CHD Awareness Week Day 1: Diagnosis

February is CHD (Congenital Heart Disease) Awareness Month.

This week 2/7 - 2/14 is CHD Awareness Week.  Today is Day 1 of the CHD Awareness Week Challenge.  

So over the next week I will highlight how our family has been impacted by CHD.  

My Boy Nate is the highlight of the week and our CHD Warrior! He is our Heart Warrior.  

♥️ Born on Heart Day - Valentines Day

♥️ Born with Heart Disease

♥️ Born with a Heart that Loves others more deeply then most

He is our Heart Warrior!  And This week coincides perfectly with his 16th birthday coming up… what a way to highlight his life while raising awareness!

Day 1: Diagnosis Day

Nate was born on February 14th. I don’t remember if it was that day or the following day 2/15 (most likely the following because I had a c-section and was in recovery for the entire day)… my husband, Jeremy and I were told that Nate was born with VSD (ventricular septal defect), a hole in his heart. So his initial diagnosis - at birth!

In the days, weeks, and months to come he would go through so many tests and there were so many wires everywhere….you couldn’t even see his little baby self through all the wires on that first EKG which was at 1 week old. 

We would be told that the VSD was large but partially blocked…keeping the amount of blood leaking through to a minimum and so we would just watch and wait. 

Age 2 1/2 we would find out that he developed 3 other heart conditions (common with someone who has VSD)…Sub-Aortic Membrane Growth, Sub-Aortic Prolapse, and thickening of the heart muscle itself from overworking.

He would then go on to have open heart surgery at the age of 3 (different post for a different day this week) which would lead to yet another diagnosis of complete heart block.

This pic is of Nate at age 3 arriving at our “2nd home” Children's Hospital of Philadelphia at 4am on his surgery day!

#CHDAware #CHDAwareness #CHDAwarenessWeek #CHDWarrior #HeartWarrior #HeartWarriorMom #CHDMom #1in110 #CongenitalHeartDefect #CongenitalHeartDisease #CHDHeartWarrior #VSD #Diagnosis #CHOP #ChildrensHospitalOfPhadelphia

Frustrations

I would love to use my blog to be transparent but I just don't know if I could deal with all the opinions.

If I posted anonymously then I don't think I would take the opinions personally.

Hmmm

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Thank You to Lydia Vazquez for the nomination!  I have accepted the challenge.  I nominate Jeremy Schoenrock Sr, Jeremy Schoenrock Jr, Tammi Schoenrock, Todd Schoenrock, and Neil Schafer!

I have donated and here is the video of me being frozen!  Don't forget to donate as well as freeze!  24 hours to donate $10 & dump ice water or donate $100!

Where do You Stand? Embryonic Stem Cell Research

                  What a controversial question!

So here is a moral question that has been brought up by the ALS challenge:

After doing research there are a ton of organizations and foundations that support Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

One that is close to my heart is cancer foundations.  A huge majority of cancer research is from stem cells.  So as a Christian holding to the values of pro-life, that life begins at conception, if you were diagnosed with cancer would you refuse treatment because of how they came about finding that treatment, through stem cell?!

I just never thought about it before but I am pro life....however I feel the same as Kelly Black who posted in response to my question above when I posted it on FB:

"If we denied all things that were against our beliefs, we'd be stuck in our homes w/ no tv, no radio, no cars, etc. we'd basically be Amish. Sometimes I feel like we take stands way too much. Yes it's sad and wrong that they use stem cells. Yes we wish we could have it another way. But when push comes to shove and if you or you're loved one needed a treatment that had been researched on a stem cell, I know I would take it if it meant saving my or my family members life."

...especially since I've been directly effected by my dad dying of brain cancer and Nathan with his heart conditions and pacemaker...both diseases do their majority of research with stem cells.  If it was just stem cells from umbilical cord that wouldn't make me seek the thoughts of others.  But some research comes from aborted fetuses and from fertilization outside of the womb...which then means the baby dies and is discarded after.

Every time I say, "It's Been a While"

So every time I blog I find myself saying, "It's been a while".  Ugh!

I really want to blog but I am not consistent. I am not disciplined and this is in all aspects of my life. Well except when I have an OCD moment!  

I recently discovered that my lack of disciple comes from my OCD desire!  My perfectionism!  If I can't do it perfect, my way, every time, then I can't do it.  Not even a little bit. So if I don't have enough time to clean the kitchen completely from too to bottom, scrub every inch then I can't even start the dishes. 

Yes I know you read that and think, boy what an excuse!  Well I actually thought the same thing. I would beat myself up about t, go crazy! It would start me into a spiral of depression.  Crazy, I know.

So I have been trying to do a little of every thing without finishing it perfectly.  Without being OCD about it. I've started small with straightening the living room but leaving some things around.  Now I'm going to blog knowing that I won't be able to do it every day.

So here's to a new project to work on my  OCD!

IDK

I just don't know!

Christmas Wreath

Well this Christmas season I've been behind on my decorations but I thought that I would not let that stop me.

Despite getting our tree two weeks ago, putting it up and decorating it I never used the cut off branches to make my wreath so tonight I finally did.

I was also babysitting tonight so I had a helper, Allie Adams!

So below is the tutorial on how to make a Christmas wreath:

First, here are the items that you need:

     - Wire Wreath Frame

     -  Green Floral Wire (I used 22 gauge)

     -  Wire cutters

     -  Wire Edged Ribbon

     -  Accent Decorations, you can use anything you want (I got mine from the dollar store)

Grab a group of tree sprigs

Place the springs on the wireframe

Secure the sprigs to the frame with the floral wire making sure that it's very tight

Continue the top three steps overlapping each group on the one before again and again until you get around the entire frame

Now you have a wreath un-decorated, looking something like this

You may want to flip the wreath over and using your cutters or needle nose pliers, lightly grab the floral wire and twist which pulls the wire just a little bit tighter

If you do need to tighten the wire in the back it'll look something like this

Okay now for the decorations!

I like to start with the bow.  Use wire edge ribbon to create your bow.  Thanks to the CookingAndCrafting video for refreshing my memory.  Check out the video if you need help!  

Place the bow on the wreath where you want...on the top, the bottom, the side, it's up to you.  I placed mine on the bottom

Evenly place your decorations around the race however you want.  You may need to use the floral wire to secure your decorations. I use decorations that had wire in them and didn't need to use the extra floral wire

Then hang your wreath and show off your finish product