Hovering Hearts

Xyngular

2011-08-19T16:31:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!! I just started a home business selling diet and energy supplements. A good friend of mine was getting thin and making money so I decided to jump in on this wonderful product!!! If you are interested in losing weight, getting energy, and/or making money, please email me at andreaxyngular@aol.com

I will also have samples in soon, so if you want them, email me!!! You can check out my website at www.xyngular.com/aquirk

Caleb turned ONE!!

2011-08-19T16:15:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it...Caleb turned One Year Old on July 23rd. This year has gone by so fast. He has somehow overnight become this little fireball that moves really quickly, gets into everything, is very rough and tumble (he is all boy), and has the cutest little sense of humor. Everyday is truly a blessing after all that we have gone through over this past year. He deserved a huge celebration! So we had a race car party! He LOVED it and had tons of fun. His Nana and Grumpy and his Grandma were in attendance as well as TONS of friends! It was a great day! Here are a few pictures!

The four of us before the party started

POOL TIME!!!!

Ball pit fun with his Bestie

And finally CAKE!

Heaven's sweetest angel..

2011-07-13T14:17:00.000-04:00

One year ago today, my dear friend Jillian gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Wyatt. Wyatt had HLHS like Caleb, but Wyatt unfortunately also had a blood clotting disorder. He had his stage 2 surgery in January, but due to a blood clot, Wyatt passed away on 1/24/11. Today is his birthday, and like anyone that we love, we wanted to do something for Wyatt. Since we can't take a trip to Heaven to give him gifts and cake, we decided to send him balloons and say a prayer for him and his wonderful family. We love you and miss you Wyatt.

Caleb ready to send the balloons to Wyatt

Please say a prayer for Wyatt and his family. Wyatt touched my heart before he was even born, and his name will always live on. He was a true Warrior. God Bless you Wyatt.

Time flies....

2011-07-09T19:42:00.000-04:00

I don't even know where to start on everything that we have been up to this summer, so I think I am just going to give an update about what is currently happening.

Caleb had his Cardiology check up this week (we haven't been since March). Dr. Cotton said that he sounded and looked so good that we didn't need to do an echo! That was great news, because just this week Caleb has learned the art of temper tantrums and has also become quite clingy to me, so I do not think they would have gotten many good pictures of his heart anyway. We do not have to go back to the cardiologist until January! It is bitter sweet though, on one hand we are so happy that he is doing so well, but on the other hand I wish that echo's were performed monthly so that I had that peace of mind. But Caleb is doing great, and that is all I hope and pray for.

Joe has been really busy. He just checked into his new unit this week, so the new chapter in his career has started. The next few months leading up to his deployment are going to be busy with all of the training he has going on, but we are going to make the most out of all the time we have!

Caleb loves being outside. We have had him in his pool quite a bit and today we went on our first bike ride as a family. Joe and I have been talking about getting bikes for 3 years now, so last weekend we finally broke down and got them! It was a lot of fun. Caleb wasn't thrilled with the helmet, but he toughed it out and I think he enjoyed it up until about the last 5 minutes of it.

Caleb is getting pretty big. He weighed in at 19lbs5oz the other day. It is small in comparison to other babies, but we think he looks healthy:)

We hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend! I promise I will update soon. I can't believe in 2 weeks I am going to have a 1 year old!!!

Colby Red

2011-07-04T10:50:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! I know I have not posted in awhile and I promise I will give you a Caleb update soon, but today I wanted to share a story about a wine and a boy named Colby.

(Taken from Sisters By Heart)

Communities in Action: "A Heartfelt Wine"

When life hands you grapes, make wine!

An Australian winemaker and his son, Colby, are making a tremendous difference in the heart community. Daryl Groom began making wine 30 years ago, well before his son was born.

Colby Rex Groom was born prematurely with a hole in his heart – a hole that seemed to have closed spontaneously. At eight years old, Colby’s heart began to show signs of trouble and doctors discovered a defective heart valve. Colby’s first open heart surgery (a valve repair) took place at 8 years of age. Unfortunately, the repair was unsuccessful and just 10 months later, Colby required a second open heart surgery to insert a mechanical valve. Colby’s back-to-back surgeries were devastating to the Groom family.

Long-time supporters of the American Heart Association, the Grooms knew that continuing their philanthropic efforts for heart research was now more important than ever. Colby continued the families’ fundraising efforts in his backyard, showing off his zipper scar at $10 a pop. Within a few years, Colby’s fundraising efforts reached unimaginable heights.

Last year, Colby approached his dad and asked him if they could make a wine together. Daryl, not knowing Colby’s intentions, agreed to make two barrels of a red blend from five different varietal grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Merlot and Petite Syrah. Several months after the harvesting, Colby asked his dad if the wine was “good enough to sell?” Daryl believed that it was…and Colby Red was born.

Colby shared his desire to sell the red blend and donate its proceeds to heart research. His purpose was simple, “I just want to help other kids.”

Since the Grooms began selling Colby Red, less than one year ago, they have raised $115,000 for heart research. They believe strongly in Colby Red’s mission and support the American Heart Association, St. Jude’s Hospital (which developed the mechanical valve placed in Colby’s heart), and are focusing closely on individual families in need and communities who support the sale of Colby Red.

Where can you purchase Colby Red and make a difference? Online at Cellar 360 or at your local Walgreens.

Daryl Groom, our fellow heart parent, simply stated: “You can feel sad about everything, or you can get out and make a difference.”

Help Colby and the Grooms make a difference in the heart community. Purchase Colby Red and enjoy a juicy and velvety red blend, all while donating much-needed funds to heart research. It’s a win-win!

Photo's by Risa Alt Photography

2011-05-25T21:36:00.000-04:00

Our talented friend Risa Alt from Risa Alt Photography took our family pictures about a month ago and I couldn't be happier with them! Check out how talented she is! And if you are in the Eastern NC area, look her up!

We are on the move!

2011-05-24T12:29:00.000-04:00

I am so sorry I have not been updating! We have been really busy this past month, but I wanted to let you all know that I HAVE A CRAWLER!!!!! He started about 2 weeks ago, but he wasn't moving very far, very fast. I attributed that to his laziness and was relieved that he probably wouldn't be "all over the place"....well boy was I wrong. It took him about a week, but now he is gone in a second. He follows us, goes after dog toys, cords, or anything else we don't want him to touch.. Its official, I have to baby proof my house. Before having a baby I always said "I will just teach my kids what they can and cannot touch"... Well here I am saying that it doesn't work. Caleb thinks that the word No is hysterical. He laughs and continues doing whatever it is that he is doing. If I put something up, he just tries to find a way to it or he finds something else to get into. It is amazing how babies learn to do things practically overnight.

Caleb still isn't saying "Mama", but he sure does say "Dada" and "yaya" and "fafa" a lot. He is also eating tons of food. He isn't fond of the bottle anymore though, so I find myself getting really creative in ways to try to get those calories in him. It is so important for him to gain weight for his next surgery, so unfortunately I am kind of obsessive about how he eats and what he eats. I do not know what he has to weigh for sure, but from the research I have done, it looks like he has to be around 30 pounds. A few weeks ago he weighed just under 18. Medically Caleb is doing really well. He doesn't go to the cardiologist for another month, so I am looking forward to that so I can hear the words "he looks great" from the doctor. It is really nerve wracking when you go months without an echo. I wish they did monthly echos just for my peace of mind!

This next month is going to prove to be an exciting one. Joe leaves next Monday to head to Virginia for a class. He will be gone for about 3 weeks, so Caleb and I will be heading to Florida to visit my family. I am really looking forward to relaxing by the pool with family and friends. We will miss Joe, but it will be a nice getaway. When we get back we are going to head up to Virginia for a weekend to see Joe and to take in the sites. I am sure we will have tons of pictures to share!

Well I am going to close with a couple of pictures:) This one is from Mike's Farm last week. We went to dinner with friends and neighbors:)

Amanda and I waiting to take off in our Huey ride! How many people get to say they have flown in a Huey?! And it was really cool getting to fly in what my husband flies for work!

Last but not least... Caleb and his best buddy Jackson at Sam's Club yesterday!

Roadtrip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-09T15:59:00.000-04:00

Well, I just wrote a pretty sizeable blog about our roadtrip to Beafort, SC, but then it erased.. I don't have time to redo the whole story right now, so I will do some highlights and add pictures:) Amanda and I drove down with Caleb and Jackson to see the Blue Angels fly! Our hubby's were already at the airshow providing static displays of the Huey and Cobra, so we thought it would be nice to join them on their trip!

Joe's Huey as a static display at the airshow

The Cobra

Joe having fun being a spectator

Our men with the babies on the new Naval trainer

Such a tiring day for my baby

A Harrier showing off

Joe having fun again:) Boys and their toys

Caleb with his ear protection on while the Blue Angels were flying

We had a fantastic trip! Sunday night we had a great dinner with all the guys and then Monday Amanda and I stopped in Charleston for some shopping and Myrtle Beach for lunch. If you are wondering where the pictures are of the Blue Angels, I was too busy being amazed watching them that I forgot to take pictures of them... oh well:)

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T20:57:00.001-04:00

Well this weekend we not only celebrated Easter, but Caleb also turned 9 months on Saturday. I can't believe how fast the time is going and after all he has been through in his 9 months I feel like every month we have with him is an amazing blessing.

We started our Easter Sunday giving Caleb the basket that the Easter Bunny left for him.

Caleb was so excited to get bubbles, beach toys, and books! As you can see, he was fascinated by the bubbles:

And he LOVED his beach toys!

After he got all of his goodies it was time to head to church and celebrate Jesus Christ's Resurrection! We were joined by my cousin Laura and her husband Fred. We are so grateful that although we are far away from our parents, at least we have some family nearby! It is always great spending holidays with them! Here are some pictures that we took before Mass.

Caleb trying to escape his carseat

Fred and Laura

Me, Caleb, and Joe

We truly are blessed to have Caleb with us. He is amazing and I thank God every day that we have him. He is our Miracle! We hope you all had a wonderful Easter. After church we celebrated more with our family and had a wonderful dinner! It was perfect!

Time Really Does Fly

2011-04-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

Some weeks I really stop and think "where the heck did this day/week/month go?" It really does go by fast. I am seeing Caleb grow up right in front of my eyes. I sometimes want to sit there and squeeze him and tell him to stay a baby just a little longer. Next week he will be 9 months old. He is walking in his walker (finally forwards and not just backwards), he is getting into the stance to crawl (however he would rather roll to his toys), and all day long he says "yaayaayaayaaayaaayaaa".. We think it might be him trying to say "Dadda", but we can't be too sure. He has learned what "no no" means, yet he still wants to push my buttons and do whatever it is he is doing anyway...and usually he does it with a smile on his face. Here are some pictures of Caleb in recent days:

Caleb with the Easter Bunny (he LOVED him)

Caleb playing out in the yard

On the frog at the park. He loves that thing. Unfortunately some bigger kid came and jumped on the one across from him and knocked him off of it. He was ok though, just startled:)

Swinging time:)

Macaroni!!! One of his new favorites!

He pulled himself up to look in his mighty bin of toys!

Something else that we have done recently is we had family pictures taken! I have only seen a couple of them, but they are going to be amazing! Our good friend Risa, owner of Risa Alt Photography, took pictures of us at the Tryon Palace Gardens. Here is one of them. I will post more after I get them. If you are in the New Bern, NC area, look Risa up, she does fabulous work!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures! Caleb is getting so big and I think he does something new (and absolutely adorable) each and every day!

Bananas about Bananas

2011-04-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

Caleb's FAVORITE food has to be Bananas. If I am eating a banana he stares at me and waves his hands around while squeeling until I break pieces off for him to eat. He is like having my own personal little monkey! The other day I decided to chop a banana up and let him have at it, I think he was in heaven! Here he is...

"all of these are for me?!!?!!?!?"

savoring each bite

"om nom nom nom"

I just love the faces he makes while eating. He is such a slow eater though. We have actually been having some weight gain issues with him due to his lack of interest in eating, so I have been loading him up on bananas and all the other yummy treats that he enjoys eating. I will find out this week if its working when I take him to the doctors for a weight check. Heart babies already have a hard enough time with gaining weight, so you add a disinterested baby on top of that and then you have a real problem. He hasn't lost any weight though, so that is good!

While I am talking about "Heart Babies", please don't forget to visit Wyatt's Warmth From the Heart blog and facebook page to support their cause. Jillian and her friends are "spreading warmth" to lots of babies with Congenital Heart Defects by donating blankets, leg warmers, and stuffed animals to them when they are in the hospital. It is truly an amazing organization.

Minnesooooota!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-02T13:22:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I was able to take a trip that I have been waiting a year to make...I went to Minnesota to see my dear friend Jillian. We "met" on our birthboard shortly after we both received the news that our son's would be born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Throughout our pregnancies we got to know each other, ranted and vented to each other, and supported each other. As much as everyone tried to understand what we were going through, nobody could, so we were there for each other every step of the way. Wyatt was born first on July 13th, and Caleb was born on July 23rd. Jillian quickly became one of my closest friends even though we had never met in person. This life that we were thrown into bonded us and I am so happy to have her in my life.

We spent the weekend just relaxing and hanging out! It was perfect!! We went to dinner, and we drank wine, we laughed, and we just enjoyed each others company! It was a great trip!! We also stopped at the Mall of America and rode one of the rollercoasters:) Here are a couple pictures from the Mall

Jillian and Me

Helicopter made out of Legos!!!

All the rides

I was also schooled in a new language while I was there... they say Pop instead of Soda. I was actually confused the first time I wanted to ask for a drink because I didn't know if he would understand me if I asked for a Soda!! I know, stupid thought, but it took me a minute... They also say "uff-da" up there. I had to actually look this one up and apparently it is used to express mild disappointment. It is the same as saying "oh my". See I just learned all sorts of things:) I also learned that I am no longer 21 and staying up for almost 24 hours while drinking wine will not bode well for me the next day!

It was a great trip though and I look forward to Jillian coming out to see me soon!

A trip of Firsts

2011-03-31T09:47:00.000-04:00

The trip to Florida was definitely a "Trip of Firsts" for Caleb. He had his first trip to the zoo which you all saw pictures of earlier. He met his Great Nana and his Uncle David for the first time, then while Joe and I were in the Keys he got his first 2 teeth (can you believe we missed that?!?!). He also went swimming for the first time! What an exciting trip for him! Here are some pictures of him "swimming":

He really loved the water. He definitely takes after his daddy with that trait:) I guess we will have a little swimmer on our hands soon enough! This summer he will get a lot of time to practice...between heading to his Grandma and Grandpa's in June and then all the beach and pool time here in NC, he will be a pro in no time!

The trip to Florida was fantastic and it was just what we needed! We haven't gotten away much in the past year unless it was for doctors appointments and/or surgeries, so it was great to have our first real family vacation! I will leave you with one more picture of Caleb from our trip. Thank you for following us!!

A Sweet Escape

2011-03-31T09:14:00.000-04:00

During our stay in Florida we were lucky enough to be able to escape for a couple days to the Keys. We stayed on the Islamorada Key. It was absolutely beautiful! We stayed at the Chesapeake Resort and it was amazing. We had a little villa that had a kitchen and living area in it. Our view was BREATHTAKING!!!

Our main goal for this "escape" was to RELAX!!! And that we did! We relaxed on the beach chairs that the resort had, we relaxed in the hammock, we took a relaxing bike ride, we watched the sun set, and we rented a catamaran to sail on. It was a wonderful trip and it was great to have a couple relaxing days with Joe.

ZOO!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

Caleb's first trip to the zoo was so much fun!!!!!!! We even think he enjoyed it:) We weren't sure if he would get a lot out of it because a lot of the animals were far away, but at every exhibit he found something to be excited about! Joe "wore" Caleb pretty much all day in the bjorn except for the 2 naps that he took in his stroller. He loves being in his bjorn facing out so he can see everything.

Some of our favorite animals at the zoo were the gorillas, monkeys, elephants, and the giraffes!! Here are some pictures!

But the absolute highlight of our trip to the Miami Metro Zoo was when we fed the Giraffes!!!! It was amazing! Caleb was really excited to see such a big "dog" (we are convinced that he thought every animal at the zoo was a strange dog) and he even fed it a couple leaves! Here is a picture of Joe, Caleb, me, and Robbie feeding them:

We had a fabulous time and it was really great to do something so fun with Caleb. We were wiped out though after walking around the zoo for 6 1/2 hours! This picture here proves how tiring the trip to the zoo was:

I will close with a few extra pictures that were taken that day. I can't wait to take Caleb to another zoo soon. He loves the animals!

Me feeding Caleb

Joe walking Caleb through the misters that they had throughout the zoo.

Caleb with his stuffed Giraffe that his Grumpy bought him to commemorate his first trip to the zoo!

Road Trip!

2011-03-21T19:53:00.000-04:00

Oh my how time has flown since my last entry. We decided to take a much needed vacation and loaded up the car with me, Joe, Caleb, and all three dogs...not to mention the amount of bags that it takes when you have a 7 1/2 month old...ok, who am I kidding, most of the bags were mine haha:) We headed South to Joe's parents house in Florida. On the way we stopped and saw Caleb's Great Nana. It was so good to see her and we wish we could have spent more time there but unfortunately we had dinner and had to hit the road!

After leaving Joe's Nana's we were able to make it a few hours further South before having to get a Hotel. Since Joe's Mom, Cheryl, had a pack and play waiting for us in Cooper City we didn't bring ours. We didn't think much of it because Caleb doesn't roll anyway...well apparently that child gets huge bursts of energy after being in the car for 12 hours because as soon as I layed him on the bed he was like a fish out of water flopping back and forth from belly to back...UGH!! I was so afraid that he was going to roll off the bed that I surrounded him with pillows and slept next to him. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep because every time he moved a muscle I was awake.

He did GREAT in the car though. He fussed a little here and there, but for being stuck in a carseat without much to look at I thought he did amazing. We have a lot to share about our trip, so I will probably break it down into a couple days at a time per entry so that I don't make these too long. I don't want to completely bore you all!

The first day we relaxed with Joe's parents, brothers, and his Grandmother who was visiting from Connecticut. Caleb was WAY excited about that because he hasn't seen his Great Grams since he was just a couple weeks old and still in the hospital. He has changed quite a bit in the past 7 months and I know she was glad to see a tube free face:) But what a lucky guy, he got to see 1 set of grandparents and 2 Great Grandmothers all in one trip:) He also met his Uncle David for the first time. He was quite busy with all the attention!

Here is a photo of Caleb with his Great Grams

During our stay we visited the Miami Metro Zoo, Joe and I spent 2 nights in the Keys on Islamorada, we saw family, friends, and RELAXED!!!!!! I will update a little later with Caleb's first trip to the zoo. What an exiciting day that was for all of us!

One Year

2011-03-05T16:18:00.000-05:00

Today marks one year since we went to the OB to get an ultrasound where we thought the biggest news we were going to get was whether or not we were having a boy or a girl. We were so wrong. After the ultrasound, the tech left to get the doctor to come and talk to us... this is where I got very nervous. I didn't think the doctors talked to anyone about ultrasounds unless something was wrong. My nerves were right, the doctor came in and gave us the knews that they were referring us for a level 2 ultrasound and that she thought our baby had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

That day is one that is etched in my mind forever. It led me down a path that I never dreamed I would be on, but one that I wouldn't trade, because that path gave me Caleb. He has been the biggest blessing and I love him more than I ever thought it was possible to love something or someone.

This is Caleb when he was just a few hours old.

Caleb 3 days old before they took him for his surgery. The last time that we looked at a chest without a scar.

Cardiology Appointment

2011-03-04T08:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Caleb had a follow up cardiology appointment. We did not have many concerns except for his feeding. Caleb had decided this past week that he did not want to eat much from his bottle at all! He wanted food, but the bottle he thought he could do without. Well yesterday morning comes around and he ate 2 full bottles before we even left for the cardiologist. I brought it up anyway, but he seems to be back on schedule. He is just easily distracted by the ceiling fan, the dogs, the tv, and pretty much anything else that is going on. I typically try to feed him in absolute silence so that he doesn't get distracted so much! One thing that we have had drilled into our head by the doctors since before we had Caleb is that HE HAS TO EAT and HE HAS TO GAIN WEIGHT!!!! So anytime there is a change in his feeds it tends to worry me. Luckily for us this little chunk weighed in at 16lbs 1oz yesterday!!! That is up 5 oz in just a week! They were pleased with his growth and were happy with how he looked.

His echocardiogram looked great and he did really good during it. He did of course have to help the tech move the wand around and he held the cord for her just to be sure she didn't drop it. He flirted with all the nurses and even had one trying to compete to be his grandmother haha. I think his real grandmothers would be kind of upset if someone else tried taking their place though!

The best part about the appointment was that Caleb was taken off of his Lasix (diuretic) and his digoxin (arythmia medication). He now only has to take 1/2 a baby aspirin once a day and his prilosec twice a day. He should be coming off the prilosec soon too though because I don't think he has reflux anymore! We also don't have to go back to the cardiologist for 4 months!!!

After the appointment we enjoyed a yummy lunch at Sweet and Savory and then got some yummy produce at Fresh Market! What a great day!

I will leave you with another picture of Caleb. This one was taken a couple weeks ago while he was playing with his toys.

Wyatt's Warmth From the Heart

2011-03-03T20:16:00.001-05:00

As some of you know, my dear friend Jillian lost her baby boy Wyatt January 24, 2011. He had HLHS and had complications due to blood clots. Jillian and her friends have started an amazing organization called Wyatt's Warmth from the Heart http://wyattswarmth.blogspot.com/. It is a non profit organization that collects baby leg warmers, blankets, books, and stuffed animals to distribute to other babies with CHD's (Congenital Heart Defects) in the hospital. They are spreading Wyatt's warmth and awareness of CHD's as far as they can!! I wanted to do my part to help so I decided to collect books and make fleece "tie blankets". If you know me well you know that I am NOT crafty at all, so I wasn't sure how this was going to go... well here is the finished product for blanket number one and I am pretty proud of myself:

It was super easy to make and I am so excited to keep on making them!! I am actually going to go cut more fabric as soon as I finish up this blog! If you would like to help, please follow the link to the blog. They can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wyattswarmth?ref=ts. I am trying to get an "easy button" for their site up on my blog but the code hasn't worked yet, but hopefully I will have that up soon!

Jillian is absolutely amazing. She has focused her sadness, anger, and energy on spreading Warmth in Wyatt's memory. She is truly an inspiration to me and I hope to help spread awareness just like she is so that one day we have a cure for CHD's so sweet babies like Wyatt do not have to earn angel wings at such a young age. Please help this cause if you are able!

Huey Pictures!

2011-03-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures from the baseball game this weekend!

Me and Caleb in the Vietnam Era Huey:

Caleb and his best buddy Jackson:

Colors:

Caleb hanging out with Tony for a bit so Mommy could climb up in the Huey. Tony was quite surprised at how much of a chunk Caleb was!

The helicopters:

It was a great weekend!!

We are looking forward this weekend to a visit with our friend Bob. They boys will be going out Saturday night for a much needed guys night while Caleb and I hang back and relax:)

We hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!!

Busy Bee's

2011-02-28T19:38:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!! We have been a BUSY FAMILY!!!!! Caleb just hit the 7 month mark the other day. We had to go to the doctors for his Syganis shot so he got weighed and the little chunk weighs 15lbs 14oz. He is still "small" when you look at the growth chart, but he sure looks like a chunk and the doctors are pleased right now with where he is. Caleb has finally decided that he will consistently roll from belly to back...up until now I was the only person that had seen him roll (and it was only a few times). Now when we put him down for naps on his belly he rolls right back over to his back wanting nothing to do with tummy time:) Caleb laughs all the time and has had many busy days filled with play dates, gym time, and lots of outings with Mommy and Daddy. He has also just started using his duck tub! At first he wasn't quite sure about it, but after we let him play in it for a bit in the living room before bathtime he was all about it (this pic is from the first time we tried the bath)!

Joe has been busy at work and flying a lot. He had a busy week last week and then flew over the weekend too. He unfortunately missed a fun filled day on Saturday though. Caleb and I attended a Air Force vs Navy baseball game in Kinston, NC for the Freedom Classic Series. Navy won 6-4. It was a great time and we were really taken care of because a member of Joe's squadron's father works as a parks manager and he organized for the HMLA 167 (Joe's squadron) families to get in for free, and get free drinks and food. It was a great time and it was so nice of him to organize it for everyone! They also had on display a Vietnam Era Huey and Caleb and I got a picture taken in it! I will post it as soon as I get it!

Sunday we were able to do a little relaxing as a family. We went to Church and then took Caleb to the park for the first time! He enjoyed the swings and the slide:) Joe and I were pretty excited that we could fit our butts down the slide!

All and all we are doing great! We have a busy month ahead of us for March. We are going to Florida for a week to see Joe's family and then I am going to Minnesota to see my dear friend Jillian for a weekend, and we have lots of little meetings and events throughout the month. We will keep you posted and we will update pictures as much as possible as I know you all like keeping up with Caleb and his growth!

Love,
Andrea, Joe, and Caleb

1 in 100

2011-02-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

This week is CHD Awareness Week. We have been spreading the word about CHD's as much as possible, but it never seems to be quite enough. Here are some FACTS about CHD's:

Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 birth defect.

Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths.

About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of Congenital Heart Defect. (approx. 40,000/year)

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.

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.

This year approximately 4,000 babies will not live to see their first birthday because of Congenital Heart Defects.

Please take the time to spread awareness. If you copy these facts into an email and send it to your friends and family or put it on a social networking site or blog, you might educate someone that does not know about CHD's.

I am going to close with a poem that I found about CHD's. I am not sure what the name of the poem is, but it is beautiful.

Somewhere...someplace... today...
A family is waiting to hear...
Is something wrong with their baby?
The answers aren't quite clear...
This family has entered an unwanted world...
And they just don't know what to expect...
Somewhere...someplace... today
They first heard the words: heart defect.
And how they hoped this was not true...
And thought... this cannot be...I too...
know just how this feels...
For one day...this was me.
Somewhere...someplace...today...
And how they hoped this was not true...
And thought... this cannot be...I too...
know just how this feels...For one day...this was me.
Somewhere...someplace...today...
A man and a woman embrace...
Their baby is in surgery...
They long to see her face...They haven't got to hold her yet...
Without...a cord or line...They pace the room awaiting news...
And hope she'll be just fine.
Prayers fill this busy waiting room...
And mom and dad are scared...
Somewhere...someplace..today...
The tiniest hearts are repaired.
Somewhere...someplace...today...
A child's growing fast...Smiling,laughing,thriving...
His mom thinks...can this last?
It's almost easy...to forget...
That anything is wrong...
Somewhere...someplace..today...
Her child seems so strong.
Somewhere...someplace... today...
A little boy fights...just to live
A father holds his tiny hand...His love...all he can give...
The doctor's are all baffled...
They fear that he might die...
Somewhere...someplace...today...
A family says goodbye...
Somewhere...someplace...each year..
More than 40,000 families will see...What it means...
when something's wrong...They'll face a CHD.
Today...for just a moment...
Stop...remember...reflect...
Make time to tell someone you know...
"I've been changed by a heart defect".
Author - Stephanie Husted

Thank you for reading this post and for spreading awareness. We are so thankful for Caleb's progress and health and we cherish every moment that we have with him.

Love,

Andrea, Joe, and Caleb

Welcome to our Blog!

2011-02-01T20:03:00.002-05:00

Welcome Friends and Family:) We will be updating as often as possible with the happenings of our family. We know you all want updates of Caleb, so we will do our best to keep posting pictures and information!

Don't forget to spread awareness for National Congenital Heart Defect Month!!!

Love,
Andrea, Joe, and Caleb