The BIG day!

Joshua just celebrated his Birthday & he turned...

Wait a minute...that's not quite right! Lets try that again...

That's better!
Joshua turned 3 on September 17th, and as it turns out, my boy is currently obsessed with baseball! He absolutely loves The Sandlot movie & as a result dreams of nothing but playing ball! It wasn't hard shopping...I knew exactly what to get...

In the space of 5 seconds all his dreams came true! I wish everyone were as easy to please!

After opening some of his gifts, we headed to his party!

(He wears his new "Benny hat" everywhere.  I think he's pretty cute in it!)

We kept the party simple. We invited a few buddies to come play baseball at the park to celebrate...

 

His girlfriends mostly socialized, while the guys played...

I think everyone had a good time!

 

Especially when it was time for the pinata!

This thing was nearly impossible to bust open...but after a good, long beating it finally released the goods!

When all was said & done, it was a good day!

Happy Birthday little buddy! Your third year is sure to be amazing!

3 in the morning

When this baby of mine wakes up tomorrow morning...

he's gonna be 3 years old! I am so excited!

(I just finished filling the pinata & it weighs more than him!!!)

calling all heart moms! (and anyone else who is willing to help)

 

This boy of mine is pretty much skin & bones. When I weighed him today he weighed a whopping 27lbs 8 oz. Yes, this means he's actually lost a little weight. At one point he was pushing 29lbs. 

Lately, I've had his weight on my mind & I've been weighing him weekly on my baby scale. He just isn't growing. The boy eats like it's his job, but it doesn't stick. His little heart is working so hard & using up all those calories.

He needs to gain weight in order to have the Fontan (his next surgery). He's showing signs that he's ready for surgery, however he hasn't hit the magical weight of 35lbs. Dr. Rivera thinks that if Joshua hit 32lbs we'd get the green light. So naturally, that's my goal, the big 3-2!

Now here is where you come in...I need some suggestions!  I know just about every heart mom has fought this battle. What do you feed your kid?  I try to feed him healthy foods -but- I'm not a total health nut. In other words, give me any suggestions, whether it's healthy or not. I'd like to hear what you have to say!  Joshua is not a picky eater at all, so your suggestions needn't be toddler friendly. But if they are toddler friendly, that's just great! Please, help!!!!

(by the way, did you know Joshua is potty trained? It was a very long process & he still loves the comfort of his diaper (which coincidentally I like)...but he's been doing his business on the potty for a few weeks straight:)

brotherly love

These little monkeys love to wrestle each other. All in good fun, but I'm not gonna lie, it does get ugly from time to time! I'm so glad they have each other to team up with, learn from, get in to mischief, etc. I love watching them & listening to their giggles!

I haven't done a lot of writing on this blog lately, but I've just been extra busy and honestly lazy too. I've been busy with the start of a new school year, new soccer teams and so on. And summer was a lazy time for us...we didn't have any commitments, just did as we pleased all summer. It was awesome.

Joshua has a full day at the cardiologist coming up next month, but part of me wants it to be sooner. He is so winded these days. He still does everything he used to, he just does it short of breath. It's so sad hearing a small boy out of breath. It isn't normal, but it's HLHS.  In that regard it's normal I suppose. But I don't like it.

I also don't like the fact that he's 2 years old and I should be watching him grow bigger, faster and stronger each day. Instead, he's hasn't gained any weight in 9 months, and he's slowly growing weaker. But, again that's HLHS.  

But on the other hand, what a wonderful time to be on the earth...he was born in an age where his condition can be a livable condition. We thank our Heavenly Father daily for that. And while the reality of HLHS isn't great, Joshua has thrived with this condition & surprised everyone. He'll continue to do so, I know it! 

Anyway, back to the original purpose of this post...I am so lucky to have these little guys in my life! I  Love them a lot.

my busy bee...

I love him. That's all.

tahoe...

We just got back from spending the week at Lake Tahoe, we had the best time!!! You wouldn't know it by his poker face, but Josh had the time of his life. It makes me laugh that he is 'too cool for school' at the tender age of 2...but that's my boy. Enjoy the pictures below!

Here he is riding Patty...Sam just joined him for a picture...Josh was the cowboy who rode this steed!

Riding the gondola to the top of Northstar, again too cool for school (trying his hardest not to show his excitement):

Singing primary songs on the drive (way too cool to let me document this):

But give him a little ice cream & he can't fight the feeling anymore:

 

The bath was pretty fun too:

Joshua also went Kayaking, which he loved:

Of course he spent hours digging in the sand:

 

And finally he played lots of football (we didn't bring the football, but where there's a will -or a pine cone- there's a way):

 

I was a little nervous about the elevation, but he did just fine. Every time I asked how he was feeling he said "I feeling happy!"  I am glad we did as Dr. Rivera suggested, we stuck with our plans and had a great time! Not a single regret, just a lot of good memories!

good enough to eat!

Now you see it...

& now you don't!

monkey business...

boy vs. wild

Lately our family has started watching Man vs. Wild.   We think it's entertaining, and a little shocking too.   I've been thinking maybe we shouldn't watch it with Joshua because he's proudly brought me numerous live bugs since first watching the show.

Bugs are one thing, but today when I was watering out plants, I saw a snake in some bushes & ran in the house.  I quickly dialed Jon & pleaded with him to come home from work to kill it (I hate snakes).  Josh caught wind of what was going on & he mumbled aloud, "I'm gonna eat it"...then he headed out back. It took everything in me to follow him with my camera. I really hate snakes.

Lucky for us, he couldn't find that sneaky snake. No snake brunch. Phew!

the lollipop kids...

Josh is a lucky little kid! On hot summer days, he cools off at the local pool.  But what's even better is the company who joined us on this hot day:

Originally, we had plans to meet our buddies at a park, but wouldn't you know, it was a scorcher out today...plan B (the pool) wasn't so bad though!!!

Joshua and Casey have more in common than just the scars on their chests; they also like to make the same face in pictures:

We love having a heart buddy that lives fairly close to us! Especially one who Joshua looks up to! Thanks for hanging out with us...see ya again soon!

I spy

 

We had a little visitor last week, a tiny little visitor.

this means WAR!

While the girls were occupied, the boys decided they were going to "balloon da girls up!" So like a good mom, I armed my boys with water ballons.

Told them how we needed to go about our sneak attack...

Finally, we went to war! Only we didn't expect the girls to be on their 'A' game.  They pretty much clobbered us!

After our war ended, we played a little water balloon baseball...

 

It was wet and wild!

We topped off the afternoon with some hotdogs...

 

All in a days work!

hide & don't seek

I've been hiding Abby's bag of play make up from Josh all day. No matter how high, or sneaky the hiding place, he seems to find it. I caught him just in the nick of time, 2 times, as he was twisting the lid off the nail polish. But, you can see who won this battle today. One day he'll look back at these pictures & wish I had won.

Josh the builder

Joshua spent Saturday morning working on the backyard with dad. They are nearly done & it's looking great! Jon is lucky to have a little helper!

Little helper #2 was sentenced to the house because he had just been bathed. Poor little helper #2 :(

 

this boy loves anyone....

...who is willing to hold his hand. As a bonus, this "anyone" happens to be his cuddle-bug, baby cousin, who also loves his pacifier. Soul mates.

Boys only!

 

Joshua was right when he decided he needed to bring his wiffle ball bat on the camp out! Jon said they played ball for quite a while. Joshua squatted down behind one of the bigger boys apparently playing outfield (if you ask me those older boys look legit)! So cute.  

Anyway, when they got home Joshua (who didn't want to come home at all) told me he "made a fire & played baseball & fisheded & da munster!"  Jon said on Friday night Josh was scared of a monster. I have never heard him mention monsters...so I imagine it was the influence of all those boys, minus their mothers!

All in all, it was a great trip & they are both ready to go camping again, as soon as the chance arises.

He really loves the outdoors!

the cutest picture

ever!

 

Father Son Camp Out...

 

Well it's that time of year again! Joshua couldn't have been more giddy. After I packed his clothes yesterday morning he searched high & low for the perfect toys to bring along. He'd gather a toy, take a good hard look at it & say "I think I need to bring dis!"...or "not dis one."  It was awfully cute! This picture is a pile of some of the necessities.

I can't wait to get my hands on the camera when they get home! I'd say there is about a 50/50 chance of finding a blank disk, but I have faith in Jon that he'll produce the goods (fingers crossed)!

a true cowboy...

 

The other afternoon we had a hail storm & the girls threw on their boots & ran outside with cups to collect the pebbles of hail. Joshua, not owning any boots, wanted to join in the fun. Rather than put on his slip-ons, he ran upstairs & found this silly pair of baby slippers (that happen to look like cowboy boots - key word - boots). No, they didn't fit & yes, his feet were cold & wet when he came in...but he was happy! Little boys, I tell ya!

i wuv you momma!

 

I heard that a lot last week. Joshua also sang "Happy Birfday to mom" countless times. He was a little confused by Mother's Day... but he sure meant well!

My boys couldn't be any more different than my girls, but I love them all the same. Joshua in his own sweet way made me feel like the best mom in the world...I assure you I am far from it, but he's proof that I must be doing something right. Oh how I wuv being his momma!

artisitc little...

 

athlete in training

 

Earlier in the week, some girls from our church were running in a track meet, so I took the kids to watch the fun. Man how it brought back memories of the glory days! It was pretty wild going to the meet because as soon as I walked into the stadium I heard the voice of my old coach, yelling to an athlete to get to their event asap! It sent a shiver down my spine, as if I were about to miss my event. It brought me right back to my teen years in a split second! 
I was really excited to watch the girls from church compete, but I was also excited to show my kids the sport that was my entire existence for several years.  It was so fun watching my kids cheer people on & get into the spirit of track.  Joshua was really funny cheering on one of the girls running the 2 mile...  every time she'd pass he'd yell something like "Let's go Shana, you're a good girl!" or "You should do it Shana!"
The kids wanted to know all about the hurdles, the jumping events & especially the pole vault (one of my favorite events in high school & college). They were fascinated by it, the way I was when I was a kid. I remember watching the pole vaulters at my older brother & sister's track meets as a girl & deciding I'd be a pole vaulter some day.
Joshua came to the same conclusion. He said to me he wants to do "the stick on the trampoline"  - that's 2 year old talk for pole vaulting.  I have no doubt that if he wants to be a pole vaulter, then he'll find a way to be a pole vaulter. He's just that kind of person.  I just hope he doesn't take an interest in some thing like boxing, cause that's not happening!

(The photos are obviously unrelated...just cute that he made his own tee ball set up)

playing hard

It's fun to watch Joshua grow into his role as "big brother"...a role that he loves! Lately he and Sam play together really well. Sam is very mobile & follows Joshua around all day...it's funny to watch Sam studying to be like Josh.

After a long day of playing, Joshua often doesn't even make it to bed before falling asleep.

 

And you know yu're tired when you can sleep in this position:

 

6 month - all clear

 

Our little guy was due for his 6 month cardiology appointment today and it went extremely well!  Josh is approaching his 3rd surgery (the Fontan) which will improve the oxygen levels in his blood, improving his overall health. Typically, a child with Joshua's heart will experience a slow drop in their oxygen levels (their sats), and their heart struggles more as the Fontan approaches. 

So that's where Johsua's at - awaiting the Fontan. Only for some reason Joshua's oxygen levels are higher than I've ever seen them before, his heart function is great, his blood pressure is normal, his previously leaky & repaired tricuspid valve isn't leaking at all, and he isn't even using his pacemaker! Our constant prayers are being answered.   

We feel incredibly blessed to have gotten such a good report today.  I assumed we'd be looking at a calendar deciding when we would head to UCSF for surgery.  At the very least I figured he was due for a heart cath. We got the "All clear, see ya in 6 months ... NO RESTRICTIONS!"

Dr. Rivera always checks to make sure I'm not restricting Joshua in any way. If you know me, you know I let him run wild, so I always laugh when Dr. Rivera gets to that part of the visit.

Also noteworthy, Joshua behaved amazingly well during the appointment. Not a tear shed, and he didn't want to leave!  Josh really loves Dr. Rivera & that sure helps!  I remember when he was younger it was so hard taking him to these appointments because he feared the doctor's office so much.  I am happy to report that he's out grown his fear & though his next surgery will probably have him fearful once again, it is certainly nice that he's at an age where he can be reasoned with.

I've decided I'm gonna stop with my "typical HLHS" thinking from now on, because Joshua has proven to me that I should dream bigger than "typical"!

chatter

 

We just got back from our spring break vacation & had an awesome time!  Josh made us laugh quite a bit on this trip with his antics. He's recently started referring to people (and things alike) as his "best friend." Some of his "best friends" on our trip included, a Toys-R-Us ad, a bottle of ranch dressing, a shovel, his little "bruder" Sam, and me & Jon too.  I used to feel special when he'd call me his best friend, until he started using the term so loosely...oh well.

He sure knows how to make us laugh! Like this morning when Callie took his toy, he gabbed my cell phone & this is the conversation he had with the "police"...

"Hi police. You can come take Callie to jail, cause she stole my toy. Danks police, bye!"

Good thing I haven't taught him to dial 911 yet.

naughty & nice

This week has been kind of busy for me for a few reasons. First, because I'm helping throw a baby shower on Saturday, which will be lots of fun! And second, I am a leader of the Young Women's group at church & we are taking the girls on an over night trip this weekend (I'm coming home late Friday night, can't stay over night with Sammy on my hip).  I've spent the week preparing for both of these events.  Today was the day I did some baking for the shower, I'm making a polka-dot cake. Simple enough...that is, until a certain 2 year old conveniently found his way to the counter top & poked each polka-dot with his grubby little finger! Ugh!!!! 

 

That was the naughty, now on to the nice....because after all, he is a nice kid. 

The other day we were hanging out with Josh's aunt Carrie & he asked her to take him to Old Navy. She laughed & asked him why he wanted to go to Old Navy.  He told her in his sweet little raspy voice "So I can buy you a ball!"
What a sweet gesture from a 2 year old boy!

(To be fair, I was able to salvage about 8 of my nearly 100 dots. He didn't ruin every one of them.)

new strategy...

 

Jon & I have been working hard to break Josh of his "repeat mode" where he'll say the same thing 100 times in a row. For instance when he wants me to get him his pacifier he'll say, "I want my bo bo, I want my bo bo, I want my bo bo....." until I'm ready to go coo coo!  Pretty typical for a 2 year old (at least that's what I tell myself).

Well it seems our efforts have paid off because recently rather than his typical begging, he's resorted to a new strategy.  Now he'll say "Mom, go get my bo bo. I trust you." or "Mom get me chicken nuggets, you're my best friend." I have to admit, it's hard to refuse such requests (even though in reality, he's just out smarted me to get what he wants ASAP)! 

He's only 2...should I be worried?

don't ask...

I know some of you are asking yourself how I had time to grab my camera at a moment like this.  The truth is he was hanging out up there as I was cooking dinner - although I didn't realize it until I heard him saying something about "walking on the roof."  That caught my attention & I found him scaling the banister.  Moments after taking this picture he said, "I fly up off roof now!" Not so fast Josh....that diaper doesn't give you super powers!