6 Month Cardiology Check

Braden had his six month cardiology appointment on Friday at the outreach clinic here in town. He weighed 17 lbs. 11 oz. The cardiologist listened to Braden's heart and thought it sounded great, no murmur. The lungs sounded good too, with even breathing on both sides. We asked to check the October x-ray from Children's to see if Braden's diaphragm had gone down. Though still elevated some, it is better than the last check. The good news is that it obviously is not interfering with activity or breathing.

The appointment went so well that the doctor feels Braden doesn't need another cardiology appointment until next year at this time. The pacemaker checks will continue more frequently, with call in checks every 2 months and actual clinic visits every 6 months. Except for the pacemaker, his heart is fully functioning. Praise the Lord for the good reports. We are so thrilled!

The holidays are coming up and we are looking forward to celebrating our blessings at Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for. It will never cease to amaze us how different this year is from last. Life felt so fragile last year, and it is, but at least this year we feel we can breathe. We aren't watching Braden like a hawk. We are living again. It feels good. Thank you God.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Our baby boy turned one on Sunday, November 8. We can't believe a year has gone by since his birth and all the adventure his life has brought to ours! Our celebration included a bouncy castle to keep all the cousins busy and happy, a salad lunch balanced with yummy desserts and coffee, and a very chocolaty one year old boy who thoroughly enjoyed his first cupcake. It was a very joyful day for our family, immediate and extended, as we remembered how far the Lord has brought our little man in the course of the past year. We put out a photo album chronicling the journey. There were some tough pictures in there, post surgery heart-wrenchers. It is good to remember though because to look at him today, you'd never know. His chest scars are still quite significant of course, but looking better all the time.

Here are Braden's latest accomplishments:

Fake sneezing: He says "Ah Ah Ah, Ahmmm!"; Waving bye-bye "Bah"; Signing please and up; "Mamma"; Fastest TP Unroller in the West; Crawling up stairs and walking the furniture.

The 12 month appointment went well with our pediatrician. Though still on the "mini" side in terms of weight, his length and head circumference actually are on the growth curve. Go Braden! Since little guy is so active and energetic, his weight is not a concern, it just appears to be normal "Braden".

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We are grateful to Jesus for walking along side of us on our journey over this past year; it has been harder than anything we have ever faced before, really stripped us down to the foundation of our faith. We've learned that we can trust Him even when we don't understand what He is doing or why. Because we know Jesus is in control, we look towards the future with hope. There is a feeling of anticipation as we consider the great things God will do in Braden's life and in the life of our family. God is good and He is faithful! Thank you Lord for Your miracles and for teaching us to trust You in ways we never knew we could.

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Enjoy the pictures of our wonderful son!