Time to pray!

We're days away from surgery and it's time. In the past week Braden stopped putting on weight and was getting tired during feedings, falling asleep and being lethargic. He had to be put on a feeding tube. It actually sounds worse than it is. We were all traumatized slightly by its insertion (Daddy, Mommy & Braden), but now that it is in place, it's really helping Braden keep his food and meds down. In fact it has been so easy feeding him we have considered requesting them for our other picky eaters. It would be so much easier to get veggies into the girls that way. Sounds terrible I know, but at our current point in life, Darth and I are grasping to lighten the moments when we can. The overlying stress of this week, preparing to return to Seattle for surgery . . . , to describe it "intense" is an understatement.

With the feeding tube, Braden has plateaued at the same weight. We were hoping for major growth and weight gain. Still, we are encouraged that he is no longer losing weight. And, he looks so good, a bit on the skinny side compared to our other babies, but definitely bright-eyed, great color, alert. In our educational process with Braden's heart defects, we have learned that the signs we are seeing are really leading to surgery; there is no good reason to wait longer.

Going into this whole thing, we knew there was no way to specifically predict the exact way things would go. It continues to amaze us that we were able to even bring Braden home in the first place. Having him home pre-surgery wasn't even a thought for us so we have been blessed again and again by our time here.

On Tuesday, Braden is scheduled for surgery involving an arterial switch to fix the Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA, also referred to as TGV, Transposition of the Great Vessels) and to repair the Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). Now that surgery is so close, we have some really specific things to pray for:

• The tricky part of the surgery (arterial switch component) is working with the coronary arteries. Please pray that the delicate arteries would be easy to work with as they are switched from the pulmonary artery to the aorta. Pray that the coronary arteries will in no way be harmed during the procedure.
• Pray for our surgeon by name, Dr. Cohen, that Jesus will guide his hands and give him wisdom during the surgery. There will be another surgeon working with him, either Dr. McMullen or Dr. Permut. Please pray that they will work well as a team in their care of Braden.
• Since the hole in the lower chambers is large (VSD), please pray that it will be repairable with one surgery.
• Please pray that Braden's body will respond well to the medical procedures, that he will recover quickly.
• Pray for peace over our immediate and extended family, to trust the Lord with every report, that He will make us strong on the days of pre-op appointments, surgery and recovery days immediately following.
• Health! For Darth and I to get the rest we need to stay healthy and for our girls' health, especially during the winter months.
• Please pray that we would have wisdom in parenting our other 3 children during Braden's surgery period, that they would feel secure in our love for them and not be overly fearful for baby brother.

We have been so supported during this time by friends, family, our pediatrician and other medical personnel, and church. Thank you Jesus for the amazing, loving, giving people you have placed in our lives to help us through this difficult time! We may seem strong, but it is the confidence in the Lord and His ultimate control over life that we are relying on each day. He is good and He knows what He is doing and we trust Him. Again, thank you for praying; please don't stop!

-Jenni & Darth