Christmas 2010

We spent Christmas in Tribune with Adam's family this year. It was a fun time and Thad got lots of presents! The first night we got there Thad and Tatum helped Grandma Kathy make fruit salad! They had fun cutting up the banana's and putting the grapes in the bowl. A few of the pieces had bites taken out of them but they had fun helping.

Adam will probably be mad that I put this picture up but when you have a girl cousin who LOVES to dress up and act like she is a Princess then Thad has to do that too. He copied everything Tatum did and wanted to dress up with his Princess crown and too-too. He looked cute and we called him Thadalina while he was dressed like that.

Two of Adam's sisters were home for Christmas. Here is Beth, Tatum and Jude

And the angry bird family- Jill, Brett, Zekke, Titus and Maddix. They all got angry birds shirts from Christmas and wore them. If you don't know what angry birds is- it's a game on the ipod or most of the phones have them and its very addictive! Try it out!

And of course our family. Thad wasn't too interested in looking at the camera so this is the best shot we got.

After everyone went to Christmas Eve mass we opened all our presents. The kids spread out in the living room and each had their own piles. Thad had a Toy Story Christmas this year. He got Woody from Grandma and Papa.

He also got Buzz Lightyear that makes cool sounds, Toy Story and Toy Story 2, games, a Mr. potato head, a boy barbie (from Aunt Beth- I think she was more interested in seeing Adam's face!), dinosaurs, clothes, and a pizza planet toy from Toy Story. He got a few other little things and was spoiled for Christmas.

On Christmas morning Thad woke up and was a little grumpy. He takes a little while to warm up in the morning and wasn't ready for more presents! Santa had visited Grandma's house and left him a Toy Story car he can drive. After a few minutes he was ready to get in and drive away! We took it upstairs to Wayne and Kathy's room and he was able to drive up there. He ran into a few things but did a good job. He liked shifting it from forward to reverse!

On Christmas Day we went to Kathy's sister's house in Winona. Aunt Dianne and Uncle Steve live on a farm and have horses and donkey's! Thad and Tatum LOVED riding them. Thad wanted to pull Tatum while she rode Ace. Cousin Fred helped Thad and Tatum alot!

Here is Fred, Thad, Tatum and Scott. Scott is Dianne's son and let the kids ride the horses for a long time.

After Ace they wanted to ride Chewy the donkey! They call him Chewy because he likes to chew! I guess he tries to eat anything in site. He snuck up on Thad's shoe lace and tried taking a little taste but someone caught him just in time! We had a fun time on the farm and Thad had a fun time with Uncle Steve! They wrestled and wrestled!

I had to include this cute picture of baby Jude! He is so darn sweet. He loves to cuddle and is so cute!

The last day we tried getting a picture of the grandkids who were there and this is what we have. Thad, Titus, Jude, Tatum, Zekke and Maddix! I only snapped one picture because we had a couple who weren't too happy getting their picture taken. It makes for a great picture and a way to end a great weekend!

Thanks Wayne and Kathy for always putting up with us. We always have a fun time and the kids always get spoiled. We missed you Jason, Vic, Cole, Jacob, Gracie, Jena, Matt and Josh!

Visiting Santa

We went to see Santa this year and Thad did pretty good. Driving to see Santa he didn't want anything to do with him. He said he didn't want to see Santa this year. Once we got there and Mommy started talking to Santa Thad warmed up a little. We took a family picture first, then Thad was brave and took one by himself. When Santa asked Thad what he wanted for Christmas he said "A baby!" Santa kind of looked at me and we told him we were having a baby in 6 months!

Wait until Thad see's what Santa got him for Christmas this year! He will have so much fun with it!

Emma's Rock

About 6 months ago we purchased a rock at the Cheyenne Mt. Zoo. They are doing fundraisers for their Rocky Mt. area. It is a rock wall with hundreds of rocks with people's names on them. We did a rock that says "In Memory of Emma Younger." Even though she never went to the zoo we know she would love it just as much as Thad! Her rock is in the Yampa Headwaters section so if you ever make it to the Cheyenne Mt. Zoo you'll have to check it out. The rock wall is just below the moose or also beside the pony rides.

When we told Thad it was Emma's rock, he said "Ah, Emma's name!"

It was very cold today but we had to go see Emma's rock. It was put up a few weeks ago so we wanted to see it. We packed Thad with a blanket in his wagon. It was a short trip but well worth it! Of course Thad got to see a few animals along the way and took a ride on the carousel!

Proud brother!

Praise God! 12 Week Checkup

We had a checkup at Maternal Fetal Medicine today. This appointment was very important because it was an initial screening where they did a Nuchal Translucency sonogram. This is where they measure the fluid on the back of the baby's neck. They want to see a thickness of fluid less than 2.5 mm. We had the same Dr. who delivered Thad and it was comforting to see her again. The entire staff makes you feel so welcome and comforted even though they are doing all kinds of testing. This baby's thickness was .97 mm!!!!! Yep that is less than 1 mm! The Dr.'s were very optimistic and reassuring that this was a very good measurement. This is a good sign that there could be no heart defect. We are not completely out of the woods but this is a good start! Just to compare numbers- Thad's measurement at this same time when I was 12 weeks was 2.2 mm so it was up there by the 2.5 measurement where they didn't want it to be. Baby's heartbeat was 156 today- a strong heartbeat. The Dr.'s said it is very unlikely to have babies with the same heart defect. Emma's was the most severe, Thad's was in the middle and this baby hopefully will be NOTHING!!!!

We will have another sonogram on January 14th were they will also be able to look more closely at the heart. About 2 weeks after that when I am 20 weeks we will have a fetal echo with our Cardiologist Dr. Brames. At that time they should have a pretty good feeling if this baby will be born with/without a heart defect. It was so nice to go to an appointment and get some good news. We aren't letting ourselves get completely comfortable but it's definitely a good start and something to be thankful for. I dream of the day we can take this little one home straight from the hospital without any surgeries or oxygen tubes!

Prayers have been answered and we have an awesome God! I also have to give praises to St. Jude Thaddeus. I have said his prayer every morning since we found out we were pregnant. He is the Saint for hopeless cases- not that having a baby is hopeless but we prayed for a healthy heart and not having the same situation with this baby. I also believe Emma had a little say in this as well and she knows who to talk to in Heaven!

Here are a few pictures of our little guy! Baby was very active today on the screen- arching his back and kicking his feet! They did a 3D ultrasound and the baby has both hands up by this eyes. It was neat to see the baby in this view.

It is so amazing how human life forms. Our baby already has fingerprints at this stage and is such a true blessing. We are so thankful for your prayers and kind words. We have an amazing family and friends who support us. My coworkers had a little celebration for me today with yummy cupcakes and pretty yellow roses. We are blessed to have you all in our lives! We will definitely keep you posted on our journey.

Link for KKTV 11 News

Here is the link to view the 30 second clip of Thad's picture on the news! He loves watching his picture on TV. Click here to view the clip.

Our Miracle Child

Tonight was the unveiling of the Heart Hero Gallery. The event was held at the Antler's Hotel. Eight incredible children were featured in this gallery. We got to pull the cloth off of Thad's picture and see his reaction to it. He said "Oh, it's Thad!" He was excited to see his picture blown up. They had his picture and his story. It was amazing to read all of the stories and see how CHD's have impacted each life.

KKTV 11 News was at the event and Thad's picture was in the background while the anchor was talking. You see his picture for a long time on the news! It shows a little section of his story as well. Once they post a link to the news story I will post it.

Here is a shortened version of the story I wrote for Thad's picture.

Our Miracle Child

Thad’s Story

Our first child Emma passed away when she was 3 months old due to a heart defect, so on August 28, 2007 when we were told our second child would be born with a heart defect; our hearts sank. In January of 2008, our son Thaddeus Max was born. His aortic arch was narrowed and he had a hole in his heart.

When Thad was just three days old he had open heart surgery. It lasted for almost six hours. His chest was left open to take pressure off his heart. He had four chest tubes and eleven pumps hooked up to his little body. Each day he made a little more progress, and after two weeks was able to come home.

Our life continues to be full of doctor’s visits and heart check-ups but Thad is doing great. He is now three years old, loves to ride his bike and play in the dirt. He teaches us a new lesson every day and reminds us how important life is. He is our miracle.

First look at baby Younger

We had our regular OB checkup today. I was only expecting to hear the heartbeat not see our little one! I am 11 weeks and they were afraid we wouldn't be able to pick up the heartbeat on the regular doppler so they did an ultrasound to see the little heart beating! It was small but you could see it! It was a quick appointment but we got to take home this precious picture of our LP3- Little Peanut 3! Right when he/she came on the screen his/her little hand was sticking straight up!

We go next Thursday- December 2nd for an appointment at Maternal Fetal Medicine. We will have a consult with the doctors and also a Nuchal Translucency scan. It is a sonogram where they can measure the fluid on the back of the babies neck. If this is thick it usually means some type of chromosome defect. We will have the big sonogram where they can look at the babies heart at 20 weeks- probably in late January.

Survivor Heart Gallery

Thad is one of the featured kids in the survivor gallery. The unveiling is November 29th from 4-6:30 at the Antler's Hotel in Colorado Springs. This gallery will travel around businesses in the Colorado Springs area. We need more awareness about Congenital Heart Defects. We will have volunteers who will be at some of the locations once a week. If anyone will be in the Colorado Springs area and would like to volunteer at the gallery to present facts to the public please let me know.

2011 Calendar

Saving Little Hearts 2011 Calendar is now for sale! Of course I submitted Emma and Thad's picture. You can click here to view the calendar. Check out May and December. Emma is in May and Thad is in December.

Emma Renee

Today marks the 4th anniversary of our Emma joining Jesus in Heaven. We could tell you how sad each day is but instead we will write about how much joy Emma brings us. We talk to Emma each and every day. She continues to do great things in our life every day. Thad and the new baby will grow up knowing about their big sister. Thinking about each day we had with her here makes us smile. Life is a gift and we treasure every moment we have.

Love you Emma.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: 'Here she comes!"

Henry Van Dyke

October

We had a lot of fun activities planned for October! We went to the pumpkin patch with our Mended Little Hearts group and picked up some pumpkins. We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch and Thad had fun picking the pumpkin he wanted. After the pumpkin patch we went to my Aunt and Uncle- Tony and Sue's cabin in the mountains. It was gorgeous up there and we went on a nice hike. Thad had fun climbing over sti

After the pumpkin patch we went to my Aunt and Uncle- Tony and Sue's cabin in the mountains. It was gorgeous up there and we went on a nice hike. They have a tradition of picking up sticks, rocks, leaves, etc along the walk and making a picture frame to hang in the cabin with our picture. Thad had fun climbing over sticks and crossing the little river.

We also went to Boo at the Zoo again this year. Of course spiderman did all the fun things like riding the choo choo train, carousel and seeing all the animals. Spiderman had fun driving the train!

Thad had fun trick or treating this year. He wanted to keep going to every house! He walked right up to the house and said Trick or Treat! One lady told him he could take 10 pieces of candy! So he counted out all 10 pieces. Another lady told him to pick 2 pieces and he asked if he could have 3!!!!

The Younger Family is Growing!

We found out early October that we are having another baby! We are VERY excited and so is Thad. He might not understand where the baby is right now but he lifts up my shirt to see the baby in the belly. He loves to tell people that Mommy is having a baby! He was the one who told our families and some understood it right away and some needed a little help! He says he wants a baby sister so we'll see if he is getting a sister or a brother. I'm sure he will be happy either way. He doesn't understand that he is going to have to share his mommy yet but he will also be a big help.

I am definitely feeling the sickness with this one. It's an all day sickness. I have always had this thing about my neck when I am pregnant. It feels like someone is grabbing my neck from the inside. It's a constant choking feeling and I have to wear my hair back and no necklaces! It's crazy but it has been this way with the other pregnancies. I'm usually good after the first trimester so I'm hoping in another month it will be gone! Believe it or not I already have a baby bump! I guess with the 3rd pregnancy your muscles are stretched out and I look 3-4 months pregnant! A lot of people have asked if we are having twins! I guess we'll see in a few months.

We had our first Dr.'s appointment this week and I am about 2 months along and due June 15th. We are very lucky to be able to have another baby and are praying for a healthy baby with a healthy heart. We have a high percentage rate to have another baby born with a heart defect but we are praying for the best. God already knows our baby's plans and either way we are ready to accept it and see what the future brings for us. We will know more at our first ultrasound probably in January. I will have the best Dr.'s looking over this one so he/she will be in good hands.

Please keep this little one in your prayers and we will continue to update as we go. We are very excited for this next journey in our life!

CHD Heart Gallery

The American Heart Association has a Heart Ball each year with a focus on Congenital Heart Defects. This is the first year they will be including a traveling gallery with framed pictures and stories of kids who were born with CHD's. Thad is lucky enough to be included in this gallery along with 7 other kids and will have his story traveling around to different locations within Colorado Springs. We had an amazing photographer who volunteered her time to take all these pictures. She did a GREAT job! Click here to see a few of Thad's pictures (they turned out so good!). I will post his story once it is completely ready. You can also visit her blog to see the rest of the CHD stories - www.kristiannephotography.blogspot.com

Getting so BIG!

Thad will be 3 years old in 3 months. He has changed so much in the last few months. He loves to talk and always has a lot to say. If he is talking on the phone and he is trying to tell the person something and they don't know what he is saying he will repeat it until they say what he said. Sometimes he gets frustrated when people don't know what he is saying and we have to be the translator! He loves anything outdoors and doesn't understand when it rains or it's cold and we can't play outside. He has a memory that lasts forever and remembers everything! He knows when we are talking on the phone to ask how a certain person in the house is doing or how their dog or cat are doing. He is growing into a fine young man. Some of the comments he makes or the times when he comes and gives me a big hug or kiss when he knows I need it the most. He is always saying "thank you mommy for making my lunch." The other night at dinner he told me thank you for his dinner and also thank you for making daddy's dinner too! He is growing up too fast. He is a very sweet, loving, caring boy who is also very ornery. At church in particular is when he wants to "Go Crazy!" (from Yo Gabba Gabba) He will tell you right during church that he is going crazy! I look around at some of the other kids his age who can sit the entire time and not say anything and then I look at my crazy 2 year old! I wouldn't have him any other way. I guess he has Jesus running through his bones while he

is at church!

Is this what Triplet's are like?!?!?

Thad's babysitter Rhonda is off for her daughter's wedding for a few weeks so we had to make other arrangements. I am taking a few days off and so is Adam. We also found a back up to watch Thad for a few days also.

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week Thad has a few friends from daycare coming over- Jesse and Chloe. They are his best friends and they are all having a blast!

Eating breakfast

We bought dino's that are supposed to grow in cold water so they were all so excited. They have been sitting in water all morning and haven't grown at all! Bummer, but they still had fun putting them in the water and telling them to grow dino grow!

This was the start of the morning with the nice clean floor! Now I can't even see the carpet. I think they have every single toy out of the toy box and out of Thad's room! (I hope Rhonda doesn't see this because they are only supposed to have one toy out at a time.....oops!)

They have alot of fun playing together. They are all wild! Every other minute one of them is telling me the other one hit them or took their toy or not sharing! Jesse has been calling me Thad's mommy when he wants to ask me a question! Thad does think he is pretty hot stuff having his friends at his house. He has to show them everything and help them turn the toy on, show them how to use it, etc. He has to learn to share his toys with his friends.

I'm not sure if I could run a daycare with eight 2 year olds! I'm not sure how Rhonda does it but I'm ready for nap time!

Kansas Trip

Thad and I went back to Russell for a long weekend. My best friend from High School was having a 30th birthday party so we made the trip back for it. We had a good time and as usual packed out days full of fun things!

Thad was very excited to see his cousin Avery. Every time he gets around her he gets so excited.

On Friday afternoon there was a parade for homecoming. They used Thad's hat to hold all the candy they got. I should have taken a picture of it with all the candy because that hat was overflowing!

On Saturday we went to Hays and went to the Sternberg Museum. I haven't been there in about 15 years so it was fun to go back and see everything. Of course the girls went with us and Thad loved that. He keeps right up with them.

This is what you see when you first walk through the door. A big mammoth!

They had a fun cutout that we took turns taking our pictures!

Thad loved looking at all the dino's! He would go right up to them and say hi.

They all had fun digging in the sand and finding dino eggs

In the tunnel was big creatures of the sea!

Papa and Thad trying to be as tall as this dino.

So excited! This one moved it's mouth and was eating grass. Thad wanted to try and feed this dino!

This was a BIG T-Rex dino! It was on a sensor and when you walked by it it would growl and move it's head. Thad was a little nervous by this one but he still wanted to watch it move it's head.

They had a play area that they all had fun at. Climbing this big spider, doing puzzles, and seeing live animals such as snakes, frogs and lizzards.

Saturday night Thad hung out with Nana and Papa while I went and had fun at my friends party. Jessica is my best friend from high school and they rented a party bus for her 30th birthday. I had never been on a party bus before. It had a huge TV in the back and held about 25 people. We cruised around for 3 hours and went to a few bars along the way. It was a fun time especially hanging out with Jessica again.

Sunday we went to the AmericInn to go swimming. Ever since we went to the lake a few months ago and Thad went swimming with Papa in the lake that is all he has talked about. He always tells people he splashy in the water with Papa and threw a big ball! So we had to go swimming with Papa and splashy in the water and throw a football in the water.

We had a nice little trip to Kansas. After being home this weekend I told Adam I wouldn't mind moving back to Kansas and he didn't like that idea. I guess I'll have to work on him a little harder!

Thad got car sick on the way home and threw up in the car. Luckily we weren't far from Aunt Jill's house in Goodland so we stopped for a few hours and got everything cleaned up. Thanks again Jill for helping us out and feeding us lunch.