Building a Castle...

Gavin received some brand new Lego's at Christmas. So we decided to build a castle... Gavin made a decision to tear the castle down, but quickly realized it was a mistake!

Prayers for Tuesday

I have added another child to the prayer list... PLEASE, please pray for Little Tuesday!

You are my Sunshine...

Here are several takes of us trying to get Gavin to sing "You are my Sunshine"... skys are "great" not "gray"!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Future Tiger Woods...

When I was about Gavin's age, my Uncle Shawn got me my first set of real golf clubs and bag. I guess it has become a family tradition because guess what Gavin got for Christmas this year? My Uncle Shawn and Aunt Lori brought him his real clubs on New Years Day and we headed across the street to the driving range to practice. Gavin loves them!!! Every time we pull into the driveway he screams "clubs, play golf!!" Thanks S&L for the clubs-maybe we can all share in the wealth when he becomes a pro?

Laughing Cousins

At Thanksgiving, Gavin's cousin Mia was over for a yummy dinner. Gavin has an obession with babies, he even asks for a baby sister! He followed Mia around and was constantly making her laugh. I think these two will give us some trouble when the get older! Enjoy...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Dirt and Bubbles

It got up to 70 degrees here today! It was such a nice day that Gavin and I decided to head over to Great Granny Barbara's and Pepas to see what they were up to. Gavin was in luck... in their backyard were several of Gavin's favorite things... dump trucks, construction trucks, dirt and excavators!! Gavin is a fan of all things transportation. "Vators" are his favorite! We stood outside most of the afternoon watching the "vator" dump the dirt and push it into the ground. How do you end a perfect day filled with dirt? A bubble bath... during the afternoon?!? Gavin didn't know what to do with himself!

Looking for more trucks...

Watching carefully...

Gavin would clinch his fists and yell "YES!" everytime they were about to drop the dirt... he was just a "little" excited, can you tell??

Getting clean!

Prayers and a Praise!

I have added another baby to the prayer list....Please keep Baby Brayden in your prayers, he was diagnosed with PPHN (pulmonary hypertension, heart condition).

Update on Harper: Harper is stable but still very critical. I spoke with Kelly yesterday via email and she seems to be in good spirits! Keep praying for Baby Harper!

WE HAVE A PRAISE!!!! BABY REED (HLHS, same condition as Gavin) IS GETTING HIS HEART AT 5PM!!!! I RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE THIS AFTERNOON THAT REED WAS GETTING A HEART AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT JUMP UP AND DOWN AND SHED TEARS FOR THIS WONDERFUL FAMILY! We are so happy for you all!! GOD IS GOOD!!!! Remember to keep the family in your prayers that lost their baby and they are giving this ultimate gift to save Reed's life.

Update on Harper

Yesterday, Adam and I found out that Baby Harper was life flighted to Tulsa instead of Little Rock. So we decided to greet Harper's parents with some hugs, hospital necessities and contact info. for their stay here. I have to admit when we arrived at the hospital I got a little nervous... I thought to myself these people have no idea who I am, I just read their blog and pray for their baby. They were so welcoming with tears and hugs. It was a great experience and I truly believe the Lord put them in the right spot. Please join us in praying for this beautiful family. If you click on their blog you quickly realize how many people all around the world are praying for them.

PLEASE PRAY!

I have been a follower of "Kelly's Korner" blog pretty much all of her pregnancy. She is such a caring and wonderful woman. Kelly and her husband struggled to conceive Harper, so Kelly has a heart for women and families who struggle to conceive. She has a prayer blog for those women who desire to have a child of their own. She is such a godly woman and I admire her strength and attitude. Harper was born today and she is in very critical condition. Please, please pray!

1, 2, 3 GO!

Gavin's new favorite trick is to go down his slide, run, then knock down his blocks... an activity that keeps Gavin occupied for several minutes! Thanks Aunt Tara for the slide and blocks!

(And for those of you wondering... we sold/closed on our house October 31st and moved in with my parents until we find a new home after Gavin's surgery... hence the pink, purple walls- my sister's old room and Gavin's new play room!)

ABC's

Gavin is much better... No more coughing, running nose, vomiting, diarrhea or rash! Life is definitely back to a more "normal"! Thank you all for your sweet comments, phone calls, emails and prayers!

We have been on strict house arrest since Gavin's hospital stay so we have been practicing our ABC's... the video is kind of dark and not the best quality, but he was in the mood to sing, so I had to capture the moment right away... enjoy!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Good Bye 2008!

Here is a look back at some of our favorite posts/moments from 2008:

January: Gavin is walking!
February: Celebrating a year since Gavin's Glenn
March: Gavin gets a new cousin!
April: Our 2nd year to participate in the OKC heart walk
May: Mother's Day Trip to Texas
June: Summer Fun!
July: So Small...
August: Coming home from a successful heart cath!
September: Our trip to see Dr. Peter in San Diego
October: Gavin's 2nd Birthday!
November: Picture time!
December: Christmas Train

2008 was full of ups and downs... The ups definitely out weighed the downs.... we are blessed every day to wake up to a precious little boy that rocks our world! I know that 2009 will bring us another heart cath, more hospital stays, more illness, and another heart surgery but we will trust in God and his plan for us in 09. We are so blessed!!

Thank you all for sharing with us in 2008. Here is to a new year with new blessings. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Gavin is having a rough week...

It all started last Sunday when this happened...
Gavin was playing football in the kitchen and slid into the cabinet... taking a piece of wood out of the cabinet and a piece of skin out of the inside of his lip.

By Wednesday this happened...
And by yesterday this happened...

Gavin has now developed a rash from his neck down his chest and stomach. Dr. says it's because he has a virus. This picture doesn't even do it justice.

Poor kid, he needs a break!

Christmas...

at the hospital! Yup, that's right Gavin spent all day Christmas Eve, night and Christmas Day tucked away in a hospital bed. Gavin officially has RSV. Fun stuff!! I am glad to say that we are home now and on the mend. Here are a couple of pictures of Gavin's third Christmas...

He loves his Daddy!

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and you will be richly blessed in the New Year!

Love, Adam, Faith and Gavin

Happy Holidays From Our Family to Yours!!!

Thanks Sharon for designing our card this year, we LOVE it!!!

http://www.redbuddesigns.blogspot.com/

Santa, not so jolly...

Last night was our Mended Little Hearts Christmas party at the Heart Hospital! It was a great night with all of Gavin's heart friends. Dr. Kimberling (Cardiologist at PCO) came and spoke to us about the new children's hospital and the new pediatric cardio/thoracic surgeon. We enjoyed yummy food, cookies and Santa... most of us did... all of us but Gavin. It was bad, really bad. Full on hyperventilating, red face, sweat, rapid heart beat and hard breathing. Not the best scenario for a child with a heart defect. Adam had to take Gavin out in the hall until Santa left. He wanted nothing to do with him. Gavin is not scared of anything. Needles, IV'S, blood, doctors, nurses, water (we are talking about the ocean people!), getting a bruise, scrape, nothing. He hardly cries! However, when it comes to costumes...he HATES costumes...when he met Elmo and the Cow at Chick-fil-a, he was scared, really scared and he cried. When he had to wear his Rooster costume at Halloween, he cried and barely moved in it. Something about those costumes!

Here's how it went: As soon as we said "Santa is coming" and Santa's bells started to ring, Gavin flipped out and squeezed my neck. "Home, Bye-Bye, Now, Gone, All Done, Home, Now, No Santa"... these are just a few of the words that Gavin repeated over and over.

We bribed him with a cookie to get a "picture" with Santa. The best we could get was this: Santa was so small you couldn't even see him! We are going to have to make up a code word for Santa. You say his name and Gavin comes full force to your neck. We might have to skip the whole cookies and milk thing this year. I want a full night of sleep!

(The above picture was taken after Santa had left. Mommy was trying to explain that Santa went back to the North Pole and you don't ever have to see him again... he was still upset)

Christmas Train

This is where I have found my boys a lot lately...

Growing up, we always had a girly Christmas tree, just for me and my sister Kristen. So this year my mom wanted to do a boyish tree for Gavin. She came up with a transportation tree... It has trains, police cars, school bus, boats, airplanes, and more! Mitzi has a train that she let us borrow. It goes around and around the tree, it is complete with smoke, lights and sound effects! Gavin loves it, the child could sit there all day and watch it go! When he woke up from his nap today, he said "TRAIN, CHOO-CHOO, PLEASEEEE!!!!"

This Christmas will be so much fun!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gobble-Gobble, it's Turkey Day!!!

We have so much to be thankful for this year...

another year with Gavin, another year of giggles, hugs and kisses...

so, so thankful! We love you Gavin!!

This year is extra special because I am thankful that on this day four years ago, I married my best friend. I love you Adam and here's to many more Thanksgiving/Anniversaries together!!!

Over due pictures from Halloween...

I just realized I never posted pictures from Gavin's "FIRST" Halloween!! You are probably thinking first?!? The first two Halloweens he was in the hospital... so I wanted to put some pictures up of his first Halloween at home!! Gavin was not a big fan of his costume, but he got the hang of it after he realized everyone else was dressed up. We had a great time, Mimi and Papa came over and we had dinner. Cousins Camryn and Carson came by to take pictures. It was a great night!

Gavin and his "pirate" cousins!

Gavin going trick-or-treating to his friend Danny's house...

Trick-or-treat!

Prayers for Baby Reed and Owen

Over the last few months I got connected with Keeley through Max's mom, Kelly. Keeley is Baby Reed's mother. Reed and his twin Braden were born last week. Reed was born with HLHS and he is now on the waiting list for a heart transplant. He is at the top of the list. Keeley has been such an inspiration to me, she is so faithful and strong through this. I have never read a negative post on her blog, she is always uplifting! I don't really know how to ask for prayers for children who need heart transplants, because in the end another family is loosing their child. I know it is all a part of God's timing and plan, it's just hard to wrap my head around it. I have also been connected to Baby Owen (HLHS) through blogging, his mother Andrea is such a sweet and loving mother. Owen is now waiting in the hospital for his new heart. Please pray for both families as they face the up's and down's through this journey.