What's Been Going On With Us...

I've been writing so much lately about other people/babies and topics I am interested in, but I haven't been sharing much about us. So, I thought I would dedicate this post to the recent happenings in our family.

I finally got a membership for us to the Zoo. We live 5 minutes away from it and never had one before, which is a shame. Anyway, we've been going there a lot this summer. They have concerts on Wednesday evenings and the Zoo stays open late, so we are enjoying that. Also, Drew's Aunt Kristy, Uncle Tyler and cousins, Zach and Maddie, came down to go to the Zoo with us a couple of weeks ago. That was a great time! We got to see 95% of the Zoo and enjoyed lunch and ice cream with them. Drew was determined to NOT nap, but finally caved at the end of the day.

Last weekend we went to Pittsburgh to celebrate my cousin, Andrea's wedding. She lives in Houston now, but is from the 'Burgh (I don't know if I shared this before, but that's where my parents are from), so she had her wedding there. It was nice to be able to spend some time together as a family. She was married at my Grandparents' Church (which is also her childhood parish) and they had their reception at the Carnegie Museum, in the Music Hall Foyer. It was, hands down, one of the nicest weddings I've ever been to. The bride and the venue were simply breathtaking. Sad as it is, I cannot remember if I've ever been in the museum, much less when that was, so it was nice to be at a new location. The food was amazing, the cookie tables went on forever, and they even included their dog, Rocky, on their wedding cake. It was too cute! And, Drew was invited to the whole thing, so that was very special for me. I finally got to introduce him to my Mom's family! Above is a picture of us at the reception.

This morning, Drew and I tried strollerblading. Yes, strollerblading. Now, I haven't been on blades in a good 6 yrs, so I was pretty rusty, but it was a lot of fun! I need to find a better "course" through my neighborhood though...the one I took today had a lot of old concrete and a dirt road, so I nearly wiped out a bunch of times. That would've been pretty "great" considering Drew would've gone down with me. I am doing this because I need to do SOMETHING. I had the cutest dress for Andrea's wedding and I was SO uncomfortable the whole time...especially sitting down in Church. I felt like it clung to my hips and legs, which is not desirable for my frame. So, enough's enough...I gotta get this body back in shape! I mean, Drew is 14 months old!!!! It's time.

IMH - Metro Detroit is coming along nicely! Plans for the Big House Big Heart are in full swing, so stay tuned to the blog for information on how you can help us, or walk with us! If you race with us and raise at least $25, you will get a spiffy team t-shirt that we are pretty proud of. We are proud of them because of our "honor roll" on the back of the shirts. I'll post pics of the event and show them off!

So, I think that's about it from here. We redecorated our living room, so now I need a couple more pieces to finish it and I'll post some pics. And that leaves our kitchen to do. We've had the stuff picked out for awhile, but, um...well...it's summer. :) Drew and I have been having playdates and enjoying being outside in the evenings with Bill, instead of meeting with contractors and going to Home Depot. Oh well. We're headed to Port Austin in two weekends, so hopefully we can make some headway before then! Then, we need a new roof and new downstairs windows, so we can focus on that for September. Sheesh! There's always something!

I hope everyone is well! Take care!

Are You There God? It's Me Mary...

and I would like help in understanding how, in under one week, two more precious babies have been called home. And one more is straddling that fine line between his mother's arms and Your's. I know your ways are not our's, and that our children belong to you and not us, but please. Help me to understand this because my human brain cannot wrap its head around it.

To those of you reading this, please pray for the families of sweet Micah and beautiful Aiden, both 5 months old, who lost their battles this past week. Micah had Tetralogy of Fallot, and Pulmonary Atresia w/VSD and passed away last Thursday after a long battle following an unsuccessful unifocalization. Aiden had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and underwent a heart transplant earlier this month. He passed away suddenly today and his parents are still waiting on an answer as to why.

Hug your children extra tight tonight.

Advancement in Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Read!

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090723/LIFESTYLE03/907230462/1361/Nonembryonic-stem-cells-pass-major-hurdle-in-mice

Matt's Graduation Party

Yesterday was my nephew, Matt's, Graduation Party. Wow. How is it possible that I have two nieces and a nephew in college already? And with one more joining them next year and another the year after that?? Weren't they just babies? Wasn't Matt just the cute little guy, with the giant smile, who got scared at our house and said "horn...scare you!" about my Dad's car alarm going off??? Now, he's a handsome and talented young man who is off to his first year at Michigan State. He will be in James Madison (the honors college for Political Science, Law and the like). He has tremendous gifts from God that I pray he is able to use to make a lasting difference in this world. He loves Drew to bits...this picture is from last summer. He has passion for the pro life movement and is not afraid to speak his mind on the subject, even engaging one of his teachers this previous school year. Of course, he is a teenager too, but weren't we all at one point?!

Then, there's my niece, Amber, who will be a sophomore at Michigan State. Such a loving heart, such a level head. And of course Angela, who will be a junior at Mott. She is really coming into her own, making decisions that are in her best interest and finding her calling in life. Such joy they all bring to our family, such sources of pride. (and of course, all the younger ones too) Our family has been very blessed to have all of them join us here...and one to watch over us from Heaven.

Songs

I posted some lyrics to a song I found on my blog journey, and I wanted to post the link to the song. FYI, it's a You Tube video to celebrate the life a beautiful little angel named Audrey Caroline. It will make you cry, but the song is amazing, as are the pictures of this gorgeous blessing. I hope you enjoy the song...and if you have an angel in Heaven, the song holds some meaning for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2CnUtVY35o&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Faudreycaroline%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F2008%5F04%5F01%5Farchive%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded

Poetry and Songs

I found these on a fellow bloggers page and thought they were appropriate to share. Chances are we will either know a parent who is grieving the loss of a child or we will sadly experience that ourselves. I hope these help carry us through those times.

The way to treat a Mother who is grieving

Please Be Gentle
By Jill B. Englar

Please be gentle with me for I am grieving.
The sea I swim in is a lonely one
and the shore seems miles away.
Waves of despair numb my soul
as I struggle through each day.
My heart is heavy with sorrow.
I want to shout and screamand repeatedly ask 'why?'
At times, my grief overwhelms me
and I weep bitterly,so great is my loss.
Please don’t turn away
or tell me to move on with my life.
I must embrace my pain
before I can begin to heal.
Companion me through tears
and sit with me in loving silence.
Honor where I am in my journey,not where you think I should be.
Listen patiently to my story,I may need to tell it over and over again.
It’s how I begin to grasp the enormity of my loss.
Nurture me through the weeks and months ahead.
Forgive me when I seem distant and inconsolable.
A small flame still burns within my heart,
and shared memories may trigger both laughter and tears.
I need your support and understanding.
There is no right or wrong way to grieve.
I must find my own path.
Please, will you walk beside me?

Remembering

Go ahead and mention my child,
The one that died, you know.
Don't worry about hurting me further.
The depth of my pain doesn't show.
Don't worry about making me cry.
I'm already crying inside.
Help me to heal by releasing
The tears that I try to hide.
I'm hurt when you just keep silent,
Pretending she didn't exist.
I'd rather you mention my child,
Knowing that she has been missed.
You asked me how I was doing.
I say "pretty good" or "fine".
But healing is something ongoing
I feel it will take a lifetime.
~ Elizabeth Dent ~

I Will Carry You (song)

There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?
People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
But there's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this
I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And I will praise the One Who's chosen me
To carry you
Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness
But I know
That the silence Has brought me to His voice
And He says...
I've shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted seas
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?
I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And I will praise the One Who's chosen Me
To carry you

Be Grateful

Please, tonight, tomorrow, whenever you read this...take some time and thank God for your children. Be grateful for their presence in your life. When they are melting down in the middle of a restaurant, refusing to mind you, or screaming at 3 in the morning...try to remember how blessed you are to have them with you.

And think of this family:

http://kinseygracethompson.blogspot.com/

They have had to send two children home to God, one last summer at her birth and the other on Sunday, 5 days after his birth. Their daughter, Kinsey Grace, was an unexpected shock, to say the least. She never took a breath or had a heartrate once her cord was cut. Their son, Grayson Thomas, was born on July 7th with Trisomy 18 (think Eliot - 99 Balloons), which is fatal. Pray for them, for peace and God's love to come upon them. I would say to pray for understanding, but I don't know if you could understand something such as this. Maybe pray for acceptance. It is SO unfair. It makes me feel like screaming. Seriously.

I know a lot of you probably wonder why I follow blogs like this...I guess it's my way to honor these children and families, by sharing in their journey, by adding them to my prayer list. It makes me appreciate Drew, all of the time, even when I am "stressed out." I know how blessed we are and how easily his CHDs could've been something more lethal, or he could've had a terminal illness, or have been stillborn. I also know nothing is guaranteed and he might not be here tomorrow, next week, or next year...or I might not. So I need to be grateful for the time I have with him now and thank God for blessing me with him. I am one of the lucky ones and may I never take him for granted.

Those of you who think your children are a hassle or embarrassing out in public or they try your nerves all day long...please take some time to snuggle with them, to watch them while they sleep, to marvel in their beauty. Do not take them for granted. God has blessed you with them...love them, appreciate them for who they are.

CHD Letters - HELP!

There is a heart mom in SW MI who is in need of your stories. Please send her a letter about your CHD journey to this email address ASAP:

chdhlhs09@yahoo.com

She is hoping to have 100 letters by tonight, and only had 40 as of last count. You do NOT need to be a CHD parent to tell your story, just someone who has been affected by CHD is some way. Her son is Ethin and he just earned his angel wings at 5 months of age. She is trying to raise awareness by sending the letters to her local news stations, as well as Oprah and other national shows.

Thank you for your help in raising awareness about the #1 birth defect in children!!

Out of Sorts

Ugh. Today has been so weird for me thus far. I don't know what my deal is. I am looking forward to going out with a friend this evening, maybe that will help me shake my funk.

I think maybe it's because I've been talking to people lately about them either trying to conceive, being pregnant or just having a baby. The thought of having another baby right now scares the crap out of me...and that makes me sad because I had always wanted to have a large family and now, I honestly think I'll be fine with two. And, not for awhile. So, it's like, what happened to me? What happened to that woman who wanted 4 kids? I guess I have come to the realization that, if I want to be a sane mother to my children, I need to be realistic. Two is about what I can handle, especially in light of the CHD factor, all the genetic testing and the still unknown variables associated with both of them. Part of me is just really scared that the next baby, or the 3rd baby or the 4th baby would have CHD, or a worse variation of Noonan Syndrome, or something else. And I know the odds are against it, but it's just where I'm at right now. Don't judge me...please.

On a happier note, Drew is doing great! He's cruising all over the place, walking with assistance, standing unassisted for a couple of seconds here and there, then controlling his "fall" to the ground. He loves playing outside and loves being at the beach or the park. The swings are his absolute favorite! He even had his first float ride in the lake the other day. At first, he really wasn't too into it, lots of big tears, but when we tried again, he loved it! He's so funny too...he smacks the sides of his face to show you where his ears are and he grabs his toes to show you where those are...but not all the time. He is also just a very good boy. We went for his abdominal ultrasound yesterday and he hadn't eaten since dinner the night before, was tired and still, he was SO GOOD. The tech was amazed. We get those results in 2 weeks and the chromosome mapping in 4 wks. Then, if necessary, we make the decision about the micrarray.

Maggie has had some ear mites, so that's been "fun." Poor girl, we had noticed her shaking her head for a few days before I left for Houston...when I got back, she was still doing it. So, I checked her ears finally and one was just disgusting. I was cleaning out brown gunk for two days before a friend of mine filled me in on what it was. So, we've been putting drops in her ears for about a week now, which she just loves. But, it seems to be clearing it up. *fingers crossed*

I hope everyone is having a good summer so far! We have a trip to Pittsburgh at the end of the month for my cousin, Andrea's wedding! I can't wait! I am working with our new Wii Fit to get my flab toned for my cute mod dress I bought. I also need some new heels to go with it. Anyway, we also have a trip with friends to Port Austin for the Cheeseburger Festival in Caseville in August and then, heading to Myrtle Beach in early September. I can't wait!

Not Much to Report

We had our appt with Dr. Aughton, the Pediatric Geneticist, this morning. We spent 90 mins there exactly. The first part was with his assistant, Cheryl, who went through Drew's history, my pregnancy and our families' histories. I found out something interesting about those from the Mediterranean, like me. There is a prevalency of some type of blood disorder (can't remember the name) that mimics anemia and iron deficiency. So, I guess I'll ask my Doctor to test for that too when I have my blood drawn at my appointment next week. Also, I got the questions about genetic testing during my pregnancy like 5 times. "So, you didn't have any genetic testing done?" "No alphafetalprotein? It's pretty common." "And no amnio? Nothing?" THAT'S RIGHT, NOTHING! And I won't with the next baby either.

The next part was the Dr's physical exam of Drew. He looked him over, trying to see if there were subtle differences that might lead him to a genetic conclusion for Drew's CHDs. We found out that a spot he has on his chest might be a third nipple and that his toes are a little webbed on one foot, but nothing indicative of Noonan or anything else. So, we're on to chromosome testing and had the blood drawn today for that (my little man is SO brave, he barely cried and it wasn't until the end) and we'll go back for an ultrasound on his belly to check for renal function/abnormality. If both of those come back with normal results - we'll know in about one month - then we might do something called a microarray, which is new in genetics and something I actually learned about this past weekend at the Conference.

So, that was the appointment. Now, we wait and see. In any case, I think Dr. Aughton is going to monitor Drew's growth, no matter what the tests say. He basically alluded to that. Also, we ran into Dr. Cutler and got to chat with her for a bit, which was nice. Also, last night we had noticed his chest tube scar seemed to pop out a bit, so we asked her to check it out. She thinks it's similar to a hernia because they placed the tube in his stomach, between his abdominal walls. SO, another thing to observe and hopefully, as he grows, it closes on its own.

I will be sure to keep you all posted on Drew's results!