfXTw4zLUUixFQ8bE3hXx/s1600/2012-11-23+13.46.14.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl9aWXyMowoqrFWIfqcPvzVwMguupzc5oGXzuDYnYdq4pE5SzWAtyJdAplLTB8CMzpc7sGNSbJVw87KCjTp-OywGbH40IktbuaMp0CXB4SVf1uzNVKw8VyiTYfXTw4zLUUixFQ8bE3hXx/s320/2012-11-23+13.46.14.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Zoey's
3rd Birthday is next week! December 10th - We are so excited!! I gave her
a few party options thinking she could get a present related to the
theme that she picked and in the end she chose a princess party. Ha -
This scared me a little at first. After being on Pinterest for about a
day searching different things I think I have a really good idea of what
we can get set up for her. I'm excited to celebrate my first baby's
birth. I've been thinking about how wonderful life was after I had her
and how we were able to conceive such a beautiful little girl. We were
told shortly after we were married that we had very small chances of
having children. We now have the most amazing two children. We've been
gifted with two of the most beautiful angels. Zoey's getting smarter by
the day and Michael is already crawling and now eating solid foods. It's
so much fun just to sit back and watch them grow. I'm so excited to celebrate Zoey's life and what all her life has brought us.<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-2782136197609279642012-11-15T21:12:00.001-08:002012-11-15T21:13:00.894-08:00My Aching Back<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AFhmrHtpqHj3eoK7roOQImH1jrdhw093qWJnc_O3XzgAursUnwXbg30i_0fCGBZZN4WnUFXeBTv1YRsJPqnaJVnTrNDUn1Y6XhmxNo8d-HvHtj-K4wdg4NrgWjop0vQbsNTjAGNhr4A7/s1600/2012-11-13091206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AFhmrHtpqHj3eoK7roOQImH1jrdhw093qWJnc_O3XzgAursUnwXbg30i_0fCGBZZN4WnUFXeBTv1YRsJPqnaJVnTrNDUn1Y6XhmxNo8d-HvHtj-K4wdg4NrgWjop0vQbsNTjAGNhr4A7/s320/2012-11-13091206.jpg" width="240" /></a>One of the only pains you'll ever love to feel, the pain in your back and shoulders from a bouncing baby boy. Michael is that boy and he LOVES to jump. The only thing is, he wants to jump on your lap, while you hold onto him. In comes the pain at the end of the day. This boy has every reason to be held non stop through out the day, so he is (mostly). He loves playing on the floor and trying to follow Zoey and me around but he is still pushing backwards. It is so rewarding to see him laughing and playing and doing everything that other baby's his age are doing. He's started on solid foods and is the messiest eater in the world. This makes it even more fun to watch as Zoey tries feeding him. The tug-of-war begins. I have to intervene, Michaels grip is a good one. This boy doesn't give up easily (I know he never will). Zoey loves to feed her brother and she also loves to scare him. It's one of her favorite things to do right now. Pretty much every time Michael begins to make sounds, she copies him - louder.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1xkcwrJ1mCIezT06TTNkmJXTGY0clHqM_Aby1G8_h5VYavjGFrr3jCt_2yNxknEX4fqy4pQMgEJW-UbSrK0GvqfLJfX7fXSwoWjO0lqh56AoJYT0OWyYmAqIZ5N7xt-O8WE6v2DBJJzk/s1600/2012-11-14183109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1xkcwrJ1mCIezT06TTNkmJXTGY0clHqM_Aby1G8_h5VYavjGFrr3jCt_2yNxknEX4fqy4pQMgEJW-UbSrK0GvqfLJfX7fXSwoWjO0lqh56AoJYT0OWyYmAqIZ5N7xt-O8WE6v2DBJJzk/s400/2012-11-14183109.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy55oR_GtAwZpQ5SioC_PzSOocYLPndQYIG_Q9HqXzxU1a6HEMCShjV9XHCx_lQOrmpRkjSwGUzWX3HevrZplSHJL-3a5acTQCrhkw3gLeAWvjIh_xRq6oTACbcjedE1adwrBUkpQfvF9l/s1600/2012-11-14183130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy55oR_GtAwZpQ5SioC_PzSOocYLPndQYIG_Q9HqXzxU1a6HEMCShjV9XHCx_lQOrmpRkjSwGUzWX3HevrZplSHJL-3a5acTQCrhkw3gLeAWvjIh_xRq6oTACbcjedE1adwrBUkpQfvF9l/s400/2012-11-14183130.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhatLp3bGg_7eECJrTSFptCsYnwB1ACIl-6pp9x_I_lLjSxfpWLKN-UWEJ3PRQ01SiDj8nHwvgE5dhkZWoSu-wHIOeExboW_d48gjRSYoOiYdI5X_RUZoobEjavzfWOR_nBbVk9u1TfOT/s1600/2012-11-13143316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhatLp3bGg_7eECJrTSFptCsYnwB1ACIl-6pp9x_I_lLjSxfpWLKN-UWEJ3PRQ01SiDj8nHwvgE5dhkZWoSu-wHIOeExboW_d48gjRSYoOiYdI5X_RUZoobEjavzfWOR_nBbVk9u1TfOT/s320/2012-11-13143316.jpg" width="240" /></a>Zoey has had some great time with her cousins lately. She had a spend the night with my brothers kids and I realized again how much she needs to get out and play. This morning we walked over to Teeny Greenies which is a little consignment store by our house. A friend from church invited me and I am so glad she did. Every time I saw the sign I'd thought it was a marijuana dispensary. She laughed and told me that it's much better than a dispensary and it's children based. They have story time Tuesday mornings and crafts and cookies Wednesdays. It was so great to get out and let Zoey run. She of course brought her stroller as well so about half way there I loaded her and her stroller into our double stroller as she was too tired to continue. We were blessed with good weather on our walk and had a lot of fun visiting and playing with our friends.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRnCLzsp14bvJb2qt4sGhQeo3yc8gKuJDupdQxUNOZJf2UpWErGlORih_i20K7lxhH-noL3In0wAunxNfpscTkFtzYcO9TBaeP7gB0FxHbgArPWZMgqzG3qGasjGwvzLaK9f6xMqmX6k6/s1600/2012-11-13091352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRnCLzsp14bvJb2qt4sGhQeo3yc8gKuJDupdQxUNOZJf2UpWErGlORih_i20K7lxhH-noL3In0wAunxNfpscTkFtzYcO9TBaeP7gB0FxHbgArPWZMgqzG3qGasjGwvzLaK9f6xMqmX6k6/s320/2012-11-13091352.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Michael has two teeth now and is still on his way to crawling. I am so excited that he is going to experience his first Thanksgiving and his first Christmas this year. Our families have so many traditions during the holidays that I cannot wait to begin. He gets to be in the pictures to. I feel so blessed to have our family together during the holidays. We will have both of our kids with us the whole way. No traveling back and forth from the hospital. Just the warmth of our own home (and grandma & grandpas of course)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The holidays are upon us! Let the festivities begin!</div>
JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-59269540553671627992012-11-08T21:55:00.001-08:002012-11-08T22:08:39.789-08:00HM Round 2 - Complete!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_kEt3OEpVfyOA-n6GCJInapcCBPWl8IHSbgxBIS4nP0wx0_E4BdEb9uXPsiHoigqD5XSLPhQWplZyRyrLA_A4GUI5Oo66xkLss0z-_2Iwpxy9sMSDdZeSNlII72c5Hji6uXFUZdeOtQl/s1600/2012-11-02+21.11.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_kEt3OEpVfyOA-n6GCJInapcCBPWl8IHSbgxBIS4nP0wx0_E4BdEb9uXPsiHoigqD5XSLPhQWplZyRyrLA_A4GUI5Oo66xkLss0z-_2Iwpxy9sMSDdZeSNlII72c5Hji6uXFUZdeOtQl/s640/2012-11-02+21.11.35.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Michaels most recent heart monitor came with it's very own cell phone. Just like any cell phone it needs to keep a charge to work. If I leave for the day I make sure his monitor wire is looped around his diaper tag so that the monitor doesn't hang too loose. There have been a few times I haven't done this and in the process of picking him up I thump who ever may be next to him. It has a clip that I was, at first, able to clip onto the back of his pants or maybe on the hip. Zoey made sure that didn't last to long. It broke shortly after we had it. Either that or one too many thumps on peoples heads might have played a part in that to. The stickers that came with this monitor weren't as durable as the last ones. After about a day the stick begins to wear off the bottom goo and it smudges. If not on Michael, then on his clothes. It's like washing a t-shirt that had a big sticker on the front of it. Have you ever forgotten to take off a sticker before beginning the wash? >_<<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0UtBy8KXsOIp6Xs95eL7G5M8t3EyoZoykNsmEYYvs7wTD-WIpN_3SBTDz_6_oLWHQcF5BjY05NWIryraQBIpd0v7wnv1RDynbY2Jbn2At3j_U02xmKm8zUwV1qm86c6p9bIMXrHF-5nT/s1600/2012-11-02+21.12.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0UtBy8KXsOIp6Xs95eL7G5M8t3EyoZoykNsmEYYvs7wTD-WIpN_3SBTDz_6_oLWHQcF5BjY05NWIryraQBIpd0v7wnv1RDynbY2Jbn2At3j_U02xmKm8zUwV1qm86c6p9bIMXrHF-5nT/s640/2012-11-02+21.12.31.jpg" width="480" /></a>Michael is so mobile now that the leads get pulled off easier. He rolls and they unsnap like a button. At this point I decide whether it will be better for him to pinch him to snap it back or remove the stickers if the blisters around it aren't too bad. If the blisters are too bad then I don't want to keep reattaching things to the open wounds. Sometimes it's a hard decision. I think he's gotten used to the little pinch. That one is a little less invasive to his skin. He is also moving around so much that the bruises have started to set in. The cardiologist warned us about this. Because he is on a blood thinner he will bruise easier. With hard wood floors the odds are raised. Bruises to date - Forehead, Forehead, Hip and Rib. He hasn't even begun to move forwards yet. Everywhere he goes is backwards. It's funny watching Zoey follow him around. She gets upset if he moves too far away from where we put him to play.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There is a constant blinking light on the front of his monitor which tells us four things.<br />
<br />
1 - It's monitoring<br />
2 - It's sending a recording<br />
3 - It's lost connection with the phone<br />
4 - Battery needs replaced (which is every 2-3 days)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczGXrss4Tjf8NGVz8hsgLxe7mlPHGdYaktOorGjPJStpDnFGuRFZcYzJM8A9lUGe1DqfHv0AeF3ev_IqLLXn4EScl53tzd1_NoUNSBEJv1iM8R59K8Bg0xTqyDzq8o2NxJFOghNz0J38s/s1600/2012-11-04+19.56.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczGXrss4Tjf8NGVz8hsgLxe7mlPHGdYaktOorGjPJStpDnFGuRFZcYzJM8A9lUGe1DqfHv0AeF3ev_IqLLXn4EScl53tzd1_NoUNSBEJv1iM8R59K8Bg0xTqyDzq8o2NxJFOghNz0J38s/s400/2012-11-04+19.56.50.jpg" width="300" /></a>This morning I woke up and the blue light was flashing which means it lost connection with the phone. Usually if it loses connection the phone is either dead or I've moved the monitor too far from the phone. Right away I scolded myself for not charging his phone and got up to put it on the charger. In my groggy state I noticed that it was already on the charger. It had a message on it that said "Monitoring Complete. Please Return Equipment" - Oh My Goodness! I was so thrilled. That means that the study is over and Michaels chest gets a break. I looked back on an earlier blog post "No Strings Attached" - It's that same feeling all over again. I wanted to cheer and jump and clap but Michael was still asleep. Instead, I slowly gave him a kiss on the forehead and cuddled back into bed - Just in time for Michael to wake up! He's so tricky!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Zoey had spent the night at her grandmas last night so I got some alone time with Michael this morning. It was nice taking a little more time getting myself ready for the day. I was able to run some errands before picking up Zoey at preschool. She was able to go today to play with some friends and did great! She misses them so much. I miss my job at the daycare and I really miss the kids I taught. Seeing some of them today made me realize how fast our kids grow up. They're getting so big. I am so proud of most of them starting Kindergarten this year. It's a big step for them to take but the all did so well. I hope we'll be in the position for me to go back and teach again soon. Michael was built pretty tough but we need to make sure that he keeps getting stronger. I also hope that he'll be getting around more to see the people that have been supporting him, through their thoughts and prayers and special gifts. You all are so wonderful for everything you do. I've been keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers to.<br />
<br />A Great Big Thank you - From Me (Bryttney Phillips) - Mom to a very special Heart WarriorJaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-32790152090017225572012-10-26T14:00:00.000-07:002012-10-26T14:04:14.921-07:00Heart Felt Moments<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzU3YVt3esN0CHNrrfm-TB8G5zMQluBCnzBAIXS-VlB6Wak8mfuS-YfSbqw81ApZ-voClEn60Ua1vNv-fgIzlSWnIasIyg8yUP8w-NhrmDTWnUSFsqem3a_snYPgRAsx3zdyjXNmqDYMW/s1600/TeamJessica-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzU3YVt3esN0CHNrrfm-TB8G5zMQluBCnzBAIXS-VlB6Wak8mfuS-YfSbqw81ApZ-voClEn60Ua1vNv-fgIzlSWnIasIyg8yUP8w-NhrmDTWnUSFsqem3a_snYPgRAsx3zdyjXNmqDYMW/s200/TeamJessica-1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYrERspEAK1JW7iJh0xBGirif_qVq1kpHxTGNfeh-u8WvXynVuexu6aw28ouWTlKbPoKNEcDqo1BtE_VYj4uQUAnFKboKsAHpW2UQGAycx-DugFu_THlclea0Il1s7Wmjc5-dMireDSwr/s1600/TeamJessica-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYrERspEAK1JW7iJh0xBGirif_qVq1kpHxTGNfeh-u8WvXynVuexu6aw28ouWTlKbPoKNEcDqo1BtE_VYj4uQUAnFKboKsAHpW2UQGAycx-DugFu_THlclea0Il1s7Wmjc5-dMireDSwr/s320/TeamJessica-2.jpg" width="180" /></a>Beautiful children. We are so blessed with our beautiful children and everyday we get to spend with them. A few weeks ago a little girl went missing from our neighborhood. Jessica Ridgeway. I didn't know her and I lived less than a mile from her house. So did the boy that killed her. I've been hugging my kids so much tighter and giving them more kisses than ever. We have been praying hard for her family and friends and for all those that were involved and are now involved in this case. We've all been faced with trials but the hardest trial is the one her family is now facing. My heart goes out to them and wish that they may have peace of mind knowing now that she is safe and smiling down on them with love at this difficult time.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpCUQXy2vNyH1qin0SDrkJpIXffbMI18EA9xOJSC7b81p_1nZ3H0FnxK1V9fvs78rWUeNSfbVG73dfM1VEmIk-ql7ms8NkmZewyYzh84R9v0dHXe4Nwvs5ySjz9A93hrV0aUTHd8gbN9j/s1600/MyCardiacBaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpCUQXy2vNyH1qin0SDrkJpIXffbMI18EA9xOJSC7b81p_1nZ3H0FnxK1V9fvs78rWUeNSfbVG73dfM1VEmIk-ql7ms8NkmZewyYzh84R9v0dHXe4Nwvs5ySjz9A93hrV0aUTHd8gbN9j/s400/MyCardiacBaby.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Your prayers pulled us through our most difficult times. There is no way to say thank you enough. I only hope that I can help others the way everyone else has been helping me. We've received some amazing gifts from some amazing people and I want to give a shout out to them. Thank you so much! You know who you are! We are so thrilled to have so many amazing people following our story and keeping us on a steady path to recovery. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWr88j5Ts3O9W9S6XuFQJF9tEpA2_ob-AUar9Dz-lA8Y-izuabxKwFVQLvbVuNsAPTnUMh_vqY9skvFCT26_qhe6k73E_m-jnXJxgslUUqZvmfeQZWZT_ucbo8gLnSUJjNMk9JaYL7sDq/s1600/Favorite+Toys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWr88j5Ts3O9W9S6XuFQJF9tEpA2_ob-AUar9Dz-lA8Y-izuabxKwFVQLvbVuNsAPTnUMh_vqY9skvFCT26_qhe6k73E_m-jnXJxgslUUqZvmfeQZWZT_ucbo8gLnSUJjNMk9JaYL7sDq/s400/Favorite+Toys.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntuPd23nRfJ41KBNOqRQ-DmQAFMxGCQv_lBTYNOb0qMA0MGOsr1z2EaAyRdJqswDOgnjuLQgePzrN2_BnUjWVPa_xD6ENoKkG1JQXq9qDi8XBDqcWLs40VgVXOWTS9EXdhDz6ZJAfc4d4/s1600/My+Lovies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntuPd23nRfJ41KBNOqRQ-DmQAFMxGCQv_lBTYNOb0qMA0MGOsr1z2EaAyRdJqswDOgnjuLQgePzrN2_BnUjWVPa_xD6ENoKkG1JQXq9qDi8XBDqcWLs40VgVXOWTS9EXdhDz6ZJAfc4d4/s400/My+Lovies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDehOUNW2_vu_ILWgbaPtv47r8qVrqZACegdl0eDlSJhdSfpaDk51yeuvH-BflQkp9EwBJIia28imiLtI8l6qSPPv9-D3U-oNP_Xc8f9A-QJsTmiEo_S8nV8ayDP4NFSHYHRIxXI-24my/s1600/MySunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDehOUNW2_vu_ILWgbaPtv47r8qVrqZACegdl0eDlSJhdSfpaDk51yeuvH-BflQkp9EwBJIia28imiLtI8l6qSPPv9-D3U-oNP_Xc8f9A-QJsTmiEo_S8nV8ayDP4NFSHYHRIxXI-24my/s400/MySunshine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCiCmDSvVCAR7Fn3Q9v0oOMB00IcIIOsd3LZDwwEnPYRA4qynM38BmpLfpLdIOk7T3wNleMpX0-jXu8PttZcA_DNO5LJ5qxiupmEnseVrEd686l0As0Sd1RyJqqw5IrVVE6ByvQLJB4zW/s1600/BattleWounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCiCmDSvVCAR7Fn3Q9v0oOMB00IcIIOsd3LZDwwEnPYRA4qynM38BmpLfpLdIOk7T3wNleMpX0-jXu8PttZcA_DNO5LJ5qxiupmEnseVrEd686l0As0Sd1RyJqqw5IrVVE6ByvQLJB4zW/s320/BattleWounds.jpg" width="320" /></a> Michael had a Cardiac update and is doing well after being released from the hospital again. His smile gets bigger every time I see him. He has a brand new tooth and is not quite sure what to do with it. We've been working on eating (it is a messy task because he wants to feed himself). His heart monitor will be off in the next few weeks and he is going to love having it off again. We've had to give him breaks in between changing the leads and stickers on his chest. He's got new battle wounds that heal slowly. They're hard to see and not feel pain for this little guy. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Our Heart Soldier Marches On!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkbNtSIY6FCeoF5Tul6XrHHyAk33YmycWXJxgnqGYjqZmmgQOMljeDowwvjTWT7nylJkupHpRGyqJzeAK6Y1YlQWxNgReaSsNqWEuoYIcy4ebbvbfELCL-rb1IAhr5xUiW5OAeB5j_TYj/s1600/Smiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkbNtSIY6FCeoF5Tul6XrHHyAk33YmycWXJxgnqGYjqZmmgQOMljeDowwvjTWT7nylJkupHpRGyqJzeAK6Y1YlQWxNgReaSsNqWEuoYIcy4ebbvbfELCL-rb1IAhr5xUiW5OAeB5j_TYj/s320/Smiles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-79475815233169823542012-10-08T14:05:00.000-07:002012-10-08T14:05:43.192-07:00The Common Cold<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKFoh0dGUZAIBtKv_HowduftwJXT2-P1t-pNSZIcr7bdOT6ZYdD9QeRXyS_P67lHheIkLUsnlx-PbZZ4Mai2Tj_H77Z3huApZx3ELogQP7TOqzTZwUIzZ4ya4DLxv0DjoRunzqIloWlgL/s1600/AmbulanceEKG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKFoh0dGUZAIBtKv_HowduftwJXT2-P1t-pNSZIcr7bdOT6ZYdD9QeRXyS_P67lHheIkLUsnlx-PbZZ4Mai2Tj_H77Z3huApZx3ELogQP7TOqzTZwUIzZ4ya4DLxv0DjoRunzqIloWlgL/s320/AmbulanceEKG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We were spending Saturday night at my brothers house. Zoey and Michael both had colds and Michael had been extra fussy the last few hours we were there. Michael was crying and coughing so hard that he began to throw up. They think he might have aspirated some of the throw up or he had a few apnea spells where he stopped breathing for a few minutes. Needless to say I was terrified. I put him in his car seat to take him to urgent care but he started doing it again. All the color left his body and he went limp. My brother quickly called 911 and I went with Michael in an ambulance to Children's Hospital Aurora.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCdajWjcFtReXH38VKN_j8PvgtDV9rI37zQ_O-nH0leGwetsuehmWZjHzG1b2KhmwEeRJ8yWQXhYPvk_r0KVtZWwx9I0SEErh_IIsjcvLfYn7l1rE3JXrauC5T1HmE_aaTxU_rdcTDEMw/s1600/MyHero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCdajWjcFtReXH38VKN_j8PvgtDV9rI37zQ_O-nH0leGwetsuehmWZjHzG1b2KhmwEeRJ8yWQXhYPvk_r0KVtZWwx9I0SEErh_IIsjcvLfYn7l1rE3JXrauC5T1HmE_aaTxU_rdcTDEMw/s320/MyHero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
The ambulance driver did an EKG on Michael and printed it out for me to see. He said "you can probably read this better than me now". He might have that right. The EKG looked pretty good which made me feel confident that we were dealing with Michael's cold and not his heart. We soon arrived to the emergency room at Children's. Once inside Michael's nurses came to his rescue. There must have been six or seven people surrounding him all laughing and smiling at this cute little boy. Sometimes I think he just misses his nurses and needs a good dose of attention. He's big enough this time to fit into a hospital gown. It is absolutely adorable on him. Jaron and Michael's uncle Miah showed up shortly after. I'm pretty sure Jaron was driving just as fast as the ambulance. All of Michael's vitals were good although his heart rate was a little elevated. They began trying to get an IV in which if you've read our earlier posts you know it's next to impossible. They again poked all over and finally got one. Michael was so angry and it was so hard to watch him be so upset. We were told shortly after that they were going to admit him and keep him overnight for observation. I had a sinus flare up from freaking out and because of my cold symptoms I wasn't allowed in the unit with Michael. Jaron went up with him and began the stay on the 9th floor in the CPCU.<br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jqbhsmIfU0d1Wtaii6Vs7zVZ2j7ppZdxbAC0Zi3LWxMTB3WlG9Tfqm15lv8ZguXDjwmMUORLmFDirKHkgSuo5mb5z-dTsTTUKovVfNuGc7wiVpP0oOk6XnU3SNrUE3DhnhjdaSrQIoRe/s1600/My+Angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jqbhsmIfU0d1Wtaii6Vs7zVZ2j7ppZdxbAC0Zi3LWxMTB3WlG9Tfqm15lv8ZguXDjwmMUORLmFDirKHkgSuo5mb5z-dTsTTUKovVfNuGc7wiVpP0oOk6XnU3SNrUE3DhnhjdaSrQIoRe/s320/My+Angel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql9Ex6Z50Sj11c1SHXdS3YywxnrIViDbVFTTkzkeJXknfqyVUX1N4rF8VptHav1zYoAQIJFTXccNRltUM1SrjxYeJmO8_DaGEZTKz-eeB7PEC0jD2MZ-cHwNxNmSriU7c5IaLuAxeQxvb/s1600/2012-10-07+00.21.26.mp4"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Dec4cdbc15c1656b7%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1352322008%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D3B9CED816278842A8963FCD27FCB2F4F11DEAB41.68042D178467EDA636146291E6719C275D0BAD94%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Dec4cdbc15c1656b7%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1352322008%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D3B9CED816278842A8963FCD27FCB2F4F11DEAB41.68042D178467EDA636146291E6719C275D0BAD94%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQnXG0feg0jqrWENSksOuK_AcHeWAJFPHHllCrqF3x1dvsVCdLOzUEdqWYTxzwkO4RErR2N52-wWJstAitARX2-Cpjhp-ciRJMCPpAawEfxXfzDKf3MxMiCh45CfXPN3JJqTgeOysdEVU/s1600/Smiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQnXG0feg0jqrWENSksOuK_AcHeWAJFPHHllCrqF3x1dvsVCdLOzUEdqWYTxzwkO4RErR2N52-wWJstAitARX2-Cpjhp-ciRJMCPpAawEfxXfzDKf3MxMiCh45CfXPN3JJqTgeOysdEVU/s320/Smiles.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
The Champ is back. Michael is being a little trooper. He is so strong. The nurses have to deep suction him with a suction tube that goes down his nose. His congestion and cough are so bad that they are also testing him for Pertussis (Whooping Cough). Pertussis in infants and baby's under 6 months can be fatal. Michael isn't showing severe signs of this and we are still waiting for the results. They are going to keep him until at least Tuesday morning. Jaron is working from the hospital and I am staying home sick with Zoey. We are finally starting to feel better but there is no chance I'm bringing any sicknesses into that hospital. Those kids are going through enough.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thank you again to everyone who has been helping us and keeping us in your prayers. Hopefully Michael will be home again soon. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-82440903419577941972012-10-03T00:04:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:04:51.762-07:00Hurdle Jumping<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWakzbZfWjXkUSNmaOHdwZ1NHwCEmHVj-lzjT68HiAk9EAK8jx1FT7S9eCwsUhs4yYPGPGDh6PD8GQGGViDFxRcEqVLNenSsUxreAQIeDrtN1ElFWayfOG6IxNK4dEglysJXuOnxN_1n4C/s1600/Smiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWakzbZfWjXkUSNmaOHdwZ1NHwCEmHVj-lzjT68HiAk9EAK8jx1FT7S9eCwsUhs4yYPGPGDh6PD8GQGGViDFxRcEqVLNenSsUxreAQIeDrtN1ElFWayfOG6IxNK4dEglysJXuOnxN_1n4C/s320/Smiles.jpg" width="320" /></a>I think I've finally gotten a hang of this blog thing. I changed it up a bit and made it a little bit more fun for me. You'd think after almost 100 posts I'd be a pro but I still feel like such an amateur. <br />
<br />
We've been super busy lately. I feel like my head has exploded and now I'm the one in charge of picking up the pieces. It's hard to find your head when you don't have one. I have so much on my mind right now that I'm going to try to make this post as organized as possible. With that being said, lets start at the beginning.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGyuX1I0SFJRTjKy6_hZ713YQsPl-9OKkPoyNjkSvgJY5TY2kEWI3SSCLAwuIbwewtoJkUb-8eexgV6_cKbb4fiZ0rVtOtHZ1V4bpDPXN9Mw0-2UNo80W-nygLiip3dv02EffQtlqlgF_/s1600/2012-04-21+17.03.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGyuX1I0SFJRTjKy6_hZ713YQsPl-9OKkPoyNjkSvgJY5TY2kEWI3SSCLAwuIbwewtoJkUb-8eexgV6_cKbb4fiZ0rVtOtHZ1V4bpDPXN9Mw0-2UNo80W-nygLiip3dv02EffQtlqlgF_/s320/2012-04-21+17.03.53.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
We have so many people following our story. Our journey that is not only Baby Michaels life, but Zoey's, Jaron's and mine as well. This journey is not a short one, and it's in no way easy. I can tell you that it is so, So worth it. Is it horrible that I question it sometimes? The what ifs? I don't like looking back at what we've been through. I've tried a couple times reading some of the earlier posts and I can't get through the first paragraph on any of them. Every time I go to select a picture to add to my new posts I see this picture of Michael. This picture is so hard for me to see. I've been trying to work up the nerve to post a then and now. To show people what this baby has conquered. He's changed so much and has become so much stronger. We all have. I never in my life thought that I would be sitting in this spot telling the world of the everyday hurdles that I jump over. Sometimes the hurdles are taller and catch me totally unprepared, but I get up, dust off, and start running again.<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago our clothes dryer went out. Our family has been wonderful and has worked with us on getting our laundry done. It brought me closer to my parents. I was able to spend that time enjoying my parents playing with their grandchildren. I also got the opportunity to "Google" how to clean a washing machine after finding a diaper had been in the previous load. Not fun. We finally got enough money together to find one on craigslist and I am in laundry heaven! I've done about ten loads in two days. Hurdle one - Cleared<br />
<br />
About a week ago our microwave decided that if the clothes dryer was going, then it was going to. It's hard not having the convenience of an instantly warm meal. Warming up leftovers on the stove is not really my forte (they burn quickly). I'm getting used to it though and don't see us getting a new one soon so I've sucked it up and decided to pretend it's not there. So far so good. Hurdle two - Cleared, but messy<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_FT-7eQoIt5LfSMjC4PmiQnsoiztyjM0mNVjz7uvpDRkbDFRK_mOHx7NRyZT-Qn2MlRVRFZ2Pmr_Z-4qYGXy-dMXdEhyphenhyphen7h_-bgmobic-_G-V0nF1sNhYavgOaJd1nl0ZvvffCAvYZ1aq/s1600/Zoey1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_FT-7eQoIt5LfSMjC4PmiQnsoiztyjM0mNVjz7uvpDRkbDFRK_mOHx7NRyZT-Qn2MlRVRFZ2Pmr_Z-4qYGXy-dMXdEhyphenhyphen7h_-bgmobic-_G-V0nF1sNhYavgOaJd1nl0ZvvffCAvYZ1aq/s320/Zoey1.jpg" width="320" /></a>And now, The kids are sick. They've picked up the cold going around. There was no way to hide from it. Keeping them locked in the house is just cruel, and believe me, Zoey lets me know when we've been inside too long. Michael is losing his voice and Zoey is coughing and sneezing. This morning it was worse so I decided to call the nurses line which of course led me to Kaisers waiting room. Ears, throat and lungs are clear on both. We are just working on the congestion which leads us to continue on what we were already doing. Hurdle three - Mid jump.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4kyqrl6suMlLTuxhaEaH2gfTPI-7lVKXT2h4Yqxff081ttVumRCmpJ6qOrTHVXCKZMp_YbEr-MJJTCHM95gkXWgHmvLnodnDbF0vayo0mrf7U5bUgbEq6F4cs4sTmuPizKqNAGmIrb7M/s1600/Chautauqua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4kyqrl6suMlLTuxhaEaH2gfTPI-7lVKXT2h4Yqxff081ttVumRCmpJ6qOrTHVXCKZMp_YbEr-MJJTCHM95gkXWgHmvLnodnDbF0vayo0mrf7U5bUgbEq6F4cs4sTmuPizKqNAGmIrb7M/s400/Chautauqua.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
I've become a photobucket junkie. For those of you that haven't been on that site it's awesome!! It makes all my pictures look awesome! Well - to me. Last week I was able to take my youngest brother up to Chautauqua in Boulder. I got some great pictures and it was so much fun getting out of the house. I didn't even have the kids with me! That is still a rare occasion. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPoU2fQ3oYyUr6MdO2fD2D1tR_afNyNWUckQELqr6w99_2_XZajORIjqAq1aPU3gpBdK93dfq9VgPCdYq7K-W8q_h921pmJyHUsIo3pPrG02sqDdoBcT6G33mw6-bu4QJPtv3-XMJ82FH/s1600/EatingRice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPoU2fQ3oYyUr6MdO2fD2D1tR_afNyNWUckQELqr6w99_2_XZajORIjqAq1aPU3gpBdK93dfq9VgPCdYq7K-W8q_h921pmJyHUsIo3pPrG02sqDdoBcT6G33mw6-bu4QJPtv3-XMJ82FH/s320/EatingRice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Michael has been eating his rice cereal once a day and he loves it! Starting tomorrow we go to two times a day. I'm hoping this helps with his reflux. I can't tell you how important it is to have a working washer and dryer when you have a baby with reflux. We also get to see his Physical Therapist tomorrow and he loves getting that play time with her. We get to show her his new trick. He throws his hands in the air when he hears "Champion!". It's hilarious!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvdVPTeFh3biThrU6FqmbXj-kLF1lMemYgHnGyIYJBbPq0Ayhq5TQyh26Yf6nfTz_j6ezegQLp_9GLuMLN0KASU4LDQFqNnW9yAoVBbCMNs6uI2-WLYsS8GvLp_MOIBscrVXhXZwlRQ1T/s1600/Champion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvdVPTeFh3biThrU6FqmbXj-kLF1lMemYgHnGyIYJBbPq0Ayhq5TQyh26Yf6nfTz_j6ezegQLp_9GLuMLN0KASU4LDQFqNnW9yAoVBbCMNs6uI2-WLYsS8GvLp_MOIBscrVXhXZwlRQ1T/s320/Champion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
He is my champion. I am so proud of my family. We have overcome so many obstacles and run in to new ones every day. A big thanks to everyone that has given us a boost over these hurdles. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. We love you <3JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-54913751272896655172012-09-13T22:40:00.002-07:002012-09-13T22:52:05.931-07:00The Straight and Narrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYzVGx_lC7LnMdPB17fAtX2ZcGtXS5nq1fKlDghq4fnPWqo_wq9_Zr3gME7ASV9cPNOnFOtdgNsHbM70AdDUt5VZMGMUfB9idDUlAvOEJnrCeZtnLX9qHuc4rNu3l1P82VzrUYgdXSGfM/s1600/2012-09-11+15.20.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYzVGx_lC7LnMdPB17fAtX2ZcGtXS5nq1fKlDghq4fnPWqo_wq9_Zr3gME7ASV9cPNOnFOtdgNsHbM70AdDUt5VZMGMUfB9idDUlAvOEJnrCeZtnLX9qHuc4rNu3l1P82VzrUYgdXSGfM/s320/2012-09-11+15.20.08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Michael is staying strong and holding on tight to his "balance beam". We have had a week of check ups and appointments that have been great. We met with Michaels PT and OT on Tuesday. They don't have any concerns with him right now and just want to continue monitoring him on a regular basis. His OT left him some new toys to play with that should help with his teething. This boy chews on everything! He is going to be the kid that puts everything in his mouth. I'll need to keep a closer eye on him than I did with Zoey. She never got in to anything. Michael likes the new toys but Zoey Loves the new toys. I just found three of them in her room. She'll be heart broken when it's time to give them back. We are also teaching him to play peak-a-boo. His OT was having a blast!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjar6K-YSV45DcQjfqbE2nDWDN6dDT98AjEFqOnUhG10Gxy7lsHuyplLC1wRARLGiBfSPDmhZXpuN0YWfmtS8jasSkHSKJf2ShvL8UJJeX8IgAE0aHxCaGv5qBIbpfJeMk8ab6-nFKq8m/s1600/2012-09-11+15.23.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjar6K-YSV45DcQjfqbE2nDWDN6dDT98AjEFqOnUhG10Gxy7lsHuyplLC1wRARLGiBfSPDmhZXpuN0YWfmtS8jasSkHSKJf2ShvL8UJJeX8IgAE0aHxCaGv5qBIbpfJeMk8ab6-nFKq8m/s320/2012-09-11+15.23.50.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNFuywVUTiY_Imxt9fT6kA6BsLdOwOSalTavkCAsoM0wGie9jgyxNU8x2NIrr-ZieVy_YNGLxj-K2ZNQpPW4Hc2jtBiDCT_dT7bsvxK1kPnJ61z4KE6jKLqimDYL3dyiQiwlQc1QWlBi8/s1600/2012-09-11+15.23.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNFuywVUTiY_Imxt9fT6kA6BsLdOwOSalTavkCAsoM0wGie9jgyxNU8x2NIrr-ZieVy_YNGLxj-K2ZNQpPW4Hc2jtBiDCT_dT7bsvxK1kPnJ61z4KE6jKLqimDYL3dyiQiwlQc1QWlBi8/s320/2012-09-11+15.23.38.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UTD7iHUcLDYyai3QZnubdwIQlov9NbQdhxLT3rTbtGES83NuJUgn5K8TNv34rAtOpQNsk4Rv8lN6FRP0HesFkyiOkMc_EZCAjafnw0FerBsweu-TBRv5DhSCriI87SkYvxIsnBZaIGPd/s1600/2012-09-13+13.28.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UTD7iHUcLDYyai3QZnubdwIQlov9NbQdhxLT3rTbtGES83NuJUgn5K8TNv34rAtOpQNsk4Rv8lN6FRP0HesFkyiOkMc_EZCAjafnw0FerBsweu-TBRv5DhSCriI87SkYvxIsnBZaIGPd/s320/2012-09-13+13.28.38.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfahiLND8ccv2fbFxWwpqwugyMLYWWkT5wuwCfCVDXRv-iCUFhl-WL_p7beI_Sme9lWFeASmxKrb3DRw8VOUDeYy-842bAtHwdRJlB4bTDLrL7Epbkact93M11-qzYeYiXFMvoSL6r5sM9/s1600/2012-09-13+13.29.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfahiLND8ccv2fbFxWwpqwugyMLYWWkT5wuwCfCVDXRv-iCUFhl-WL_p7beI_Sme9lWFeASmxKrb3DRw8VOUDeYy-842bAtHwdRJlB4bTDLrL7Epbkact93M11-qzYeYiXFMvoSL6r5sM9/s1600/2012-09-13+13.29.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a>Trying to get these two kiddos out of the house while they are both clean and before Michael soaks his outfit in spit up is a mission. Today we were able to complete this mission and arrived at Childrens in Aurora. We had a check up with Michaels Cardiologist. Walking through those doors brings back so many emotions. While sitting in the waiting room I watched as a nurse came in to update a mother waiting on her daughter to get out of surgery. The nurse said everything went well and that she would be able to see her daughter soon. It's so hard to watch these parents sit in the exact same place we sat just three short months ago. I came out of a very happy check up and still walked down the hall crying. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wVPbWmCpZFIZc7YPJNTfLjcFewdNUzCbfobzW0q04M1_b6dNCVuL3joVexApG0xGjGSntkWfdlseJdSILySNBX2I9z8MDzzuwu_i8QHv4A5nd07Yb47mKS3Ldi-DcohSgjRp02-uKFFY/s1600/2012-09-13+13.29.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wVPbWmCpZFIZc7YPJNTfLjcFewdNUzCbfobzW0q04M1_b6dNCVuL3joVexApG0xGjGSntkWfdlseJdSILySNBX2I9z8MDzzuwu_i8QHv4A5nd07Yb47mKS3Ldi-DcohSgjRp02-uKFFY/s320/2012-09-13+13.29.32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Michael is doing so well that they are going to wait for another three months to have his next follow up. At that time they will take him off his aspirin and his lasix. His Cardiologist also mentioned that whether Michael is able to make it another 6 months or another 6 years before his next surgery is still a mystery. If he is able to make it to 6 years without needing the surgery then they will probably decide to go through with it at that time. Michaels risks will be much lower than they are now. The gradient behind his Mitral valve is looking better than last month but we still need to keep a close eye on the right side of his heart and his lungs to make sure the pressure doesn't begin to build up again. There is still some leakage through the valve which means that another Valvular Plasty (ballooning the valve open) is pretty much out of the question. Too much leakage could make him really sick. I was advised that Michael is a candidate for a monthly RSV inoculation which is called Synagis. I'll be taking him into his pediatrician once a month for this to keep his risk of catching this virus low. They also recommended getting his flu shot once he turns 6 months which will be on Oct 3rd. After the appointment his Cardiologist asked if he could go show him off. Michael was so happy to be seen that he was grinning from ear to ear. I was able to see his arrhythmia specialists and even the woman we met that gave us our walk through of Childrens while I was still pregnant. It was great watching Michael spread so much cheer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLVY77pATxVb_WKt6ZCE6nWLJlH0GzrPoFc7e5IqHocCzFNe9CW2dDZ9nURN_14aEkgOL-OEd-_GIfIrAAYbKV0SeGX3rytpm7m8yCpoGEQo890AuqnETeVYim7J-ZYuI1qTU2L3_VJMQ/s1600/2012-09-13+13.30.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLVY77pATxVb_WKt6ZCE6nWLJlH0GzrPoFc7e5IqHocCzFNe9CW2dDZ9nURN_14aEkgOL-OEd-_GIfIrAAYbKV0SeGX3rytpm7m8yCpoGEQo890AuqnETeVYim7J-ZYuI1qTU2L3_VJMQ/s320/2012-09-13+13.30.47.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I have such an amazing family. These two kids have been threw a lot. Zoey still doesn't understand a lot of it but I have to say she is just as strong as Michael. God has blessed me with two little soldiers. JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-52041501002613096192012-09-05T20:26:00.001-07:002012-09-05T20:26:11.648-07:00Count Your Blessings<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Change</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfI9VAC9yxEEGq0OVLSQP2FPy-it_WBmIWt5fl7XzRHdCLQFf8xW3QAnCoWMYOaqDRR3cveizpMUiFnDa8mNLde3NzGOSaCXl1qdjO7KH04a0PgBN_n-CeSNMaY1CJMURoI7Tqvibpas4/s1600/2012-04-04+08.43.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfI9VAC9yxEEGq0OVLSQP2FPy-it_WBmIWt5fl7XzRHdCLQFf8xW3QAnCoWMYOaqDRR3cveizpMUiFnDa8mNLde3NzGOSaCXl1qdjO7KH04a0PgBN_n-CeSNMaY1CJMURoI7Tqvibpas4/s320/2012-04-04+08.43.27.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VOeLs-srhPyFRgm593NiIvaD1T1O-lbiol8KAz5AOQ3SSAvjn5eXnV1ML9mkVW-z7KEdZ5AI7jE7ovQqVQIFwpsFCoekGGMJG6AndvhFUIpBKvtHKWAnk7SEz4hjX9XZFOLIXZaNmEU0/s1600/2012-04-21+17.03.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VOeLs-srhPyFRgm593NiIvaD1T1O-lbiol8KAz5AOQ3SSAvjn5eXnV1ML9mkVW-z7KEdZ5AI7jE7ovQqVQIFwpsFCoekGGMJG6AndvhFUIpBKvtHKWAnk7SEz4hjX9XZFOLIXZaNmEU0/s200/2012-04-21+17.03.53.jpg" width="150" /></a>There has been nothing but change lately. It's hard for me sometimes because some of the changes aren't the things that I would expect. If it's unexpected then how do you prepare? I feel unprepared most days. Unprepared for the day and what it holds. The day may hold something wonderful, waiting to announce itself. It may also hold something that brings out a lot of thought and emotion. No matter what the day may hold I hold something better. I hold my head up high. Sometimes I hold my head too high and I am stuck in the clouds all day. No matter what the change I know that I am being watched over and blessed. Thoroughly Blessed. I thank God every day for everything I have. If you could be in my head while I say my prayers then you might actually hear me say thank you for the silverware. I thank him for everything that may someday not be there. Everything most people (including myself) may take for granted.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxQCoDayO7kbqCIOug29alJhVNXbkhVgJsJAiH8pvwWPRfiOSf5Rh9NwgA_Rj3lnuNktWXjlqomVWN7D8xsorVAQu7ioamrSsk2q5EjrzpWg6LlcnQu_HRBYCue_Ew21XpMS4A0-z6iWn/s1600/2012-05-01+09.37.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxQCoDayO7kbqCIOug29alJhVNXbkhVgJsJAiH8pvwWPRfiOSf5Rh9NwgA_Rj3lnuNktWXjlqomVWN7D8xsorVAQu7ioamrSsk2q5EjrzpWg6LlcnQu_HRBYCue_Ew21XpMS4A0-z6iWn/s320/2012-05-01+09.37.07.jpg" width="320" /></a>Most all of our blessings lately have been coming from the people surrounding us. I feel that God has worked through so many people, bringing them to us when we need them most. I don't think I've ever felt so needy in my entire life. Not that it's a bad thing. It's alright to have needs. With so many on my list what do I cross off first. I feel like I need to make a new list of needs today. My family and my friends. Those are my needs. With them by my side I can accomplish absolutely anything. I thank God daily for my family and friends but I want them to know personally just how thankful I am for them. It's hard to show sometimes because most people know I can cry at the drop of a hat, so instead I hold it in. I thank them in my head and then again in my prayers. They have given us so much hope and so much faith.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WbUIwnUpF4Q0LuJUQum7vxbyRpgA9bVMP3Ifx8otTwlVx6nwxuBAfMKqxyxfWzby3D9JX4gPk9elqnp5NuVC3eoVOlfcIsm_-SVKFIogVa8xHEyyjg-5W5fR6U37nQJh_br5lSRzA23W/s1600/2012-09-04+09.08.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WbUIwnUpF4Q0LuJUQum7vxbyRpgA9bVMP3Ifx8otTwlVx6nwxuBAfMKqxyxfWzby3D9JX4gPk9elqnp5NuVC3eoVOlfcIsm_-SVKFIogVa8xHEyyjg-5W5fR6U37nQJh_br5lSRzA23W/s200/2012-09-04+09.08.28.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_trReVeRlDUUDVRSBrjYin6wJ4LUAJsG2RJM2zlQuYkA89yZHnTsPxiNL8p5-2RQWKlxIgBOloQkmtmTsGPD-BXv2M3FvmSCylLXUdQlSxrVjFwVabG5h4NeIJm0nsppbsUbKLVgNBii/s1600/2012-06-04+12.26.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_trReVeRlDUUDVRSBrjYin6wJ4LUAJsG2RJM2zlQuYkA89yZHnTsPxiNL8p5-2RQWKlxIgBOloQkmtmTsGPD-BXv2M3FvmSCylLXUdQlSxrVjFwVabG5h4NeIJm0nsppbsUbKLVgNBii/s200/2012-06-04+12.26.55.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today I am thankful that I woke up with my children by my side and that I didn't need to plan, like before, for my daily trip up to Children's Hospital. I got to see them together watching a movie on the couch. I want them to be as close as I am to my brothers and sisters. I am so excited to watch them grow and hope that one day they will think of themselves as best friends the same way I think of my brothers and sisters being my best friends. I love you guys - words can't express how much.JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-39695401512535158792012-08-29T22:28:00.003-07:002012-08-29T22:34:32.266-07:00The Wubbanub<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYb3Y0IN4r3u3mHdXNS_Hy1KZ5ZS2I3QiGYxLLGHldiQQhU_2UJRf6NPszuwM7R8udWP9BOpcdT49xEkTIPX_ws1O_0lAlRpPiGjJyzbH14F8ssHI_eeQUuY97a-UmquThJBThgcjVcWb/s1600/2012-08-29+22.20.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYb3Y0IN4r3u3mHdXNS_Hy1KZ5ZS2I3QiGYxLLGHldiQQhU_2UJRf6NPszuwM7R8udWP9BOpcdT49xEkTIPX_ws1O_0lAlRpPiGjJyzbH14F8ssHI_eeQUuY97a-UmquThJBThgcjVcWb/s200/2012-08-29+22.20.18.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Wubbanub that saved our lives! Michael had a complete melt down tonight. And while Michael was doing that, Zoey decided to have a complete melt down. For all of you that know, Zoey has been glued to her paci since two days ago. Everyone talks about the "Easy Button", well, that was mine. It was nice seeing her so easily satisfied. If she ever reads this blog then she will then find out that this is what I'm doing when she asks for her paci;<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Zoey "Where is my paci"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Me "I don't know. Where did you put it?"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Zoey "I don't know. It's hiding from me"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Me "Oh man! Silly Paci" </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
* End of Conversation * </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How nice, right? Until that moment. That moment that was tonight. Poor
Jaron was alone with them for almost an hour. By the time I arrived home
he handed me the baby and escaped to his office. For this reason I now
know why the Ostrich buries its head, it's to muffle the sound around
him. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUttVMqR-ED0352AScJ8VaJLHElwi3-LrYj71v1kK9VYKAghPzbNCmWVng4nc25Ym8p8SZkRATIl0QWAYYbnKt-w09BRr_OqxvTtyLIk_s4OrrN-dGliXR-qdWmn5DSGvzsP9iIW1FBiI/s1600/2012-08-24+14.06.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUttVMqR-ED0352AScJ8VaJLHElwi3-LrYj71v1kK9VYKAghPzbNCmWVng4nc25Ym8p8SZkRATIl0QWAYYbnKt-w09BRr_OqxvTtyLIk_s4OrrN-dGliXR-qdWmn5DSGvzsP9iIW1FBiI/s200/2012-08-24+14.06.56.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTb56EuPI0J2cMP9DriA6eBqFihm6xE9wnvULm2CHWWGy23gxMlV87zhsKw_hgQm6qnB9bsf81mX61QuK7936WNgNuLnB7WVRAqFq39-bsRLdib-yiv2MLZZBqzQauSyGSd-A2TSL27uU/s1600/2012-08-24+14.02.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTb56EuPI0J2cMP9DriA6eBqFihm6xE9wnvULm2CHWWGy23gxMlV87zhsKw_hgQm6qnB9bsf81mX61QuK7936WNgNuLnB7WVRAqFq39-bsRLdib-yiv2MLZZBqzQauSyGSd-A2TSL27uU/s200/2012-08-24+14.02.44.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
There has been a lot going on lately. We've been trying to spend more time with Zoey, doing the things that she enjoys. We were invited up to the Runway Grill to watch the planes practice for the airshow the next day. It was great. Zoey loved it. Michael didn't appreciate the fly by's the way we did. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXBq2IDIfY4q_gcT3tROx9TYmMN3yZJ_z6oHTIPHNhcPEj21MKlAbeKxJRZPEBUrsqGEFlBMKneKSWalHZzGRCQFMWnn5C3uHnZ3x5qXYNJOUnhmUUioQJUukMYGehxyASVaD4qjWajvV/s1600/2012-08-26+13.49.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXBq2IDIfY4q_gcT3tROx9TYmMN3yZJ_z6oHTIPHNhcPEj21MKlAbeKxJRZPEBUrsqGEFlBMKneKSWalHZzGRCQFMWnn5C3uHnZ3x5qXYNJOUnhmUUioQJUukMYGehxyASVaD4qjWajvV/s200/2012-08-26+13.49.02.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFwmiPd7WdmuVmsFRFiFrQ4X-_IiA70zWYdJhtB-Ii2E3PjFvDMuvUVfVZznFp-AQaC4CY3L6mI10B3kMhy4gVobeX8t7KhGhKmCMXVY1p49XdoQBVzZkhA5btrfEKLh2Lpif4-dAoX12/s1600/2012-08-26+13.27.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFwmiPd7WdmuVmsFRFiFrQ4X-_IiA70zWYdJhtB-Ii2E3PjFvDMuvUVfVZznFp-AQaC4CY3L6mI10B3kMhy4gVobeX8t7KhGhKmCMXVY1p49XdoQBVzZkhA5btrfEKLh2Lpif4-dAoX12/s200/2012-08-26+13.27.05.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
We were also invited to see some horses. I was so excited to see Zoey loving on these horses. Michael was thrilled! Zoey, not so much. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I've been taking some random pictures lately so I thought this would be a good time to post them. I don't take pictures to just hide them in the dark. At least I hope that's not what they're doing.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Michaels Morning Cocktail</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzv0ad4WFB10DfB7U_PjTdLId_etTsJnbWcg0QbOkKb3wre3CTzoXpWr1Pk9d9MC8gMiGcIBJUA9k2kwsqu68Ur6LrzXVA1-daRhatDwnnWi3uP0h09zwfdN992P6w5msc_A82Hl0mi26q/s1600/2012-08-27+09.21.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzv0ad4WFB10DfB7U_PjTdLId_etTsJnbWcg0QbOkKb3wre3CTzoXpWr1Pk9d9MC8gMiGcIBJUA9k2kwsqu68Ur6LrzXVA1-daRhatDwnnWi3uP0h09zwfdN992P6w5msc_A82Hl0mi26q/s320/2012-08-27+09.21.24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Head - Shoulders - Knees and - Hey! Where'd your toes go?? </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJSRchJIimOEoacH0k6pS6zti1RfGPOfxPuvg5bIhTYNcRdziIh9JHPcOonz85o09UZNzmEjf8Jza5VvQ4vAlj22Hm2hGtOpSbOrWr2vJGRIegvxYXpNDNm3rJr0C6uioK71mLGuOsjhH/s1600/2012-08-27+09.22.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJSRchJIimOEoacH0k6pS6zti1RfGPOfxPuvg5bIhTYNcRdziIh9JHPcOonz85o09UZNzmEjf8Jza5VvQ4vAlj22Hm2hGtOpSbOrWr2vJGRIegvxYXpNDNm3rJr0C6uioK71mLGuOsjhH/s320/2012-08-27+09.22.52.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Eating Grandma for dinner. I mean, Eating at Grandmas FOR dinner. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0fQYiX2oZpVjIPNBJtH3i1cPFALm1RYx7OK0DaTv3QHOkQuJfC8Zn6V60IjmaQdcwcEefuMjFD9n8dQDF0iW29mhZ8zof4otEwoqerJBYUwz5Dz4QaIQxzUQdBsW6pvUjCdD6mUf4XZu/s1600/2012-08-29+19.25.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0fQYiX2oZpVjIPNBJtH3i1cPFALm1RYx7OK0DaTv3QHOkQuJfC8Zn6V60IjmaQdcwcEefuMjFD9n8dQDF0iW29mhZ8zof4otEwoqerJBYUwz5Dz4QaIQxzUQdBsW6pvUjCdD6mUf4XZu/s320/2012-08-29+19.25.30.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I hope you enjoyed! Thank you again so much for all those following our story. We miss our friends from the daycare so much and can't wait to have Zoey back with her friends. We are still being shown so much kindness from friends and family. You will all be in our hearts forever. </div>
JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-84907814745603030712012-08-14T15:02:00.001-07:002012-08-14T15:02:06.956-07:00On The Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhD2pqougBLwuRMWdgcKQHi3mIa4H-mo7dzUPD3CptBig1DfiZB_z7iC_Ufqa0HWwTadJKatT1yIIegmmvFJLr8BHEliWJWDTGK3kTf5HM3R1Ep9nj9M3OJcKdgcECsc1j1PXTmMDf0Ny/s1600/2012-08-11+15.24.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhD2pqougBLwuRMWdgcKQHi3mIa4H-mo7dzUPD3CptBig1DfiZB_z7iC_Ufqa0HWwTadJKatT1yIIegmmvFJLr8BHEliWJWDTGK3kTf5HM3R1Ep9nj9M3OJcKdgcECsc1j1PXTmMDf0Ny/s320/2012-08-11+15.24.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We had Michaels OT (Occupational Therapist) come over today. Everything is going great! It's nice having these women come over that can show me what things are looking like. We think Michael is teething which is crazy. I didn't say anything to her but she was playing with him and saw the white buds under his gums. Dang. During her last visit she brought her reflux seat with her. Michael wasn't too sure about it at first but now he's loving it.I got out one of the bigger toys to put in front of him and he is kicking non stop. He gets a pretty big smile going.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEJ07FsTk7p04AQ7SV4RdaEvGP7P3rsy4yIPb2OwsqV2UYWNDMi4DI4pXu9GBjjUfbkRFa6pKeRsl8fRSgD_dN-fm-i8C6Oh92NEj8HuqzUCnR8sjN5Qn4W8XQc3sFISrZoF8eGtvkyza/s1600/2012-08-12+11.19.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEJ07FsTk7p04AQ7SV4RdaEvGP7P3rsy4yIPb2OwsqV2UYWNDMi4DI4pXu9GBjjUfbkRFa6pKeRsl8fRSgD_dN-fm-i8C6Oh92NEj8HuqzUCnR8sjN5Qn4W8XQc3sFISrZoF8eGtvkyza/s320/2012-08-12+11.19.59.jpg" width="320" /></a>We also have him working on tummy time. She was thrilled to hear that he's rolled over and gave me a few new positions to put him in to work on physically. She's letting us keep the reflux seat a bit longer which Michaels thrilled about I'm sure. He's now 13lbs 2oz. His weight gain is great and he's getting stronger by the day. This little guy has a lot to live for. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tomorrow we see his Physical Therapist. He gets a chance to show off his new moves. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8H5yw9fB3ZKKmP7y6shDBGih5oFrMIvOTLuHMt4qu5VIWdpI1yWXJcfdT1Jz8QSh4X2t6g24NnkzXIoavWAmLvG8PxHEbFb3gdkTJTBO3Mz1Sh3fgQYuFQq-jFi515LP-nYQtglm3qw1/s1600/2012-08-14+11.30.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8H5yw9fB3ZKKmP7y6shDBGih5oFrMIvOTLuHMt4qu5VIWdpI1yWXJcfdT1Jz8QSh4X2t6g24NnkzXIoavWAmLvG8PxHEbFb3gdkTJTBO3Mz1Sh3fgQYuFQq-jFi515LP-nYQtglm3qw1/s320/2012-08-14+11.30.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008267277174874297.post-12777959250332202262012-08-10T18:44:00.000-07:002012-08-10T18:46:14.867-07:00No Strings Attached<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-k2F3WzEmslILVaCuETVOfERuTpqJzLBc6lHRcv4L6PBTb_HBT-gErFxftgC1T2vXdom0ohL3yx2w-CeaQTGxsQhsKLNoXCy1pwaIxnn3-vT-Aa6ukpWdwy8zftDPOdXSaOvorZzmiCD/s1600/2012-08-03+09.37.46.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-k2F3WzEmslILVaCuETVOfERuTpqJzLBc6lHRcv4L6PBTb_HBT-gErFxftgC1T2vXdom0ohL3yx2w-CeaQTGxsQhsKLNoXCy1pwaIxnn3-vT-Aa6ukpWdwy8zftDPOdXSaOvorZzmiCD/s320/2012-08-03+09.37.46.jpg" width="240" /></a>August
3rd was the last day of Michael wearing his heart monitor! We're able
to mail it back to Children's and continue with his regular follow ups.
WOO HOO! So Happy! Michael is doing great. I took his monitor off the
Saturday before for a bath and put on new clean stickers and that Monday
he had spit up so much that his top right sticker began coming off.
When I peeled it off I found weeping blisters underneath. I cleaned them
and let them dry and scab and was so afraid to put the stickers back
on. No way was I putting new stickers on open sores or scabs. I got a
message the next day that the 3rd was his last day on his monitor and to
send it back. YAY!<br />
<br />
We've been showing him off to everybody and he's starting to show his
playful personality. He loves laughing at Zoey and she loves making him.
These two were definitely paired together for a reason. Yesterday he
was sitting in his reflux seat that the therapist is having him use,
Zoey went and grabbed the bumbo and sat in it right next to him. Her
legs actually still fit in it. Skinny but Tall. She is so good at
keeping him company that she reminds him constantly that he is sleeping
too much. She does not like when he falls asleep during her favorite
show so she wakes him up again to finish watching it. It's funny
watching the two playing off of each other already. They're already
great friends. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkycnOaFGIquI1XskqY2jCpP90GwY4WpIJfyfeRDrqT6jjO6kSo5nZ62u3AeZQi6BO5j06TDWl-vjs80qrHgsraLqrHK4E4RjLR-1BvvncNEoICI0CUdWYTe_Z8xfT07VdBc7cthIsJc4Z/s1600/2012-08-02+19.27.33.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkycnOaFGIquI1XskqY2jCpP90GwY4WpIJfyfeRDrqT6jjO6kSo5nZ62u3AeZQi6BO5j06TDWl-vjs80qrHgsraLqrHK4E4RjLR-1BvvncNEoICI0CUdWYTe_Z8xfT07VdBc7cthIsJc4Z/s200/2012-08-02+19.27.33.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQnj7al-ifdCBDUBqIeSaj074AcBT80BPkfUZUq5bUQPnzFADuSXvgIjHxG9-MT6FpuLPfvkzvauLGq6mkiG2V0YVPso2F4mph5zjq0v94JT7uXZMkUtJn1fd5Ur_VynxQgM1fzjt9oS9/s1600/2012-08-02+19.27.49.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQnj7al-ifdCBDUBqIeSaj074AcBT80BPkfUZUq5bUQPnzFADuSXvgIjHxG9-MT6FpuLPfvkzvauLGq6mkiG2V0YVPso2F4mph5zjq0v94JT7uXZMkUtJn1fd5Ur_VynxQgM1fzjt9oS9/s200/2012-08-02+19.27.49.jpg" width="150" /></a>Taking
him out is sometimes hard. He only lasts in the stroller for about
15min before he starts to get upset and walking him upright for too long
affects his circulation and his hands and feet start turning purple.
It's scary but the cardiologist has assured me that it's nothing to be
concerned about. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHDK-6mIAy65RIUhQsyE_KGeTBA00Y5EuYRXhoBjsNyjxwXP0Oy_41REsffv7-9s9TsGufI1QxyiC5NcIlzk5NExkC1htEVCk54YY_kPInhU6kfiPj6Qv2wVWWrefQELFf0yno6EvXofy/s1600/2012-07-31+11.00.49.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHDK-6mIAy65RIUhQsyE_KGeTBA00Y5EuYRXhoBjsNyjxwXP0Oy_41REsffv7-9s9TsGufI1QxyiC5NcIlzk5NExkC1htEVCk54YY_kPInhU6kfiPj6Qv2wVWWrefQELFf0yno6EvXofy/s320/2012-07-31+11.00.49.jpg" width="320" /></a>Zoey's
starting to grow up so much faster. She is such a big helper. She loves
to kiss his hands and feet and use the same paci that Michael is using.
I just stopped that the other day because Michael has been congested
and I can't let it get worse. The pediatrician told me to just keep
doing what I'm doing, which is the normal stuff for congested babies. I
still feel like it's not enough so I'm washing things left and right. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8BvDRWG-1i95nxvsH0QZzj42u6k_mOfRWsl4TophyosXmPXmGiErlh8_3-26Dr7DiNtD_dA36cEeT5h-UiilO5F9voQGc2MeRDax21nX6XscYxQzw5wU2xVBQsiaywWU5Bqe8dQmlwys/s1600/2012-08-06+22.09.58.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8BvDRWG-1i95nxvsH0QZzj42u6k_mOfRWsl4TophyosXmPXmGiErlh8_3-26Dr7DiNtD_dA36cEeT5h-UiilO5F9voQGc2MeRDax21nX6XscYxQzw5wU2xVBQsiaywWU5Bqe8dQmlwys/s320/2012-08-06+22.09.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
She has also stopped sleeping. Not altogether but naps aren't happening
anymore. That's a huge change for me. I miss her nap time/my alone time.
She'll fall asleep at 7 some nights and wake up at midnight wide awake
asking for food. She also stayed up until 11 the other night because at
10:30 she decided to have a tea party. We had fun and she slept great
after she was done with her tea. I got the crack down on it though. I
just got her room cleaned and her bed made and got her new sheets and a
Minnie Mouse pillow case she is so proud of. She fell asleep at 9 last
night and slept in her own bed half the night. Michael slept in his
crib. It's so hard not having him in the room with me but I slept better
which his cardiologist told me was most important. He told me that it's
time to stop treating him like a cardiac baby and to start getting him
(and us) back into a normal lifestyle. I didn't realize how hard it was
going to be for me to stop treating him like a cardiac baby. Am I always
going to be treating him different or will I get used to it and come to
terms with it? He's growing wonderfully so his dietician said to stop
counting cc's during his feeds and just let him take what he wants. He's
now 4months - 12lbs 13ounces - 25inches long And - he rolled over for
the first time! He's done it twice since!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHDKKarOYSDI74pgcmVO7Mm-K1hVR1b1bHmv6HtMmQqBkmo0ubyYUtX-sWGyCiPvM9RLO377dGe5d_JtqP3byyWEhJxNYSQG5STGmpIxFXhN3sCRNThxpenNGMBTUOxDqfMsR1-yseKuh/s1600/2644_1023486799854_4105915_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHDKKarOYSDI74pgcmVO7Mm-K1hVR1b1bHmv6HtMmQqBkmo0ubyYUtX-sWGyCiPvM9RLO377dGe5d_JtqP3byyWEhJxNYSQG5STGmpIxFXhN3sCRNThxpenNGMBTUOxDqfMsR1-yseKuh/s320/2644_1023486799854_4105915_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This month on the 19th is our 6 year wedding anniversary. I am so
thankful to have Jaron in my life. He makes everything better. He has
given me so much and I feel that he is my equal. I need him more than I
can sometimes admit. I like to show my strengths but sometimes my
weaknesses shine brighter. He's always been there for the hard moments
to pick me up. He has given me the greatest kids and helps me remember
that sometimes it's ok for me to still act like one as well. He brings
meaning to my life every day. I love my sweets. Happy anniversary babe.<br />
<br />JaronAndBrytzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04052432677861269978noreply@blogger.com0