Monday, February 21, 2011

Happy Norwood-iversary

One year ago today, our baby boy underwent the most complex surgery in the pediatric cardiothorasic field. We kept the blog updated that day. These were the updates from that day:

9:26am And so it begins
They just took Bodie back for surgery. Hands down hardest thing I've ever experienced as a parent is to let your child go knowing it may be the last time you see him alive. Hoping and praying for the best, but finding it hard to stay strong at the moment. Please stay strong for us.
Prep should take about 1 and 1/2 hours, the actual surgery about 45 min and then another hour and a half or so to stabilize and close him. So, we probably won't have an update for a while.
Please, please, please pray!

10:14am No update, but a thank you
No updates yet, but I just wanted to let you know how much better we're feeling already. I know it's 100% because of the infusion of prayer we've gotten in the last hour. So thank you!!! Please keep praying that Jesus is watching over our sweet little boy!

11:49am Update
Just finishing up the surgery - his heart is beating now and he's off bypass! PRAISE GOD!!!

3:38pm Bodie is Stable!
Dusk and I just left the hospital. Today went as well as it could have - praise God! Bodie's back in the CTICU on more meds than I can count, lots of tubes, wires and catheters, a ventilator and under heavy sedation - all to be expected. The next 24-48 hours are all about making sure complications are avoided. Then, they start thinking about weaning him off the vent, sedation, etc. And see truly how well his little body does. So, thank you for all of your prayers - and please keep them coming!!! He'll continue to need them, especially during this critical period!
- Dusk and Amy

This was our sweet boy, one year ago today...

And by the grace of God, this was our sweet boy TODAY...

Could we possibly be any more grateful or blessed? NO. And on that note, I thought it was time to share some pictures from his birthday festivities this past weekend.

But first, a little background. The theme for the party was Bumblebees. Bumblebees anatomically should not be able to fly. Their bodies are too big and their wings are too small. And yet, they completely defy the odds to soar. How perfectly does that describe our little miracle?

The invitations for the party (thank you Sara Seipler, you are AMAZING!!!)

Favors! (props to fellow heart mom Kathy for the favor ideas!)
Hand sanitizer

Thank-you notes Sixlets (mini-chocolate candy) in honey bears
Most. Amazing. Cake. Ever.
Provided by Icing Smiles, a nonprofit organization that links bakers across the country with the families of critically ill children. The bakers make specialty cakes for free for the children and their siblings. If your child is in the hospital, they'll even deliver it for free! Icing Smiles connected us with the Cake Divas, in Culver City. Absolutely incredible cake!!!

Bodie checking out his cake, ready to dive right in!

Bodie and his girlfriend, fellow CHD warrior, Barbara Ann, aka "Babs." Babs and Bodie were roommates in the CTICU after his first surgery. Babs is amazing. Just a bit younger than Bodie and already WALKING! She was doing her thing, showing off, crawling and walking everywhere and Bodie decided he needed to step up his game (he heard there's a contest for her little heart), so, since then, has been crawling EVERYWHERE! Wahoo! No more using his shirts to mop up my floors! Thank you Babs!

Snuggling with Auntie Jen (one of the first times ever he's let a non-relative hold him without losing his cookies!)
The heart momma's and babes in attendance: Bodie (HLHS, 1 year), Townes (HLHS, 2 years), Babs (Valve repair, 1 year) (believe it or not, this was the best pic we got of all 6 of us!)
As you can see, the pic with just the kiddos didn't fare much better...
Bodie was obsessed with the darling bumblebee balloon that Sara (Townes's mama) brought him:
The whole fam with the amazing cake
Trying out the cake (was there any doubt this kid was going to like his cake after his shenanigans earlier this week?) (You'll notice that mommy wisened up this time around and made his personal cake vanilla - no more chocolate clean-up!)
We mentioned the kid likes cake, right? Ah, the sheer excitement...

Ahem, he had a hard time getting through the frosting, so he just gave up, picked up the whole cake and started eating - hilarious!!!

He couldn't figure out what the big deal was - isn't that what you're supposed to do with a cake?
Although Saturday was a bittersweet day (I apologize for taking a couple of days to get the pics up; honestly, I have had a very hard time dealing with Travis's passing and just haven't been able to bring myself to post the pictures), we were so grateful for the past year that we've had with Bodie and pray for many, many more! Thank you to all of you that have prayed for Bodie and our entire family during this past year - we love you all!

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8 comments:

  1. I'm so glad I could help make his day that much more special! (PS -- The label turned out awesome!!!)

    Lots of prayers for many more special days like this one. Bodie will always be near to our hearts!!

    Lots of love, Sara & Emma

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  2. What a special day...he is amazing. I remember following his journey and praying so hard for your whole family. Look at him now...he is such a happy, thriving little man.

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  3. I found your blog through another heart blog that drew my attention to Travis (who I didn't even know about until Sunday and now I keep crying thinking of him). I am happy to know of little Bodie and to know of another baby and family to remember in my thoughts and prayers. I am glad he had such an amazing birthday! He's a total cutie!

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  4. Looks like a great birthday party! This is the cutest theme idea EVER! Looove it.

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  5. My sweet miracle baby.

    I was HONORED to take part in your birthday celebration.

    I love you.

    You are AMAZING!

    Nairi and Family

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  6. What a great birthday party! Looked like so much fun!
    The Norwood WAS by far the hardest thing to do! Reading you post from that day reminds me of the fear and anixiety we all feel that day.
    So glad he is doing so well.

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  7. The bumblebee party couldn't be MORE appropriate! I didn't know that about them, but how perfect. :) It looks like Bodie had a great party and was loving that cake.

    Thank you for sharing your precious miracle. :)

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  8. Hi Amy, I've been following your blog and Bodie's journey for awhile now and love your stories. I loved the bumblebee idea. I tried to do something similar with my youngest but with a Butterball Turkey, and apparently that's a little harder to find. :) Anyways, loved the pictures and loved Bodies shirt. Where'd you get it? Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your lives with Bodies fight.

    Mandie Hamrick

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