Sesame Street Live

Thanks to HopeKids, Owen and I were able to go to Sesame Street Live this morning! Owen was so excited and patient as he counted down the days to his Elmo show. He would ask "Now? Today? Later? Friday? Now?" .. having no concept of time. He was so excited this morning when I said it's today!
The story was great and Owen wouldn't let us leave even a minute early to avoid the crowds. We enjoyed the entire show. From Super Grover, to Elmo, to a Hip Hoppin' Cookie Monster.. all of the favorites were there! I'm pretty sure Owen has a minor crush on Abby Cadabby too. His favorite part of the show is when the confetti would explode from the ceiling or the strobe lights would encircle the theatre... he likes drama and effect!
Once again.. thank you HopeKids for spoiling us with tickets to an event that we would never of been able to attend otherwise. We are so lucky that Owen is stable and doing great right now!! We are going to enjoy every moment of the next three months before we head back to Stanford for testing and (hopefully) the Fontan.

"Play Football!"

Owen loves all things sports! I don't know where he gets it. We occasionally watch sports, mostly football, but we aren't sport junkies. Owen wants to watch Nascar "racing cars", "watch football", "watch baseball", "watch basetball", and "play..." you get the point. When we go to the store, he always has a request for a new ball... "new football mama!"

Yesterday, he woke from a deep sleep and said "I wanna go sopping mama... buy bat!" For the next two hours, until we were walking through the sports aisle at Target, he kept saying "buy baseball bat nooowwww?? Now? Now Mama?" When we walk down that sports equipment aisle, he's in heaven! He really wanted the hard bat, but it would have outweighed him, so we went for the softer version. Then he immediately said "need helmet mama!"

I told him he had lots of "helmets" at home. This is the one he likes to use as his "football helmet"..


I bet you've never seen a butt scooting quarterback before?? That's talent!

I'm just guessing, but I'm pretty sure his favorite part is going in for the tackle! He loves the competition of who is going to get to the ball first. He throws it, hikes it, hits it.. whatever.. and then someone has to go retrieve it. It's always a little playful competition.

I guess now that we have a big boy WALKER on our hands.. he'll be playing real ball in no time! He's got a great arm on him. I don't know what his future in sports looks like, but we know that he is one heck of a fan!!

Easter

I love Easter! Not just the bunnies, or the candy, but the real reason of Easter gives me a huge sense of peace. We spent Easter's Eve dying and decorating Easter eggs. I don't know why this is such a huge tradition as it seems like such a waste of eggs, but it's tradition, so we do it. Owen finally got into it this year and was happy sticking stickers on the eggs. He made one egg and was very proud! Kamryn loves dipping, painting, and creating each egg to perfection. I like to get em' done and clean up. My hands were dyed every color of the rainbow.





The kids left the Easter bunny rice krispy treats because our carrots were pretty ick. They left their baskets out on the table for the Easter bunny to fill and turned in early. I stayed up late. The kids woke up to a card from the bunny sending them on a scavenger hunt throughout the house to find their baskets.

Kamryn got her favorite Dove chocolates, a sewing book, and a Wii game. Owen was happy with his baseball mit, ball, and movies. He keeps asking to watch "Stitch!"





I made yummy Belgium waffles for breakfast with chocolate chips for Kami, whip cream for Owen, and peanut butter for Daddy. Then we got ready. It was a casual day as we totally missed church at 8am.

The kids played catch with Owen's ball and mitt.


We took a couple pictures while waiting for my family to come over all while watching a discovery show on wild pigs. We are a wild bunch.





After a delicious dinnlunch, we headed over to the park to enjoy our amazing Easter weather! Kamryn, Gigi, and Livvy ran around blowing bubbles, playing at the park, throwing the football and Owen watched. Next Easter he's going to be running right alongside them.


We flew kites, and I destroyed kites.





Owen blew bubbles and played in the grass.


Livvy is such a ball of energy... I wish Owen could tap into just a little bit of it.


On the way back to the house, the kids ended the day with an Easter egg hunt.


We had a great day with family and have so much to be grateful for this Easter. As I tucked my kids into bed, I thanked Heavenly Father for all I have. A couple of our heart friends lost their fight last night and I just can't help but feel extreme gratitude for how well Owen is doing, despite all the odds.

Owen and "Play Wii!!" (video)

Owen's favorite thing to do is play Wii. His video game skills are insane for his age! He can sit and concentrate for hours, if I let him, which I don't. I love it when he's in the "zone" because .. well.. just sit back and watch the video. This boy doesn't mess around. He cracks me up!!

Untitled from Andrea Simmons on Vimeo.

*This is not a violent game.. although it may appear that way. He's playing Wii Sports Resort.

A New GI doc

The cardiology office sent us Owen's pictures from the recent photoshoot. They turned out really cute and of course.. Owen was hamming it up for the camera!
















Owen finally got a new GI doctor!! We have been less than thrilled with Dr S. and Owen hated going to his appointments. Owen loves going to the doctor so it was unusual. After surgery in February.. Owen was puking mulitple times daily. I was told he couldn't get into GI until JULY!! Totally unacceptable in my opinion.

I got the puking under control with Prevacid and Prilosec in the interm. Just last week, I called and was very assertive in asking for a new GI doc and I knew I wanted Dr M. He happens to live in our neighborhood and I have heard great things about him.

He did not disappoint! Not only did we get in one week later (today!), but he was fantastic! We got Owen's barium swallow ordered with his feeding therapist from PCH, so he'll be comfortable during the test. We got him on a correct dose of Prilosec. He was totally cool with Owen's blended diet. Owen LOVED him because he played with him and gave him the attention he needed.

Owen has grown so much since our last appointment in September. He weighed in at just under 33lbs and 38.5". Dr M. said he's in the 25-50% range on the growth chart. He's doing so great! We addressed his feeding issues, but we are doing all we can for now.

I'm so happy with the change!

I have a totally awesome video to post of Owen tomorrow. He is finally WALKING again!!! I cried when he took his first steps (post op) the other day and he is so proud that it finally clicked.

Kamryn's Art

As if Kamryn wasn't talented, smart, funny, perfect... you get my point.. she has also been bit by the art bug. After her homework is done each night, she likes to steal my laptop and this is just a sneak peak of what she's been up to...




She is getting really good!! These are just computer drawn, which I'm pretty sure is a lot harder than using a pencil and paper. But I wouldn't know because I can't even draw a good stick figure.

The other day I drew a bunny on the dry erase calendar to mark "Easter". She quickly erased it and drew a bunny with floppy ears, a fluffy tail, big paws and the cutest little face. Even the little whiskers had character.

Our little girl continues to amaze us! She is only 11, but is growing up so fast. While I want to hold on to every moment, I also look forward to watching her grow up and accomplish SO much!

Infertility and Such

This week has been crazy! Kamryn had AIMS testing all week at school. I was nice enough to let her ditch school today because it was "kite day"... where is the education in that? The three of us went to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2.. hilarious!

I had a root canal this week that was kinda brutal. I then had an OB appointment to discuss my lack of fertility. More on that in a second.

Before the OB appointment, Owen and I headed downtown to visit Kyson at Phoenix Children's. He had his Fontan on the 7th and is having a rough recovery. Owen broke down in sympathy tears when the nurses came in to split Kyson's chest tubes. Keep our sweet friend in your prayers as he continues to recover.

Last night I went to craft night at our church and made these...

And on the flip side... How cute are those?? I love them!!

Anyway...

I went to the OB to talk about my lack of ovulation, infertility and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). There is no big surprise that I have had issues conceiving in the past. I struggled with the pain, sadness, frustration and fear that Kamryn would never be a big sister. I took what seems like hundreds of pregnancy tests during my 20's .. all with the same negative result. Each and every one came with a little more disappointment than the one before.

Kamryn was conceived so easily.. accidentally on purpose... she made me a young mom and I wouldn't change a thing! I love that I had so much alone time with her.. 8 years to be exact! She got an early crash course in reproduction over the years when she continually asked why she couldn't have a brother or sister. We explained the science behind it .. but most importantly.. we explained that there is a bigger plan for all of us. If only we knew then what blessings were in store for all of us!

Being in our early 20's we opted not to use fertility drugs. I tried Clomid here and there, but it never worked. PCOS is nasty with even uglier side effects...acne, splotchy skin, extra hair (not in the best places), weight gain, ovarian cysts, insulin resistance and irregular periods.

Owen was conceived naturally. You could call it luck.. I like to think of it as part of a bigger plan. Owen came along with his special heart and has changed us all. He taught us to take a step back and to appreciate life in a different way.

As Owen becomes more stable and we are closer to his 4th open heart surgery.. I am thinking it's time to prepare for the idea of baby number 3. Eeekkk.. I get excited at just the thought of it!

This is where the OB appointment becomes important. I need to start getting my body prepared. I have really irregular cycles and zero ovulation.. we're talking 3 cycles in 2010... yikes! In order to regulate my cycles .. I started on Progesterone yesterday.

For 10 days, I take progesterone pills. All the while I continue taking 500mg of Metformin, 2 times a day. I should have a period on day 14 or so, and then I start the countdown from day to day 24. Then I start the cycle over again. Confusing? Yes. Does it feel like a science experiment with my body? Totally.

I will continue to do this cycle for six months with the hopes to regulate myself. Alongside that, I will continue losing weight .. eating healthy and exercising. We are not going to try to conceive until after Owen is stable, post Fontan. September? October? We will (hopefully) start trying to conceive.

I talked to the doctor about starting with clomid ... low dose... with an increase each month that I don't conceive. After about six months of that, if not successful, we will discuss our options.

So there you have it. I am infertile. I trust that things will work out the way they are supposed to. We have been so blessed with two amazing kiddos and for that we are so spoiled.

Enough fertility talk..

This weekend we have zero plans. I am excited to relax, catch up on housework, take the kids swimming, and spend time with my favorite three people.

Dbacks Game

We took Owen to his very first Diamondbacks game on Tuesday night! The Diamondbacks took on the St Louis Cardinals. I thought it would be a fun idea to take the lightrail downtown to the ballpark. Not the best idea I've ever had. I imagined lots of business people with breifcases and instead we saw a lot of homeless and it was SO crowded. At least we can say we tried it once.

Another genius idea I had was to wait and eat when we got to the ballpark. Again, lesson learned, eat before you enter the ballfield or pay $50 for burgers and sodas. The game was great and the Dbacks coach had words with the empire at one point.. face to face..lots of words exchanged. The crowd roared, cheered and Owen loved the excitement of the game!!

Kamryn wasn't as enthusiastic about the game and so I took her for a walk to buy icecream. Then took Owen for a walk because he has a one track mind and was just wanting a big bag of peanuts!

We had to leave after the 5th inning because Kamryn had school the next day. We took the lightrail back to ASU to pick up our cars and head home. The kids were zonked out the minute their heads hit the pillow. Thanks to Hopekids for another amazing event! We feel so spoiled.

When I checked my email before bed, I saw that Hopekids had released tickets for the Monster Truck Jam... I signed up and then feel asleep.

Cardiology and Park Play

On Sunday afternoon, after a fun morning at Bumble Bee Ranch, we threw together a bbq at the park with my family. We knew this would probably be the last really nice weekend before the temperatures go back to normal. My dad made the best Brats and Burgers and we just enjoyed the outdoors. Owen prefers to chill in one spot and play in the sand. The other kiddos were all over the park!
Between running around with her cousins, Kamryn would come over and rest with Owen. She built sand castles and Owen destroyed them. Then she returned the favor by destroying his. It was so nice to dig my feet into the sand and just watch everyone enjoy time outside.

We ate, we talked, we played and we laughed!

Carson brought Owen's Brobee kite and there was just enough breeze to get it up! The kids were so excited.. you'd think they have never seen a kite before. They had so much fun! It's nice to keep it simple.


Now for a quick cardiology update!

Owen saw Dr Stock today for a six week followup. His weight is about the same and he's looking good. His sats were right at 80 on a liter of oxygen, which is fantastic!! He was totally chilling in his stroller at the time, but I'll take it! My only concern is his low sats when playing, which is followed up with a lot of puke.

His EKG looked good and we're keeping his medicine doses the same. He has a followup on May 23rd for an ECHO and we'll increase a few meds. Until then.. we are just waiting to hear from Stanford on dates for the MRI and Cath.

I scheduled Kamryn's ECHO and EKG for the same day as Owen's next followup. She is just getting a full checkup of her heart so that I can say she is perfectly healthy! There is always the worry in the back of my mind... especially when I watch too much news of athletes that die instantly of unknown heart issues.

Owen was thrilled to see all his favorite nurses, staff and of course, Dr Stock. It certainly makes going to the doctor so easy.

Bumble Bee Ranch

This weekend we went up North to Bumblebee Ranch with Hopekids. We had such a great time last year and we were stoked to go this year! The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, but we got rained out and had to change it to Sunday. The weather was perfect for a day outdoors!

We arrived at the ranch at 9:30 when the event started and the kids had the bouncey all to themselves. Owen was in heaven. The rest of the day he asked to "play bounce!" He didn't really bounce, rather just tackled Kamryn. Kamryn attempted the rock climbing wall again this year.. this is as far as she got. She is just not a climber as she hates heights. She has other talents.. and rocked the paintball gun!! Owen shot his gun once and said "all done!" The kids wouldn't climb in the old rickety jail by themselves. I forced my family, kicking and screaming, to get western pictures. It wasn't so bad as soon as my kids realized there were toy guns. We told Owen to be serious.. the boy can make a mean ol' face! There was a craft table and the kids wanted to make puppets.. Owen lost his eyeballs and stick within minutes.. but they had fun. They had a great cookout with burgers, dogs and all the fixins'. My kids love that they can go up to the bar and ask for a soda.. or pick out their own chips, jerky, or trail mix. While I was chatting with other heart families, Carson and Kamryn tried their hand at archery. We met up in line for the Hummer tours.. which was so much fun!! (Kam has this thing where she can't be serious in a photo .. she likes to pull faces and be goofy. ) We sat in the very back of the Hummer again this year and the kids love getting thrown all around back there. We went through the muddy lake, up rocky inclines and there were times I was sure I'd lose my lunch. Good times! Owen was his silly self all day.. and I have about 40 pictures of him making different faces... like this one. We had a great time and Hopekids really put on a fantastic event again this year! We hope to be back next year. Here is a link to our visit to the ranch last year!

Midweek

Thank you for all your input!! Between facebook, my last post and baby forums.. I have decided upon a stroller. I bought the Baby Jogger City Elite. It holds up to 75lbs, has many fun features, and I hope it will grow with Owen. It seems like a great everyday stroller for our big guy. I ordered the belly bar and ice chest (for Owen's food) to go with it and thanks to Amazon Prime.. it'll be here tomorrow! I also found on the baby jogger website, that they have a line of special needs strollers. They have a jogger stroller, a real jogger (unlike the one I purchased), that has all the same features and more. We are going to submit for the special needs stroller through insurance. You can see the stroller here.. http://www.advancemobility.org/spirit.php. Between the City Elite everyday stroller, and the special needs jogger, we should have Owen covered for the next few years.
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Owen is SO close to walking again! He is climbing up and down the stairs and crusing furniture. His biggest issue is lack of energy due to his incredibly low sats. I am so anxious to get his cath and MRI done in July (still waiting on dates). I just want him to feel better and I would love to ditch the oxygen!

Speaking of Stanford in July...

I keep checking on airfare to San Fran and the prices are ridiculous. We decided on a road trip up Pacific Coast Highway with stops along the way instead. I am looking forward to a couple days on the beach and long days spent with my family.

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Kamryn only has 6 1/2 weeks of 5th grade left! She has lots of projects and special nights coming up as she wraps up the year. I am happy she has one more year of elementary before I have to suck it up and send her to Junior High. I can't even think about it... she is growing up so fast!
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Carson is busy at work and I am busy keeping everything together at home. Life is boring right now and that's the way I prefer it. This weekend it's supposed to sprinkle and cool down... hooray for that. We have a full weekend and a loaded week next week.. so I'm going to enjoy the quiet that the next few days brings. Maybe I'll even clean up the toys in the family room...