Good day for a hike.

Well, this summer has come and gone. We've never spent such little time in the mountains in our lives, as we did this summer. When they say having a baby changes everything, they're not kidding. Of course we've been through this once before and know that, but I think you forget with each kid. Obviously Alex has had reason to keep us at lower elevations and we understand that, but the mountains seem to be our second home, and we've missed them!!

Sam was SO excited to go. He decided that he was going to carry his backpack with water and snacks for all of us. He did great and never forgot to ask every few minutes if we were ready for a drink yet!

Who's the tough guy?

He even had time to stop for a Spiderman pose!

Alex had good intentions of staying awake and enjoying the scenery............

but, after all, hiking can wear a guy out!

Giggling Alex

Here is a cute video of Alex. Sometimes he can be very particular with who he shares his smiles and giggles with. Now hopefully you guys will believe us that he does let down his hair (what little he's got), and giggle.

Don't worry about the color. He's not jaundice, it's just bad lighting. What do you expect when you grab the camera quick!

Asking favors.....again!!

I hope that each of you who read this blog know how much we appreciate your love, friendship, thoughts and prayers. I hope that we have expressed enough times that we know your prayers and fasting in behalf of our family have worked! Your prayers for us are such a comfort to our family. So, once again, I ask for your faith and prayers in our behalf. I'm not sure if any of your wards are doing the same as ours, but our fast Sunday is next week (Sept. 28th). I know it's a couple of weeks early, but Alex goes in for his testing (sedated echocardiogram and MRI) on October 6th in preparation for his surgery (Nov. 4th). We ask any who are able or interested to remember him in your fasting and prayers. We pray that as he goes for this testing, they will find that all is well with him, and that his status is appropriate for proceeding with surgery in about 6 weeks. We know that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. That has been proven to us countless times. We know that your prayers have been heard and we feel so blessed because of your service. And I'll just put it out there now, we would love your prayers and fasting for November, since Alex will be going into surgery 2 days later. Thank you again to all of you for your continued support!

Baby Toys or Big Boy Toys?

So we finally decided get the exersaucer out for Alex. When Sam was a baby he absolutley adored it. After getting it out, it's apparent that the adoration never went away!

Although it has provided Alex with a lot of entertainment, I think maybe it has done more for Sam! I think that Sam wishes Alex found it as exciting as he does. He is constantly trying to get Alex to grab all the toys and trying to shove them in his mouth.

Here are a couple cute pics of Alex playing by himself.

Time for a Treat!

Doesn't everyone love chocolate pudding?! Sam sure does!

We Gave In!

We finally gave in and bought a trampoline for Sam. He has had such a great time in the few short weeks we've had it. It was a tough decision for us considering that we're both nurses and have seen what can happen, but in this case, I guess the parent in us beat out the nurse. I searched for one of the safest ones I could find. The safety net is attached to the mat so it eliminates any injury made by falling through the springs. Now as for the other accidents, right now we are just pretending that those don't happen!!



Sam and Dad being Donkeys!



And of course, Dad has to do his knee flips. Although we're not impressed, Sam is!

5K/10K

Gary and I (oh, and the kids too) participated in our first race. Gary did a 10K and I did the 5K and pushed the kids in the stroller. Our friends Scott and Kari asked us to come and join them in the race so we gave in and had a lot of fun doing it. It was something different than we've done before and we were glad to join. It was the Classic Race in Layton and the money donated goes to support the heart program at McKay-Dee Hospital.



We still had muscles even after the race. Thanks Pounders for the invite. We had a great time!

IHH Walk

On September 6th we had the opportunity to attend a fun run/walk as a fundraiser for our support group. It was a really beautiful day all around. The weather was great, the spirit was strong, and it was a wonderful to see the families and children that are affected by CHD's. It's amazing that you can take that many strangers that are coping with the same type of struggles, and we can all come together as friends as if we've known each other our whole lives. We want to thank all of you who supported us in this fundraiser physically/emotionally and monetarily. Your love and kindness means so much to us. Words cannot express the emotions that we feel in response to your kindness and love. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I decided that it was easier to do a slide show instead of still pictures since we have so many to show. Sam received a "battle wound" as he was running the race with Joe. He wanted to be sure that we included a picture of it.



After the walk we stopped for lunch at Arbys with the family. Joe (as usual) kept the kids entertained or vice versa.

4 months old!

Can you believe it? Man does time fly. We certainly feel very blessed to be where we are now all things considered. Alex went for his 4 month check-up today. He looks great, and his pediatrician is "tickled" (his words, not mine)with his progress. Aren't we all!

He weighed 14 lbs 2 oz (50th percentile), and was 25 1/2 in. long (75th percentile). Right where he should be, and we couldn't be more pleased! He also gave us the go ahead on rice cereal, so we'll give that a shot tomorrow.

He is still smiling tonight because he didn't have to get any shots. The surgeons advised us not to get any immunizations 6 wks prior to or after his surgery. The bypass machine that they will use on his surgery has a filter that would filter out any immunizations given that close to surgery. He is right on the border of the 6 wks, but we felt that it would be best to leave him be, and not have to give him another needlestick/blood draw to check a titer on them. So he will recieve his shots at his 9 month check up. It seems a long ways off, but it will be here before we know it. He still is not rolling over, but we're not too concerned about that, it'll happen soon. We are so happy for Alex and so greatful for your prayers and love!

Brothers

Just thought I would post a few pics of the boys together. They are both growing like weeds. Don't mind the naked (sort of) baby pics. We decided that we should get as many pictures of Alex's scarless chest that we can, since that will change! They are such sweet boys. Alex is really smiley (when he wants to be) and has been starting to giggle. We enjoy our boys so much! Their sweet smiling faces always brighten our day!

First Day of Preschool

Sam started preschool on Wednesday. Hallelujah! It was definately time for a mix up in his life. He has had kind of a slow summer (life with a new baby), so he was excited to get started back again. Alex was born the same week that he finished preschool in May, so it was a big change to cut that out and add a new baby.

His teacher is Ms. Paula. I grew up in the same ward with her and her family. She has been teaching for 16 years, so she obviously enjoys working with children. She has already told me that she wished she had a whole classroom full of kids like Sam (GO FIGURE!!).

Sam told me on his first day back that he missed Alex while he was gone! Although I'm sure he enjoys some time without a crying baby, he sure does love Alex. He is such a great big brother!

Piano playing with Dad

Alex loves to play the piano with Dad. Sam was the same way when he was younger but now he's big enough to dance and sing while Dad plays. He loves for Gary to play "Follow the Prophet" and "Called to Serve" and its so cute to listen to him sing!

Sometimes adding a fist to chew on makes it even better! He has mostly been chewing on his fists, but in the last couple of days has decided to put the thumb in instead of the fist. Mom and Dad are trying hard to keep it a fist instead of a thumb, but we may have our work cut out for us!

Fundraiser Walk

Just wanted to put a reminder out there to anyone, that the fundraiser for our support group is this Saturday the 6th in Provo. We have heard from some of you that are going to participate, but thought that we would put it out there again just in case you missed our post from the beginning of August. If you missed our first post and want more info about it, scroll down to the older posts and you can read. If there is anyone that missed our first post and want to join us, could you please let us know. We are doing a little thing for those in Alex's group, and we would like to make sure that we have enough for everyone. If you have already let us know, then disregard this post. If not, then just leave a comment and let us know how many will be in your group so that we are prepared. Thank you to all of you for your continued support for our family!
By the way, the boys are doing great. I will post more in the next couple of days since I know it's been a while since the last one!!

Alex's Defects

We have been searching for pictures, diagrams, anything to show Alex's defects. Truth is, we can't find any. They don't seem to have a website that has all of his defects in one. Just goes to show you that he really does have a complicated heart (as if you wondered!). This new link that we have put on is the closest thing we can find. It essentially is correct, except doesn't show his tricuspid atresia. So in the pictures where it points to a tricuspid valve, his isn't there. If you follow through the images it will show you how it will be treated. Oh, and for those of you who we haven't told, his next surgery (glenn and damus procedure) is scheduled for November 4th. So, if you don't have anything to be happy about on election day, we do..... one more surgery down!!

Pretty cool Picture!

We like this picture so much we thought we'd make it bigger just to see the fancy fisherman!

Much Needed Outing!

Finally, we got to spend Saturday up in the Uintas. We went to Lily Lake for about 10minutes,until Alex decided he didn't like it there. We weren't sure if it was the wind or the alititude, but since it was our first outing we decided to play it safe and head to lower ground. We spent the rest of the afternoon fishing the Provo River around Soapstone area. It didn't take Sam long to hook on to a fish at the lake. He had a "lunker" on in about 5 minutes of fishing.

That smile made it all worth it. When was the last time you saw a smile that big for a 3 in. fish? Cute boy!

Alex did pretty good for the trip. Although by the afternoon he needed a nap, so Mom hung out in the car with him while Dad and Sam headed up the river for some more fishing.

Sam has also decided now that he is ready to trade in his fishing pole for a fly rod. It does Dad (and Mom) proud, but are we ready to start this expensive habit at four years old?

Gary said it's a good thing women are good at multitasking (as if my casting skills needed challenged). It was a whole new experience casting, rocking and bouncing all at the same time, but hey we had a great time!

Gary and Sam had a great time too. Sam was determined to cross the river, and it's a good thing Dad was there to help him. The water was a lot stronger than he expected. You know you can't believe Mom and Dad when they say that, you have to find out for yourself. Sam enjoys all the "boy time" that they get to spend together.

We were so happy to get out for the day together. We truly understand what we've been told so many times before- "find joy in your posterity". We have two wonderful and sweet little boys and we are so greatful for them!

Dinosaur Park

Sam, Alex, Mom and Grandma Bon-bon got to spend the day at the Dinosaur Park in Ogden. Grandma had never been there before so Sam was really excited to take her and show her all the dinos.

One good looking cowboy!

I forgot to include this picture in the previous post. I figured you would all get a kick out of what Sam chose to wear. Mom told him it was too hot for pants that day at the fair, so this is what we got!

Fair Time!

Sam and I got to spend a few days at the Davis County Fair this last week. As far as I'm concerned, it was just a fair, but Sam had a great time. He got to spend time "milking the cows",


visiting the petting zoo,


can't forget the pony rides,



and of course, the cotton candy and snowcones. What fair is complete without those?


Alex got to join in on the fun too, although he didn't get to do as much fun stuff as Sam did!

Fun Run/Walk

We just wanted to put a little plug in for this fun run/walk that is taking place. It is a fundraiser for a support group that we belong to. The group is full of wonderful people who have all been blessed, like we have, with children that have CHD's (congenital heart defects). The group provides emotional support through discussions on the webpage, visits in the hospital and care bags for each new family. It provides a place for us to vent the frustrations and concerns that go along with having a heart baby. It is comforting to us to know that so many others have been through what we are going through, and they're surviving! Although we don't see everyone regularly, and some we have never met, we have made many friends through the website. We've become somewhat of a "family", dealing with the good news and the sad that each person is going through. Those who know us well are aware of how much we appreciate this group.
The money that is raised will go solely to our group and will be used for things like: putting care bags together, the cost of keeping the website running, flowers for new moms and unfortunately funerals, keepsake Christmas ornaments for angel heart babies. They are also trying to raise enough money to pay for a 2 day camp next year for all of the heart kiddos and their families. That way they can all get together with kids who are just like them!
Any money donated can be used as a tax write off for those who want to do that. By signing up for this you will receive a t-shirt with the IHH logo on it as well. If you are not interested in walking/running, the group is always willing to accept donations. The walk is a mile long, and I hear is pretty flat. If you click on the Intermountain Healing Hearts link (located on the right side of this page) and scroll down, there is a link to the fun run/walk, and that can give you the sign up sheet and more info.
So a short post ended up not being one! I just wanted to let everyone know how much we appreciate this support group and that's why I took the time to post this. We want to raise awareness that CHD's are not uncommon. We have been blessed with a VERY supportive family and wonderful friends, but there are so many who are not as fortunate, and that is why this group is so important!

Echocardiogram

Today was a good day. I took Alex in for his echocardiogram (ultrasound of his heart), and the cardiologist was very happy. Alex weighed in at 12 lbs 5 oz. He had his clothes on so that throws it a little, but he is definately gaining weight. The doc said that everything looked great on his chest x-ray and echo, so he doesn't want to see us back until Oct. 6th!!! If he becomes symptomatic or has any other problems then we will go back sooner.
So, on his next appt. they will sedate him to get a full echo and an MRI of his heart to check his pulmonary arteries. This is all in preparation for the next surgery, which he said we will tenatively plan for 6 months of age :( . We knew it was coming but it's still hard to think about it! We are so pleased that he has done so well this far.
The doc has given us permission to take Alex to higher altitudes which sounds great to us! For any of you that know us, you can imagine what torture it's been to not have been camping or fishing all summer! We plan on trying to do some things to get the boys and us out before summer is over.
We are so very blessed! Our Heavenly Father has poured out his blessings upon our little family. We have such beautiful little boys that are straight from heaven! We have been taught so much from our children about the love that our Heavenly Father has for us and hope that each of you can feel of our Father's love for you. God can and does work miracles. We have witnessed that in our lives. Thank you to all of you for your continued prayers in our behalf. We want each of you to know that God and our Savior live! They are very aware of each of us and our needs. We find such strength in our faith. We are here to fulfill his purposes and to learn each day. Thank you for the love that you have shown to our family in our time of need. We will keep living each day enjoying each other, and hope that you will do the same in your families.

Do you think they're related?
Alex is in the red B-ball shirt and Sam is in the green shirt. We think they're pretty cute!

Day on the Farm

Sam, Alex and I went to Wheeler Farm for a few hours in the morning before it got too hot. Alex slept the whole time, except for the 30 seconds it took me to snap the picture of him. Sam wasn't too sure about getting close to the animals while they're making noises. He thought it was pretty cool though. He loved the wagon ride, which was really pretty pointless. They take you out through the trees and that was about it. We saw two donkeys on the ride, and other than that it was just trees and shrubs. Sam loved it though and so it made it worth the $3 to go. It's so fun to see his eyes light up and dimples pop out!

Bad hair day!

We decided that it was time for a haircut after this first picture!

New Alex Pics

Thought we should let people know that we still exist! Besides a little stomach bug, Alex has been doing great! Notice that he is getting a dimple in his elbow and some chunky thighs! Well not too chunky, but for him, they look great!

Sharing........

But not too sure about it! It's not easy for a guy to share one of his most prized possessions! As long as we don't take the boots to put on Alex too, I think we'll be okay!

Still a little bit too big!

Cute as can be!

8 Week Check-Up

Alex had his 8 week check-up today. He is doing great as far as his ped is concerned, so it's always nice to have another doc pleased with his progress! He is 10 lbs 10 oz and 24 in long (up 3 lbs & 3 1/2 in from birth). He is growing really well. Everything looked good on his exam and went well until the 3 shots! Unfortunately they all have to get them.
We are so pleased with how well Alex is doing! We know it's all thanks to your prayers in his behalf. Thanks to all of you!

Fun Day @ The Pool

Ever Feel Like This?

A Major Milestone!!!

I am almost scared to post this, afraid that we will be jinxed, but here goes: Alex slept all night long!! What a momentous occasion! We hope that this is the first of many long sleep filled nights. Eight straight hours of sleep sure makes you feel like you will actually survive a newborn (as anyone with kids know). We hope to be able keep this habit going, though the next surgery will probably screw that up. Oh well, if the habit is in place hopefully it will be easier to get back into it. Happy sleeping!

All this celebrating will wear you out!

Alex was worn out after a long day of birthday parties. If you look close you can almost see thigh rolls (on Alex). Hard to tell here, but Alex has lost all of his hair on the top. All he has is old man fringe around the edge and peach fuzz on top.

Hard days work

Shooting Elmo is not an easy job. Who do you think won?

Draw!!

Sam's determined to shoot that darn Elmo, but it just doesn't seem fair to have all those sprayers coming at you.

Long Time, No Post

Considering how long it's been since our last post we thought we should update. Alex is growing really well. He is almost ten pounds and is getting long. We have a check up this week so we will get better measurements. He is working on sleeping through the night. He is up to about six hours, we'll take any extra time we can get. He is really starting to play more. He likes to talk to his toys and if the mood catches him just right he will even smile. Sam is the best big brother. He loves Alex. He is always wanting to help and loves to play with Alex. He is ready for Alex to be bigger so that he can play a little more.
We had a fun Fourth of July. We took both boys to the parade in the morning. Sam's favorite part was snatching all the candy. We went swimming after that at Grandma and Grandpa's house with his cousins. Then we got ready to go to fireworks. Sam and Dad went to watch the fireworks at Lagoon that night. We decided Alex wouldn't appreciate them as much so he stayed home with mom.
We have had a good summer so far. Sam has loved playing on his slip and slide and his little pool. Super soakers are also lots of fun.