Mac's Heart

Let me begin my saying, God answered my prayer today. I have been praying for weeks that we would be able to see all four chambers of Mac’s heart at today’s appointment. Today that prayer was answered. We were able to see all four chambers of his heart. I am grateful for that. I am also grateful that all other anatomy appears normal at this time.

The images taken today of Mac’s heart were concerning in other ways. While he has all four chambers the right side is enlarged and the left side is smaller than normal. There is also some concern about the way that the arteries are connected. When the doctor looked at the images he told us that we have a lot to be thankful for. We knew that already, but it was nice to hear him say it too.

We are taking our first steps in this process and we have very little information at this point. The things that we do know are that we are blessed to have a son with all four chambers. Without the two that are smaller he would not have any chance of life at this point. His heart has the necessary parts but they are just not connected correctly which hopefully will give the doctors more to work with when that time comes. We are also grateful that this was caught now, and we will be able to prepare for his arrival to give him the best care possible. The doctor told us today that while he is in the womb he has everything he needs and will be fine. We just need to be prepared for when he arrives and may or may not need additional support.

Our next step is to meet with the pediatric cardiologist on Monday afternoon. This meeting should give us more information. We as a family are standing firm in our faith that this child belongs to God and He has a plan for Mac. We have already given this situation to him and ask only for your prayers. We are not defeated; we are turning to the Rock of our Salvation, the only one who has any control over our situation. Please pray that God will either give Mac a divine healing in the womb or that He will guide our doctors as they make decisions about how to help with his healing in the months ahead.

As I was driving home tonight in the car I heard a wonderful song that gave me so much peace. I had never heard this song before, but it ministered to me in such a powerful way. The song is sung by Colton Dixon and is called You Are. So in this circumstance that leaves me with empty hands, He is!

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WKLPLLNX



This 3D image of our sweet baby boy was taken today. If you look at the center of the image you will see his profile as he looks to the left. His tiny hand is up in front of his mouth. This seems to be his favorite position.

Preparing for Mac

The past couple of weeks have been spent preparing for Baby Mac! We are excited to have made a great deal of progress on his nursery. We have painted the walls of the nursery, installed a ceiling fan, purchased and borrowed a few furniture items, and began to make the curtains for the lower half of our windows. We still have lots of work to do, but I am excited to see the progress. Harlie is enjoying the preparations too. She helped us paint and has been involved with almost every detail of preparing the nursery. She is growing more and more excited about being a big sister.

Where The Heart Is

 

Today's visit was all about the heart. Mac's heart that is. We had our third ultrasound scheduled for today at 3:00. We were hoping to get some clear shots of all four chambers of that precious little heart. During our last ultrasound the technician said that she was having a hard time determining if everything was there because he was measuring a week small. After a month of waiting, our little fella continues to form in secret. He kept his arms and legs up which kept overshadowing his heart. She was not able to see all four chambers at the same time. She tried multiple times to get a clear shot but he blocked her every time.

 

The doctor has now scheduled us for another ultrasound with a specialist. They assured me that this is not uncommon and that most of the time Dr. Greg is able to identify the parts more easily than his office can. We are standing firm in our faith that this baby boy is God's child and He is forming him perfectly in secret. We are just waiting now for Dr. Greg to confirm that with our next ultrasound.

 

We were however able to get several cute pictures of other parts of our sweet boy. As you can see he has beautiful fingers and a distinguished profile.

 

No More Training Wheels

                                                 

When Harlie was learning to walk she held tightly to our hands and would not let go. She was not sure that she was ready, so she clung for dear life. As her first birthday approached I wondered if she would ever find the confidence in herself to let go and take those first steps. A few weeks after her first birthday she found that confidence and courage. She was not willing to fall. She was determined to hold on until she knew she had it on her own.

The same has been true with riding a bike. A few years ago she was interested in trying it out, but changed her mind after a scary ride down a long hill with mommy and daddy chasing behind. After that day she would not go fast enough to maintain her balance. I worried about her not being able to ride, but knew that the day would come when she would find that confidence in herself. Today was the day!

As we were riding home from school chatting about our day, I mentioned our family taking a walk in the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful weather. I asked her if she would like to ride her bike. She said, "That's what I was thinking." Then she said something that I wasn't expecting. "You know, I think I am the only one in my class who can't ride my bike without training wheels." Then she said, "Caden can ride his bike without training wheels. If he can do it so can I. He is smaller than me." 

When we got home we pulled out the bike and headed for the church parking lot. Then just like the day she took her first steps, she rode that little bicycle without training wheels across the lot. She is practicing turns and growing more confident with every pass. I am so proud of her for finally conquering this fear. 

                                                  

Perfection

                            

This year I celebrated my 8^th year as "Mommy" on Mother’s Day. It is by far the greatest name I have ever been called! I am so blessed to celebrate this Mother’s Day with my favorite girl and anticipation of the arrival of my precious new baby boy! Like most girls, I remember dreaming of having that perfect combination of one boy and one girl. Now that dream is becoming a reality. I am so thankful for that.

This year’s celebration was nothing extravagant, but it was perfection! We usually spend our Sunday of Mother’s Day celebrating our mothers, so my day is celebrated a day early on Saturday. This Saturday morning I awoke to chatter and clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen. When I got out of bed I was met in the doorway with strict instructions to return. As I lay there in my bed I heard the sweet voices of two people who I love more than anything in this world. They were preparing for me a special breakfast in bed. They delivered my breakfast first and then piled up in the bed with me to enjoy our meal together. Our meal ended with ketchup covered eggs on the comforter, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

Anyone who knows Harlie knows that projects are one of her favorite pass times. She is just like her daddy. She had spoken with me earlier on Friday about a vision she had for the safari animals from my baby shower centerpieces. She wanted to use cardboard to create a grassland filled with safari animals. We had started on the project Friday when we got home from school, but didn’t get far when Vince came home from work. We had to stop all work on this project because of course it was a surprise. When Vince went outside after breakfast to do a little work in the yard, Harlie and I had couple of hours to complete our surprise project for Daddy. I got to choose the movie we watched while we worked. I chose one of our family favorites, Lilo and Stitch. We cut, colored, and glued until our safari scene was perfection. We were able to include one of each of the safari animals from the centerpieces. After our project was complete we snuggled up in the “big brown chair” to watch the rest of the movie together.

Vince came in from the yard with a proposal for lunch. We decided on McDonald’s chicken nuggets and fries. The nuggets are one of Harlie’s favorites and the fries are one of mine. It was a perfect Mother’s Day lunch. Vince went to pick up lunch and a few items for the evening meal. Harlie and I decided it was time for a pedicure. I did Harlie’s nails while she watched Ninjago. I know, Mac is the luckiest baby brother ever. How many boys can say that their big sister chooses monster trucks, fishing, and Ninjago over Barbie, dance lessons, and Doc McStuffins.

After lunch we played Skip Bo as a family and then Harlie bailed on us for her American Girl horse grooming. That poor horse is not going to have a mane left when she gets it combed to perfection. Then we made labels for her American Girl doll holder. She helped me use the cricket to print a name label for each doll. They now know exactly which spot is theirs on the wall. The next thing on the agenda was not very fun, but it was something I wanted to get done. After rearranging Harlie’s room earlier in the week we had a pile of miscellaneous “Harlie stuff” in the foyer that needed to find a home. She did a great job helping me relocate these items.

Then it was time for supper. Vince had prepared the patio for an evening outside. I enjoyed resting on the swing listening to the birds while Vince and Harlie grilled hamburgers on the grill. They also found sticks for the fire pit which would be used for smore making after dinner. If you ever enjoy smores with the Wilsons one thing you may want to note is that smores at our house do not include graham crackers. They are a messy mix of roasted marshmallows and melty Hershey bars.

After dinner we went inside for family movie night. We watched Iron Man 2 and snacked on popcorn. Harlie loves our TVG that allows her to watch some of the movies that Vince and I enjoy. At bedtime Harlie tucked me in and read me one of my favorite books, The Tale of Three Trees.

As I said before this day was nothing extravagant, but it was perfection! I appreciate my family working so hard to show me that they love me and appreciate me for the role I play in our family. I am blessed. I am blessed. I am blessed.

Celebrating Baby Mac

I am blessed to work at one of the best schools in the upstate among the best teachers anywhere. Today our family was blessed with a celebration in honor of our new addition. My Wren family blessed us with many wonderful gifts to prepare for our sweet baby boy. Our guests included big sister Harlie, Grannie Jan, teachers from all grade levels, special areas faculty, and administration. Vince arrived just as we wrapped up the celebration. He couldn't get off work because of all of the early leave days for appointments to check on Mac. My first grade team planned everything perfectly. The food served included yummy lemonade, fruit kabobs, mixed nuts, homemade cheese biscuits, and cupcakes. The centerpieces on the tables where made of diapers that will be reused when Mac arrives. The theme of the decorations was safari animals. When they arrived, guests played a game guessing the candy names to match baby themed people and events. They also personalized diapers to bring a smile for those late night changes. I peeked at a few and can't wait to read the rest. Renee Sanders read an excerpt from the book Let Me Hold You Longer. This was one of the gifts from my team. After a few tears, we enjoyed the delicious refreshments. Then we opened the gifts. Big sister Harlie did a great job reading cards and opening gifts for me. She is growing more excited about meeting her baby brother. This celebration was such a wonderful time with friends and family. I am so grateful to my friends for putting so much time and effort into this special day for our family.

 

Welcome From The Wilsons

We Wilsons would like to invite you to follow our family adventures. As we prepare for the arrival of our newest member in September the days ahead are sure to be packed with lots of exciting events. Thanks for following our family.