Hope for BraveHEARTS Holiday Project

On Saturday, October 1, 2011 we will be getting together to make blankets for the patients in PCICU and 8D at MUSC Children's Hospital. We will be meeting at Crooked Creek Park in Chapin at 2pm. Just bring (2) pieces of 1 to 1.5 yards of fleece and scissors and what you would like to drink. Hope for BraveHEARTS will be there with our Heart Warriors and snacks to boot! We are also bringing card making supplies so the kids or even yourself can make a card to put with your blanket.
This is NOT limited to Heart Families, we are inviting the entire community to come out and support HBH and the kids at MUSC!
Thanks for you support. Please let me know if anyone needs anymore information!

You can also email bravehearts@hopeforbravehearts.org to RSVP or if you have any questions!

Thirty One

I am now a Thirty-One Independent Consultant. I am so excited to be a part of such a great company! Please let me know if you need anything and visit my website at www.mythirtyone.com/77596. Thanks!

Lorelei's Heart Story

Lorelei was born via c-section in April 2008. I was having some blood pressure issues so we had to deliver her 2 weeks early. She was perfect. The next morning her cardiologist heard a murmur and said he would listen to her again and if it was still there he would call for an ECHO. I didn't think anything of it because I knew that a lot of babies were born with murmurs. Dr. B came in and heard the murmur again and called for an ECHO for the next morning (Mon). Well we were lucky, the ECHO technician was there that Sun afternoon and did the ECHO. Next thing we knew we got a call from Dr. B saying that there was something wrong with Lorelei's heart and a Pediatric Cardiologist was coming to explain everything to us.

Meanwhile, Lo was taken up to the NICU to get ready to be flown to MUSC in Charleston were she would have to have surgery. Dr. S came in to talk to us and told us Lorelei has an Interrupted Aortic Arch and a VSD. She would require surgery. That night, she was flown to MUSC and we had to make phone calls. I was still in the hospital because of my blood pressure issues so I was released the next day. That Monday we drove to Charleston (the LONGEST 2 hours of my life). She was in the PCICU and had all of these tubes and wires coming out of her. All I could do was cry!

Thursday she had her surgery. John and I both held her before she left and she did well through surgery. We were in PCICU for a few days then moved up to 7C where we had to learn how to feed her again and take care of her. We brought her home almost 2 weeks later. We learned how to deal with reflux and fussiness and to take care of her "zipper".

We went to Dr. S every 3 months for a check up and a little over a year after her first surgery, we learned that she required a second surgery for some sub-aortic stenosis issues. Some tissue had grown under her aortic valve and was increasing the pressures in her heart. When Lorelei was 17 months old Sept 2009, she had her second surgery. We went in on a Monday and gave her to the surgeons for a second time. One of the hardest things I had to do. She did awesome again and we were discharged from PCICU the Friday of that week, 5 days and she got to go home after heart surgery! She is my Rock Star!

We have been visiting her Pediatric Cardiologist every 6 months waiting to hear the "See you in 1 year" but instead we heard, she will have to have another surgery. My heart sank. She will be older and know what is going on! We go back in December, thankfully after Christmas, to find out when. All of her ECHO information has been sent to her surgeon at MUSC (who is the BEST) and he will decide whether it will be in the summer of 2012 or sometime later then that! Until then we will keep praying for her and our other heart friends!

Check This Out!

Have you ever been to Baby Be Blessed? They have the cutest dolls that have a scripture sewn onto them. Just check out Baby Be Blessed and enter their giveaway!

Some Cardiology News

On Tuesday, Lorelei made our 6 month trek to Columbia to see Dr. Shuler her Pediatric Cardiologist. She was super good, she let them take her blood pressures in her arm and leg without a problem, get her weight and height and let Dr. Shuler listen to her, and after each thing she asked for a sticker. It was super funny!
Then it was time for the ECHO. She was SO good, even the sonographer said she couldn't believe she was 3 because of how well she was cooperating. We didn't even have a toy! It took an awful long time but she wanted to get the best pics she could since this was her first time seeing Lo and didn't really know her heart.
So then the moment of truth when Dr. Shuler walked in. He said her valve is growing right along with her and everything looked the same and then he dropped the bomb. She will have to have another open heart surgery to remove some tissue that has grown back. He said he noticed it about a year and a half ago but it hasn't grown since then. He feels that is would not benefit her to have that her whole life.
So the plan is to send her pictures and report down to Dr. Bradley, her surgeon, at MUSC in Charleston and see what he has to say. We will go back to see Dr. Shuler in December and see what the plan is and I will let you know what happens.

Our trip to NY

We went to NY for the week and Uncle Tommy and Grammie bought Lorelei a water gun. She was having a TON of fun getting everyone else wet but would NOT want anyone to shoot her. It was pretty funny!



























We also visited some playgrounds with our cousins.




























We went to Grampa Don's land and sat on the tractor.


















And rode the golf cart around the land.



























I got to see my Grandma, Lorelei's Great-Grandma Charlotte. She will be 90 at the end of the month! Doesn't she look great!













We also met up with some friends I haven't seen in years and their kids and went to the splash pad. We had lunch and played in the water!
















She wasn't too sure about the water because it would come up at different times but by the end she played a lot!




























Lorelei and Grandpa Don!












She was a little tuckered out after running around with her new friends at the water park. This is how I found her. :o)













We talked seriously with cousin Jack while getting ice cream!













Jack and my sister Jeannette.












We looked at our new cousin, Delaney.






























Grammy made forts with cushions.













We played around Grammy and Papa's pool. It was WAY too cold to go in, I am not sure why John is in there!


















We played with Jack and new friend, DJ. He is my very first friend's child.



















Beth and Jill, yes they are twins, are my very first friends. They are 6 days younger then me and my dad drove their mom to the hospital when they were born.












We ran off all of our ice cream.

Lorelei, Easter and other fun stuff

Happy Easter everyone! We have a tremendous gift given to us today, yes the Lord has Risen, but we have Lorelei! Three years ago today, Dr. Bradley gave Lo a second chance at life. She had her first open heart surgery at just 6 days old! We knew she was a fighter when she was breathing over her breathing tube and ready to go home sooner then later. I am glad to be able to celebrate her today too!

Speaking of the little miss, she has been sick all weekend. We had fun plans for the entire weekend, like dyeing easter eggs, birthday parties, egg hunt and brunch but she has a form a strep and then had a rash over her entire body (might be from antibiotic but more then likely from the virus itself but we changed antibiotics just in case)

She has had a very busy week though. She had her cousins visit last Friday night as they stopped at my mom's on the way to Florida. John's parents also came in that night and stayed the entire week. She loves her Grammy and Papa. Then on Saturday, she had her 3rd birthday party at a Gymnastics Center here in town. She had SO much fun! We also went to the Zoo on Tuesday and she wanted to feed every animal she saw but we did feed the giraffes and goats. She rode the pony and I rode the train with her. Grammy got on the Carousel with her too! She loves to go on the Carousel.

Here are some pics from the week hope you enjoy!

Hope for BraveHEARTS Cookbooks!

Hey everyone, the cookbooks ARE HERE! They are $12 a piece. I will post a pic soon after I get some on Saturday. Please let me know if you want one and how many! It's a really GREAT cookbook. I will also be updating the blog soon because Lo is having her 3rd birthday party this weekend. I cannot believe she will be 3 on Monday! Plus, her Grammy and Papa and her cousin Jack Jack will be in town so I can't wait for the fun that will be had! Keep watching!

A Little Catch Up!

Yesterday we joined some friends at the Zoo! We saw the gorilla who didn't really care that we were there.













The kids were so happy to be there. We were on our way to the carousel. She loved that so much.






























The three muskateers watching the Elephants.











This past weekend we went to the beach to visit John's uncle and aunt. Lo wasn't feeling so well so she napped with Daddy for a bit.













We found a bunch of shells!

















She got her face painted.
























We rode the ponies! She LOVED this, I hope she's not going to want a pony when she gets a little older.














We have been trying to get ready for spring! Lo helped Daddy plant some flowers.


























We do crazy acrobatics on the chair (and scare Mommy half to death).













We went to the zoo back in January and this is Lo and E watching the shark swim around. They did this for EVER! It was so funny!










So we've been pretty busy as you can tell. In a month, my baby girl will be 3! Can you believe it?? I am trying to plan a Tinkerbell party for by birthday girl! It's going to be so much fun! I will be updating later!