Hudson & Maddox

Happy 1 month Maddox!

2011-11-22T20:30:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that Maddox has been here for a month now! He turned 1 month yesterday, November 21st.

Weight: Maddox you weigh 10 pounds 8 ounces, BIG boy! You are wearing some newborn (you've outgrown a lot in length), 0-3 months and even some 3 month!

Eating: You eat every 2-3 hours. We switched you to formula because you became EXTREMELY fussy, the Dr. thinks you have a milk intolerance and are now on soy like your big brother was.

Sleeping: You are not a great sleeper, especially at night! You are extremely noisy, at times sounding like an old man or an animal. We moved you to your room when you were 3 weeks old. You wake up at least 3 times a night, if not more!
Milestones: Your cord feel off 1 day shy of 4 weeks and you had your first bath that day. You enjoy the bath, you do not like getting out and being cold.

You also met Mam! She is already in love!

Hudson is still beyond in love with you! He has to give you kisses first thing in the morning and constantly wants to know "If his eyes are open" or if he can hold you! You are blessed with the best big brother!

On a side note...Happy Birthday Pop!

Going home...a day we will never forget.

2011-11-06T10:18:00.003-06:00

On Monday, October 24th, we were told that we would be going home! I was BEYOND ready to be home with Hudson and start our new "normal". Bryan and I talked and decided it would be a good idea for Hudson to be with us when we went home so that he wouldn't come into HIS house and feel like he was invaded by this new little baby. Bryan called his mom and she went and picked Hudson up from school around 10:00. When Hudson got there he was so excited that we were going home and he was going to help us take Maddox home! Maddox had gotten circumcised that morning and I called for the nurse to come take a look because there was a little blood and I wanted to make sure that it was okay. (We have been trying to answer any questions Hudson has honestly and appropriately for a 4 year old.) When the nurse came in Hudson was standing by the bed eating a fruit roll-up. He looked at Maddox's circumcision and said, "it looks like a strawberry." He handed Judy his snack and the next thing we know his eyes were rolling in the back of his head, his body was stiff and we was falling straight onto the tile floor. Before any of us could react his head hit the floor and bounced. He was not responsive for probably 15-30 seconds. I of course went into panic mode not knowing what to do. I pick him up and start rocking him and trying to get him to speak. Bryan runs out to get some more help. His mouth looks like it was bleeding, but thankfully it was the fruit roll-up he had been eating just sitting in his mouth. Bryan picks him up and rushes him to the ER with another nurse. Thankfully Judy was there so that she could stay with Maddox. I called my mom and she and my dad rushed up to the hospital. The whole way down to the ER Bryan was talking to Hudson getting him to answer simple questions. By this time Hudson was falling asleep. A nurse wheeled me down to the ER (I wasn't released yet, so I was very thankful they allowed me to go from Maddox to Hudson!). Hudson was crying and complaining that his neck, head and shoulder hurt. Of course our fear was that the fall had done something to his head. They did x-rays of his face, neck and shoulders and thankfully everything looked perfect. The next step was to do a CT-Scan...giving the history with Hudson this proved to be almost impossible. Bryan and my mom went with him to get the scan done. Hudson was of course a hysterical mess, the Doctors and even Bryan and my mom were frustrated (CT-Scans are scheduled, but considering the situation they "worked" him in and he wasn't cooperating). Mimi bribed him with any toy he wanted if he would be still. Hudson finally calmed enough for them to get a decent reading. Thankfully the scan showed no bleeding or swelling! The Dr. said what probably happened was upon seeing something that is unnatural his body shut down. (It has a medical name, but I don't remember it.) After 5 long hours all 4 of us were finally released to go home.

I don't think I have ever heard of a whole family having hospital bands!

Can you tell it had been a rough day? Bryan and I laughed at how different we looked going home with Hudson - we were dressed cute. Here we were just thankful that our 2 boys were going home with us!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T09:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Ironman & his sidekick

And of course - Happy Birthday Mimi!

Brothers meet & Pictures from the Hospital!

2011-10-28T21:38:00.001-05:00

My sister-in-law, Melissa, and our photographer, Adria, have been planning since we announced another baby was coming to have her come to the hospital to take pictures. I am so thankful for this! I am completely in love with my little boys and more in love with Bryan seeing him be a daddy to two precious boys! This was the first time Hudson meet Maddox. He was a little frightened of me with my iv's and for the fact I was a crying mess seeing both of MY boys together for the first time! God is good!

Sweet boy!

I love his feet!

It melts my heart watching Bryan with him!

Walking in to meet his brother.

Watching Daddy get him out of the cradle.

I love this! Hudson was waving 'hi' to Maddox!

My heart is full!

Sweetness!

Hudson is such a wonderful BIG brother! He is already so protective of Maddox. Every cry, squirm, whimper Hudson is running to check on him. Dr. Thomas, one of our pedi doctors, was in our room holding Maddox. Hudson politely said, "Put him down." It was too funny!

Bryan and I feel beyond blessed with the two precious lives God has given to us!

Happy Birthday Maddox!

2011-10-26T16:55:00.002-05:00

Maddox Lee Carnes was born Friday, October 21, 2011 @ 10:05 am.

Our last picture before he was born.

Our first picture with Maddox

Maddox weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Birth Story

This past week was a week that we will always remember and NEVER expected! Monday I had to be in court for a jury summons. My Dr. assured me that there was NO way someone would pick a pregnant lady who was due in 2 weeks! I had to call everyday to listen for my name to see if I was to report to jury duty. Bryan had been out of town in Corpus Christi on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday night I was having some contractions and had a "talk" with Maddox about how he needed to stay put until his daddy was back from his trip. Thursday Bryan was in Beaumont in meetings and walked in the door around 6:00 pm. I had just called and found out that I was to report to Crystal Beach, which meant that I would have to ride the ferry. That idea was a little frightening, what if I went into labor, what if my water broke? Knowing I was still 12 days away from my scheduled c-section date (November 1st) I decided I would call my Dr. on the way to Galveston to check with him. We sat down, ate dinner and talked about how we wanted a relaxing evening because the week had been so exhausting. I had still been having contractions every 18-20 minutes on and off. We put Hudson to bed and I was about to go get ready for bed. I sat down and had a bad contraction, 6 minutes later I had another. This continued for 30 minutes, Bryan decided that we should call the Dr. I called the Dr on call and he called my parents. Within 20 minutes our bags were thrown together and we were heading to the hospital, my mom in tow. They admitted me to Labor & Delivery and decided that I was dehydrated and that with fluids my contractions should either slow or go away. As they predicted my labor slowed from contractions every 2-4 minutes to every 10-12 over night. Friday morning at 7:30 am my Doctor came in and checked me, my cervix was completely thinned and he felt that it was hours before I was in "active" labor. The decision was made that Maddox would be born in a matter of hours! Of course I had concerns being that I was 37 weeks, 4 days pregnant with a boy. I was assured that he would be ready and at most he would need a little oxygen to get him going. At 9:30 am we walked into the OR. They prepped me, I got my spinal epidural and they brought Bryan in. As they were doing the section Dr. Korman said "Oh Stephanie, this is a big baby!" At 10:05 Maddox was born and we heard the sweet sound of his cry. He is completely healthy! We are truly blessed!

More to come...

Hudson meeting his baby brother for the first time

Pictures from the hospital

Our going home day, one we will never forget in many ways

(Sorry for the lengthy post if you actually read it all. I don't ever want to forget what happened and the many blessings we were given. Our God is good and faithful!)

A "Manly" Shower

2011-09-13T21:05:00.001-05:00

My awesome sister-in-laws, Alicia and Melissa, threw a precious shower for Maddox and myself! It was so much fun and Maddox was spoiled rotten by lots of family and friends!

THE DECOR:

THE FOOD & DRINKS:

THE GUESTS & PHOTO-OPPS:

My mom, me & Mother-in-Law

Me & Melissa

My two fantastic sister-in-laws!

The guests!

My nephew Kaleb, too cute!

The Carnes' girls

My Mom's side of the family

Thanks everyone for helping celebrate Maddox! We are anxious & excited for his arrival in just 7 short weeks!

Maternity Pictures

2011-09-10T07:46:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago our fabulous photographer Adria Ashby took maternity pictures for us. I wanted to have a few pictures of the 3 of us before Maddox comes and also some pretty pictures of pregnancy! Enjoy!

I spy...

2011-08-28T17:07:00.000-05:00

What do you spy in the picture above?? The other night Bryan & I put Hudson to bed. When we got into the gameroom Bryan asked if I saw what was by Maddox's bed. Of course I hadn't looked in there. When I walked in this is what I saw...Hudson's potty chair he uses as a stool.

When I looked in the crib this is what I saw...car tracks! Oh boy, are we going to have to teach Hudson a few things! I'm sure this is only the first of many things we find in there.

I can't wait to see our 2 boys playing with each other!

HIS Kids Camp

2011-06-30T13:32:00.000-05:00

This past week Hudson had HIS Kids Camp at our church. He loved every minute and loved the fact that Mommy & Daddy were not there! Even though his teachers were Aunt Mel & Ms. Jennifer.

He had a blast! They did arts & crafts, story time, played outside, pretend played, practiced for "The Big Show" and much more! A funny story that I want to remember...they were playing restaurant. I believe that Hudson and Ms. Jennifer were on a date. The "waitress" was taking their drink order. Jennifer ordered a tea and then Hudson responded with he wanted a beer. Oh my! What kids ears pick up!!

Hudson at "The Big Show". They had cute songs with hand motions that go with it. Of course our child didn't want to do the hand motions, he just stuck with singing with the occasional head bounce.

I know that Hudson is already looking forward to next year!

Father's Day

2011-06-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

Father's Day weekend we spent time with Papa & Nana hanging out by the pool. It was nice and relaxing! We are blessed to have 2 incredible fathers and Hudson is beyond blessed to have Bryan as his daddy!

Hudson & his sweet daddy

Hudson & Nana

Loving being in the water!

Nana, Hudson & Papa

The turkey wouldn't take a picture with me, but posed by himself!

Practicing fishing.

Wiped out!

Hudson is having a...

2011-06-07T19:46:00.000-05:00

and this is how we feel! We are thrilled to be adding another little boy to our family, but MOST importantly we are adding a healthy little boy!

We saw the specialist yesterday and our little boy, Maddox Lee, looks perfectly healthy! We are beyond thankful that God has blessed us! Please continue to keep both Maddox and myself in your thoughts and prayers for the rest of the pregnancy that things will continue to go smoothly.

Last day @ Nonni's

2011-06-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

How can it be that today was the last day that Hudson will go to Nonni's?? It seems like just yesterday I dropped him off and he looked like this (but with clothes on)...

3 years of blessings later...

I couldn't imagine someone better to look after Hudson. Nonni was such a blessing to Hudson and our family. She is an amazing Christian woman who LOVES her job! It was beyond a comfort for us for Nonni to watch him after both of his surgeries. She was so gracious to allow Hudson to stay a year longer than normal because of his heart surgery this past summer. I thank God that he lead us to her and feel incredibly blessed that our new little munchkin will be able to stay with her too! Thanks Nonni for everything you did! We love you tons!!

The boys (Ethan, Hudson & Hunter)

Fears

2011-05-11T20:27:00.000-05:00

I have a huge fear of drainage grates on the ground. I will go out of my way to walk around them. I am scared I'll fall in or my foot will get caught.

Hudson was outside gardening with our neighbor, Mitzi, and Bryan was watering our yard. I walked outside to check the mail (which is steps away from that thing). Hudson ran up to see me, he was barefoot, and his little foot slipped right into the hole. I look up and see that his leg is in the grate up to his knee. I'm not sure who yelled louder, Hudson or me! Panic set in for me (mind you we have been through 2 open heart surgeries and I was calm, for the most part, during those), but this FREAKED me out! Bryan ran over and we tried to get his leg out, it wasn't budging. Mitzi had rushed over too. Bryan ran to get the water hose. By the time he got back Hudson & I both had relaxed enough and I was able to slip his leg out.

Poor baby cried for over an hour! I gave him Tylenol, put his jammies on, gave him Cheerios and we watched tv in bed. He didn't want Bryan or I to even mention what happened. I think it traumatized him (and me both)! I don't think that he will go near the drainage grate again!

Cute story & Heart Update

2011-05-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

For Mother's Day my boys treated me to Marble Slab (yummy)! Hudson had to use the restroom so I took him in there. When he was finished he said "Mommy, I hear the baby crying." I listened carefully and thought to myself, I don't remember seeing a baby out there. I asked him what baby he was hearing. He said, "my baby in your tummy, he's crying and wants me!" What a great BIG brother he is going to be! Already looking out for his little brother or sister!

Because of everything with Hudson's heart Bryan and I knew that we would have a specialist look at the baby's heart. We go June 6th to see Dr. Rowe and he will look in detail at this baby's little heart. We are praying that it is PERFECT! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and I will let you know how it goes.

12 weeks

2011-04-25T17:11:00.000-05:00

Today we had our 12 week ultrasound. Thus far everything looks good! It's unbelievable to see at 12 weeks how much the baby can do! God is incredible!! The heart was beating at 171 bpm. We saw the baby's right hand and could count 5 fingers (the left hand didn't get that visible).

It was also amazing to see the baby opening and closing its mouth and swallowing!

Already there were similar things that Hudson and the baby do. Hudson constantly had his little hands by his face, today the baby kept putting its hands by its face. Also, the baby's legs were crossed at the ankle. Hudson does this a lot!

We tried to get the ultrasound tech to guess at the gender, but the umbilical cord was hanging out down there...no guesses. I guess we'll have to wait.

Of course I couldn't leave you without a picture of our sweet boy and some stories I don't want to forget!

Today when he got home from Nonni's I was showing Rochelle the pictures of the baby. (We have told him about the baby, however it's hard for a 4 year old to understand considering I don't have a belly yet.) I showed him the picture and told him that is the baby that is in mommy's tummy. He bent down, looked at me and said "Where's the baby? I can't see it" Too funny! I let him feel by little bump that I have and tried to explain that the baby is in there.

When we got inside I was fixing him a snack. He walked over to me with a serious face and said "Since you have a baby in your tummy can you eat food?" I said of course. He said "I bet it eats all the crumbs!" How I love my sweet Hudson!

We feel so incredibly blessed! Please continue to keep us in your prayers for a healthy baby (heart) and a smooth pregnancy!

Incredibly Blessed!

2011-04-04T19:01:00.001-05:00

I was so not expecting to see the word "Pregnant" on the test. Bryan & I were both shocked! We found out on February 27th. I had good intentions of telling Bryan in a cute way, but I was so surprised I just put the test in front of him!

Our miracle's 1st picture! (5 weeks)

6 weeks. The first time we saw the heartbeat!! (122 bpm)

We got to hear the heartbeat today. That is the most incredible sound! It was beating at 180 bpm. The Dr. is guessing a girl, Bryan is hoping a boy! I don't care - we are just praying for a healthy baby!

We let Hudson listen to the heartbeat today as well. He asked if it was a train! Oh no, he'll be shocked when it's a baby and not a train to play with!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers for a healthy pregnancy, baby and especially that it's little heart is forming like it should. (We will do a fetal echo later in the pregnancy.)

*The due date is November 7, 2011 (11-7-11)*

Simple Joys

2011-02-11T16:36:00.001-06:00

Hudson, my dad, me & Mam (his mom)

I am so incredibly blessed to be almost 30 (gulp!) and have a Mam (grandma) who is very active, healthy and with it at a young age of 86! Every year she comes and spends about a month with us during the summer and every other year she spends Christmas with us. She was a HUGE help after each of Hudson's surgeries. Helping to entertain him so that I could have a few moments of peace.

Mam & Hudson

This little boy ADORES his Mam more than I could of ever imagined! (He has a pretty special place in her heart too!) Hudson can convince Mam to be baptised a hundred times, build a playhouse, do a flip, play church, hide in a dark closet, build blocks, share her favorite treats, drag her to the boat parade in crazy wind and "take" a nap. I pray that he will always remember these special moments with a very special Mam!

Mam & Hudson @ Kemah Boat Parade

Is she not precious?!?!

I attempt to be the good granddaughter and call her once a week. This week I called and she immediately went into a story that I thought was so Mam that I needed to document it so that I will always remember it!

me: Hey Mam, how are you?

Mam: I'm doing great! I did something crazy today...

me thinking: Oh no, did you go sky diving???

Mam: When I was brushing my teeth today I realized how much I like the new cap on the toothpaste. I looked at the back of the tube and saw an 800 number. It said please call with any concerns or comments and I thought that I should call Colgate and let them know that I like the new cap.

(conversation with the Colgate representative)

Colgate: How can I help you?

Mam: I just wanted to call and let you know that I LOVE the new cap on the toothpaste I use.

Colgate: Well thank you so much!

Mam: Please don't ever change it, I really like it.

Colgate: Thank you so much, I appreciate you calling, I will pass this along.

(back to me)

Mam: The best part Steph was that they sent me a big thing of coupons! I got 2 coupons for free toothpaste and several for 75 cents off!

Oh how I love that lady!! I love that she finds joy in the simple things!

Hudson's FIRST Crush

2011-02-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

Hudson LOVES the attention he gets from all the little girls at church! We have already decided that we are going to have one big flirt on our hands (much like his daddy)! He loves being chased around church by these girls. They are all so sweet!

Audrey, Rebecca, Hudson, Camryn, Kara, Maddie Claire

But, let me tell you...my son gets red in the face and giddy when he sees her...

this boy LOVES him some Camryn!! As I sit here typing this he is giggling and wanting to see her picture! Anytime we talk about Camryn he firsts lets us know that she is "his girlfriend"! Sorry Hudson, I think that the "older" boys will beat you on this one. He also wants to clarify that his girlfriend is "the big Camryn", not "the little Camryn" that plays at Emma's house. (Which is his cousin.)

I love the Hudson loves Camryn so much. I babysat Camryn and her older sister, Myklyn, when they were little. It makes me feel old watching her with my child!

A Perfect Heart!

2011-01-24T18:34:00.000-06:00

You are looking at a little boy who has a *PERFECT* heart!

This past Friday we had Hudson's 6 month post-op with Dr. Sapire, his cardiologist. (I am ALWAYS extremely nervous when we have to go, always fearing that something may be wrong again. Daddy seems to always be the positive, sure one.) We went in and Dr. Sapire listened to his heart. He said it sounds wonderful. (Keep in mind that his whole life we have known that he has had heart problems. This was/is music to our ears and hearts!) This appointment was an echo. Let's just say with some bribery (thanks Nonni for the lollipop!) Hudson finally cooperated and let the sweet lady do the echo. It seems like it takes forever, especially because we have NO CLUE what we are looking at. After waiting in the room a while, Dr. Sapire came in. The moment of truth..."His heart looks marvelous." That's what he said!! He said that there is NO leakage anywhere, his heart looks wonderful and everything is functioning as it should!! We were one happy mommy & daddy! Our next check-up with the cardiologist...1 year!!

Thank you everyone for all of the prayers & support you have given us the past 4 years! We are so thankful that God has answered our prayers and healed our sweet boys heart! I always said I wanted Hudson to be *perfect* (yes, he has always been perfect. We just wanted his heart to be perfect to!) and now he is!! Praise God!

Happy 4th birthday Hudson!

2011-01-16T09:31:00.001-06:00

Hudson's birthday is November 28th. Just finished this post, almost 2 months late...not bad huh?!?!
Wow! I can hardly believe my "baby" turned 4!! I feel like just yesterday he was born...I blinked my eyes and he is a little boy, not even a toddler! Hudson is such a blessing in our life and we are BEYOND blessed that he is our child!

*on his actual birthday*

Hudson is obsessed with The Polar Express. So this summer we decided that for his birthday we would take a trip to The Polar Express in Palestine. (That's a whole other post to come!) So instead of a big 4th birthday party we opted for a small family/friend party.

Our family

Nana & Hudson

Pop, Mimi & Hudson

Papa, Nana Holly & Hudson

Kaleb, Aunt Alicia, Hudson & Uncle Jason

Hudson & Aunt Mel

Uncle Sean & Hudson

The DeLicIoUs cake!!

*Nana Holly makes his birthday cake every year, we love it!!*

Hudson cracked us up this year. He was genuinely excited about EVERY gift he received!! Just look at that big smile on his face.

We had a wonderful time celebrating Hudson's birthday. We are beyond blessed with wonderful family & friends! We can't wait to see what the next year brings!

*A FEW THINGS HUDSON IS DOING*

*Weighs a big 31 lbs & is 39 1/2"

*Can spell his whole name

*Recognizes almost every one's name in our family

*Writes part of his name and can write Pop & Mimi

*Still LOVES to sing

*Loves to color and is very detailed

*Favorite color is pink (that's what he said when I asked - haha!)

* Best friends are Ethan, Hunter & Scarlet

*Loves playing with his cousins Kaleb, Chance & Brynlee

Christmas in October

2011-01-03T18:54:00.000-06:00

Probably since last Christmas when we would ask Hudson what he wanted to be for Halloween

he would say Santa. We laughed and thought that he would change his mind. After months of asking and getting the same answer, "I want to be Santa" we decided that Santa it would be!

Isn't he the cutest Santa you have ever seen?!?!

Sadly that is the only picture that I got of Hudson dressed in costume. Hudson is very frightened of Halloween. He only wanted to trick-or-treat at my parents house...he would go to their door, ring the bell and say "Trick-Or-Treat". If a scary person would come to the door, off Hudson would go hiding. Next year I decided instead of spending money on a costume that he will only wear at my parents I will buy him a cute Halloween shirt!!

Halloween is also my mom's birthday so, happy birthday Mimi!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:19:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!! (After talking to my sister-in-law about blogs I have decided to attempt this blogging thing again. Simply to remember the moments of my sweet Hudson because they are passing so quickly.) It's crazy to think that it is already 2011. 2010 was a crazy and BLESSED year. We are praying for a year full of blessings & great moments!!

Bryan & I in Cozumel (March)

Bryan, Ryan & Travis

Lindi, Kristi & me

This is the restaurant Bryan & some friends ate at before our wedding.

Happy 1st Birthday Chance & Brynlee! (March)

Easter

Count down to Hudson's 2nd (and hopefully last) heart surgery.

Family pictures with Nana, Aunt Mel, Uncle Sean & the kids

Family pictures with Mimi, Pop, Uncle Jason, Aunt Alicia & the boys.

Day 2 after Hudson's heart surgery. You're looking at one BRAVE boy! (June)

Kaleb started Kindergarten!

Santa made an appearance in October!

Polar Express for Hudson's 4th birthday with family & friends!

So excited to see Santa after a 4 hour 15 minute wait!!

Candlelight Service

Prayers for a happy, healthy & JOYfilled New Year!

Updates to come...

2010-11-22T19:20:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time I know, haven't been in the "blogging" mood...for the 2 or 3 readers out

there I promise I will update soon!

We've been extremely busy getting ready for the holidays and our little man turns 4 this Sunday!!

How does time go that fast?!?!

A Rainy Day...

2010-08-12T12:40:00.000-05:00

6 week follow-up

2010-07-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Hudson's 6 week post-op follow-up. We went in and he got an x-ray. Dr. Sapire came in and said that his x-ray looked GREAT! He sounds and looks WONDERFUL! We were given the *ALL CLEAR* and told that we have NO restrictions! I am not sure who was more excited Hudson or me - haha! As we were leaving the appointment he kept saying, "we get to go to the park!" We have been telling Hudson that the doctor had to tell us when we could do those activities again. We go back in 6 months for another follow-up.

Thank you God for healing our sweet boy's heart! We are amazed everyday at his progress and so very thankful!

Let's just say....LeT ThE GoOD tImES bEGiN!!!

Our *No Restrictions* started out with a playdate with our besties at their house playing on Ethan's swing set. We headed to the pool to continue the CeLeBRaTiON! Then a trip to get SNOW CONES!

(I took this picture with my phone so it's quality stinks, but I had to post it. Hudson was so HAPPY!)

This is what happens when you haven't played all summer and mommy tries to make up for lost time!

We already have playdates lined up for summertime!

We hope that you are enjoying your summer, we sure are!!

HuDsOn'S pLaYHOusE turns to oUtHoUSe

2010-07-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

Monday started our "potty training BOOT CAMP". We had an overall successful day, only 8 accidents. (Hudson is on a fluid medicine still from his surgery, this will make ANYONE become a free flowing fountain.)

I know that this was / is going to be a difficult task because we have a ~~difficult~~, um...~~hardheaded~~, um...no, just plain stubborn child on our hands. We converted his playhouse into his outhouse! He has loved running in there to go potty. There are some things you don't think of when potty training a toddler. I have to put the potty in the back of my car to run to get my Mam or to go pick up Chick-fil-A. I'm sure I got some crazy looks pulling over in Target's parking lot, opening the back, and putting Hudson on the potty - haha!

Tuesday was better. Only 2 accidents (I'm not counting poo-poo as an accident. For some reason this is really freaking him out. Any advice to make "going" to the bathroom easier?) and that was after his "water pill"! WooHoo - Mommy & Daddy are oh so PROUD of you Hudson! Hudson did run around naked a lot of the day - which I think actually made him more aware of his need to go.

Today proved to be an even better day! We had 1 yucky accident in which we actually threw his underwear in the trash! I thought that I would make a point after he was completely grossed out by the mess on his bottom & leg. We both marched out to the garage trash and dumped Queenie & Mater. I think Hudson was just glad that it wasn't ON HIM! We only had 1 other accident! I think that we are making baby steps toward having a toilet trained little boy! WooHoo!

I must say that the best decision we made was to dump the pull-ups besides at night and during rest time. We will work our way up to those. (I really don't want to be up at all hours of the night changing sheets.) On a side note - Hudson is staying dry during those times!

Sorry about all the details, I NEVER want to forget this!

Hudson - Mommy & Daddy are oh so proud of how WONDERFUL you have done! We love you!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-07T07:04:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July from us to you!

HuDsOn'S pLaYHOusE

2010-06-25T10:33:00.000-05:00

With boredom setting in BIG TIME for mommy & Hudson (and mam a little too!), we decided (Mimi actually) that we should create a pLaYHOusE!

We had a box from the jogging stroller and started brainstorming.

Hudson decided where he wanted his door and window.

Working hard...

We even created a window box with flowers. Okay, so I was getting into this little project too!

Front of playhouse.

Mam was working on the roof while Hudson was doing a little painting inside.

Hudson's completed pLaYHOusE!

What a fun day! This project took us literally the whole day and we had a blast! I have a feeling that this little box while be a new addition to our decor for a while! Now all we need is about 20 more boxes to make it through our "house arrest"! haha

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-24T09:12:00.000-05:00

I am so very thankful that Hudson is doing so well...

I am also very thankful for Sonic! Since we are on "house arrest" with limited visitors we (mainly me) are going stir crazy. Sonic has become our daily outting! Hudson has become quite fond of his cherry limeades.

Happy Thursday!

Cardiology Post-op

2010-06-22T13:05:00.000-05:00

Today was Hudson's follow-up with Dr. Sapire, his cardiologist. Hudson amazes me that through all he has been through he is pleasant and cooperative! (I wouldn't be - haha!) He had an x-ray today. Everything looks great! Dr. Sapire was very pleased with how well he looks and is recovering...so are we!

Hudson will continue to be on "house arrest" for several more weeks to stay away from yucky germs. I was sort of hopeful that we could begin some interactions with other kids, but Dr. Sapire recommended waiting a little while longer and then slowly introducing a few people at a time to him. Oh well, we would rather have a bored mommy & little boy than a sick one.

We go back in a month for an echo. Please continue to pray that Hudson's heart heals completely! Thanks for all the prayers and support - they are felt!

Post-op

2010-06-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

Today we headed up to TCH for a post-op appointment at 2:15, we left at 4:30! Hudson did so well letting them weigh him, take his blood pressure & temp and even take out his stitches! He had an x-ray done as well. Everything sounds / looks good, praise God!

Please continue to pray for his complete healing! Pray that his heart heals like it should without any complications. We go Tuesday to the cardiologist and will probably have an echo done. These appointments bring great anxiety for me. I literally hold my breath until I hear good news.

Thank you so much for the prayers lifted up already! Please continue to think of us during the next few weeks.

My Mam came into town to help me contain Hudson. He has loved every minute with her! Thankfully it has been a help to allow me to keep the house somewhat in order. Thanks Mam! We love you! (Please excuse the picture placement - not cooperating!)

What a great day!

2010-06-13T20:37:00.000-05:00

I don't even know where to begin...what an incredible day God has blessed us with! Today marks the 2 year anniversary of Hudson's first heart surgery and nothing could top it more than us going home today!

We were released today around 2:00. Hudson was asleep in my arms when we left the 15th floor. We were escorted down and waiting on our car when he woke up. Talk about one surprised little boy! He didn't know what to think. Our sweet little boy smiled from the time we put him in his carseat until we pulled into the drive. We were welcomed home by Uncle Kenneth's (one of Bryan's best friends - who's a chef) yummy spinach lasagna. It was delicious! Hudson was greeted with a special sign made by Aunt Mel that says 'welcome home Hudson'. I have a feeling that sign may have to stay up for a little while! Mimi & Pop brought over his much anticipated water table. Uncle Jason, Aunt Alicia & Kaleb even stopped by to say hi.

God has answered everyone of our prayers more than we ever could imagine. We give HIM all of the praise and thanks for healing Hudson's heart and helping us through this trying time. We continue to ask Him to have His hand on Hudson's healing in the time to come.

Thanks to you for your prayers, kind words, sweet letters, visits and phone calls! They carried us through at times!

CVICU Pictures

2010-06-12T11:35:00.000-05:00

Hudson after they removed the vent. & g-tube.

Mommy holding Hudson for the 1st time. Pure heaven!

Resting comfortably.

Our fav nurse Jill!

Eating a green popsicle - YUMMY!

Daddy, Hudson & Mommy the morning before surgery.

Sorry the pictures are so out of order...

15th floor

2010-06-11T20:15:00.000-05:00

As I was typing a new update we received a phone call saying that Hudson was moving to the 15th floor! Hudson has been very tired today. He also has some mild discomfort and is not liking taking his meds by mouth! He has wobbly legs and hasn't wanted to get up and walk around. He was saying that he "wants to go home". I know sweet boy, I know!

Thank you so much for all of the prayers! Please continue to lift us up. Pray for: Hudson to gain strength, him to be comfortable, walk around without discomfort, tests results to be good and for us to go home when the time is ready.

It's been a long day, long week really...will try to post pictures soon.

Day 2 CVICU

2010-06-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

The night went relatively well. Hudson was able to get much needed rest, thank you God! He is running a slight temperature, but they say that is completely normal. Mimi, Pop, Nana & Aunt Alicia (we sent Aunt Mel home to get some rest too) took shifts during the night so that Mommy & Daddy could attempt to get some rest. It's sad when the floor of the waiting room is more comfortable than the chairs!

The plan for today is to take Hudson off the ventilator and g-tube (the tube sucking his stomach out). Hopefully that will happen in the next few hours. They are wanting him to wake up a little more. They will more than likely monitor him overnight and if all goes how it should we hopefully will be moving to the 15th floor tomorrow at some point.

Thank you God for having YOUR hand on Hudson during all of this and we continue to lift him up to You! Please pray for everything to continue going smoothly. We cannot thank you enough for lifting our sweet boy & our family up in prayer!

He's in CVICU

2010-06-09T19:21:00.000-05:00

We were able to go back and see Hudson. He looks good and is doing relatively well. He is still on the ventilator, hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning they will take him off of it. Please say prayers, Hudson's blood pressure is a little high and he's draining a little more blood than they like. They are giving him platelets. They will continue to monitor him and check his levels. We still need our prayer warriors, we need God to continue to have His hand on Hudson's healing.

He's Done!

2010-06-09T16:59:00.000-05:00

Thank you God for a successful surgery! We thank you that YOUR hand was in the operating room before, during, and we continue to ask that it's with him after his surgery. We praise You for what You have done and will continue to do during this!

We talked to Dr. Fraser and he said the surgery went really well. They were able to fix the VSD, valve and the muscle band. He went on/off bypass really well. They only had to give him 1 unit of blood. HUGE PRAISE! We should be able to see him in the next hour or so.

Thank you all for your prayers! Please continue to pray for Hudson's sweet heart that it heals completely!

Update #2

2010-06-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

Thank you God for having YOUR hand on Hudson's surgery & please continue to watch over my sweet boy! Thank you for the progress that's been made and for Hudson's heart looking so good!

We spoke with Erin, Dr. Faser's nurse, and she gave us a great update! They already have Hudson on bypass and he is doing great! Dr. Faser was looking at his VSD and deciding what to do. Then was going to move onto his right ventricle and the valve. She said that we should be getting another update around 5:00.

Please continue to lift us all up in prayer. Pray for Dr. Fraser and the team to continue the surgery successfully. Pray that Hudson continues to do well. Pray that they are able to fix it all!

Again, thank you for all the prayers, kind words and visits!

Update #1

2010-06-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

We just got a buzz (they have buzzers that go off when there are updates and you go to the consult room). They did a thoracic echo and almost decided to not go through with the surgery. Dr. Faser said that the size of the VSD is so minimal as well as the muscle band in the right ventricle.

Prayers now that surgery goes smoothly. That scar tissue is minimal, that they fix EVERYTHING for good! It's hard to hear that they almost decided not to do surgery and then go ahead and do it.

Will update as we get updated! Please continue to pray hard!

He's Back...

2010-06-09T12:18:00.000-05:00

They gave Hudson his sleepy medicine and took him back at 11:30 am. The anesthiologist said that it will take a few hours for them to get Hudson prepped with all the iv's and "real" drugs. Prayers please that everything goes completely smoothly & perfectly.

Side note - laying in bed last night Bryan & I were talking and I told him I am at a loss for what to pray. Yesterday was good. We got home from the doctor yesterday and Hudson took a good nap! He woke up and we stuffed him with food the whole night. He did really well this morning coming back to the hospital and not being scared. (an answered prayer!)

As you can tell my mind is racing in every direction, sorry if this doesn't make sense. We will update the blog as we get updates. Thanks again for the prayers!

Pre-Op

2010-06-08T16:30:00.000-05:00

Today was our pre-op day at TCH. It was a relatively good day for Hudson! He had blood work done, EKG, X-Ray, height / weight, temp and meet with a whole bunch of people. What a trooper he was (and he charmed everyone of them)!

His surgery is scheduled for the afternoon, which could be anytime between 11:00 am - 4:00 pm depending on the case before his. The surgery itself should last around 6 hours from prep to final echo. We arrive at the hospital tomorrow morning at 9:00 am to begin the waiting game. Hopefully we will be able to entertain Hudson without him getting upset that he can't have anything to eat or drink (no food after midnight, clear liquids until 7:00 am).

Here are some specific prayer requests:

* For Bryan & I before, during and after the surgery for our anxiety to be minimal.
* Hudson for him NOT to have anxiety even after surgery!
* When I’m weak for Bryan to be strong, when Bryan is weak for me to be strong.
* For us all to get a good night’s rest tonight.
* For the doctors and everyone who will be involved with his surgery – steady & thorough hands.
* For the surgery to begin closer to noon than later.
* For Hudson not to be hungry tomorrow (we are going to stuff him tonight!)
* For a successful surgery: 1st try iv going in, scar tissue be at a minimal from previous surgery, heart to look good, for them to find EVERYTHING and fix it, for his heart to work completely normal after, not have ANY complications
* For his CVICU stay: that he is able to rest comfortably, not have any complications, recover quickly, give Bryan & I (and our families) strength to help him recover quickly.
* For the nurses to be compassionate & caring.
* For our families to have comfort & strength as they comfort us.
* For this to be his last surgery that he has to have.

Thank you so much for all the prayers, kind words and support that you have shown us! Please keep us in your prayers.

2010-06-02T17:04:00.000-05:00

Heart Wednesday

2010-05-26T15:58:00.000-05:00

We are 14 days out from Hudson's open heart surgery.

Birthdays & Pictures

2010-05-24T21:46:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was much fun! We started out Friday night at Cadillac Bar celebrating Bryan & my birthdays with some gReAt FrIeNdS! Saturday Melissa & I had planned a family photo session for my m-i-l for Mother's Day. We headed down to Galveston to the Strand to take pictures. Here are a few AmAzInG shots that Adria got...

the sweet cousins

our little model - haha!

our little family - love it!

I love this picture because this is SO Hudson! Silly boy!

We got to spend the evening with my family enjoying YUMMY cake & BURNT steak! haha My poor dad accidently burnt our steaks - uh oh. It was such a great weekend and I feel so blessed that we were able to spend time with both of our families!

Jesus in the Room...

2010-05-12T21:23:00.000-05:00

Today marks 4 weeks out until Hudson has his next (and hopefully final) Open Heart Surgery. As the days pass and the surgery is quickly approaching I am having to quote scriptures and say little prayers throughout the day to keep my anxiety level down. (I think this second surgery is more nerve-racking because you know more of what to expect.) I was looking at blogs of fellow CHD people and came across this...

This is exactly what I want to picture in my mind when I think about Hudson's surgery. I want to envision Jesus standing in the operating room guiding every move that the team of doctors make. I can't imagine anything that is more comforting than that picture to me!

Gift from God

2010-04-21T17:07:00.000-05:00

I stole this picture from my s-i-l's blog, thanks Mel!

I love my precious Hudson and thank God everyday for him!

1 year + 1 month + 10 days =

2010-04-20T17:08:00.000-05:00

how old Brynlee & Chance are!

I am a horrible aunt and didn't wish them the happiest of birthdays. So -

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to Brynlee & Chance

Happy Birthday to you!

We love you both to pieces!

June 9th

2010-03-29T17:59:00.000-05:00

We finally heard from TCH that June 9th is the BIG day. What a blessing to finally have the date! (Hopefully we will be home by the following Monday!) We will have to go to the hospital the 8th and have all the pre-op stuff done. They will send us home and we will return the next day for surgery. Hopefully Hudson will get a good night’s rest, I’m sure Bryan and I won’t. They will tell us the surgery time on pre-op day.
Our prayers now turn to a completely successful surgery! (Of course we are continuing to pray that God chooses to heal him before.) That God will guide Dr. Fraser and his team's hands to repair everything and that no complications should arise. Pray for peace for us and that when the time comes closer that Bryan and I will be able to explain to Hudson what’s going to happen.

Also, if you live in the Houston area we are having a blood drive for Hudson and his friend, Peyton, who has cancer. You can give at any Gulf Coast Blood Center, go to http://www.giveblood.org/ for the nearest location. The code that you give is U634FS10.

Thank you all so much for your prayers! They mean more than you could ever know.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-03-24T15:45:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that 2 years ago today Bryan & I got married!

This has been an incredible journey (with an incredible man) full of lots of laughs and great memories!

I can't wait to see what the next 50 years bring!

I love you Bryan!

Baby Swap!

2010-02-23T16:53:00.000-06:00

This little man used to be "it" in his Aunt Mel's eyes! Almost a year ago, Mel & Sean were BLESSED with beautiful twins, Brynlee & Chance. Needless to say (as it should be) her babies became the "it" in her life. I will say, there is a definite twinkle in both Mel & Hudson's eyes when they see each other! As you can imagine life changed drastically! Let's just say it has been a long time coming that Hudson needed some "solo" Aunt Mel time and Aunt Mel needed "solo" Hudson time...

so we decided to do a baby swap! (Don't you think the trade-off was a little unfair?!?! haha) As soon as we got home from school on Friday Hudson was ready to go to Aunt Mel's. We packed him up, took him over, got the twins and he never turned his head to look back! I thought that he might have jealousy issues with Bryan & I taking the twins - NOT AT ALL! I think Mel was ready as well, they both ran into the house with the door quickly closing behind them!

Bryan & I had a blast with Brynlee & Chance! We played all afternoon, ate yummy dinner, sleep like champs, ate the whole egg for the first time (sorry Mel!), even took a wagon walk. It was so much fun getting to spend one-on-one time with them! They are growing up so quickly and change everytime I see them! I love that Brynlee loves me so much and I love that Chance grins ear to ear when he sees me!

We will definitely have to do baby swap again! I think it gave BOTH mommies & daddies a much needed break!

Cutest 3 year old ever!

2010-02-01T12:34:00.000-06:00

Seriously, isn't he the cutest thing ever?!?!?!

I could just eat him up!

Doctor Update...

2010-01-25T17:38:00.000-06:00

Today was the day that we went to Texas Children's Hospital and met with Dr. Fraser. (We really liked Dr. Fraser because he didn't sugar-coat anything.) They took Hudson's weight(a little over 27 pounds), height(around 37 inches) and blood pressure. You would of thought that they were trying to put an iv in Hudson with the way he was screaming and crying! Poor baby, I think that he has been traumatized. Dr. Fraser explained that Hudson's surgery will indeed need to be open heart surgery again. (That's a little disappointing, but we want it to be fixed properly.) He explained that where the muscle band is in his right ventricle this would be the best option and that if he were to go through a catheter that he would feel like the surgery would be "experimental" and would not be the best option. He did say that we could wait a year, two, four or even ten years. However, right now Hudson's heart looks good. If we decided to wait we would then be risking the side effects / complications to occur and the surgery could possibly be more complicated. He said that the muscle band will not get better for sure, but it could possibly stay the same. Bryan and I both feel that it would be best to go ahead with the surgery while Hudson is still young and is able to bounce back from it and hopefully not have much memory of this time.

Dr. Fraser said that while they are in there they will:

* fix the muscle band - Dr. Fraser said that they will take the band out, but stay
on the side of caution as to note take too much of and damage the right ventricle.

* replace the patch on the previous VSD - Dr Fraser said that the patch is being to push into the right ventricle. There is concern that eventually the patch could be damaged.

* fix the leaky tricuspid valve that was repaired in the 1st surgery - He said that more than likely the reason for the valve leaking again is from the pressure caused from the VSD as well as the muscle band.

We should be hearing from his office in the next month and we are wanting to schedule the surgery for the beginning of the summer.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. You never dream that your child will have to go through something so serious at a young age, much less ever! Pray that God will continue to show us HIS hand in this situation, that we will continue to trust HIM completely knowing what is best for our precious baby! Pray that the surgeons will be able to completely repair his heart and that this will be the last surgery needed. Pray for strength for Bryan and I to process all of this.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5

Happy Birthday Nana!

2010-01-24T14:22:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Nana! We love you!

Update

2010-01-10T14:57:00.001-06:00

In the midst of the holiday season it slipped my mind that I hadn't updated that Hudson's appointment with the surgeon has been changed to January 25th. Please continue to lift us up in prayers. Our specific prayer is that God will still choose to completely heal Hudson's heart. However, if surgery is needed we pray that it will be the least invasive surgery possible.

A new tradition...

2009-12-30T09:27:00.000-06:00

We started a new tradition in our house this year. We adopted "someone"...

meet Joey! My Mam gave Hudson this for his birthday. I must say that finding Joey everyday was a highlight! Check out the adventures of Joey!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

2009-12-24T22:34:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Happy Birthday Hudson!

2009-12-14T16:21:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that my sweet baby turned 3! I guess he's not a baby anymore. His birthday is actually November 28th (I'm a little behind I know). These past few years have flown by and we fall more in love with him everyday! We can't wait to see what the next year brings.

* Hudson is weighing in at a whopping 27 pounds and is 36 1/4 inches tall. He's a little man!
* Hudson loves to sing, his favorite are worship songs. Nothing melts my heart more than hearing his sweet voice (we are hopeful that he has perfect pitch like his daddy)!
* He talks ALL THE TIME. Bryan says he gets that from me - haha
* He loves to play with trains, puzzles, color, paint, playdough, balls, blocks, and much more.
* He loves his cousins Kaleb, Brynlee & Chance and always wants to see them.
* The boy LOVES to eat!
* He's still NOT potty trained - Ugh! Any advice???
* Hudson loves going to Nonni's house and playing with his friends, especially his best friend Ethan and Scarlet.

We had a Willy Wonka birthday party and it was a blast! Lots of chocolate and lots of candy topped off by a fabulous cake made by Hudson's Nana Holly! Enjoy the pictures!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Round Two...

2009-12-07T16:14:00.000-06:00

We finally heard from our cardiologist, Dr. Sapire. Although we didn't hear the exact news that we wanted to hear there were some definite answered prayers. Round two of surgery is going to happen. Dr. Sapire said that there is a definite obstruction in his right ventricle and that it is growing towards becoming a band. The praise however is that the board decided this is NOT life-threatening and can wait until the spring or summer of 2010. That is a HUGE answered prayer in itself. Being a teacher it is much easier to wait until the summer to do any type of procedure. We will not have to take off work any lengthy period of time nor we will have to ask family to take off to help share the load (his last surgery we had a 12 week isolation period to keep from infection). Back to the surgery, Dr. Sapire said that Dr. Fraser should be calling within the next week or so to schedule for Bryan and I to come in to his office to discuss what the surgery will look like. As soon as we get details I will let everyone know. So for know we wait...our prayers now are that the surgery will be the least invasive surgery and that God will continue to remind us that He is in control and is watching over our precious son!

On a completely different note - our sweet boy turned 3 on November 28th! It's hard to believe that it's been 3 years. I promise a birthday post in the very near future.

Thanks as always for your prayers!

The Waiting Continues...

2009-11-20T19:34:00.000-06:00

After an agonizing 3 days and two phone calls into the cardiologist, I finally heard back from Dr. Sapire today. Our conversation was short and too the point and I did not have the opportunity to ask many questions so there are some that are unanswered. Dr. Sapire said that there is a definite obstruction in Hudson's right ventricle. (I'm not sure if it's grown since his last echo, stayed the same, or shrunk.) An answered prayer however is that they were able to get a REALLY good echo reading because he ended up having to be sedated. He was not going to even begin to let the ultrasound tech even touch him with the wand! Dr. Sapire said that he will yet again be presenting his case to the board. (The first time he presented was when it was decided that Hudson would have his open heart surgery. The second time he presented was in April when they decided they would bring him back for the echo at TCH - done Tuesday.) So here we are again, patiently (as patiently as we possibly can) waiting to hear what the board decides. He will present either in 2 or 3 weeks and we will hear the results hopefully that same day.

But for now we will wait...we will wait with hope and faith that God is hearing our prayers to heal Hudson's heart without any more surgeries. We are anxiously awaiting the day when in the back of our minds there is no fear of what the next step could be, when we will know that Hudson has a strong, healthy heart and can do all the things that Bryan and I dream for him to do.

We appreciate all of the encouragement more than you know! Please continue to lift us up in your prayers!

Prayers for a good report...

2009-11-11T16:28:00.000-06:00

Next Tuesday, November 17th, Bryan and I will take Hudson to Texas Children's Hospital for an echo. Back in April at his check-up they found that he has a muscle bump growing in his right ventricle that is creating turbulance through that ventricle. Please lift us all up in prayer. Here are some specifics:

~ Pray that Hudson is cooperative and that sedation medicines are not needed.
~ Pray that no anxiety occurs for any of us.
~ And most importantly pray that Hudson's echo shows no need for an additional surgery!

We have faith that God can heal his heart completely and are hopeful for that. Whenever our family crosses your mind please lift us up in prayer!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

Random Pictures...

2009-10-27T17:38:00.001-05:00

Hudson

Hudson, me, and Kaleb at the zoo

Hudson attempting to brush an animal at the zoo, he thought it was funny!

Mam & Hudson - what a sweet relationship he has with his Mam!

Swimming at the pool this summer.

Brynlee in her swimming suit at the pool.

Chance at the pool.

The Gang minus Roan

Kaleb at the beach this summer.

Hudson and Kaleb

Hudson and Kaleb in Kemah

my tired boy after an afternoon of swimming

Chase - our friends Travis & Kristi's little boy

Kaleb on the boat concentrating very hard!

Brynlee at her mommy's birthday party!

Hudson's last night in his baby bed.

Hudson

Chance

Brynlee

Chance

Like I said these were some random pictures that I wanted to share!

Happy Birthday Kaleb!

2009-10-22T18:30:00.001-05:00

Wow how time flies! My sweet nephew, Kaleb, turned 5 yesterday! He is getting so big and definitely becoming Mr. Independent. He's not a huge fan of giving his Aunt Steph kisses anymore (I'm sad about that!). Hudson loves to follow him around and thinks that on his birthday he is going to be "five like Kaleb".

Happy Birthday Kaleb! We love you!

2009-09-01T17:47:00.000-05:00

Let me start out by saying that Hudson has by far THE BEST BABYSITTER EVER! Nonni is like a grandma to him, he loves her so much (and so do Bryan and I)! (There are 5 kids there: Hudson 2, Scarlet 2, Ethan 18 months, Hunter 20 months, baby Hunter 10 months.) Do not judge...

Yesterday Nonni called as I was pulling out of the parking lot at school. Of course the first thought in my mind was, "oh no, Hudson has a fever." I answered with hesitation and Nonni proceeded with -

Nonni: "what shoes did Hudson come with today?"
Steph: "Hudson had his tennis shoes on."
Nonni: "Oh my! - I put Hudson's shoes on Hunter, Hunter's shoes on Ethan, and Ethan's shoes on Hudson! I thought those shoes were too small for Hudson!"

Let me tell you...Ethan is 14 months younger than Hudson and Hunter is a few months older than Ethan.

Today I picked him up and said "Oh no Hudson, what did you do to your shirt?" (He was wearing one I had never seen.) Nonni put baby Hunter's clothes on Hudson and Hudson's clothes on baby Hunter! Poor Nonni, she already needs a vacation!

Just a quick update...

2009-07-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

I know that it's been a while since I've updated about our happenings. It has been a fun filled summer that is quickly ending! Only 2 weeks left until I start back to school. So sad! I promise that I will update our summer events soon...we have enjoyed every minute!

But to today...I decided that I would attempt to tackle the chore of potty training. (By far the most difficult parenting task we have faced!) Hudson and I went to Target yesterday and bought cute Mickey Mouse, Handy Manny & Sesame Street underwear. We were both pumped to start as soon as he got up this morning. Let's just say in 10 hours we had 3 successes, 9 underwear changes and a mommy who finally gave in and put a diaper on her precious boy! I did get some advice from my sis-in-law, Alicia's sis-in-law! We'll see maybe we'll try again in a month or so. If anyone has any advice please let me know!

A weekend full of Birthday Fun...

2009-06-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

...well the post is a week late! Two weekends ago (May 22 - 24) was both Bryan and my birthday! We started it off with my birthday on Friday with my family. My dad made yummy steaks and my mom her yummy chocolate cake!

Hudson and Kaleb eating ice cream!

My mom and I. She took off work and brought me lunch to school. She even had a mini red velvet cake for me!

We had a great time and even got to ship Hudson away for the night! Don't be deceived, it wasn't technically a date night (unless you think grocery shopping is!) - we shipped him away because the next day was Bryan's 30th birthday party!

Thanks Holly for making the cake! It was delicious as always! We had lots of family and friends to help celebrate with us and even these little guys...

One of Bryan's best friends, Kenneth, is a chef. He came over early Saturday morning and we helped him prepare for the party. He made crawfish, tilapia, shrimp kabobs. Everything was wonderful as always, thanks Kenneth!

We had a great party and Bryan survived turning the BIG 3-0!

Happy Birthday to us! I can't wait to celebrate many more with you!

Prayers for Bentley

2009-05-19T14:24:00.001-05:00

If you know me, then you know that I am always drawn to people's blogs who have children with heart defects. Say prayers for Bentley tomorrow as well as her parents. She is at TCH and will have open heart surgery in the morning. The next week will be very trying and exhausting for her parents and without the support of family and friends it is hard to keep your head above water (believe me, Bryan and I know - we had amazing support)! We pray for peace, comfort and strength for her parents. For Bentley we pray for the surgeons and nurses who will be working their magic, strength during the surgery, and a speedy recovery!

"He's going to kill you..."

2009-04-30T12:58:00.000-05:00

That's what Bryan said when I took this...

Cardiologist Update

2009-04-20T14:09:00.000-05:00

I took Hudson to the cardiologist last Tuesday by myself because it was just “a 6 month check-up”. We had an echo and EKG done. The Dr. saw something on the tests and told me that he was taking his case to the board. The last time he did that was when surgery was decided upon. Of course you could imagine when Dr. S told me he was taking the case to the board I went into panic mode. I talked to Dr. S Friday afternoon and he told me what it appears to be. (I’m not sure if he told me it’s a side effect (not common) of VSD or VSD surgery.) There is a “muscle bump” that is forming on the wall of the right ventricle which is causing turbulence, more than should be. His hole that he has (in between his right and left ventricle by the hole that was patched during surgery), which we know he has, is in that same area, but still should not be causing much turbulence at all! What it boils down to is that what is now a “muscle bump” could grow into a muscle band and divide the right ventricle into 2 chambers. If that occurs then we would have to go have the muscle removed, meaning surgery yet again. As you can imagine this is the last thing that Bryan and I want for Hudson. We are praying in faith that God will choose to heal Hudson’s heart completely! Please pray this with us! We go back in 6-9 months to TCH to have an echo in their lab (we see Dr. S at the satellite clinic in Clear Lake normally). The results of that test will show us what step we take next. Our prayer is that we get to share with everyone the miracle that God performed on Hudson’s heart to heal it! As you can imagine as soon as I got in the car after Tuesday’s appointment I told Bryan that never again would I go to a cardiologist appointment alone! Please keep us in your prayers.

Of course this is an answered prayer alone that this new diagnosis is nothing that needs immediate action!

We love you all!

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T12:47:00.001-05:00

Hudson was so excited that the Easter Bunny came to visit! We were coming downstairs and he spotted his basket, trying to hold off until Bryan was in the room I took him to fix breakfast. As soon as I put him down he dashed off to see what he had!

Hudson is his Easter jammies!

Hudson & Mommy getting ready to leave for church. Opps! Forgot that I didn't have lipstick on yet!

The Carnes Family at church.

Hudson & Kaleb - it's impossible to get a good picture of the two boys. (I didn't even take a picture of the twins, but they sure were precious!)

Ready to hunt eggs in the house, it rained all morning.

My family.

Pop & Hudson releasing a butterfly. We were suppose to have a butterfly release at church, but because of the rain we couldn't. We brought our butterflies home and let them go. The boys loved it!

On a side note, Hudson goes to the cardiologist tomorrow for a 6 month check-up. Please keep us in your prayers!

Who does he get this from????

2009-04-01T09:41:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a 2 year old riding down the road feeling the need to be talking on a cell phone!

A few pictures during Spring Break

2009-03-31T10:42:00.001-05:00

Bryan & I at Salt Grass for our Anniversary - ironically that was were we had our first date!

Hudson loves playing in our cabinets. He knows that there are only a few that he is allowed in, so here he is playing peek-a-boo with me.

Hudson & Kaleb at Kemah. Alicia was on Spring Break this week as well so we were able to let the boys play together. We are so blessed that we have most of our family close by!

Mommy & Hudson

Happy 3 week birthday Brynlee & Chance!

1 year ago today...

2009-03-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary Bryan! I love you!!

Pictures

2009-03-12T10:27:00.001-05:00

Hudson wearing his shirt that says, "I'm the big cousin of twins!" Waiting anxiously to hold the babies.

Hudson holding Chance. He loved the babies and wanted to kiss them constantly!

Uncle B holding Brynlee (She is named after him.), Hudson, Aunt Steph holding Chance

Aunt Mel with her babies & Hudson.

Doubly Blessed

2009-03-11T12:38:00.000-05:00

Last night Melissa & Sean welcomed their sweet babies into their family.

Brynlee Grace was born at 6:16 pm weighing 5 pounds 15 ounces and was 18 1/8 inches long.

Chance Matthew was born at 6:49 pm weighing 5 pounds 14 ounces, 17 3/4 inches long.

Mom, Dad & babies are all doing great! I will share more pictures later. We are taking Hudson up to the hospital today to meet his new cousins! I can't wait to see Hudson with the babies!

Prayers

2009-02-23T15:05:00.000-06:00

I ran across a blog this afternoon of a newborn, Andie, who is going to have heart surgery. As a mom who has been through the ups and downs, I ask that you shower them with prayers.

Smarty Pants and Babies...

2009-02-23T10:26:00.000-06:00

I have to brag on my smart son. Hudson is just over 2 years old and he can spell his name! Bryan & I play on the magnadoodle with him and write his name and spell it, "H-U-D-S-O-N". So now when you ask him how to spell his name he promptly tells you, "H-U-D-S-O-N".

Last night we were talking about who everyone in the family is. I pointed to Hudson and he told me "Hudson Lee Carnes". I pointed to Bryan and he surprised us with his response, "Daddy Carnes". I pointed to myself, "Mommy Carnes". We are so proud of him knowing his full name!

By the way, the passi situation has gotten much better! Last night he picked up the no more pacifier book and told us no passi!

On a different note, my sister-in-law, Melissa, will be 35 weeks tomorrow. She is carrying twins and has had no complications through this pregnancy. Please keep them in your prayers as the babies arrival is quickly approaching. Chance & Brynlee are apparently over 5 pounds a piece. Please pray that the babies continue to grow big and strong and that when the time comes that her delivery is quick and free of complications. We are so excited to meet the 2 new blessings of our family!

Blessings

2009-02-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Bryan & I were blessed to spend the afternoon with Brad & Jenny and about 25 of their family and friends praising our mighty and faithful God. If you don't know their story I encourage you to look at their blog. Through all of the trials that they are going through, their faith continues to amaze me. The strength that Jenny has is indescribable, I admire her. Please continue to shower this family with your prayers for complete healing, physical comfort for Brad, and strength for the family.

Thank you Brad & Jenny for letting us be a part of your worship!

Bye - Bye Passi

2009-02-10T10:25:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness...no one told us that taking Hudson's passi away would be so hard. Before he was a year old we took his bottle away cold turkey, no problem. This adventure just began Sunday night. We decided that Hudson should give his passi's to his baby cousins (Chance & Brynlee) that will be here soon because he is going to be the BIG BOY! We bought a book talking about how it is so much fun without passi's and we've been telling him that soon he will be a big boy and big boy's don't need a passi. Yeah right! Last night we put him to bed at 8, 8:30, 9, 9:30 and finally 10:30. Everytime we layed him down he would start screaming (I mean the type of screaming that your voice changes pitches!), "Mommy passi, Daddy passi". Our poor baby! I think it's harder for us because it would be so easy to give Hudson what he wants and for all of us to sleep! Any advice for us?

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-11T14:52:00.001-06:00

I wasn't sure how Hudson would do this year with Santa. I have had many people tell me that this age they just aren't sure how to react. On our way to the mall and walking up to see Santa I kept telling Hudson, "we are going to tell Santa hi, you are going to sit in his lap and say cheese". We were 3rd in line and Hudson saw Santa. I was so relieved when he looked at Santa, waved and said "Hi Santa!" (He's pointing at an Ernie that the photographer was holding.) He was so precious!

Kicking!

2008-12-10T09:35:00.001-06:00

For those of you who don't know, my sister-in-law, Melissa, is expecting twins. Chance & Brynlee are expected to make their debut sometime in March! Last night Bryan and I were watching tv and Mel came into the living room (we are living with Melissa & Sean until our house is finished) and said she could see Brynlee moving. I put my hands on her tummy and the babies were kicking away! It's been such a neat experience to be there with Melissa during this exciting time in our family. I've been lucky to live with both of my sister-in-laws while they were pregnant! Please keep Melissa in your prayers that she will continue to have a healthy pregnancy.

Elmo Party!

2008-12-08T14:19:00.001-06:00

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This weekend was Hudson's birthday party - which of course was Elmo! We had a blast! Enjoy the pictures of the big 2 year old!

Happy Birthday Hudson!

2008-12-04T10:27:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that our sweet boy turned 2 last Friday! He has become very independent and a little hard headed! (I'm not sure who he gets that from!) He amazes us everyday how smart and loveable he is!

Here are a few things that Hudson does: he counts to 10, sings his abc's very loud, sings Jesus Loves Me, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, categorizes our family (Mimi, Pop, Uncle Jason, Aunt Alicia, Kaleb; Nana, Moose; Aunt Mel, Uncle Sean, Chloe; Nana, Pawpaw) and he definitely knows when he's ready to go home from shopping! He says "Mama, I home."

Hudson in his birthday shirt!

Hudson loves Elmo and cookies!

Waiting patiently for Mama to get his cookie and ice cream!

Happy Birthday Hudson! We love you - Mommy & Daddy!

Halloween

2008-11-03T14:02:00.001-06:00

The last few weeks have been crazy around here. We moved out of our apartment and in with Melissa and Sean until our house is built. We have all adjusted really well to our new living situation. Here are lots of pictures to enjoy! (Sorry - some of the pictures are out of order.)

Daddy and Hudson carving his 1st pumpkin! Hudson liked watching, but he didn't want to put his hand inside. He said it was yucky!

Our tired Dr. He had enough Trick or Treating.

Out Trick or Treating. Hudson didn't really like it. The first costume he saw was a scary one.

Hudson and Mimi. Happy birthday Mimi! (Halloween is her birthday!)

Hudson with his BIG cousin, Kaleb.

Look at our precious Dr. Hudson Carnes! He thought he was so big.

You can sort of see his name on his scrubs.

Hudson with his best friend, Ethan. Ethan was a cowboy. His parents moved to Texas 2 years ago. We think Ethan is taking this whole living in Texas thing seriously!

Update...

2008-10-07T09:09:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since we have updated about Hudson. We went to the cardiologist yesterday and got a great report! Hudson has gained 3 lbs since his surgery. His chest x-ray looked great! We do not have to go back for 6 months, that is such a blessing. His energy is increasing and he is beginning to hit the terrible two's! As you can see in the pictures he is beginning to get a little belly and his face is filling out.

I will try my best to update more often. Life is about to get real crazy! We are moving out of our apartment in less than three weeks and in with Melissa and Sean until our house is built.

Thanks for all the prayers! Please continue to pray that Hudson's heart continues to heal.

Check-up

2008-06-25T18:08:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Texas Children's for Hudson's one week post-op check up. They did an x-ray and everything looks great! The Dr. and nurses were amazed at how well Hudson is doing. Anytime we would go in for a check up we would be asked, does Hudson lack energy? We were like a record saying, "no, he keeps up with all the kids his age, has never turned blue, eats like he should." Let me say, we were so wrong! Hudson is even more full of life than before! Bryan and I count our blessings every single day and are so thankful for Hudson's progress through all of this.

Praise God!

2008-06-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

Our tired boy.

Hudson is our fighter!

The Anesthesiologist, Dr. Hall, made this boxing glove for him during procedure # 2.

We called this Hudson ET phone home toe. He would pick his feet up and stare!

A very happy daddy, mommy, and Hudson! We were getting ready to go home.

We came home to this surprise by Aunt Mel & Uncle Sean! Hudson loves balloons!

So happy to be home.

Let's rewind to Wednesday night...At about 6:45 the anesthesia nurses came and got Hudson. Bryan and I walked down to the holding room and were told what was going to happen. They would do the echo first and then call with the schedule for the surgery. Dr. Hall gave Hudson the "sleepy" medicine and before Bryan could ask how long it takes to work Hudson was already gone. Not exactly how you want to see your baby before he goes back for round 2 of a major surgery! Bryan and I left the holding room at 7:15, the "black" phone was ringing at 7:45 for us. Our hearts dropped not knowing what to expect. They told us they weren't doing the surgery. We met with Dr. Salazar and he explained what they had found. When we did the echo in the morning(the one on the chest) they detected a hole that appeared to be 5-6 mm, which was the size of the original hole. When they went in and did the procedure they found that there is a hole, but it is less than 2 mm. Dr. Salazar said that they will not do a VSD closure that is less than 2 mm. Many other Doctors were called in to give an objective opinion and they were all in agreement that another surgery was not needed. He reassured us that everything looks great. His pressures in his left and right ventricles are what they are suppose to be (before the surgery they were equal). He feels very confident that with time the hole could close itself. They called us up to the ICU to see Hudson. We walked up and Dr. Hall, the anesthesiologist, was holding Hudson and rocking him! A very comforting sight to see your child being loved and cared for like that after a scary afternoon. It took about an hour for Hudson to come of of his sleepy meds. They didn't have a room on the recovery floor so once again Hudson stayed in ICU and was monitored the whole night (the nurse got bored and left early). They did a chest x-ray and everything looked good. We were told we were going home! Praise God! We were discharged from the hospital around noon. Hudson is doing great! He is our little fighter. Please continue to pray for a full and speedy recovery for him. Most of all thank God for watching over Hudson and blessing us continually!

Bryan and I thank everyone for your constant prayers, calls, letters and support during this time! We could not of done it without you. If you have been reading this, please post a comment with your name. We are going to print this out so that Hudson will always know how many people were praying for him during this time. We love you!

Prayers Answered !!!

2008-06-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Your prayers worked and we did not have to do the surgery last night. Praise God! I will let Stephanie explain everything on this blog after we get HOME. That's right, I said HOME. They are about to begin checking us out.

Say a prayer of praise today for Hudson and continue to petition God to heal Cate.
We love you all.

BC

Hit your knees please!

2008-06-18T14:47:00.000-05:00

Dr. Salazar came in around 1:15 this afternoon. They have been hearing what is called a residual VSD (murmur), which in not uncommon. Hudson had an echo this morning which shows that there is in fact a VSD. Dr. Salazar along with other Doctors have decided to go do an echo going down the throat this afternoon at 4:00. This echo should show if the VSD is one that they just missed or if a stitch popped up. They will have the surgical team ready to go and the surgery will happen tonight. Please pray that the surgery goes extraordinarily well and that this time they are able to find everything and fix it all! Hit your knees please. It's been a very emotional day being that we thought we might go home today and now we're back to square 1. We know that we can do this (and we have to) but it is very emotional. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Mostly Pictures

2008-06-18T12:21:00.001-05:00

Hudson trying to escape. He's had enough of being confined and not seeing sunshine!

Oopps! Mommy caught me trying to escape!

Hudson thanks everyone for all of the fun balloons, teddy bears, and other goodies. All of his toys are definitely helping us entertain him. Thank you!

All smiles.

He has become obsessed with the Doctor and nurses stethoscopes. That is his real one that works. The future Dr. Hudson Carnes!

Look at my horrible bed head! Everyone is commenting on it. Notice the passy, not his normal one...he has chewed through 3 of them since Saturday!

I finally got away!

We had high hopes of going home today. Unfortunately we will be here a little longer. Dr. Salazar decided that he didn't want to take his chest tube out that it's still draining a little more than he would like. Please continue to pray for Hudson's recovery to progress.

Hudson's battle wound

2008-06-17T13:50:00.001-05:00

I thought that many people were probable curious to see what his scar looks like. Our night was much better last night. Hudson was only up two times during the night. We were very hopeful that his chest tube would be out today, but Dr. Salazar has decided that it is still putting too much fluid out. It is a good thing that the fluid is draining, but I know Hudson will feel so much better once the tube is out. Dr. Salazar is thinking by tomorrow for sure it should come out. After that we will have another Echo to take a look at his heart. If everything looks good we could be going home the next day! Praise God! Bryan and I are ready to be home, so I can only imagine how Hudson must feel. Keep the prayers coming they truly are working (for Hudson & Cate)!

I'm a Big Boy!

2008-06-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

Here Hudson is sitting on our "bed" watching his Baby Einstein video.
Hudson's best buddy, Ethan, and mommy came to visit us. Hudson absolutely loved having another kid around to talk to and play with. Hudson says, please come visit! If you want to bring your kid up here that is okay as long as they don't have the slightest cold or anything that they might pass along to Hudson.
Hudson decided that he doesn't have sea legs anymore. I put him down to try to gradually start standing and he took off! (The bag you see is his chest tube that is draining. Pray that the drainage starts to slow so Hudson can get it taken out hopefully tomorrow.)

Backing up to last night...We had a good night. Hudson slept from 10:15 until 4:00 am. He was sound asleep while they would come in and take his blood pressure and temp and give him meds. Then they decided at 4:00 am that needed to get his weight! Are they crazy?!?! Let the poor baby and his mommy and daddy sleep! From 4:00 to 9:00 am we rotated between rocking in the chair, cuddling in the bed with us (a twin size bed), and watching our video. Hudson's appetite hasn't been the greatest today, but he is eating. Dr. Salazar said that Hudson should get his chest tube out tomorrow and maybe that a few days later we will be going home! We are reminded daily how blessed we have been and are during this process. Please continue to lift Hudson up for strength, healing, and a good night sleep!

Also, please continue to pray for Cate, Charlie, Alli and their families. There are at the beginning of a long journey.

We are out of ICU!!!

2008-06-15T17:09:00.000-05:00

A picture of our sweet boy sleeping in his new recovery room!

The nurses kept telling us that we would turn a corner and things would look 100% better. This morning at 2:00 am Hudson hit the turning point. He began talking and giggling. What a blessing! It was so comforting to know that God gave our precious boy back the same way (of course a whole heart now) we left him, in the hands of the surgeons. When I got up there this morning Hudson saw me and wanted me to hold him. Hudson even told his daddy "I Daddy!", that's Hudson's way of saying I love you daddy. So sweet to hear those words uttered to Bryan on Father's Day. The Doctors made there rounds and decided that it was time to send Hudson down to the 15th floor and out of ICU! Praise God for such a short stay there and for the incredible nurses He blessed Hudson with and who comforted us! Around 1:00 pm Bryan and I went to ICU and helped transfer him to our new room. He is doing really well. He's definitely still exhausted and sleeping a lot. He still has his chest tube in for drainage, so hopefully that will slow down and he can get it out soon. Please feel free to stop by for a visit. We're in room 10 on the 15th floor. Again, thank you for all the prayers and please continue to ask God for a quick recovery!

PEE-PEE

2008-06-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

Praise God!! We have Pee Pee!! We were getting a little concerned, but the little man stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. They are now telling us that we will be moved to a regular room sometime early tomorrow. Please feel free to visit or call now that we will be in a regular room. Thank you all so much for the comments on this blog, emails, and most of all your prayers over the last few days. I can not tell you how comforting reading your words, and knowing that you were all praying has been to us throughout this process. God has blessed us far beyond anything that we deserve with family and friends. Please continue to petition Him to comfort Hudson as he is continuing to recover.

Tomorrow is a big day for Cate as they are going to try to remove her from life support and see how heart heart responds. Please cover her and her family in prayer.

BC

An afternoon update...

2008-06-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

The afternoon went really well for Hudson. He slept in my arms for 3 hours. It was really good for him and also for my emotions! They have taken him off all "major" pain meds and put him on Tylenol with Codine. He has been sucking down any fluids that they give him. Bryan and I were in the room and I was rocking him. Bryan was in front of him talking and Hudson started pointing. He was pointing to the bottle across the room! Yes, I said bottle. He seems to be progressing very well. The Doctors are saying that there is a good chance that we will be moved to a regular room tomorrow. Please pray that he starts urinating, if not they are going to have to cath him again to get his bladder a jump start. We serve a mighty God who is very faithful! Keep the prayers going for continuing this good progress.

Prayers for Strength

2008-06-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

Last night was good for Bryan and I. We were able to sleep for a little while my mom, dad, Bryan's mom and sister took shifts with Hudson so that we could sleep. Hudson (as well as all of us) need prayers for strength, comfort and peace. Hudson had a good first half of the night and then he became agitated. He is coming off the anesthesia and is starting to fight a little. I feel like he's confused, not being able to understand what is going on. I was in the room this morning and was able to rock him for about 2 hours. Just holding him was such a blessing! Hudson keeps fighting to turn over, he is definitely our stomach sleeper. The Doctor decided that instead of fighting he would let him sleep on his stomach. Please pray that he is able to rest a little. They said as long as he is like this they will keep him in ICU. Thank you! We love you all.

I have attached the link to our little friend Cate's blog on the side. Please continue praying for them as well.

Pray for Cate

2008-06-13T23:01:00.000-05:00

We have been side by side with baby Cate and her parents since Thursday morning. They were scheduled to have the second surgery after Hudson, so our paths have continually crossed. Cate's surgery was very similar to Hudson's but something has gone terribly wrong. We do not know exactly what is going on except that she is now on life support. Please lift up Cate and her parents Charlie and Alley in prayer.

BC

Warning: Picture may be upsetting

2008-06-13T15:42:00.000-05:00

Our sweet boy in his ICU bed. We love his day nurse, Valerie. They are continuing to keep him on the pain meds and are going to do another x-ray in the next hour or so. God is continually blessing us through the quick recover / no complications. Please continue to pray for God's hand to be with him, healing him quickly. As I mentioned earlier, they found another hole and a leaky valve. They actually have medical names! The only condition that we were aware that Hudson had was VSD. He actually had VSD, ASD, and tricuspid valvuloplasty. Even though surgery was not wanted it was a blessing in disguise. They were able to fix them all! God does know what He is doing!

He's in ICU

2008-06-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

Hudson is in ICU and doing well. We have been able to go see him and he looks good. They still have him sedated(which is a good thing). Every once in a while he gets anxious and tries turning over. Everyone has been very positive about how Hudson did in surgery and his progress thus far. Please continue praying for a fast recovery. Thank you all for your calls, support and prayers!

A Praise!

2008-06-13T10:53:00.000-05:00

We just talked to the surgeon and he said the surgery went perfectly! When he was in there he found another small hole that he repaired and had a small leaky valve that he stitched up. They were able to take the ventilator out and we should be able to hold him shortly! In the next 30 minutes Bryan and I should be able to go see him. Again, thank you for all the prayers! Keep praying for his healing that it is quick and no complications arise. God is good, God is good!

2008-06-13T10:21:00.000-05:00

We just talked to the charge nurse again. She said that everything went great! Dr. Salazar is in the process of stitching him up. We should talk to the Dr. in the next 30 minutes or so. I will update this afternoon once we get in our room. Thank you so much for the prayers, keep them coming!

Hudson & Maddox

Happy 1 month Maddox!

Going home...a day we will never forget.

Happy Halloween!

Brothers meet & Pictures from the Hospital!

Happy Birthday Maddox!

A "Manly" Shower

Maternity Pictures

I spy...

HIS Kids Camp

Father's Day

Hudson is having a...

Last day @ Nonni's

Fears

Cute story & Heart Update

12 weeks

Incredibly Blessed!

Simple Joys

Hudson's FIRST *Crush*

A Perfect Heart!

Happy 4th birthday Hudson!

Christmas in October

Happy New Year!

Updates to come...

A Rainy Day...

6 week follow-up

HuDsOn'S pLaYHOusE turns to oUtHoUSe

Happy 4th of July!

HuDsOn'S pLaYHOusE

Thankful Thursday

Cardiology Post-op

Post-op

What a great day!

CVICU Pictures

15th floor

Day 2 CVICU

He's in CVICU

He's Done!

Update #2

Update #1

He's Back...

Pre-Op

Heart Wednesday

Birthdays & Pictures

Jesus in the Room...

Gift from God

1 year + 1 month + 10 days =

June 9th

Happy Anniversary!

Baby Swap!

Cutest 3 year old ever!

Doctor Update...

Happy Birthday Nana!

Update

A new tradition...

Happy Birthday Hudson!

Round Two...

The Waiting Continues...

Prayers for a good report...

Random Pictures...

Happy Birthday Kaleb!

Just a quick update...

A weekend full of Birthday Fun...

Prayers for Bentley

"He's going to kill you..."

Cardiologist Update

Happy Easter

Who does he get this from????

A few pictures during Spring Break

1 year ago today...

Pictures

Doubly Blessed

Prayers

Smarty Pants and Babies...

Blessings

Bye - Bye Passi

Merry Christmas!

Kicking!

Elmo Party!

Happy Birthday Hudson!

Hudson's FIRST Crush