Happy Easter

Things have been very busy here trying to get ready for our stay next week. We've spent plenty of time doing laundry, packing, and having some fun before we go. Staying busy has helped a bit with all of the anxiety going into this. We've also had quite a few friends and family members reach out, reminding us how big our support network really is. The tremendous support everyone has shown us has helped us through our journey this far and we know it will help us the rest of the way. Thank you for all of your thoughtfulness, prayers, and generosity.











Olivia knows she has a special heart and she also knows she is going back to the hospital for surgery. Does she know what all surgery entails? No. We've explained as much as we can to a 3 year old, without giving her too much information. It's hard to know what to tell them at this age. Do you warn Olivia when she wakes up she will be in pain and see several chest tubes pouring out of her? At this point, we don't want to scare her. We want her to know where she's going and what is going to happen, but we don't want to raise her anxiety too much before we even get there. She's so smart, we have to be careful how much we say. The other day Olivia told me she had a “sick heart.” No one in our family has ever used those words when referring to Olivia's heart. I asked her who told her that and she said, “Jesus.” I asked her what else Jesus told her and she replied, “He likes to paint.” I asked her what Jesus likes to paint and she said, “Clouds, and God...and animals and stuff.” I'm glad she has Jesus in her heart and she knows he will be with her through all of this.



Thomas has been doing great. He has his first tooth, which didn't cause him too much pain. However, he is getting a few more in at the same time, which seems to be causing him some discomfort.
We had to get out the Tylenol last night. Not the best timing, since the poor baby will be passed around a bit, but I know it will all work out. Thomas is also sitting up unassisted. He still falls over...a lot! But, he is sure making great progress!





Usually Easter is our first week back at church after RSV/Flu season. We're pretty disappointed we didn't get to go this year, but with surgery only being a few days away we couldn't risk exposing Olivia to any germs. We've kept ourselves busy getting ready for Easter. Olivia made an awesome Easter Bunny cake with Aunt Lisa and a giant cupcake with Gram.





Olivia got to dye Easter eggs on Saturday. She is such a creative little girl! We had a blast doing it!








A little girl decided to put stickers all over the poor dog!

Since we were not able to attend church (or really leave the house for that matter) we invited our parents over for Easter Dinner. We thought this would give us all a chance to spend time together and enjoy each others company while we celebrate Christ.

















We hope you all had a wonderful Easter!


Steve and I have been having a pretty rough time, but we know we will get through this together and with God, not to mention the support and prayers of all of you. We have felt God's presence around us, reminding us to have faith and that He will be here with us. This is a sign one of my MOPS friends sent to us in a bag of goodies. It's perfect, and yet another sign from Him.



Below is a poem I found when Olivia was just a tiny baby. It was written for a child with HLHS. It's something that has remained in my heart and my mind for 3 years and each time I read it, I still get chills and a tear in my eye.

It's a beautiful day up in heaven. Jesus is rounding up
his tiniest angels, to go live on earth, and be born.
One of the sweetest angels says to Jesus
"I don't want to leave, I like it here, and I will miss you."
He reassures the scared little angel that everything will
be okay, and that she is just going for a visit.
She is still not swayed on this idea. So Jesus kneels
down and says, "How about if you leave half of your
heart here with me and take the other half with you,
will that be okay?" The angel smiles and says,
"I guess that will work." But the little angel is still
scared. She asks, "Will I be okay with only
half of my heart?" Jesus replies, "Of course you will,
I have other angels there that will help out, and
you will be fine." Then Jesus gives the angel
more details about his plan. He says,
"When you are born, your mommy and daddy will be scared,
so you have to be strong, and when you feel weak
just remember that I have the other half of your heart."
"Enjoy your time with your family, play and laugh everyday."
"And when its time to come back to heaven, I will make
your heart whole again. Always remember that you are
not broken, just torn between two loves."


I have created a quick slideshow with pictures of Olivia. Please see below if you'd like to watch it.

olivia - slideshows

Also, if you plan to visit, this is great! I know Olivia will love to see all the familiar faces. Just remember, do not visit if you have been sick or even around anyone with the sniffles a week prior to coming. Also, while we are in the PICU they do not allow visitors under 12 years old. The kids would have to stay in the lounge while one parent came in, etc. However, once we reach the step-down unit things are more relaxed with the children. Again, thank you all for your immense support. We love you!