Snacks for Santa

We never seem to find the time (or patience) for much holiday baking, but one snack we do enjoy making (and eating) is chocolate covered pretzels. Yesterday my little Joseph elf was dipping pretzels. It was all he could do to avoid sampling his holiday treat as he concentrated on coating the salty snacks with just the right amount of creamy chocolate.

"Mommy," he remarked, "we could give some of these pretzels to Santa!" Afterall, Mommy hadn't made cookies to leave him, he thought to himself, so pretzels would just have to do.

"Oh, yes, Big Boy," Mommy replied. "I know Santa would love some of your pretzels! What a great idea!"

"Because Santa likes to eat stuff that makes you fat," Joseph continued. "Steak makes you fat. We can make him a steak..."

"Yeah, he does like food that makes you fat." Don't we all???

My little elf continued to dip pretzels. He worked ever so carefully now, imagining how the Big Man in the Red Suit would delight in his creations. After all, keeping Santa going on a cold night is serious business. Then Joseph stopped dead in his tracks, as it dawned on him the perfect elixir to wash down all his yummy pretzels.

"We need to give Santa CAFFEINE so he can stay up all night!!!"

So I suppose tonight we'll leave not a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, but some chocolate pretzels and a Mountain Dew. Whatever it takes to keep Santa going... from our house to yours...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

'Tis the Season... to Be Busy

I was so excited to be home this year for the holidays. A year ago today, we were still in Michigan awaiting discharge from the hospital. A winter storm threatened our return trip home, and we feared we would miss celebrating with our older children. We eventually arrived home late Christmas evening, and though the holiday was miraculous and joyful in so many ways, it was certainly far from "traditional." And so this year, I was eager to do all those wonderful "Christmas" things that seem such a crucial part of every December. And in all our "busy"-ness to get everything just right for the "perfect" holiday, I'm afraid we often overlooked the real meaning of the HOLYday.

So Friday night, after wrapping gifts, tying bows, and addressing Christmas cards, the family sat down to watch "The Nativity Story."


The movie is a beautiful depiction of our most beloved Bible story. We were reminded of the sacrifices that our Holy Mother and dear Saint Joseph made to help bring our Savior into the world. We recall the story of St. John the Baptist's birth, the journey of the Wise Men from the East, and the innocent lives lost to the jealousy of an evil King Herod. Our boys sat glued to the television, asking question after question, anticipating the excitement of an already familiar plot, and pondering the beauty and significance of that very first Christmas. This time with my family (albeit in front of a TV,) was a welcome "break" from all the secular preparations of an overly commercialized time of year.

Fortunately the family has been healthy and hoping to stay that way for the holiday. The boys have a lingering cough from a cold that held on for weeks, but are otherwise full of energy and excitement. Zachy visited his pediatrician last week for his 12-month checkup, and weighed in at a mere 18 lb. 15 oz. He is currently in just the 3rd percentile for weight and the 9th for height, but still he is growing and developing normally and his doctor was very happy with how well he is doing. Last night he received his second Synagis vaccination, which is proving to be a traumatizing event each month. As soon as Zachy saw the nurse start to clean and fill the syringes, he began to cry and try to break out of my arms. I'm afraid the ordeal will only get more dramatic before his respite this spring.

As promised, we leave you with a few pictures of Zachy's big birthday celebration and some shots of our other little blessings this exciting time of year:

Here's a video of Zachy with his buddy Brodie, who is just one month younger than him. For a minute, Zachary is happy to share his birthday toy. But he soon changes his mind!

Finally, it's MY TURN for a piece of cake!

Joseph making crafts in "Santa's Workshop" at school

David...playing with Bionicles on slabs of ice, barefoot...in a coat

Zachy wants out there, too!

Sammmy's testing out his John Deere Christmas lights

When it's cold outside, David and Joseph stay cozy warm in their fort--at the foot of our stairs!

Alex enjoys a little online shopping--for himself!

Zachy found something interesting in the cupboard...

Joseph is exhausted after all his Christmas shopping!

Uncle Michael and Aunt Lisa help Zachy open his very first Christmas present this year!

The bigger boys enjoyed playing with their presents at a family party over the weekend

David became an instant celebrity at school when he took his geckos for show-and-tell!

Family Pictures

Zachary had a fun party Sunday with a good turnout. He got to celebrate with lots of family, friends, and even his cardiologist! Thanks to all of you who were able to come, and all who sent their happy birthday wishes. We will post pictures soon!

Today we want to share our family Christmas pictures. Fortunately the sitting was not too painful an experience, but we did have some trouble getting all of us to look at the camera, much less put on a good smile! Still, family pictures were long overdue, and we are pleased to share them with you!

This is my favorite pose. I chose the color version for our blog header!

Our five little blessings

Do you see a sneaky someone in the background? (David)

Happy Birthday, Little Zachary!

Happy birthday, sweet baby!

On Wednesday Zachary turned ONE YEAR OLD! He has been through so much in his first year, but today you would hardly notice. Zachy is a happy, busy baby. He crawls all over the house, laughs, dances, and pulls up on furniture. He's starting to exert that toddler independence in the way he resists diaper changes, tries to feed himself, adamantly protests anything he dislikes, and interacts with his brothers. He says "Dada" and "Mama", plays pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo, and even folds his hands at prayer time. Lately he has become interested in the Christmas tree, and those of you who visit on Sunday may notice his, um, rearrangement of the bottom branches.

Shortly after his birth, doctors whisked Zachy away to intensive care, where they promptly hooked him up to all his monitors and IV. We didn't get that time after birth to bond, to inspect every detail of his sweet little body, to nurse him and shower him with welcome kisses. Fortunately for Zachary, he remained stable until surgery and we eventually did get that bonding time. His doctors later allowed him to breastfeed, which gave him the extra boost that helped him through that first surgery. And one year later, he still loves that special Mommy time.

Today we are thanking God for Zachary's first year. We are grateful to have the most critical part of his life behind us. We are thankful to have reached this milestone that some heart families never reach.

And we are thankful for all of you, who over the past year have kept Zachary close to your hearts. You have supported us in time, with help, gifts, food, and even money. Most importantly, you have persevered in prayer for our baby and our family. Your support means more to us than you will ever know. We could never have traveled this road without you. We cannot possibly thank you enough!

Zachy still has a tough and uncertain road ahead. He will most likely undergo his third and hopefully final corrective surgery this summer. He will remain on heart medications and continue to see his cardiologist for life. He is at increased risk for serious complications such as infection, respiratory distress, and cardiac failure. Our hope is that his reconstructed heart will remain strong, but we know that the possibility of a future transplant is very real. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. And as always, remember all children who suffer from congenital heart disease.

This weekend, though, we're not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. WE'RE CELEBRATING THE PRESENT! Zachy is 1 and we're having a party! We hope to see all of you there! Stop by our house Sunday afternoon, anytime between 1 and 4 pm. Bring your friends, bring your children, bring your appetite (refreshments will be served.) Please do not bring presents, but if you were able to help a charity in honor of Zachy, be sure to tell us. Click this link for more information, and contact me if you need directions!

Thankful

Happy belated Thanksgiving to you all! I had hoped to write a thought-provoking, inspirational reflection on the holiday, but time got away... We are thankful that this year, we were with our family, our children, and our baby Zachary, at home, healthy, and engaged in such normalcy that we didn't find time to write!

We are thankful for our faith, for our gracious God, who gives us everything we have. He sends the trials that help us grow stronger, and He lends His graces to help us through them.

We are thankful for our Five Little Blessings, for all the funny things they say, for their sweet faces, their sense of humor, their love...

We are thankful for our parents, our brothers, sisters, and family who helped form our character, who support us in all we do, who always step in to lend a hand.

We are thankful that Steve's parents drove fourteen hours to be with us this holiday, to see their grandchildren, and to help us organize the house.

We are thankful for our friends who are there in the thick and the thin, friends since childhood, friends we met just months ago, mommy friends, daddy friends, school friends, church friends, heart friends, blog friends!

We are thankful for Steve's job, his managers, and work colleagues. They have been so understanding this year, especially during Zachary's hospitalizations. At a time when so many families are without an income, we are especially grateful for employment.

We are thankful for the food we eat, our home, the beds where we sleep... So much we take for granted, yet so many people do without...

I recently looked back on Zachary's CarePage from a year ago, when we were staying at the Ronald McDonald House a thousand miles from home. We were still waiting for our baby to be born, and quite uncertain of his prognosis. We are thankful that in two short days, he will celebrate his first birthday. We are thankful for his special heart, which pumps enough blood to his head for extreme hair growth! It warranted another haircut this weekend:
which resulted in our baby looking more like a "boy" with even more striking resemblance to his brothers.


We are thankful that, aside from Zachy's heart, he is otherwise developmentally "normal." He crawls quickly and tirelessly, and also practices daily yoga:

(the "down dog" pose)

We are thankful for all of YOU, and for those who can help us celebrate Zachy's birthday this weekend! Take a break from your holiday shopping and stop by for some cake and refreshments (party details here.) Be sure to let us know if you helped a charity in Zachy's honor! And please continue to pray for our Zachy, so that his special heart will pump away for many birthdays to come.

No, David!

Zachary has recovered from his cold and respiratory problems of the last couple weeks. Yesterday he received his first Synagis vaccine of the season, but since he is bigger, he needed two shots instead of one! (This is his $3,000 monthly injection to protect against RSV.) Poor baby... tomorrow we take him for his second flu shot, and he will soon be due for his second H1N1 vaccination. Still, he is happy and busy as he approaches his first birthday! We look forward to seeing everyone at his party on December 6. Click this link for your very special invitation!

If you don't know my Davey, you can get a sense for his personality from David Shannon's books:

Like the character, our David is simply energetic, curious, and hands-on. He has his own unique way of doing... just about everything.


He loves dinosaurs, animals, building things, swimming, and riding his bike. Lately, he has found a new interest. Last week, he started talking affectionately about a little girl at school, and the other day he met the neighbor girl. I was careful not to tease or interrogate him over the delicate matter, as I know with my older Alex that girls are a touchy subject. But shortly before dinner, David burst triumphantly through the front door and exclaimed, "Now I have two girlfriends!" He went on and on about how Anna is interested in his rock collection, how Morgan is his new friend at school, and how someday he will have to decide which to marry. Then he grabbed a fistful of roasted turkey, ran back outside, and proceeded to offer his new friend a bit of dinner. Steve and I giggled at David's excitement, but we had to put our foot down when he asked if he could invite her for a sleepover!

So now our seven year-old is discovering the opposite sex (which, in our household, is considered a great mystery.) But unlike his older brother, he's not afraid to share his "knowledge" of the female species. Several weeks ago, he helped me run an errand to Target. While passing by the lingerie department, David's eyes grew big as he pointed out,

"Mommy, look at all those bras! Wow, why do they make them so BIG?!"

"Because some ladies need them that big."

"Oh, yeah--that's right," he seemed to recollect, "...because of plastic surgery!"

New Pictures

Here are some new pictures of a couple of my handsome little heartthrobs:




Alex is such a stud! Click here for more.




How my little Joseph is growing up! Find more pictures of him here.

David, too, is due for pictures, but ugh, two at a time is hard enough! Family pictures are next week, and I'm dreading the thought of coordinating that!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for Zachary's 1st birthday party on December 6. Click this link for more information.