Summer So Far

Phew! We've had a really busy and really fun summer so far! What a difference from last year, when we spent all of June inside the walls of a hospital.

We've been enjoying the beautiful, cooler than normal, weather! We've taken a couple of family bike rides down to the park and brought a picnic dinner with us.

Drew riding his bike

Ava got tired of riding her tricycle and pulled it in the wagon instead

The first three weeks of summer Drew was attending summer preschool and loved playing with his friends! Then I had him signed up for two weeks of VBS at two different churches. The first week he was at Arcade Church and Ava was old enough to go too! Which meant that I had three free hours each day that week! I mostly went to the gym, so it wasn't too exciting, but I did get a pedicure in with a friend too.

Drew and Jacob at Crocodile Dock

Ava and Keilani at the park after VBS one afternoon

Drew also took two weeks of swim lessons so far this summer. He's a little fish and is doing great! He's working on learning how to take a side breath and has made huge improvements since last year! Ava told me she didn't want to take swim lessons, so she and I have been swimming together during Drew's lessons. It was a lot of fun to swim every afternoon for two weeks, and we are all turning a nice shade of brown!

Drew practicing his big arms

practicing his back float-he tends to sink!

Kicking with the kickboard

Ava, my bathing beauty!

The River Cats were generous enough to donate tickets to our HOH support group and our family enjoyed a fun night at Raley Field. We had great seats right next to the River Cats dugout. Drew watched the game for a while, then became obsessed with all the vendors walking up and down the aisles. We indulged him and after the kids ate their hotdogs, we let Drew buy ice cream (a hit!) and cotton candy (a miss!). We also visited the kids area, which was surprisingly affordable. The weather was perfect too, and was even a little on the cool side for the end of the game.

Our family watching the game and enjoying their dogs

Raley Field with the beautiful tower bridge in the background

This post just about covers June, we've got more fun coming up! I still need to write about the kids first sleepover and the Fourth of July! I hope everyone is having lots of fun this summer!

Blood Drive

A few weeks ago I organized a blood drive for our Hearts of Hope support group. Since every child who has undergone open-heart surgery has received blood, I thought it was appropriate that we help to replenish the blood supply. We had a center drive, which means that everyone makes appointments at a specific Blood Source location and donates there. I got about ten people signed up to donate and was pleased with the turnout, especially of my non-HOH friends who came out and donated blood to support me!




I encourage everyone to donate if you are eligible and you can even use our donor number, 925, to credit the Hearts of Hope group.

Here are some facts from Blood Source:

The need for blood

The need for blood donation continues to increase. Today, more than one in seven people entering a hospital for care will need blood. Other people receive blood transfusions to fight life-threatening disease.

By the time you reach age 72, you could be one of 95 percent of all Americans who will have been treated with blood or a blood component. Here are just a few examples of those who need blood:

• Accident or burn patients
• Premature infants
• Heart surgery patients
• Organ transplant recipients
• Individuals fighting cancer, leukemia or blood disorders

As the primary regional blood center in Northern and Central California, BloodSource must collect 700 units of blood each day to supply the needs of nearly 40 hospitals in our local area alone.

Helping neighbors in need

On any given day, tens of thousands of units of blood are needed in the U.S. After meeting our local needs, BloodSource also provides blood to hospitals in other parts of the U.S. that cannot go it alone. This is done through a national network of blood centers whenever there are shortages elsewhere. For example, BloodSource provided blood components to New Orleans for months after Hurricane Katrina and, more recently, to Southern California in response to a train collision.

Quick facts:

• Three teaspoons of blood can save a baby's life
• One donation has the potential to save as many as three lives
• If 50 people donate, they could provide enough blood to take care of victims of a major car accident
• If 20 people donate, they could help one burn victim
• Whole blood donors can give every eight weeks
• Today, fewer than four of every ten people in the U.S. are eligible to give blood. Fewer than one in ten actually donate
• Approximately one out of every seven people entering the hospital needs blood
• Plasma donors can give as often as every three days
• Blood lasts only 42 days
• Platelets last only five days
• Approximately 40,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my amazing husband! We are so blessed to have you in our lives, to love us, support us and play with us! Thank you for working so hard to provide for our family and to allow me to stay at home to do the very important job of raising our children. I appreciate the way that you take care of us. You do a great job of loving us! I hope you had a fun and relaxing Father's Day weekend!

Ava and Mommy making a special breakfast for Daddy

Drew helped us cook too!

Chocolate chip pancakes, chicken apple sausage and fruit-Yum!

Best Daddy, playing with the kids in the backyard

Golfing Maniac

Future Tiger Woods?

Drew has a new hobby. It's golfing! Dan picked up some clubs for him about a month ago and they started hitting golf balls in the back yard. Then during Ava's birthday party (for ballerinas only!) Dan took Drew and his friend Connor & his dad to the driving range. Ever since then he's been hooked. He asks Dan to take him golfing all the time! In fact, sometimes his little feelings get hurt if Dan doesn't bring him. :(

He also practices his swing in the backyard nearly every day. The other day he was out there hitting golf balls and I heard him say to himself "Oh my gosh! That's so awesome!" Dan just bought an indoor putting mat as his own Father's Day present (and opened it early!) and Drew practices putting every day too! Perhaps we've got the next Tiger Woods on our hands? If that means that Drew can support us in our old age, we sure hope so!

Retrieving his ball after sinking the putt

Good position at the top of the backswing

Check out the power!

A Boy and a Girl

This weekend was a big one at our house. We had Drew's last T-ball game and Ava's first dance recital on the same day! Grandma and Grandpa and Grandpa Oddone and Gigi drove up from So Cal for the occasion. We also had Aunt Marie and Uncle Terry, cousin Adam from Amador and cousins Heather and John from Oakland join us. Since we don't live very close to most of our family, it was really special to me to have so much family there.

The day started off early, with Drew's last Scrappers game at 9:00 am. The weather was cooler than usual, but warmed up as the game went on. Drew was playing third base and got three hits and two RBI's. Then in the last inning he wanted to play catcher, so he got all suited up and did a great job behind the plate. I was very proud of him for trying it again, because the last time he played catcher he did not like it! After the game, Drew enjoyed his team snack of chocolate cupcakes!





Drew's team party was later that afternoon at Mountain Mike's Pizza. I couldn't go because Ava had to be at her recital early. Dan went with Drew and they both came home with trophys! Drew also got the SweetHeart award, because he's a sweet heart! Dan was recognized for being a great assistant coach. I'm so proud of my guys!


Ava's dance recital went great! I wasn't sure if she would dance on stage in front of everyone, because well, you know how she is. But she did great! She followed the teacher's lead and looked very cute! I didn't get very good pictures, but I did get video. Afterward Heather and John presented her with flowers and she was so proud of herself!






We all came home and had a yummy BBQ in the backyard. We had braided mozzarella and pita chips, gourmet sausages, green salad, fruit platter, pasta salad, and key lime pie. And lots of wine! The kids played outside and we had a wonderful time just visiting. At the end of the evening we re-watched the days events on video and just celebrated having a boy and a girl.

Difficult Conversation

I'm not sure if I've written about Faith on my blog before, but she had a special place in my heart. She and Drew had very similar beginnings. They were born about a month apart, both with interrupted aortic arch and 22q. They both had their first surgeries at UCSF and actually had a bit of an overlap there. Through the years her mom, Shelly, and I kept in touch about what was going on with our kids. We attended 22q conferences, support group meetings and sent Christmas cards and prayer requests.

Faith had the same surgery that Drew had, a one and a half ventricle repair, at UCD on March 31st. She spent the past two months in the hospital fighting for her life. Unfortunately after a strong and courageous fight, Faith passed away on Monday afternoon, in the arms of her mother who had been waiting two months to hold her again. I can only imagine the depth of the pain that Faith's parents are feeling. When I heard the news I sobbed...and have been thinking about them constantly. How strange it would be to leave the hospital that last time, without your child. What would it be like to go home and do the normal things you have to do, like eat dinner and go to sleep, but know that your life has changed forever? And how difficult would it be to deal with your own grief, but also to help your children who are grieving over a lost sibling? My heart goes out to the entire family.

Faith

Drew knew that Faith was in the hospital and that I had been going to visit her. We would pray for her at night and he painted her a picture to hang in her room. I wasn't sure if I would tell him that she died. I thought at the very least, I won't tell him unless he asks about her. Yesterday in the car, this was our conversation:

Drew-Why is Faith still in the hospital?
Me-Well (getting choked up)...she's not in the hospital anymore. She's in heaven now.
Drew-(starting to cry) Why is she in heaven? Was she very old?
Me-No honey, she was very very sick. So Jesus took her to heaven to be with him.
Drew-But I wanted her to come to my house.
Me-I know. But she's not sick in heaven. She's happy and playing.
Drew-Why does Jesus take kids to heaven?

I don't know how much he understands about death and heaven, but I do know that he was sad that Faith was gone. I told him that we are sad because we will miss her, but she is happy in heaven. I was dreading having this conversation ever, but I think it went pretty well considering.

Now if only someone could say something to me that would make me feel better.

Drew's picture for Faith

Drew's Last Day of Preschool

Drew with his teachers, Miss Lori and Miss Brenda

Today was Drew's last day of preschool. After I dropped him off with little gifts of appreciation for his teachers I walked outside and promptly lost my composure. My baby is going to kindergarten! I can't believe it. Two years ago when he started at First Cov he was a very different little boy. Still a sweet, caring and gentle child, but just a little 3-year old. We knew he would be needing another heart surgery soon, but didn't know when. I was scared to send him into a classroom with a bunch of other kids and a bunch of other germs. As a matter of fact, he did end up in the hospital only three weeks after starting school. But his teachers and the director were so wonderful and encouraging to us. They remind me of some of the nurses we have had. It's their job to take care of our children, but they end up taking care of the whole family.

Maybe my tears were closer to the surface because I just visited some newborn babies recovering from heart surgery. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was in their shoes. That I couldn't even imagine what life would look like five years into the future, I could only focus on getting through one day at a time. And now, those five years have flown by! Sure there were weeks spent in the hospital, months spent making difficult decisions, many many hours in various therapies and doctor's appointments. But for the most part, we have a normal, happy life with two precious children. One of whom is going to kindergarten in the fall!

Drew's first day of preschool with Miss Talacey, September 2007