The Faces of CHD: Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is under way (Feb. 7-14) and I am jumping in to share and honor my sweet Field and also to help raise awareness of CHD's.

Before Field was born, I had never heard of a congenital heart defect.  I had no idea what the word congenital even meant (naive, I guess?).  Now I can tell you more about Field's heart and how it works than most care to know (or understand!).

After 2 heart surgeries, one heart cath, and more medical check-ups than I can count, we have a healthy, thriving, and very smart toddler.  Field has surpassed all expectations and continues to be a wonderful testimony to God's grace and protection.  We still have one more surgery ahead of us, but God is good and He will carry us through every twist and turn that life has for us.  We are so blessed to be on this journey and so grateful for our precious son, Field.

A handsome face of CHD

Thank you to the wonderful heart mommas who have set up a Pinterest board called The Faces of CHD.   And be on the lookout for Mr. Field being a part of all of these precious heroes.  

Thumbs Up Thursday and Product of the Week!

I am linking up with two of my friends today...

Brooke - Thumbs Up Thursday and Tiffanie - Product of the Week.

I am a freak about raw meat, salmonella, and contaminated food.  It grosses me out and I do not like to touch anything raw.  A friend gave us a set of these nifty cutting boards as a wedding gift many years ago.  They are color and graphic coded to prevent cross contamination.  Genius!  Never again will we chop veggies on a surface (whether clean or not) that meat has touched.

Thumbs Up to these handy things!

And since babies/toddlers require most, if not all, of their food cut into small pieces, I bought a separate small and lightweight cutting board just for cutting all of Field's cooked food.  

You can buy a set of cutting boards like mine at Bed Bath and Beyond by clicking here.    

Strong Willed

Field is officially a toddler and I am afraid to say we are getting closer to the terrible 2's.  Field has always been a strong willed child, but oh my, we are the STRONGER willed child these days.

No help from mommy on the slide.  

He wants to go down all by myself.  

No matter how high the slide is.  

Right before bed one night.  

Daddy was out of town.  

Mommy was exhausted.  

Field was full of energy.  

Hiding in the kitchen cabinet.  

Where is Field?

It's more fun to dump macaroni and 

carrots on your head than to eat them.

Real boys eat off of hot pink plates.   

My sweet Fieldiepoo, it might sound like I am complaining...but I love you so and am proud of your persistence and fun personality.  You make me laugh all day, every day.  You are destined for great things with that spunky attitude and zest for life.  I am praying for your future teachers.  ;)  

product of the week : steamer

I am linking up with my fellow heart mom, Tiffanie, today for her Product of the Week series.  I took these pictures awhile back with good intentions of linking up with my friend, Brooke, for her Thumbs Up Thursday but never got around to it.  So sorry, Brooke.  :(  Today has been one of those good days - baby took a long nap, dinner is made, and laundry is put away (this never happens, really) so I thought I would post about one of my favorite products.

When I was engaged and it was time to register for kitchen utensils/appliances/ etc. my sister gave me a list of "must haves."  One was a steamer/rice cooker.  I had no idea what this was and why would I need it, but I registered for it and sure enough I got one at a shower.  Once we were married and settled, we started using the steamer for our nightly veggies - we steamed anything and everything.

I didn't realize how awesome this appliance was until I had Field.  Once he was onto solids, I used this steamer every.day. We steam apples, pears, carrots, broccoli, fresh green beans, potatoes, etc.  The nice thing about it is you wash the fruit or veggie, put it in the steamer pan with water, and turn on the timer and you are done.  There have been many days that I have thrown food into the steamer, left the house to run a quick errand, and come back 20 minutes later to fresh, steamed, healthy fruits and veggies.  Makes it very easy for little ones with no or very few teeth to eat.  If you have a little one, I HIGHLY recommend this appliance.

Happy Glenniversary Sweet Field!

One year ago... 

We sent our precious son into open heart surgery - It was called The Glenn.  

It was a complicated surgery.  

There were many risks.  

We had only been parents for 7 months.  

Our Field had no idea what his little body was about to go through.  

To say we were overwhelmed is an understatement.  

We did what any parent would do in this situation.

We loved on our son and we trusted Him.  

We prayed.  And prayed and prayed.  

We had SO much faith.     

And Thanks be to God, Field came through like a champ.

We are so PROUD of our special little boy.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, 

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Happy Glenniversary Sweet Field.  We love you!

Christmas Recap 2011

Christmas this year was so magical!

We truly enjoyed each event of the season (well, except for a few visits with Santa)!

Here are some favorite pics of the fun we had:

Fun with BB at a Christmas Party!

Family Christmas Picture

Our fun friends had a Thomas the Train ride-on train around their Christmas tree!

Field, Patrick, Sanders and their mommies.  All born within 4 weeks of each other.  

(Clearly Field did not want to be in the picture)

 Santa's elves (Daddy and Granddaddy) building Field a clubhouse!

A Holiday Sing-Along event at the local library with some sweet friends.  Field kept going over to Harper's mommy and sitting in her lap leaving me all alone.  Ha!  Guess he was tired of me!  

A few of Field's besties  

 Christmas Eve family picture!

Cousins on Christmas

Fun Christmas Eve dinner at BB and Poppy's house

Christmas morning at our house - Santa came!

Whoa - a bus!

Opening up his Elf on a Shelf for next year!  We can't wait!  

Loving his new clubhouse

Can't wait to get his hands on his new toy!

What did you get, Granddaddy?

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!

A tricycle from Nonnie and Granddaddy!

Unfortunately the holiday ended with Field being the sickest he's ever been on New Year's Eve.  He had a double ear infection and 104.7 temps.  We were really scared and Field was VERY sick.  We didn't sleep for days - all 3 of us.  We went back to the pediatrician on Monday for the 3rd time in 4 days and Field's ear was still infected, but looking much better.  Otherwise, everything checked out great.

Now we just need to catch up on sleep and teach Field that he CAN and WILL sleep without mommy and daddy (these little illnesses sure do create bad habits - ugh!)

18 MONTHS!!

Field is 18 months!  Honestly, the first year of Field's life didn't go all that fast for me...since we went through some very difficult times, but since turning one year old, time is FLYING by and we are truly loving being Field's parents.

A few things about Field at 18 months (I'll spare you the 18 things at 18 months. Ha!):

VERY into golf and football.  Loves to hit any kind of ball around the house with his clubs.  It looks more like hockey, but he'll catch on to the game of golf one day.  Loves to hold a football and throw it behind him.  Yes, I said behind him.  Where do these kids learn to do such things?

We started back up at Little Gym and once again, Field is a fan.  He loves the Little Gym activities and what boy doesn't love being able to climb, jump, and run onto anything and everything in one giant, colorful room?

Books, books, books!  Still loves to read books.  We read A LOT during the day and Field continues to prefer the truck books over any other.

When he gives us a hug, we always say, "Awww," and so now when we ask for a hug, he says, "Awww" as he lays his head on you for about 1/2 second. :)

I realize that this is definitely delayed, but we finally and officially have Field out of the bath chair.  We tried so many different times only to have him act so crazy slipping and sliding all over the place, trying to stand up, and face planting (on purpose) into the water that we would immediately put him back in the bath chair.  But now, little man is able to control himself and not act so crazy in the tub so he gets to play without being in the bath chair.  That must be so SO freeing?!

A few favorite songs - Jesus Loves Me, Bath Time,Bath Time (a song made up by mommy), and This is the Way the Gentlemen Ride (a nursery rhyme sung by daddy).  He sings the songs with the right tune and all.  It sounds like someone singing the wrong words to the right tune because he sings in jibberish,  ;-)

We had a wonderful check up today with our pediatrician.  She is very pleased with Field's development, growth, and overall health.  We are very blessed and thankful this holiday season.

Happy 18 months, Field!