Annual Cardiology Tests...

This year Braden's cardiologist wanted to add in another test.  A stress test.  So, we had to spread his testing into three visits.  Otherwise he would have been there all day.

Aug 2, 2013 First he had his echo appointment.

It was a tech we didn't know and it went quickly. It's hard to sit for an hour and not have her be able to tell you anything. He watched the movie and we watched the echo screen. 

8/21/13 A few weeks later we went in for a stress test. It's the first time he's ever done one. He wasn't nervous, I was for some reason. They started with some breathing tests. They were amusing to watch. 

Blood pressure

Getting a resting EKG 

He had to blow like he was blowing out candles, huff and puff and a few others.

Then they got him all fitted in his mask. The blue cuff was his blood pressure, he also had a continuous EKG. The mask sent readout straight to the computer. It was so cool to watch. 

First he started out walking at a slow speed and as the test went on it got faster and faster and the incline went higher and higher. 

He got going pretty fast! The MA had to stand at the back to make sure he didn't go flying off. 

All in all he ran for about 15 minutes. He wasn't tired but his legs were burning. Whose wouldn't be?? The doctor performing the test said he did amazing on it. He said there's a standard for CHD kids and Braden was above "normal" kid standards.

8/29/13 Finally it was time to have his actual appointment with his doctor. He was weighed and had his blood pressure done. He had been doing math homework in the waiting room and when his BP was a little high we blamed it on that. Dr Nowlen was pleased with his test results. He let us read the report from the stress test. Braden tested at 119%. Well, well above normal CHD and "regular" kids. There is still some turbulence in the areas where the repair was done and because of that he will see us again in a year. Every year we hope to go to 2 years in between appointments. Maybe next time. 

I love that we usually end up chatting for a while after the appointment is over. He's been so great with us. Can't believe we hit the 10 year post op anniversary this month! We are so blessed that Braden is doing as well as he is. 

VTU...

8.27.13
I have served on our ward's Relief Society Committee since we became a ward last year.  It is so fun to plan the activities for the "Additional Relief Society Meetings" aka Homemaking aka Enrichment. I work with a great group of women who are very talented.  When we first started planning this activity back in April we were super excited for it.  We wanted to have an activity centered around Visiting Teaching, but not make it boring.  One sister, Rochelle, had had something similar to this in a previous ward and had saved all the papers from it! Win! We worked through the summer getting things prepped and once we got back from all our trips we began putting the final arrangements together.  I didn't get a picture of all of us in our VTU shirts, but they turned out cute.  I made about a dozen for the night.  {And I have to make a note for me, I gave a talk in church two days before this so I had a busy couple of weeks. }

Finally, the day came and we met to set up early.  I left after an hour to deal with my crazy boys. But the transformation was awesome. Here are some pictures of the set up...

 As they came in the foyer there was Registration.  We broke the table up by last name.  The tables were manned by our VT supervisors.  When you checked in they gave you a packet with some essentials for the night; class schedule, pen, ruler handout, VT roster (I will take a picture of it). As well as a current VTing route.

 In the cultural hall we had long tables set up like desks.  We covered them with white butcher paper.

 We used the bell to "change classes"rather than move every few minutes we stayed in the same place the entire time.

 The jars were filled with school supplies, erasers, crayons, glue, pencils, pens etc.  Other than the jars I brought from home, (which Boss broke a lid to, geez that kid!) all the contents were donated.

 This was the refreshments table and  the area where we collected donations.  I really should have taken a picture after because it was filled to the brim with paper, backpacks, crayons and other essentials.  The Young Women in our ward will now put the items into the backpacks and then we will take them to a local charity we work with.

 These might have been my favorite part of the night.  The "refreshments." Heidi ran the bags through the printer to put our logo on.  Inside we had fruit leather, chips, a homemade granola bar and a lunch sack note.

 I mean come on, how cute???

 Here was our PE area, and below was our Teacher's desk.

We had the following class schedule:
Orientation, the Pledge, a cheer by our very own VTU cheerleaders, History, P.E., Statistics, Film, Communications, Study Hall and Choir.  Each class was just a few minutes long and was taught by a member of either the RS committee, RS VT supervisor or someone in the RS presidency.

 Some of our lovely supervisors, Jamie, Margaret, Scarlett (below) Julia, RaeChelle

 Barbara gave the welcome.  She is one of the co-heads of the committee (and you can see the t-shirts I made in this picture)

 Nothing will sadden me more for a while than the fact that I didn't video this cheer.  Brittany wrote it and it was about our ward and how visiting teaching is never done.  Best cheer squad ever (Angela, Brittany, Amanda, Alli, Sarah) Thanks for keeping those cheer skills sharp ladies!

 During Scarlett's PE class we had to stretch and get warmed up for the game we played.

 Scar leading the stretching.  She got roped into teaching this class because she's my friend, hopefully she still is :) She did amazing.

 At the end of the game here were our three winners- their prize? Doing everyone else's VTing.  Ha ha.

 Donna and Marge taught statistics and we even had a pop quiz.  Luckily the answers were in the packet.

 After watching a funny film on how NOT to visit teach, Jamie taught us about the importance of good communications with an old fashion game of telephone.

Great job Jamie. I got to be the Choir Director (I led the songs) and the Ecclesiastic Professor (I said the closing prayer).  It was a fun night, we had an amazing turnout, and now we are ready to plan our Christmas program!

The Rafferty Triplets!!!

My first cousin Genny and her hubby JJ welcomed triplet boys last week on the 21st. She was such a trooper and made it to 31 weeks before baby C decided he was better out than in. Once she went back for her C section they had all three babies out within the SAME minute.  They were delivered in ABC order.  When they were a few days old Rusty, my parents and I got to go meet them. -Side note, I'm really glad we got our Whooping cough vaccines early so we didn't have to wait to see them in the NICU. All of the boys are a little jaundice so they had the super cool eye masks and blue lights in their isolets. They also have feeding tubes, and the other wires you see are for temperature (the gold heart sticker) and vitals monitoring.

i

This is Asher "Baby A" he was 4 lbs and 16.5 inches  Seriously, look at the size of his head compared to that paci! So tiny! 

This is Brooks "Baby B" he woke up and watched us the entire time we were there. He was the biggest of the bunch at 4' 11oz and 18 inches. He kept wiggling to the edge of the isolet and had his feeding tube stretched to its limits.  

This is Genny and Caden "Baby C" She hadn't been able to hold him out of the isolet yet so she was loving this chance to hold him-ish as they changed his diaper. Baby C is who got the party started. He was the smallest of the three weighing only 2'14oz. and 14 inches long.  Can you see his eyes? He was awake a lot while we were there too.

Preemies are super sensitive to all kinds of things, so the room lights were kept low, you talk quiet and when they need to be comforted you can't stroke them like you would a normal newborn.  You do this technique that I will now call "the Baby Sqwash". You take their feet in one hand, and their head in the other and sorta sqwish them into themselves.  How do I know so much about the "Baby Sqwashing?" Because I got to settle Mr Brooks down.

Asher slept the whole time we were there but when Caden was being changed Brooks started fussing and his heart rate shot up, so since I was the closet I got to calm him down. I would calm him and then when I would try to remove my hands from the isolet he would get mad again.  I gave him his pacifier, which by the way all three babies have a good suck which is really remarkable for their age, and I could have stood there holding him all night.  I don't think it was coincidence that of the babies it was the baby with the B name that I gravitated to.

We left the hospital and headed to Genny's house to give her some gifts and visit a little bit more.  Jace (her son) and Rylie (her oldest and now the ONLY girl) had a blast taking me from room to room in the NICU and again at their house.  Rylie was even wearing the shirt I made her.

These were some of the others.  Genny and JJ are music people.  That is putting it mildly, so I had to make some musically minded clothes for the babies.

 Jace's shirt

 Rylie's shirt

 JJ's shirt, the back above and the front below

 Somehow I ended up not getting a picture of the front of Genny's shirt. It had three babies on it and it said FAQ- the back had the answers. Some times I amuse myself.

 And the triplet's onesies. One of the music references for each and then a set of the "triplet" ones.

I know, I am very punny. Can't wait to see the babies big enough to wear them!