tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69075656748803079012012-02-17T16:52:18.302-08:00Seeing the heart of God through Luke's heartThe Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.comBlogger2751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-88815071472237448502012-02-13T10:31:00.000-08:002012-02-13T15:36:28.202-08:00

I don't think I've ever dedicated a post to Luke's pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Stefanelli, but if you've read much of my writing, you'll know how much we love this man. The same day we heard the words, "We think there's something wrong with your baby's heart", Dr. Stefanelli, across town, had a cancellation. "He's really great. You'll like him," our OB said as she was setting up our appointment

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-90448731289895202322012-02-03T14:32:00.000-08:002012-02-03T14:32:47.570-08:00

I find it so fitting that the first book Luke authored is about his heart. I so wish eating carrots and apples were all it took to keep your special heart healthy, buddy. I wish you didn't have to take medicine every day and I wish you didn't have to have another heart surgery, but I continue to hold out so much hope for your future. There are people out there like Dr. Martin

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-14247788755651689102012-01-29T15:19:00.000-08:002012-01-30T09:27:30.391-08:00

I have to admit that I love math. I love numbers and how each problem has a nice, tidy answer. I don't think I could correctly recall the quadratic equation, but there is another equation that I will never forget: God > There is nothing you could put in the right-hand side of that equation to make it false. Nothing. Not the diagnosis of a missing ventricle  not open-heart surgery

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-80904648015956918842012-01-24T06:40:00.000-08:002012-01-24T07:45:13.229-08:00

Laney just finished up her eighth month of life. In every way imaginable, it was different from Luke's eighth month. Luke's eighth month was almost entirely spent at Children's hospital, recovering from the bi-directional Glenn, his second open-heart surgery. It also included an unexpected trip back to the O.R. for a diaphragm surgery. I try not to spend too much time dwelling on how different

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-77662832502888207682012-01-23T12:15:00.000-08:002012-01-23T12:15:28.383-08:00

Luke recently discovered Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, the T.V. show on Nickelodeon. He so likes this show he decided to forgo his original idea of a dinosaur party (you read right, he forewent dinosaurs) and instead have a Kung Fu Panda party for his big fifth birthday. This would be his first "friend" birthday party and I love who he chose to invite. His best buddy, Marcus, of

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-35192933355547771362012-01-21T17:43:00.000-08:002012-01-21T17:44:06.186-08:00

I'm pretty sure the Lava Monsters creamed Luke's team, the Force, on Monday night. Actually, I'm very sure. I'm also very sure watching four and five year olds "play" basketball is a humorous and delightful experience. Luke's first game was on his birthday and my newly-turned five year old made his basketball debut doing this: cheering his head off ... this: giving the fans what they want

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-26307188847511432482012-01-06T07:40:00.000-08:002012-01-06T10:48:13.457-08:00

... We really need to do something about that hair. After Laney's first bath in the hospital, when her towel-dried hair was sticking up like a baby chick's, her hilarious nurse spoke a similar sentiment: "Sweet one, it's your first day and you are already having a bad hair day!" Reminds me of another bad hair day back in 2009 ...

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-86385252440265134232012-01-02T10:30:00.000-08:002012-01-09T14:09:34.256-08:00

I'm going to use the old "too-busy-playing-at-the-beach-to-blog" excuse for the month in between posts! The Smiths spent Christmas in paradise (with my parents and siblings), and except for Laney reverting to newborn sleep patterns and getting an ear infection, paradise it was. I already can't believe we were so recently in 80 degree weather, playing in the pool, going for runs (in shorts!) and

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-6928632471648357722011-11-30T17:02:00.001-08:002011-12-01T10:56:25.891-08:00

Luke just left with Rog to head to his first Force basketball practice. I'm not ashamed to say I cried a little. If you don't make one shot tonight, Luke, I couldn't be more proud of you.

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-69349708784467840472011-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:002011-11-28T14:42:54.445-08:00

Laney celebrated her half-year birthday on November 17. My baby is six months old and we could not love her more. After looking at her growth chart, her pediatrician commented with a smile, "You have one symmetrical baby." That is one way to describe our girl ... but there are so many others, too. In the spirit of descriptive words, here is Laney's six month update: Symmetrical Laney-girl

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-42740248280372847642011-11-16T10:13:00.001-08:002011-11-16T10:49:16.171-08:00

Leading up to this cardiology appointment, I had been wrestling with thoughts about Luke's Fontan. As much as I dread putting Luke through another open heart surgery, and as much as I fear the possible complications, I am his Mom and I want the best for him. If the Fontan circulation would help him breathe a little easier or run a little longer, then I want that for him. I have followed other

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-92189822184697253802011-11-14T10:43:00.001-08:002011-11-14T15:30:17.634-08:00

The last time we had Luke's heart checked Laney was happily swimming in my tummy. Now she is almost six months old and it is time to have Luke's beautiful ticker looked at again. We would, as always, love prayer for a good report from Dr. Stefanelli. As we get closer to the Fontan, each appointment feels weightier than the last. Please pray for wisdom for Dr. Stefanelli as he plans for this next

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-67212488351314570642011-11-04T07:41:00.000-07:002011-11-04T10:44:45.322-07:00

I just read an incredible blog post. Incredible in the sense that in 783 words, it opened to me a perspective I had never once considered (and I have to admit I do a lot of considering when it comes to Luke's heart). Amy Verstappen is the President and CEO of the Adult Congenital Heart Association and a heart warrior herself. She writes, "The joke in my family is that I never met a bureau I did

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-50866424295770615292011-11-02T10:05:00.000-07:002011-11-02T10:26:35.206-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-30677877205601348792011-10-21T07:43:00.000-07:002011-10-21T13:10:04.416-07:00

Just in case your day calls for a baby's laugh... What I especially love about this vid is that Luke is being just so classicly Luke: Has to be in the middle of the action. Laney has accumulated many nicknames in the past five months. BooBoo Bear is her latest, compliments of Luke (I'm hoping I said it first and he didn't come up with that one on his own). Either way, it is pretty darn

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-48955782492520967962011-10-09T10:18:00.000-07:002011-10-09T10:18:02.241-07:00

I'm pretty sure a certain little girl was more than ready for her very first taste of rice cereal! Now THAT is how it's done!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-27272861339691143302011-10-06T08:35:00.000-07:002011-10-06T11:07:30.348-07:00

Which is why we paid the amazing Sara Parsons to shoot our family photos. I am so thankful we did, but kicking myself we didn't do professional photos sooner. Sara, you can shoot our family anytime! She managed to get great shots despite quite the uncooperative four year old (you'll have to trust me on this one, he looks happy as a clam in the pictures!)

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-34449683826410645742011-09-29T07:35:00.000-07:002011-09-29T13:13:28.325-07:00

Often throughout the day I experience with Laney what I couldn't with Luke at this baby stage: Pure joy. In no way does that statement mean I didn't experience joy with Luke or delight in him in countless ways. It's just that with Luke, those sweet moments were always bordered with concern and clouded with the unknown. Is his color okay? Is he breathing faster than usual? When's his next feed?

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-61039231499453919222011-09-21T17:55:00.000-07:002011-09-21T17:55:47.952-07:00

... The fun of Bumbo'ing!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-71815871425833314462011-09-17T19:49:00.000-07:002011-09-17T20:19:01.530-07:00

It's how I felt when Roger and I celebrated our ten-year anniversary this August. Ten years? Seriously?! And now I'm feeling it again as little miss Laney-bug turns four months old today. Roger and I were watching her on her tummy this morning, wiggle around to get a touch closer to her toy, then roll over, marveling that soon this little girl will be crawling, and eating solids and driving. Okay

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-42090503492662357592011-09-12T08:23:00.000-07:002011-09-12T11:15:32.696-07:00

This summer was a summer of milestones for my little man. First swimming lessons, first time putting his head under water (and subsequently first time needing ear drops for swimmer's ear), first time attending VBS, and first time riding a "big boy" bike. My mom bought him a sweet Buzz Lightyear bike for Christmas, but it wasn't until this summer that he could finally coordinate the pedals. He

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-49624419154092378372011-09-09T14:00:00.000-07:002011-09-09T14:10:47.654-07:00

First day smiles!He really didn't want me to take his picture, but too bad, buster! I just dropped Luke off for his second day of Pre-K. Most of the morning is excitement, excitement, but right as we are getting into the car, nervousness edges out excitement. But then Miss Brenda rounds the corner to take her class back to the room and love wins out over both nervousness AND excitement. Luke's

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-33913483994849892912011-08-23T11:18:00.000-07:002011-08-23T11:46:32.829-07:00

Every prayer request I posted yesterday was answered: God is good! But here's the thing about faith ... even if something had happened to Luke yesterday, God would still be God and He would still be good. We checked in to the hospital at 6:30 am (thank you, Mom, for coming to our house so early to watch Laney!) and got Luke back in to the pre-op room. He was a trouper being woken up and the

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-69028725113763356432011-08-21T18:25:00.000-07:002011-08-21T18:25:08.625-07:00

Our family believes in the power of prayer. We believe that God hears us and responds. No, not always in the way we want, but He does respond out of His goodness. We trust Him with Luke tomorrow and ask you to pray with us that 1) He guides the dentist's, nurses', and anesthesiologist's hands; 2) Luke comes out of anesthesia easier than he has the past few times; 3) there are no complications;

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-75560261929238744112011-08-09T12:12:00.000-07:002011-08-09T12:12:04.251-07:00

Luke's dentist called this morning and they were able to get Luke's surgery scheduled for August 22nd at 8am. So thankful it's first thing in the morning. We have to go in on the 15th for his pre-op to meet with the cardiac anesthesiologist. Our dentist doesn't think the procedure will last more than an hour, hopefully less. This will include a cleaning, x-rays, fluoride treatment and then the

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-89314898625033067892011-08-04T13:41:00.000-07:002011-08-04T14:18:23.037-07:00

One thing that is increasingly clear in this adventure of raising a heart kiddo is this: nothing is as simple as you think it's going to be. We took Luke in for a routine dental exam three weeks ago, after Luke had complained one night about his molar hurting. This was at our family's dentist and the verdict was two cavities and a crack in the sore molar. Bleh. Dr. E. referred us to a

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-31445151023711016422011-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:56:01.868-07:00

I am stylin' today!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-92196657963809090132011-07-29T18:28:00.000-07:002011-07-29T18:28:07.041-07:00

Laney's smile melts my heart. Every single time. There is nothing better than a smile that involves the entire body. I'm not sure if infant cooing is any indication of a future gabber, but this girl likes to talk! Reminds me of someone else ... A few nights ago, Tutu and Papa Bill took Luke downtown to get frozen yogurt. And because she's grandma, Luke often gets to watch movies in Tutu's

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-62216166703368116272011-07-22T12:45:00.000-07:002011-07-22T12:45:19.825-07:00

I am two months old (and 4 days)! I have already given my parents a glimpse of teenage girl drama when I go from this: To this: In a matter of seconds. I am still growing like a weed, weighing in at 11 pounds, 7 ounces. That's the 75 percentile, which I caught my parents high-fiving over. It seemed like they were pleased with my 22 beautiful, smoochable inches, too. I am still the queen of

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-65625840416738797402011-07-18T18:38:00.000-07:002011-07-18T18:38:54.097-07:00

After examining, reexamining, thinking, over-thinking and fretting the last two weeks about Luke's coloring in his hands and feet, I finally took him in to our cardiologist's today for a sat check. Two weeks ago, Luke got a summer cold, so I chalked up his purple-ness to that. But his nose has been clear for a few days and I still felt like his color was off. His sats were from 81-84 at the

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-77793207360785029822011-07-14T10:28:00.000-07:002011-07-14T10:28:58.092-07:00

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-88099338265527096282011-07-11T13:37:00.000-07:002011-07-11T13:37:52.957-07:00

We've only had it three days, but it appears that this swing is a game-changing miracle — and the best $129 we ever spent: Do you see how peacefully she's sleeping? Outside of someone's arms and the front pack? This little one is a finicky sleeper, but I have been able to lay her in this swing (awake!) and she falls asleep! On her own! (Can you tell I'm a tad bit excited?) Laney sleeps awesome

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-1346074662245620412011-07-06T13:00:00.000-07:002011-07-06T13:01:50.637-07:00

For our little family, it was a year of firsts this fourth of July: Laney's first holiday party, the first hot and sunny 4th in western Washington in ages, Luke's first time trying the slip and slide, and maybe most exciting of all, Laney's first five hour sleep stretch in the night! Granted, she hasn't done it since, but now we know she has it in her! Here are Luke and Laney before spit-up and

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-39010467861620482012011-06-24T12:48:00.000-07:002011-06-24T12:48:15.234-07:00

You know you have a newborn when your 4-year old asks, "Mom! Why are you dressed?" I think I've gotten "dressed" three times since Laney has been born. One of those was on Wednesday when my hubby and I went on a dinner date for his birthday. On the drive to dinner, we realized that instead of going out to eat together, when Luke was exactly Laney's age, we were sitting together in the waiting

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-76247304980159211532011-06-20T17:48:00.000-07:002011-06-20T18:03:44.074-07:00

For you heart mamas, his blue tongue is due to a blue Airhead! As you can see, Luke seems to be adjusting pretty well to this new little person living in our house! Yes, he gets frustrated some moments, gets impatient others, gives me some seriously sassy looks, and cannot for the life of him stay quiet for very long, but then ... then I catch him this morning by Laney's bassinet, patting her

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-85293286546103896992011-06-15T12:23:00.000-07:002011-06-16T16:38:04.191-07:00

I have charts to show you what this girl ... ... has been up to the last 3 weeks. The first growth chart is Laney's weight and the second is her height. Our pediatrician, with a big smile on his face, declares that to be "above average growth". At her one month appointment today, Laney weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces and measured 21 inches. That is nearly 2 1/2 pounds and 3 inches gained in

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-70923395542446637682011-05-24T11:03:00.000-07:002011-05-24T11:03:30.180-07:00

Actually, she's been here for a full week, but I haven't come up for air to post any pictures until this morning! Laney was born at 3:07pm on Tuesday, May 17, weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces, beautiful and healthy. We came home just 28 hours later and have been getting to know this sweet girl since. Here are a few pictures introducing this little peanut!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-4127453665797875242011-05-16T12:37:00.000-07:002011-05-16T14:49:19.131-07:00

Ever since our "practice run" on Saturday night, Luke has needed to talk a LOT about when Laney's coming and what exactly will happen when Mom and Dad go to the hospital. Last night before we put him to bed, he asked several times if she was coming tonight. Luke is a need-to-know kid, and for him, the more details and understanding he has of a situation, the better he does. So, an "I don't know"

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-54084938176262592782011-05-15T10:20:00.000-07:002011-05-15T10:20:49.072-07:00

Before I had Luke, I would never have guessed that "going into labor" was not a black and white, clear-cut process. We've all seen the movies with the woman's water breaking in the middle of the restaurant, or the woman doubled over with contractions, racing in a taxi to the hospital. With Luke, I had Braxton-Hicks contractions from about 37 weeks on, so on the night I did go into labor, the

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-83409985825246968502011-05-14T15:42:00.000-07:002011-05-14T16:03:12.890-07:00

Let's start with this guy's, who set up a "parade" around the entire perimeter of the bathtub last night: Of course there are always worries creeping in to my brain as these cardiology appointments approach, but I think I was much more nervous this time around than I've been in a long while. I'm sure it was a combination of being so pregnant along with Luke's 2-month battle with his cold and

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-89957235122033707412011-05-09T17:14:00.000-07:002011-05-10T14:27:33.952-07:00

...have the best Mother's Day in the world? This didn't hurt, though, either:

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-89872290819921685672011-05-04T18:25:00.000-07:002011-05-04T19:05:20.900-07:00

We have now pretty much transitioned everything over to pinks and purples ... this better be a GIRL! Baby will sleep in our room in a bassinet for the first bit, but her room is ready and waiting for her when we move her to her crib. I love how it turned out. With my zoom lens, it's hard to get wide shots of the room, but I did my best to give you a feel for it! From the doorway, you can see

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-68842009202130084672011-04-30T15:20:00.000-07:002011-04-30T15:23:21.074-07:00

I sat down with the purpose of writing thank you notes, but thought I'd take a minute (or two) to update on the Smith family that is VERY SOON to be a family of four. Luker-duke: I think we're headed in the right direction with this boy's cough. I couldn't tell you if it was the Azithromycin or time, but his sparkle is coming back a bit. His energy is coming back a bit and blessedly, he didn't

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-23663749850965596882011-04-22T18:11:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:11:06.560-07:00

We've been off the second round of Amoxicillin for 4 days and I thought we were in the clear. But what do you know, Luke woke up coughing this morning, along with a runny nose and hoarse voice. I honestly couldn't believe it. Everyone warned us about the first year of preschool, but I didn't expect these consecutive illnesses to happen in the spring! Being Friday and not wanting to frequent

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-19384671206660272372011-04-11T08:22:00.000-07:002011-04-11T08:22:38.224-07:00

We BBQ'd Luke's catch last night for dinner and I wasn't sure how Luke would feel about eating his buddy he liked to visit out in the fridge. Things didn't look promising when Rog was seasoning the fish and Luke said, "I think I miss his face." But unlike his mom, Luke loves to eat fish and he clearly got over any qualms he had about eating his catch!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-24372413924417275632011-04-10T13:00:00.000-07:002011-04-10T13:14:27.351-07:00

After three doses of Amoxicillin, our little man was feeling up to his planned fishing adventure today. The 7th Annual Kids Fishing Derby would see in attendance Luke, Papa Bill and Nana Tutu. This trio has never been fishing before ... Should we chalk it up to beginner's luck, or undiscovered skill? Luke managed to haul in a 6 pound 13 ounce trout to take home, along with a "Big Fish Award"

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-32279566164209126962011-04-08T08:50:00.000-07:002011-04-08T17:46:54.224-07:00

UPDATE: Our pediatrician feels like if Luke is fighting a sinus infection (most likely reason for his symptoms), his course of antibiotics wasn't long enough and put us on another 10-day course of Amoxicillin. Let's pray this round kicks some virus booty. I am tired of Luke not feeling very good, and I know he is too! ***** Almost four years after our last stint in the E.R., we were back on

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-91726624822966686632011-03-25T07:15:00.001-07:002011-03-25T11:34:57.651-07:00

I was going to post about Luke's seemingly never-ending cough that likes to roar its head when our heads hit the pillows and how 12 days of not-great sleep does not make for a happy mom or dad. Then Luke and I were in the car this morning and the perfect opportunity arose to teach him (um, maybe more like me!) a lesson about gratitude. On our way to the gas station this morning, there were two

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-77636789348515467262011-03-18T07:28:00.000-07:002011-03-18T17:09:37.198-07:00

As soon as I typed that title, gratitude flooded me that Luke and I were just playing ambulance and not actually re-experiencing his ride from Tacoma to Seattle four years ago. As we were playing on the floor, I reminded him that he got to ride in an ambulance one time when he was a baby. "Do you want to see a picture?" He did, so we headed downstairs to pull out the photo albums. That set of

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-30053689328841554812011-02-25T18:39:00.000-08:002011-02-25T18:51:58.894-08:00

We had just had spaghetti, thus Luke's orange face. The books tell me that means I'm officially in the last trimester. I will gratefully take every decent night of sleep I get in the next bit! Less than three months until we get to meet our baby girl. Our very active baby girl. She's even making a name for herself in my OB's office, making the nurses follow her around with their doppler to

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-63174002433169874952011-02-24T18:37:00.000-08:002011-02-24T18:37:31.110-08:00

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-79385264495044951632011-02-14T17:20:00.000-08:002011-02-14T17:30:19.334-08:00

Washington State has joined 27 other states proclaiming February 7-14 to officially be CHD Awareness Week! I'm jumping in on this last day of this important week to thank the other heart families who have worked so hard to bring awareness and funding to this disease that affects so many. Currently, more than 1 million children and adults are living with a congenital heart defect. 1 million

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-66235155230016595742011-01-31T11:08:00.000-08:002011-01-31T16:14:24.854-08:00

Without grabbing a napkin and pen, I still find I have a hard time concisely explaining in words the surgeries Luke has had and still needs to people who are curious. It's such a simple question: "So, how do they fix that??" But the answer is confusing, even after four years of reading and researching! I thought I would pass on this explanation of the staged Fontan palliation for other heart

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-25737832139554912272011-01-25T10:07:00.000-08:002011-01-25T10:28:43.486-08:00

If the Lord allows, it could it be that three ultrasounds is all this baby girl will experience. Her big brother beats her by six! Not that we are in any way encouraging sibling rivalry =) We had a follow-up ultrasound this past Monday at Maternal-Fetal Medicine. My OB sends all her patients there (high-risk or not) for their 18-20 week ultrasounds. We were thankful to be getting good, level II

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-70292631612117206592011-01-09T21:30:00.000-08:002011-01-10T17:27:03.301-08:00

Lukey- How is it possible that in four short years you have woven yourself into our hearts so intricately and changed our hearts so immensely? Your fight through adversity has taught us about the Lord's strength within us. Your enthusiasm for life has caused us to laugh more and see the joy in the small and simple. Walking with you through the hard stuff — three surgeries, two heart

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-74392001425913057852010-12-27T13:04:00.000-08:002010-12-27T13:04:41.361-08:00

We love you already, sweet girl. From your head ... To your feet!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-78090810430043135422010-12-20T10:57:00.000-08:002010-12-20T11:25:54.003-08:00

A friend of ours gave Rog some really good advice the other day, after Rog told him he's going to need to borrow his wisdom in raising a little girl. This friend's advice? "All I know is that girls need lots of love and lots of shoes." And then his wife — unaware of this conversation! — had bought us these yesterday: We may not be well versed yet in baby girls, but at least we have her first

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-36170862463164168142010-12-16T13:52:00.000-08:002010-12-16T13:52:15.490-08:00

We tried and tried to get Luke to open up to the possibility of a brother, but he never wavered. And he was right! It looks like we are having a little girl, and a heart healthy one at that! All glory to God be given! "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion." —Isaiah 30:18 That's how we feel right now. Overwhelmed with God's graciousness and

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-83660324548849516412010-12-15T18:32:00.000-08:002010-12-15T18:32:20.026-08:00

We sure hope this old adage holds true tomorrow during Luke's EKG. The past two appointments we have had zero luck getting him through the EKG, so we've skipped that altogether (with Dr. Stefanelli's blessing of course). This week we stopped by Dr. S's office to grab some EKG stickers for practice. You may agree when I say we are pretty confident Luke has conquered his fear of EKG stickers!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-72653829598069798422010-12-13T08:10:00.000-08:002010-12-13T08:14:23.236-08:00

Baby Smith at 13 weeks I passed the 17 week mark last Friday and this Thursday we will get a good look at baby's heart. Am I hopeful? Yes. Am I scared? YES! But you know that daily bread thing? God's giving it to us. Just this week, in my study of Isaiah, we read this verse in chapter 25: "LORD, you are my God;    I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness    you

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-33541886949015808502010-12-11T12:30:00.000-08:002010-12-13T08:14:42.996-08:00

Dear Lukey Duke: You are ... a good friend  a train lover a huge fan of holidays a jokester  a hard worker (when it suits you) a boy with serious dance moves a preschooler a blessing and a joy to everyone who knows you And we know, sweet boy, that you are going to take to your new role with as much zeal and enthusiasm as you take to all your other roles. After almost four years of being

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-34007723498419716082010-12-02T07:33:00.000-08:002010-12-02T12:33:40.530-08:00

There's not much Luke isn't liking about all the Christmas preparations ... He would decorate a tree all day long if you let him. I think Christmas would be absolutely perfect for our little man minus one small detail ... SANTA. Luke has stated very clearly that he DOES NOT WANT Santa to come to our house. And if you suggest he ask Santa for something, he'll tell you, "Oh, I'll just ask for

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-60361698692292602692010-11-29T11:14:00.000-08:002010-11-29T13:26:07.436-08:00

Steve Catoe, a 44-year old tricuspid atresia survivor, avid advocate for congenital heart disease, and giver of hope to so many families, passed away today. Here is an email he wrote to Luke back in February of 2009: Hi, Luke! Just a quick note to see how you are doing and to say hi! I live wayyyyyy over here in South Carolina ... get your dad to show you SC on a map! I'm 42 and have a

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-425350550684421442010-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:002010-11-22T11:27:00.144-08:00

You know you live in western Washington when one post is about raking vibrant leaves and then next, two weeks later, is about catching snowflakes with your tongue. This was yesterday, when we only had an inch or so, but today is much more impressive, about 3 inches so far and my van stuck at the bottom of our hill. So what do you do if you're stuck at home all day? We're going sledding!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-58704459999687309662010-11-07T12:11:00.000-08:002010-11-07T12:11:12.284-08:00

The leaves in our town are so beautiful right now. We don't have a ton in our yard, but on our walk this morning, we saw two boys raking leaves in their leaf-carpeted yard. Of course Luke thought that was a great idea so when we got home the boys headed out to do some serious rakin'. At one point, Rog stopped to get a drink of water from his water bottle and Luke says to him, "C'mon Dad, we need

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-44883886039944608932010-11-02T18:12:00.000-07:002010-11-02T18:12:03.637-07:00

Halloween 2010 (not to be confused with Election Day 2010) was so different from Halloween 2009. Luke loved the entire process (runny nose and all!) We weren't sure how many houses we would hit since Luke's been under the weather, but after the first several, he declared he would like to go to a hundred houses! I think we got close. 12 or 13 at least. Whatever the number, he was the cutest little

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-79686749529651682292010-10-29T08:14:00.000-07:002010-10-29T08:14:27.954-07:00

On Wednesday, my friend Erica took Luke for a couple of hours to play with her son and two other boys (I know, she is the best). They played at the park and walked to the bakery for donuts. Then they headed to her house to play and that's where I picked up Luke. Erica and I were chatting and the boys were playing some sort of soccer/tackle game. The two boys, Reese and Drew, who are brothers,

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-18266739260380203282010-10-21T07:23:00.000-07:002010-10-21T11:24:54.072-07:00

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-84854508789256109532010-10-16T10:20:00.000-07:002010-10-16T10:29:03.271-07:00

Luke had his first preschool field trip yesterday to Maris Farms, a local pumpkin patch. Part of our time was spent touring the farm on a hay ride. During the ride, the driver was listing all the things you could do at the farm, one of them being taking a tour through the haunted corn maze. For some unknown reason, with a truck full of preschoolers, he made this scary ghost sound after describing

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-88836491493878842622010-10-15T12:27:00.000-07:002010-10-15T16:30:11.206-07:00

I reversed over my sunglasses with my minivan yesterday. Luke now has adopted a new pair of glasses to wear.

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-45249304597256718502010-09-23T17:12:00.000-07:002010-09-23T17:23:30.408-07:00

Our local mall had a vaccination clinic on Saturday, so Roger and I broke the news to Luke that today was the day. We tried to sell it by telling him he only had to get one this year instead of three like last year, but his panic overrode his math skills. Luke re-enacting his whine. We headed to the mall, Luke tearful and whiny on the way there, only to be told that we would need to show his

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-58387565417439026232010-09-14T18:53:00.000-07:002010-09-14T18:53:10.956-07:00

We had our first family "homework" assignment this week. We were to trace an outline of Luke's body on white butcher paper, cut it out and decorate it however we liked. Here's Luke holding "Paper Lukey": Today was day three of preschool and it was a little rougher than the other two. I think for three reasons: (love how I over-analyze everything.) 1. Luke's still not feeling 100% from his cold,

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-11059551819127296192010-09-11T10:15:00.000-07:002010-09-11T18:33:08.174-07:00

It has been subtle and I wasn't even really looking or asking for it, but God has been doing what He is known for doing: restoring what was broken. "Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up." —Psalm 71:20 What does this look like for me? It doesn't mean that those hard, cling-to-each-other

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-4921129795120221372010-09-09T09:50:00.000-07:002010-09-09T09:53:16.818-07:00

Day 1 of preschool was a HIT! Not a single, not even a triple. I'd call it a good old-fashioned home run. You would have thought he had been doing this for years! I just dropped him off for Day 2, and (with breath held and phone nearby) so far so good. I am in awe of how God has worked this out. That's not to say I don't think there will be "off" days when Luke isn't as excited to go to school,

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-85368495637931079382010-09-06T10:51:00.000-07:002010-09-06T10:51:15.352-07:00

My little heart baby, who didn't surpass his birth weight until he was 12 weeks old, whose very own cardiologist lovingly called him "chicken legs", is now sitting in the 25% for height AND weight. 31.5 pounds and 38". There is no doubt in our dietician's mind that Luke, heart defect or not, would be this exact same size. In her words, "Luke is boring." And everyone knows a boring heart kid is a

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-91341986130654984162010-09-04T08:52:00.000-07:002010-09-04T09:00:00.446-07:00

Can you guess this newest milestone? Yes, a big boy bed! Last weekend, we made the move ... this really has been a summer of such growth and stretching for our sweet boy. We were in no hurry to move Luke out of his crib. He is a cautious fellow, so we never had to worry about him jumping out and hurting himself. But about a month ago, Luke started asking if he could have a big boy bed. We told

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-27399288752196661702010-08-27T10:09:00.000-07:002010-08-27T10:09:25.877-07:00

Last night marked another "first" for the Smith's in this world of parenthood — an official babysitting experience! As in leaving our cell phone numbers, figuring out the going-rate, giving last minute instructions and then driving away. Granted, our drive was two blocks to Luke's preschool for parent night, but still, a major milestone! After walking Madison and Emma home, Luke cried through

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-61438712833823740492010-08-24T07:37:00.001-07:002010-08-24T12:22:02.102-07:00

Last summer, three of my dear college friends moved back to Washington State. Two from California and one from Uganda. It was my summer of friends and I loved having them back in the area (still do!). This summer, however, it's been Luke's turn to delight in the department of friendship. There's Marcus, his "best buddy" ... 90% of the time they play so well together, jumping, roughhousing,

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-44299100880575753852010-08-03T12:12:00.001-07:002010-08-03T12:18:27.333-07:00

I hate to admit it, but I'm not much of a baker. My mom almost always has fresh cookies, cobblers, shortcakes or brownies at the ready. And she is patient as a saint when Luke is there to help her. Luke, on the other hand, is not patient enough to wait for the finished product: I don't blame him one bit.

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-43020487874913849452010-08-01T16:40:00.000-07:002010-08-01T16:44:30.432-07:00

We just got Luke's school supplies list from his preschool, along with Open House and first day of school dates. I'm not sure my heart can handle it. Let's just hope this picture isn't any indication of his future school success. You can see he's paying such close attention to Coach Sammy: More like he's contemplating which Otter Pop color he'd like next. So we are soon to head to Target for

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-1328829664982918382010-07-23T07:29:00.000-07:002010-07-23T11:39:45.673-07:00

It's NBC time again. Daddy's at camp, working hard to teach kids basketball skills, life skills and heart skills. What's Luke doing at camp, you ask? Lovin' life with the store girls! Sigh. All in a day's work ... Another fun part of camp is that we get to see people we love more than usual! The Stewart family came down south for the week and Luke fell a little bit in love with their oldest,

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-23745773607573947002010-07-14T14:55:00.000-07:002010-07-14T14:55:46.085-07:00

Luke's first dentist appointment was scheduled for today at 10:30. I was keeping my fingers crossed we'd get him through a cleaning, but at the least I wanted our dentist to get a good look at his pearly-whites. With his reflux history and his sugar-flavored medications, I have always worried a bit about his baby teeth. When we got there, the hygienist asked me if Luke needed any antibiotics

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-7095489657718845992010-07-08T07:05:00.000-07:002010-07-08T10:53:42.783-07:00

Last Saturday was the day. We had been putting it off for too long, hoping that some research would fall from the sky that mimis (pacifiers) are actually recommended for kids over the age of 3. Last Saturday was the day and I'm not sure who was more sad, me or Luke. Actually, I do know. It was me. I have yet to understand why I was so attached to these plastic things, but I was. I loved them

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-4236607515937743102010-06-26T09:40:00.000-07:002010-06-26T09:40:24.935-07:00

Luke is cousin-less in Puyallup. He has three cousins who live in Ohio and five who live in Spokane, but none where we live. What a treat this past week for him to spend two and a half days with his 5-year-old cousin, Sam. Uncle Cory and Sam flew from Ohio to Spokane (where Roger's mom and dad live) and so Roger and Luke headed across the mountains to spend a few days with family. I think Luke

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-36512357807184535732010-06-25T17:53:00.000-07:002010-06-25T17:53:00.150-07:00

We headed back to see Dr. Stefanelli again yesterday, for a post-cath checkup. I can tell Luke remembers very little about his cath experience because he wasn't anxious at all heading to the office. In fact, he would hang out with Dr. S. all day if he could. Our echo was relatively quick, but Luke had quite the case of the wiggles. Our echo tech, Jason, was so good with him, telling him stories,

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-36532158441995417192010-06-21T11:53:00.000-07:002010-06-21T14:27:40.889-07:00

Roger and Luke have this game where Rog asks, "Who's the man?" Luke will then yell, "Mommy's the man!" which sets off a round of tackling/wrestling/squealing. The roughhousing ends when Luke finally concedes that Daddy is in fact the man. I knew when I dated, then married "the man", that in the world of fatherhood, he would be one of the greats. And I wasn't wrong.  Roger meeting Luke for the

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-43251265288628160912010-06-10T13:21:00.000-07:002010-06-10T13:21:31.013-07:00

I am so happy to now possess an accurate, to-date diagram of Luke's unique, God-given heart. Like most kids born with congenital heart disease, Luke's heart has never fit into those 400 or so "typical" heart defect diagrams, so all we've had is a near-match, with Dr. Stefanelli's additions and subtractions in pen. Here is what Luke's heart looks like today (minus the coarctation, which was

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-38346059842670353092010-06-09T18:31:00.001-07:002010-06-09T18:55:18.528-07:00

After being thoroughly prepared to spend the night in the hospital, we are, praise the Lord, sleeping in our own beds tonight. It was a long day, but we are so thankful to be at home together.I mentioned the pre-cath went well, the cath itself went well (details to come in the next post!), the last two hours before discharge went well. It was the two-hour war we waged post-cath that has us

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-29209157098352460042010-06-09T08:10:00.000-07:002010-06-25T17:06:23.374-07:00

Luke was just taken back to the cath lab, carried by Dr. Boorman, the anesthesiologist. If you know Luke, you know that that only happened because a) Dr. Boorman is a familiar member of the family, or b) Luke had his Versed 20 minutes before. We are so thankful that transition from Mom and Dad to the anesthesiologist went so well. Everything has gone well so far this morning, and Luke has been a

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-81792497120402976662010-06-08T18:41:00.000-07:002010-06-08T18:44:07.302-07:00

Tomorrow's the day ... Dr. Stefanelli felt comfortable and confident moving forward with Luke's catheterization tomorrow, despite the crusty nose. We are packing our bags tonight and we'll head out bright and early tomorrow. We welcome and cherish your prayers!

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-46690269020094867942010-06-07T13:43:00.000-07:002010-06-07T17:16:47.790-07:00

God continues to stretch our family's faith muscle, in big ways and small. He continues to ask us to put His plans above ours and to trust Him above all else.About two and a half weeks ago, Luke started coming down with a cold, but it never got worse than a stuffy nose and some coughing in the night. We thought for sure he'd be healthy as a horse come this week, as we approach his cath date. Well

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-15334160070132577102010-06-01T13:10:00.000-07:002010-06-01T13:20:55.113-07:00

Roger and I went on a proper date Sunday night while Luke spent the night with Nonna and Papa. Not only did Luke get to play with Nonna and Papa, but my half-brother was home with a couple of his friends, which makes for big fun for our big guy. He loves it when Evan has friends over. I think he thinks he's one of the "kids". And my brother is sweet enough to take a break from doing 17-year-old

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-7299093325486287882010-05-30T17:11:00.000-07:002010-05-30T17:14:49.628-07:00

Waiting is hard and I'm not very good at it. Waiting in line, waiting through commercials on your favorite show, waiting in hospital waiting rooms, and most relevant to me right now, waiting to see how God will work out a situation. It's all hard (although I'll take the silly commercials over the waiting room any day of the week!). A dear friend sent me a John Waller song the other day that held

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-43246911014664790642010-05-28T18:18:00.000-07:002010-05-28T18:31:26.068-07:00

And I'm not talking about my age. Turning 30 is old news for me as I'm facing down 32 in the not-too-distant future. Nope, someone else in the Smith household hit a 3-0 milestone today ... 30 pounds feels like a big victory today. 30 pounds may come and go on other kids, but for our mister, this is another one of those "thank-you-Lord-for-your-faithfulness" moments. When Luke hovered under 7

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-5984723982036041992010-05-24T11:40:00.000-07:002010-05-24T16:00:44.576-07:00

Luke's angioplasty (the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel) has been scheduled. We will wake Luke bright and early the morning of June 9. Thankfully, we're first case of the day and extra-thankfully, Luke's favorite meal of the day is far from breakfast ("Can I just have chocolate-covered raisins?"). That is all good news on the staving off hunger pangs front

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-22562588901353145232010-05-13T19:22:00.000-07:002010-05-13T19:23:35.265-07:00

Phew. I've run a marathon before and I'm not sure if I was more tired after that or today's appointment! Overall, Luke's heart is doing really well. I was surprised to see his sat's unchanged at 85-87%. His blood pressure was good, heart function excellent (we love that word!), Glenn and DKS sites beautiful, chest x-ray clean and clear, and valves still just trivially leaky. However, we are

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-29324003024593900902010-05-12T17:10:00.000-07:002010-05-12T17:10:00.220-07:00

I have talked with enough heart parents to know I can make this blanket statement: There is NOTHING that means more to families with these special kiddo's than the positive thoughts thought and the prayers prayed through the ups and downs of this journey. Like the lame man's friends who carried him for miles, who let nothing — crowds or a tiled roof — stop them from their purpose of bringing this

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-47638459916772725002010-05-11T19:17:00.000-07:002010-05-11T19:19:02.190-07:00

This picture is just so cool! Heart Center co-director and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Gordon Cohen (Luke's heart surgeon!) shows Patrick Dempsey around the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). Children's is one of only a few centers nationwide to have a dedicated ICU for cardiac patients. Patrick Dempsey was just in the Pacific Northwest yesterday, helping raise money for Seattle Children's

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-65882745888065441542010-04-27T19:21:00.000-07:002010-04-27T19:38:28.411-07:00

This is Luke's current "Say cheese!" smile and I love it: ****** Luke and I visited his potential pre-school this morning. It meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings in a small Lutheran church just up the road from our house (the same Lutheran church where I learned to ride my bike). We were able to watch the parent drop-off process, visit Miss Vera's classroom for 20 minutes or so and then get a

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6907565674880307901.post-23950491469482211202010-04-23T08:48:00.000-07:002010-04-27T19:53:31.275-07:00

Rog and I have a hot tub in our backyard and we love it. We especially loved it when we first got it and then we loved it in theory for a while. It sat out back pretty lonely for a while as we saw Luke through his entrance into this world and two open heart surgeries. But now, our hot tub's usefulness has been resurrected since Mr. Luke has turned into Mr. Fish. "Okay, Dad, let's gooooo!" We

The Smith'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16667984389064067303noreply@blogger.com3