Going, going, gone!

Hayden is EVERYWHERE now! You can no longer leave the room and him not follow you...into the garage, into the kitchen crawling up your leg while you are doing dishes, into the bathroom, etc.! I just feel like in the past week, he has changed so much and has learned to do so much! He is crawling like a pro, balancing on his knees playing, pulling up on everything on his own, turning over, going from crawling to sitting, sitting and standing up in his bed (not so happy about this one!), etc. He isn't quite to the "cruising" or standing alone stage. I am not quite sure why he likes to crawl under his jumperoo. Ha! We are having so much fun and staying busy too! :-)

Mom Update 1-27-10

We have gone to see Mom (and Dad) a couple of times this week. She is getting up to eat meals and walked down the hallway yesterday. She did not do her physical therapy today because she was experiencing some back pain. They changed her bed to one that won't "settle" as much, so maybe that will help!

They have tried taking her off of her oxygen, but were not successful. They have however decreased the liters she is on. When she was home, she was on 2.5 liters. Right now she is on 1 liter. Hopefully with time, she will not need the oxygen.

She continues to loose weight each day, which at this point is good. But, she still isn't eating too much. We did finally figure out that a baked potato sounded good to her, so she had that both yesterday and today. She pretty much turns her nose up at the food they bring her. I don't think anything really tastes like it did before to her. I have read that it is quite common to have a depressed appetite after this surgery even with foods they might have previously liked and especially with meats.

I have also read that it is common to have the temporary "memory loss" and it can take up to a year to get back to "normal". I have talked to her on the phone a few times this week, so that is an improvement! She can actually hold somewhat of a conversation. :-)

I know it is also common to experience a range of emotions. I just feel so bad for her! She has gone through so much lately. I miss really getting to talk to her every day (maybe several times a day). I will never ever take that for granted! Even though we see her several times a week, I hate that she is really missing out on Hayden growing and changing so much.

Yall, I can't wait to have my Momma back! I miss her!

This boy can eat!

Hayden has become quite the eater! He will eat anything you give him. Aside from getting it all over him, he is doing great with self-feeding.

Enjoying some blueberries and sweet potatoes!

More blueberries...

Enjoying some black beans...

He absolutely went nuts over the black beans. I smashed them up so it made them kind of hard for him to self-feed. Next time I will probably just slightly mash or leave them like they are when I give them to him. He just had them last night so I guess we will see what kind of "aftermath" we have today! Ha!

Our pediatrician said we could start meats with Hayden now. I can hardly stand the sight of the baby food jar meats. We did try the chicken noodle the other day and he loved it. We also tried the lasagna today, but he wasn't as crazy about it. We don't eat a lot of just "meat"...especially without seasonings or something on it. What do/did ya'll do for meats?

Good deal on diapers!

Just had to pass this along. I am a bargain shopper and I know so many of you are too!

When I went to Target this week, I noticed that the jumbo pack of huggies and pampers diapers were on sale for 8.99. Just a side note...jumbo meaning 27 or 31 count. Doesn't sound like jumbo to me when that lasts less a week. I'm just sayin'! Anyway, if you bought 3 packs, then you also got a $5.00 Target gift card. On top of that, in my handy dandy coupon file, I had some $2.00 off coupons for a pampers cruiser pack, pampers baby-dri pack, and a pack of huggies. So, I ended getting one of each of the "jumbo" packs for $5.33 each. I usually don't buy these any more, but I felt like this was not a bad deal!

The older they get, the less diapers you get. :-( I can hardly stomach spending $27 on a box of Pampers Cruisers when I can get the same amount in the box of Target diapers for less than $14 and I really do like them and he very rarely leaks. No, they are not as "soft", but now that Hayden is a little older and it doesn't seem to matter as much to have the "softest" ones. I am all about getting the best bang for your buck!

Ok, maybe this turned into a "soap box" post instead of a "money saving" post. :-) If you have some coupons, go get you some diapers and a $5.00 gift card for later!

I'm too cute for my...

I'm too cute for my...BABY LEGS!



I have to admit, I just love the baby legs. This is the only pair we have and I probably wouldn't have bought them except they were on clearance. But, I think they look so cute! A certain someone, (i.e. Hayden's Daddy) isn't to crazy about them so we don't wear them around him! HA! I guess even though they have trucks on them they aren't real "manly". I got so tickled when were playing in his room that day because the more he crawled around the more they started to roll down his chubby little legs.

What happens when...

What happens when you mix a propane torch, wind, and a special gardener named Jeff?

A GRASS FIRE!!

"It is getting to be that time of year to start getting your garden ready for some planting. Jeff had this bright idea to "burn" off the grass where we wanted our garden to be (great idea in theory). So, Jeff gets out this propane tank with a "torch lighter" on it and started getting after it. What he didn't expect was the fire to take off across our yard and into Dad's pasture in a matter of seconds. It was pure madness for about 5 minutes. Jeff took off running trying to put it out with his foot, before it got out of control (about 5 seconds). Then, he took off running across our yard trying to get a bucket for water. He tells me to call the fire department. Then he comes running in the house and grabs the broom while I am on the phone with the 911 operator. So, I run back outside and get the water hose (I am holding Hayden all this time) and start "fightin' the fire". Jeff is putting the fire out with the broom in the pasture. We finally get the fire out before the fire department (volunteer) shows up and I called 911 back and told them we didn't need them. Well, one of the volunteer units showed up anyway. If you know our town, you know how exciting it can be for them! I was so embarrassed that we actually lit a fire on a windy day and they had to come. But, I knew they were kind of bummed out when they got to our house and there was no fire to fight. In all seriousness, we are really lucky to have the men and women that volunteer to be on the fire department. They are so happy to help crazy people like us! The guy left saying, "If you need us, call us." Sir, thank you so much, but I sure hope we don't "need" you again!

Poor Jeff was coughing and wheezing the rest of the afternoon. I am not sure if it was from smoke inhalation or from that much running and adrenaline in such a short amount of time.

The good thing...our garden spot is getting closer to being ready to go. Jeff tilled it up, added new soil and some fresh organic cow poop from the pasture! And...Thankfully, Dad wasn't too mad at us. ;-)

Needless to say, we are in need of a new broom!

Mom Update 1-23-10

Mom was moved to the Baylor Specialty Hospital (i.e. Rehab) late yesterday afternoon. They said that it is a minimum of a 21 day stay. Luckily she was able to get a private room and Dad can stay there with her.

Cindy, Hayden, and I went to see her on Thursday and she pretty much slept the whole time. We kept having to wake her up every time to give he a bite of her lunch. I am not even sure she remembers we were there. She was pretty out of it.

Jeff, Robin, Hayden, and I went to see her today. She still seems somewhat confused and has a hard time getting her thoughts out. She gets kind of agitated quickly too. They are supposed to do an evaluation on Monday to get her ready for all her therapy services (physical, occupational, and speech therapy). She is still quite weak, but seems to be getting out of bed and moving her arms and upper body better than I expected. Don't get me wrong, she is not ready to run a marathon or even walk out into the hall. She still needs lots of help, but making progress nonetheless. Hopefully after the therapy begins and she continues to eat a little better, she will start getting strength back both in her body and her mind.

Thank you for continuing to think about and pray for her!

Mom Update 1-20-10

Mom was moved into her own room yesterday a little before noon. I know she is so glad! She has been up sitting in a chair some today and has started to eat a little more at each meal. She said she still feels weak, but isn't really in any pain. She hasn't had any pain medicine in a couple of days. I can't imagine! Having your chest ripped open and no pain meds? Her oxygen levels have been good. Her kidney functions are good. She is still a little "confused" but not as bad as yesterday. Bless her heart! She would just talk about random stories, people, ask random questions, etc. I think the pain meds were making her have bad dreams too. She would wake up asking questions about her dreams. The nurse had a name for it. Basically caused from being in ICU so long and not getting enough sleep the last couple of nights in there. She said a few nights of good sleep (yeah right, do you ever get good sleep in a hospital?) and it should improve!

The doctors have talked about her moving into a rehab facility sometime soon. We have heard for possibly two weeks, but still are not real sure about details. I guess it just depends on how Mom does! Knowing her, she will be up and going in no time! We are anxious to have her home and I know she is ready to be home!

We are so thankful for her continued progress!

9 Months

Happy 9 Months Hayden Luke!



What is Hayden up to these days?

Officially crawling! He is getting so fast!

Has done well with self-soothing and putting himself to sleep in his bed. He usually takes 2 naps a day and goes to bed around 7:00. He still wakes every 3-5 hours. But, he usually has about a 14 hour night. For example, last night he went to bed at 6:45PM and woke up for the "night" around 9:15 AM. The last few weeks with Mom being in the hospital, our routines have gotten a little shaken up. But, he has managed quite well!

He is starting to pull up on things. Especially in his bed! This has given us a little hick-up in our nap and night routines also because he wants to stand or sit up in his bed now rather than go to sleep. ;-) Hopefully, this too shall pass soon!

What I love most about putting him to bed and down for naps is usually when I turn on his soother in bed, he will lay his head down on my shoulder and we will rock for a few minutes standing up. He normally isn't one to put his head on your shoulder, so there is not a better feeling than that! I love this time together!

Hayden is an eating machine! He will eat pretty much anything you give him! He definitely wants to be eating the same time you are-even if he has just eaten! He will reach and try to grab what you are eating if you don't give him something to eat at the same time. He has learned to eat saltine crackers and baby Mum Mums (thanks Kristin-He loves them!). Baby Mum Mums are a rice rusk that somewhat melts and is less messy than a teething cracker/cookie. We have gotten them at Babies R Us and Wal-Mart. He has eaten baked potato (maybe with a little butter), sweet potato (maybe with a little brown sugar and marshmallows), black eyed peas, mandarin oranges, blueberries, and a little broccoli rice casserole. He loved it all. He usually eats 3 "food" meals a day. Typically oat cereal and fruit in the mornings and a 1/2 jar of fruit and veggie for the other meals. He is still nursing about 4 times during the day and a few times at night.

Busy, Busy! I know it is only going to get "crazier", but he is constantly on the move whether he is in your lap, in the high chair, or on the floor playing. He doesn't sit still for long!





Hayden is quite social! He loves people, especially strangers that talk to him! He will typically greet them with a smile and say "Hi"...or it sounds like that atleast. :-) He will say Mama, Dada, and Hi or Hey. Again, that is what is sounds like. Whether he knows he is saying that, I am not quite sure. :-)

Hayden is so curious. He is starting to be very attentive and really take things in. It just seems like you can see his little brain soaking it all in.

Likes to read books, most of the time. :-) His favorite is still Goodnight Moon.

Starting to give more kisses. He will lean in, open his mouth, and sometimes stick his tongue out. Nice huh? Guess he learned that from his Daddy! Ha! Ha!

We had his 9 month check-up on Monday. He weighed 18.15 (10%) and was 27 1/4 (25%) inches long. We did talk in length about is weight. I was a little concerned about him only being in the 10th percentile and I don't feel like he is nursing that long during the day. But, he is healthy and seems to be doing fine right now. I certainly don't think he is looking skinny. :-) He was sick with RSV since his last well visit, so she contributed his lack of significant weight gain to that.

Wearing some 6-9 month clothes, but mostly 9-12 month now.

Wearing size 4 diapers.

Hayden Luke, you bring so much joy to our lives each day. We couldn't imagine our life without you. Thank you for being such an amazing little boy! Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know!

Mom Update 1-19-10

Mom is making great progress! She should be moved into her own room in the next couple of hours. I know this will make her very happy! She is ready to be away from all the comotion! She is eating some regular foods, drinking a lot, and is alert and talking. I do however think the pain meds are doing some of the talking! :-) Although, she really hasn't had much pain medicine lately. She must be one tough girl! I am guessing the next couple of days will be a little tough on her getting up and down from bed more often. We are hoping to have her home by the weekend.

Mom Update 1-17-10 (Ventilator OUT!)

Wow! What a difference a day has made! We just got to see Mom for the first time since her ventilator tube was removed. Such exciting news! They pulled it out around 10 AM and Dad got to see her for a few minutes. Then, they told us to wait until 3:15 PM to see her again. She looked so much better today than yesterday. She was talking to us (very hoarse and sore throat), smiling, and quite alert. She was eating a popsicle, ice, and drinking water. She is off most of her IV medicines and her blood pressure and heart rate are good. She still has the feeding tube in.

She still has a long way to go, but we are so excited to see this progress! Although she is in GREAT hands, we are still hoping she will get out of ICU and up into a room of her own sometime early this week. Thank you so much for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Getting into trouble!

Look who is getting into trouble? He has learned how to pull up on his bed. So guess what we (Jeff) are doing today! Lowering his bed! He was like this every time we went in to get him in the night and this morning. SCARY for a Momma and Daddy!

Mom Update 1-15-10

Another day of improvement for Mom! Mom was more alert today as we were there with her. She would still try to move the ventilator tube and bite down on it and gag on it some. She was following some commands today. She would shake her head when we would ask her some questions and hold/squeeze our hands. She would turn to look at us when we were talking to her or wanted to tell her bye or give her a kiss. She would even wave us over and point to the tube telling us she wanted it O-U-T! :-) She was even trying to talk to us, but we had a very hard time trying to read her lips with the tube in her mouth.

They did try the "test" again today to see if they could remove the ventilator, but said she just wasn't quite able to breathe well enough on her own. They are going to try again tomorrow. They are being very cautious about taking it out because it would be so traumatic to her if the tube had to go back in after it was removed. We were teasing today saying that Mom's throat will be quite sore after the tube is removed, more so because she would be yelling at us for not taking it out sooner! :-)

More good news...they took her off of the external pace maker and her heart is beating regularly and at a decent rate on its own. Isn't that just amazing that we have all this technology and amazing surgeons that can do things like this? Totally turn your heart "off" and then make it beat again when they are ready for it to?

They started giving her some nutrition through a tube in her nose.

Her kidneys are still functioning quite well and producing urine. Her creatitine levels have continued to go up, so they took her off of one of her diuretics. We are anxious to see how she does without it. So far, so good. She has continued to loose weight (excess fluid) daily.

So, to sum it up...Progress seems to be slow, yet steady. We are hoping to have her out of ICU early next week.

Please continue to pray for her. Not only Mom, but my Dad who spends every minute he can with her and doesn't leave the hospital. Also, my aunt and grandfather who have been at the hospital with them since last Wednesday.

It's the small things (like looking at us or squeezing our hand) that make us so happy these days. Mom is so loving and I know she wants to tell us how much she loves us. We just keep reassuring her and letting her know just how much we love her!

Delurker Day

My friend Jen put this on her blog and thought it was such a fun idea! So, if you are a reader (even if you don't have a blog) and don't usually leave a comment, will you today? I would love to know who you are and stop by your blog if you have one!

You are just a click away from leaving a comment! Just click on the comment button below! :-)

My original post (Mom Update 1-14-10) from today is below.

Mom Update 1-14-10

Some good news to report tonight! Mom has shown some improvements today. They decided not to begin dialysis today because her kidneys are showing signs of starting to work. She is producing more and more urine as time goes on and seems to be shedding some of the fluid that had built back up. She is still pretty much sedated. They have not given her any sedation medicine since the night of surgery but this is because her kidneys have not been strong (functioning) enough to completely remove the sedative from her body. But, the surgeon seemed please with her urine output today.

Mom did show signs of knowing we were there today. It was quite hard to watch because she was fighting and gagging on the ventilator, trying to pull her arms up (which are currently tied down so she doesn't pull the tube out), moved her legs, opened her eyes and looked up, and shook her head. But, she still didn't respond to any commands per say. She knew we were there and talking to her, but she couldn't communicate in any way (other than wanting that tube out!). We really couldn't talk to her and try to calm her down. It just seemed to make it worse. So, we would just kind of step away or quit talking so she would relax.

They have also lowered the amount of the medicine they were giving her to regulate or raise her blood pressure up which is great! It seems to be coming up a little on its own.

They are going to try to take her off the ventilator again tomorrow. They tried yesterday and said she didn't pass the "test". Basically she couldn't breathe deep enough or often enough to take it out. So, they said they will try the "test" (which takes about an hour) again tomorrow.

While she is in ICU, we can go in about every two hours. So, Hayden and I went yesterday morning and stayed at the hospital last night in Dad's hotel room there at the hospital. We came home this afternoon so Hayden could get some rest and we will return tomorrow! I am hopeful and optimistic that we will see a change and more alert Mom tomorrow. I am anxious to see her again.

Mom Update 1-13-10

Mom is still sedated and on a ventilator. She hasn't come out of the "sleep" yet. She has opened her eyes a couple of times (once for Dad), but hasn't responded to commands or our voices much yet. She does keep moving her mouth some (probably wants that tube out of there!) and other body parts some, but nothing to command. They are giving her medicine to regulate her blood pressure because it was running low. She is still on the external pace maker that is regulating her heart rate. Her heart is currently beating irregularly without it. They did go ahead and put in the dialysis port this morning and may possibly start a continual dialysis tomorrow. She has produced a little urine this afternoon, but her kidneys were not really functioning much earlier. The reason she is still pretty much sedated is because of the kidney's aren't functioning well enough to flush out the Propofol that was used to sedate her. You can see the fluid building up again which is a little discouraging since they worked so hard to get it so much off. They do have her back on the diuretic, so hopefully things will pick up soon and she will start waking up a little more. They gave her blood yesterday due to her anemia and also have given her more blood today. The blood coming out of her chest tube is significantly less, which is great! Her blood sugar levels have been in great shape.

They did say she would get worse before she got better and it appears that is happening. But, we are hopeful and praying that things get better and start working again soon! I don't think that we have encountered any situation yet that the doctors did not think was a possibility.

It is so hard to see your loved one like this, but we know it had to be done and will make her so much better in the long run! I know many of you have had similar situations and know how hard it can be. I can't thank you enough for your comments, thoughts, prayers, phone calls, texts, etc.

Mom Update 1-12-10 (Surgery is Complete)

Mom is out of surgery and in ICU recovering. Surgery lasted a little over 3 hours.

Here are the details of surgery:
Replaced the tricuspid valve (with a pig valve)
After getting in there, the heart valves were in worse shape than originally thought to be. Decided to also repair the mitral valve.
Other two valves were also in need of a repair (leaking), but felt that the tricuspid replacement and mitral valve repair were all that surgery she could withstand.
Heart muscle seemed strong. A little stiff, but strong.
Kidneys did not function as well as the doctor had expected.
Probably will need dialysis again to remove more fluid and remove toxins. (Should know more about this in a day or so).
The lungs were damaged from radiation (breast cancer in 1992). One lung was stuck to the chest wall and other one was scarred.
Doctor removed fluid from around lungs while he was in there.
Will continue to have breathing problems, but seems optimistic she will be in much better shape!

The doctor basically said that he did the best that he could with what he had. He said that she would definitely get "sicker" before she would get better. She has a long road ahead.

She will be in ICU a minimum of 24 hours, but probably more like 3-4 days. Depends on how she does. She will be out (asleep and on a ventilator) for a day or so. She is hooked up to so many wires, tubes, etc. They are currently pacing her heart with the pacemaker wires they put in there. But should remove those in a few days if all goes as expected.

We feel blessed that surgery went well and her heart started back beating! Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!

Our Visit with Nanny

Hayden and I came up yesterday to visit Mom. I wasn't sure if I would get to see her today or not before surgery.





Jeff took off work today to hang out with Hayden at home. They are getting to have some quality Daddy~Son time!

Mom Update 1-12-10

Mom is now back in the Pre-Op area(a couple of hours later than expected). We are guessing it will be closer to 2:00 before surgery begins. I am glad we all got to hang out and see her before she went back. Now the waiting begins! Mom was doing pretty good before she left, a little teary-eyed, but doing good. Her biggest concerns are how hard it is going to be after surgery. No doubt, it is going to be H-A-R-D! But, I just told her that God wouldn't put anything on her that she couldn't handle. The doctor came in this morning and said that he would do his part if Mom did hers. Maybe they will make a good team!

I'll keep you updated.

Mom Update 1-9-10 (Surgery is Scheduled)

Celebration: Mom has lost over 20 pounds since she got to Baylor Tuesday evening. Although, it is quite tough on Mom getting up and down so much to go to the restroom, this is such a blessing!

Mom is officially scheduled for open heart surgery to replace her tricuspid valve on Tuesday around 12:00 or 1:00 PM at Baylor Dallas. The tricuspid valve prevents the back flow of blood as it is pumped from the right atrium to the right ventricle. Basically, the chemical that the carcinoid tumors produce have somewhat “destroyed” this valve which is causing the tricuspid regurgitation (valve isn’t closing and allowing the blood to come back out) and is currently described as non-functioning. Mom will receive a bioprosthetic heart valve. This means she will have an animal tissue valve; either a porcine, which is valve tissue from a pig, or a bovine pericardial tissue, which is from a cow. I know, sounds crazy huh? We keep making jokes to Mom about it, but she doesn’t think it is as funny as we do. You can go here to read more about the surgery itself or go here to read more about the bioprosthetic valve.

Actual surgery time should be about 3 hours. Mom is expected to be in ICU a minimum of 24 hours post-surgery. During surgery, Mom will be placed on a heart-lung machine that will keep oxygen-rich blood flowing through her body while her heart is stopped during the valve replacement. The doctor said there is a 1% chance that something could go wrong (stroke, blood clot, etc.). To be honest, we were quite worried about the outcome (of course we still are), but this percentage sounds quite positive to us! The surgeon did say that her arteries were “clean as a whistle”. YEA Mom! Mom has always been pretty conscious of what she ate. Growing up, she very rarely fried anything! The surgeon also said there is a chance she would at some time need a pacemaker. So, he is going to go ahead and put the “wires” in just in case.

As far as her kidneys are concerned, the surgeon said that they could either get better or worse. Really, at this point, they are not quite sure what will happen after the valve is replaced. We are hoping this surgery will also increase the functionality of her kidneys and remedy this fluid problem she is currently having.

As with any surgery there are risks. Her surgeon is said to be one of the very best and we are very optimistic that Mom will do great! Please pray for Dr. Hebeler and his team that day.

And of course, please pray for Mom. For those of you that don't know her personally, her name is Sharon Spencer if you would like to call her something other than "Megan's Mom" and be specific when you are speaking to the Lord. :-) She is such a strong woman and I know she is going to do great!

I will keep you posted with details as I have them.

Our Day

Our Thursday in review...

Hayden's new favorite snack: Mandarin Oranges!


Sing it with me! Sponge-Bob-Square-Pants!


Trying to stand up with nothing to grab on to.


Playing with his feet.


Playing with the dogs.


Hayden will crawl (army crawl/scoot) to reach:

The dog bone


His paci




Hangers


Way to go Hayden! But why do we have toys? Hayden LOVES the dog bone (YUCK!) and hangers!

And...I made some delicious Baked Potato Soup!! To die for! Healthy too! HA! Yeah right! (3/4 stick of butter, 1 lb. Velveeta, sour cream, whipping cream, milk, onions (sauteed in butter), potatoes, topped with bacon, shredded sharp cheese, and green onion...so good!)

This was our Thursday!

Mom Update 1-7-10

Celebration: Mom had lost 6 pounds this morning!

Neither the cardiologist or the surgeon have been in today. So, no new news as far as that is concerned! Maybe tomorrow? We'll see!

I plan on going to see Mom tomorrow. I miss not seeing Mom or Dad. I know I am spoiled, but it has been 2 days. ;-) My aunt and grandfather are in from Vegas, so I will get to see them too!

Hopefully I will have a little more news tomorrow!

Mom Update 1-6-10

Mom had an echo cardiogram this morning. The cardiologist came in this evening and said that there is no doubt that Mom needed the left valve replacement surgery. I thought we already knew this, but I guess another opinion doesn't hurt. She felt like Mom would withstand surgery just fine. The surgeon should be in tomorrow to discuss the details of surgery.

The kidney doctor has also been in and has placed her on a different diuretic and seems optimistic that it will be successful in removing some of her fluid.

Hopefully more positive news tomorrow!

Mom Update 1-5-10

They finally took mom by ambulance to Baylor (from Greenville) this evening about 7:00PM. They had originally "planned" to take her mid-morning, but it didn't quite work out that way. But, she is there now and in her room. Mom was originally in Greenville because her family doctor (which is wonderful) is in Greenville along with her cardiologist and oncologist who work both in Greenville and at Baylor. They were thinking they would be a little more successful at getting the fluid off.

We expect the cardiologist to be in to see her in the morning and possibly do the procedure to take a closer look at her heart tomorrow (we are hoping anyway!). We are ready to know a little more about what is going on. Hopefully tomorrow we will get a few more answers!

Life in the Country

Nothing like using old furniture to make a fire on a cool, crisp afternoon. Living the country life and loving it! All we needed was some marshmellows!

Hayden the Postman

Hayden has become quite the little postman! He loves his new mailbox that his Nana and Papa got him for Christmas! (It's a little extra special because his Nana is a mail carrier for the USPS.)

Those of you who also got this for Christmas, do you not just love the talking/singing bird? Too cute!

Mom Update 1-3-10

Not too much to report other than they did admit Mom on Friday into the hospital and she is still there. They are working to get the fluid off of her body. This morning was the first time she had lost any weight in a couple of weeks. She lost a little over a pound this morning. Praise the Lord! The doctor yesterday gave her something that removes the fluid from her tissues and puts it into her blood stream. The Lasix she has been taking removes the fluid from her blood stream. So far it hasn't made here creatitine level go up. So hopefully now with the two of them working together, it will make a difference.

Dad is hoping they will go ahead and run the test on her heart tomorrow or very soon. (They will go down her throat with a scope to take a closer look at her heart.) Then, maybe we will be able to move forward with the heart surgery.

Thank you for continuing to pray for her!

So close!

In the past week, Hayden has gotten so close to crawling! He is still quite proficient in turning circles and going backwards. But, we are still working on going forward! He is moving his legs and doing "push ups" but his arms and legs aren't quite working at the same time. He works so hard! It won't be long!

Success!

Hayden has recently become successful in self-feeding. Puffs and yogurt bites that is!



Here is how it has all gone down in the past couple of weeks...

1. Mommy or Daddy fed me all my puffs.

2. Mommy has tried to put a puff in my hand, but I just look at it and wonder what I am supposed to do with it and why she isn't putting it in my mouth.

3. Mommy put some on my high chair tray for me to "look at" and I ended up with all of them in my lap.

4. Mommy put some on my tray again another day and I could pick them up but my fingers got wet and they just stuck to them. About 1/2 of them ended up in my lap.

5. Mommy asked Daddy to put some on my tray and Daddy said I couldn't do it, so he just fed them to me. YEA for me!

6. Mommy put some on my tray and I put one in my mouth! Only a few ended up in my lap.

7. Mommy put some on my tray and I ate them all...all by myself.

8. Mommy put some on my tray and I ate them so fast that she didn't even have time to get my cereal ready!

I am guessing we can start exploring finger foods a little. Hayden still doesn't have any teeth, but I guess we can do some soft foods. If you have suggestions, send them my way!

Making the rounds on Christmas day!

After Santa came, we planned to make the rounds on Christmas day. We first planned to go to my Aunt Barbara's house before lunch, my brother's for lunch, and Jeff's parents for dinner. Except, we didn't quite make the first stop and were late to the second stop. Oh well!

So, 1st we went to my brother's house. My sister-in-law is quite the cook! She is one that can just cook from the top of her head (unlike me...always needing a recipe) and it always turns out wonderful! They always have a huge spread and it is always sooooo good!!

Hayden got this Lightning McQueen "Rock and Ride" from my brother and his family. It is so cool because it will "grow" with him. It can rock, or you can take that off and it has a handle where you can push him in it, or he can ride it all on his own. Of course it makes all kinds of noises!







Hayden and his Nanny and his new telephone my parents got him. I am in love with all the “old” but “new” Fisher Price toys at Target! (Hayden also got a sock monkey and the sock monkey jack-in-the-box.) Hayden loves to chew on her oxygen hose. Ha! The bandage you see on Mom's neck is where they cut her dialysis port out. Poor thing, it look like it hurt so bad!



After lunch at my brother's, we went to Jeff's parent's house for the Smith Christmas. We all brought appetizer and snack food for dinner. My favorite thing that night was Jeff's sister's recipe. She had wrapped lil' smokies in bacon and drizzled (maybe drenched) them with brown sugar and baked them. SO, SO GOOD!! I have no idea how many I ate, but they were delicious!



With seven grandkids, they were ready to finish eating and get started with the presents! We make them open one at a time and all take turns opening gifts...youngest to oldest. I love it. I love seeing their reactions. I love hearing their comments. But, I am quite sure it is torture for them!



Hayden got so many great new toys and clothes from our friends and family! We are so thankful! It was fun watching Hayden this year as he ate the paper and tissue and played with the boxes, but I can't wait for next year and to see his personality!



Hayden was so tired after such a long and exciting day! He was lovin' on his Uncle Mark.


Hayden got his second wind and decided he wanted to play with his Aunt Sherry and Uncle Matt.


We always take family photos at Christmas time. I was so sad when we got in the truck to leave and remembered that we never took ours.

Jeff's Momma and Daddy.


Jeff's brother Mark and his family. He is the oldest of the siblings.


Jeff's sister Yolanda and her husband Mark. Sorry Mark, I didn't get a picture with your eyes open! :-)


Jeff's brother Matt and his family. Matt and Jeff are 11 months apart.


We had a wonderful 1st Christmas with our precious baby boy. Best wishes for the New Year! We are looking forward to what is to come in 2010!

Mom Update 1-1-10

{Update: The link below should work now. Sorry about that!}

The good news: After having blood work done on Tuesday, Mom's white blood count came back normal which means her infection is much better! Also her creatitine level (kidney function) was over 2. (normal is below 1) It's not 11 like when she went to Baylor a couple of months ago, but still not where it needs to be. Part of this is the Lasix she is taking to try and get rid of the the fluid. The bad news: Her doctor told her that pretty much everything else from her blood work up was out of wack. Found out she is anemic as well.

After increasing her Lasix earlier in the week, her doctor told her that if she continued to gain weight or failed to loose any, that she should go to the ER today(not sure why today was the magical day). She pretty much gained fluid weight every day since coming home last week from the hospital. We were very hopeful, but Dad ended up having to take mom to the ER this morning. They are now running more tests, blood work, monitoring her heart, etc.

They are trying to get some of the fluid removed, but we feel like the left heart valve replacement surgery will be sooner than later. Honestly, it seems like this will be the only thing to give her some relief! Of course, we are much more worried about this than Mom is. She"tries not to worry" as she tells us.

I will keep you posted. If you would like to add the page to your favorites that just has "Mom Updates" then click here.

Happy New Year! We are definitely hoping and praying for a better year for Mom!