Thursday, August 29, 2013

AHA Nashville Heart Walk

The American Heart Association's Nashville Heart Walk is on October 12th.  The Little Heart Heroes team, made up of Colby, Cain, and Nadia, will be participating again this year.  We are excited to be a part of this event every year, because we know just how important funding heart research is.  All of our congenital heart defect kids are alive and well today because of research that was done in the past, and we want the AHA to have the funds needed for ongoing research.  We know that research saves lives!



Please consider making a donation to the American Heart Association's Heart Walk in honor of our little heart hero, Colby.  No amount is too small to help...$10, $25, $50, $100 or more.  Please follow this link to visit Colby's personal page and make a donation today: Colby's Heart Walk Page  We truly appreciate your generosity and support!



We would also love for as many friends and family members as possible to come out on October 12 to walk with us in support of Colby, Cain, and Nadia.  If you can come and walk, just let me know by email to jbbhitchcock@gmail.com.  It is always a fun day!






Happy 7th Birthday Brody!

Brody turned 7 years old on August 22nd. It is so hard for me to believe he is already 7, because I still remember him as the little baby Brody like it was yesterday. People say all the time how kids grow up way too fast, and unfortunately, I'm seeing that for myself now.  I feel like the last 7 years have flown by right before my eyes.  Sometimes I wish I could freeze time.  






We celebrated Brody's birthday with another family lunch at our house, followed by a skull and cross bones ice cream cake from Maggie Moos.  Brody loves Maggie Moos' dark chocolate ice cream!











This birthday celebration ended with an awesome magic show put on by the boys and their cousins.  I love how these 6 always have a great time together...no matter what they are doing.








Happy Birthday Brody Briant!  You are a sweet, sensitive, compassionate, loving, helpful, and hard working boy, and we are very proud of you!  Thank you for always making us smile and bringing so much joy into our lives.  We thank God for allowing us to be your parents.   We love you very much!

Faces of Heart Event at the Zoo

The American Heart Association held a "Faces of Heart Fest" at the Nashville Zoo on August 15th.  There was amazing face painting, a bounce house for the kids, and a great dinner.  Jason and Brody unfortunately couldn't be there, but Colby and I had a lot of fun!  It is always nice to see heart survivors of all ages and talk with other heart parents.  Colby played with Nadia and Cain, and it just made me so happy seeing the three of them running around together.  These 3 share a special bond, and I hope they can be friends forever.




















Colby's Cardiology Checkup

Colby had his 6 month cardiology check up on August 13th.  Believe it or not, going to "his hospital" for his cardiology appointments is one of his favorite things to do.  He absolutely loves all of the nurses, especially Mary Beth, and loves Dr. Doyle.  Watching him just roll with all of the assessments that they have to do is amazing.  He is no longer phased by any of it!  

Everything looks good at this point except for his sats (oxygen saturation), which were a little lower than they should be.  Since his Fontan, his sats have been in the mid to upper 90s, and at this visit, they were around 87.  Dr. Doyle isn't overly concerned at this point, because Colby is having no major symptoms.  We will be returning for another check up in February, and if his sats are still lower than "normal," then Dr. Doyle will need to schedule a cath to find out what could be causing the lower sats.  The problem (if there is one) could be any number of things.  

I wish I could say that I haven't worried about the endless possibilities of what is causing lower sats, but I cannot.  As a mom, and especially as a heart mom, I worry way more than any person should.  I have good days and bad days in regard to thinking about what the near and far future holds for Colby.  There is always that deep fear in the back of my mind that something else could go wrong with his half of a heart.  

Today, though, I'm not letting that fear take over!  Today, I am thankful for the health that Colby is experiencing right now.  I'm thankful that he went to Kindergarten today excited about being the line leader and getting to share his Disney World photo book for show and tell.  I'm thankful that he doesn't truly understand all that he has endured in his first three years of life.  I'm thankful that his biggest worry is whether or not he will get another lego set or another spiderman to play with.  I'm thankful that he is unbelievably happy all of the time!  Today, I am thankful!  

I have no idea what tomorrow might bring, but none of us do.  I will trust in God's plans and do my best to enjoy every second I am given with my beautiful family.  I will also do my best to not worry and dwell on the "what ifs" that enter my thoughts.  "Who of  you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Brody's 1st Baseball Season

Brody has been wanting to try baseball for at least a year, but he never wanted to miss out on a soccer season.  So, we found a solution by signing him up for summer baseball.  He had a really great coach that taught all of the boys a lot about the sport, but most importantly, he provided an environment that let them have fun and gain confidence in themselves.  Thank you for a great first experience with baseball Coach Brian!  




Wednesday, August 28, 2013

First Day of School

Our boys started school on August 5.  I cannot believe how fast the summer flew by.  I am going to miss having these two crazy kids with me every day!

Brody is now in the 1st grade at Merrol Hyde Magnet School.  He passed Merrol Hyde's admissions test and was 8th on the waiting list before Kindergarten.  The Tuesday before school started this year, the principal at Merrol Hyde called to let us know that a spot had just opened and Brody was next on the list.  We never expected him to get in so quickly, but we are very excited that he did!  We are looking forward to a great year of learning and fun with his teacher, Mrs. Pinson.  




Colby starts Kindergarten this year at Hendersonville Bible Kindergarten with Mrs. Becky and Mrs. Jamie.  I cannot believe that he is 5 and starting Kindergarten! They are both growing up way too fast!  I keep reminding myself that with his birthday being right at the cut off in August, though, we are going to have him repeat Kindergarten again next year (like Brody did).  That has kept me from completely falling apart emotionally.  Next year, on the other hand, I will be a mess!



Jason has recently changed jobs, and his new job has given him the opportunity to take the boys to school occasionally and sometimes even pick them up.  Brody and Colby are loving this, and I am too.   I am very thankful for this blessing of more time with Jason!

Watch out Kindergarten...here comes Colby!!!


Friday, August 23, 2013

Happy 5th Birthday Colby!

March 25, 2008 is a day that Jason and I will never forget...the day of our 20 week ultrasound.  The excitement of hearing that we were having another boy was quickly changed into a fear that I have never experienced in my entire life.  My OB walked into the room with tears in her eyes,  and I knew something was very wrong.  She explained that our baby's heart did not develop correctly.  She sent us immediately over to an office that specializes in reading ultrasounds, and what we were told there will always haunt me.  Our baby boy has a severe congenital heart defect, was in heart failure, and could possibly die before or shortly after birth. That was the only information they gave us that day, or at least that is the only thing I can remember from that visit.  They scheduled us an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist at Vanderbilt for two days later and sent us home.  Jason and I left that appointment completely heart broken.  We had no idea how we would get through the next two days.  

After a lot of prayer and a lot of crying, we went to meet with the cardiologist, Dr. Liske.  He did a fetal echo and confirmed the diagnosis...tricuspid atresia, hypoplastic right heart syndrome, a large VSD, and bilateral SVCs.  He agreed that our baby would have a tough start in life facing 3 open heart surgeries before 3 years old, but he said something that Jason and I both desperately  needed to hear.  He told us that our baby boy had a great "chance" of living to be an old, grey haired man.  He also gave us a statistic that stuck with us...the survival rate to 5 years of age for babies with this type of defect is 85%.  Colby Chance has officially made it into that 85% by celebrating his 5th birthday on August 4th!  We are so incredibly thankful for this little guy and thankful that God has trusted us to be his parents.  






We celebrated Colby's big day with a family lunch at our house.  Colby and Brody have been blessed with 4 awesome cousins, and we were so happy that they could all be here to help us celebrate.











No party would be complete without karaoke and a dance party!!  Colby is never afraid to perform!


Happy Birthday sweet boy!  Your love for life, your toughness, and your happiness in all circumstances is truly inspiring.  You are our little miracle, and we thank God daily for you!