Houston...here we come!

Yesterday was a LOOOONNNNGGG but good day in Houston.  First off, thank you so much to our good friends, the Loockes, for letting us stay in their beautiful home on Sunday night.  They were in Mexico celebrating Blair's 30th birthday, so we didn't get to see them (and Field didn't get to meet his Auntie Blair and Uncle Bryan), but we were thankful to have such a nice place to stay. 

Monday morning came bright and early.  We fed Field and then were off to Texas Children's Hospital.  All I have to say is WOW - the medical center in Houston is incredibly booming and hopping with all sorts of people.  The Baylor College of Medicine is also there, so there are people everywhere!  Field has never seen so much action in his little life! 

The Heart Center at TCH is incredible.  Before we came, I envisioned us trekking all over the hospital for an echo, chest x-ray, EKG, and other appointments.  Here in San Antonio, we would have traveled to different buildings for each of these exams and appointments.  Not at TCH.  We waited in the same waiting room all day and each exam took place in the same center.  We started out with the echo, which was the worst part of our day.  Field was already asleep so I was hoping they could just do the echo with no sedation.  Not so much.  They woke him up to give him this nasty sedation medicine through a syringe and Field was NOT happy.  It was disgusting, he did not like it, and he let us know by throwing it all up each time the nurse gave him a little bit at a time.  Poor baby.  I looked at Brad with my puppy dog sad eyes as sweet Field was throwing up and Brad looked back and said, "This is life.  And we're livin' it!"  I love that!  What would life be without the trials and valleys that we experience.  After all, these deep valleys strengthen our faith, our relationships, and our love for each other.  They also stretch us to our limits allowing us to grow into the people we are.  When we are old and gray, we will remember these times so well and we will be thankful for the way God used these experiences to bring us closer to Him. 

Anyway, the echo went fine, we fed Field afterwards and all went well.  Nonnie (Brad's mom) kept Field while Brad and I ran down to grab some lunch with his dad (Granddaddy) before our next appointment.  When we were in the TCH food court I saw Dr. Fraser getting lunch and I was totally star struck.  Brad reminded me that he is not a celebrity, but honestly, anyone that will work on my baby's heart is a celebrity to me. 

We went back to the heart center and waited for quite awhile.  They finally called Field back for an EKG and he did great.  Then we finally met with Dr. Fraser.  The meeting went very well.  Dr. Fraser was pleased with the care we've received so far in San Antonio and affirmed that we would have been on the same course if we started out there in Houston.  He also suggested that Field's next surgery be this January 2011.  He recommended the Glenn and the Damus-Kaye Stansel procedure for the next operation.  He was very real with us about the complexity of Field's heart and the seriousness of the upcoming surgeries, but he was also very encouraging about the end result and the life that Field has ahead of him.  His goal for Field is to fix up his heart in the best way they can so he can live a long and normal life without complications and without having to have more surgeries.  He also explained a little bit about the set up at TCH.  The Pediatric Cardio ICU, the operating room, the cath lab, and the surgeon's offices are ALL right beside each other.  So if there is a problem in the ICU, the doctors are right there and the operating room is right next door.  We liked that. 

After meeting Dr. Fraser and hearing what he had to say (which was a lot and too much for me to even comprehend right now), we both felt an overwhelming amount of peace and immediately decided that we want him to operate on our baby.  (We don't want anyone to have to operate on our baby, but you know what I mean!)  So, we told Dr. Fraser that we have made our decision and we want him as our surgeon.  They have not set a date yet, but it will be this January - sometime after the new year. 

Our final appointment of the day was with Dr. Crystal, the cardiologist.  He was great!  Very encouraging about Field, his weight, his overall health, and his prognosis.  He also said that he would like to do a heart catheterization before the surgery in January to measure the blood flow, pressures, and differences so that they can go into the operation knowing exactly what is going on with Field's heart - no surprises.  I like that, considering we have already had the surprise of our life after finding out about Field's heart, though I don't like Field having to have another procedure.  Dr. Crystal went through every single possible complication that could arise with the heart cath and the surgery and that was not fun to hear at all.  Our biggest prayer between now and January is that we would be spared any complications before, during, and after the cath and surgery.  And if there are complications, that they would be minimal. 

We do not need to come back to Houston until it is time for the cath/surgery so our local cardiologist (Dr. Porisch) will follow us here and report back to Houston on how we are doing each month. 

So Houston friends...get ready...the Johnsons will become Houston-ites for the month of January 2011! 

We left Houston with a wonderful feeling of peace.  We loved leaving with a plan in place and with some very encouraging and positive news for Field.  We are so thankful for the prayers yesterday - we felt them - and we are thankful that the Lord gave us peace about our decision to have the surgeries in Houston. 

Here are a few pictures of our day...

The calm before the storm (before the Echo)

A little groggy after the sedated Echo...keeping his eye on the nurse with the nasty sedation medicine!

My friend from college (Katie Blakely Cooper) works for

Dr. Fraser and also has a baby in the NICU at TCH right now. 

Smiling at the EKG tech

All smiles...even after a long day!

Brad feeding Field in a gas station parking lot at 8:30pm in a

small town between Houston and SA.  Classy, I know.  :)

Brad imitating Field (we were getting delirious at this point) :)

Field did great at TCH and in the car other than not sleeping much at all.  He is not one of those babies that falls asleep in the car.  He is bright eyed and bushy tailed - looking around vigorously - wondering where we are taking him!  So a day full of exams and appointments and then almost 4 hours in the car of looking around and just a small cat nap throughout the day, made for a very tired baby Field today.  We have been catching up on rest most of the day. 

Thanks for checking in on us! 

Babies

A few weeks ago Brad and I watched the movie Babies.  This movie is about one year in the life of four different babies from around the world.  It was so funny because we could relate to the different behaviors of the babies.  Brad and I kept laughing and saying how much each baby reminded of us of Field.  As fun as it was to watch, it also made me sad.  Sad to think that if Field were born in a place like Mongolia or Namibia, he would not have survived.  He would have been born a healthy, robust baby and then would have slowly deteriorated as feeding would have been difficult and his heart would have worked too hard without some sort of intervention.  Though this did make me sad, I am also so very thankful that Field was born in 2010 and that we have the resources, knowledge, and care of the medical world today.  We are thankful that we have the very best options set up for Field and that we hope and plan for him to live a very normal life. 

On Monday, we head to Houston, TX to meet with Dr. Charles Fraser, the Chief of Congenital Heart Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital of Houston.  We are very much looking forward to our appointment there and we hope to feel some peace as to where we decide Field will undergo his next surgery.  We have several prayer requests for Monday, so I will post those below.

We met with our San Antonio cardiologist today and got another great report!  Field's heart continues to function very well and the doctor was very pleased with his weight gain.  Those are definite praises.  All in all, a positive appointment and we will see Dr. P. (the cardiologist) next month!  Each time we leave these appointments Brad and I let out a huge sigh of relief.  It's amazing how much anxiety can build up before each appointment.  It's so out of our control, yet we so badly want things to look and function perfectly.  We know who is in control and we are thankful for God's grace and peace each time we enter the cardiology office.  And today we celebrate another great report!

Here are a few prayer requests for next week:
-Our travels to and from Houston would be safe and smooth.
-Field would feed well during the travel there and also during the appointments on Monday
-That our appointments would go smoothly and that we will receive positive news regarding Field's condition
-Wisdom for the Houston cardiologist and Dr. Fraser as they make recommendations for Field and his next surgery
-A safe echocardiogram for Field as they are going to lightly sedate him so they can get really good pictures of his heart
-Peace, wisdom, and energy for Brad and I as we ask questions, "take in" what the hospital and doctors have to offer, and that we would make the very best decisions for Field's care.

Oh...and Field turned 3 months on Tuesday - here is an update of his monthly pictures:

  Just came home from the hospital!

(9 days old)

1 month old

2 months old

3 months old

Happy 3 month Birthday, sweet boy!

In the words of my friend, Brooke, Grow Field Grow!

Thank you for your support and prayers!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hook 'em Horns!

One of my favorite traditions that my college friends have is a weekend together in Austin during football season.  A group of us Tri Delts (pledge class '98 and pledge class '99) get together for food, fun, and football.  I believe this is our 6th or 7th year to do it!  This was the first time I didn't stay the entire time and didn't attend the football game.  Due to being a new mommy, I just drove up with some San Antonio girls for lunch with the group and then came back.  I was sad to miss all of the festivities but happy to get back to see my little one.  This group of girls is SO special to me and I am so thankful for these fabulous friendships!

Meanwhile...while mommy was in Austin with friends for the day, daddy was in charge of our little Longhorn at home.  Looks like they had a good time, don't ya think?   



PS - I promise we do more with him than just the bouncy seat.  This just seems to be an easy place to take video.  :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Random Ramblings...

I am still getting the hang of this blogging thing, so forgive me for not updating the blog more often! It is SO hard to keep up with! I will try my best to update more often. Sorry guys!

We are doing great in the Johnson household! I think the "3 month fog" is starting to lift and we are finally settling into a routine...getting more sleep, cooking dinner again, keeping up with housework/yard work, having dinners with friends and family, etc. Yes, our fog was a little thicker than most, but it feels good to get back into the swing of things. We are also finally getting Field out and about more often and he loves it. This baby is so social.  He flashes his sweet smile to anyone that talks to him. It's pretty precious!

Here are some of our latest adventures...

One of my FAVORITE places to eat lunch is at the Neiman Marcus cafe. My mom (BB) and I took Field to his first "ladies lunch" last week and he was SO good! Well, he slept the whole time, but he was quiet and happy. I guess something about a bunch of women chit chattin' away put him right to sleep in his stroller! Sorry Brad, next time we can take him to Bass Pro Shops for his lunch outing! :)

Sweet, giggling boy!

Sweet, smiling boy!

Here is Field meeting one of my very best friends and her baby. Amanda and I have been friends since Kindergarten and Sutton is just 6 weeks younger than Field. They were so excited to meet each other that they both fell right to sleep! Ha!

Dinner with mommy and daddy on a cool evening.  There he is...staring at daddy again! 

Meeting his new BFF, Ella.  Ella's mommy and I have been friends since we were born!  Very special friendship!

Field and Ella and their mommies.  All BFF's! 

My sister and her family invited us to Oak Hills Country Club on Labor Day for a fun family style party.  Here is cousin Caroline jumping in the bounce house.  She kept saying, "Watch me, Aunt Lis, watch me!"  Sweet Field slept the whole time Caroline bounced.  Field, it won't be long and you'll be bouncin' away in there with your cousins! 

Sleeping Field in his stroller.  He looks like such a big boy, doesn't he?!?

Hangin' with daddy after his golf game at Oak Hills.  Field is even wearing his own golf outfit!  :)

And this video is just too precious not to post. Field didn't really like his bouncy seat until now. And now he LOVES IT! He kicks those legs like crazy! Make sure to watch until the end when he flashes his sweet smile at me. Love this sweet boy so much!

Lastly (this is why this post is titled "Random Ramblings..." I am going on and on about random stuff, I know!), we had our 3 month check-up with the pediatrician yesterday. Field is doing great. The pediatrician is very happy with Field and his progress. Brad and I are such perfectionists, so it is hard when she tells us his weight percentile as it is well below the 50th percentile, but we also know that we have worked our tail ends off to get him to gain weight and he IS gaining weight like crazy, so we have to be proud of that. The whole percentile thing really stresses me out and I just wonder what the point of it is? For those above 50%ile to feel great and for those of us below 50%ile to feel terrible? I mean, really! What's the point?!? I don't know, but I am going to try to just ignore those numbers and be thankful that the weight gain is steadily increasing and that we are on an uphill incline with growth. Thank you, Lord, for answering that prayer and please keep the prayers coming for continued growth, weight gain, and eating. 

I know, I know...this post was way too long.  I will try to post more often so I don't have to randomly ramble on about the past few weeks!  :)  Thanks for reading and feel free to leave us a comment so we know people are actually reading! 

Much Love,

Lisa 

We Love You, Brad Johnson!

Field and I cannot even begin to describe how blessed we are to have the very BEST husband and daddy we could ever ask for.  From day one, Brad has been the most "hands on" daddy! 

From encouraging me during labor when I was dilated to a 9 and had NO epidural yet (yes, my labor went that fast!), to rejoicing with me on the birth of our son, to holding me tight after hearing the diagnosis of Field's heart, to sitting with me in the NICU day and night as I fed Field, to celebrating with me when we took him home for the first time, to spending nights in the hospital after Field's surgery and waking up each morning to work a full day so he can support our family, to feeding Field all through the night (I pump and we bottle feed so we know how much Field is taking in) so that I can sleep every now and then, to managing doctor's appointments, paperwork, insurance claims, etc., to attending EVERY appointment of Field's and rushing back to work, and to just loving on both of us unconditionally.  This man is truly a blessing to us and I couldn't ask for a better person to accompany me on this journey.  He really is the most compassionate, caring, loving, and PATIENT person.  God is really working in his life and I love being a part of it all.  It is amazing to watch my two boys stare into each other's eyes (they do that often and it's just SO sweet!).  I know that Brad will be the best golf, baseball, soccer, hunting, and fishing coach to Field. 

Field...you are the luckiest baby I know because Brad Johnson is your daddy and he is AWESOOOMMMEEE!  :)

There are my two boys, staring into each other's eyes. 

Wow...I am a lucky girl!!

"Perfect" Cardiology Update

We went to see our cardiologist last Friday and we are so thankful and pleased to say it was a wonderful appointment. First of all, we didn't have to wait very long which is a huge blessing in itself. Waiting in doctors offices with a newborn is not easy.

Field is doing GREAT! His weight gain is exactly where they want it. He is gaining an appropriate amount of weight each week, which is a huge victory for us. His oxygen saturation levels are perfect - in the low 90's. His pulse and heart rate are perfect. And...the heart looks perfect! Dr. Porische said the word "perfect" so many times that I thought I was going to jump up and give her a huge bear hug!  Tame yourself, momma bear Lisa.  When I say perfect, I do mean Field's perfect. We know that his heart is not "normal," but it looks perfect for him. We are so thankful that there do not seem to be any other issues with the heart, other than the obvious single ventricle. There are no leaky valves, blood flow is good, and the pulmonary artery band that they placed on his artery in July looks...PERFECT! 

I think the shock of Field's special heart is starting to wear off and so Brad and I are starting to ask better and more educated questions at our appointments. I guess I should speak for myself - Brad asks excellent questions as he understands exactly how the heart works, exactly what is going on with Field's heart, and exactly how the surgeries will "fix" his heart. I, on the other hand, didn't know much about the heart until now, so I am what you would call a novice heart mom. So, if you want to know more about Field's heart, ask Brad! Give me a few more years (I'm a slow learner) and I'll have it figured out. :)

Dr. Porische spent a lot of time with us during our appointment and was SO positive about Field and his future.  We were very encouraged for Field.  She also mentioned that she believes the kids that do the best and end up succeeding the most in life are the ones whose parents don't limit their possibilities - who allow them to do as they please - but just encourage them to take a break when they need it.  Field will know his limits and will learn to rest when it's time.  This just sounds like good parenting to me and I know Brad and I will always strive to be the very best parents to our Field.  We ask those of you who are close to us to also encourage us to not limit Field.  The sky is the limit for this baby boy and we don't ever want to stifle his opportunities. 

We also discussed the timeline for the next surgery.  The Glenn.  Most babies have this surgery between 4-6 months of age, but when Field is between 4 and 6 months old, we will be in the height of flu and RSV season (October-December).  The doctors want to do their best to keep us away from sick people and out of the hospital during that time.  Because Field is doing SO well and his sats are in the normal range, we are thinking that we will wait until next Spring for the surgery - probably March or April.  But we will just monitor Field and see how he's doing at our monthly cardiology appointments.  He'll let us know when it's time for the surgery.  (His O2 sats will drop!)

On that note, we are going to meet with Dr. Charles Fraser at Texas Children's Hospital in September.  We have heard wonderful things about Dr. Fraser, who is the chief surgeon for cardiac surgery and deals with all kinds of CHD's.  We also know that TCH is one of the best children's hospitals in the nation.  We want only the best for Field.  After our visit to Houston, Brad and I will discuss and pray about our best option for Field and his next surgery.  We would love it it you all would pray for us as we make this important decision.

I am so thankful for my new friend, Jesse, who has reached out to me this past week.  Sweet Brad has been communicating with families who have similar stories to ours.  He connected with a family located outside of Seattle.  They have a darling son named Luke.  Luke's heart is very similar to Field's.  He is 3 years older and has been through the first 2 surgeries.  Luke is doing GREAT!  His sweet mom, Jesse, has been emailing with Brad to check in on us and she and I have just recently connected.  It is so great to have her friendship and I know Brad and I will look up to Jesse and her husband for the years to come.

We know these next few years are going to be tough, but we also know that God is so near to us right now. He is holding our family so strongly and He brings us so much joy with our sweet son, Field.  As Jesse reminded me, the joy we feel for our son might not have been as deep without the pain.  And Field's heart has given us a depth of gratitude that we may never have felt without this experience.  Field is perfect in our eyes and we cannot be more thankful for him. 

Here is a recent pic of Mr. Field with one of his girlfriends, Lily Yantis!

And another pic taken after church on Sunday!

Lake Time at LBJ!

We took our first road trip to LBJ last weekend and had a wonderful time at the Johnson's lake place!  Brad and I also got to spend time with our friends Zach and Jenny who were also there.  We got a much needed break as we lounged poolside with our friends while Nonnie, Grandaddy, and Uncle Matt kept Field company inside with the AC.  Overall, the trip was a success!  Field loved getting all of the attention and he enjoyed the beautiful lake scenery too.  One day, he'll be able to join us in the pool and on the boat.  We are very thankful and blessed to have parents who own vacation homes close by so that we can have little "get aways" every now and then. :)

Spending time with mommy

Enjoying the view of the lake!

This is the life!

Spending time with Zach and Jenny

The crew hanging out at the lake!