Round and round

YUM!!Japanese food

Jacob getting ready for base-ball.
Pushing my baby in her stroller

Abby Grace having Chop-Suey for breakfast...yummy!
V and Emma ready for the Young Miss General pageant.

V's program: From Acorns to Oaks.


It is so amazing how busy life gets just from adding one more to the bunch. Seems like I am always doing laundry or on the go. I feel as though I am on a merry-go-round. Once I think I'm done something new begins. I guess that explains why I haven't posted in a week and a half.

Abby is doing great. She has turned out to be quite a little spit-fire. She loves to get her way and will cry if she hears the word no. She has thrown a few fits, not as many as her big brother Jacob but still quite a few. She spent two evenings at home with the boys and Sean while V and I went to her class musical on Tuesday night and the school pageant on Friday night. Both nights she did great. Sean occupied her by playing outside and feeding her. He even got her in the tub one night. She is finally loving her daddy and warming up to the boys.

We went to church this morning and she did pretty good. We had to go to the atrium for the last 15 minutes or so but she lasted 45 minutes in the service. She met a lot of church members today who had been praying for her surgery and recovery. It was no nice and comforting to hear them say "I've been praying for her, how is she doing?" I know that prayer got us over this hurdle.

**Abbyisms**
*She still loves to eat noodles.
*She loves pushing her baby in her stroller all over the house and down the road.
*She likes a bath now, but only wants a few toys in the tub with her.
*She says no a lot.
*She says uh-oh a lot too.
*She loves her big sister.
*She loves to eat cole-slaw. (go figure, I hate cole-slaw)
*She likes to eat her cheerios dry but likes to eats her sisters with milk.
*She loves watermelon and apples.
*She can put on her own pants and shoes.
*She likes the music at church but does not like it when I sing along to it.
*She is a southern girl who likes her iced-tea and Pepsi.
*She likes to cook and stir with her play food and dishes.
*She sleeps like a log, all night...yippee!

She is a perfect fit for our family. Thank you Lord for giving us this wonderful child.

We're Home!!!!!!!!!

Yep you read that right, we're home. The doctors are still amazed at our little blessing and at her ability to recover so quickly. They took her last chest tube out yesterday afternoon and sent us home last night. Abby had a great nights sleep, in our bed of course, and was back to her sweet little self today. I am just amazed at her ability to recover and rebound. We are truly blessed beyond words with this special gift from above.

Thank you all for your prayers and offers of support. We feel that by prayer and God guided hands Abby Grace was able to make a quick recovery. She'll have another surgery when she is a bit older and 13 pounds heavier. Until then she should have no complications or limitations. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. A big thanks to the pediatric cardiology team at MUSC, you guys are miracle workers here on earth. We'll never forget what you have done for Abby Grace.

A quick update:)

Just a quick update. Abby Grace continues to amaze us. She had one chest tude removed yesterday. The other tube will be removed once her drainage decreases. She has been eating well and visited the playroom once again. She loves to play with the kitchen in the playroom and loves to stir the food. I wonder if she watched her nannies prepare food in the orphanage.

The doctors feel that we may be going home as early as Thursday or Friday. They just have to be sure that she is stable enough and that we feel comfortable handeling things. Besides the chest tube you'd never know she had open heart surgery just a few days ago.

Thanks you all so much for your prayers and offers of support. God is an awsome God and he is working miracles everyday in this sweet girls life.

The Power of Prayer

We are so thankful for all of the prayers being sent up on Abby Grace's behalf. She went through surgery very well. There were no unexpected findings and Dr Bradley was able to complete the surgery just as he planned. He said she was a great case. Last night Abby Grace was weaned off of her ventilator and was awake at brief times and responding this morning. She is on some pain medication and lasex (sp?) for now. The doctors say she may be moved to a 7C later today which would be great. She managed to pull all of the tape off of her IV site so the nurse had to wrap her hand up like a boxing glove. he is such a curious little thing. Dr Bradley came in and spoke with us a few hours ago and said she may, depending on how she is over the next few days, get to go home late next week. I am amazed at her ability to spring back. She is so resilliant and so strong. I know God chose Abby Grace to be our daughter and he placed her where she needed to be.
We know we have a long road ahead of us but we also know that God guides our days. He has been navigating Abby Grace's life perfectly since the moment she was conceived in her mother's womb.

We wish to thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. Please continue to pray for Abby Grace. Please also pray for this hospital and the wonderful team of physicians and nurses who work here. I'll update periodically to let you all know how Abby Grace is doing. Again, thanks for your prayers and may God richly bless your life.

Update & Prayer Request

We have had an eventful first week home. Abby Grace has settled nicely into her role as the princess and the boys are loving her to death. We went to our pediatrician, Dr Buschor, on Monday and she was very surprised at how well AG was doing. Still a bit small on the US chart but doing well. We went to our cardiologist, Dr Shuler, on Tuesday and he too was surprised but concerned when he listened to her chest and did a echo of her heart. He referred us to MUSC and Dr Bradley. We spent a normal day at home and Wednesday trying to get on a good schedule. On Thursday we had an appointment scheduled at MUSC for a heart cath and sedated echo. After a long wait the doctors told us the extent of AG's heart condition. She has 2 holes in her heart. One small, that leads to a very small right ventricle and one large between the two chambers of her left side. The small hole we knew about but the larger one surprised us. The doctor, Dr Bradley, stated that we would need to have corrective surgery. OK...so initially we were told within a few weeks. Then as AG began to come out of sedation her oxygen level dropped and they decided that the surgery needed to be performed today. So now we are at MUSC in Charleston and Abby Grace just went back for surgery. Surgery is supposed to last anywhere from 3-6 hours.

The next step, once surgery is complete AG will go to PICU for 48 hours. Once she wakes up and they evaluate her condition she will be moved to a regular room for the duration of our stay. (10-14 days)

Not exactly the first week home we though we'd have but we know it was orchestrated by God to work out this way. He chose Abby Grace to be our daughter and he chose this to be the time to fix her little heart. Please pray for Abby Grace and for the team of physicians and nurses working to fix her heart. Please pray for V, Jacob and Owen. I know they are very scared and somewhat lost. They knew we were going to the doctor but had no idea that the doctors would have to fix their little sisters heart. Please pray for my parents, they have been very supportive and helpful throughout this entire process.