Written on 8:09 PM by gracefully discovering:
Almost three years to the day...that I've blogged, SMH. When I was pregnant with the twins and had just found out about Nia's heart, a mom of an adult HLHS'er told me that the people who blog about their kiddos are the ones who are struggling and having a difficult journey--the rest of the success stories are busy living life. At the time, I didn't really pay it much attention, but as I come back to this blog to begin writing about our upcoming journey---it completely comes full circle for me.
It's been three awesome years! The girls are growing up so quickly before our eyes: both extremely smart and smart mouthed, beautiful, fun, happy and loving little ladies. They are the most amazing blessings that God has ever given us. We've been busy living life.
But here we are, round three of surgeries, and I'm back to the blog. Nia has her Fontan scheduled for 1/24 and we go in tomorrow for her pre-op appointment. She has a little a cold, so we're thinking that they are going to postpone it until she is free of any virus or infection. I know that postponing it will be the best thing for her medically, but it just gives me a little anxiety. It's like we prepare for the day as much as we can, and then it's not the day--and you have to try and prepare all over again.
We haven't really had to deal with this for 3 years---she has been doing great heart wise, just her regularly scheduled check-ups. And now all of the feelings in my stomach get all tied up in a knot and I dream and I pray and I picture her walking through those double doors, where Nick and I can't go....and the next time that I see my baby...she is sedated, with a breathing tube, IV's, chest tubes, hooked up to all of the monitors in the WORLD and I can't hold her. I can't make her feel better. It breaks my heart....but I know that she needs it and that it is going to help her heart function as normal as possible.
I went back and read all of my post from the previous surgeries and all of the overwhelming feelings came back...and then I looked at my sweet baby girl and said "look at her now," You wouldn't know what she has been through. So I'm holding on to my faith in the Lord and my trust in her surgeon and believing that in a few months, she will be back to this crazy and feisty little girl that we all know and love.
We will find out tomorrow if it's a GO.
Written on 9:36 AM by gracefully discovering:
So anyone who knows me...KNOWS that I am frugal...or cheap as some people like to call me. I am the person who will wait until things go on sale, look for a coupon, put back an item because I saw it somewhere else for .30 cents cheaper, or even drive a few blocks down for gas that is only .4 cents cheaper!
Now, don't get me wrong, I will splurge for things like nice shoes, my hair, or things that I really want. But for the most part, I don't like to waste money. I think it has a lot to do with me growing up po' and not wanting to ever go back there again!
Anyway, I have learned the hard way though, that being frugal or cheap isn't always the best and could in fact cause one to spend more money than she would have if she had just bought the brand named in the first place. I feel it's my duty to warn the people on which items are a MUST HAVE name brand:
3. 1. TAMPONS! Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT be cheap like me and buy the Wal-greens brand tampons...even if the box says comparable to Tampax Pearl. It's not, trust me! Just go ahead and spend the extra $1.49 to get the real thing. Your clothes will appreciate you in the end.
2. DRAINO: If you think that Drain-X will do the job...think again. It won't, your sink will still be clogged, even if you use the whole dayum bottle!
3.Peanut Butter: Fake peanut butter just doesn't taste the same...I don't know what it is but it just doesn't spread right on the bread! Your taste buds will thank you for this one. The real thing is always only about .50 more...not that big of a deal.
Paper Towels: I try and try to buy cheap paper towels, and every time that I try to wipe something up- I get mad at myself for being a cheap-o. They wither and tear so easily, that I have to end up using more- which makes me buy more and in the end spend more money!
5. Vanilla Wafers: Nothing can compare to Keebler's Nilla wafers! Nothing, so don't cheap out...you WILL be disappointed.
6. Dish detergent and washing powder: Clothes and dishes wish still be dirty! Or you will have to use a whole lot of it to get it clean. Stick with your brands...but look for coupons!
7.Deodorant: Now, I haven't done this one..but I can just imagine- that nobody would want to walk around smelling like cheap deodorant!
That's all I have for now, if I think of more...I will create a new post. I'll try a lot of things off brand just to see if its good. Sometimes, you can't even tell the difference...but there are a few exceptions. So beware!
Written on 11:54 AM by gracefully discovering:
Today Nia gets moved to the regular floor! This morning they took her last central line out- so we are free to go in about 2 hours!
I forgot to mention yesterday that Nia pulled BOTH of her IV's out of her wrist! This morning, I was holding her..and I looked down and she had her bottom stitch wrapped around her thumb! This little girl is so feisty! I guess she was telling them that she is ready to go home!
I'm happy that we are going to the floor- BC at least there is a pull out bed in the room. last night, I crawled up in two sitting chairs...definitely not the most comfortable...but it served its purpose. I was close by Nia whenever she woke up.
That's all for now- peace!
Written on 10:56 PM by gracefully discovering:
So last night was my night at home with Naomi...but before that, mommy and daddy went on a little date!
Durante sat at the hospital with Nia ( I just hate leaving her by herself...so we had to send a replacement) and Phebe watched Naomi. Nick and I needed some alone time and it was nice. Although, we only went to dinner (and I had the BEST strawberry banana margarita..yum!) it was great convo and lots of fun!
Anyway, Naomi and I had a good time together...and I swear- having one baby is a BREEZE!
Nick stayed with Nia last night...and I get a call this morning that she "woke up a new baby." Normally Nia is kinda quiet and just chills. But today, according to Nick, she was laughing and smiling and playing all morning and afternoon! He made a video and I don't know how to upload it, but once I figure it out, I will post it. She looked so cute and HAPPY! I was told my another heart mom that after the Glenn she saw a huge increase in her baby's energy. So maybe this is it! Who knows?
Her blood pressure is doing much better. They have her on 8ml of Captopril 3x a day...which is A LOT! She doesn't seem to like the taste of it, so I asked them to flavor it...and it didn't seem to make a difference. I tasted it to see if was nasty-but it didn't taste like anything to me. I really hope its not this hard to give her the medicine when we go home...because I will quickly hand that responsibility over to daddy!
She is sleeping now...and seems to be singing or moaning or something. It's quite entertaining!! I need to try and sleep while she is...but this chair isn't very comfortable...and...I need to pump! 2 more months and counting!!!!!!!!!
Written on 8:46 PM by gracefully discovering:
Nia is doing great! SHe is still in the CVICU- only because her blood pressure REFUSES to go down! They have tried a few medicines- but they are not working. They even had the renal Doctor come in and check her kidneys, but THANK GOD nothing was wrong. I couldn't imagine dealing with heart and kidney problems!
She is a super star on the CVICU floor...people LOVE her! They are always coming in the room talking about how cute she is. When I came in today, someone had made/given her a pinkknit hat and made her a name sign for her crib! She is quite the people magnet.
She is sharing a room with two other babies that just had the same surgery. It's so funny because all three of them are about 2 weeks a part from each other. They all have different heart conditions- but had the same surgery. I feel so bad for one of the little girls. No one ever comes to visit her. Well, I saw her mom yesterday for about 30 minutes. She seemed nice- and I didn't want to be too nosy and ask her why no one was here with her!
She is married and the little girl is her only baby.....so I don't know why this precious baby is so alone ALL of the time! But I don't know her situation, so I can't judge.
But what I can do, is show this little girl some attention. So when I read to Nia, I sit in the middle of them so that she can get story time too. I even bought her a halloween onesie when I went to get Nia's today. Although, I don't think that they can wear it!! But it'll be cute for a picture!! I hope her mommy doesn't mind. She seems (the baby) very cranky and it could be because of the pain from the surgery...but I bet some of it it because she misses her mommy and daddy...or someone who feels familiar. Mom did say that baby had been in the hospital for a while before the surgery.
Anyway, Nia is just progressing fabulously...just like last time. I hope it continues and that we are all back home being one big happy family in no time. Nick and I have been swapping out babies! Tonight is my night at the hospital and he is at home with Naomi. Last night Naomi and I bonded big time.
I love my girls...Nia just woke up and is ready to eat...so peace out!
Written on 4:05 PM by gracefully discovering:
So the day that we have been waiting for, for the past 2 weeks is finally here. As I type, they are cutting through the scar tissue (from the first surgery) to get to her heart. She went back around 12:20pm and they gave us our first update at around 3:15. She did well with the anesthesia, but they had a tough time getting her central line is because she was on the chubby side (the nurse's words..not mine).
This morning I held her for so long because I know it'll probably be a few days before I can hold her again. She was so cute and didn't have a clue about what she would soon endure. She was a little fussy because she couldn't eat anything after 9am...and even still she could only have Pedialyte after 3am. But she calmed down and went to sleep- which was good!
Last night, I kept having the dream where they took her through the double doors and we couldn't go with her...and this afternoon....it happened. They took her and we couldn't go and I cried. But I must say, I am much calmer this time around. For the Norwood, I was a complete mess...probably had a lot to do with all of the hormones from just having two babies.
I'll update again once we hear something.
I'm missing Naomi big time. She stayed with Mrs. J last night and is staying with Audrey tonight. Tomorrow, she will be with either mommy or daddy! (I'm thinking mommy- I don't know if I can last 3 days!)
Written on 2:41 PM by gracefully discovering:
Got a call from Mary, the Cardiac nurse, and she said that Nia is scheduled for surgery Tuesday...pending a negative flu test that she will take on Monday.
The part that sucks is that all of our help will be GONE next week and Texas Children's has a new rule that no children under 12 can visit the hospital. I talked to her about it and she said that Naomi would be able to be there with us as long as Nia is in CVICU- but once she gets to step down she wouldn't be able to stay.
I'm going to talk to the Social Worker and see what arrangements can be made. I mean, there has to be an exception to the rule (there always is)....and if there isn't, a Social Worker always knows how to get it done!! (I'm just a tad bit biased)
So please pray that my little pumpkin can have her surgery next week and that it goes extremely well!
thankyouverymuch!
Written on 10:48 AM by gracefully discovering:
Yesterday, I took Nia back to the hospital to get the nasal flu test again...and it came back positive AGAIN. It's kinda frustrating because I do not see any symptoms- she doesn't have a cough, runny nose, fever or anything. But this test continues to come back positive, which is delaying her surgery.
SO, they started her on Tamiflu (sp?) for 5 days- hoping that it will knock this flu ghost out of her system. However, she (the nurse Mary) couldn't tell me if they would proceed with the surgery or wait until next week. She said that she would call me today to let me know what her surgeon, Dr. Heinle, and the team of Cardiologist think.
I know that they want to get her surgery done now, but the risks may outweigh their desire to do it sooner than later.
I just hate being in limbo....and I feel very much in limbo right now. I really want her to get her surgery while her O2 levels are good and she is doing pretty well. But I can't make that decision.
I'm also a little irritated because we had planned on going home to Atlanta for Thanksgiving and the Cardiologist had approved us going based on the initial surgery date. Now, since they have pushed it back so much, we may not be able to go if she hasn't fully recovered.
Waiting on that call today- I'll keep you posted.
Written on 12:23 PM by gracefully discovering:
Last Sunday my best friend from College surprised me and came to visit for a full week. Now, apparently everyone knew but me...which hardly ever happens because I am nosy and nothing gets past me...just ask my husband!
But she was able to pull this one off! I'm actually happy that I didn't know because it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise!
We didn't get a chance to do a whole lot together, but she helped out a whole lot with the girls! I actually felt like I was on a mini vacation for a few days! She and Grandma Lena was with them during the day while we went to work and Melissa got up with them at night. It felt pretty good!
We did get to hang out some Saturday. We went to the Breakfast Klub and got pedicures.
God has really blessed me with some wonderful friends. I honestly don't think I could have asked for better ones. My mom used to say that you can count your REAL friends on one hand, and you may just get one or two. But I'm proud to say that I've been blessed to count them on both of my hands! They come from all different walks of life and from different stages in my life: from high school to college to graduate school and a few things in between.
Anyway, Melissa was so sad when she left the girls (after she got over losing her ID and having to have her birth certificate faxed so that she could get on the plane and go back home to my godson) she was very teary-eyed and didn't even want the girls to ride to the airport to drop her off.
We love you Ti-Ti Melissa and will miss you greatly!
Written on 1:59 PM by gracefully discovering:
Nia's Glenn was scheduled for Monday, October 12- but it has been postponed a few days because half of the operating staff is out with the flu. Luckily she has been doing great and her O2 levels have been steady- which is why the Surgeon is okay with delaying her surgery a few days. However, her team of Cardiologists are not so pleased with this news.
For the past week or so, I have felt myself clinging to her a bit more than usual...and I think it's because I am very nervous about this surgery. I know that they say this is much easier on the babies, but open-heart surgery is open-heart surgery and I am internally freaking out. I keep playing it over in my head how the day will go: how we will get to hold her and kiss her before they wheel her through the double doors that I can't go through and I will cry until they call to give us the updates. So when they called to tell me that I have a few more days to spend with my baby before they cut her open again- I was pleased. Don't get me wrong, I know that she needs this and it is going to in turn save her life...but I sure wish there was a way to do just that- WITHOUT cutting her open!
Anyway- I found this video on another heart moms blog and it is absolutely moving. Please be ready to tear up :) Spread awareness about CHD's! Take a few moments to watch it- and then pass it on!
Written on 10:39 AM by gracefully discovering:
So it's been like FOREVER since I've had the time to actually sit down and blog about the new adventures of my life. I had actually stored the urge to share my thoughts with the world in that closet that hardly gets opened...but thanks to my colleague Leigh Anne "for checking me boo" in the teachers lounge the other day...I've opened that closet and started to take things out again- blogging being one of them.
I dare NOT try to sum up the past three months of my life in this post- but I will give a brief overview.
Let's see
1. I'm still alive and sane! Thank you Jesus
2. Nia and Naomi are 3 months and 9 days old today!
3. They have grown soooooooooo much- approx. 12 pounds each now! They were born 6lbs and 4lbs 10 oz.
4. This week, we started giving them rice cereal at night AND....they are sleeping for 6 hours straight. HALLELUJAH!!!!!
5. Nick and I haven't been on a date since August 5- but Grandma Lena is coming this weekend, so mommy and daddy are hitting the town Saturday.
6. The girls personalities are so different. Naomi is much like her mommy- loves to smile, bubbly personality and outgoing. Nia on the other is quite reserved. She likes to check you out for a minute, throw a few frowns at you, and maybe...just maybe she will give you a smile! However, as of the late she been smiling more. SO maybe she's warming up to the world!
7. Nia has recovered remarkably from her surgery. No issues at all! I am so thankful and I know that it's God that is holding her in his hand and guiding her through this process. It's truly unbelievable how well she has done. When I hear about all of the special heart babies that are having such a tough time, all I can do is continuously thank God for his miraculous blessings. We are truly favored.
8. I'm still nursing...well let me be clear..I'm still pumping! I'm really trying to make it 6 months, but lawd knows this is HAZING!
9. Nick is the best dad in the world. He does so much for me and the girls- that it's crazy. I mean, I hate to brag...but uh' I have the best hubby in the world!
10. I AM SO IN LOVE WITH BEING A MOMMY. It is total happiness, exhaustion, humility, joy, pride, and sacrifice all balled up in one. I love being a mommy, it is indeed the best job in the world.
Here are some pics of the lady bugs. If you're m y friend on facebook, then you have seen them a lot. If not, here are my two pumpkins!
Written on 1:58 PM by gracefully discovering:
My MIL being the lifetime social worker that she is asked the nurse if she could bring us a bigger crib so that Naomi could stay here with us at night- BC my MIL is leaving to go home tomorrow and they still haven't given us a discharge date.
So they brought the crib and Nick fixed it up so that they both could have their own little spot in the bed!
Now we expected our first night to be a little rough with both of them...but really it was just Naomi who made it a rough night!!! Fortunately they both are on the same feeding schedule so that wasn't an issue. But we made the mistake of letting Naomi sleep in our bed/bassinet in our room the first two weeks of her life...so she isn't quite feeling sleeping in a crib where she isn't touching anyone. Last week the Pediatrician told us to start keeping her in her own room in her crib...my MIL has been trying it- but....she hasn't been very successful BC Naomi just cries all night!
Anyway- last night she fussed a lot, even though she was in the crib with Nia. She finally fell asleep about 3:30....when her daddy put his Iphone in the crib playing Maxwell and Robin Thicke. She is truly her daddy's child....because he loves to listen to music while going to sleep...and it was so funny...she stopped in the middle of her cry as soon as the music started playing. I guess we found our little musician...or artistic child!! It was hilarious how fast she stopped crying!!! But it worked..and from now on...they will go to sleep with some type of music playing in their room.
Nia doesn't have a problem sleeping in her crib because she has always been by herself in a crib since the first day of her life....she just chills and goes to sleep- no problem!!
They tricked us...in the womb, Nia was very active and Naomi was so calm and pleasant....but now the tables have turned!!
Naomi is a FIRE CRACKER!! This girl is nonstop! I guess she said it's her time to shine.
It's so fun having them together and learning their personalities. I love my babies and I am so happy and blessed to have been able to carry them and bring them into this world!
I'M SO IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Written on 1:29 PM by gracefully discovering:
It's been 7 days since we have been sleeping on the pull-out couch in Nia's room in what they call the "step-down" unit.
This is the unit where we learn how to care for her and get ready to take her home. It's been great to spend so much time with her- but we are definitely ready to spend that time AT HOME!
Nia has been doing great considering that she just had major open-heart surgery 2 weeks ago. The Cardiologist even said that she is starting to make the other babies look bad...and I'm thinking.."of course she is....she is a Richardson and that's what we do!!"
But seriously, she has been eating really well, having good poopy diapers and no fevers! However her blood pressure has been a bit high so they continue to increase her dosage of Captopril until they can get her blood pressure where they want it to be. Also her SAT levels have been slightly lower than where they want them to be...so they have to watch her a little longer to see whats going on.
She had an echo this morning and her heart seems to be doing well and functioning at a good level....so that is good news!
We were supposed to leave tomorrow- but now that's not looking good because they want to monitor her a little longer. I guess I'd rather her stay here until they aer completely comfortable with her-than for me to have to rush her back to the ER.
What it's like here:
1. Nurses, Doctors, PCA's and everyone in between coming in the room at least every hour to check on her and give her some type of medicine..or ask us some kind of question.
2. Checking Vital signs all through-out the night...and the lady knocking on the door saying "VITALS" which we think is hilarious
3. Eating fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner- and not eating the "breast feeding mom" plates they bring me from the cafeteria
4. Waking up every 3 hours to feed and change Nia
5. Pumping for Naomi so she can have milk when she is away from me
5. Hearing the beeping noise from the Polsox (sp?) machine....and turning the volume down so we can sleep!
6. Watching the residents sit back and not say a word when the Cardiologist do their rounds in the morning
7. Nick and I sleeping on the full...or maybe twin sized pull out sofa they have in her room
8. CPR training, car seat training. and the teaching of how to take care of our baby girl
I really just want to get home and get some type of normalcy back....and get our own little routine going. It's been hard to leave Naomi. She spends the whole day with us and then goes home with my MIL for the night. I just would like for all of us to be together and not have to split my time with the girls. That is definitely the hardest part. But hopefully all of that will come soon.
Gotta go change a poopy diaper...Nia is calling!
Check out some pics of the cutest set of twins you will ever see in your life...and yes I AM BIASED!
Written on 6:32 PM by gracefully discovering:
Baby Nia is doing amazing! It's been 5 days since her surgery and she has not had one single complication or set back! Today they removed the last of her tubes and lines...so she is free of all support!
She is now being fed my breast milk through an NG tube and a supplement through an IV...but other than that...this little feisty mama is doing it all on her own!
The Doctors said we may be going to step down tomorrow or Monday.
Step down is the unit right before she goes home! She will have her own little room and we will be able to stay with her....even Naomi. Naomi hasn't seen her since the day of the surgery. I'm pretty sure they miss each other. I can't imagine how they feel...I wish I knew. It has to feel pretty weird to be separated from someone that you have been with everyday all day for 9 months. But they will be back together again and I can't wait!
I really can't wait to see how they interact with one another and really get to know their different personalities. From what we can tell already- Naomi is the nice, calm and pleasant one...who just chills and wants to be fed and changed...oh and held! I hope she isn't becoming spoiled...but I think she is!!
Nia on the other hand is a little..well no VERY feisty and doesn't want you touching on her...and if you do- she will surely kick you or smack your hand away quickly! But I think her strength and feistiness has gotten her through this surgery and recovery- so I WILL NOT COMPLAIN!
I wanted to say thank you very much for all of the prayers that everyone has been sending up for our family. It's amazing that people who do not even know us- are praying for us. God is good and He loves when we come together to give Him the glory for his good works! We are definitely blessed beyond measure. I was telling Nick that I feel like this is too good to be true. That she is recovering so well without any bumps in the road (thus far). It's like we/I expected the worst....for it to not be this easy. But when we pray and put it all in the hands of the Lord...and praise Him before it's even done...He will make it this easy...just to show us what He can do. From the beginning...well not the very beginning...but after I accepted Nia's condition and stopped being mad at God for "doing this to us"...I have said that God's will will be done...whatever that is. And is seems like His will is for our baby girl to recover and come home and beat the HLHS like many other special heart babies. I know it's only 11 days out...but I feel good about it and I am gonna continue to believe that whatever His plan is for her- it will come to pass.
Posted in
Nia
|
Written on 4:32 PM by gracefully discovering:
for some reason I have had the hardest time updating my blog today. The Internet was/is acting crazy in the waiting room and I am now blogging from my phone. If there are typos or spelling errors...please excuse them!
UPDATE:
Nia did really well through her surgery thus far. They have completed the repair portion of the procedure and now they have a few more steps to take. Her heart is beating on it's own and her levels are saturated. Don't ask me what that really
means. The nurse said she doing as well as a baby can do during this surgery!! She also said that each day it amazes her what God has done and is doing in this hospital everyday.
Now we are waiting on the doctor to come down and talk to us.
Our friends and family have been here with us all day and Naomi has been such a pleasant little lady all day waiting on her sissy to come out of surgery. It's such a blessing to have the I've and support from those who love you.
Thanks to everyone who is praying for our baby girl and our family. We have a lon g road ahead but she has done well so far and I can't help but to believe that everything will remain on the good path and recovery will be a breeze.
She is finished and we are about to meet with the doctor. Update you soon
Written on 12:05 PM by gracefully discovering:
Today, our precious baby girl will have her first surgery. For those of you who do not know why she is having surgery- she is here today because she was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with an unbalanced canal. Basically it means that she has half of a heart. If you would like to read more about it...go back a few months in my blog to get all of the information.
I will continue to update on this blog to keep you all posted on the outcome of the surgery as well as her recovery. Reading other heart moms blogs really got me through a lot these past 7 months. So I hope that I can provide some insight or comfort for someone else as they go through this very confusing and difficult process.
Day 1:
We arrived at the hospital this morning at 6:15 am to hold our baby girl before she went into surgery. This was only the second time that we got to hold her since she has been born. At first she was a little fussy...but once she got comfortable in my arms, she was good to go! As she held on to my finger, we talked and had a great mommy/daughter bonding session! I can't believe how incredibly in love I am with these two girls. Now I understand what parents mean when they say you experience a love like never before.
The surgeons came in to talk to us about what to expect...even though we knew everything they told us...it was comforting for them to explain it to us- so we could be sure that they knew what they were doing :) JK! We know that we are in the best place possible to be for her surgeries and for that we are considered blessed.
After Nick and I got to spend a little QT with Nia, they took her upstairs. We were able to go up with them but couldn't go through the double doors. After multiple kisses and "be strong big girl" we finally let her go. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. I know that without this surgery she can not live...and that's about the only thing that's keeping me together right now!
The surgery will take anywhere from 8-10 hours...we will get updates every two hours! Talk about
Latest update: They have completely put her under the anesthesia...and her body received it very well. They have also hooked her up to the heart and lung machine...so that her organs will not have to do any work during the procedure. I'm so happy that my baby girl won't have to feel any of this pain...and she won't remember any of these surgeries once she gets older!! But I'll be sure to tell her how strong she was and how she fought through like a big champ!! I love her so much and am so proud of how well she has done thus far!
okay..I'll update gain when we hear something.
Written on 12:00 AM by gracefully discovering:
Never in a million years did I think that the words "thank God she just has a heart problem" would come out of my mouth until hubby and I went to see My Sister's Keeper tonight. Aside from the continuous crying from myself and many other movie patrons, this movie put a lot of things in perspective for me. This was a very sad movie- and it was even more sad for me because we are having twin girls and I can't help but to think about how Naomi will have to be her sisters keeper! How even though in the womb...we all consider Nia to be the big sister just because she has been the most dominant...and of course the biggest in weight- I can definitely see Naomi stepping up to be the big sister protector!
From this movie I learned a few things:
1. DO NOT forget about the other kids! In our case...our other newborn baby. Mom (Cameron Diaz) was so focused on keeping her daughter with cancer alive that she completely left the other children to basically fend for themselves. Nick and I talk about making sure we balance out our love and affection for both of our girls all of the time. It is something that we are very aware of and are taking steps to make sure that it doesn't happen. I know that it will be hard because Nia will require so much attention- but we have to make a conscious effort to make Naomi feel just as special and loved. I don't want my girls growing up with self-esteem issues because Mommy didn't show her enough love, attention and affection- NO WAY!!!
2. Although the entire family was dealing and coping with the Cancer- they still appeared to remain close, have fun and take advantage of the time that they had with Kate. They didn't seem to completely let the illness take over their lives...well mom kinda did...but they were still able to have fun and make jokes :)
3. A heart mom that has a grown daughter with HLHS told me that this journey with HLHS can either make or break your marriage...and that we have to decide which one it will be. In this movie- I could clearly see how stressful Kate's Cancer was on her parents marriage. She even knew it and in her book she wrote a note to her dad saying that she was sorry for taking his first love away. I'm praying that this journey that we are about to endure will only bring us closer to one another and allow us to depend on God more than we ever have before. I know that this is going to be tough...but I don't have a doubt in my mind that together we will get through this.
So, tonight I am going to bed with a little more peace than I had before. My daughter will be born in about 55 hours with half of a heart....and will have the first of three open heart surgeries in about 5 or 6 days. We don't know what God has in store for baby Nia- but thank God it's just a heart problem!
Written on 11:26 AM by gracefully discovering:
Wow! It's been over a month since I've blogged...but I'm baaaccckk! I think that I will be blogging frequently, or at least have my friend Candace blog for me so that I can keep you all updated on the girls and Nia's surgery and recovery process.
We have exactly 7 days before our little ladies are welcomed into this world. My scheduled c-section date is June 30, 2009 at 7:30am. Knowing the exact date and time eases up some of the anxiety- but there is still enough of it there to freak me out just a little bit! I was telling my girlfriend that I have every range of emotions that one could think of these days. I am very excited, happy, anxious, scared, nervous, overwhelmed, full of joy and peace...all at the same time! I never thought that was possible...but I'm here to tell you that it is.
In exactly one week, my life as I know it today will be over! I'm looking forward to the changes- although some of them will be very difficult- I'm thinking that they will be totally worth it when I am able to look into the eyes of the two people that I have carried for 9 months.
Are we ready??? Physically ABSOLUTELY! The house is completely ready for them to come home! They have everything that they need, and their room is the cutest baby room that I have ever seen in my life (and of course I'm biased...so just accept it!).
Mentally...I'm still working on that! I keep telling myself that I'll be ready by the 30th...but truthfully, I don't think anyone is ever mentally ready to have two newborn babies and one baby with a serious heart defect that will need open heart surgery the first week of her life! But what I do know is that we have a great support system and we have God on our side who is going to provide us with the strength and peace to get through this journey that we are about the endure!
The countdown begins today. 7 days.
Here are some pictures of the girls nursery that daddy worked so hard on! This man loves his girls..I'm telling you!
