Lake Time

We made it to the lake! Last Thursday, Lila Grace had a post op check-up at her pediatric cardiologist. They did an echo cardiogram and an EKG and the doc said, "everything looks great...we'll see ya in a year". They took her off the only med she was still on and she was cleared for swimming...so we stuck her in the car and headed straight for the lake!! We spent an extended weekend there and it was HEAVEN! E and I so missed our lake time (are we spoiled or what?). And there is nothing like boatin and floatin for 2 1/2 days straight!

The kids loved it too, of course. It was the Higley reunion weekend so all cousins made it. Some of the highlights included Lila Grace's first boat ride and swim (loved it!), Jack learning to ski (kind of!) and Cade, well he's just the highlight of the party himself!

We brought my niece home with us for the week (Ella Kate) and I've already learned that boys are so different from girls and I should be expecting a completely different experience with Lila Grace! Ella Kate LOVES to talk and talks to me all the time, she's picky about her clothing (and feels its optional!), has her very own vocabulary (a boys private is a "tootsie roll" and it's disgusting that Lila Grace eats from my "booba") and if she's mad at you, you will not be invited to her birthday party!!! (which by the way isn't until December!) The boys are loving her here and so far they've all been really good.

Here are some pictures from the lake and Ella Kate too (does anyone remember Ramona Cleary?)

Summer Fun!

Okay, we've had a REALLY crazy summer so far and I can't believe it's July 15th and I've yet to post anything the boys have done! I thought my first summer with 3 was going to be REALLY tough, but it's actually been ok (besides the obvious!). I signed the boys up for a few little mini camps and have also set up various playdates so we seem to have stayed pretty busy.


Jack loves his weekly playdates with his buddy Diego. They are both Wii obsessed...I call them wii-ners (not to their face!HA!). They both can play for multiple hours. They are super competitive but don't seem to fight over the games. We have a lot of teamwork games so I think that helps. Right now the fav is StarWars Lego...it's really cute! He could really care less about "camps" but does go and seems to like it when he goes. He's also really into allowance. He wants to earn money for a Lego set that costs $100. I told him he could have $1 a week, but E said $5. He told me he like Dad's idea better b/c it would only take him 20 weeks to earn the money vs. 100...What 5 year old knows that stuff!!!...only a little Eric!


Cade LOVES camp! Everything I've signed him up for he is completely excited about and comes home with lots of new dances, songs, chants and stories. They've been in VBS this week and the other night I could hear him laying in bed chanting, "God is powerful...Fear Not!" Cade loves to swim and gets better and better every time he goes. He still doesn't want to leave the floaties, but seriously I would let him wear them to 15 yrs old if he wanted. Do you know how hard it is to watch two active boys at the pool???

Both the boys went to the lake for the 4th. E and I were so jealous! We've only missed 1 other 4th at the lake...and that was our honeymoon...and we've always regretted that! Just kidding!! We get to go in 6 days from now and we are counting down the days. So looking forward to it! Here's some pictures of us at the lake in previous years...

Lila Grace is doing really great too!! She has been back to her normal happy self now that she's on that reflux medicine. She's smiling laughing giggling rolling over and grabbing for everything. She still doesn't sleep near as much as she did pre-surgery, but she has more energy since she isn't working so hard to breathe! The other really great news is she is now taking the bottle. The doctor said we needed to start supplementing calorie loaded bottles into her diet, b/c she needs to gain some more weight. She is taking 2 extra bottles a day and Mama is so so so happy!!

I'm back...

Apparently I've been slackin on the bloggin, b/c E informed yesterday that several people have asked for an update...Sorry!!!

First of all, Lila Grace came home and continued to have a speedy recovery. Of course, we were really nervous, but she did so well! She really was a trooper thru the whole ordeal and amazed not only us, but her doctors as well. Since she's been home, her coloring is so much better, she is breathing easier and her heart doesn't feel like its beating out of her chest anymore. It's now 12 days after coming home and her steri strips are falling off and some of her stitches have dissolved already. The incision is even starting to clear in places and looks really good.
I want to mention again how thankful we are for so many thoughts and prayers. Even this week I've heard from a few people who said, "we prayed for you all in church or at prayer service." It's amazing how word gets around and all the prayers start coming in! Please pass the word that she is recovering super and all the praying was successful.

Now, here's why I haven't had time to blog...sister came home a different baby! In the first few days she just didn't sleep much, but I figured she would get back into her routine soon enough. Then she started being fussy (I'm sure b/c she was exhausted!), then she started not wanting to eat as much and by a week after surgery I had her in the pediatricians office thinking she had an ear infection or something that was causing her to be so uncomfortable. They said she was fine and sent us home. Talking to E, he said she was, "just being a girl!" But then, we had a very difficult night with her screaming and you could tell she was in pain. We both felt sooo bad for her as there was nothing we could do to calm her down. The next morning she had a regularly scheduled appt for her 4 month well visit. When I took her in I pretty much said I'm not leaving until you tell me what is wrong!!! The doctor checked her out and said she has reflux, which makes sense with the not sleeping, not eating and screaming in pain. Apparently this can be common after surgery b/c they disrupt the organs when they are in there and that can cause problems. Anyways, she's now on medicine, started yesterday and is doing SO MUCH BETTER! She actually went to bed last night at 8 and slept till 7:30 this morning, waking up once to eat, but went right back to sleep.

Around 9 last night I sat on the couch with a glass of wine watching TV with all 3 kids tucked into bed and thought, "this is the life!"

We are going home!!!

Our Cardiologist came by early this morning and told us she is ok to be discharged! She's doing great. She slept well, is eating well, happy, laughing and smiling. Hard to believe she just had open heart surgery on Monday! Our only discharge instructions are not to pick her up under the arms for 4-6 weeks and follow up with our cardiologist in 10 days, but other than that we can resume life as normal. We'll still be a little nervous for awhile, but are extremely thankful this is over! We are so thankful for a speedy recovery. She is truly amazing!

We should be leaving a little later today. Thanks to all for all the prayers, thoughts, support, emails, visitors and help! We have a great support system.

Major progress

It's day 3 and Lila Grace has made major progress!! She has exceeded all expectations. The drs said she would be on the ventilator for 1-2 days and she was off before E and I even saw her. They said they would bring in the OT to get her to "latch on" to the bottle and she has latched on and taken several bottles...and still wants more. They said she would be in the PICU until tomorrow and we have moved already. She is amazing (and Dr. Mendeloff, too)!


Here are some really great things that have happened today...

-they removed all but 3 of the 15 "lines" attached to her

-most importantly they removed the oxygen this afternoon (she hated that in her nose!)
-we've moved out of ICU into a pediatric floor

-we got to hold her

-SHE SMILED!! First smile since Monday morning!

-We heard a rumor that we have between 48 and 72 hours on this floor, so we may be out by Friday or Saturday