Fabulous Friday Freebies

Y'all she's back, click on the button to the right and look at the giveaways that Mandy is doing! Some really cute stuff going on over there! This week the giveaways are from The Chocolate Zebra and Julie Kope. Check it out!!!!

Lorelei's new thing

Lorelei has taken to taking off her pants and socks. She does this at home AND at day care. Any ideas on how to control this or should we just let it go? I think its funny but I also can't have her doing it in public! Oh well.

Lovies and Hugs

I just wanted to show off a knitted lovie that I made for someone. If you are a knitter and want the pattern I'l give it to you. It measures 16in x 16in and Lo loves her knitted and crocheted blankies/lovies. She prefers those over her other blankets! This is a miniature version of the blanket I made her during her second surgery!
Have you ever heard or seen this? Its called Oopdoohug. Its a fleece "bandaid", because 'not all booboos bleed'. I thought it was too cute! You can put a teddy or an ice pack or cold pack into the white pocket. Go to the website and check it out! I saw it on MckMama's blog and thought it would be cute for someone.

**the 'someone' that I keep referring to hasn't received these yet so that is why I am referring to this person as 'someone' :O)

As Promised....

Here are the pictures of Lo's new haircut. We now have bangs. I wasn't sure that I wanted her to have bangs BUT they are cute on her and she can see now.

Big News and Some Prayers Needed

Yesterday at daycare, Lorelei went potty on the big girl potty! So now, this weekend, we are off to get a potty! Apparently some of the bigger girls were using the potty in her classroom and Lo was watching them. Her teacher asked her if she needed to go potty, of course she said yes (that is what she mostly says to every question) and then they asked her if she wanted to go on the big girl potty and again she said yes. So they put her on the kiddie potty, Lo held on to Mrs. Tina, since she wasn't really sure what to do and went tinkle! So now a new adventure beholds us!

Lorelei also got her hair cut this past weekend, I have pics but have not uploaded them onto the computer yet. I will soon and post them too! She looks like such a big girl! I can't believe she is 21 months!

Ok, so onto the prayers. Derrick continues to do well but had a little setback. When they were cutting through the scar tissue, they cut into his thoracic duct so he has to be on a fat free diet for about 6 weeks until it heals. (I think) Other then that his heart is doing well! Also, Lo's heart friend, Evie, has an uncle that has contracted an antibiotic resistent strain of staph and is fighting for his life right now. Please pray for both of these families as they are special to us!

Update on Derrick

He is doing great! He did well during surgery and has even been extubated! He is resting comfortably. Dr. Hsia (D's surgeon) said that everything went well during surgery. If you want to read more just click on Derrick (Heart Brother) on the right hand side of this blog! Keep praying for this little guy, he still has a ways to go!

Derrick

(Lips are green because he was eating a green sucker, its ok, he LOVED it!)
Just a little update about one of Lorelei's boyfriends, Derrick. He is a heart baby and you can read his story under Derrick on the right hand side of this blog. He is having his second open heart surgery tomorrow, the Bi-Direction Glenn. If you could please keep him, his family, the doctors and the nurses in your prayers tomorrow we would appreciate it! He is a fighter and has been since the beginning but he still needs the prayers!

Birthdays and Anniversaries

So this year instead of sending birthday and anniversary cards I am going to give shout outs to everyone through the blog each month! Sooooo......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to:
Jon Ross (my cousin)
Paul Wilson (John's Uncle)
Kristen Risher (John's cousin)
Kathy Ford (John's Aunt)
Zachary Friedel (John's cousin)
Will Jenkins (married to John's cousin)
Jordynn Howard (John's cousin)
Melanie Rhinehart (John's cousin)
Ron Ross (my Uncle)

A Special HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to Jessi (Bilak) Porfirio who is turning 30 on January 30! We are back in the same decade girl! Whoo Hoo! Love you!

And last but NOT least a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad and Lorelei's Grandpa, Don Ross!

Hats

Since its been so cold outside we have had our hats laying around. Lorelei LOVES her daddy's hat and even tried to go to bed with it on the other night. However, she will not wear one of her own. Oh well, that is what hoods are for on jackets I guess!

Fatz Cafe February 6, 2010

Just so you know, I now have tickets for the CHD Awareness Breakfast at Fatz Cafe on Saturday, February 6, 2010. If anyone wants to buy any they are $7 per person and kids 4 and under eat free! Email me at jessaro77@yahoo.com if you would like some tickets. Thanks!

Lorelei

Since I've been home most of last week with the stomach flu and I didn't have anything to do but sleep and think, I realized that I haven't REALLY updated you on Lorelei. So here goes...

She has more energy then I can keep up with sometimes! She wakes up happy and usually goes to sleep happy. She still wakes up during the night on most nights but she is my baby and since I've never had a 'normal' baby this is what we are going with. She still drinks out of a bottle and I know that I have to break her of it but it's her comfort and with all she's been through its rough!

She is getting very tall and talkative. She talks up a storm and most of it you still can't understand but she does say things like "Oh, No!", YEAH!, counts to 3, Lola (our dog), Whee!, Whoa!, nose, shoe, juice, ball, Hi, Bye, Oh Toodles (from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, C'mon, and of course, NO!
She can tell you what a cow, duck, lion, dog, cat and pig say, if you ask her. She will repeat every now and again so she will say purple and we are working on saying Grandpa, Grandma and Memaw.

She LOVES fruit and veggies and doesn't really care for meat all that much. She aso LOVES fruit snacks. She can also blow her nose. (Thank you daycare!) I can't believe how much they change from 1 year to the next! Next up: trying to potty train and changing her crib into the toddler bed.

We are due to go to get the second part of her H1N1 vaccine sometime soon, the pediatrics office has been out of it so we have to wait until they get it in. We will be going to see Dr. Shuler in February when we will probably have to have an ECHO since we haven't had one done since October! That should be interesting. I will definitely let you know how that goes!

John and I are looking forward to February! We are in charge of fundraising this year for Palmetto Hearts and we have some great ideas! We are also going to attend the first ever CHD conference in Columbia! It is going to be very interesting since we are really just beginning our journey in the CHD world. Also, Shannon and I are going out on our own with the BraveHEART Baskets. We are going to get all the paperwork going and become a Non-profit! This is really exciting for us! AND finally on Feb 6 we are having a fundraising breakfast for CHD Research at Fatz Cafe in Irmo, SC (I have posted earlier about this so scroll down to read about it!)

Things are looking great going into 2010! We are thankful, blessed and humbled to be where we are and can't wait to see what's in store for us this year!

We Want You! (Taken from Derrick's Blog)

We need your help...

It's been heavy on our hearts lately to do something special for CHD Awareness Week. We thought and thought, and while we were at MUSC for D's cath a few weeks ago, we gave Dr. Graham the money raised at the pageant. It felt SO good (and it was money donated by people who didn't even know us!), and it was then that we decided what we have to do. We HAVE to raise money for CHD research. While we know that anything we raise will not even be a fraction of what is needed, we have to do our part. And we need YOUR help!

Here's the deal:

Who: You and everyone you wouldn't mind eating breakfast with you

What: Pancakes covered with butter and syrup (by you, of course...yeah, heart healthy! ;) sausage, fruit and beverage

When: Saturday, February 6, from 7:30 until 10:30

Where: Fatz Cafe in Irmo (on Broad River Road)

Why: To raise money for MUSC's CHD research

How Much: $7 for you...kids 4 and under eat FREE!!

Justin and I went and talked to the owner of Fatz Saturday and we're pumped about it. Now...I'm a little nervous, because guess what?!?! We need people to come!!! And guess what else! Two weeks before this shindig, Derrick is having surgery and we won't even be here to sell tickets! Bad timing? Maybe...maybe not. We have faith that we'll get help, because this is not for us, it's for

Derrick, Loreli, Parker, Logan, Andrew, Christian, Ruthie, Evie, Zeb, Elijah, Jordan, Olivia, Braeden, Kaden, Noah, Ryan, Lauren, Steve, Chloe, Lindsey, Owen, Adam, Brielle, Taggert, Garrett, Porter, Sofi, Tommy, Brittney, Cassiana, Angel Annabelle, Angel Ethin, Angel Jack, Angel Tru, Angel Amelia, Angel Andrew, and THOUSANDS of others.

So....

if you want to be waited on hand and foot while enjoying yummy, sticky sweet pancakes,

or

if you want to see how many people you can pack into one restaurant that

YOU invited there (and sold tickets to :) ),

or

if you want to help serve this yummy breakfast to these excited people and

ENJOY THIS BREAKFAST FOR FREE AFTERWARDS

or

if you want to help BraveHEARTS like these two..

email me (carolinacarters@gmail.com), leave a comment with your email so I can get in touch with you, call me, get in touch with me somehow!

It's a win-win situation.

You get breakfast, we get HOPE!