A cold or allergies?

Good evening everyone,

Hope the weekend has been relaxing for you all. Things have been busy as always around here! On Friday Miss Olivia's nose started running...Thankfully, this is the only symptom she has thus far (and let's pray it stays that way). I'm not sure if this kiddo has allergies or if she has a cold that she just can't quite shake. Olivia has had three colds in the past 4 months. That's just too many, especially for how diligent we are with hand washing and careful about exposing her to germs. However, she hasn't gotten terribly sick with them like she used to. This is what makes me think she might just have those dreaded allergies. On Monday we are scheduled to see Dr. Rick for Olivia's 2 yr check-up, so he can take a quick peek at her then. We've also got an OT appointment and a feeding evaluation at The U Monday morning. It is going to be a hectic day for us. I'm not overly excited about the feeding eval since Olivia is willing to try anything, she just doesn't eat a lot (not sure what he can really do for us then)! But hopefully the therapist has some helpful tips for us. I guess we've got nothing to lose. This will be our last trip to IA City until next spring due to the RSV/H1N1 season. We will also be leaving Miss Olivia with Grandma while we attend church tomorrow morning. We love taking her and I know she's going to miss not going for awhile, but it is definitely for her own good! It's time to put Livi-Pie back on lock down until Spring. Boooo! Any ideas to keep her from going stir crazy this winter?????


Also, I wanted to let you all know about this fabulous CHD Calender one of my good friends, Heidi Schmidt (cp: elliejoschmidt) put together to raise money for the AHA. Olivia is featured in the month of October. The calenders are $20 (add $5 if you need it shipped to you) and ALL proceeds will go directly to the AHA. You can view the calender at
http://www.hjpillustrations.com/calendar.htm
What a great Christmas gift!


Thanks for checking in on us and bearing with us through all the new changes and technical difficulties. I probably won't be posting again before my appointment on the 5th, so I ask you all once again to please keep me in your prayers. I could really use them right now.

Birthday Bash & HF Picnic

***Not sure what is going on with my pictures. No matter what I did they were HUGE. I just left the thumbnails on there. If you'd like to see a larger view just click on it and one will pop up.***


Sorry, it’s taken me a day or two longer than I thought to get this update posted. I have just been pretty worn out…We had Olivia’s big bash Saturday afternoon. The party turned out very well and it was definitely worth the effort! Olivia absolutely loved seeing everyone. She even got a surprise visitor who flew in all the way from Texas!


Yep, that’s right…Auntie Bree!!!

Olivia enjoyed eating the cupcakes and opening her presents. It was a lot different this year. She actually helped me open presents and got pretty excited about it too. She had a great time running around with Ellie and her cousins, showing them her new toys and being Miss Social.












I think Miss Livi-Pie might just like being the center of attention! She has STILL been asking Steve and me to sing “Happy Birthday” to her. It is sooo cute! Although…I hope I’m not still singing it to her 6 months from now. LOL!

On Sunday we celebrated Olivia’s actual Birthday. To start things out, we were ushers at church (which was Olivia’s last Sunday to go until spring due to RSV/H1N1) and then headed to IA City for the Heart Friends Picnic right when it was over. Of course Olivia had a great time seeing her heart buddies and The Trudster (Natalie too!). She was also very interested in the ducks swimming in the pond. After lunch Steve and I took her outside for a closer look. Olivia’s cardiologist, Dr. Law saw us and came over to chat. His daughter’s were there too and brought Olivia over some bread to feed the ducks. Let me tell you, she thought this was the coolest thing!








On Monday we had our big appointment in IA City with Cardiology. As I briefed you all before, things went very well! I have been worried about Olivia lately with her lack of appetite and not gaining weight. However, she showed a slight weight gain and was actually in the 25th percentile, which is GREAT for a heart kiddo. Natalie (Also affectionately referred to as, “The Other Trudy”) said that when a child does not show signs of weight gain AND does not grow any taller than they really start to worry. However, Olivia grew 3 inches...She was actually in the 50th percentile for height. YAY! Even though we were unable to see the LPA in the echo, which is what I really wanted to know about, I feel so much more at ease. This was a fantastic appointment. We don’t have to go back for another 6 months and they don’t plan on doing the next heart cath until right before her Fontan. Whoo hoo!



As you can tell, it’s been a busy week for us (no wonder I am so worn out!). Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers for Olivia’s appointment. They definitely worked. God is great! I have a few other prayer requests for you….The first one is for myself (which feels a little weird)….I have been having problems with hair loss and a bunch of nodes all along my neck and skull since May of 2008 and a new node under my arm. At the time this first started we were in the hospital, so I assumed it was stress related. However, I am still having these problems and they continue to get gradually worse. I have seen my family doctor a few times, an endocrinologist, and a dermatologist without any answers. My next step is to see an otolaryngologist on October 5th. Please pray for answers to get this taken care of and to get me feeling my best. Also, please keep Jillian (cp:sillyjilly07) and Cassiana (cp:babycassiana) in your prayers right now as well as all of our other heart families.

Thanks for checking in on us. I really appreciate you guys being so patient with this blog transition. I would much rather just post this all on one site, but I’m sure it will get easier as we all get used to this.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

In these past two years many emotions have overcome me. First there was confusion. Why did my daughter have a congenital heart defect? Was it something I did? I tried so hard to do everything by the book when I was pregnant. Had I made a mistake somewhere; Was it all my fault? Next came excitement. My sweet Olivia would soon be born. We waited anxiously in our hospital room for 35 hours to meet this miracle from God. Once Olivia decided she was ready to make her grand entrance I felt relief. She was finally here….and she was breathing!




After this came love. I looked at Olivia and saw such a precious, innocent, strong little girl. I had so many dreams for her. I knew the moment I saw her God also had dreams for her….I had just hoped we shared the same dreams and God would give me the chance to raise her. Next came anger…Why couldn’t I hold my newborn baby? After everything we’d been told, not knowing if she would make it a day let alone to her first or second birthday, why couldn’t I hold her? Why did such a small, sweet little girl have to endure so much pain? Why did our family have to be forced on this roller coaster ride? It just wasn’t fair…



Then came acceptance. God chose our family for a reason. Although this journey has been a difficult one, we are the only ones God saw fit to accompany sweet Olivia on her quest. He gave her to Steve and me because he knew we would give her every chance we could at life. He knew we would hold her tightly every step of the way and not back down no matter how tough things got. He knew we would love her unconditionally…and he also knew Olivia would forever change us.

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Dear Olivia,

Happy 2nd Birthday, sweetheart! I find it so hard to believe that you are already two years old. It seems like just yesterday we were getting to meet you for the first time. From the moment you were born (actually even while you were in Mama’s tummy) you let those doctors know exactly what you thought! You’ve always been a fighter, Liv. In fact, that nickname definitely suites you because that is what you proved to everyone you wanted to do. No matter how much pain your little body had to bear, you kept up the fight. You amaze us every single day. You have taught your Daddy and I so much. You have taught me what true love is. I didn’t know I could love someone as much as I love you. You have also taught me how truly strong I am. As you can tell sometimes, Mama is a very sensitive person and I don’t like confrontation. I often lack confidence. However, you showed me that I should always trust my instincts. You taught me to speak up and to be your advocate. You also taught me to never back down from what I believe in. It is because of you that I am a better person than I was.

Your family could not be more proud of you, Olivia. We feel so blessed to have you in our lives. Although we often fumble, we are all striving to be worthy of raising such a smart, kind, caring young girl.

I love you…Always and Forever
Mama

“Now That I’m Two…What Can I Do?”
*I can talk in full sentences (3-10+ words) and also love to sing.
Some of my favorite phrases are:
“Wanna go bye bye in Mama’s new car”
“Mama’s a good boy!” (She looooves to tease me)
“______ fix it!” (Olivia constantly thinks someone needs to fix her stuff!)
“ Wanna go see animals and feed bears ice cream!”
“Bah Bah Black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, Yes sir, twee bags full. One for my MATER (master, which she says very loud!) and one for dame!”
“Jesus lubs me dis I know, for the Bi-ble” (then she usually trails off)
“Wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round….all through town!” (She will also do horse, wipers, horn, Mama, Daddy, Gram, etc. on the bus)
*I can count from 1-10 (sometimes higher)
*I can say and recognize many of my ABCs
*I know at least 10 of my colors on a consistent basis
*I can say and recognize most of my basic shapes
*I can spell my name
*I can spell M-O-M-Y (close!)
*I can spell B-R-E Bree!
*I have now learned how to climb on AND off of the furniture
*I can put together many of my puzzles and shape toys
*I love to color and draw
*I have a newfound love of Minnie Mouse


I’m sure there are many things I am forgetting, but I hope I’ve got most of the major milestones recorded here! Thanks for checking in on us. Tomorrow we have our big appointment in IA City for Olivia’s cardiology appointment and sedated echo. I will try and put together an update tomorrow night with our weekend fun (Olivia’s birthday party and the Heart Friends Picnic) as well as results from our cardiology appointment. Please say a few extra prayers for Liv for tomorrow!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!!!!!!!!!!

I took her two year pics last week, check them out below!

Des Moines Trip

Well, I think we are finally over that cold! Not even 24 hours after we started the antibiotic, Olivia seemed to be feeling better. The cough slowly faded away and we were left with only a runny nose. We ended up making the trip to Des Moines and are so glad we did! We arrived at the hotel last Friday evening after a pretty decent ride there. Of course Olivia fussed a little bit, but was such a good girl for a 2 hour car ride. Once we got there we went up to the room and got settled in. Olivia took out her toys and played like crazy. The room was a disaster and I loved it! I didn’t have to pick up a thing!

After a little while we decided to go for a swim. Miss Olivia discovered the mirrored closet and had to make faces at herself for awhile before we could go. That ended up being a pretty entertaining spot that night. She played hide-and-go-seek for 20 minutes in there! Once we did get to the pool, Olivia loved for Daddy to swim laps with her and splash in the water.

After we were doing swimming, we got dressed and went out for Pizza. Olivia enjoyed some pepperonis and even drank lemonade out of a straw! By the time we were done it was 8:30pm and past this little girl’s bed time. She acted a bit sleepy on the car ride back to the hotel, so I figured she would go to bed pretty easy. Boy was I wrong! We had brought Olivia’s mattress and made a nice pallet on the floor with a bunch a blankets. I figured she’d sleep better there than crammed between Steve and me. The only problem: she wouldn’t stay in it! Olivia ran all around that hotel room, pulling her toy bee, coloring, and jumping on her bed! I’d never seen this side of Miss Olivia before. She was a playing MACHINE! Steve and I couldn’t help but laugh at our overly excited toddler bouncing off the walls!

At 10:30pm I got Miss Hyper Pants to lie down in bed between Steve and me. She kept trying to stand up and jump on our bed too! We convinced her to lay still and drink some milk then finally, a little bit after 11:00pm, all three of us hit the hay.

In the morning we got dressed and went out for breakfast and headed to the zoo. Olivia was like a kid in a candy store! I tell ya, this little girl is either going to be a zoologist or a farmer’s wife. Olivia really enjoyed seeing the goats and “bull cow,” but also loved seeing new animals like the penguins and tigers as well.

Last Sunday was Uncle’s Pat’s Birthday Bash, so we headed over to Grandma & Grandpa Ron’s to celebrate. Olivia loved seeing everyone (and getting dotted on all afternoon).

Speaking of birthdays….I can not believe Miss Livi Pie will be celebrating her second birthday next Sunday! Where did the time go? It seems like yesterday I was holding a tiny little newborn and learning how to use an ng tube. Now, I have this happy, vibrant little toddler running around! I can honestly tell you this child amazes me every single day. She can already talk in 3-10 word sentences, knows at least 8 colors, and has even said her alphabet up to H. I know all of you were amazed when I posted the video of her spelling her name at 18 months as well. Olivia IS amazing. She is a gift from God and Steve and I could not be more proud to be her parents. I can’t believe how much pain this child has endured, yet she remains so full of life. People that meet her just fall in love with her, they’re drawn to her. Olivia has taught our family so many things in these past two years. She’s taught us about believing in miracles. She’s taught us about courage, faith, and hope for the future. Olivia has made me strive to be a better person. A better Christian, a better mother, wife, daughter, and friend. She has taught me to cherish the small things and to try and make the most of each day. Because each day is a gift. Thank you, Olivia.

On Thursday we had another appointment with Melissa in IA City. Olivia couldn’t wait to get there and see her. She calls it, “Melissa’s house,” and I don’t correct her. Hey, if she is excited to go to the hospital and doesn’t think of it as some scary place…then maybe it won’t be so frightening to her when she has to have her next heart cath or surgery. Olivia smiles and laughs the entire time. Melissa is also able to get her using that left arm and hand a lot.

However, we talked with Melissa and with flu/H1N1 and RSV season approaching we don’t feel that any frequent visits to the hospitals or crowded areas would be the best choice. Although we will miss her terribly, we all agreed the best option was to see of the local AEA could check in with us for the next few months and we’ll pick back up with Melissa next spring.

This weekend we’ve all enjoyed a relaxing time and watched some football. Olivia has become a pretty big fan. She watched a game on Thursday and has been talking about it ever since. Yesterday morning we asked her if she wanted to watch her usual Baby Einstein Video or Mickey Mouse. She looks at Daddy and says, “Football!” Steve just loved this!

A true fan

I will probably have another update or 2 within the next week since it is going to be a busy time for us. I will try and have a birthday update and also an update from our cardiology visit next Monday. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Thanks for all for your support. I will leave you with a few more pics of the princess playing.

\Mama’s little helper. Olivia is cooking Mama some corn for supper. I thought this was too cute.

A wagon ride with Daisy Mae