Well, it's 6:30 a.m. West Coast time...I've been awake for almost 45 minutes (darn time zones)...I'm sitting here on the bed listening to my favorite sound...Emmett snoring. Nothing has ever sounded so sweet. It's funny how things that would annoy you (or gross you out) about anyone else in the world are amazingly cute when done by your own child--snoring, "boogie" picking, missing the toilet, leg kicking tantrums, etc, etc, etc...
As I lay here next to Emmett and prepare for his third (and hopefully, final!) heart surgery this Wednesday, I am reminded that Emmett is a gift to Joe and I. He isn't "ours". He's on loan, so to speak, from our Father. The Father who created Emmett and his special heart...the Father who got him through two previous surgeries...the Father who loves him more than I could ever dream of (as hard as that is to imagine). And we are so unbelievably thankful that God has entrusted this amazing, beautiful little boy to us.
We have lived by the following verse with Emmett:
"Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise."
Jeremiah 17:14
Today, however, thanks to our blogger friend, Deann, we are mindful of Psalm 139...the words ring so true with our little boy.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
We will cherish these words over the next few days...always mindful that God knows Emmett's heart better than anyone, and He alone will get him through this.
We are thankful for the flooding of prayers from family, friends, and strangers...
We are thankful for the MDs, PAs, RNs, RTs, and every other person with an acronym at Lucile Packard that will be taking care of our little guy this week...
We are thankful that we will have the support of grandparents (and an aunt!) on surgery day...
We are thankful for life-long friends, like Auntie Dana over at Mommy Brain, who dedicated her blog to Emmett today. Take a look and grab a button for E!
Tomorrow, we begin the process. Today, we just have fun and enjoy every amazingly annoying and adorable little thing that Emmett does. We love you, Big E!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Blast From the Past
I was just looking through some old photos of E and getting nostalgic...so I thought I would share. He really is the cutest little guy I've ever laid eyes on (says the completely unbiased mother). These were taken on a hike in Keystone in August of 2008, when Emmett was just about 8 months old.
I LOVE hiking...
...but I love sleeping more!
I LOVE hiking...
...but I love sleeping more!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Are you sitting down?
We got the shock of our lives yesterday. Emmett's cardiologist called to tell us the results of his tests. The good news: his heart is doing well. The left ventricle is doing it's job..in fact, it is working harder than they anticipated. The shocking news: after speaking with Dr. Hanley, they both feel very strongly that we don't want to miss this window for the double switch surgery. So, they have scheduled his operation for May 26th.
I am going back and forth between feelings of dread and relief. On one hand, I don't want E to have to go through this...I am deeply afraid for him. On the other hand, I want this behind us. I want Emmett to have the healthy and full life he deserves. I know this is bound to be the longest 2 or 3 weeks of our lives, but, on the bright side, it will all be over soon. Joe and I have never needed your prayers more than we do right now. Please pray for continued strength for our amazing little guy. We love him so much and just want him to be well.
Thanks again for your love and support...it means the world to us!
I am going back and forth between feelings of dread and relief. On one hand, I don't want E to have to go through this...I am deeply afraid for him. On the other hand, I want this behind us. I want Emmett to have the healthy and full life he deserves. I know this is bound to be the longest 2 or 3 weeks of our lives, but, on the bright side, it will all be over soon. Joe and I have never needed your prayers more than we do right now. Please pray for continued strength for our amazing little guy. We love him so much and just want him to be well.
Thanks again for your love and support...it means the world to us!
Monday, May 10, 2010
And We're Off...
I just found out that Children's Hospital was able to switch some things around, and Emmett will be having BOTH his Cardiac Cath and MRI done tomorrow. Though I'm not looking forward to it, I am thrilled that he will only have to go under anesthesia once this week--what a relief!
Sooo...we check in at 8:30 a.m., the cath starts at 10:30, with the MRI following immediately afterwards. He will then have to lie flat in the hospital bed for several hours before we can go home. It will be a long day, but at least we may have some answers by the end of it.
Thanks again for your love for Emmett (and Joe and I). I woke up this morning, read all of your wonderful posts, and had a nice, happy, little cry--believe me, it was needed!
Assuming we have an internet connection tomorrow, I will try to keep you all updated on E's progress throughout the day.
Much love,
Missy
Sooo...we check in at 8:30 a.m., the cath starts at 10:30, with the MRI following immediately afterwards. He will then have to lie flat in the hospital bed for several hours before we can go home. It will be a long day, but at least we may have some answers by the end of it.
Thanks again for your love for Emmett (and Joe and I). I woke up this morning, read all of your wonderful posts, and had a nice, happy, little cry--believe me, it was needed!
Assuming we have an internet connection tomorrow, I will try to keep you all updated on E's progress throughout the day.
Much love,
Missy
Update on E
From Guest Blogger, Emmett's Mommy...it is Mother's Day, afterall!
Hello friends and family, and Happy Mother's Day to all of you amazing Mommies out there! Earlier today I posted a little message on Facebook about Emmett needing some tests done, so I thought I would elaborate on that a bit to set some minds at ease.
Thursday was E's cardiology appointment with Dr. Y. Normally, this is a very routine visit - check in, visit fish, grab a snack, check stats, get an echo, have a quick visit with Dr. Y and we're on our way. This has become so routine, in fact, that the last few visits, I have told Joe not to even worry about coming (save that vacation time for a real vacation!) Unfortunately, on Thursday's visit, I wish I'd had Joe with me. All was going well, echo was complete, and we were just waiting for the good doc to drop by. He walked by the room, said he was going to take a quick look at the echo, and be right in....fifteen minutes later, a nurse practitioner came by instead. I knew this wasn't good. She mentioned that Dr. Y was making a call to Dr. Hanley (E's surgeon at Stanford--also not a good sign). She then started to ask questions about Emmett's activity level as of late. Is he wearing out faster? How's the color in his face? Is his breathing labored? Etc. I said that, other than sweating at night, and some occasional bags under his eyes (much like his Mommy's), he was a perfectly "normal" 2 year old. She was very pleasant, playing with Emmett, but I knew something was amiss.
A few minutes later, Dr. Y came in, smile on his face. He gave E his high five and knuckles, listened to his heart, and gave him a good once over. Then came the sentence I was dreading, "I am a little concerned about Emmett's echo today". My heart dropped. What? We hadn't received a bad echo report since BEFORE his first surgery a year and a half ago. Dr. Y said that his left ventricular function was just a little different this time, but was quick to note that he may be making a bigger deal of it than necessary. Regardless, he wants Emmett to get an MRI and Cardiac catheterization done this week--double yikes since they both require anesthesia. We are hopeful that they can schedule the tests together for this reason. We are praying that the tests will simply serve to assure us that everything is fine. If, however, the tests show a negative finding, E's cardiologist will consult with his surgeon, and we'll come together on a plan for Emmett.
I admit that I did something that I don't often do on these visits...I started to cry. I felt a little like a bad Mom--I mean, was Emmett showing signs that I had just missed? After speaking with Joe and several of my friends who spend time with E, however, I realize that no one saw any signs. The optimistic side of me says that this is a great sign! If he is acting this strong and healthy, he must be fine. The worried Momma side of me, however, says that something could be wrong. I am choosing to remain optimistic. We adore Dr. Y (and he adores Emmett), so we pray that he's just being overly cautious.
I will update as soon as I know when the tests will be. In the meantime, please pray for Emmett. While you're at it, have your friends, family members, co-workers, church friends, next door neighbors, and supermarket clerks say a prayer too :) I truly believe that all of your prayers have made an incredible difference in our lives so far. We have an amazing God, who is holding Emmett firmly in his hands, and there are no other hands that I would rather he be in :)
Much, much, much love from the Rockies,
Missy, Joe and Big E
Hello friends and family, and Happy Mother's Day to all of you amazing Mommies out there! Earlier today I posted a little message on Facebook about Emmett needing some tests done, so I thought I would elaborate on that a bit to set some minds at ease.
Thursday was E's cardiology appointment with Dr. Y. Normally, this is a very routine visit - check in, visit fish, grab a snack, check stats, get an echo, have a quick visit with Dr. Y and we're on our way. This has become so routine, in fact, that the last few visits, I have told Joe not to even worry about coming (save that vacation time for a real vacation!) Unfortunately, on Thursday's visit, I wish I'd had Joe with me. All was going well, echo was complete, and we were just waiting for the good doc to drop by. He walked by the room, said he was going to take a quick look at the echo, and be right in....fifteen minutes later, a nurse practitioner came by instead. I knew this wasn't good. She mentioned that Dr. Y was making a call to Dr. Hanley (E's surgeon at Stanford--also not a good sign). She then started to ask questions about Emmett's activity level as of late. Is he wearing out faster? How's the color in his face? Is his breathing labored? Etc. I said that, other than sweating at night, and some occasional bags under his eyes (much like his Mommy's), he was a perfectly "normal" 2 year old. She was very pleasant, playing with Emmett, but I knew something was amiss.
A few minutes later, Dr. Y came in, smile on his face. He gave E his high five and knuckles, listened to his heart, and gave him a good once over. Then came the sentence I was dreading, "I am a little concerned about Emmett's echo today". My heart dropped. What? We hadn't received a bad echo report since BEFORE his first surgery a year and a half ago. Dr. Y said that his left ventricular function was just a little different this time, but was quick to note that he may be making a bigger deal of it than necessary. Regardless, he wants Emmett to get an MRI and Cardiac catheterization done this week--double yikes since they both require anesthesia. We are hopeful that they can schedule the tests together for this reason. We are praying that the tests will simply serve to assure us that everything is fine. If, however, the tests show a negative finding, E's cardiologist will consult with his surgeon, and we'll come together on a plan for Emmett.
I admit that I did something that I don't often do on these visits...I started to cry. I felt a little like a bad Mom--I mean, was Emmett showing signs that I had just missed? After speaking with Joe and several of my friends who spend time with E, however, I realize that no one saw any signs. The optimistic side of me says that this is a great sign! If he is acting this strong and healthy, he must be fine. The worried Momma side of me, however, says that something could be wrong. I am choosing to remain optimistic. We adore Dr. Y (and he adores Emmett), so we pray that he's just being overly cautious.
I will update as soon as I know when the tests will be. In the meantime, please pray for Emmett. While you're at it, have your friends, family members, co-workers, church friends, next door neighbors, and supermarket clerks say a prayer too :) I truly believe that all of your prayers have made an incredible difference in our lives so far. We have an amazing God, who is holding Emmett firmly in his hands, and there are no other hands that I would rather he be in :)
Much, much, much love from the Rockies,
Missy, Joe and Big E
Sunday, May 9, 2010
I'm Still Here--I Promise!
Sorry I am so behind...I know you are probably missing me like crazy! I promise to commit some serious time to catching you up on all things Emmett very soon. There is so much to tell, including a trip back to St. Louis to visit my family AND my first time in a tuxedo. Intrigued? You're just going to have to wait, because I am a man in demand :)
In the meantime, here is a a little teaser photo...more to follow soon!
In the meantime, here is a a little teaser photo...more to follow soon!
Friday, April 2, 2010
My New Book
Daddy had this brilliant idea. Since I loved the animals on our trip SOOO much, he thought it would be nice to make a photo book for me of all my favorites! So, Mommy got right to it. She printed out the pictures, put them in a photo album, and then wrote the animal names down so that (hopefully) I will learn to read them someday. I LOVE IT! I have carried it with me all day and looked at the pictures, like, a hundred times! Who knew such a simple little thing could make a two year old so happy??? Take a look for yourself...
NOTE FROM MOMMY: The cutest thing is that Emmett calls the meerkat "Murray Cat" . Murray is what E calls our cat, Murphy. He's just a little confused :)
NOTE FROM MOMMY: The cutest thing is that Emmett calls the meerkat "Murray Cat" . Murray is what E calls our cat, Murphy. He's just a little confused :)
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