Sigh...

We all need time to relax and play over the weekend. I got to hang out and play with Auntie A, Grammy and Peepaw. Mommy and Daddy were here too but they gave me a lot of time with Auntie A, Grammy and Peepaw since they had to leave this weekend. It is a little sad now that they all have gone back home. Auntie A left Saturday morning. I figured she was getting ready to head home since all day Friday she held me and played with me. I bet that SJBD are happy to have their mommy home as I am happy to have my Mommy with me. I do appreciate the time that Auntie A was able to have with me, Mommy and Daddy and I look forward to seeing her again but this time I would like to meet Uncle B, SJBD. I heard that they may come in March. If not then I hope soon.

Grammy and Peepaw had to leave today, Sunday. They have a long drive ahead of them so they left in the morning. They were sad to leave mainly because I am here and they are in Indiana but I do think that the fact that the average temp here in Georgia is in the 50's while in Indiana it is in the teens. You have to love the south at times :) I will miss them too but Peepaw got some video cameras so we all can chat through the computers. I don't know how it works but that should be quite cool. I'll let you know how that works later.

It was real nice to have Grammy, Peepaw and Auntie A here for the past week. They really helped out Mommy, Daddy and me as we all get custom to the new patterns and schedules that we are developing. We'll see how it all goes this week.

Making Changes

I did get some tummy time today. Okay, not really officially on my tummy but I did really like my underwater adventure set. There is a really cool whale that I like to look at and poke. I chilled on my back with all of these cool things all around me. With the whale there was an octopus, dolphin, turtle and many fish. I know that Daddy really likes for me to identify with these animals since he is really into that water thing. Other than hanging around the underwater adventure set I really just chilled with the family today. I did finish off one full bottle (1 out of 8) which is not my best but consistency is the key to success.

I'm looking forward to some good adventure time as well as a bath tonight. I am going to keep exercising my food eating skills too. I am hoping to get at least three bottles consistently by Tuesday.

The next few days look to be the basic chilling days. Hanging with Mommy, Daddy, Auntie A, Grammy and Peepaw. Not many visitors have come by this week, I think it is because of the out of town family is here which I totally respect. I look forward to some visits next week.

The Stump Of Life

Just after I finished up yesterdays blog I totally forgot to mention a huge event. You know what they say, "Out of sight, out of mind". The stump that had my belly line in it while I was in the See-I-See-You has fallen off. I now have what they call a "Belly Button". I am not sure why they call it that, people push it and nothing happens. Well, sometimes something happens but I can push air out of my butt without people pushing the button.

So, some exciting things happened yesterday. I finished off two full bottles on my own. Mommy and Daddy were hoping for just one but I decided to finish one in the afternoon with Daddy and then to one up them, I drank another full one for Mommy for dinner. This was an exciting time since they did not have to use the machine to feed me. I am working on more, so far I was 2 for 8 yesterday. We'll see what I do for today (so far 0 for 3 on the full bottle thing). I need to be a consistent 8 for 8 before I can officially get this nose string out of my face. Keep those prayers coming for this task. It has been proven to be more troublesome than first expected. The second exciting thing is I got my first bath at home. Mommy, Auntie A and Grammy worked the system a bit. They did a good job, my hair is nice and silky fresh. I do look forward to some more, I just hope it goes a little faster :)

Auntie A did make it safely from IND to ATL. She held me and loved me a lot. I want to thank SJBD and Uncle B to let her come down and visit for a few days. I won't get to come up and see the family for a few months so this is a special trip for her and me. I know it is hard for SJBD, especially BD, but I really appreciate you letting Auntie A come down. I will make it up to you when I come and visit. I am really excited to see all of your animals!

After I got to sleep last night all was good. This morning for second breakfast Peepaw held me as the machine fed me. He has not done that very much (Grammy has taken a majority of my time) but he'll get his time in here and there. I am looking forward to tummy time. Sure, it is only a few minutes a day, but at my age minutes seem like hours! I'll let you know tomorrow if and how it goes.

Have a great day!

A Face To Look At

Yes, I AM that cute!

I had a few glamor shots yesterday with no tubes or tape. Does this mean I am no longer needing the nose string? Unfortunately, No :( But here is the story of yesterday's adventure...

Last you heard it was a slow day and I liked it. I just figured to toss some adventure at Mommy and Daddy since they looked awake. The afternoon was fun. I got some good Mommy time with Grammy and Peepaw going to the store and Daddy had to go run some errands. It was only an hour or so, but it was really fun. Mommy held me and fed me and gave me a lot of love. It was very special for me since this will be the first of many times with Mommy. When Grammy and Peepaw came home, Peepaw decided to make a lot of noise in the garage while Grammy held me in my favorite chilling way on the minicouch. Daddy came home a little after Peepaw started making crazy noises. It was good. Mommy came to change and feed me for my second lunch and that is when I decided to give her a run for her money. Mid-change I quickly raised my hand to the nose string and grabbed it. Then I pulled! Okay...not the smartest thing that I have done in my two and a half weeks of life. Mommy called in Daddy to help (he is the local nose string expert). Mommy was upset, well I was crying which seems to spread to Mommy and Daddy sometimes, but Daddy quickly hovered over me and started to work on the nose string. He said something about resistance and then pulled the string completely out. FREEDOM!!! But I learned it comes at a price. It was very uncomfortable and then Mommy and Daddy had to work on the white cloth stuck on my cheek. With some effort (and mineral oil) it eventually came off. Then Daddy picked me up to hold and love me. While he did this he was with Mommy too. Somehow he comforted me and Mommy at the same time. He must really love us both to be able to do that. When we both calmed down Daddy had Mommy go relax and then he fed me. It was a little longer than the usual feeding since I ended up forcing myself to eat a whole bottle since there was no nose string to get the rest of the food. Daddy encouraged me the whole time but I just could not do the whole thing, almost the whole thing but not all. Then I got some pictures taken to show all that I do have a full face of joy and love. Like the new profile picture. I felt that it was time to get rid of all the Darth Vader pictures and show my real face. After a little bit of time Mommy and Daddy brought me back to my room and tried to put in a new nose string. The first attempt Daddy felt some resistance again, do you blame him I was crying and moving I can't make it too easy for him. He pulled that attempt out, loved me and tried again. That time it was not bad. Went in easy and in a matter of moments it was over. Daddy tried the air test but did not gain any results. Just so you know, the air test is pushing in 1 ml of air in the string, in essence my tummy, and listening for a "poof" through an ear extender. Daddy did not hear anything so he had Mommy listen...she heard nothing either. This can mean that they have faulty equipment or Daddy did not get the string in my tummy but in my lungs. Mommy and Daddy agreed that since they did not hear anything that they would pull the string out, so Daddy did. Again...NOT FUN FOR ME, but essential for my safety. We were coming up on supper and no string was set. After some thought Daddy called Newton Hospital Nick-U to ask some questions. We ended up deciding to go to the Newton Hospital Eeyar. The people were very nice there. All of my statistics were very strong and we got into a room quite quickly. We were not an emergency case, which is good, but that caused us to wait a bit. That was okay though, I want to make sure that everyone else is okay before a doctor has to visit me. We did get to talk to a bunch of nurses and techs though. When the nurse came in to ask what we needed Mommy and Daddy told the story and even brought in all of their own equipment to replace my nose string. Then we saw the doctor, a handsome guy I must say, and he gave the go for the nurse to put my string back in. Actually when the nurse came in to do it she asked Daddy if he wanted to try again. Daddy was all for it and did an excellent job. He did not hear the air test with his ear extenders but the nurse did with hers. She even let Daddy try her ear extenders and then he heard the difference. I got the white cloth to hold my string in place and then the axray machine came in to triple check placement. All was good and we were able to go home. Daddy is going to go to the doctor store today and get a good ear extender today, he and I feel that he did good the second actual attempt but had a bad ear extender to confirm, but all in all the decisions today were good. Got home last night and I was tired. I ate some from my bottle but really got a majority from the nose string. A good night sleep and morning feedings today so far and now we are here at this moment.

Yet another adventure...three hospitals in two and a half weeks. It's all good, Daddy and Mommy say I am worth every visit.

My new adventure is to meet my Auntie A today. She will be here this afternoon and I am really excited to meet her. I'll tell you all about her tomorrow :)

An Uneventful Twenty-Four Hours

I have come to realize that calm relaxing time is not really that bad. It was nice to have just a chilling day with Mommy, Daddy, Grammy and Peepaw. I am sure that these will come in more frequency as I get older but I can handle it. It seems that Taag and Ripley are the crazy one's the past few days. They don't get to do much with the wind lately, the flying disc just doesn't fly properly with that much wind.

I am looking forward to meeting Auntie A tomorrow. I'll continue to work on those bottle feedings today. Maybe I'll get some tummy time with Mommy and Daddy today, they have a really cool looking tummy time set that I am really excited to use.

Not Holding A Time Bomb

Okay, tell me that you feel that Minnesota had a fair game called and I'll tell you that my heart is normal. At least the Colts are heading to Florida. Speaking of football and Florida...what rocket scientist decided to put the Pro-Bowl the week before the Superbowl? Any Colt or Saint will not play due to the risk of injury. Real intelligent folks.

Enough about football, I don't want to get to wound up. Had a nice night last night with Grammy, Peepaw, Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy. Good food and social activities. It was a little stormy but nothing too scary down here. Mommy and Daddy stayed up late with me last night. I was sleeping here and there but I do like to wake up around 1:00am to fuss a bit. All was good because Mommy and Daddy seem to be teaming up on me now. That with their shift techniques of feedings they seem to be getting my schedule down.

This morning was a little slower than usual. It was nice for Mommy and Daddy to have Grammy hold me so they can get ready for the day. Daddy fell asleep as Mommy got ready to meet another one of my doctors. She then had to wake Daddy so he could get ready. When they were finally ready they put me in my life pod and we were off to meet Dr. J. All was good but they did forget my nook. They took a chance and did not turn around to get it. Yeah...that won't happen ever again. While at the doctors office they did give me my lunch and over an hour time (which usually is my common feeding time) I ate all 50 cc's of my food. Yes, that was a WHOLE bottle! True that is really exciting, but keep in mind that this was the first time. I'm still working on those eating habits and skills. What today's lunch bottle was an extreme encouragement and something to continue to work towards.

So my doctors visit was good. Dr. J was quite cool. They took some more pictures of my heart and as it looks not much has changed. I still have some ventricular regurgitation, which is where the blood goes back into my right atrium which is not where it is supposed to go. My right atrium is still large but he called it moderate. He told Mommy and Daddy that, "You are not holding a time bomb." Which is really encouraging. All is very good for one with Mr. Ebstine's problem. I am to continue what I am doing, get the food down to get the tube out of my nose. Time will tell.

Football!

Home life has been quite nice. After yesterday's post I got to get some sleep and that was great. A whirlwind of activity came over from noon until...well...it is still going kind of. We got a visit from ATF and her big daddy, they brought over lunch. Apparently this was a settling of a bet that ATF and Daddy had earlier in the football season. The BEARS (GO BEARS!) beat the (snicker) steelers. Daddy said it was a horrible game for both teams but the better team always wins. After ATF and her big daddy left we got a visit from the Humorous family. C&G have been helping Mommy and Daddy a lot over the past few weeks and they have been wanting to meet me since day one. At one point I heard C Humorous screeching on the phone when she was talking to Mommy. It was good excited screeching which made Mommy and Daddy laugh a lot. I think that is why they are called the Humorous'. During that time JZ and Slim brought over Snow White and had a visit. I was held by ATF, C Humorous and JZ. Then Gma C came to visit and hold me. She even got to feed me my supper. It was great to have all of these people visit me. I am actually looking forward to a relaxing day watching football today. Yes, I am going for the Colts vs Vikings but we will see if Manning and Favre (I am still wondering how this is said as Farv when it is spelled like that) steps up to play today.

Grammy and Peepaw made it safely here last night. They have already helped out a lot for Mommy and Daddy. Grammy fed me a few times and Peepaw held me too. They are here for a week so I know that Mommy and Daddy will really appreciate the help. This will be their first full week at home with me and I am a big hand full of joy :P

Every Day Is Good

Well, since yesterday's post it has been quite a day. I have continued to eat with some success from the bottle. My amounts seem to increase with each day. Sure every so often I blow it and go back to 8-12 cc's but I am working on it. I got to go see my pediatric doctor yesterday afternoon. Dr. N was really cool. She, Mommy and Daddy talked a bit about me and my medical history. Daddy made the comment that I already have a medical history and I am only two weeks old. I figured it just means that I am cool. I am supposed to go back in two weeks to get my official one month checkup. Mommy and Daddy wanted to bring me in a little early due to my Mr. Ebstine's thingy and so Dr. N and I can meet. She knew me off of paper from the hospitals (yes that is two that I have already been in) and now she got to meet me in person. Dr. N did say that Dr. J was good. We will be going to see Dr. J on Monday, we are checking him out to be my cardiologist. Daddy always thought he would be the first in the family to need to see a cardiologist. Just proves that I am much better than him in many ways and this is just the beginning.

It was fun getting into my life pod again for a trip. I did decide to pull out my nose string while we were waiting at the doctor's office. I wanted to try to breath through both my nose holes for a while. It was nice, but Daddy had to put the nose string back in. Again, I did NOT like it. Only if I could eat all my food through bottles, better yet from the source! In due time, in due time. What I am good at is (sorry Uncle The Tim) pooping! I got to show off my projectile skills for Grandma last night while Mommy was changing me. I did get Mommy this morning too :) Daddy has been lucky, so far. I am waiting for the perfect moment for him. Yep, Grandma came by last night. She brought me a new chair so I can sit in it instead of always being in my Paknplay. We'll get to test it out today...I am so excited!

Speaking of today. So far I hear that ATF is coming to visit for a bit. She is currently making a baby in her belly now. I am excited for that because I like to have more and more friends. After that Grammy and Peepaw should be arriving soon too. They left Indianapolis around 6:30 this morning to come and spend more time with me. I think JZ and Slim may poke by sometime this weekend as well as Gma R and some others. Now that I am home everyone wants to come and see me. Very exciting!

Okay, so I am going to get dressed and rest a bit so I am ready to go for the busy day today. I'll let you know what happens. TTFN (that is "ta ta for now" in Tigger speak, he is all over my room with Pooh...the bear).

My First Full 24 Hours

Yep, that is me in my life pod. It is the only way to travel (for now at least). So my first 24 hours at home was very nice. I am on somewhat of an eating and sleeping schedule and Mommy and Daddy are adapting to my schedule well. They should be use to adapting to my schedule, I have been in total control for the past four weeks. It's true...remember I was right side up and they had to schedule a See-Section which was to be on December 29th. At their Pre-Op meeting on the 28th, I flipped and was in the correct position. It was of my doing that added an extra 11 days in my warm underwater apartment. Hey the rent, food and heat were free. On that 12th day (January 8th) was when Dr. J and her awesome nursing staff evicted me. I was happy to, even though those weren't officially my terms. Then it was off to CHoA at Eglestion for a while. Now here at home...my schedule. I have it all under control :)

I am getting better at the bottle feeding. It is still a little difficult so we go to the Mommy's Mixture Machine to finish things off, but practice makes life go easier. Ripley will sniff my head every so often. I think she is getting use to me being around. Last night Mommy was holding me as she talked to Daddy and Ripley was at Mommy's feel. The next thing I felt was something poking me in the butt. Apparently Ripley was standing on her two feet to get a closer inspection of me. Taag is very protective of me. She will go and sit close to me wherever I am. She even posts up on the corner of Mommy and Daddy's bed at night always facing the door. Part of me think it's because of the very comfortable bed that Mommy and Daddy use, but Daddy said that her sleeping spot has changed. Taag is now on the corner, which Daddy does not mind since it is Mommy's side, that is close to the door and she always has her head facing the door. Quite interesting. Grandma and Grandpa came back to see me again. Grandma held me for a while and Grandpa likes to hover over my bed and rub my back, belly and arms. Grandma and Grandpa also helped Mommy and Daddy a lot when they were here by helping with the cleaning and giving Mommy and Daddy resting time as they adapt to my schedule.

Last night I got some visitors. My first visitors that were not family. It was really exciting. I S&C came by to see me. Apparently S was the scruffy man that was with Daddy my first day at CHoA, he is still scruffy, and C was with Mommy as Daddy and I went to CHoA on my birthday. They only stayed a little bit but it was really nice to see them in person. I got to thank them for all of the support and help that they have provided during my first adventure.

You will notice that there are no poop or spit up stories. Nothing to report except that the spit up was at an extreme minimum. Just one time did I urp a little up, just like any normal person my age would.

Today will be a new adventure. I get to go meet my pediatrician. I'll fill you in on the good details tomorrow. Have a great day and know that I am thinking of you.

The Home Experience

As Daddy carried me in my life pod through the door I was greeted by my sisters, Taag and Ripley, as well as Grandma and Grandpa. Taag and Ripley were quite excited to see Mommy and Daddy. They sniffed and nudged them. Not to long after that they noticed my life pod in Daddy's hand. Taag was able to see me much better than Ripley since she is much taller. I got to see a large black snout and feel her sniffing my feet. It was a cool meeting. Daddy got Taag and Ripley outside after I greeted them so he and Mommy can get me out of the life pod. Mommy got me nice and relaxed as she and Grandma talked. Daddy unloaded the car and started putting things away. Once Daddy got my Mommy's Mixture Machine up and running Mommy fed me for the first time in my home. It was the first of many, remember I have to keep up my exercises so I can get the Mixture from the source. Taag and Ripley watched. Taag laid next to me the whole time while Ripley was there but at a distance. I don't think Ripley knows who I am just yet but we are working on that. Daddy continued to clean up stuff so I can get my medicine and get ready for bed. Once Daddy was done he and Mommy switched. Grandma and Grandpa had to go home but I heard Grandma say that she'll be back tomorrow. I wonder who else will come and visit tomorrow. Mommy and Daddy did tell me that they will try to take it slow for a little bit so we can get adjusted to the new experience. I was like, "What! I am home and you are slacking off on all my friends visiting?" Then I figured that is cool because I have a long time to meet people and I have Grammy and Peepaw coming this weekend and Auntie Andrea coming on Wednesday. I am sure that others will come, just give them a call or what they say...text...and we'll get something set up.

As Daddy held me Mommy went to do some errands around the house. I could tell they both were tired. Do you blame them? I was tired too but all of these new experiences were really stimulating and I had a hard time to fall asleep. Eventually I did fall asleep and Mommy and Daddy got to rest a little bit. Mommy ended up taking the first feeding and changing shift with a little help from Daddy, then at the second shift it was Daddy's turn. I decided to keep him up a bit more. I fell asleep again in Daddy's arms then woke up in my bed, he is smooth. Mommy took over again and Daddy showed Mommy how to work the Mommy's Mixture Machine, then went back to sleep. Since then they have been changing around and getting home settled.

Well, life has now moved from my first 12 days in the Hospital to many years at home. Ahhh....the new adventure begins!

Home Is Where The Ebstine's Malformation Is

I know, I know and I am very sorry. I went way over my 24 hour posting this time. Trust me it is with very good reason. But before I get to it I want to express a Very Happy Birthday to Grammy! It was a few years ago that she was born, almost on the same day as me. Okay, a week or so after but close enough and she is my Grammy so it is very special either way.

So...Wednesday evening through Thursday morning was a little rough. I was not holding my food in my tummy very well. I spit up several times (I promised Uncle The Tim that I would avoid my poop stories unless they were of special events so we'll talk about the next best function...spit up) which is apparently common for those my age, but when we get into the times and amounts that I was going for it raised a little concern. The nurses and doctors finally caught up to Mommy and Daddy's thoughts on not putting 65 cc's of Mommy's Mixture in me every three hours, which actually comes out to every two once I actually finish my food (which takes about a hour). So, now I am supposed to eat 50 cc's of fortified Mommy's Mixture. I usually get down around 8 to 20 cc's from my bottle then we have to put the rest in my nose-string. Did I mention that Daddy put my new nose-string in. Yep, he pulled the old one out and put the new one in. It was a horrific experience, so I am working hard to get all of my feedings by bottle so I don't have to experience Daddy putting the string back. My exercises consist of a few minutes to eventually hours of Nooking (Daddy sometimes calls it Binking also) and every three hours I get to practice on the almost real thing, the bottle. Hard work and practice will get me to my goal, if you want to help prayer is always a great helper too.

So as Wednesday went by I did not spit up as much. We do have a feeling that this may be due to the lower amount that is put into my tummy. I get one every here and there but all is good. Mommy and Daddy were visited by Miss K the Social Worker as well as some others. I got to see both of my Doctors in the morning. Apparently I will be meeting more over the next few days as I get to try out a new Cardiac Doctor and Dr. N for my common things. After all of the visits, which also included a Speech Therapist for helping Mommy and Daddy in my feedings, I noticed that Daddy kept getting white feathers from a lot of people. As it turns out they where what they called discharge papers. I was like, "so that is what paper is." The next thing I knew Daddy was all over the room putting things in bags, boxes and taking them out of the room. Mommy hung around with me, she was napping on the couch. She has had a long few days. Oh, don't get me wrong, Daddy has done a bunch of stuff too but he seemed to get some energy boost. He must have had his bottle that day. The first time Daddy returned he brought in a cool looking life pod. It was way too small for Mommy so I was hoping that it would be for me...IT WAS!!! As Daddy left for a second trip with a bunch of stuff Mommy and Nurse J & Nurse M started working with me on my life pod. They strapped me in and clipped all the clips. I tell you what, I felt like I was a test pilot or race car driver they had me clipped in so well. When Daddy returned we were off. I said bye to all the nurses and doctors as I went down the hall with Mommy and Daddy. I was actually going home!

I had my eyes open for almost the whole trip home. I was working out on my nook like there was no tomorrow. I knew there was but your first car trip is quite exciting and a little stressful and Daddy always said that exercise helps relieve stress. Mommy sat next to me the whole ride home. We did have to make a little stop for some of my medicine but after a few moments we were off and home.

Considering Going Home

Yes, today is an early blog day. It has been quite exhausting today with everything going on so I'm taking the opportunity to write to you early. Evenings are fun with Mommy and Daddy here. They do a good job with all the new stuff they have to know to bring me home. Mommy and Daddy have been reading and watching videos on SVT's, NG Tubes and Mr. Ebstein's Malformation for the past few days. Which is good. The more they know the sooner they can take me home.

I got visits today from Chaplin DA, the CHoA Chaplin, and Chaplin Pace from Oxford. It is really nice to see people visit me, Mommy and Daddy. Soon it will be in my own home! I hear that Grammy and Peepaw are coming back to visit me on Saturday. Auntie Andrea will also be coming in for a few days. I am really excited about that.

My only current issue is my desire to get up the will and ability to feed from my bottles. Sure Mommy and Daddy got some cool looking equipment to help with my tube feeding, but I don't want to rely on that forever. Especially since it will be Daddy or Mommy putting in my NG tube. Daddy pulled my old tube out and put my new tube in today. I really did not like the experience! Sure Daddy did well with it and put it in the right spot, but it is really uncomfortable to have a tube put into your nose and pushed all the way down to your tummy. Mommy did well with the initial measurement of the tube and holding me and they both loved me a lot when it was finished. Sigh...I do hope I can get over this bottle issue and not have to do the tube feedings very soon.

Well, honestly that is really about all. Some visits from friends, food, sleeps and eats. We are hoping that tomorrow is the day to head home, we will see. I'll be writing to you from home soon, you bet this will continue. The hospital adventure may be coming to an end (for this round) but the true adventure awaits!

The First Family Outing

Well last night was our first family outing. Mommy and Daddy stayed with me all night. I know that we are still missing my sisters, Taag and Ripley, but we will be having fun and slobbering all over each other soon enough. We talked to another cardiologist today and got some more information on what the plan looks like. Hopefully we will be home in the next few days. No more SVT's so we do hope this continues. That is on the the main reason that I am sticking around the hospital. Mommy and Daddy have some work ahead of them too. They have to be trained in putting a tube that goes into my nose and leads down to my tummy. The plan is not to have this long but it will most likely be around for a bit. This is to help with my eating habits as well as giving me my medications. Mommy and Daddy are also to be trained on listening to my heart. I am really giving them some good reasons to learn.

Haha...speaking of learning. You remember when I told you about how Mommy was changing my diaper and I still gave a little poo to see if she'll freak? I got Daddy really good today. While he was changing me today, he said it was a huge load, I decided to toss him for a loop. I gave him a little extra squirt. No, but that's not all! He cleaned me up and as he was finishing up I gave a good squirt. It made it across the crib. I was like, "that's for Mommy." He did good at cleaning up. Mommy did help him a bit too. It truly was a three person job but Mommy and Daddy did very well. After that it was quite a basic day. Eat, sleep, poop. I did get a lot of love from Mommy and Daddy, they took a lot of time to hold me and love me. Grandma and Grandpa came by today to visit. They brought me some of my clothes so I can change, which I needed to after I had a really good spit up on Grandma. I also got a visit from Auntie Tracy and Uncle Andrew. Auntie Tracy got to hold me for a while. It was nice to have someone new hold me for a bit. PRCruz came back to visit and I got to see him this time. He brought his friend, another one of Daddy's students, Miss Ler. It is really neat to see and hear (many text messages and phone calls) all of the people who are involved in Mommy and Daddy's life. I am very excited to get to know them as I grow up.

Hey, today I took almost a whole bottle...once. Sure I get about 8 feedings a day, but once bottle almost down is a great achievement for me. Mommy and Daddy are really encouraging me to keep working for all my feedings to be done by bottles. I don't blame them, getting fed through my nose is kind of weird and if I don't need to be fed through my nose I don't have to have the nosetube in there. Please pray for me on this project.

I do appreciate all of your prayers and thoughts. I am getting stronger each day but still need prayer so I can get home soon.

More tomorrow.

Stepping Down

Well life is good, 36 hours without a heart spike (which I heard everyone call them SVT) and now I get promoted to the Step Down Unit. Mommy and Daddy were here to move with me from the See-Eye-See-You to the Step Down. It is fun cruising in my crib down the halls. I had the machine announce my arrival with a long solid beep which made every nurse in the unit quickly look up in my direction. I learned that if I move my feet and hands in a specific way I can set off many of the beeps and loud noises. I will admit, I am going to miss all the great nurses that took care of me in the See-Eye-See-You. I do plan on coming back to say hello as a little girl not as a patient. I will have to come in as a patient eventually when the time comes to fix my heart but I am not planning on that any time soon.

I get a whole new nursing staff and set of doctors here in the Step Down Unit. All are really nice. A bunch of nurses, techs and doctors came in just because they heard of this adorable baby that was their new patient. I am being serious! They said it themselves in the room. I promised Daddy that I would not let my beauty get to my head and be a normal little girl. I did prove this to him earlier by giving a nice loud pppppbbbhhhtttt from my backside today. He smiled and said, "That's my girl!" Daddy has been a champ with my diaper changes. He has done more poopie ones than Mommy has now. I think Mommy takes those times to go make my Mommy's Mixture to force Daddy to change the diapers. Daddy doesn't mind though, he had Mommy sit back and relax a few times instead of changing my diapers. He does need practice.

Wow, so much excitement today I have took a lot of time to sleep. This was good so Mommy and Daddy can get settled in to the room and talk to the nurses and doctors. It is exciting because Mommy and Daddy don't have to leave me now. I noticed they brought a bag of stuff so they can stay by my side over the next few days in preparation to take me home. Now here is some info that our local supporters are really interested in...Yes, I am in the area were we are able to have visitors other than just parents and grandparents. We are not sure how long we are staying here but currently the number was 72 hours. This can of course change at anytime during our stay here. Visiting hours are between 8:30am and 8:30pm. They do like to limit the visitors to two (2) per visit and the doctors, nurses, techs and parents reserve the right to dismiss anyone at anytime of the visit. Please contact Mommy or Daddy before you come to visit. It is a long drive to the hospital and we want to make sure that the drive is worth your time. Daddy said that food can help your visiting chances. We do want visitors, just make sure you are healthy and have no symptoms of any kind, this is a hospital rule as well as a Carlee rule. I bet you would feel really guilty if you got me sick so let's avoid it for my health and your sanity. Please do not bring in flowers, they are not allowed in this area for health reasons. And finally, please understand that I want to meet all of you, but I'm going to be around for a while so we'll meet soon.

Looking forward to progress!

Tomorrow Is Another Day

A nice quite evening last night. No more heart rate spikes and we plan to try to keep that going. If all goes well over the next day or so I may be heading to the Step-Down Unit. That is the place where Mommy and Daddy can stay with me until I can leave the hospital. I can even get some more people to visit too. I am sure that Mommy and Daddy will regulate how many and how often as well as the hospital regulations. I'll let you know all about that when I move to that place. Keep those prayers going!

Today was a nice relaxing Saturday. I hear that is what they are for. I am bummed that I have not caught up on the NFL Playoffs yet but I am sure that Daddy will fill me in tomorrow. Yeah, I know the Bears got bonked this season but Lovie will pull it back together, I have faith in him...it's that Cutler guy that I am not sure of. Anywhoo, Mommy and Daddy both got to feed me again today. Sure it was the same bottle but it was good. Why the same bottle you ask? Well, after I drank about 10cc I decided to blow all the chunder in my tummy all over to see how Daddy handles it. You remember my first good poo story, well...yeah...quite similar. All over my belly even some on my back. Daddy handled it like a pro. Sure it is a bit more difficult with all of the cords and tubing I am connected to but all was well. Daddy, Mommy and Nurse N took care of me quite well. Once I was all clean we shifted to Mommy to finish feeding me. Mommy and Daddy tag teamed me, Mommy fed + Daddy burped (me that is) = good eats. After the good meal I was so full of excitement I could not fall asleep so I just kept looking around as Mommy held me and Daddy hovered like an eagle watching its young. Mommy then had to go make my favorite mean, Mommy Mixture, so Daddy took over the holding. He hummed me to sleep.

When I woke up Daddy was still there holding me but he had to give me to Nurse M to put in a new Eyevee. Wow was that uncomfortable! A great invention but come on man...find an easier less painful way of doing it. Mommy told me not to worry, everyone who does the eyevee has this issue. They told me I took it like a champ.

Tomorrow can be the day so I'm heading to get some good sleep in preparation for a potential move. Talk soon and thank you for all that you do!

A special shout out to Uncle Andrew...Happy Birthday. Thank you for holding out on your trip last weekend to be with Mommy and Daddy as I was moved away from them. You are a great uncle for that!

A Little Too Excited

Well the weekend is here and just like last weekend it is all about the observation. Early this morning I decided to give the Doctors a run for their money and spiked my heart rate for a few moments to see how they handle it. They did a fine job. This is actually common in infants who have Mr. Ebstein's thingy so nothing really too exciting about it (except for the actual heart rate thing).

It was a really good day for me. I was hoping to show Nurse S this morning that I can poop but it did not come out until Nurse L took over. I'll tell you my first real poop was a true Gonzales POOP! Filled my diaper all the way up my back. Nurse L had to clean me, my blankets and sheets. Daddy was really proud when he heard this. I even got to do a second poop and Mommy changed me. Little did she know that I saved some for her as she was changing...hee hee. After that I ate some and as Daddy was burping me I decided to try to freak him out by spiking my heart rate again. It did not phase him, he looked at the monitors and put me back down on the bed then gently soothed me by talking to me in his sweet voice as he gently stroked my chest and belly. Just like the time before I got my heart rate back down with little effort and Mommy and Daddy got to talk and interact with me before I went back to sleep. I actually slept a lot today. I did wake up to listen to Grandma and Grandpa sing to me today. Daddy tried to get Grandma to feed me but she decided to let Nurse L do the honor. No worries Grandma, your time is coming soon.

For those of you who are following my medical plans, my PDA is closed. They took an echocardiogram of my heart this morning and found that it has closed up as it should. Now we are back to the waiting game. No step-down rooms for me just yet. My time is coming though!

So Many People...

Yeah, I'm a little later than usual today. Mommy and Daddy decided to hang around for some of the evening today. I think it was because it is usually the evenings when I get an "episode" of my Oxygen Saturation dropping. Gee Mom and Dad, it was only once or twice in four days. Unfortunately it was true (key word is WAS) my O2 stats went down a little last night. Daddy found out when he called for his evening tuck in. Nurse S (she told Mommy and Daddy this evening that she "loved me" and said I was "perfect"...do you blame her?) told Daddy that they put me on 100% Oxygen at 4 liters. By the time they got here this afternoon I was on 40% O2 at 3 liters and I am supposed to continue down over the next day or so to my normal numbers. We'll find out more on that tomorrow.

It was a fairly busy day today. Of course Mommy and Daddy were here but I got a visit from Pastor Scott and Pastor Greg today. They prayed with Mommy, Daddy and me. It was fun because Pastor Greg seemed to be a little afraid to touch me until Daddy started to poke fun at him. Pastor Greg was neat to have around, he just had a little baby recently so his emotions were quite high when he came to see me today. I think he was about to cry but you know how men can be...all tough and macho. Pastor Greg and Pastor Scott did have many encouraging words for Mommy and Daddy and I am very thankful for these pastors! (And yes, Pastor Gary and Pastor Chis are included in that statement too)

Mommy got to hold me for a long time today. It was only fair since Daddy got to hold me for a long time yesterday. This also gave Daddy an opportunity to slip away for a few moments to meet with one of his students, PRCruz. PRCruz want's to be a doctor and was up on the things that Daddy was telling him. Daddy said it was a really nice visit. PRCruz brought me a gift and it was beautiful. A Pooh blanket, pillow and holding box. Mommy said that it will match my room at home perfectly. I wanted to meet PRCruz, we have a special bond so I am excited to meet him soon. I also want to thank PRCruz for bringing the wonderful card and balloon from the Social Circle Swim Team. Daddy has been working with the team every so often and they send me a beautiful card with messages in it for me and Daddy as well as a really cool shiny balloon. Believe it or not, those weren't the only gifts, Daddy has been apparently working with the Covington YMCA too and we got a beautiful bouquet of flowers from them. I am unable to see the flowers now since the See-I-See-You doesn't allow them but Daddy told me that they are in my room at home filling it with it's lovely aroma. I can't wait!!!

Mommy and Daddy left for the shift change to grab some food but returned so Daddy could hold me for a while. Nurse S filled Mommy and Daddy in on some information and had lots of compliments of my cuteness. So, the rumor is I may be in the See-I-See-You for a few more days. Again, this is a rumor but Mommy, Daddy and I are really excited. I saw that look on Daddy's face that told me that he will hunt down a Doctor tomorrow to get the full story. Keep those fingers crossed and prayers coming.

I wanted to toss a shout out to Auntie Andrea for her 25th Birthday today. (Hey I am not even a week old, I don't know how to count)

Food is Good!

Well, since Mommy and Daddy left last night the same routine. Change nurse, get my checkup (aka checking my stats) and get a bath. Nurse S does a good job with this. Daddy did call before he went to bed to check up on me. He is so overprotective. I had some good sleep too. Oh, just to keep those of you informed who were praying for my neighbors. All seemed to go well. They don't discuss other cases and it is hard to talk to my neighbors because it is such a large room, but all seemed to be well. Please keep all of my neighbors in your prayers too :)

It seems that routine is normal around here. New morning nurses and the doctors visit to check up on me. I had some more pictures of my heart taken and it showed that my PDA was still open (remember that is what the prostablahblah kept open for me to be stable when I was born) but it there was not much flow going through it. I believe that this means that I am doing well and that there will be no current immediate knifing of my cute little body.

I was catching a few zzz's when Mommy and Daddy got here. It was a very casual day but an exciting one. Not only did Mommy get to hold me for about an hour but she feed me my first bottle of her home made food. It was very tasty! I had almost a whole 15 cc's. Of course as any good meal is completed a nice nap followed. Mommy held me as Daddy was sitting in the other chair. At one point they must have slipped out for lunch because the next thing I knew I was back in my bed. No worries though, when they returned it was Daddy's turn to hold me. He was the lucky one today. Mommy was falling asleep so Daddy asked her to get some rest because it was almost time for making my food again. She did. During this time Daddy fed me my second yummy bottle of Mommy's Mixture and I dozed off again. Daddy held me and sang to me for about two hours. Not don't get excited...Daddy's form of singing is really humming, but none the less I liked it. When Mommy returned I was roused a little to find that I have picked loyalties...see picture...Go Cubs!

Mommy and Daddy had to go a little early today because I was getting a new neighbor and the evening nurses were coming in. All is good, I am excited to see them again tomorrow. We'll food, sleep and baths for tonight and I am sure that Daddy will call too. Have a great night and I'll be back tomorrow!

We'll see what I decide

Well, last night was great. Not only did I get to do some legal blood doping, the transfusion of some additional red blood cells went very well, I got a bath. Nurse R was so good and got me so clean for my visitors today I was really happy. Yep, so happy I cheered, danced and kept an eye on all around.

Mommy and Daddy got here on time like usual today. It was such a flurry of a day I did not get to see them much but that was mainly because they gave Grammy and Peepaw and Grandma and Grandpa a lot of time to hang with me. It was okay because Richard came to the hospital to have lunch with Mommy and Daddy which gave me a little more time with Grammy and Peepaw. My visit with them was special today since they are heading back to the cold land of Indiana tomorrow. I will miss them but I know that they will be back in a few weeks. I could tell that Grammy was a little bummed today. Do you blame her? How can you leave someone so cute like me for a day much less a few weeks. That is okay though I really love the time I got to have with this special trip that Grammy and Peepaw took just for me and I look forward to many more trips to see them and for them to see me. Grammy and Nurse K played with me today by moving me around and sitting me up. Nurse K told Daddy that this was "diva" talk time with me, Grammy and Nurse K. Daddy smiled and rolled his eyes like any good Daddy would do. Mommy came in a little later to hang with me and Daddy, this also gave Grammy the opportunity to catch up with Peepaw. They had to go back to the house to take care of some things and Taag and Ripley. Grammy and Peepaw have been a great help with taking care of things at the house while Mommy and Daddy are here with me. It is so nice to have grandparents, in this special case Grammy and Peepaw as well as Grandma and Grandpa, to help Mommy and Daddy out. They really need it because I am such a bundle of joy...hahahaha!

I did not get to see Mommy and Daddy a lot today since the See-I-See-You was super busy today. I got some new neighbors today and they have heart situations like me. I am praying for them and I would like to ask all of my family and friends out there to please include them in your prayers too. We all here in the See-I-See-You can use a lot of them and we really appreciate them.

When Mommy and Daddy came back they brought Grandma and Grandpa, so Mommy and Daddy had to leave again after a small amount of time with me. But having Grandma and Grandpa sing to me for an hour was well worth it. They sang praises and prayers to me as well as rubbed my arms, back and belly. It was very exciting and I really liked it. I do plan on having more of that done over the next eighteen years.

All of that singing and praying was quite exhausting so I took a little nap. Yep, you guessed it Mommy and Daddy came in while I was sleeping. I did rouse up just to see them preparing to leave because they had to clear out the See-I-See-You for one of my fellow neighbors. I noticed the sadness in their eyes as they did not get to see me much today. I do know that tomorrow will be a better day for them and I plan on spending a lot of time with them too. Speaking of tomorrow the rumor is that I will be able to fill my stomach with the food that Mommy has been preparing for me. I am really excited to feel my belly full for the first time. I hope that all goes well so I can do this really tasty adventure.

Oh, just a medical side note for today. The doctors said it was an "observation" day. I have been off the prostablahblah and now it is up to me on what will be the next step. Please pray for me and my Oxygen levels to get to normal. I should have more medical knowledge tomorrow or Thursday.

What will tomorrow bring?

Well, Mommy and Daddy are taking a night at home to be with Taag and Ripley. They also get to hang with Grammy and Peepaw. I did notice that Mommy and Daddy were slow to leave. Do you blame them, I am so cute I don't know how they did it!

Today was an exciting day. I had a lot of doctors around talking about some things that I really did not understand. They did take me off of my current medication of prostablahblah (Doctor talk, you know how it is) and that was to get my body to what is was supposed to be if I was born with a normal heart. Something about closing a PDA vein between the aorta and pulmonary artery. This was open due to my low Oxygen Saturation levels to my organs. The Doctors kept it open to help increase my Oxygen Saturation so I can stay "stable". Once the Prostablahblah is out of my body this tube should naturally close up and then we'll see how my body reacts. It was quite interesting and I am sure that Mommy and Daddy got some more details. I expect they will share it with me eventually. I got to take a ride to the Kath Lab so the Doctors can make my belly string a bit more effective. It went very well and I am glad it did. I am able to get some lipids now so I am not just on the salty sugar water. One day I will be able to eat real food and I am excited to see what it feels like to have something in my stomach.

After all of that fun this morning Mommy and Daddy came in to hang out with me. I found out that before they came to see me, keep in mind they were just down the hall from me last night, that they had coffee with the Divemaster Man. They told me about him, he is a really cool guy. He apparently lives really close and is a student at Emory. I really appreciate that he took time to come and see Mommy and Daddy. They really like the Divemaster Man.

Today Mommy and Daddy got to talk to Dr.P again. She is a really nice Doctor that is taking care of me. Actually, ALL of the Doctors and Nurses are wonderful with me. They are even fun to be around :) Daddy asked Dr.P about my skin. Apparently he noticed that he can see more of my veins on my body. Dr.P told him that it was normal and once I get some types of food and stuff in me I'll fatten up and you won't be able to see my insides as much. Dr.P commented that not much gets by Daddy. After Daddy's talk with Dr.P he got to see moving pictures of my heart. He told me that my right atrium was still enlarged due to the goofy valve between my right atrium and right ventricle (which is what Mr. Enstein found to be his malformation). While this was going on Daddy spotted Pastor Lynn from Oxford College. Pastor Lynn came by to say hello and pray with me and Daddy. Mommy did get to meet Pastor Lynn and see more pictures of my heart. She was not able to be there at first due to her making food for me. She is doing quite well and I am really anxious to get some of that grub! I want to thank Pastor Lynn for his support as well as the support from Daddy's work.

Mommy and Daddy had to leave the See-I-See-You for a bit which was good. They need to take time to eat. When they came back I was really happy. They even found Pastor Gary to come see me. Pastor Gary must really like me, this was his second time to come in. I can tell that Mommy and Daddy really appreciate all the pastors and friends that come in to see, pray and support them. I have personally seen Mommy and Daddy cry just because of all of these friends all over the country, even some in other countries. I am really excited to meet all of these friends and family that they tell me about. Unfortunately I can't see them just yet. The See-I-See-You apparently has a force shield that keeps out anyone but parents, grandparents and Chaplin's.

I met some new people who work at the hospital today. Chaplin DA came into pray for me and he even sang a beautiful song for me. I got so excited I had to dance as he sang praises to God. It was really neat to see and hear him with Mommy and Daddy.

It was fun to see Mommy and Daddy today. I opened my eyes to see them as they talked to me for hours. Daddy even took my challenge from yesterday and he changed two...yes, that's right, TWO diapers today. Mommy was sitting in the big chair caressing me the way I liked it. I even told her so many times. While Mommy was preparing my food (to be frozen for later of course) Daddy took the big chair. He rubs my arms, back, belly and head just as good as Mommy. I'll tell you a little secret...Daddy was humming to me. I can tell it was a little hard for him at first but he got better as the time went on. After a long day it was time for me to get some rest. I have some stuff to do tonight in preparation for tomorrows tests and observations. Apparently I am getting a blood transfusion tonight to get some more red blood cells. Good for the Oxygen transfer I guess. I wanted Mommy and Daddy to get home and rest too.

Hopefully the Doctors will have more to tell me each day and I will keep you posted as the adventure continues. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Things I Really Liked

It was a wonderful evening last night. Not only did I get to see Mommy and Daddy again but they brought in Grandma & Grandpa as well as Grammy and Peepaw. I want to thank Josh and Cindy for keeping Mommy and Daddy busy while Grandma and Grandpa came and read some stories to me. It was fun to hear Grandma read some as she rubbed my back. I am going to like that back rubbing thing. I made sure to tell Grandma that when she stopped, "Hey Grandma...how dare you stop that rubbing!" So she kept it up for her visit. You know, Grandma, I will be expecting that each time I see you now.

I was really happy that Mommy got to change me again. I am still waiting for Daddy to dive in and go for it. He told me that he will when Mommy is tired of doing it. I told him to step up old man! He laughed and told me he'll try to get the next opportunity. I will make sure it is a good one...hee hee.

After Grandma and Grandpa left I got to see Grammy and Peepaw again. And yes...I decided to open my eyes to see Grammy and Peepaw this evening. Grammy has similar ideas as Grandma although instead of my back I like it when Grammy rubs my arm. Yep, that has similar results as the previous rubs I get so yes...Grammy, I expect that to continue as well. I also appreciated the book that you are reading me. I look forward to more visits and reading from both sets of Grandparents.

The family had to leave for the nurse change but Mommy and Daddy came back and stayed with me for a while. We were all tired but it was okay since they were staying down the hall from me this night. Daddy told me that this was good for him because he did not want to have to deal with the Atlanta drivers and his stress levels. Monday was to be a big day for me and he wanted to be as fresh and stress free as possible. I asked Daddy what was up and he said that the Doctors are to come in and evaluate me on Monday to figure what is the next step in my adventure. I was also supposed to go to what they call the Kath Lab so they can put my belly button string (also known as an umbilical line) in a better position. I asked Daddy if that was a big deal and he reassured me that it was a simple procedure that should not take long. I am glad that he and Mommy are here to fill me in on these details.

I'll let you all know of the Monday adventures this evening.

Stable

I know, I know...all of these posts are the same day. Well, with mommy and daddy here with me all the time I can't get away to my computer as often as I would like.

It was very exciting this morning. The doctors came to see me this morning and they wanted to put in something called a heart cath. I was not sure what that meant but I was excited about the prospect of progress. Little did I know that they would have to put something in my arm to pull it out again. Apparently my veins collapsed as they tried to put this thing in me. So like anyone on a mission, they tried again in the other arm. Unfortunately that did not work either. I'll have a memory of this for a little while with those little bruises on my arms, but it was worth it. The idea is progress and I'll do what it takes for me to get out of the See-I-See-You. Other than that is was a great day. I got visits from Pastor Scott and his wife as well as Pastor Gary. Mommy and daddy came and I heard that my Rucker family came to visit. Apparently Peepaw was on a mission today because he and Grammy were able to visit me before the evening rounds too. It took me a moment to identify Grammy with the spooky mask on her face, she is silly, but once these two were by me I knew it was them, not just because of the crying but because of the warmth of love that arose from them. I am the first granddaughter for them. Auntie Andrea has four boys so I know that I'm gonna get spoiled from Grammy and Peepaw as well as Auntie Andrea :) Once Grammy and Peepaw left daddy came in to let me know that they will be downstairs and back once the shift change is over.

I got to meet Nurse P today. She was really cool. Grammy and Peepaw came back in once the shift change was over and hung with me for a while. Then it was mommy and daddy's turn. Since only two people can see me at any given time it was neat to see daddy talking to Grammy. I heard Grammy say that Daddy did good. Then mommy came to visit with daddy. We talked a bit, it is funny, anytime a beep goes off daddy jumps and gets stressed. Nurse P continued to reassure him and mommy, with her experience with hospital visits seems to just chill. It looks like she gets a kick out of daddy being stressed sometimes. Nurse P told mommy and daddy that, if it was okay with them, that she would let them hold me. I got so excited. I have never been held by mommy and daddy yet. It has been almost 48 hours and all they did was pet and pat me. Daddy said that it was like having another Taag or Ripley at one point. So the time came. Nurse P took me out of my cool Star Trek Biobed (yes, I watched it in the underwater apartment with mommy and daddy so I know of the Star Trek world) and placed me in mommy's arms. It was an amazing moment. I love my mommy, she is so warm and cuddly and has such a pretty voice. I can't wait to have her sing to me. Daddy hovered like a protective eagle of his nest as we got some pictures. Nurse P made me a pretty butterfly bow and put it in my hair. She said that accessorising is essential. It was really cool, my bow even matched my bed. After some time mommy and daddy got to switch spots. He too was warm but not so cuddly...mommy said it was because of his strong muscles, I said whatever :) It was nice to hear mommy and daddy's voices as well as have them hold me. I really liked that. I look forward to the next time we get to do that. Mommy and daddy were very tired and I know they wanted to return for Sunday through Monday so I told them it was okay to head home. As daddy got up from the chair with me he got to give me a nice big soft kiss on my forehead. He is such a good daddy. Mommy was able to give me a kiss too before she left. I know it was hard for them to leave but I know that with Nurse P watching me this evening that all would be fine. I am looking forward to seeing mommy and daddy again and I do hope that Grandma and Grandpa will be able to visit soon. I understand that they were watching my sisters, Taag and Ripley, which is a very important job, the past few days. Now that Grammy and Peepaw are here I know that Grandma and Grandpa will be visiting shortly.

A New Home

Life was a flurry. Mommy and Daddy came in to see me often. They told me that they were the only ones allowed to come in and see me but there were many others around waiting for my introduction. A lady in blue told daddy that there were people in their room to visit. I found out when I went to see them that the room had many people in it...but wait, I am getting a little ahead of myself. Where was I...okay...

Bronco went to talk to mommy and daddy and told them that I was supposed to be moved to a hospital for children. You are probably wondering how I knew this since I was in Nick-U. I am like my daddy...I know everything :) Actually, Daddy told me on one of his visits. A special ambulance was to take me to a place called See-I-See-You in the big city of Atlanta. Apparently Daddy knows this place, he said that it was the main location of his work. I was put in a box because of all the pipes, tubes and stickers on me and they said it was cold outside. Mommy said that it was a little cold. I did not think that thirty-three degrees was that bad...then again, I was in a nice heated miniature room with wheels. Before the nice people in gray took me to the ambulance I got to visit where mommy and daddy were staying. I was so excited to see all the people there. I say Grandma and Grandpa as well as Auntie Tracy and Uncle Andrew. There were two other visitors there, a little scruffy looking but daddy told me that they were Greg and Shaun. Apparently Greg and Shaun were there to help daddy as we changed hospitals and be there for daddy for encouragement and support. Daddy told me that mommy had many visitors too as we were heading down to Atlanta. Daddy said that with the addition of Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Tracy and Uncle Andrew, others came too. Mommy got the same support and love from Cassie, Courtney and Maria just like daddy from Greg and Shaun.

A little side note...I want to thank all of you who came to see mommy and daddy and helped with my situation. I want to be there for them but the doctors tell me soon. I also want to thank all of you who are thinking and praying for me to get better. I have found out that there are people from Florida to Washington and almost every in between state who are praying, asking, thinking and loving me, mommy and daddy. I thank you, as I know mommy and daddy do, very much and ask for as much as you can offer. This is the main reason why I started this blog. I want you to know how I, as well as mommy and daddy, are dong. THANK YOU and may God bless you all!!!

Daddy went with me to the See-I-See-You. He got to ride in the ambulance with me. On the way I heard him talking to Peepaw. He and Grammy decided to come and visit me a few weeks ahead of schedule. Daddy told Peepaw that he is not to drive when it was dark out. I am excited to see Grammy and Peepaw, they are coming all the way from Indianapolis just to see little me. I overheard daddy saying that I will get to see Grandma and Grandpa as well as Grammy and Peepaw in the See-I-See-You. I guess only mommy and daddy and the grandparents get to visit me as I am getting better in the See-I-See-You. Eventually I will get to see all of you soon. It was a nice ride in the Atlanta Children's Hospital Transport. I found out that there are a bunch of these ambulances that help all over the area for those kids with situations like me. I want to throw a great shout out to all of those companies that donated such transports for us kids!

When we got to the new hospital I was in a whirlwind of activity. I saw daddy talking to the attending doctor as a bunch of nurses got me settled in my new bed. Daddy had to leave once I was settled so the doctors can start figuring what is up with my heart...apparently it was Mr. Ebstein who put me in this situation by doing something to my heart. That's okay though, I know that God let this dude do this for a reason and I am more than willing to do His will. So, as the new doctors and nurses worked with me, daddy went to find the scruffy looking guys that wanted to hang with daddy when I was busy. Daddy told me when he was able to come back that he went to Chipotle with the scruffy guys. Apparently they have never eaten Chipotle before. Gosh...even I had that a few times when I was living in my underwater apartment. When daddy came back he talked to the nurse quite a bit and then we chatted a bit. It was nice to feel his hand on my head as well as his rough finger rubbing my arms. After a bit he told me that he had to go back to see how mommy was doing. She was still being observed at the other hospital. I heard him talk to the nurse again and then he had to leave. That was okay though. I know that it was a very hard decision for him to make so I told him I am in good hands here at the hospital as well as God's care. I knew mommy needed to be with daddy. Also, I knew that he would bring mommy back in a few hours.

In the beginning

Well, it all started at 12:50am on January 8th. After thirty minutes of pushing mom has evacuated me from my warm underwater home. Although I was a little bummed I realized that mom and dad were there waiting for me and that was really exciting. Sure I did not get to see them that often at first but we got a good quick family picture then the crazy people in blue whisked away to some college or something. They called it NICK - U. I was like...hang on a sec, only ten minutes of true air time and I am off to college? Wow, dad is gonna be bummed that I'll be able to retire sooner than him.

I then realize that this was not really a university. The doctor, I named him Derp, said something was wrong with my heart. They ended up calling another doctor that was to see me later in the morning. Then Derp went to talk to mom and dad. I am guessing he told them the news because a little after that daddy came in to see me. It was hard to see him through all the tubes and wires, but I knew he was there...I recognized his beautiful voice. I will admit, I am glad that was his voice instead of the loud barking voice...that one was scarry every so often but I am excited to meed Taag and Ripley soon. Daddy told me that I'm going to be just fine. I am a Gonzales and we don't take challenges lightly. He did stay for a little bit but then had to go. He seemed a little sad.

A little later daddy returned with mommy. They could not stay too long due to some tests and pictures that were going to be done on me. The nice lady in green asked mommy and daddy not to touch me so I don't get too excited. That was okay because when they came back after the new doctor checked me out, I called that one Bronco, they were able to touch me and talk and I even opened my eyes to see them. Said something about being an Elf-Lord, not sure what he ment but I'll ask him later.

I wish I could hang with mommy and daddy a little more but Bronco said something about Mr. Ebsteins Malformation, I feel bad for the guy, and that I had to be taken to a different hospital. I was like...cool, not even 15 hours old and I get to ride in a special ambulance. Life is going to be a real adventure!