Baby Hayden had his heart surgery today and everything went really well. Praise the Lord! It was a long day of waiting at the hospital and it's funny how just waiting can wear a person out. I'm so tired right now and the poor parents are still there, bless them. So now there is more waiting and more praying. We pray for everything to heal timely and properly. We pray for continued strength of everyone involved. Hayden is a miracle and I know he will continue to fight and amaze us all. His mom and dad are also amazing and continue to show their strong faith in God and trust Him to take care of their child. We pray for their strength to juggle life with their children in two different places and also that they will feel God's peace when everything starts to seem overwhelming.
If all continues to go well the parents will be able to hold Hayden in 5-7 days and he should be home in 10-14 days. Of course he first has to show that he is able to eat and gain weight, but considering that he spent his first 3 days only being fed with an IV I'm betting that kid will be pretty happy to see a bottle!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Hayden and Owen
See I told you not to trust me! I was way off about how the heart surgery will be done and it's not good news. It's way invasive and you don't want to know. Sweet Hayden will have surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) so please keep those prayers coming! I was able to go visit him for the first time today. He looks so perfect and big and healthy. If he wasn't hooked up to so much equipment you wouldn't know that anything was wrong.
Here is a picture of the little guy:
Now I'll tell you what Owen has been up to: getting too big! This morning he asked me for a banana. No big deal right? WRONG! He has never called it a banana before; it has always been a 'nina' or a 'nanny'. That one quick word made me realize that he is really getting so big. He's only been 2 for a couple of weeks and he's already moved on to using the proper word banana. He also seems to be a bit more fearless and daring, which is not a good thing. He was up on mommy and daddy's bed tonight and started walking around. He laughed and tried to run away from me when I reached for him and thought it was a game. After deciding that chasing him was probably not the best idea, I stood there watching him for a few seconds and telling him to sit down then he fell right off the bed! He wasn't hurt at all, just a little shocked. So I think this was a good lesson to show him what can happen when you stand up on the bed and I'm sure he must be too scared to try that again. Nope. He pops right up and asks me to help him get back up on the bed. Little toot! Then no more than 45 minutes later he apparently thinks it would be a good idea to climb on the couch. I was in the other room and I'm not sure exactly what happened but he was crying and spent 3 minutes telling me about how the couch hurt him. Again, he was not hurt but I think he got the point that time. I'm sure he will start fresh tomorrow and look for something else to climb on or jump off of.
Owen and Dodo in their rocket ships! Owen pretty much refuses to wear clothes and just wears a diaper unless we have to leave the house. He is just a free spirit!
Here is a picture of the little guy:
Now I'll tell you what Owen has been up to: getting too big! This morning he asked me for a banana. No big deal right? WRONG! He has never called it a banana before; it has always been a 'nina' or a 'nanny'. That one quick word made me realize that he is really getting so big. He's only been 2 for a couple of weeks and he's already moved on to using the proper word banana. He also seems to be a bit more fearless and daring, which is not a good thing. He was up on mommy and daddy's bed tonight and started walking around. He laughed and tried to run away from me when I reached for him and thought it was a game. After deciding that chasing him was probably not the best idea, I stood there watching him for a few seconds and telling him to sit down then he fell right off the bed! He wasn't hurt at all, just a little shocked. So I think this was a good lesson to show him what can happen when you stand up on the bed and I'm sure he must be too scared to try that again. Nope. He pops right up and asks me to help him get back up on the bed. Little toot! Then no more than 45 minutes later he apparently thinks it would be a good idea to climb on the couch. I was in the other room and I'm not sure exactly what happened but he was crying and spent 3 minutes telling me about how the couch hurt him. Again, he was not hurt but I think he got the point that time. I'm sure he will start fresh tomorrow and look for something else to climb on or jump off of.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Baby Moses
Our extended family's newest addition is doing better today! Hayden has a heart condition called transposition of the great arteries. Basically the 2 arteries that lead to his heart are reversed so the blood is going in the 'out' door and out the 'in' door. This means that the oxygen is not getting from his lungs to the blood. (FYI - I feel like an idiot explaining all this and I just learned it from Google today. I'm NOT a doctor and I don't even play one on T.V.) The surgery to correct this problem seem fairly non-invasive and they fix it with a catheter line fed through a vein and a little balloon attached to it. We don't have a surgery date yet, but it should be within the next 2-4 days.
Now I will switch you to a new, but related topic. Recently I have developed an issue with the church that we have been attending for the last couple of years. We are Lutheran if you're wondering, but I don't think that matters as much as just Christian. Anyway, our church has been really emphasizing their need for money and our obligation to give it to them and it just got to be too much for me. I don't feel like they should preach guilt or money as often as they do. I fully understand the church's need for money, but I also fully understand some people's inability to give that money and I think all people should be able to come and hear God's word and not worry about how much they are dropping into the collection. I would assume that most people, like my family, are giving what they can. So to make a long story a bit less long, I made the painful decision to not go back and I will be teaching Sunday school at home for now. This is not a permanent change and we will look for a new church home, but for now I think this is the right thing to do. Just as I don't pretend to be a doctor, I certainly don't pretend to be qualified to answer all the questions Collin and Owen will no doubt have about God.... but I think I can handle teaching them Bible stories.
How in the world is this related to baby Hayden? Good question. Here goes:
I really wanted to find a way to connect a Bible story to Hayden so I started to search the website that I use for Sunday school materials and crafts http://www.dltk-bible.com/guides/index.htm and found a cute craft to make for baby Moses. I realized that Moses and Hayden actually have a lot in common. They were both loved tremendously by their families especially their mothers who would do anything to ensure their safety. Both babies were in danger. Jochebed hid Moses for 3 months from Pharaoh's soldiers who had orders to kill all newborn boys, and of course, Hayden was not completely healthy when he was born. Jochebed made what had to be the hardest decision of her life and placed her baby in a basket in a river and trusted him to the Lord's care. We all know the story, but have you stopped to think how horrible that must have been? There is a species called the Nile Crocodile. I think that says it all. She had no idea what would happen to her sweet baby, but she trusted God. Our 21st century baby 'baskets' are a bit more updated. We just call it an incubator. But I can assure you that it was just as heart-wrenching for Sheila to watch her baby be taken away in that basket as it was for Jochebed all those years ago. Now it's time to trust God. Of course Moses grew up to be a great and powerful man of God, just as I know Hayden will be. And the neatest part: Moses and Hayden both had big brothers named Aaron! :)
On a side note I would like to add that I don't mean to take away from the pain I'm sure Hayden's daddy is feeling right now. I'm sure David wishes he could be in three places at once to take care of everyone. I just feel like I can relate more to how Mom is feeling because I'm a mom.
Another side note: If you can hear the name Moses without singing "Moses supposes his toses are roses" in your head then you just haven't seen enough movies.
This is a picture of the craft that Collin and I made today. Owen got horribly offended that I wanted to cut out his pictures after he colored them so his never made it to the final product, but I'm fine with that because I think he had fun. Note to self: watch the 2-year-old with crayons more carefully next time to avoid the scrubbing of floor and table after. Also: Mr Clean magic erase sponges are awesome!
Now I will switch you to a new, but related topic. Recently I have developed an issue with the church that we have been attending for the last couple of years. We are Lutheran if you're wondering, but I don't think that matters as much as just Christian. Anyway, our church has been really emphasizing their need for money and our obligation to give it to them and it just got to be too much for me. I don't feel like they should preach guilt or money as often as they do. I fully understand the church's need for money, but I also fully understand some people's inability to give that money and I think all people should be able to come and hear God's word and not worry about how much they are dropping into the collection. I would assume that most people, like my family, are giving what they can. So to make a long story a bit less long, I made the painful decision to not go back and I will be teaching Sunday school at home for now. This is not a permanent change and we will look for a new church home, but for now I think this is the right thing to do. Just as I don't pretend to be a doctor, I certainly don't pretend to be qualified to answer all the questions Collin and Owen will no doubt have about God.... but I think I can handle teaching them Bible stories.
How in the world is this related to baby Hayden? Good question. Here goes:
I really wanted to find a way to connect a Bible story to Hayden so I started to search the website that I use for Sunday school materials and crafts http://www.dltk-bible.com/guides/index.htm and found a cute craft to make for baby Moses. I realized that Moses and Hayden actually have a lot in common. They were both loved tremendously by their families especially their mothers who would do anything to ensure their safety. Both babies were in danger. Jochebed hid Moses for 3 months from Pharaoh's soldiers who had orders to kill all newborn boys, and of course, Hayden was not completely healthy when he was born. Jochebed made what had to be the hardest decision of her life and placed her baby in a basket in a river and trusted him to the Lord's care. We all know the story, but have you stopped to think how horrible that must have been? There is a species called the Nile Crocodile. I think that says it all. She had no idea what would happen to her sweet baby, but she trusted God. Our 21st century baby 'baskets' are a bit more updated. We just call it an incubator. But I can assure you that it was just as heart-wrenching for Sheila to watch her baby be taken away in that basket as it was for Jochebed all those years ago. Now it's time to trust God. Of course Moses grew up to be a great and powerful man of God, just as I know Hayden will be. And the neatest part: Moses and Hayden both had big brothers named Aaron! :)
On a side note I would like to add that I don't mean to take away from the pain I'm sure Hayden's daddy is feeling right now. I'm sure David wishes he could be in three places at once to take care of everyone. I just feel like I can relate more to how Mom is feeling because I'm a mom.
Another side note: If you can hear the name Moses without singing "Moses supposes his toses are roses" in your head then you just haven't seen enough movies.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Welcome baby Hayden... Please get well soon!
Today my new little cousin Hayden was born! Technically he is my first cousin once removed because his daddy, David, is my cousin, but that just makes it seem too complicated. His mommy, Sheila, is also my dear friend and she has had such a difficult pregnancy. Hayden was a little more than 3 weeks early and he is having trouble breathing. They had to intubate him and put him on a ventilator and the worst part is they had to send him to another hospital for better NICU care. I feel so sad for Sheila. I cannot imagine how helpless it must feel to not be able to take care of your baby. Not to mention having someone inside you for months and months only to have him taken away before you can even hold him. This is just not the way it's supposed to happen, but I know God has His arms around little Hayden and he will receive the best care. This is a sad night for our family, but I know the story will have a beautiful ending. It's just getting from here to there that will be hard.
Please pray for quick healing for both mom and baby and that they can be reunited soon.
Please pray for quick healing for both mom and baby and that they can be reunited soon.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Introducing....
Since you're reading this you probably know all about me, but for the benefit of those that don't or if it's been awhile since we've seen each other, I thought a brief introduction was in order. I'm Janet (hello) and I'll be doing the writing. My husband, Timothy, and I have been married for 7 years and we have 2 awesome boys: Collin is 4 and a half and Owen just turned 2.
Timothy and I met when we started high school together in 1994 and we were good friends all through school. We were in band together and that's just the start of our nerdiness. He played percussion and I played flute and did flags or color guard or whatever you kids are calling it these days. We stayed in touch pretty regularly for a couple of years after school but then drifted apart as people tend to do. Then I sent him a Christmas card in 2002 with my email address and it was awesome how easily we reconnected. We 'dated' for the first time in January 2003 for exactly 4 days before he proposed and I accepted! We got married in May of that year. We are both working full time to get all the bills paid. I have a boring office job that I love and Timothy is a land surveyor which I think he likes okay. We both have a bunch of nerdy interests that I'm sure you will hear more about all too soon. Our main mutual nerdy bond is Star Trek.
Collin is our little inquisitive scientist. He loves anything to do with space and astronomy, Mythbusters. reading, baseball, volcanoes and Super Mario. He is very smart and I'm not just saying that because he's mine, although I do admit I'm a bit biased. We still have a year before he starts kindergarten, but he is already reading a lot of words and sounding out his letters. He likes to ask questions that require the internet for me to answer: "If the Earth was in a really big ocean would it float or sink?" and "Why would I be flat as a pancake if I lived on Jupiter?" (Okay I could answer that second one without help, but if you know how to answer that first one in 4-year-old language then you get 10 nerd points.) He is in Pre-K class at daycare and loves playing with his friends and 'reading' all the books in his classroom.
Owen is our little ball of energy! For awhile we called him Spaz because he seemed incapable of holding still for more than half a second. He has calmed down a bit and doesn't automatically reach for anything shiny anymore but he is still all over the place all the time. In the last few months he has really started talking and it's so fun to catch a peek of what is in his head. Owen is a pretty smart kiddo himself. He is learning his letters and knows about 12 so far. He loves Mickey Mouse, stuffed animals and endlessly reading books. He will bring us a book every 3 minutes and ask us to read to him, then as soon as one of us finishes the book he will take it right to the other parent and ask them to read it again! He is also in daycare all day and mostly loves his teachers and friends.
Well that is the Nowell family in a nutshell, which is actually fitting because we are a bunch of nuts. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us today.
Timothy and I met when we started high school together in 1994 and we were good friends all through school. We were in band together and that's just the start of our nerdiness. He played percussion and I played flute and did flags or color guard or whatever you kids are calling it these days. We stayed in touch pretty regularly for a couple of years after school but then drifted apart as people tend to do. Then I sent him a Christmas card in 2002 with my email address and it was awesome how easily we reconnected. We 'dated' for the first time in January 2003 for exactly 4 days before he proposed and I accepted! We got married in May of that year. We are both working full time to get all the bills paid. I have a boring office job that I love and Timothy is a land surveyor which I think he likes okay. We both have a bunch of nerdy interests that I'm sure you will hear more about all too soon. Our main mutual nerdy bond is Star Trek.
Collin is our little inquisitive scientist. He loves anything to do with space and astronomy, Mythbusters. reading, baseball, volcanoes and Super Mario. He is very smart and I'm not just saying that because he's mine, although I do admit I'm a bit biased. We still have a year before he starts kindergarten, but he is already reading a lot of words and sounding out his letters. He likes to ask questions that require the internet for me to answer: "If the Earth was in a really big ocean would it float or sink?" and "Why would I be flat as a pancake if I lived on Jupiter?" (Okay I could answer that second one without help, but if you know how to answer that first one in 4-year-old language then you get 10 nerd points.) He is in Pre-K class at daycare and loves playing with his friends and 'reading' all the books in his classroom.
Owen is our little ball of energy! For awhile we called him Spaz because he seemed incapable of holding still for more than half a second. He has calmed down a bit and doesn't automatically reach for anything shiny anymore but he is still all over the place all the time. In the last few months he has really started talking and it's so fun to catch a peek of what is in his head. Owen is a pretty smart kiddo himself. He is learning his letters and knows about 12 so far. He loves Mickey Mouse, stuffed animals and endlessly reading books. He will bring us a book every 3 minutes and ask us to read to him, then as soon as one of us finishes the book he will take it right to the other parent and ask them to read it again! He is also in daycare all day and mostly loves his teachers and friends.
Well that is the Nowell family in a nutshell, which is actually fitting because we are a bunch of nuts. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us today.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
So I think I'll start a blog....
Hello, thanks for stopping by. I've been thinking about doing this for while now, so we will just have to see how it works out. What is the worst that can happen? I will proudly prove to the world that I can't spell and I have awful grammar skills! Really if you know me you shouldn't have high expectations and if you don't know me then why are you here?
Mostly I wanted to write down my stories and share them with other people. I really enjoy keeping up with some of my friends' blogs and getting to experience those little everyday stories that just never get told when you finally find a minute to talk and catch up. I happen to think my family is pretty fantastic and that you should get to hear more about them. So I will tell you what we are up to and hopefully you can tell me what you think and together we will watch as 2 amazing little boys grow up faster than you would think is possible.
Mostly I wanted to write down my stories and share them with other people. I really enjoy keeping up with some of my friends' blogs and getting to experience those little everyday stories that just never get told when you finally find a minute to talk and catch up. I happen to think my family is pretty fantastic and that you should get to hear more about them. So I will tell you what we are up to and hopefully you can tell me what you think and together we will watch as 2 amazing little boys grow up faster than you would think is possible.
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