Thad's 4 Year heart-i-versary

**Warning- pictures are graphic**

Four years ago today Thad had his open heart surgery.  It's always hard looking at these pictures and remembering that day but it reminds us of what he went through.  Not being able to hold my baby for a week and watching him lay there so helpless, not knowing what the outcome was going to be.  The only good thing is he'll never remember that day or his recovery.  I hope and pray he will never have to go through another surgery again. 

  Thad is one tough little boy.  With everything that has happened in our lives, we know that each and every day is a blessing and not a guarantee.  Hug your babies and always tell them how much they mean to you! Thad has brought so much joy to our lives.  He is our little miracle.

And now look at the boy he has grown into.  He is a crazy-fun-loving boy who likes to make faces! Adam had a talk with Thad now that he is 4 years old and told him when daddy is gone he is the man of the house.  Ever since that talk Thad has told me several times that he is a good boy because he is the man of the house just like daddy told him! 

He loves his brother (look at the face Ollie is giving him! He knows he's crazy too).

Behind your Scar
By Stephanie Husted

Sometimes I have those “moments”,
When I think…life’s just not fair,
Then I think of all you’ve been through,
And I see the scar you bear.

... A faded line right down your chest,
Made with such careful precision,
We wanted you to have a chance,
Could there be any other decision?

And so I trace that “perfect” scar,
Made with the utmost care, And I realize there is purpose, Behind this scar you wear.

What have you taught us? You’ve taught us how to face a storm, (Some things are just out of our hands)
Life has no handy guidebook, (Things don’t always go as you’ve planned)

People come into our lives,
(Sometimes it is just for a season)
But God brings them into our lives,
(And I know that He must have a reason)
Normal, uneventful days,
(The kind that we always hoped for)
These are the days I say, “Wow God”, We just never know what lies in store.

If I can place a feeding tube, Without even getting distraught, Perhaps, maybe, I might be… Much stronger than I thought.

It’s okay to be afraid,
And it’s alright to cry,
It’s okay to feel lost sometimes,
It’s even okay to ask…why?

You face life with courage, (Knowing God set you apart) Every little thing you do,
You do with all of your heart.

No crystal ball exists for us,
(To see us through each strife) We only have one wish for you…
An ordinary life.

You’ve taught us to love one another,
(Helping each other to cope)
You’ve taught us compassion for others,
You’ve taught us to never lose hope.

You already have quite a story, Which you can someday share, And I can see it’s beauty, Behind that scar you wear.

A pirate parrrrrrty!

Thad had a pirate party for his birthday.  We went to the Y with the pirate bouncy and the kids had a blast! It was a full hour of running and jumping.  The kids all had rosy cheeks and were worn out.  I hope they all slept good last night! 

Of course the party favors were pirate patches, tattoos, pirate hooks, coins and a treasure map.  Everything a pirate needs!

Thad opened his presents from us in the morning.  Ollie got him this slinky dog and he loves it.

Daddy and the birthday boy

Papa Steve and Grandma Luci surprised us and came for the weekend.  He was excited to have them here.  Thad got his own camera from them.  His cousin Macie got one for Christmas and that is all he has talked about.  So he got one for his birthday and loves taking pictures.  It plays games and has cool frames you can put around the pictures.  He told me he won't touch my camera if I don't touch his camera! 

He got a cool fire truck, fire gear, a Cars driving game that hooks up to the TV, and a Dino Dan DVD.  

I found this cool pirate cake at Sam's.  Thad thought it was pretty neat his picture was on the cake.

The bouncy was a big hit.  They climbed up the back of the ship and slid down.  I even got in there for a little bit and almost got trampled by 10 kids!

Thad and his friends. A few of them were trying to escape back into the ship!

After all that bouncing we filled them with cake and juice.  

Thad was so excited to open more presents.  After the first present he was ready to go home and play with it! He had lots of friends who helped him open his gifts.  He has some great friends who gave him some cool gifts- hot wheels track, dinosaurs, toy story toys, and much more.  He also got fun play dough sets, books, puzzles and learning cards.  

He was excited to play with his firetruck this morning when he woke up.  

He has told me a few times today how much fun he had on his birthday.  I love seeing his face light up.  He is such a great little boy!  

Happy 4th Birthday Thad!

Well, it's official. We have a 4 year old! In the past few months Thad has turned into a such a big boy.  A big boy that doesn't want to take naps anymore (sigh).  He would rather take a "rest" in mommy's bed and watch cartoons.  He understands more, he still has meltdowns but not as many, he helps me more around the house and is great with his little brother.  He says and does the funniest things.  He thinks if he asks me to do something for him and adds the word beautiful to the end I will do it.  For example, he'll say "Mommy, will you get my baby (blanket) for me, beautiful???" Then he gives me this little head nod with a sweet smile.  How can I resist that!  He is my little helper around the house and reminds me if I forget to do something, even if I told him he couldn't play with a toy because he was being naughty and I forgot, he will remind me and say, "remember mommy, I can't play with my toy because I was a bad boy." Then he promises a thousand times he will never be a naughty boy again. Ha!

Thad is definitely all boy! He is rough, tough and not afraid of anything! He loves riding his bike, wrestling with daddy, and going to the park.  Being this rough tough boy he is also a sensitive boy which I love.  He can cry easily but he also is concerned when he see's something that isn't right.

This year we decided to do a pirate party with his friends from preschool.  We made pirate chocolate suckers for his snack at school.  They were a big hit! He is having a pirate party later today with about 10 other 3-4 year olds! Oh boy, it will be a fun time :)

I found this treasure chest unfinished at the store and Adam stained it, added handles and a padlock so he can keep his treasures in it.  I painted the letters and added the skulls to it.  It turned out so cute! 

Our pirate birthday boy!

We are so blessed to have Thad as our son.  He is sweet, sensitive, funny, loving, and caring.  I can't wait to see the man he will grow up to be, just as long as it doesn't come too fast! Happy birthday to my big 4 year old!

Oliver- 7 months

Oliver just turned 7 months old and is such a fun and happy baby!  He is such a good little boy and is starting to get more expressive! His new trick is sticking out his tongue.  If we stick ours out he immediately sticks his out.  He is also spitting or blowing bubbles and thinks that is pretty fun.

He loves the water just like Thad.  His favorite thing is taking a shower and trying to grab or lick the water coming down.  He is eating more foods and tries reaching for my food if I don't feed him quick enough.

He sits very good but falls over occasionally.  He isn't too interested in rolling over anymore but when he is on his belly he pushes himself up.  He will be crawling soon enough so I will enjoy that he isn't mobile yet!

He loves his jumperoo and bounces like a maniac! He is definitely a momma's boy.  I am home all day with him and I feed him so he has grown very fond of mommy! He does this new thing if Adam is holding him he reaches for me and moves his whole body towards me! Soon enough he will be all about daddy so I'm enjoying this! 

I say it every month but it's hard to believe he is already 7 months old.  He is growing up way to fast.  He amazes me everyday and I'm so thankful we have Mr. Oliver in our lives.  Thad and Ollie get along great and Oliver likes to "pick" on Thad when they are sitting on the couch.  He is good about grabbing hair and faces and at this point Thad laughs when Oliver gets him! 

Denver Dynamites

Mended Little Hearts had the priviledge of going to Denver to watch a pro soccer game- The Denver Dynamites.  The head coach, Chuck is a part of the leadership team for MLH and invited our families to participate in the home opener game in January.

My Aunt and Uncle from Arvada came to watch and was a big help with Thad and Oliver.  Adam was asked to help keep the stats during the game so they helped me maintain the kids!

Chuck had some special plans for our group.  We were invited out to the field to greet and cheer on the pros! The kids all had fun giving high fives to the players.

Chuck also had a surprise for Mary and I.  We are the co-program coordinators for MLH and he gave us both a signed soccer ball.  Chuck has done so much for our group and we are so greatful he included MLH in this event.

Thad decided he needed to come with me on the field and took the soccer ball and started playing! He definitely knows how to ham it up for the crowd!

After the game we took a team picture.  We had a fun night and even though it was only in Denver it was nice to get away for a few hours!