Christmas is Up

We put our Christmas tree up and the few decorations we had down here in Dallas. Our house now looks festive and Carter loves it! I guess this is the first year he actually understands Christmas. We still have one big test to pass...will he go sit on Santa's lap without crying, that is too come.

Natalie has her next doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I know she has gained some weight, but I am not sure exactly how much so we will see then.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys watching football today...Go Hogs!

Happy Thanksgiving

We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so thankful for the outpour of support and prayers we have recieved this year. I am also thankful for family, friends and of couse, Miss Natalie who has been a miracle to us!

Psalm 107:1

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever"

It is the Small Things

Most of you know this has been a hard year for us all around, with Natalie, losing my dog and my father passing away. I know God has a plan for our family and that He and my father are up in Heaven watching over us daily.

I took Carter a while back to Babies-R-Us with me to buy diapers. I always try to keep Carter involved when it comes to Natalie. I never want him to resent her for all we have gone through. Of course, it seems to not phase him at all, but I still try just to be safe.

I told him to pick out a toy for Baby Natalie. I should have known that he would pick out the one that resembles Elmo's face. He was such a proud big brother showing it to her when we got home. I helped him hang it on her activity gym so she could look at (she now grabs it).

Yes, I am not the most aware person lately, because it took me a few weeks to realize that when you squeeze it, it plays "You are my Sunshine." I started to tear up the first time it start playing that song. My father sang that to me almost every night when I was kid.

By a small toy picked out by my son, my father is showing us, he is here with us and watching over us. Wow, God is awesome!

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things"

1 Corinthians 13:7

Happy Kiddos

Natalie amazes me everyday about how good she is doing. She is now 4 months old! I can't believe I have been in Dallas now almost 6 months. I look back at all we have been through since she has been diagnosed back in April...what a whirl wind!

I have been doing Beth Moore's Praying God's Word Day by Day devotional. November 16th really stuck out to me and I wanted to share it with everyone.

Perhaps the most profound miracle of all is living through something we thought would kill us.

I pray that out of Your glorious riches You will strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith.

And I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:16-19).

We survived the flu

Friday was a tough day around our household. Carter felt horrible and just did not understand why. Larry and I were spraying the house down with lysol and washing everything. We were going back and forth spraying ourselves down every time went into his room and back out again.

Carter has not had fever for the past 36 hours! He feels great and sounds 100% better. We are still trying to keep the kids apart to be safe, but life is good at our house again.

We have gained weight!

Natalie had an appointment with Dr. Zellers today. Her echo came back perfect from last week. She is looking wonderful!

Now for the big news...She is 10lbs 3oz!! I can't tell you how happy I am that she has finally started gaining weight again. She started taking more by bottle the last few days and we feed her every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, even if we have to wake her up. Doctor Zellers told us to keep up whatever we are doing.

When we were leaving the our doctor's appointment, we ran into two of our nurses, Amy and Trina. They were shocked about how good Natalie was looking and of course she had to show off a bit and small really big for them.

I love running into our nurses. I am glad we are out of the hospital, but I miss seeing all the encouraging faces every day. It is amazing about how you feel such a bound with your nurses...I guess that is what happens when they treat your baby like their own and watch over her when you can't be there.

We had another nurse over the other day to hang out, Aliana. She has likes to root the Hogs on with us. She was also my go to when I needed help with Natalie's NG tube right after we got out of the hospital.

So, Natalie had a wonderful Friday the 13th, however Carter on the other hand has the flu. That is right, the flu has hit our home. He does not have a horrible case, I guess that is because he got the flu mist and the H1N1 mist as well (or at least the first half).

He still has fever tonight, but is laying in bed watching Thomas the Train. The doctor said he should be better by Sunday, but I hate seeing him like this.

Poor guy, we told him he was not allowed to come out of his room since he was sick. I have also become a mad women with a lysol can...watch out. I have sprayed the house down three times today and washed just about everything that would fit into the washer.

Thanks for all the prayers on Natalie's weight, they are working so keep them coming. Also, please pray for Carter to get well soon and for the rest of our household to not catch the flu. We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Something the Lord Made

Something the Lord Made is a movie that you should definitely watch. The movie tells the emotional true story of two men who defied the rules of their time to launch a medical revolution, by performing heart surgery on "blue babies". Basically these two men, Dr. Alfred Blalock and Viven Thomas, came up with the BT Shunt, which is what Natalie had done.

Natalie is doing wonderful, she is such a happy baby...I love it! We go back to the doctor this Friday, so we should get the results of her echo from last week and check on her weight.

Carter has been loving the weather, 70 degrees. We have spent a lot to time at the park on our tricycle and playing soccer.

Breast Cancer Awareness

The 3 Day Walk for Race for the Cure is in this weekend in Dallas. Wow, I can't tell you what it is like so see some many amazing men and women dressed in pink walking 20 miles a day for 3 days to raise awareness for breast cancer.

I am so inspired by these men and women. I saw one women pushing another women up a hill in a wheel chair. Everyone was dressed in crazy pink outfits having a ball as they walked. One guy was wearing his biking short and a pink tutu...it was great.

Okay, so I am thinking I would love to do this next year...is anyone in?

www.the3day.org

Echo Cardiogram

Natalie had her sedated echo cardiogram this morning. We had to stop feeding her a few hours before the procedure, but that did not seem to really bother her as long as she had her pacifier.

Natalie did great during the procedure. We have not heard about the results yet. The echo was a standard procedure done during normal check ups, she got sedated because of her age. Basically so she would stay still during all of the procedure.

She has not gained weight this past week again. We have an appointment with Dr. Zellers next week, so if she does not start gaining weight he said he has some tricks up his sleeve we can try.

Natalie has started holding her head up better. We have started putting her in the bumbo seat. She loves Baby Einstein and Carter now loves it again.

Great Halloween Weekend

We started our Halloween weekend with an appointment with Dr. Zellers. Natalie is now 9lbs 13oz. She gained weight, but not that much in the last week. I am not sure why, but we are going to try a few things differently this week and see what happens. Natalie is scheduled for an echocardiogram this next Friday, because of her age she will have to be sedated.

Larry and I got to have a date night on Friday night...first one in forever it seems like. Needless to say, we ended the night with food poisoning...probably will not be having another one for a while. Oh well, we both woke up feeling much better the next day. When Carter was about this same age, Larry and I got food poisoning on Valentines night...good think we do not want any more kids.

Larry and I took Carter, Trunk or Treat. Trunk or Treat was an event our church we have been going to put on. They had a bounce house, food and cars pulled up and were decorated for the kids to trick or treat. Carter had a blast! He woke up today and asked me if we could go Trick or Treating.

We hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. Please pray for Natalie this week to gain weight and do good with her sedation on Friday for the echo.