Here are a few pictures:-)

Enjoy!!

Pictures!

Busy busy busy!

It's been awhile since I updated you all! Boy has our calendar been filled! Dentist appts, doctor appts, school functions, more dentist appts, clean this, clean that. Oh the joys of motherhood! I wouldn't trade it for anything... I sure love these boys with every ounce of my being <3 I'm not even sure where to begin with this update lol I guess lets start with January... Note to self, update more often!

Lets begin, shall we?

January, oh January... sigh... It was a crazy, hectic month to say the least!

Leo, Alex and Conner are all doing really well!

Leo is doing better in school, the beginning of the year was a bit bumpy for him but I think he is back in the swing of things! We are for sure stepping into the preteen years, and lets just say I'm glad I have boys! Thankfully nothing medical to report about Leo! I can't BELIEVE he is going to be 11 this year... MIDDLE SCHOOL next year!! WHERE does the time go?! Leo has been doing well over all but struggling with some normal preteen stuff, prayers for him would wonderful! :-)

Mr. Alex... My sweet handsome little actor! He has hit a rough patch and is currently struggling a bit in school but I think I have organized a good plan for him! I'm sure he will do just fine but if you could him in your prayers that would be great! He is losing all his baby teeth! It's so crazy adorable! I'm going to be taking Alex in for an eye exam because he has been getting headaches here and there again... But for now he has a doctors appointment on Monday. This last week Alex was "Owl of the Week"! We decorated a poster board and I went into his class and read two stories to all his friends :-) the. Alex and I handed cookies out to all his classmates! That's one of those memories ya hope stays with them ya know?

Conner had his eye appointment and come to find out his vision has gotten worse. Well, his prescription changed from +4.5 in the left to +5.5 and in the right it went from +5.5 to +6.5. She said that this doesn't necessarily mean his vision has gotten worse per se it just means that he is having to work harder to makes his eyes do what they are suppose to do and that he could still be seeing 20/20... Not sure how much of that I believe... But I guess all we can do is keep doing what we are doing in that department. Conner has t had a cardiology appointment since October :-) this just means the doctors are pleased with how Conner is doing. His next appointment is scheduled for March 28 and that point he will have a comets work up, please keep him in your prayers! 1/25/13 marked two years post op for him! In September he had Cardiac Cath and at that time they placed a stent in his conduit because it was narrowing. They told us that it would probably buy about a year MAYBE two... This means it's right around the corner folks :-( Conner is FULL of energy and learning his manners right now :-) he likes to run down the hall turn around and say "momma say run fast!" I say "Run FAST!" He the runs back down the hall making swooshing noises (((<3))) warms the heart... He is doing somersaults and jumping off the ground with both feet :-) he tries so hard every day to be a big boy! He had his first dentist appointment recently... (Please before you judge note that Conner had severe oral aversions for a very long time due to NG tubes, breathing tubes and cameras being shoved down his throat countless times during the first year of his life so we thought it best to wait it out until he had less of an aversion to people being near his mouth) I took good care of his teeth but apparently due to all the medicines he has been on in the past his enamal is weaker than it should be... He has three cavities... Or spots that look like they might be cavities. I was crushed, I instantly welled up and started crying lol sigh... I felt awful! Anyways they told me it was nothing I did and that it was likely because al the medication he has had to be on. Now I'm waiting to get an appointment with Children's dentistry because Conner will have to be sedated to have his cavities filled. And last but not least, Conner is being evaluated for the special Pre school program that is for children who are developmentally behind in some areas and because of Conners medical history the birth to three program he is in suggested that we have him evaluated. So far in some of the tests he has really surprised me! But in other areas I have some concerns but we will cross that bridge when and if we have too!

Well friends and family, I guess that's all for now!

I'm off to set a reminder on my phone to do updates more often!

I'm also posting some pictures! Now, be aware there aren't very many pictures of Leo because he doesn't like his picture taken very often :-/ sigh...

Much love,

Jessica

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my 29th birthday! Wow! 29! To celebrate my birthday today (and I got this wonderful idea from Alex' kindergarten teacher from last year) I'm going to do random acts of kindness today! I'm also asking that everyone who would like to celebrate my birthday today with me if you could all do at least one random act of kindness! This is the makings of a wonderful day for everyone!

Cath lab tomorrow morning

9/21/12-cath lab to place stent. It begins at 7:15am. Please keep Conner in your prayers.... Thank you

Conner loves to color

Conner isn't feeling well...

Ugh! Isn't it suppose to be Summer or something?!?! The time of year when we don't have to worry as much about virus'! Conner woke up from nap yesterday afternoon with a fever of 101.3. I gave him some Tylenol and he seemed a lot better but now... At 2:43am his fever is back reaching almost 102. I'm certain this is a virus because of some of the other symptoms.... He had a bit of a blue spell, and was breathing hard and grunting. Immediately I'm thinking it's his conduit from the Rastelli procedure he had last January. Or maybe he has some sort of an infection from cath lab on the 18th.... But then the logically side of my brain wakes up and says HELLOOOO BIRTHDAY PARTY LAST WEEKEND! Sigh... It happens. (SO thankful our new family addition Tyler wasnt there (he is Conners new baby cousin) newborns need to just stay healthy :) Poor Lilly isn't feeling well either so please keep her in prayer too... Conner has had some higher than normal heart rates since this fever started... It's gotten up to 130 but don't panic that's almost considered too fast but within the normal range.... sort of. His breathing is also a little fast too :-( considering what happened last January... Fevers really worry me. Could you all keep Conner and Lilly in your prayers (his friend since birth) she doesnt have any heart conditions but she does have cystic fibrosis and colds can get bad for her too. Thank you all for the prayers! Also,Conner has a cardiology appointment on June 14 prayers that it all goes well please!

Missing kitty

Pico (Leo's new cat) has gone missing! We think he got spooked by the fireworks last night and then the rain and wind this morning. I have been searching for him all day.... Please pray he comes back! Thank you!

Mini update...

Conner is a little cranky but ate dinner and is now playing with his cards. Okay so today we came here with the hopes of them being able to fix the narrowing and make it 12mm again (it was at 4mm) if they were able to get it back to 12mm we may have been able to wait another 3-5 years for surgery. He was only able to get it to 6-8 mm. We have to come back in 3 months, they will take a look and possibly put a stent in which will buy us one year before surgery. If they decide that a stent will not work he will have open heart surgery. This is heartbreaking to say the least... Please continue to keep him in your prayers.... Thank you

Post cath Conner

Just talked with the dr, Conner did well. They were able to open the conduit, from 4mm to between 6-8 still not as wide as they need it to be, but better. They want it be around 12 mm He has to have an echo in 3 months and then they will discuss either putting in a stint or replacing the conduit, the stint would give him another year at most, if it's an option.

Conner is having cath lab on Friday at 7:15 am

Please flood the Heavens with prayers for Conner as we rapidly approach FRIDAY.... As most of you know he will be having a balloon septostomy on "the take off of his conduit" (whatever that means) please prayer for strength and fast healing that the procedure works and the pressures in his heart drop to within normal range. That the right side of his heart gets smaller and within normal range. Prayers for NO INFECTION would be wonderful too. Prayers for this procedure to work with no complications... Thank you everyone...

4/17/12

These last few days have been hectic, scary and eye opening to say the least.  On Friday my step mom Kerry had surgery on her shoulder, on Saturday she had a small heart attack and ended up in the ICU for the night. She is doing much better now and was discharged on Monday... They told me if we had waited much longer...we would have lost her. Needless to say that was scary.  I have been helping get things in order for my dad and Kerry so that my dad can keep working and Kerry can just focus on healing and getting better.  My dad wasn't too happy with me today when I got there and I threw the half eaten chocolate cake that was on the counter, away... he said "Hey I was gonna eat that!" I said "I know, and now you arent".  We ALL need to focus on eating healthy and getting active and cutting out alot of sugar would be a good place to start!  Who is with me? Cut your sugar intake in half and go from there! Walk one day a week and next week two days a week? The following week walk three days? Any suggestions from anyone out there? :)

And moving right along....

Yesterday, my niece Angel (well she isnt technically my niece anymore, but to me she will always be my niece) text me to tell me that she was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.... (Thyroid Cancer) its the easiest cancer to deal with, but my heart breaks that she has been through so much in her life.  She will get through this a stronger young lady but if you would all keep her in Prayer that would be wonderful. And since we are on the subject, we all know I have Graves Disease.... well they found some new and bigger lumps on my thyroid. Im going in for a biopsy on April 24... Prayers for me would awesome as well! :)

Today on my way home, I got the call.... the call asking which day works best for Conner's cath lab... I spit it out as fast as I could before I just hung up on her.  "I spoke to Dr Johnston he told me Tuesdays or Fridays.... we decided Friday May 18 would work best for us." And then she said "thats perfect......" and then lost me in my moment of racing thoughts of all the risks to heart catheterization.... I really wish my sweet boy could have a normal life and not have to go through all this.  This heart cath will either fix the problems with the pressures in Conner's right heart, or tell us he needs open heart surgery to replace the conduit.  Im feeling mostly optimistic about the procedure but it still terrifies me that my son will be sedated, intubated, and have yet another procedure...  Can everyone please keep Conner in Prayer?

I will conclude this entry with this....

I have learned so much in my life, and I know I still have my entire life ahead of me. I have met many wonderful people in this journey, and I'm sure I will meet many more.  I have also said goodbye to many people, and honestly thinking about it.... I think that was good thing. I have learned that not everyone thinks the same and that is okay.  I have learned to embrace what was once my biggest fear.  I have shed many tears and said many prayers for children that have earned their Angel wings... This life is different, this life is scary... but I have ALSO learned to focus on the good stuff!  I have learned to "Cross that bridge only if I have too". I have learned to focus on the present.... SO when life is getting you down... Remember this, there are good and wonderful things happening all around you take time to stop and find those good and wonderful things. They will make you smile :)  Don't waste your time on things that, simple put... do not matter. Focus on having good people and a good environment around you at all times, this will also make you smile!  Did you know that it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown? I want to have happy wrinkles when I grow up dont you?  Find things to smile about!

Much love,
Jessica

Old table Beautified!

I took my old table and put my kids art projects in it with Mod Podge and then varnished it. Once all that was done drying I laid a piece of Plexi Glass on it and VIOLA! It's been beautified!