Swimming!

Last week we went with two of my Sisters to a pool in north Chandler that we had all heard was a fun place to go. It didn't disappoint! We all had a great time despite the fact it was a little on the cold side since it was windy. Both boys loved going down the slides. Kyson loved the lazy river and just snuggled right up to me to keep warm as we went around and around. Every time we got to the exit Caleb was wanting to get off. He had fun but he just couldn't stop thinking about going to those slides!
Oh, and I took my camera out just before my sister Christy got there and didn't get it out again so I don't have any pictures of her family:(



Ha! I love this look on Caleb's face. Oh yeah Dad! Come and get me then!



Cheese!

Our attempt at a family pic. Kyson was getting a little cold! Look at those blue lips!

Monsoons!

Last week we had a crazy monsoon storm here in Mesa. It rained like crazy for about an hour and then it cleared up. My friend texted me and said she was throwing a swimming suit on her son to let him run through the puddles and asked if we wanted to join. We hurried and finished our dinner and ran outside to play. They had a so much fun!

One. Two. Three...Jump!



Jeffrey gets the prize for the getting the dirtiest!



Boys just wouldn't be boys if they didn't wrestle!

Camping

Jared had the last three weeks off from school so we knew we had to come up with some fun things to do together. The day he finished his last final we took off up to the mountains to go camping with some friends. We camped up at Greenspeak and it was so beautiful up there. It was very wet and it rained on us quite a bit but we had a good time.
Here are some of my favorite things about this trip:
1. Spending time with amazing friends

2. Watching my boys play and have fun running around outdoors. Caleb and Tyce were a little reserved at first but they soon became great friends and had a lot of fun together!

3. Eating good food and sitting around the campfire visiting with friends. (Notice the pile of wood our boys (I mean men) cut down...they were determined to keep us warm! Of course they forgot to move the canopy over the wood overnight and it got soaked so they couldn't get a fire going the next morning:)

4. My boys going on a walk and picking some flowers for me:)

5. Cheesy grins!

6. Spending time outdoors surrounded by the beautiful mountains and green trees.

7. Spending time with my hubby

8. And last but not least. Seeing this beautiful rainbow after the rain!

Surgery coming soon!

Yesterday we took Kyson to see his favorite doctor, Dr. Alhadheri! He is always so good when we go. He loves to let everyone listen to his heart and take pictures of his heart:) We did the normal routine of getting his weight, height, blood pressure, O2 sats, EKG, and then echo.
After all of that we talked to Dr. Alhadheri about what the game plan is for Kyson. First of all he wants Kyson to have his surgery within six months of his heart cath. That means sometime between now and February. He said we can pick the date, it just has to be in that time frame. You would think that it would be easy to find a date that works but it's hard with Jared in school. The only time he has off between now and then is Thanksgiving week and Christmas. I would really rather not spend the holidays in the hospital if I can help it!
Oh, and before we pick a date, Dr. Alhadheri would like us to meet with Dr. Pearl. Kyson's previous surgeon (Dr. A) has moved to a hospital in CA so we need a new surgeon. From what I've heard from fellow heart Moms, Dr. Pearl is great so I'm not worried. When we meet with Dr. Pearl we will discuss what he plans to do in the surgery. Kyson has a leaky tricuspid valve. The big question is do we leave it alone or do we go in and try to fix it? If they try and fix it, the surgery becomes a lot more complex and risky since they have to stop the heart to be able to work on it. If they just go in and do the Fontan (hook the inferior vena cava up to the pulmonary artery) they wouldn't have to do anything to his heart which would be great. From what Dr. Alhadheri said, I think he's leaning towards leaving it alone. He said the leak hasn't gotten worse since the Glenn two years ago, so he's hoping it will maintain itself. All I know is I'm grateful for these brilliant men who can make this decision and who have Kyson's best interest at heart.
The thought of taking Kyson in for another surgery makes my heart race and my eyes tear up. At the same time, the surgery has been on the back of my mind since his previous surgery so I will be grateful to get it over with. We have been blessed beyond measure with how well Kyson has done. I couldn't be more grateful and I will continue to put my trust in the Lord. I don't know how I could make it through all of this without the comforting power of the Spirit. What a blessing the gospel is!

Success!

First off, I'm sorry for not getting an update here yesterday. We couldn't get the Internet to work most of the time we were at the hospital.
Our day began yesterday at 4:30AM. I hadn't slept much all night. My mind just wouldn't stop. It had been two years since our last hospital experience and I just didn't want to have to take Kyson back. I knew it was only a heart cath (not a big deal compared to surgery) but I was concerned about what news the doctors would have for us. Anyway, our alarm was set for 4:30 and I just got up at 4:25 because I was just watching the clock anyway!
We got ready and left about 5 and got to the hospital at 5:30. Everything went smoothly getting checked in. Kyson was a happy little man, making all the nurses laugh as he shouted, "To infinity and BEYOND!" (He's been a little obsessed with Buzz Lightyear lately:) They found a Toy Story book that he ended carrying around with him all day long.
A little after 7:30 we gave Kyson hugs and kisses and they took Kyson one way while we went another. I am grateful I never had to hear him cry, he was happy when we left.
About 9:00 they said they called and said they had everything ready to begin the actual heart cath. They had some trouble getting things started. The femoral vein in his right leg is not accessible anymore...sometime in a previous surgery or cath it was damaged, but it shouldn't ever be a big deal for him, doctors just need to be aware for future procedures.
Sometime around 10:00 we were able to speak with Dr. Graziano. He said everything is looking great. Best news ever! I was so relieved.
After talking to the doc for a min we got to go see Kyson. He was sad and not feeling good. I got to hold him right away. He kept crying for juice, so we gave him some. He asked for more and we gave him more. Well, about fifteen min later it all came back up. Now if that wasn't bad enough, I had one of the most embarrassing moments of my life right then. The doc and nurses were all trying to clean Kyson up (I was still holding him) and I felt myself starting to pass out. I told everyone I had to put Kyson down. I got him back to his bed and as soon as I sat down...I was out! I'm not sure what caused it. I took care of Kyson in both of his previous surgeries and never had any issues. I'm guessing it was a combination of being so tired, hot, and being thrown up on. Whatever it was, I was embarrassed. At least I gave something for all the nurses to laugh about. When we got a new nurse later on, she asked me, "So, is the rumor that you passed out really true?" Oh, great. So they're all getting a good laugh because of me!
Anyway, back to Kyson. He got some medicine for his nausea and some pain medicine and he slept for a while. When we woke up, he ate some food. We put the laptop in his bed and let him watch Toy Story.

He just laid there and watched the entire movie. Perfect, since he was supposed to lay flat for 6 hours after the procedure. After Toy Story he watched Cars and then Wiggles. He was a little angel. Hardly any tears all day long. I am grateful. Here he is with Jared's IPOD in hand watching Cars...very content!

About 4:00 they said we could go home and our nurse checked us out. Yay!!!
Here's quick pic before we left.


There are a few people I want to say a HUGE thank you to.
Katie: Thanks for staying the night at our house to watch Caleb in the morning. You're the best!
Velika: Thank you for watching Caleb ALL DAY and bringing us a very yummy dinner.
Natalie and Dallas: Thanks for spending the day with us and keeping us company!
Everyone who called, texted, or emailed us: THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. WE ARE SO BLESSED TO BE SURROUNDED BY LOVING FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

Kyson woke up happy as can be this morning. He's running around playing with his brother. It's nice to have the heart cath behind us and to have been blessed with the good news that he's doing well. Next week we will meet with Dr. Alhadheri to discuss the results and decide when surgery #3 will be. For now, I'll try not to think about surgery and I'll just be grateful for the good news we recieved yesterday.

Aug 17th... Heart Cath day

I have been trying not to think about the fact that Kyson's heart cath is just one week away. It has been pushed back so many times it has been kind of a rollercoaster. I'm pretty sure it won't be pushed back again and the 17th is the day. We have to be at St. Joes hospital at 5:30AM (um...can you say early!) and the procedure will begin at 7:30AM. I know the procedure shouldn't be too hard on Kyson and he should only have an overnight stay at the hospital. The scariest part for me is what the doctors will see in there. He has such a broken little heart but I'm praying they don't find any surprises and they can proceed as planned. If that is the case then we will probably have his third surgery (the Fontan) around his third birthday (next March).

And just for fun, here is a picture of Kyson I took a couple weeks ago. We decided to have a little ice cream before putting our kids in bed... of course they couldn't go to bed until they had a bath. Kyson just loves to see how much of his body he can cover with his food!

Four Years Old

My dear Caleb turned four years old on July 26th! We had a small party with a few family and friends. We went swimming and had cake and ice cream at our condo club house. We have spent a ton of time swimming this summer and he loves it. Here are a few of the pictures we took:
The cake

Mesmorized by the cake:)

Opening presents

Will this boy ever get enough matchbox or hotwheels cars? He loves them!


This last picture made me laugh. Grandma Pearce sent him a package that was all taped up and he was so excited to open it up he wouldn't wait for us to get some scissors:)

Here is a bit of what Caleb is up to these days:
-He takes very good care of his brother. If Kyson is in trouble, he cries for him. If we are leaving somewhere he is always concerned that we don't leave his brother! They create a lot of mischief together, but they sure do love one another too!
-He is still taking a nap, but that's probably more because I LOVE naptime and don't want to give it up. I'm sure that day is coming soon though:(
-He is at the WHY stage...full of questions and no answer is quite good enough...but why?
-He is learning all of his letters and loves to play games to learn more of them.
-He is still wearing 3T clothes even though he is four. He is on the small side for his age, but what he lacks in height he makes up in cuteness:)
-He is very close to swimming all on his own. I'm proud of him for working so hard to learn how to do it all by himself!

I sure do love you Caleb!!!