Braska Bear

It’s been 6 years today since Dr. F fixed up my little tiny heart.  I don’t remember it, and Mommy thinks that’s a good thing.  Here’s what Mommy wrote about it last year … there’s pictures there. (Don’t cry Grandma C. I’m ok now, ‘member??) Today, I will remember what I have to do, though. I have to go get my ears fixed so they will quit keeping water and stuff in there when they should let it out.  So I’m getting new tubes in there.  We have to be there WAY early, that’s why I’m up before the sun. I don’t like to go to the hospital, but I’ll try to be good.  Kinlee got to go to Grandma C’s house for a sleepover tonight, and I don’t think that’s fair. Mommy says I can take a turn one day soon. I’ll let you know how it goes today.  I’m used to going to sleep at the hospital while they fix things like my eyes and my ears and my heart and some stuff in my throat. I told Mommy that I just want to stay home. But she said not this time.  I hope they...

It’s been about 2 years since I had to see Dr. J, my heart doctor.  I was so strong and healthy that he didn’t have to see me for a while.  But today it was time to go see him again and take a little test.  First they checked to see how big I was.  30 lbs 7 oz and 38.5 inches is what they said I was.  Mommy thinks that’s big.  Everyone else seems to think it’s little since I’ll be 6 in a couple weeks.  I say it’s just right! Then I talked to one new doctor. He was nice but he wanted me to lay on my back so he could listen to me. And I do NOT like to lay on my back at all.  Mommy is stronger than me, though, so I couldn’t get up even though I wanted to.  It was over quick, though. After him, we went next door to see Mr. Jim, and he gave me a couple tests.  One was EKG and it had lots of cold sticky things on my skin. I didn’t like that.  And since I don’t like to lay on my back, Mommy sat down first and then I leaned back on ...

Mommy report:  Five years ago today, after 9 hours of surgery, at 11 pounds, this was my little baby girl, at about 6pm on 2/28/2007. Many of you have seen that before, either on this blog, or you’ve seen it yourself, with your little one on that post op bed in the PICU.  If you haven’t, it’s scary. I know.  It’s ok that it’s scary.  But that’s not the end… Seven days later, as I held a little squishy girl (I kinda miss the squish. She’s all bones these days, little skinny minnie!) I knew that she was well. She still had healing to do, but she was fixed and would be better from here forward. Here’s the REST of the story… This is that same little girl, 5 years later, at 7 am on 2/28/2012.  Healthy as she can be.  Tough as nails, and sweet as mini marshmallows. (Unless she is sporting her newly donned attitude.  Diva-licious.) Is open-heart surgery scary?  Of course!  Is it more frightening when it’s your firstborn and ...

Four years ago today, I handed my girl to a team of people. Basically strangers.  Their plan was to cut her perfect skin, crack her sternum, stop her heart, poke, stitch, and patch, and then bring her all back together again.  And I still let them have her . Amazing. Though not without lots of prayers in the moments before… See that tiny girl up there?  3 months and 1 week old. About 11 pounds and 20 inches, at the very most. Her life to this point had been largely sleeping and watching the world go by, punctuated by lots of doctor appointments.  And now we were going to introduce her to “real life” in this way ? (If you haven’t read through the story as it happened, you can go here and find links to all the posts about the experience. There are videos, pictures, and more details about how it all went.) I often call Braska my little SuperStar.  She amazes me every day.  She has already, in just over 4 years, totally surpassed all the expectatio...

Can you believe it’s been 3 whole years since I had my heart fixed??  That’s right! Today is my Happy Heart Day! Here’s where you can go back and see the story about all of it if you want to… I have some little friends who will be having their hearts fixed soon, so their mommies sometimes like to see how I did when Dr. F fixed mine.  And Mommy and Daddy like to go back and see how little and cute I was, and what a good girl I was in the hospital, too. Every year we look at this picture, even though it’s scary sometimes for other people, for me and Mommy and Daddy, it helps us remember how strong I am and how much God has helped me. And look at me now!!!! 

Did you know that two years ago today I was having my heart fixed!?!? Isn't that amazing that it has been so long!? And look at me now!! Mommy wrote some more about my Happy Heart Day over here , so be sure to go read that. And if you wanna go back and read about my surgery and my good behavior with the nurses, you can click here . Oh! And if you haven't seen all my pictures from lately, make sure to check out my last couple stories here and here . There are a bunch of good pictures there since so many of you ask for pictures all the time!!!