Paddling with the Dolan Family

 

 

 

 

Paddling with Dad and Friends

 

 

 

 

Being Goofy with the FAM

 

 

 

Picnicking with Our Church Family

 

 

 

 

Finally Home with Dad before His Cath

 

 

Making snow cones with the Terry Girls!

 

 

 

 

Boys WILL BE Boys!

 

 

 

 

What's Been Happening!

Well, I am going to paste two of the notes I have written on Facebook this past week on today's post. I also have a LOT of pictures that I want to put on this posting as well. I have pics of Gideon's birthday today and I'll add more later on.
August 29th

I had an ultrasound on last Tuesday that further validated an earlier diagnosis that our developing daughter, Maia, has problems with her heart. She has a narrow right ventricle (hypoplastic right ventricle), small triscuspid valve (tricuspid stenosis), possible small pulmonary valve ( pulmonary stenosis), and larger than usual hole between the left and right side of the heart (VSD). I think this is pretty accurate.

The pediatric cardiologist that performed the echocardiogram on Tuesday referred us to the Fetal Cardiac Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. We have an appointment with the specialists next Friday, the 5th of September. They will do another in-depth echocardiogram and then a consultation of how matters should proceed from here on out.

I am sure I am in a bit of shell-shock with my emotions, a bit numb, but I also know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is giving me a peace that passes understanding. He is in control. Maia is His not ours. He will do a glorious work in her life no matter what that means. Thank you for your prayers and intercession thus far. Please keep it up! It would be great to see an amazing miracle for her!

Maia means "Mine". I have always thought of it as God saying she is "Mine". His stamp of ownership is upon her life. He is her Abba Father. He is her Great Physician. He will do a perfect work within our daughter, His daughter.

I am starting orientation for the new school year this week and I must say I don't feel as productive as I should trying to prep for classes and prepare my room. I feel torn about what is going on personally and what I need to do professionally. Please be in prayer that I can give my best for each student. School begins next Wednesday for the kids. The very first Friday, I am going to have to leave early and it is very necessary, but I hate that I have to go and leave the students that early on.


God is GOOD all the time. ALL the time God is GOOD!

August 31st

I spent the night looking at personal family blogs of people that have experienced what we will most likely go through in a few short months with our daughter Maia. The pictures of each one of these beautiful children gives me much hope for a somewhat normal life and a definitely happy and hopeful one. These kids are still in the early stages of life. I would like to find some sites that feature families of children with this condition that are older, but for now it does my "heart" good to see these posts.

Please take a look at some of these testimonies and I hope it will encourage you as they have encouraged me.

http://hitchcocknews.blogspot.com/2008/08/colbys-first-visit-to-cardiologist.html

http://katrinaelizabeth.typepad.com/katrina_elizabeth_photogr/rylie_hope_update/

http://babybent.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August Update

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted. I basically got out the habit while I was on my Kentucky excursion and since I have been back I have been a bit lazy about uploading my photos into the computer. It actually has been quite busy with Kenny, the pregnancy, and trying to get things ready for school this fall for both Gideon and I.

Many of you already know this but the most pressing news we have at this time is that we need prayer for our little one still growing inside my womb, Maia. A cardiologist performed an ultrasound on her on Monday and said that her right ventricle and right valve do not appear to be growing as fast as the left side of the heart. It can be a very serious condition once Maia is born. While she is in utero, I am oxygenating her blood, but once she is born her heart could have potential problems providing oxygenated blood to her lungs due to this condition. It really is a wait and see time for us right now. I have an ultrasound this coming Monday with my perinatologist and then another on Tuesday the 26th with the cardiologist. I will keep you informed as I know more.

Kenny has been doing pretty good since being released from the hospital two weeks ago. He has a had a few mild episodes with his heart racing and chest pains at night. His cardiologist is putting a halter monitor on him for two weeks this Friday to try to see the patterns more clearly. Kenny did say that he did feel the pressure in his chest after I told him the news of Maia earlier this week, so it definitely could be stress related. We shall see. Thanks again for the all the prayers you have said for him during this time.

Gideon and I are doing fine. In Louisville, we got to visit all the family. We went to the Louisville Waterfront Park, Chuck E. Cheese's, and to a few of our friends. We attended Southeast Christian Church the two Sundays we were there as well. It was a good time and ended early, but now with Kenny and Maia we know that it was just the right time to come back to New Jersey!

A Brief Update

We are doing well and looking forward to coming to Kentucky soon! Right now I am not sure of the exact date. My perinatologist wants me to come back in before I leave for my trip to get some clearer shots of the baby's spine and heart. The baby wasn't too cooperative in that area the last visit. The only time that they can get me in is on the 9th of July ( I was suppose to leave on the 8th for Louisville).

Now my principal emailed me today and she wants me to try to get hired on via the public school system for a position in special education at our private school. New Jersey is very unique this way. They will place special education teachers in private schools if requested. So now I might also have an interview sometime soon. I don't know when that is going to be. I have to call that office tomorrow.

Please pray for me. I am getting very anxious about all this. I thought I had everything planned out for the trip and I just want it to work out so that I can leave as soon as possible. I usually look at unforeseen circumstances that arise as Providential and that it is all in God's plan and I am sure this is as well, but I want MY way right now and I just need to submit it over to Him.

Here are some pictures of us at IHOP a couple of Saturdays ago.


The next three pics were taken by Gideon.
Looks like we might have a budding photographer on our hands.

I also wanted to add a video that was compiled from somebody in Saipan on the GCA staff ( I assume). I don't know if all of you know but I worked in Saipan for two years right out of college at Grace Christian Academy. They just celebrated 20 years as a school! I think there is one quick picture of me in there were I am on praiseteam presentation. It brings some amazing memories!

Introducing Our First Glimpses of Maia Elisabeth!

Maia is giving us a great big how-do-ya-do smile!
This is only a pic of the profile of her face. Don't try to see the whole body here.


This one is a bit harder to tell, but she is sucking her thumb in this photo op.

Kenny could not attend the screening yesterday. He was called away on a business trip for the day in northern NJ. I didn't want to bring Gideon, because I knew that this was going to be a long one, since they have to check all the anatomy and make sure measurements and body parts are looking right. I dropped Gideon off with some friends of ours.

The technician asked very early on in the screening if I was ready to hear the sex of the baby. She said she usually didn't tell people so early on but it appeared to be very obvious to her. When she told me it was going to be a little girl, I responded with..."REALLY?!?". She said she was very sure that there were no little boy parts there and all she was seeing was girl. She came back to that area at different times throughout the process and each time she thought it was more confirmation.

Kenny called me before I got a chance to call him. I think he was in even more shock than I was. For me, I didn't want to get my hopes up with a little girl, because I know how awesome boys can be...especially since having Gideon and also seeing my friends' sons and my nephews. Boys Rock, but I have always wanted a little girl. In fact, we had to apologize to Gideon before he was born, because for weeks we had been calling him Zoe Adair. (hee, hee)

I called my mother next and she screamed like a banchee. She was excited to say the least. She got a hold of most of the family before I did. I think she forgot it wasn't necessarily "her" news. I told her later that she was very fortunate that I was in such a good mood that day! :)

My sister-in-law, Becky, has already bought some girl things (as of a couple of hours after being given the news by Kenny!) It is a good thing though. It hit me on the way to pick up Gideon, after the ultrasound, that I would have to start fresh with clothing and some toys. Yikes!

I never had biological sisters in my family and God has blessed me with some amazing spiritual sisters throughout my life! Now I get to add a little girl to our wonderful family that God has so richly blessed us with! It is a pretty perfect feeling!

SUMMER is HERE and I can BLOG again!!!

Well, I know that it has been way too long since the last time I posted. I can tell this by the number of various pictures on my camera that I just uploaded onto my computer tonight and of course the date of my last blog posting. Yikes!

We have done a lot since that last posting. Gideon got some new clothes from Grandma Judy, got a big-boy haircut, my class went on two field trips (one to Trenton and one to the Philly Zoo), we went camping.

Today I attended a Outside Luncheon put on by one of my student's families and it was wonderful. What a lovely day! Three of their girls performed a musical ensemble for us. My student, Julia, played a solo on her flute. The girls were wonderful with Gideon as well. He had a wonderful time with them and it was hard to tear him away from their house after five hours of fellowship and play.

I did find out that I will have my ultrasound next Tuesday the 24th. I don't know if I will find out any information that day since I have to go to a perinatologist due to my "extreme age"! LOL
Fortunately, I have OBGYN appt. set up two days later. So sometime next week we will hopefully know the sex of the baby, if the little one cooperates and doesn't cross his or her legs throughout the ultrasound screening.

Gideon and I hope to be in Louisville in the week of July 7th and will be staying for about 1 month!!! Unfortunately, Kenny will not be able to join us. He will need to save all his vacation days for when the baby is due in November. We are excited to see as many of our family and friends as we can jam in to that month!!!! Yeah!