tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57607154009568520962024-03-06T19:33:43.442-08:00A Heart of WorshipWedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-35577509869812746522011-09-21T15:24:00.000-07:002011-09-21T15:24:24.367-07:00Peek-a-boo Paige!As soon as Eli was cleared of any contact precautions, Paige wanted to go see him. We try to take her on the weekends, when she doesn't have school. Eli gets so excited when she comes for a visit. He lights up and loves to play with her, even from his bed. It is so fun to watch. Here are the two of them, playing peek-a-boo on Sunday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxDtoxWmaP67qoKXurRg_ze2X_7mgmftByNrYCD0YjykPQEMbFP_UtdYo6yGPuBmK8xkfST-HHRrLsSLzf6wg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-51810826743411135002011-09-20T14:43:00.000-07:002011-09-20T14:43:07.045-07:00Witnessing and Experiencing the Power of Prayer<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix">
<div>
Thursday night, I (Tanya) left Eli's
room at 9:00. He was sleeping soundly and everything was as it has been
the past few weeks. Just 12 hours later, I arrived back to his room.
Before I even entered the room, I could tell something was wrong. He was
ashy blue, not his new normal pink. He was swallowing his breaths, and
acting very full. I felt his belly. It was full, even though he hadn't
had anything in it for about 5 days. I immediately opened up his g-tube
to vent it (basically burp for him) and a bunch of air came out. That's
when he started retching and dry-heaving. He can't vomit or burp because
of his fundoplication, so it's horrible to watch. Something was wrong.
Very wrong.<br />
<br />
The nurse had checked his vitals only two
hours before and everything appeared normal. He checked his temperature
again, and he was running a fever of 102*. Within minutes, Eli's
surgeon, a cardiologist, the ICU doctor, his nurse, and the charge nurse
were all at his bedside assessing him. Many tests and labs were
ordered, medicines prescribed, and poor Eli was just moaning and
shivering in bed.<br />
<br />
I had been texting Jason as things were
happening, and I asked him to post up on Facebook, asking you all for
prayers. Your quick response to our request was certainly noticed, even
though I had no internet access. I couldn't see your responses here on
Facebook, but I witnessed God's answer to your prayers. Before any
medical intervention could be given, before Eli had any medicines in his
body, his color had come back, and his fever had broke. He was resting
rather comfortably in his bed. If I had walked into the room at that
moment, I would've thought nothing of it. Both nurses commented how
quickly he had turned, even without any medicine. I was able to witness
to them telling them we have a network of friends praying for Eli right
now. It's because of the power of our prayers that Eli is feeling
better.<br />
<br />
Thank you doesn't even begin to express how
grateful I am to have your support and willingness to drop everything
and pray for my son. Many of you sent notes, texts, and even posted our
request out to your friends and prayer warriors. My eyes are full with
tears of joy because you would do that for him. Thank you for helping me
see the power of prayer, and allowing me to share it with a few others
caring for my miracle boy.<br />
<br />
Please continue to pray. We are
still not out of this yet. They have ruled out a bunch of
possibilities, but it may take 24-48 hours to get a definitive answer,
if we can even get that. He is on a strong dose of antibiotic to stay
ahead of anything that may be there.<br />
<br />
Our God is the Almighty Healer. I was a witness to His powerful hand today.</div>
</div>
Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-2606592192802904012011-09-05T15:50:00.000-07:002011-09-05T17:11:32.223-07:00Post Surgery Catch Up<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Surgery has come and gone, and we haven't done a very good job of keeping this blog updated, so here are the last three weeks all at once.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The surgery went long, but well. Our surgeon stated "Eli was a complete gentleman the whole time and did what he was supposed to do." We arrived at CHCC at 5:30am. At the anesthesiologist's suggestion, we gave Eli a small sedative to help with the separation and because it would also cause him to forget the events of the morning. Being a "return customer" and at the age where he will start remembering things, they felt it might be a good idea not to build associations between those hallways and the pains of surgery and recovery. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The doctor told us "in about 20-30 minutes, he's going to get a little loopy." Eli has a great sense of humor, but we've never seen him this funny. He became a limp rag doll, and started laughing at everything. It wasn't just any laugh, it was that "stoner" laugh. At one point, he slowly raised his pointed finger up to my face and very gently touched my eye. He then smiled, shook his wobbly head and said, "Noooooooo." Then he looked across the room, pointed to the wall and said "snake!" and laughed. Tanya was laughing so hard she was crying. Then Eli would see her and start cracking up himself.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">During the 11 hour surgery, we left the hospital to get lunch. We went to Pismo's Grill. We were completely wiped out. Our enthusiastic waiter made the usual small talk and tried to pep us back up. He asked about our hospital admittance bracelets. They're just plain, fluorescent green, so they don't look like anything in particular. "Awesome bracelets, guys! Are those like, special bracelets? Do you get special privileges?" Tanya and I looked at each other, trying to decide how to answer. "They're for the hospital. Our son is in surgery right now." There was a long, awkward moment, and he pretty much left us alone the rest of the meal. :) Poor guy.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We continued to receive our hourly phone calls from the nurse in with Eli. Most people only have one Superior vena cava (SVC). This vein is what this Glenn surgery was all about. It is how all blue blood returns from the upper body back to the heart, so it can be pumped into the lungs to be oxygenated and turned red again. With this Glenn procedure, they detach the SVC from the heart and connect it so it travels directly to the lungs without going through the heart first. Because of this, stopping the heart and putting the patient on the bypass machine is typical. Like some people, Eli actually has two SVCs. This is one of the only breaks he's ever had his entire life. It allowed them to isolate and work on one SVC at a time, while the other maintained full function. Because of this, they never had to stop his heart and he never had to be put on the bypass machine.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We watched him being wheeled between surgery and ICU for recovery about 7:30pm. He looked very surprisingly good! Within another hour, we were able to be in the room with him. Considering what he'd been through, he honestly looked great! He had great, pink color, and everything was stable. He only had a small issue with his heart rate and JET (junctional tachycardia... out of rhythm and accelerated heart rate) for the first night, but nothing they didn't expect and nothing that didn't control itself in very short order. He was extubated after one week, and continued to make good, solid progress the following week. We give the credit to Dr. Adam Holmes. We spoke with him about trends we've seen in Eli over the last two years, especially in regards to fluid retention and extubation difficulties. Because of this, he approached Eli's care very aggressively and pro-actively. Those first two weeks were the best recovery Eli's ever had!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Just as it looked like he might actually go home after two weeks, which would be normal for a Glenn... they found a big pocket of fluid and had to put a chest tube back in. That morning, they collected over 250ml of fluid out of the left side of his chest! This boy can retain fluids like nobody's business, and this is exactly what our concerns were as we entered into this procedure. As I write this, we are at the end of our third week in recovery. Fluids continue to rise, so today, they've added a second chest tube back in. Once again, he immediately dumped more than 200ml of fluid, this time out of the right side.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As I write this, he remains in PICU... just hanging out. He's in good spirits, all things considered. He's so much stronger than we are. He's a role model patient. He's so mellow and easy going. We are able to laugh with him on occasion. The doctors comment on his incredible demeanor. The nurses fight over who gets to care for him. Everyone tells us how cute he is, and everyone who had him during his first surgery can't believe how big he's gotten. He's such a shining light in so many peoples' lives.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We'll write more, and share some pictures of these last weeks. Thank you for your patience as we find time to do so.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-64077275443438974472011-08-08T20:58:00.001-07:002011-08-08T21:05:18.039-07:00Next Surgery Moved Up To August 16<span style="font-family: arial;">Just a quick update on scheduling: A slot opened up in the surgeon's schedule, so we have been moved up to August 16 for Eli's next surgery, the Glenn. While our natural reaction is to panic, we also recognize this frees us from one of our biggest concerns leading up to Eli's surgery. Paige starts school August 17th. We were extremely concerned about what her heading out into public could mean for Eli's health. Now, we need not worry. We only need to keep Eli safe for 8 more days. Because of this, we will "hunker down" into full winter isolation mode. Nobody in, nobody out, unless absolutely necessary.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family: arial;">See you all soon! Please continue to pray as faithfully as you all have been doing throughout this entire process.</span>
<br />Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-3010103230400341752011-07-31T11:48:00.001-07:002011-07-31T14:50:11.694-07:00Finally Our Time<span style="font-family:arial;">Two years ago, Eli had his first cath lab procedure to check the pressures in his lungs and the function of his heart. This test was the first of three failed caths, proving he wasn't ready for the next phase of surgery, the <a href="http://www.severinbrenny.com/bidirectional_glenn_operation.html">Glenn Procedure</a>. A couple weeks ago, on July 13, exactly two years since his first failed cath, we took Eli in again for another of this same cath lab procedure. The cardiology team likes to check periodically so they can gather data and better understand what Eli's heart is doing.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> We prepared ourselves for another failure. We were hopeful, but expecting to hear he wasn't ready...again.<br /><br />We've become accustomed to this rut, this waiting game, this constant trudging through quicksand that has come to represent Eli's medical path. He should have had this Glenn Procedure two years ago, but the blood pressures i</span><span style="font-family:arial;">n his lungs has always been too high. Last year, his numbers placed him "in range" for the Glenn, but the cardiology team agreed it was simply too high risk. His numbers were simply TOO marginal.<br /><br />This year, he's still marginal, but better than ever before. The cardiology team doesn't feel his numbers will get any better, and believes now is finally the time to proceed with the Glenn. Eli will finally have his second of three open heart surgeries. We've waited two years to be able to say this. Now that it's here, it's scarier than we might have imagined.<br /><br />Eli is scheduled for his Glenn on September 13, but we are also on the "short list" for any </span><span style="font-family:arial;">opening in the coming two weeks. Our surgeon leaves the country in the second half of August, and our cardiologist leaves the country in the beginning of September. If we don't fall into an opened schedule by somewhere around August 10, we know we will be on hold all the way out to September 13. Either way, within the next six weeks, Eli will head in for his second major surgery.<br /><br />Eli is on the verge of walking by himself. He walks with a single finger's support for balance now. He cruises furniture as fast as any kid. His language is finally exploding. He's picking up new words all the time, and his speech improves with each day. He's an absolute ball of happiness, always smiling, laughing and spreading joy everywhere he goes. He's grown from the feeble baby into quite the amazing little boy.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On February 20, 2009, we handed over a 2 day old sedated baby who we'd never seen with open eyes or without a breathing tube. While this was no easy task, it doesn't begin to compare to the thought of giving the surgeons our 2 1/2 year old son who speaks, lives and loves with us.<br /><br />The day we'd begun to think would never come... has finally come. Eli is heading in for his second open heart surgery. As supportive as you all have already been, we're going to start leaning on all of you for that support again. To all our prayer warriors, you've been so faithful for so long. Please join us again as we place in God a trust as we never have before.<br /><br />Here's our most recent picture of Eli, sitting in Pre-Op before his cath lab.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1CpyaF4zdWyq4RuOYGQYz6QSaHqh1XIFslNnV-UYySw_6LX5H2vNB4e4l4q5sw3-N_LqntbMdPsQ5nz1QrYCD_t1nnffbCeYwYUYdu5deGf-Ka2Fx2_5liJYZ2KCTgT5JC6o82ega-g/s1600/eli+pre+cath.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1CpyaF4zdWyq4RuOYGQYz6QSaHqh1XIFslNnV-UYySw_6LX5H2vNB4e4l4q5sw3-N_LqntbMdPsQ5nz1QrYCD_t1nnffbCeYwYUYdu5deGf-Ka2Fx2_5liJYZ2KCTgT5JC6o82ega-g/s200/eli+pre+cath.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635634670869944898" border="0" /></a>Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-54817369688621606432011-05-10T10:28:00.000-07:002011-05-10T10:43:20.582-07:00Outside!Eli loves to be outside. He would be outside all day long if we allowed him.<br /><br />He loves to dig in the dirt.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvPwD9e5OWo9sXxTjx4PNb1yBdMU8dnIJvXpbwBkqAzSj2jwOsDRgUaVhh33Oar2CVRTeP6-UBbOJHAcDrPTHtuPwj_HzgnfF79vyxKLoxmmCO7Kc87RY4z-VBuQxB4KKZ3UnRjpvJSA/s1600/muddy+eli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvPwD9e5OWo9sXxTjx4PNb1yBdMU8dnIJvXpbwBkqAzSj2jwOsDRgUaVhh33Oar2CVRTeP6-UBbOJHAcDrPTHtuPwj_HzgnfF79vyxKLoxmmCO7Kc87RY4z-VBuQxB4KKZ3UnRjpvJSA/s200/muddy+eli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605143293548849890" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>He loves to draw with his chalk.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorozqGvPo1aUcWvSJrJcba-pUzM_JAD2ykT8XdmxEyEiBijSD-ekVZUm8CaX2ocPTl6jdafW2qWVrMX-RjxCIZPQ1lUVdCisPT_C_kiBo5hZtysAR2R846HDQFNRForYYnXZpEF3pqW8/s1600/eli+drawing+on+the+sidewalk.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorozqGvPo1aUcWvSJrJcba-pUzM_JAD2ykT8XdmxEyEiBijSD-ekVZUm8CaX2ocPTl6jdafW2qWVrMX-RjxCIZPQ1lUVdCisPT_C_kiBo5hZtysAR2R846HDQFNRForYYnXZpEF3pqW8/s200/eli+drawing+on+the+sidewalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605143286874734066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He loves to slide.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfzRVB8s1N9ZbRLG0aSseCQb-vnXUssx9kF4xwjTmhsqn9lDqdorckb7Mrxt_NjfLinOL60BpN1CWouO6RishewIm9MB1Ue-rRgeOx11h-OamG3TmPibUmKgIYYCqzI-r9opr5pztagI/s1600/pappaw+helps+eli+on+the+slide.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfzRVB8s1N9ZbRLG0aSseCQb-vnXUssx9kF4xwjTmhsqn9lDqdorckb7Mrxt_NjfLinOL60BpN1CWouO6RishewIm9MB1Ue-rRgeOx11h-OamG3TmPibUmKgIYYCqzI-r9opr5pztagI/s200/pappaw+helps+eli+on+the+slide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605143296831256018" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He loves to watch the koi.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeC91RBceSY3noFX6I0ViaWFs1SvsXv_cIw79hm64y5EsJUtINvdTw67l4MrwF1eBiyy3HS1UKWt9Bom3uIo98gRh4zx7VmnSMGeeJWmHoKarv2_y2-CVQAvhW_W8MBmPZHcXpGP5BCQ/s1600/eli+watching+the+tancho.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeC91RBceSY3noFX6I0ViaWFs1SvsXv_cIw79hm64y5EsJUtINvdTw67l4MrwF1eBiyy3HS1UKWt9Bom3uIo98gRh4zx7VmnSMGeeJWmHoKarv2_y2-CVQAvhW_W8MBmPZHcXpGP5BCQ/s200/eli+watching+the+tancho.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605143290276309250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He is all boy and we love it!Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-6832745218453917932011-03-26T20:29:00.001-07:002011-03-26T20:43:20.969-07:00Paige's New Bike<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Today, Paige got her first bicycle! We went to Toys-R-Us and she rode all the bikes in her size. She decided on a purple bike with flowers and a pink seat. We took the bike home, put it together, and she was immediately off on her first adventure. Before the bike was even complete, she was asking to ride to her frie</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">nd Kaylynn's house, because she had written her a letter and wanted to deliver it. Here's a short photo journal of our afternoon.</span><div style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Paige and Daddy building her new bike.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuQt7TuJtrjDjR3NSnvftfCq35uvjkjZXEGVpHeG8IpGisJIgYiCTDF2A0kOAp2-hGMe23LUj36Fc9z-IWTMCvjTO012yj_IITKVs863OKqVw6eXMmtyiCZyTcEs2NIXzZLlFk1Z4Ri-K/s1600/assembling+new+bike.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuQt7TuJtrjDjR3NSnvftfCq35uvjkjZXEGVpHeG8IpGisJIgYiCTDF2A0kOAp2-hGMe23LUj36Fc9z-IWTMCvjTO012yj_IITKVs863OKqVw6eXMmtyiCZyTcEs2NIXzZLlFk1Z4Ri-K/s200/assembling+new+bike.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588597004152590562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Paige helped with the seat...<br /></span><div style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS58UzvL3IIFGp7NjGrpM-aUZ9Y5GSRyGAkIVuGyU6z8seRhuM9q-kz2wKjrOIfV3480BwA-pd1RBghuqWDUXMeiH66Rq2k4noA1BqPI4zoqefgzOsVlf4DyE_z19S15pJJG3pEdsd0Ljc/s1600/paige+putting+seat+on.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS58UzvL3IIFGp7NjGrpM-aUZ9Y5GSRyGAkIVuGyU6z8seRhuM9q-kz2wKjrOIfV3480BwA-pd1RBghuqWDUXMeiH66Rq2k4noA1BqPI4zoqefgzOsVlf4DyE_z19S15pJJG3pEdsd0Ljc/s200/paige+putting+seat+on.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588598478876123890" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">...and the purple pedals!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ABp6hQBAilMBFAsEDJDtST9ge_dd5MvSPovjVkWOoirQkDlDXV8LCVruMAHHyFvCzGYtjTJfAqYoJH3AAeqwNC2loSmtyyusfzln5PKwi8oGF81AesnKAurbnfBonmbOdBO3BRJj2UNF/s1600/paige+holding+up+new+pedals.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ABp6hQBAilMBFAsEDJDtST9ge_dd5MvSPovjVkWOoirQkDlDXV8LCVruMAHHyFvCzGYtjTJfAqYoJH3AAeqwNC2loSmtyyusfzln5PKwi8oGF81AesnKAurbnfBonmbOdBO3BRJj2UNF/s200/paige+holding+up+new+pedals.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588598476153128242" border="0" /></a></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br />Once assembled and tires aired up, outside we went! This is Paige hopping up on the bike for the first time.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFcarhWAom8NyyBdJZsbxgwmbNKY1ZhvmnoIXsApz4XC8EYEz02r0fPdvZKDHphOtuANXAnrqkq-jSA8ROu_Y0zzL49_RJtX-dVJvXLfzKlyASQm2SNa7rlb9kOguBDXtmY_fzgaDR-_6/s1600/climbing+on+bike+for+first+time.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFcarhWAom8NyyBdJZsbxgwmbNKY1ZhvmnoIXsApz4XC8EYEz02r0fPdvZKDHphOtuANXAnrqkq-jSA8ROu_Y0zzL49_RJtX-dVJvXLfzKlyASQm2SNa7rlb9kOguBDXtmY_fzgaDR-_6/s200/climbing+on+bike+for+first+time.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588597006934582946" border="0" /></a></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br />And we're off!</span></div><div><div style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlHQInIhSVp7eVUfTa02nc63XkESMj1XTDDrwv5qQGSo1lV4D6oeQoQIH5cTMJelNRtHmod-zPlr9e0Qw4TA5alc5jW10AcRVHATKGW47VEIEDTOwKePK0_yblIpgCYWMWNeCxsNOlCEI/s1600/first+bike+travel.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlHQInIhSVp7eVUfTa02nc63XkESMj1XTDDrwv5qQGSo1lV4D6oeQoQIH5cTMJelNRtHmod-zPlr9e0Qw4TA5alc5jW10AcRVHATKGW47VEIEDTOwKePK0_yblIpgCYWMWNeCxsNOlCEI/s200/first+bike+travel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588597010836070786" border="0" /></a></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br />It was a little chilly outside today, so Mommy helped her with her vest.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSb_-FB13GcqNTafVzxp141E-jAmbb9znkfuASphKPnuLBRTxcznofYkt_Fmxf_qq6OrHs9ySAF6wyMHx2g-nDUZ4EoGluIiEYxOmthqC1cWKCzxu6dFo93jNBjC9SKtF4hj05fECXBYHI/s1600/zipping+up+vest.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSb_-FB13GcqNTafVzxp141E-jAmbb9znkfuASphKPnuLBRTxcznofYkt_Fmxf_qq6OrHs9ySAF6wyMHx2g-nDUZ4EoGluIiEYxOmthqC1cWKCzxu6dFo93jNBjC9SKtF4hj05fECXBYHI/s200/zipping+up+vest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588599224681121554" border="0" /></a></div><div style="font-family:arial;"> </div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Then we were off to Kaylynn's.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><div style="font-family: arial;"> <div style="font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXkkUFV4-6W0xJpGGUCQ9k1fvdZSmDJJaUQx7T9Xt8IPVMeuNdQ_e60xr8bnvcrxRd3QGYe_8fueU9-H-OYg9K2m1nd8OP0Y5J08aySHAWTxLy95W5Jfx6AugSK2czpQQPV4PeDFTTruV/s1600/and+we%2527re+off.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXkkUFV4-6W0xJpGGUCQ9k1fvdZSmDJJaUQx7T9Xt8IPVMeuNdQ_e60xr8bnvcrxRd3QGYe_8fueU9-H-OYg9K2m1nd8OP0Y5J08aySHAWTxLy95W5Jfx6AugSK2czpQQPV4PeDFTTruV/s200/and+we%2527re+off.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588596999450235634" border="0" /></a><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div></div> </div></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br />Bye bye, little girl.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzOR6P0w7gjOxahqOGYzLcITJxwEMzAdXmBl0cbx2f91v1T3tFbRixPtISFcQRn2xCsMAwTgJlV1TcquGMPLJZXWLuH_fw_Q-aBujrVKVgJrqKgsYO70IhcQ-A8tzKp-ZRW-aQhmbSs_h/s1600/off+to+kaylynn%2527s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzOR6P0w7gjOxahqOGYzLcITJxwEMzAdXmBl0cbx2f91v1T3tFbRixPtISFcQRn2xCsMAwTgJlV1TcquGMPLJZXWLuH_fw_Q-aBujrVKVgJrqKgsYO70IhcQ-A8tzKp-ZRW-aQhmbSs_h/s200/off+to+kaylynn%2527s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588598472241534018" border="0" /></a><div style="font-family:arial;"> </div> </div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Paige and Kaylynn were very excited to see each other. In fact, Kaylynn had also written a letter for Paige!</span></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eGeiGRSHV2a7DV-ZFpjLNf8BeN7LwCfvZHI6usbtRjc7xRQPGVJ5QfOet0jTnA0idJeOr5PVJLKL3qDuW6lkPS1F3hHDtlgB6nn_qw6XPDUmL6gwMyBpRMiczQKuYcscjQOBVKFoPHn3/s1600/delivering+letter+to+kaylynn.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eGeiGRSHV2a7DV-ZFpjLNf8BeN7LwCfvZHI6usbtRjc7xRQPGVJ5QfOet0jTnA0idJeOr5PVJLKL3qDuW6lkPS1F3hHDtlgB6nn_qw6XPDUmL6gwMyBpRMiczQKuYcscjQOBVKFoPHn3/s200/delivering+letter+to+kaylynn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588597013427766002" border="0" /></a><div style="font-family:arial;"> </div> </div><div face="arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div face="arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Then Kaylynn picked a flower from the garden, and sent it home with Paige.</span></div><div face="arial"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MQHuL_69D_37HF3RSXiIIUZWl3OYEQoBEKIfLycQ8Efr8WW_H-U-bZBcMtEDq8GhdKVnpyw-OqsExxm0s889L-ImYF31is8ZyndSKZJTw4RAErIp66Ai92JCthJN5302RuVRkrdksAJI/s1600/kaylynn+gives+paige+a+flower.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MQHuL_69D_37HF3RSXiIIUZWl3OYEQoBEKIfLycQ8Efr8WW_H-U-bZBcMtEDq8GhdKVnpyw-OqsExxm0s889L-ImYF31is8ZyndSKZJTw4RAErIp66Ai92JCthJN5302RuVRkrdksAJI/s200/kaylynn+gives+paige+a+flower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588598463872718642" border="0" /></a> </div><div face="arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div face="arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Headed back home.</span></div><div face="arial"><div face="arial"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtrFOdaVcFndbVzvnwtyzxZgQZZhsA6rqCiFKFqtR592FxJ0XFO1WgUvxggZeuJlHIlpzwQ7AUXH2uFEl1uVMhnkfNW7W021r2Whp1mUS-EIKSeuqfyVr0UEQwPsSiyP_Hq7uKUWAbuC2/s1600/leaving+kaylynn%2527s.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtrFOdaVcFndbVzvnwtyzxZgQZZhsA6rqCiFKFqtR592FxJ0XFO1WgUvxggZeuJlHIlpzwQ7AUXH2uFEl1uVMhnkfNW7W021r2Whp1mUS-EIKSeuqfyVr0UEQwPsSiyP_Hq7uKUWAbuC2/s200/leaving+kaylynn%2527s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588598466477307474" border="0" /></a><div face="arial"> </div> </div> </div><div face="arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div face="arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">As she became more comfortable on the new bike, she began to ride faster and faster. Look at those handlebar tassles fly!</span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QamV0egljeSsmqWqk_xFoxJRM9PPEO512Yp1pKThvSST2nGOXFI14wvuS2-61J-3I-uh5IW89YkvkGYU1_ESz-QajOWruhQuWtzgLqfbIEfiXfbWIWtwl8dUeF3F61LR2UZI33BFwpRa/s1600/riding+home+with+speed.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QamV0egljeSsmqWqk_xFoxJRM9PPEO512Yp1pKThvSST2nGOXFI14wvuS2-61J-3I-uh5IW89YkvkGYU1_ESz-QajOWruhQuWtzgLqfbIEfiXfbWIWtwl8dUeF3F61LR2UZI33BFwpRa/s200/riding+home+with+speed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588599221459858482" border="0" /></a><div face="arial"> </div> </div></div></div>Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-35916841311222084342011-03-23T09:15:00.000-07:002011-03-23T13:22:50.485-07:00Eli's TurnWe just celebrated Eli's second birthday last month. As we reflected on his second year, we are so grateful it was spent mostly at home healthy, and not in the hospital much like his first year. In fact, we only spent one night in the hospital last year. What an accomplishment!<br />Here is an much overdue update on our little miracle man:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Physiologically:</span> Eli last had a cath study done in June. Once <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OCjSlXhbilro45FNjXyaiKW9xQxFMaK-X8FcGJ5b_gqFrNLm7DAtO2mWKrzynJrSXArwNc6JiClX4n5phcGqH15TF6WP_fy8i4l3fzwDEzt-X9DAGuDnSDTQyJ8lh9ZhMc_GATJ8Afw/s1600/high+five.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OCjSlXhbilro45FNjXyaiKW9xQxFMaK-X8FcGJ5b_gqFrNLm7DAtO2mWKrzynJrSXArwNc6JiClX4n5phcGqH15TF6WP_fy8i4l3fzwDEzt-X9DAGuDnSDTQyJ8lh9ZhMc_GATJ8Afw/s200/high+five.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587327164916403954" border="0" /></a>again, he failed, showing he wasn't ready for his next surgery. He still has pulminary hypertension, where his lungs have too much blood pressure. The cardiology team decided since he growing, developing, and not showing any signs of heart failure to let him continue to grow in hopes that his lung pressures will decrease. In January we had a checkup with our cardiologist. While there we had an echocardiogram done. This showed no changes since his last one, just before the cath. So it looks like his pressures are still too high. We go back for another checkup in a few months. It will be decided then what the next step is. There are no dates set, we are just letting Eli tell us when he may be ready. We just know that the next step will be another cath study.<br />One exciting change for Eli is he no longer needs oxygen. We have a monitor that tells us his saturation levels. Most of us are 98%. Eli's target range is 75-85%. When he drops below 75%, we <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1PwhZHwaichoHbpR6XkMdx-8-HEeUa_YKFBqW6dNzJwl7kROCAWlu5NcUC80WleqGvb6k6f4jkqX7dOVPGZyEH5NOB5yDbYE8OUNovY6Kp-YGQpbjhgdZxyN6VkoXBalvZN7xvigrBw/s1600/eli+on+antique+tractor.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1PwhZHwaichoHbpR6XkMdx-8-HEeUa_YKFBqW6dNzJwl7kROCAWlu5NcUC80WleqGvb6k6f4jkqX7dOVPGZyEH5NOB5yDbYE8OUNovY6Kp-YGQpbjhgdZxyN6VkoXBalvZN7xvigrBw/s200/eli+on+antique+tractor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587327559054581042" border="0" /></a>have to supplement with oxygen. When he first came home, he needed oxygen all the time. And we were constantly adjusting the amount of oxygen because his levels were very sporadic. As he has grown he has changed to needing it just at night when he was sleeping and now he never needs it. He hasn't used oxygen in at least 6 months. It really is liberating not having to worry about him tangling himself up in oxygen tubes and monitor cords as he is rolling and crawling around. We still put him on a monitor when he is sleeping, since we can't watch him, but he hasn't alarmed in a really long time. We've asked his cardiologist, surgeon, and pediatrician what this means and why he no longer needs oxygen. All of them have said, "He just doesn't need it. We can't explain why. We don't know why. It's not a sign of anything." Okay. I guess we'll just enjoy being "cordless".<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Developmentally: </span>After Eli's pacemaker was installed over a year ago, we noticed big changes in him developmentally. He finally had the strength to sit up since he has help with his heart. For many months Eli would roll and scoot on his back to get to places where he wanted to go. He could sit by himself, but it took him a long time to transition from sit to laying and how to get back up again. With exercises given to us by our physical therapist, Eli finally learned how to transition in December. Not a week later, he was crawling. In the 2 months he's been crawling, he's gotten so much stronger. He's fast! Now he is getting on his knees, cruising furniture on his knees, and is just beginning to pull up to stand on things. It's now a race between him and Samuel to see who is going to be walking first.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCmQ8yBiDlydFrtZWJhY1KvM5IlqENt6avVeKDvFhGHW5Se9Hk_nQBeMLQxQ2JlvAKcYQPLfATGK6lPfn6BtIfpwel7Rzv2_OpERNPJUqCrXECRL9qakxj-o1wqVjBpNHjwjuXKIKgyE/s1600/daddy+reading+to+eli.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCmQ8yBiDlydFrtZWJhY1KvM5IlqENt6avVeKDvFhGHW5Se9Hk_nQBeMLQxQ2JlvAKcYQPLfATGK6lPfn6BtIfpwel7Rzv2_OpERNPJUqCrXECRL9qakxj-o1wqVjBpNHjwjuXKIKgyE/s200/daddy+reading+to+eli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587330518770094802" border="0" /></a><br />Just as our physical therapist said, once Eli progresses with his motor development, his verbal will quickly follow. Eli is talking up a storm! Unfortunately we don't understand him most of the time. He has a few dozen words and phrases that we have translated. Everyday we are able to figure out a new word or two. Just this week he has started to repeat a word. If I guess wrong, he'll shake his head and repeat it. When I finally figure it out he squeals in excitement. He is also understanding us better, too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPF74f09OJYgC5vddja-Ysy5sClvUJNVVyIYABjZeHrAwQUUeCz-3FSFUOaEUI66hcM7WzRE7LeiB9ot91hRHEpGZOVdxY2NlkPWNGlcdu8kjvFIGn4SYjENfSgzi7CyPiKeZDLG-ads/s1600/eli%2527s+new+trike.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPF74f09OJYgC5vddja-Ysy5sClvUJNVVyIYABjZeHrAwQUUeCz-3FSFUOaEUI66hcM7WzRE7LeiB9ot91hRHEpGZOVdxY2NlkPWNGlcdu8kjvFIGn4SYjENfSgzi7CyPiKeZDLG-ads/s200/eli%2527s+new+trike.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587328151056563890" border="0" /></a>Two of Eli's favorite things are cars and being outside. If he is inside, you'll probably find him laying on the floor pushing around a few of his many cars, trains, buses or thing with wheels. Given the opportunity, Eli will be outside. He loves to explore our backyard. He likes to throw dirt, crawl in the grass and climb on the rocks. He got a tricycle for his birthday, and since he can't pedal yet, he loves to be pushed around on it. We take walks as often as we can, and he'll just narrate everything he sees along the way.<br />There are many days that I forget that Eli is so sick. He behaves normal. He is a boy. He is getting stronger. I'm so thankful to see these changes on the outside. I still pray and beg that God is healing him on the inside.Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-24202810950669800292011-03-03T09:50:00.000-08:002011-03-03T10:08:43.187-08:00OverdueSo if we were library books, we'd have some serious overdue charges on our blog. Now that I think about it, I think we actually do have charges on our actual library account...oops! :) Anyway, I'm going to try to bring you all up to speed with our family. Obviously I can't do it all at once, so I will try to do it in pieces.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiDDrHq9LNwO7w1QT1so-bMBE7Kv3mAOJweuvPc_iDhON_jG9N8ajsa3TT7bmNzZh0esfN4vI2i0BanPVX0U1bnN_P96HAgaZHuINTfCFajd0NhNnMeFVXmZAfUj9x5nDaYIeHKSkNS0/s1600/samuel+smiling+in+the+swing.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiDDrHq9LNwO7w1QT1so-bMBE7Kv3mAOJweuvPc_iDhON_jG9N8ajsa3TT7bmNzZh0esfN4vI2i0BanPVX0U1bnN_P96HAgaZHuINTfCFajd0NhNnMeFVXmZAfUj9x5nDaYIeHKSkNS0/s200/samuel+smiling+in+the+swing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579916765702040242" border="0" /></a>Since today is Samuel's 6 month birthday, I'll start with him. Samuel is the easiest baby yet. Paige was easy, he is easier. He is always happy. Always smiling. Loves to giggle and is very ticklish. When he's not smiling, he's sleeping.<br /><br />He is also the first of our kids to acutally hit developmental milestones on target. Eli is delayed for obvious reasons. Paige was content to just sit. She didn't really pull to stand or even become mobile until after her first birthday. Samuel is rolling over and has found that he can get to things he wants this way. I often find him across the living room from where I left him. He is almost sitting independently. He'll have that down here shortly.<br /><br />Samuel is a big boy, but we knew that when he was born at 8 pounds 10 ounces! Last time we checked he was 17 pounds (and that was over a month ago). I'm sure he's pushing close to 20 now. We'll find out for sure next week when we take him to the pediatrician.<br /><br />Samuel has been a great addition to our family. He certainly completes us. Paige and Eli love him tons. They love to interact with him and make him laugh. We are certainly more complete with him here.Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-39713023126850604572011-02-28T23:07:00.001-08:002011-02-28T23:08:33.063-08:00Hello???Hello?<br /><br />Heellloooo?<br /><br />Is anyone there?Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-45547047630936302652011-02-08T09:48:00.000-08:002011-02-08T10:07:35.256-08:00Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week<span style="font-family: arial;">February 7-14, 2011 is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. It's strange how you don't know about something until it's staring you straight in the face. I had no idea that heart defects are the #1 birth defect! Here are some quick facts about CHD:</span><br /><div style="font-family: arial;" class="entry"> <ul><li>Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 birth defect. Source: March of Dimes</li><li>Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. Source: March of Dimes</li><li>About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of Congenital Heart Defect. (approx. 40,000/year) Source: Children’s Heart Foundation</li><li>Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHD. Source: Children’s Heart Foundation</li><li>The American Heart Association directs only $0.30 of every dollar donated toward research. The remainder goes toward administration, education and fundraising efforts. Of the $0.30 that goes toward research only $0.01 goes toward pediatric cardiology for CHD. Source: Children’s Heart Foundation</li><li>This year approximately 4,000 babies will not live to see their first birthday because of Congenital Heart Defects. Source: Children’s Heart Foundation</li><li>The cost for inpatient surgery to repair Congenital Heart Defects exceeds $2.2 billion a year. Source: Children’s Heart Foundation</li><li>Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward Congenital Heart Defect research. Source: Children’s Heart Foundation</li><li>Though research is ongoing, at least 35 defects have now been identified.</li><li>4-8% born with CHD have Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (Eli's defect)<br /></li><li>4-10% born with CHD have Atrioventricular Septal Defects</li><li>8-11% born with CHD have Coarctation of the Aorta</li><li>9-14% born with CHD have Tetralogy of Fallot</li><li>10-11% born with CHD have Transposition of the Great Arteries</li><li>14-16% born with CHD have Ventricular Septal Defects</li><li> Although some babies will be diagnosed during gestation or at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, CHD is not detected until adolescence or adulthood. Source: March of Dimes</li><li>It is a proven fact that the earlier CHD is detected and treated, it is more likely the affected child will survive and have less long term health complications. Source: March of Dimes</li></ul>Raising awareness about CHD is becoming an important part of my life. Had we not known about Eli's defect before he was born, it's likely we would not have him today. I feel we are extremely lucky that the ultrasound tech was screening closely and found his broken heart. There are many moms and dads out there grieving over a broken hearted baby that was undetected.<br /><br />Will you join me in raising awareness and support of CHD? Our local chapter of <a href="http://www.itsmyheart.org/">It's My Heart,</a> an organization that advocates and provides support to those affected by CHD, is having their annual Awareness Run/Walk this Saturday. We have created <a href="http://imhwalkforchd.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=441742&lis=1&kntae441742=F07A2F6D649242FFAFE5578B60A592AA&team=4019541">Eli's Fourth Chamber</a> in honor of Eli. You can join our team by walking, running, or even cyber walking if you are long distance. Or if you feel like just donating to Eli's team, you can do that as well. Eli appreciates the support you have given him over the past 2 years and you continue to give. The support here will help raise awareness and support of other heart families here in the area. Thank you!!<br /> </div>Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-83728504805609617962011-02-05T21:05:00.000-08:002011-02-05T23:50:46.442-08:00Paige's Prayer<span class="postbody">Every night before bed, we pray with Paige. She usually begins with the same things, then is thankful for one special or fun thing she did that day. Lately she has been expanding on her prayers and is saying the cutest things! It really just melts our hearts.<br /><br />Normally she says, "Jesus thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Paige, Eli, and Samuel. Thank you for making Eli's heart much better. And thank you for...."<br /><br />2 nights ago she says, "Jesus thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Paige, Eli, and Samuel. Please make Eli's heart much better because you're in it."<br /><br />Tonight she says, "Jesus thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Paige, Eli and Samuel. Could you please make Eli's heart better? Let me know."<br /><br />We can't help but giggle through our prayers with her. She is so sweet.<br /></span>Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-53581715826085071942010-11-23T23:40:00.000-08:002010-11-23T23:45:17.598-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 23<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxbrtE2JkKoU1mW1H8vdBBXjpihqC-4NOfGKBt8v9yS1ft8BdRJ4Oq7czFK_3rFDX03FWlMXSG50V5_b4ctiA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />'Nuff said! :)Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-78844889834902697772010-11-22T11:25:00.000-08:002010-11-22T11:33:34.102-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 22<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMdQPd7O3g5n1zQdxuP5VpQ5medhlyZvsIFLBG0rShTUjg6Og0EIPlp7LdTeeQKSzsUbznwelORoOvO78cVq7I98JyMYFH6fqIKKRi0bpN2NW4lB9DkanaOL46qFprG6316mwEF-SWlA/s1600/displayItem.do"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMdQPd7O3g5n1zQdxuP5VpQ5medhlyZvsIFLBG0rShTUjg6Og0EIPlp7LdTeeQKSzsUbznwelORoOvO78cVq7I98JyMYFH6fqIKKRi0bpN2NW4lB9DkanaOL46qFprG6316mwEF-SWlA/s200/displayItem.do" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542459398779488386" border="0" /></a><br />This morning we had a check-up with Eli's pacemaker, and we didn't even have to leave the house! In fact, we were still in our pajamas! Technology is awesome. We have a device here at home that has a modem and a pacer reader. It reads the data recorded on the pacer and then transmits it directly to our cardiologist through the phone lines. I'm so thankful this technology exists so we don't have to make frequent regular trips to CHCC and his cardiologist.Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-46070262153224069392010-11-22T11:21:00.001-08:002010-11-22T11:25:30.273-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 21Grandma and Papaw came for a visit on Sunday. They played with Eli. He showed them how he can say thank you, spin in circles, and told them some great stories. Paige played paper dolls with Grandma and Play-doh with Papaw. Samuel woke up for a short bit and cooed and smiled for them both. We had a great visit. And ate some yummy Mexican food. I love it when the kids can see their grandparents!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANvR8PTTYH8Gg748jz4YqbmFFFRW8caEOlAVSZVLOTWBjrcAU6ZK3lmNMd9krW0NyJ9EmxMAjRXlZITH2d0MVQ_Y02GGR3wrkCY6tgY_yss4r5vD208HNopjIj7h_do1twvFiUQk1YYI/s1600/grandkids.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANvR8PTTYH8Gg748jz4YqbmFFFRW8caEOlAVSZVLOTWBjrcAU6ZK3lmNMd9krW0NyJ9EmxMAjRXlZITH2d0MVQ_Y02GGR3wrkCY6tgY_yss4r5vD208HNopjIj7h_do1twvFiUQk1YYI/s200/grandkids.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542457234451157234" border="0" /></a>Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-48888609056143788762010-11-22T08:01:00.000-08:002010-11-22T08:05:45.933-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 20For 6 months this year, Jason was working 6 days a week. Only when Samuel was born, did he finally have a Saturday off since March. He took 6 weeks off but when he returned to work he went back to a 6-day week. The past 2 Saturdays Jason has been home. It's so nice to have him home for 2 days instead of just 1. I'm thankful for the overtime he had, especially since it's so rare with his job. But I'm even more thankful to have him home and rested for 2 days on a weekend.Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-5990457878754392742010-11-22T07:56:00.001-08:002010-11-22T08:01:31.022-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 19Weekday mornings, I wake up with Jason, make him a lunch and send him off to work. After he leaves, I usually get back into bed and try to get an hour or so more sleep. Paige is pretty good about letting me sleep more. She knows that she isn't supposed to wake me up until it's 8:00. To her, that means the alarm clock starts with an 8, and often it's more like 8:30. Lately she's been playing with Eli and letting me sleep even longer. I usually wake when Samuel is crying to eat. Friday morning was a little different. I heard a soft whisper, "You're the best!" and then tip toes creeping out of the room. How could I not smile and be warmed by such a sweet awakening!<br />I'm so thankful of sweet moments from the sweet girl that we have. Thanks Paige for making my Friday start perfectly.Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-39562930267242997172010-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:002010-11-18T22:15:12.377-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 18Just over 2 years ago, we learned of Eli's heart defect. Exactly 21 months ag<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVXDGbQfJ2OMwRlNxPnkWrTqI4uI31EgWM9bXk0vS91-71ml-6Dmnbw887ZF_hboJxtvyyOThw6MtVjO9qCzyhcCigN-yJP4YUGOPE4p-7pq3fRoOIwjlYv5WZaksoCl62x4le4UKa12r/s1600/eli+smiles+on+the+carousel.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVXDGbQfJ2OMwRlNxPnkWrTqI4uI31EgWM9bXk0vS91-71ml-6Dmnbw887ZF_hboJxtvyyOThw6MtVjO9qCzyhcCigN-yJP4YUGOPE4p-7pq3fRoOIwjlYv5WZaksoCl62x4le4UKa12r/s200/eli+smiles+on+the+carousel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541140196209527698" border="0" /></a>o we began his journey. We have had many ups and downs in the past 21 months. Of all the things that Eli has taught me over the span of 2 years, the thing I'm most thankful for is his joy. Eli is a happy boy. Rarely is he fussy or cranky. The pictures you see are genuine Eli. Often smiling. Often laughing. Often babbling away. He is my daily reminder to find joy in the trials. His heart is working hard to survive. His lungs are fragile and weak. But that's all on the inside. You can't see it. On the outside, you see a fun, happy, almost 2 year old boy. Thank you Eli for showing me and reminding me to find joy in the little things. No matter how tough it is, there is joy somewhere. All I have to do is look into your face. You are my joy.Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-66740264956159845532010-11-18T21:54:00.000-08:002010-11-18T22:00:21.708-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 17Last night I got to watch Cinderella while sitting in the presence of Cinderella herself. Paige put on her Cinderella dress (which I didn't know still fit her) and came out prancing around. She spins and twirls her way into the kitchen to her daddy and says, "Daddy will you be my prince?" I witnessed Jason's spine fall out of his back! :) Then we sat together and watched her favorite movie. After the movie she asks when we can go to Disneyland to see Cinderella in her pretty blue dress and "I want to show her my pretty blue dress too!" Some day, Paige. Some day.<br />It's moments like these I'm thankful for Paige's innocence and easy-going personality. She really is a sweet girl. Thank you Paige for being our princess!Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-75887594876386420002010-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:002010-11-17T09:59:52.559-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 16Several things happened yesterday that reminded me to be thankful for Children's Hospital. First, a former schoolmate of mine had her 3 year old daughter diagnosed with leukemia. They are in the beginning stages of treatment for her. Secondly, I caught a short segment on a talk show about a teenager who had a rare form of bone cancer. For treatment, she had to travel 6 hours to St. Jude hospital. This made me realize that we only travel 40 minutes to get great care for Eli. I'm so thankful that we have a great hospital with all the resources we need just a few minutes away. Eli spent the first 4 months of his life at Children's. I can't imagine how difficult that would have been if we had to travel to LA or San Francisco for that. There are times when we can't wait to get out of the Central Valley. But, honestly, Children's Hospital is one of the reasons we stay anchored here.Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-28479769412857691662010-11-17T09:48:00.001-08:002010-11-17T09:53:52.189-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 15We have many projects going in the house. We are still working on the painting and trimming in Paige's room. We are painting the trim on the outside of the house, which includes the entire underside of the patio. We are also in the beginning stages of a kitchen remodel. Jason is sanding down the cabinets to refinish them. A lot of days, Jason comes home from work and winds down by working on a project around the house. Monday was different. Instead, he came home with Toy Story 3. We had dinner together, and then all 5 of us sat in the living room and watched a movie. It was a spontaneous evening and it was wonderful! Eli sat in my lap cuddling with me for a while. Paige sat in her daddy's lap cuddling with him. Samuel slept in his swing, but he was in the room with us. I'm so thankful for spontaneous moments with my entire family. It was a great evening!Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-16520734844446938922010-11-14T22:17:00.001-08:002010-11-14T22:21:56.900-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 14Today we had visitors. The kids' Nanna and Nanno (my mom and her husband, Ceasare) were able to come for a visit. They don't get to visit often, so we treasure the times when they do come. When they first arrived Paige was still napping so they spent some quality time with the boys. Eli told them lots of stories and Samuel slept in Nanna's arms. When Paige woke up they read stories, built bridges with blocks and gave each other lots of hugs. I'm so thankful for the visit! Paige loves her Nanna and Nanno. She misses them lots during the school year. We look forward to the next visit.Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-86230814316207618792010-11-13T17:55:00.001-08:002010-11-13T18:02:42.949-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 13Monday, a very important man passed away. A man who we've never met, but has basically saved Eli's life. Dr. Richard J. Bing was a leading cardiac researcher in the 50's and 60's. He explored many things that Eli has benefited from. I'm thankful of leading scientists like Dr. Bing. Because of their experiments and knowledge, Eli is alive. If you'd like to read Dr. Bing's full obituary, click <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-richard-bing-20101113,0,61006.story">here</a>. He was not just a cardiac researcher, but also an author and composer. What an amazing man! Thank you Dr. Bing!Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-11706742457536635922010-11-13T08:31:00.000-08:002010-11-13T08:33:35.775-08:0030 days of Thanksgiving: Day 12Jason took the day off today, giving him a 4 day weekend. It's so nice to have him home. We all miss him so much when he is working, especially Paige. I'm so thankful that he has some flexibility with his job and he is able to take days off to spend time with his family.Wedehase Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06802494439327722324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5760715400956852096.post-2586847921823899962010-11-11T09:57:00.000-08:002010-11-11T10:00:22.112-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 11Today is Veteran's Day. Of course today I'm going to be thankful for all the Veteran's who have served or are serving our country. Thank you for your sacrifice for my freedom. We have several Veteran's in our family who have served in the Gulf War, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. Thank you isn't enough.<br /><br />Today I continue to pray and be thankful for those who are still serving overseas.Wedehase Family Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09112557411927911240noreply@blogger.com0