Catch-up/Medical Update

Here’s a long overdue update and photos from this spring.

Phoebe and Titus–sometimes Phoebe is Titus’ favorite dog and sometimes it’s Molly

Rachel has gotten used to the dogs. She likes them best when they are lying down being still. Molly who is now humongous still scares her sometimes. Phoebe’s getting lots of attention from Rachel & Titus.

I finally managed to get my Easter stuff down from the attic the Wednesday before Easter. Caleb showed Rachel how to hide Easter eggs and hunt for them in the living room. Then Rachel wanted to hide the eggs for Caleb to find. She hid them in the exact same spots he did. Rachel kept saying “Again, again.” They took turns hiding eggs until Caleb finally said he was tired of it.

Eli decided that he was too old to hunt eggs this year, but he still enjoys dyeing eggs.

Caleb

Rachel’s first time to dye Easter eggs

Titus

Rachel on Easter morning

Most of my mom’s family lives near us. Their two big holidays are Thanksgiving and Easter. My Aunt Nancy kindly lets us gather at her home to celebrate. Here are photos of Rachel and Titus hunting Easter eggs.

Rachel enjoying some girl time with some third cousins.

Now for what has been occupying much of our time the past couple of months…BASEBALL! Here’s, Caleb, my future star. He’s amazing to watch!

This was Titus’ first year to play t-ball, and he has absolutely LOVED every minute of it! It’s so much fun to watch him mimic his big brother’s moves!

I love this one!

Now some hospital photos. Rachel climbing on a sleepy Daddy. “Why did we have to be here so early?”

Playing while we wait

Rachel cuddling with Mommy

Post-heart cath:  A groggy girl having her first ever popsicle! Now she asks all day long, “Can I have a popsicle?”

“Finally, my kind of food!”

There’s that sweet smile!

This is just a photo I snapped one day when Rachel, Caleb, and Titus were playing cowboys. “Let’s see, I have my pirate hat, my gun, and my sparkly Christmas purse.”

Even though this one didn’t turn out great, I love it! Titus and Rachel are either driving each other nuts or are like two peas in a pod. Here they are lying in Rachel’s bed under a princes blanket while Rachel watches Titus play gameboy.

We scheduled Rachel’s surgery several weeks ago, but I’m just getting around to posting. The doctors met and decided to continue with what they started in China. So she will have the Fontan procedure. The cardiologist did say that because of her unique anatomy the surgeon will have to use “artistic license” on how he does the Fontan once he gets in and sees exactly how everything looks because according to the cardiologist her “aorta is humongous and right in the middle”. After I got off the phone with the doctor and called Tommy to tell him everything, Tommy said, “Did he really say ‘humongous’? He thought that was funny “medical terminology”.

A few days later the surgeon’s office called, and we scheduled surgery for Tuesday, July 14th. We will have to be at the hospital at noon on the 13th. They are planning to do surgery first thing in the morning. Rachel will be in CICU for two days. Then most likely she will be moved to a room. The nurse said to expect to spend a total of 5-7 days in the hospital.

I greatly appreciate any prayers lifted up during the weeks prior to surgery for us and for the people caring for Rachel and most especially the surgeon. I know that I will probably be a nervous wreck when the time comes, but for now I just feel at peace. I feel like the doctors know what they are doing and that it will all work out fine. More importantly, I know that God is in control.

Soon to come, a birthday post.