Happy 1 Year Heartiversary to Brody!!!!!

It was one year ago today that Brody went in for his first heart surgery (Glenn Surgery).  I can clearly remember that day in my head and hate even thinking about it.  I always knew that day would come but let me tell you nothing prepares you for it!!  When they take your baby away to the OR it is like your whole world stops and you are helpless.  It was THE worst feeling I have ever felt in my entire life. 

There isn't a day that goes by that I am not thankful that God took us to Vancouver that afternoon of April 7 to have this wonderful team take care of Brody.  We would never go anywhere else to have him cared for.  We thought that we would be funny and send some Rider gear and ask for a pic...but did they get us as they sent it back after the Lions won the Grey Cup... I guess they have a point this time :)

WOW Brody has and continues to excell. He is not a typical heart patient...he is growing normally, a little chunck (about 26 pounds now), he is walking, saying some basic words, and a happy child.  However the little gaffer still doesn't like to sleep much (up at least 3 times a night).  Eveyone tells me this will go away but it keeps happening so the coffee producers can keep upping their prices as that is the only thing that keeps me going some days.

We went out for ice cream to celebrate tonight however didn't get any pics as Brody was a grump from not sleeping much today (an hour all day).  However here are some summer pics for everyone to look at and enjoy. Brody is living proof that just because you are born with a challenge doesn't mean life is over. It is all what you make of it day by day.  We are so happy to call him our son and would not have it any other way.



SWIMMING IS AWESOME!!!!





GO RIDERS GO!!!!!!!



Get outta my way!!!




Hanging with my big bro having a snack!!



Check up was great!!!

We went to see the Cardiologist in Saskatoon on May 31.  He is doing very well.  They are very happy as he is showing no signs of distress or needing any medications as all his levels are great.  His oxygen stats were averaging around 92 however were as high as 95.  They were very surprised to see how big he is, a whopping 23 and a half pounds and 30 1/2inches long.

So all this being said it is status quo now and we have to go back in about 6 months.  At that time they will start talking to Vancouver to book his  next surgury date, heart catherization (which can be done in Saskatoon) and MRI (which will need to be done in Vancouver).  So around Christmas we may have our answers on what is the next surgery.

Also someone I worked with sent  me this song and I thought of Brody.  It was written by a Christian singer about his son who was also born with a heard defect. He wrote it as when he first found out about it he wasn't sure how he could let himself love someone who may one day not be around.  But the song is about giving all of his love to him no matter what... I went through the same feelings... I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ygAc2qP5A

Stay tuned for summer updates :P

Happy 1st Birthday Brody!!!!

We absolutely can't believe that our little man is 1 already.  He has got so big!!!  Just by looking at him you wouldn't even know that he has a heart condition.  He is healthy, developing at a normal rate and is ready to run.  We celebrated his 1st Birthday on April 7 with family and a few friends.  We had an Elmo cake (which I made and had a bunch of fun doing it compared to the Spiderman cake I did the week before for Caine's 4th Birthday).

So how is Brody you ask....since Christmas we have had a few set backs but doing well.  In January we ended up in the hospital with Croup.  It sucked.  We checked in on Sunday night and were there until late Thursday afternoon.  They kept telling us that they were not going to release him until his oxygen stats were in the high nineties...which is impossible for Brody as being in the low nineties in an accomplishment for a child with a Congential Heart Defect.  So once they finally believed us and Brody got checked out by the Cardiologist (who happened to be in Regina) we got to go home.

I went to  back to work April 10 and April 11 Brody caught a virus of some sort that caused his hands and feet to have blue spells.  Very odd. I went to get him checked out and he was fine just a cold virus of some sort.  His oxygen level was 93 so very good.  It passed in a few days so no worries.

Now he is just a happy go luck kid who couldn't cut teeth if he tried :)  He just has the two bottom teeth that he cut at 10 months and nothing since.  But he eats whatever everyone else does so no more baby food for him.  He is no baby that is for sure.  

We have a follow up Cardiologist report on May 31 in Saskatoon so once we have the next steps and results from that appointment I will update the blog.  I will try to do it more as alot of you ask for updates.

For your viewing pleasure here are some birthday pics and a few pics that we had taken from Drawn Daisy here in Regina.  Krista is great :)