I love this video, I love this song, and I love this family. Just thought I would share. :)
"All of Me" from Ryan Lynch on Vimeo.
Monday, June 20, 2011
All of Me
I've been following this blog, written by Matt Hammitt (and occasionally his cute wife, Sarah). Matt is the lead singer for Sanctus Real, which is a very successful Christian music band. They had their son, Bowen, last September and he has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome which is a very similar congenital heart defect as Field.
I love this video, I love this song, and I love this family. Just thought I would share. :)
"All of Me" from Ryan Lynch on Vimeo.
I love this video, I love this song, and I love this family. Just thought I would share. :)
"All of Me" from Ryan Lynch on Vimeo.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day~
To the very best hubby/daddy we could ever ask for...Happy Father's Day!
Brad, I knew you'd be a good father, but this last year has not been the ordinary "first year as a dad" experience. You've been amazing...so patient, calm, loving, and positive. We are grateful for YOU and I love sharing parenthood with you by my side. We adore you and love you so much, Brad/Daddy!
And to the other special dads in our lives...
We love you, Poppy! You are an amazing dad! Thank you for being so much fun, soooo very generous to your family and friends, and so full of love for others. You've always made me laugh, even in the darkest of times. I've loved watching you as a grandfather - Caroline, El, and Field think the world of you and your vibrant personality brings all of us so much happiness! Poppy always thinks of a way to make us all smile and laugh 'til our bellies hurt!
We love you, Granddaddy! You are the best FIL and Field adores you. Thank you for being so helpful, generous, and giving of your time. It's not unusual for Granddaddy to drop by with a fabulous dinner that he whipped together and maybe some supplies to upgrade something in our house or backyard. He is a handyman extraordinaire, fabulous cook, & wonderful leader to his family - and his son, Brad, is following right in his steps.
And to my BIL (Brother-in-Law), Michael. We love you! You have been the perfect addition to our family and you set a wonderful example on fatherhood. Field loves playing with you and you always bring a smile to his face. Thank you for being so special to us!
Happy Father's DAY!
Brad, I knew you'd be a good father, but this last year has not been the ordinary "first year as a dad" experience. You've been amazing...so patient, calm, loving, and positive. We are grateful for YOU and I love sharing parenthood with you by my side. We adore you and love you so much, Brad/Daddy!
And to the other special dads in our lives...
We love you, Poppy! You are an amazing dad! Thank you for being so much fun, soooo very generous to your family and friends, and so full of love for others. You've always made me laugh, even in the darkest of times. I've loved watching you as a grandfather - Caroline, El, and Field think the world of you and your vibrant personality brings all of us so much happiness! Poppy always thinks of a way to make us all smile and laugh 'til our bellies hurt!
We love you, Granddaddy! You are the best FIL and Field adores you. Thank you for being so helpful, generous, and giving of your time. It's not unusual for Granddaddy to drop by with a fabulous dinner that he whipped together and maybe some supplies to upgrade something in our house or backyard. He is a handyman extraordinaire, fabulous cook, & wonderful leader to his family - and his son, Brad, is following right in his steps.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Happy Birthday, sweet baby Field!
Dear Field,
Today (well, it was yesterday, but I didn't get pics uploaded in time) is your very first birthday! Happy Birthday baby boy!
I don't even know where to begin in describing the amount of love your daddy and I have for you. We have loved every minute of being your parents and you have taught us so, so much about faith, hope, and love. You are a blessing, Field. You have shown more strength and courage than most people have in a lifetime. You are the best!
Some facts about you at 12 months of age:
-You love to giggle. Especially when we "chase" you around the house. Mommy or daddy crawl behind you and you think it's so silly. You also love for Daddy to let you hang upside down. You have NO fear.
-You are doing great in your new house. You are now upstairs. A little scary for mommy, but so far so good.
-You love to swim. Good thing, because it's HOT in Texas and we will spend lots of time at the pool this summer.
-You are really starting to show your personality and oh man, we are in trouble. You get REALLY upset when we take something away from you. You love to play with our iPhones, the remotes, and the video monitor. The other day, as you were playing with the video monitor, you spit up a little right onto the monitor. Well, it really messed up the monitor so your daddy and I decided that you are no longer allowed to play with expensive electronics. Wow, you do not like this new rule.
-You are the friendliest baby! Target, HEB, Hobby Lobby - you spend the entire shopping trip looking around for someone to smile and wave at. Thank you to the nice strangers that take time to smile and wave back at Field. It really makes your day, Field!
-The eating continues to be amazing. You love cheese. You love bread with butter. You LOVE Gerber puffs. You love flavor. If you don't like something, you will still eat it, but you complain the entire time. Lots of whining.
-We started The Little Gym and you are doing great. We have learned forward rolls, how to hold onto the bars, and "walking" on the balance beam. This summer class has lots of girls and they sit well with their mommies and listen to the instructor. Not us, we are usually way off from the group rolling, crawling, sticking our fingers into the electrical sockets, and banging on the glass windows - you know, boy stuff! But hey, it gets us out of the house. See Little Gym pics below...we got to go on your birthday!
-Tonight (last night) we are celebrating with burgers, cupcakes, and your new sand/water table outside. After we put you to bed, mommy and daddy are going todrink wine celebrate too. We did it, Field! We successfully got you through the first year.
Field, we are so proud of you. You are strong, courageous, and brave. You are funny, full of personality, and so much fun. Your first year has not been easy for you and we know that. But you persevered and fought hard and we are so grateful for your success. You have changed our lives. In fact, you have changed many lives. You are an inspiration. We pray that you will always be a leader and that you will do amazing things with this life the Lord has given you.
We are always your number 1 fans, Field.
Love you and Happy Birthday to you!
Today (well, it was yesterday, but I didn't get pics uploaded in time) is your very first birthday! Happy Birthday baby boy!
(Sorry for the dark picture)
Photo taken at 5:48pm. The exact time Field was born!
I don't even know where to begin in describing the amount of love your daddy and I have for you. We have loved every minute of being your parents and you have taught us so, so much about faith, hope, and love. You are a blessing, Field. You have shown more strength and courage than most people have in a lifetime. You are the best!
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
-You love to giggle. Especially when we "chase" you around the house. Mommy or daddy crawl behind you and you think it's so silly. You also love for Daddy to let you hang upside down. You have NO fear.
-You are doing great in your new house. You are now upstairs. A little scary for mommy, but so far so good.
-You love to swim. Good thing, because it's HOT in Texas and we will spend lots of time at the pool this summer.
-You are really starting to show your personality and oh man, we are in trouble. You get REALLY upset when we take something away from you. You love to play with our iPhones, the remotes, and the video monitor. The other day, as you were playing with the video monitor, you spit up a little right onto the monitor. Well, it really messed up the monitor so your daddy and I decided that you are no longer allowed to play with expensive electronics. Wow, you do not like this new rule.
-You are the friendliest baby! Target, HEB, Hobby Lobby - you spend the entire shopping trip looking around for someone to smile and wave at. Thank you to the nice strangers that take time to smile and wave back at Field. It really makes your day, Field!
-The eating continues to be amazing. You love cheese. You love bread with butter. You LOVE Gerber puffs. You love flavor. If you don't like something, you will still eat it, but you complain the entire time. Lots of whining.
-We started The Little Gym and you are doing great. We have learned forward rolls, how to hold onto the bars, and "walking" on the balance beam. This summer class has lots of girls and they sit well with their mommies and listen to the instructor. Not us, we are usually way off from the group rolling, crawling, sticking our fingers into the electrical sockets, and banging on the glass windows - you know, boy stuff! But hey, it gets us out of the house. See Little Gym pics below...we got to go on your birthday!
Little Gym class singing Happy Birthday to Field.
Do you see all of the nice babies sitting with their mommies and my child is crawling in the middle. ;)
LOVES the parachute!
Banging on the windows with one of his best buds, Sanders.
The bars
Balance Beam
-Tonight (last night) we are celebrating with burgers, cupcakes, and your new sand/water table outside. After we put you to bed, mommy and daddy are going to
Nonnie and Granddaddy brought a wagon all decorated for Flag Day!
Getting ready for cupcakes! He wouldn't let go of the golf club. Silly boy!
Mommy and Daddy singing to Field
What is this thing?
He loved it!
Field, we are so proud of you. You are strong, courageous, and brave. You are funny, full of personality, and so much fun. Your first year has not been easy for you and we know that. But you persevered and fought hard and we are so grateful for your success. You have changed our lives. In fact, you have changed many lives. You are an inspiration. We pray that you will always be a leader and that you will do amazing things with this life the Lord has given you.
We are always your number 1 fans, Field.
Love you and Happy Birthday to you!
Monday, June 13, 2011
June 14th
On June 14, 2010 our world changed forever. It was my due date. I was H-U-G-E and exactly 40 weeks pregnant. We had an induction scheduled for 5 days later, in case things didn't move along on their own. My pregnancy had been perfect. No major issues - a couple high blood pressures for me here and there, but never too much of a concern, swollen feet, and sleepless nights towards the end. We had a lovely shower a few months before hosted by my closest 12 friends. (And I am not even kidding that I have 12 best friends) :) The school that I taught at for 7 years also showered us with precious gifts for baby Field. The nursery was painted, the crib was set up, the bedding was tucked in nicely, clothes washed...you get the picture. We were SO ready!
I had somewhat of a sleepless night so I woke up tired on June 14th. I remember laying on the couch and sleeping a little while longer that morning (SO lazy, but hey, it was summer and I had just finished a long year of teaching and graduate school so lazy I was.;) Around 11am, I finally got myself into the shower and it was then that I started to feel weird. I can't describe the feeling, but it was weird. So after the shower, I started to feel pain. It got progressively worse and before I knew it, I was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor. I couldn't even talk, so I texted the hubs and told him I wasn't feeling good and I thought he needed to come home. He got the text and immediately left work, sprinted 3 or 4 blocks to his car (he works downtown and parks a few blocks away), and drove 80mph home calling me to check on me throughout the drive. When he got home, he ran into the house so fast (and had on brand new work shoes), slipped, and slid across the tile floor on his bottom. Now that would typically be HILARIOUS, but I wasn't laughing. In fact, I was crying as my water had just broke. Brad had to practically carry me to the car and he hurriedly gathered our bags. Off we went to the hospital. The contractions came FAST and FURIOUS. They were about 3-4 minutes apart. I yelled, cried, screamed, etc. the entire way there. It was seriously like a movie. When we arrived, we pulled up to the front of the hospital, and I told Brad I couldn't get out of the car. I was in so much pain I didn't think I could move. (I totally should have taken lamaze classes or something. I had no idea, my labor would progress this quickly.) Brad convinced me to get out of the car and led me inside. The lady at the front desk took a quick glance at me and immediately opened the door and called for nurses. Seriously, this was just like the movies! They brought me in and I really don't remember much after that until I got my epidural. They helped put me in a gown and asked me a million questions. My doc came by to check on me and I just remember saying, "Dr. C, I am in so much pain. I need help, PLLLEEASSE!" He was so sweet and told me to hang in there, but they had to check me in first. The nurse then told me I was already dialated to a 7, that I should have come in much earlier, and when I have my next child to be more careful and come in right away. (Thanks, that really helps me right now).
Finally we made it to an L&D room and I FINALLY got an epidural. Oh my goodness. That was heaven. The pain subsided and I finally "came to" and could pay attention to what was happening! My sister arrived about that time and we were ready. My sister on one side, the hubs on the other side, and our sweet nurse (who happened to be an old family friend - small world!). We worked through the labor and then it was go time. Dr C. came in, I pushed a few times, and out came Whitfield Edward Johnson at 5:48pm weighing in at 8lbs, 8oz and just perfect.
We had a wonderful and relaxing evening and night getting to know Field and learning how to be parents on the 14th. The next day was filled with lots and lots of visitors and lots of lovin' on Field.
That evening, our nurse took Field for a few hours to do vitals and a check-up. He never came back to our room that night. He ended up in the NICU because of his low oxygen saturations. Field was never "blue" but they attached him to a pulse ox machine when doing vitals just to be sure his sats were normal. They were not. Thankfully the nurse that day checked his sats, otherwise, we probably would have been discharged the next morning. The NICU diagnosed him with pneumonia and told us he needed antibiotics for about a week and then we could take him home. I was heartbroken (no pun intended), but little did I know how difficult things were about to get. We spent every waking moment that week at the hospital with Field. Field was the healthiest looking baby in the NICU. People always asked why we were there, because he looked so normal. It all seemed so surreal and I just couldn't wait to take him home. On June 18, 2010, our world changed AGAIN. As we arrived that morning, Field was having an echo. The murmur that they heard at birth had not gone away, so they needed to check the heart to be sure all was well. Before we knew it, we had several doctors and our nurse standing around Field and looking at the echo. We knew something was wrong and we were immediately asked to sit down. The pediatric cardiologist on call shared a brief explanation about what was "wrong" with Field's heart. All we could ask was if he was going to die. The doctor said no, not right now. And we pretty much lost it. Not what you want to hear. What he meant was, not right now, but possibly if we were to do nothing to help his heart.
About half an hour later (after I fed Field...no wonder breastfeeding was so hard for us, how was I supposed to relax and feed my baby after being told that?!), we went into the conference room and the neonatologist and pediatric cardiologist explained everything about Field's heart. They told us about the surgeries and they told us his prognosis. It was hard and we were devastated. We immediately called our families and everyone came up to the hospital. I was so proud of Brad. He calmly explained Field's heart, the upcoming surgeries, and his prognosis. I, on the other hand, was a complete wreck. We were so grateful for our families and their love and support that day.
The next few days, weeks, and months were filled with slow weight gain, poor eating, severe reflux, extreme colic, 2 surgeries, and many, many, many doctor's appointments.
You all prayed and prayed and prayed for us. You loved us. You supported us. You cared.
Today, on June 13th, 2011, the day before Field's first birthday, we are beyond grateful. We have a happy and healthy baby boy that is thriving in every way.
He's crawling, he's standing, he's cruising, he's eating like a champ, he's gaining weight rapidly, he's talking, he's giggling, he's smiling, he's waving, he's sleeping, he's playing...he is a miracle. And he is OURS. We are so blessed.
We know this journey is far from over, but if Field's perseverance, strength, and feistiness is any indicator of what the future holds, I have a strong suspicion that this little boy is going to do amazing things with his life. I am honored to sit on the sidelines supporting him and cheering him on as his number 1 fan. Ok, Brad, you can be my co-fan. ;)
To our family members you have put your lives on hold many, many times to help us and be there to support us. Thank you. You have continuously offered assistance in any and every way and we could never have made it through this first year without all of you. Brad and I both have the most wonderful, loving, and supportive parents and we only hope to be the same to our own children. Family is such an amazing blessing and we are so grateful that God blessed us with such wonderful and not to mention, fun, family members!
To our close friends and community in San Antonio...thank you. You all brought meals, sent sweet cards, texts, emails, and visited many times. I will never forget the big, beautiful basket of crosses, notes, bible verses, and encouraging messages that was on our door step the day before Field's first surgery. I just found that basket recently as we just moved and it brought me to tears reading all of the sweet messages. Thank you.
To our blog readers and friends...thank you for your prayers during Field's first year of life. We cherish them always and we thank you for loving and supporting us on this journey. I am amazed daily at how many people that I know and don't know tell me they read the blog. My favorite comments are that Field is famous - ha!
Ok, now I am in tears...
More tomorrow... :)
Very prego!
More prego with my friend Amanda who was due 7 weeks after me.
I had somewhat of a sleepless night so I woke up tired on June 14th. I remember laying on the couch and sleeping a little while longer that morning (SO lazy, but hey, it was summer and I had just finished a long year of teaching and graduate school so lazy I was.;) Around 11am, I finally got myself into the shower and it was then that I started to feel weird. I can't describe the feeling, but it was weird. So after the shower, I started to feel pain. It got progressively worse and before I knew it, I was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor. I couldn't even talk, so I texted the hubs and told him I wasn't feeling good and I thought he needed to come home. He got the text and immediately left work, sprinted 3 or 4 blocks to his car (he works downtown and parks a few blocks away), and drove 80mph home calling me to check on me throughout the drive. When he got home, he ran into the house so fast (and had on brand new work shoes), slipped, and slid across the tile floor on his bottom. Now that would typically be HILARIOUS, but I wasn't laughing. In fact, I was crying as my water had just broke. Brad had to practically carry me to the car and he hurriedly gathered our bags. Off we went to the hospital. The contractions came FAST and FURIOUS. They were about 3-4 minutes apart. I yelled, cried, screamed, etc. the entire way there. It was seriously like a movie. When we arrived, we pulled up to the front of the hospital, and I told Brad I couldn't get out of the car. I was in so much pain I didn't think I could move. (I totally should have taken lamaze classes or something. I had no idea, my labor would progress this quickly.) Brad convinced me to get out of the car and led me inside. The lady at the front desk took a quick glance at me and immediately opened the door and called for nurses. Seriously, this was just like the movies! They brought me in and I really don't remember much after that until I got my epidural. They helped put me in a gown and asked me a million questions. My doc came by to check on me and I just remember saying, "Dr. C, I am in so much pain. I need help, PLLLEEASSE!" He was so sweet and told me to hang in there, but they had to check me in first. The nurse then told me I was already dialated to a 7, that I should have come in much earlier, and when I have my next child to be more careful and come in right away. (Thanks, that really helps me right now).
Finally we made it to an L&D room and I FINALLY got an epidural. Oh my goodness. That was heaven. The pain subsided and I finally "came to" and could pay attention to what was happening! My sister arrived about that time and we were ready. My sister on one side, the hubs on the other side, and our sweet nurse (who happened to be an old family friend - small world!). We worked through the labor and then it was go time. Dr C. came in, I pushed a few times, and out came Whitfield Edward Johnson at 5:48pm weighing in at 8lbs, 8oz and just perfect.
The delivery team: the hubs, baby Field, mommy, my sister, and our nurse
Big baby boy!
Wonderful family that came to welcome Field into the world.
My brother, SIL (Tara),
Brad and his parents (Nonnie and Granddaddy),
Field and me,
my sister,
and my mom and dad (BB and Poppy)
We had a wonderful and relaxing evening and night getting to know Field and learning how to be parents on the 14th. The next day was filled with lots and lots of visitors and lots of lovin' on Field.
Field with his cousins!
That evening, our nurse took Field for a few hours to do vitals and a check-up. He never came back to our room that night. He ended up in the NICU because of his low oxygen saturations. Field was never "blue" but they attached him to a pulse ox machine when doing vitals just to be sure his sats were normal. They were not. Thankfully the nurse that day checked his sats, otherwise, we probably would have been discharged the next morning. The NICU diagnosed him with pneumonia and told us he needed antibiotics for about a week and then we could take him home. I was heartbroken (no pun intended), but little did I know how difficult things were about to get. We spent every waking moment that week at the hospital with Field. Field was the healthiest looking baby in the NICU. People always asked why we were there, because he looked so normal. It all seemed so surreal and I just couldn't wait to take him home. On June 18, 2010, our world changed AGAIN. As we arrived that morning, Field was having an echo. The murmur that they heard at birth had not gone away, so they needed to check the heart to be sure all was well. Before we knew it, we had several doctors and our nurse standing around Field and looking at the echo. We knew something was wrong and we were immediately asked to sit down. The pediatric cardiologist on call shared a brief explanation about what was "wrong" with Field's heart. All we could ask was if he was going to die. The doctor said no, not right now. And we pretty much lost it. Not what you want to hear. What he meant was, not right now, but possibly if we were to do nothing to help his heart.
Field sleeping in the NICU. I had to rig those blankets around his bassinet because the light above was shining right into his little eyes. I wanted to take him home to his own nursery so badly!
The next few days, weeks, and months were filled with slow weight gain, poor eating, severe reflux, extreme colic, 2 surgeries, and many, many, many doctor's appointments.
You all prayed and prayed and prayed for us. You loved us. You supported us. You cared.
A beautiful basket of love and prayers from our wonderful friends in San Antonio.
We found this on our doorstep the day before Field's first surgery.
Today, on June 13th, 2011, the day before Field's first birthday, we are beyond grateful. We have a happy and healthy baby boy that is thriving in every way.
Memorial Day weekend
Atlanta, May 2011
Field's debut as a ringbearer
Atlanta, May 2011
He's crawling, he's standing, he's cruising, he's eating like a champ, he's gaining weight rapidly, he's talking, he's giggling, he's smiling, he's waving, he's sleeping, he's playing...he is a miracle. And he is OURS. We are so blessed.
Playing in his new house! Have I mentioned we just moved?
Look ma! No hands!
Getting ready to walk!
We know this journey is far from over, but if Field's perseverance, strength, and feistiness is any indicator of what the future holds, I have a strong suspicion that this little boy is going to do amazing things with his life. I am honored to sit on the sidelines supporting him and cheering him on as his number 1 fan. Ok, Brad, you can be my co-fan. ;)
To our family members you have put your lives on hold many, many times to help us and be there to support us. Thank you. You have continuously offered assistance in any and every way and we could never have made it through this first year without all of you. Brad and I both have the most wonderful, loving, and supportive parents and we only hope to be the same to our own children. Family is such an amazing blessing and we are so grateful that God blessed us with such wonderful and not to mention, fun, family members!
To our close friends and community in San Antonio...thank you. You all brought meals, sent sweet cards, texts, emails, and visited many times. I will never forget the big, beautiful basket of crosses, notes, bible verses, and encouraging messages that was on our door step the day before Field's first surgery. I just found that basket recently as we just moved and it brought me to tears reading all of the sweet messages. Thank you.
To our blog readers and friends...thank you for your prayers during Field's first year of life. We cherish them always and we thank you for loving and supporting us on this journey. I am amazed daily at how many people that I know and don't know tell me they read the blog. My favorite comments are that Field is famous - ha!
Ok, now I am in tears...
More tomorrow... :)
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