The Wheatley Roundup

Hatcher Wheatley Professioal Bull Ridding Benefit

2012-02-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hatcher Wheatley Professional Bull Riding Benefit

12 pm - Brodie and the Outlaws, Entertainment, auction, raffle, kids corner, food and fun!

1 pm - Professional Bull Riding

Bannock County Fair Grounds (Indoor Arena)

we continue to feel so blessed with so many that care! Special thanks to Shane Haggard for putting this together!

Hatcher Update

2012-01-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hatcher Had an MRI December 22nd at Primary Children's. There was a little confusion ... and he ended up with a breathing tube for the procedure. Just as Stanford thought, there is definitely a connection with his plastic bronchitis and anesthesia. I'm trying to just roll with it, but both Randy and I were not too happy about the whole thing. On a good note Hatcher's lungs and heart looked pretty good. Of course he never looks picture perfect, but we were excited to see that the lungs were OK after all of this TPA. Hatcher threw up the entire day, poor guy, and really just didn't feel good. The next day the coughing and sure enough the casts! Back on TPA and I was definitely disappointed to be taking a step back again. He has had some good periods of time on and off since then. Over the weekend that dreaded cough started up and once again Hatcher was struggling to get those nasty things out. Monday he coughed up 10 casts....ahhh! It is hard watching him struggle to get those out. The good thing is that we were able to stay out of the hospital and work through it at home with his pediatrician checking in on us....we sure are grateful for him! He had a great day yesterday and we are hoping he cleared what was in there. So although I'm disappointed about TPA again, I'm thankful that it works and helps him clear those casts!

Waiting for his MRI

It was casts for Christmas! They still gross me out!
I guess its just a reminder just how lucky we are to still have this little guy around. Even though he hasn't been feeling 100% I'm still determined to have him live life to the fullest. We checked skiing off his bucket list, he had fun going "faster" with Randy! And Jaxyn did a good job too, we only stayed 2 hours, it was beautiful and warm and a great memory! I'm glad to post some of the fun we have had ..... we just take the reality of Hatcher and make life as fun as we can! Thank you all for your continued prayers and encouragement!

Catching up!

2012-01-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

Saying good bye to Christopher the elf. Although Hatcher was mostly scared of our little visitor from the North Pole, he did have fun finding it every morning! We will see you next year Christopher!

The kids made reindeer food so they were sure to stop at our house! Hatcher was really excited about this!

The Nativity

Birthdays are a big deal for this little man! A superhero party was just what he needed! If he can't be a cowboy then a superhero is next in line! I really had fun with this one! If I could describe Hatcher ..... He's the size of a two year old, has the charisma of a 4 year old, the wisdom of a man and the courage of a warrior.

Spencer Wite was such a good sport and came as Captain America! What a neat kid to do that for us and he really did an awesome job! Look out girls this Captain America has it all!

We had a wonderful celebration of life with our amazing heart friends! We sure love these guys and feel so blessed to have them in our life! It made me smile watching these two little boys full of life and two wonderful sisters....We love you Arvas Family! Hope there are many more celebrations for two strong little boys!

This is one of my favorite reasons for living in a small town in Idaho! The Christmas play that is full of fun, but sill manages to remember our Savior Jesus Christ! Jaxyn got to be a Christmas elf and did a wonderful job! She really enjoyed working on her lines and even Hatcher had them memorized! She was also in two dance numbers and sure enjoyed learning all those songs!

It is so fun having Shane and Katelyn close! We sure enjoy it when they come to visit! As you can see my kids are crazy about them! Loved that Hatcher snuggled up to Shane and feel asleep! Had a fun visit with some good college friends! Thanks Kevin and Linds for stopping, what darling kiddos!

4 Hatcher

2011-12-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

In just days now Hatcher will be turning 4! Although his world still seems to revolve around cowboys, he is really into super hero's. Everything we eat has to be a super hero sand witch, super hero granola bar, super hero glass of milk. I bought some Halloween costumes on clearance and he has definitely been getting good use out of them! This little boy is so small but so full of wisdom. To think of all the horrible things he has had to endure in his short life makes me feel overwhelmed, but it is days like today I'm so thankful both he and I continue to fight. He watched a Zorro cartoon 4 times in front of the fire because preschool pretty much wore him out. In his undies.... always wants to show off his muscles. I love that he is satisfied as long as I'm holding him. I'm thankful that he reminds me that I don't always need to be on the run. That it's good to just sit by the fire and watch the same cartoon over and over when I should be paying bills and loading the dish washer. I love that he is scared of the magical elf Christopher that came to our house from the north pole to watch if he is being good. I love that this morning he put lotion on his chest and said, "oh, this sure makes my surgery feel good." I love that today he painted and got more on the table than on the paper and is sure that his master pieces will make the most wonderful Christmas gifts. Thank you Hatcher for turning 4 .... you are my super hero!

2011-12-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

Hatcher is doing amazing! I can hardly believe his progress! We ended up not going to California last minute. His doctors felt like it was best to just leave him and let him continue to get better and ween off of his TPA. So instead of spending the last 2 months in Palo Alto we have been playing in Idaho! Especially the last few weeks I feel like life is somewhat normal again! Hatcher is down to TPA every other day and we hope to be off of it come the end of the month. He still continues with his other lung treatments but getting off that TPA has been wonderful and he seems to be tolerating it just fine. I love this time of year and the magic that is in the air. Hatcher and Jaxyn are both excited for Christmas! We continue to feel so blessed and are so grateful for this time we are spending as a family!

New Updates!

2011-12-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

Jaxyn had a Western States Dance and Cheer competition in Blackfoot. It was so fun to be just with her! We stayed in a hotel with Grandma and Kris and enjoyed watching lots of dancing! She really is an amazing little dancer and even won the dance off for age division! There were about 50 girls and Jaxyn was the last girl standing ... way to go sis!

So wonderful to have such good friends! Witches night out was a blast, thanks girls for all the laughs !

Jaxyn and I were able to sneak away for a fun weekend to surprise my mom. I didn't tell Jaxyn until that morning when I told her to pack her bags we were going on an airplane! Her face was so cute epically when she learned grandma Lori and Makenna were involved. I was unable to make it back home when Grandma Carr passed and really wanted to go an lift moms spirits! Dad jumped all over it and planned the funnest weekend for all us girls! We were really spoiled and it definitely charged my soul for a while. It was hard to leave Hatcher, but I think I needed it more than I thought. I hate that we all live so far apart! What can I say I love these people! Thanks Dad for making it all happen, it will be one we never forget! Dad arranged for the girls to surprise mom, nan and pop at the Skylark...so fun and yummy! We all had a good laugh hearing all of dad's stories as he had to keep this all a secret! They were definitely surprised when the girls walked up to take their order!

Dad managed to out do himself again! I could just picture him picking out these crazy glow in the dark head bands for the girls! Thanks dad for an over the top weekend!

It was so nice to be able to go and visit Gandma Carrs grave since I was not able to attend her funeral. It was cold but the girls enjoyed putting fresh dahlias from mom's yard on the graves. We also put some on grandpas and my brothers. It was a neat morning, then we went over to one of our favorites for hot cocoa and breakfast by the bay!

Oh Lon .... how I miss you!

Can't believe how much we squeezed into one little weekend! This was so neat to see. A non profit place called the A.N.T. Farm where they help many with different needs through animal therapy.

Fairhaven Fun! Jaxyn just couldn't get enough of being with Makenna, wish we lived close so these girls could grow up together!

Mom and dad took the girls to a place called "creativitea" It was Jaxyn's favorite part of the trip! And I have to say their creations turned out fab!

The entire weekend really was on big party!

Dad planned to take us all to a play! It was so neat for the girls to see where Lonnie and I danced the nutcracker and our dance performances. I had forgotten just how amazing the Mt. Baker Theater is! And I think we are all still singing "into the woods."

Hope your Halloween is a "KNOCK OUT"

2011-10-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little early for Halloween but what can I say ... I love it! Thinking ahead that Hatcher and I will be gone for Halloween I let the kids pick out their costumes. With a little convincing form Jaxyn they decided to be "ROCKY"! They have had a lot of fun and so have I making jello brains and putting up the spooky decorations!

2011-10-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have updated everyone on Hatcher. First of all thank you to all who continue to keep him in your prayers and think of us! We feel so blessed to have so many that care. I can hardly believe how many people are reading our blog, wow and thanks for caring! He has made so much progress it's exciting. I really didn't think he would ever get to this point. I hope I never forget that this has been really hard .... I have learned to dread those treatments alomost as much as Hatcher! But that I can do hard things and actually find the good in it! Although he has had some struggles with casts, he is learning to work through them and we have not seen a major episode for over a month now! Big things to note ... no more oxygen at night, yippee (he loved getting rid of that), we are down on medications, and biggest he has been off his afternoon breathing treatment for over a week now! We are planning to head back to Stanford this month for a chest MRI and to touch base with all our good doctors! Our hope is that the TPA has not caused any lung damage and that he will be able to come off of his other two treatments. For the first time in a long time I feel good about things. He is growing and although he has days that he just doesn't feel good, the good days definitely out weigh the bad. I have been trying to squeeze in any bit of fun and memory making I can for the kids. I know Hatcher makes me a better mom. I find time to read stories when I should be doing laundry (maybe that's why I have 8 loads to fold today!) and play with play dough and hold him! This week Randy is gone once again and me and the kids have been having a blast. We started a Christmas movie at 9 on a school night and I let the kids stay up and watch it ... you would have thought Jaxyn won the lottery staying up so late on a school night! I am tickeled at how well Hatcher is doing and how smart he is! I could never have imagined watching him go through so many ups and downs that he would be going to preschool and singing his abc's! What a miracle life is for each one of us. So today I am grateful that it is 2 in the afternoon and I haven't even got in the shower yet! That me and the kids made banana bread this morning and that Hatcher said that he hated it, and then smelled it baking and loved it! That my living room is covered in trucks and trailers with no tires because Hatcher is into fixing them by taking them on and off. And most of all that its pouring rain outside and we are cozy in our warm house! I will take everyday I get with both my kids, but the better Hatcher does the more I want! I will continue to update as we head to California and lets cross our fingers that it will be a good outcome!

ISU Football

2011-10-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

We were able to attend the ISU homecoming football game. Randy's Uncle Jack was honored at half time and it was really neat! Fun to be with family and it was so cute watching Hatcher and Teague share popcorn!

HIP HOP

2011-10-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hatcher is doing an all boy hip hop class with one of his good buddys Tucker! They are seriously the cutest little guys .... so fun to see Hatcher doing so well!

2011-10-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Randy had work in Sun Valley so the kids and I tagged along! It was so much fun, I definitely want to go back! Randy has be gone so much the last few months it was great to be with him and enjoy the kids! He worked and we played. It was a lot of work packing up Hatcher, but well worth it! The kids and I enjoyed ice cream and a free concert while Randy was at a dinner banquet. We managed to do lots of swimming and tons of bike ridding!

We meet my good friends Kenz and Chels up in Sun Valley and the kids really had a great time at this dirt bike park. We even went again the next day! Then it was fun at the park and lunch out at a yummy Mexican place! Oh yeah, and lets not forget feeding the ducks and the fun candy store!

Jaxyn really wanted to try ice skating! She surprised me at how quick she picked it up! And by the end of it she really had the hang of things. I love that she wants to try everything!

I love this picture in the middle. Hatcher was ridding his bike and pee peed his pants. He was so cute in his bare bum and cowboy boots! The kids had so much fun ridding bikes, bikes, bikes!

We watched the largest non motorized parade in the west! It was amazing seeing the huge old wagons! Hatcher and Jaxyn had a good time watching all the horses!

Marsh Valley's Got Talent

2011-10-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Jaxyn was able to perform in Marsh Valley's Got Talent. It was a benefit for 4 kids in our community that have serious health issues. It included Hatcher! It was a wonderful night for a wonderful cause! We love living in a Valley that cares so much! I should mention that Jaxyn won her age division and got a trophy!

2011-10-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to Star Valley Wyoming to see some of my family! It was so much fun to be together and catch up! Auntie Eileen and Uncle Rich both live there! I'm excited to have them both so close! Uncle Warren was visiting and boy did Hatcher fall in love with him! What a fun memory, Love you Carr clan!

Logan Tempe

2011-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

I was able to take Hatcher on a special outing to Logan to see the temple. He was so excited and so sweet. We spent an hour there just walking around looking at all the beautiful flowers and looking for sticks. It was such a simple afternoon, but one I will always cherish. Thanks for going on a date with me Hatcher. I should also note that I let you pick anywhere you wanted to go out to lunch and you picked pizza even though we had just had it the night before, oh well, it was still yummy!

Catching Up!

2011-10-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time is flying right now. I'm so behind in my blogging! Here are a few fun things, and I hope to finish getting caught up in the next day or two! Hatcher is doing good .... I will do a total update soon!

Jaxyn went to the Summer Slam Dance Camp in Pocatello and boy did she have fun and learn lots! She was awarded as one of the top 10 dancers and got to participate in a dance off. You sure can shake it girl! I love watching Jaxyn doing things she loves!

Mom and Dad were able to come visit this summer ... definitely a highlight! We had so much fun just hanging out, watching movies, swimming, burgers out, and lets not forget Papa and that slip n' slide! Thanks mom and dad for being so good to my kiddos!

OUCH .... Jaxyn had 4 teeth pulled!

Hatcher was able to be a special guest at the PBR in Fort Hall. We had a wonderful night with cute cousins and autographs from the bull riders! Hatcher was in heaven with all the attention, and of course all the bull ridding! Special thanks to Shane Haggard for making it all possible!

A Mouse in the House .....AHHHH So I have to say Randy's Cousin kalanie put me to shame! We got a mouse in the house and it scared me to death! Finally, with no help from me, the mouse was escorted outside with the help of a bowl and piece of cardboard ... I guess I'm still a city slicker at heart!

Summer Time Memories

2011-08-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

I recently attended little Sofia's funeral, a heart friend we made at Standford from Salt Lake. When I read the text from Sussy that she had passed, it hit me hard. I was standing in the kitchen and tears just started rolling down my face. It was too close to home, and I couldn't seem to shut off the tears all day. As I was standing in line waiting at her viewing in walked Lisa and Shaun (Ethan's mom and dad). It was so good to see them. I missed them after they left Standford. It was great to visit and be together. They came so far ... I think it was like an 18 hr drive or some crazy thing. So if I can find goodness in being a heart mom it is moments like that, seeing good friends who have walked the same halls as me, have had hope, sadness, heart ache. It doesn't seem right to watch a mother put her precious baby girl into the ground. It shouldn't work like that, but what I have come to except is that sometimes it does. Before this last trip to Standford death wasn't something I was familiar with. Of course I had experienced it on a small scale, but now it feels like it is part of our life. I was all by myself on my way home from Salt Lake and I made a stop at a few stores. I bought a quote board that says, "Love you until the day after forever." Sussy and Scott we love you and know that Lord put you in our path for a reason. What a beautiful day ... Sofia was oxygen free, med free, and pain free. Although it didn't seem right, it also didn't seem wrong, she looked like a little angel. Some of us must fight battles that are bigger than life and Sofia did just that. Little Sofia we love you and will keep your memory alive! If I can find one good thing about Plastic bronchitis is that it has motivated me to take pictures and get our pictures taken! I just love these family pictures ... what an amazing thing to have Hatcher here with us. I think the kids are sick of seeing my camera out all the time. In fact the other day I spent all day washing windows. They looked great and boy did they need it! I was in fixing dinner when I looked up and saw Jax and Hatcher with the hose spraying all of them! I ran outside and was about to get mad when I started laughing and grabbed my camera instead! Thank you Hatcher for teaching me to enjoy every moment!
I can't even tell you how much these two love each other. It makes me smile just to think about it. There is too big of an age gap to fight I guess and Jax is such a mother hen.... I love these 2!

Hathcer, my favorite thing about you right now is that everything is so cool. You get excited over small things like getting to ride in the back of the truck, or ridding your bike down the hill. You continue to fight and amaze us. You still do breathing treatments 3 times a day and yes, you wear me out... but I feel like the luckiest mom in the world getting to see you do fun things this summer. You still insist on being a cowboy everyday, ride the couch arm like a bull and have to wear a button up long sleeve shirt even if its 90 degrees outside. I love you cowboy!

Oh my sassy little Jaxyn. You have your moments of spunk and you can't ever still, but you are so good to me! The other day I had told you that I needed to clean the bathrooms but didn't know if I'd get the time. The next thing I knew you were holding my hand escorting me upstairs to a clean bathroom. You did a pretty good job, toilet and all. You cleaned the entire thing with Kaboom ... even the mirror! It was a streaky mess and I don't know if that mirror will ever be the same, but I loved it anyway! Thank you for always helping me with Hatcher's treatments, meds and anything else I ask you....I am one lucky momma!

I feel like this machine is part of Hatcher .... now I can't imagine life without it!

This was actually taken when we were still in Cali ... I took Jaxyn on a river boat ride and we got soaked! What a fun memory!

Love seeing my good friends ... Heather we love you and thank you for sharing Jason with us ... He has been one awesome guardian angel!

Hatcher was able to live his dream of ridding a sheep at the McCammon rodeo. Of course Randy held on to him the entire time, but he was in heaven. He was in the paper and spoiled by Shane Haggard, the rodeo clown, and the Marsh Valley Rodeo ass. with all kinds of gifts! He loves his new buckle and wears it all the time!

We had a backyard camp out and it was a blast! Had to be able to plug in Hatcher's oxygen machine at night so the backyard proved to be a perfect spot. The kids were so excited and Jaxyn said, "The only thing better than this night would be to really go camping." They did a ding dong ditch and left treats and ran away ... so exciting!

Hatcher and Jaxyn making a wish for Sofia and her family.

So happy Lisa and Shaun were able to stop and see us on their way home to Canada from the funeral. So good to have such amazing heart friends!

We had a quiet 4th just the 4 of us. It was so fun ... Randy did a little firework show for us and the kids loved the sparklers. They were so easy to impress ... it was like Randy had put on the show of a lifetime and we decided we want to do it every year!

We braved a trip to Colorado to meet baby Brock. Although Hatcher decided to have some issues with casts and stressed me out, I was so happy we were able to go. It's like that song Live like you are dying", we don't want to have any regrets and want to enjoy our famly and see Hatcher and Jaxyn doing normal fun things like visitng cousins. We decied after that trip though that the family would have to come to us ... what a produciton to take Hatcher anywhere! Thanks Ryan and Haley for a wonderful weekend and lots of memories!

2011-06-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

We were so saddened by the loss of our heart friend Hannah. She was hypoplastic left heart too .. had underwent a transplant and fought till the end. What an amazing example of love and courage she is to us. Hannah's mom taught me a lot about being knowledgeable and being your child's best advocate! I know Alaska will miss you Hannah ... what a beautiful angel you will make and I'm sure you will help Hatcher on his journey! Hatcher and Jaxyn sent heart balloons up to Hannah with the wish of finding cures to help heart kids!

Jaxyn is so exited to be getting baptized July 23 at 4pm! What a wonderful example of Faith, Hope, and Love she is to me!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped give us a yard! The kids boot prints were my favorite part!

We made it home and I can't believe how time has flown by! We drove in Late Friday, June 10th to a driveway full of family, friends, and a new yard! Much to our surprise we found grass, curbing, rock walls, gravel, a new patio, what an amazing labor of love! I was overwhelmed with emotion, just pulling up to the house with Hatcher would have been enough to make me cry, let alone a yard! Thanks to amazing family, friends, and community Hatcher and Jaxyn have grass to play on this summer! We don't even have words to express how much this touched our hearts. No matter what happens we will always have the picture of Hatcher running on the grass returning home! THANK YOU to all that helped, we know it took many to make this happen!

Hatcher is doing well. He ended up at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake a few days after we got home, but continues to amaze us with his determination to fight plastic bronchitis. He scared me to death when he struggled to get a cast out and ended up limp in my arms ... something I never want to experience again! He went to the ER ... and then to SL ... and then to ridding his little plastic car around the hospital! He is one tough cookie! We are so happy to be home and love seeing Hatcher being able to take tractor rides and play cowboys once again! I am exhausted keeping up with being nurse and mom, but what can I say ... I asked for it! Thanks again to everyone for their continued love and concern.

Goodbye California!

2011-06-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

What a sight, not a spare inch! We are packed to the brim! It feels like we are leaving California with another child (namely plastic bronchitis) we have so much stuff! Hatcher's appointment went good and we got the clear from Dr. Roth to head back to Idaho. Both Randy and I can hardly believe we made it out of here with our little cowboy. We will cherish everyday with him and hope to make some wonderful memories this summer. He was not wanting me to take his picture, he just wanted to go home! When we were heading down the elevator leaving the apartment Jaxyn looked at me and said, "don't tell me your gonna cry again mom!" I simply feel blessed for all the wonderful experiences we have had here at LPCH ... I hope I never lose this feeling of amazing hope and faith that I have felt here daily. Goodbye California!

The kids and I decided it would be fun to take Randy to a SF Giants game for an early fathers day! We had a blast, what a fun park! It turned out to be a beautiful night and went into extra innings (13). We didn't stay for the whole thing ... tPA calls, but they ended up with a W. I have to say seeing Hatcher run the bases at the mini ball park was pricless. Both kids were so excited I couldn't help but do a little claping and cheering myself! The best part of the night was hearing Hatcher scram out, "GO SEHOME." (My dads baseball team that just played in the state championship game.) It was too precious. We love you Randy, thank you for being such a wonderful father and husband! You are my rock and best friend. I love you more and more everyday, happy early Fathers Day!

Boyd and Bryce were definitely the best part of our last night in California! We have become great friends with my favorite Dr.... Thanks for all the support! She was my favorite when Hatcher was a baby and is still my favorite! We look forward to many fun times together! I know she is a doctor for a reason ... and has blessed our family and brightened our days more than she will ever know! (Not to mention those cute girls of hers, Jax and Hatcher are still talking about them!)

I was trying to get some cleaning and packing done at the apartment and the kids were trying to entertain themselves with no TV and little toys. They were board and all of a sudden Jaxyn had an idea. They used their parachute men for hats, TP, Randy's shirts, and anything else they could find and came up with these pirate outfits. So funny and boy did they have fun in them! They played pirates the rest of the afternoon!

My sweet cousins Shane and Katelyn took in a Paul Cardall concert at BYUI and got him to sign this poster for Hatcher. We have listened to his music over and over.... what a wonderful uplift! I'm so thankful for examples and stories like Pauls. And thanks my two cousins, you are two of our favorite people! I also wanted to send a huge thanks to my sweet friend Jessica ... the scrap books are beautiful! Only another scraper knows just how amazing this gift is! Also Lamar and Jamie we had so much fun visiting on Sunday, cookie dough and all! What a blessing to have so much support!

MEDS

2011-06-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

What do you get with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Plastic Bronchitis? A lot of meds and supplies! Not to mention vest, nebs and oxygen! Oh bud it's days like this you have to take it one day at a time and enjoy the small everyday joys of not being in the hospital!

Hospital Prom 2011

2011-06-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

Although there have been many things about this trip I don't want to remember, this is not one of them! Hospital Prom 2011 was hands down one of the neatest things I have been to. Jaxyn has been able to attend the hospital school and I can't even begin to describe just how amazing it has been for her. She received an "airplane ticket" and invite to prom and was absolutely thrilled! They traveled all around the world getting stickers in their passports. The entire cafeteria was transformed into a prom wonderland. I couldn't help but be emotional watching so many sick children getting to go to prom. A few weeks ago at school Jaxyn was able to try on dresses that people had donated. It was so sweet seeing her excitement as she showed me the dress she picked out. I have to say the best part of the night was having such a cute date! Rachel, you are such a good friend and Jaxyn was so excited you two were able to make this memory together! I have often wonder if Hatcher will ever make it to his high school prom, get his drivers license, or be able to do those things a mom looks forward to seeing her children participate in. How awesome that I got to see it ... they brought prom to us! From all you could eat candy, dancing, games, prizes, a casino and fun, it was a night I hope I never forget. Hatcher had all the girls attention on the dance floor ... what a ladies man bud!

"The Best Day Ever!"

2011-06-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

We decided to pack up all the meds and neb and head to the beach! We were able to do the afternoon treatment in the car on the drive. I am sure we looked silly driving down the road with our windows open, safety masks on, and Hatcher doing his treatments! This was the first time Hatcher has ever been to a sandy beach. Both of the kids were so excited, it makes me smile just thinking about it! We spent the day running from waves, digging , chasing, shell finding, picnic eating, and enjoying the moment. I turned to Randy as we were walking on the beach and told him that I wished I could freeze time. To think of all the obstacles Hatcher has overcome is amazing. To have watched him fight so hard for life is humbling. I watched as this little boy stood and looked out over such a powerful ocean and couldn't help but think of the remarkable miracles we have witnessed. One the way back we came upon a little ranch that was doing pony rides. Of course we had to stop! When we got back in the car it was time for another treatment. Hatcher said in the sweetest voice, "This is the best day ever!" It sure was bud, thank you for reminding us just how good life is. When we got back to the apartment we had a pajama party, made a fort, watched The black stallion, and dad tickled the kids till their belly's hurt! I loved hearing them say, "Do it again dad!" And to end the night Randy told them a bed time story about two kids their same age that went to the beach ... it was hilarious, and we were all laughing so hard, I don't think he will ever be able to top that one! It was so wonderful to forget our worries and have the best day ever!

Hatcher had this little smile on his face the entire time.

Howdy!

Hiding from dad in the closet.

The kids and Randy built a fort and played pirates! So fun to hear their happy little shrills as the mean old pirate (Randy) came to get their tummies!

GOING TO THE APARTMENT!

2011-06-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

We were all so excited to get out of the hospital and go to the apartment! We had all the meds and equipment to get it done, but of course like this entire trip something had to go wrong! When it came time to do the nebulizer meds and tPA guess what didn't work! So it was a call to Apria and about 10:30pm one of their reps came and brought us a new one. Little did we know that each treatment would take us an hour and a half! With four treatments a day you can imagine what has taken up our time. We are working on getting the same neb as the hospital to help speed up the treatments, so hard for a busy cowboy to sit still for that long. We have learned how to take it in the car, so that has helped! Even with the long treatments we are enjoying every minute together and love not being in the hospital! A cowboy hat and swim shorts always help the treatments go by faster! We never moved Hatcher's car seat this entire time ... I just kept hoping for the day he would be in it again .... and yes, I cried and cried when we walked out.

Jaxyn was just as excited as the rest of us, jumping for joy! No more hospital food!

Two thumbs up for getting out of here!

HOPE

2011-05-25T00:33:00.000-07:00

Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles. ~Samuel Smiles

2011-05-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

I was getting Hatcher settled in bed tonight, got his cords out and went over to the sink to get his sippy cup. When I turned around he had put his own leads on and even in the right spots! You always make me laugh my little man!
Rachel we are so happy you got to go home today! We wish only the best for you and know we will always be friends! Getting to know you and your family has been such a blessing!

The only sad thing about pet therapy is when it is over!

This is Joey. Hatcher spent the entire time with this dog. Feed him treats and he even got to take him on a walk. He was so proud of himself and couldn't get enough of him.

I love how this shows Hatcher's big bald spot from his bed soar, too cute!

How sweet is this? I will have to get this picture to Joeys owner!

When I put Hatcher to bed tonight I was overwhelmed with such an intense love I can hardly describe it. The plan is to head to the apartment tomorrow and be there for a week or 2 ... I know I shouldn't have even said it, but this time I really feel like it is time to go. We got all the instructions for at home today which took up the entire day ... and yes, I am overwhelmed! In a good way. I would much rather be at home doing this all day than in the hospital. First we got set up with the vest system that we will use at home. Then meds, labs, ekg, echo, x-ray and don't forget all those breathing treatments! We also meet with the in-home pharmacy and learned how to mix all of Hatcher's meds .... namely the tPA. The tPA is only good for 8 hours at a time, so it will be a full time job constituting it everyday. I watched first, then had to do it ... I did OK, but think it will take me a while to get the hang of things and using the needles. We also got the nebulizer and sat monitor for home along with oxygen. Tomorrow we will have some more instruction on the other at home neb meds. We have been doing this in the hospital for a month now, so I feel somewhat prepared, it will just be getting used to the new equipment. We know that this is serious and right now Hatcher has to have the tPA 4 times a day in order to keep his airway clear. I wish there was more options for him but if we get more time, even if we can't go anywhere, that is all we can ask for. Because tPA has only been used a few times for plastic bronchitis the side effects are really unknown and we are not sure how long he will be able to stay on this 4 times daily regimen. Things that have been discussed if he continues to have problems are to take down the fontan and go back to glen physiology which is not a guarantee that the plastic will go away, and then what in a few years? The other is a transplant which also has no guarantees that it will cure the plastic bronchitis, so it definitely feels right to just give it some more time. The plan is to take him home on the tPA and pray that it keeps the cast away or at least mobilized! My hopes are that somehow his body will be able to learn to adapt and live with it. Hatcher's airway is smaller than the size of a straw so you can imagine how easily one of these casts could block it. I hate watching him struggle for breath getting them out. With that being said, I have never seen him more full of life. What a trooper he has been through all of this and some how seems to understand that this is just what he has to do. It's bitter sweet tonight tucking him in. Every night I have been able to have the sweetest talks with him. Just the two of us. When we are in the hospital the world stops and only the things that matter take up our time. The baby next to us has been crying ever since we got into bed. Hatcher was so worried about him and asked, "Mom, are they poking him?" I told him that he was probably just tired and wanted his mom. "Or he has a bad heart like me." I told him that was true, a bad heart can make you cry and we should add him in our prayers tonight. These tender moments are ones I hope I never forget. I pray that we will walk out those doors tomorrow and that we will live each moment better than the one before. To end my post tonight I want to thank all of our family and friends and even those who have adopted us over the past few months. The outpouring of support from so many has been a complete blessing. It seems like every time we face a road block or stress, the mail comes with an unexpected check, gift card, uplifting note, goodies, phone call and most of all love. There has been so many times our prayers have been answered through the kindness of others. I have not gotten the chance to sit down and write thank yous yet, so until then .... THANK YOU all for helping us through this journey. I have so much faith and hope and know that it is because so many are lifting us, we can feel it daily.

Home on the Range

2011-05-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

The other day Hatcher said, "Mom, I miss our old house." Thinking he was talking about our house we sold I asked why. "I miss that barn in my room." Realizing he was talking about his new room I told him that when he got better we would get to go back to his cowboy room. I guess he thinks we live at the hospital now. His favorite song is Home on the Range ... hoping we would be heading back to Idaho soon my sister put the song on our blog. When I pulled it up tonight I couldn't help but get a little emotional wishing we had made it out of here with Hatcher and Idaho was only a few weeks away. So tonight as I watch him sleep I will think of that home on the range and hope that I will get to make lots of memories there with my little cowboy!

SMILE

2011-05-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to take a bath and go swimming ... so great to have a tub in our room to splash in. Hatcher was fully potty trained going into this surgery, but look who has decided diapers are much easier!
The Standford baseball team came to visit and play with the kids. They gave the kids signed baseball hats and helped to make the night fun.

An astronaut visited from NASA and the kids made rockets and got to meet Camilla, a rubber chicken who has gone on many missions to space.

Jaxyn and Hatcher have made a best friend .... Rachel you have made our days brighter and smiles bigger. You are sweetness and we feel blessed to get to be your friend!

I am so grateful for the roof top terrace. The kids are able to go up, have ice cream and make a secret fort in the landscaping. I cherish these normal kid times they get to have!

Ms. Katy we love you! What an amazing teacher and friend yo have been to our little Jaxyn!

USA baseball spoiled Hatcher with all kinds of treasures! Love the #10 Hatcher jersey, it's perfect for the name sake! I had to laugh because the kids have had so much fun with the box and popcorn it came in. Jaxyn will hide little toys in it and Hathcer tries to find them all, then he does it for her. I love that the box was just as cool as the jersey to Hatcher and he is making sure it does not get thrown away!

I wish I was reporting that we had made it out of the hospital and to the apartment .... but it looks like we will be here at least another 2 weeks! Early Thursday morning Hatcher started coughing and sats dropping ... I was sick to my stomach knowing that he was probably working on another cast. I could tell his energy was gone and that he did not feel good. Sure enough during a respiratory treatment at around 1 am he coughed up a piece of the plastic bronchitis, and another that afternoon. Ahhhhhh! He had to go back on oxygen and we put his NG tube back in because he was having a hard time taking all his meds by mouth. He went back up on all his respiratory and vest treatments. A huge step back, but he seems to be responding. He is off oxygen today, sats back up and he is feeling much better. I have to say I have been a little discouraged, so all I am trying to do is smile through it! Jaxyn has been going to the hospital school and really enjoying it. When we told her that we would have to stay longer she said, "Oh mom, that's not bad. One of my friends at school has been here 2 years!" So tonight I feel blessed. Blessed to have our own room, happy moments with Hatcher, new friends, amazing nurses, sunshine, outside play areas, Tpa, chocolate chip cookies from Hatcher's lunch tray, and most of all the tender mercies the Lord continually pours upon us. We found out this afternoon that the insurance finally approved the Tpa for at home use! Because it is not FDA approved for what Hatcher needs it for and is currently considered experimenta,l it was a little tricky and had me feeling a bit stressed. Thank goodness for all the experts who have helped us get things approved. So here is to more time at Lucile Packard ... SMILE!

SEE YOU CVICU!

2011-05-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

A fun surprise came in the mail from the Swain family. Hatcher loves the tractor you can take apart and even slept with it last night! Jaxyn also loved the cowgirl earrings! We can't thank you enough for your kindness!

All packed up and heading out of the CVICU .... here we come 3 West!

Hatcher got his NG tube out (nose hose) ... I couldn't stop kissing his cheeks all night! What a handsome face! The only bad part has been getting him to take all his meds by mouth ... yuck!

This is how Hatcher has been walking around the CVICU ... all cowboyed up and feeling more like Hatcher!

Fun treats from the Stuarts!

Jamie and Lamar, I think you thought of everything! We had a chips and salsa party and ate dads treats!

This is what I am so grateful for ... friends that the Lord has placed right in our path! Jamie and Lamar we loved you in Idaho when we were neighbors and now in California! What a wonderful visit we had and can't thank you enough for all of the thoughtful treasures you brought us. They were all absolutely perfect. Love you so much!

It was a big day yesterday! Hatcher moved out of the CVICU and upstairs to 3 West. In fact he walked right out in his froggy rain boots. Not too many kids leave that way! He is doing so great and has his happy little personality back. We feel so grateful that all the respiratory treatments are working. The plan is for an uneventful week on the floor and to the apartment Friday! I almost hate to say it ... don't want to jinx anything. Then we will have to stay local for follow up and monitoring for an additional 2 weeks. So we are all crossing our fingers that in another 3 weeks we will be headed back to Idaho ... so excited we can almost taste home! Both Randy and I feel so blessed to have more time with Hatcher. Watching Jaxyn and Hatcher interact everyday has been so touching, she really treats him like a king! I have been a little concerned about the long term affects of the tPA, but am happy it is buying us time! I wish Hatcher never had to endure all of the pain, but also would not trade the experiences we have had here for anything. The kindness that has been shown to us by so many and the tender mercies we have felt have touched our hearts and souls forever!

GOOD NEWS!

2011-05-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

All of the Respiratory treatments are paying off ... clear lungs!
One of Hatcher's favorite night RT's Dennis ... we will miss you and good luck with your new endeavors!

I feel like this is what we are always doing ... treatments!

After Hatcher's CT his dinner tray came and he was so happy to see a hot dog!

Jerry ... look out for that rope!

Fun with Rachel!

Jaxyn and Zelee, so fun to have new friends ... her little sister just had her fontan too!

Thanks Erica and family for the fun box! You couldn't have picked better stuff. Entertaining a 3 year old all day in the hospital is a full time job! We love Uno Moo ... a new favorite!

And the results are ..... TERRIFIC! Hatcher's CT results came back clear! It was some much needed good news. Hatcher has been having nightmares and crying in his sleep saying, "Please don't hurt me," and "I don't want to wear a mask." It really has been breaking my heart and the night before the CT I kept thinking what are we doing to this poor little guy. So to hear there were no casts and it did not appear that there was any severe lung damage was just what I needed to hear! We feel so blessed and once again feel like we are back in the game! All of the vest, tPA and 3 other nebulizer treatments are working. Our goal now is to ween down treatments. Hatcher will have to continue tPA even once we are at home, but we are so grateful for extra time with him. I guess my full time job will be tPA administer and nurse! His future is still unknown but we are celebrating today and the joy we feel getting more time with our little cowboy - a big ye-ha!

waiting for CT ...

2011-05-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks Skeeter, Erin, Brayden and Alx ... Hatcher loved the goodies! Also Kristen and family for the yummy treats and treasures and so many others who have sent boxes, cards and notes ... we feel so lucky and loved!
Amy ... Hatcher calls her Kootie Patootie.

Being silly with Grandma Lori.

Today we are passing time waiting to go down for a CT scan. The bad thing about these procedures is the fasting Hatcher has to do. So hard for a three year old to understand why he can't eat or drink! I'm just not a big fan of the waiting, feels like that's all we do! So happy he is having fun with grandma and dad and doing lots of roping....thanks Brayden and Alx, it's been so much fun seeing our little cowboy with rope in hand!

A special note

2011-05-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to sit down and write this for over a week now. We first meet Lisa, Shawn and baby Ethan weeks ago. They were one of those couples who were so sweet and always seemed to try to find the good in the situation. You become connected with families and here in the CV world become each others support system. It's refreshing to have others to lean on who know exactly what you are feeling. I can remember asking Lisa how old Ethan was the first time we meet and she told me 11 months, almost 1! How every mom looks forward to those mile stones, the first tooth, first steps and first birthday. So when we heard little Ethan had taken a turn for the worst another mom and I were able to escape and get balloons, a birthday cake, food, and surprise Ethan with his first un-birthday party. It was emotional as I watched the tears pour freely as we sang happy birthday. I'm sure it meant a lot to them, but I think it meant more to me. For a moment that day I forgot about how bad things were with Hatcher and his diagnosis of plastic bronchitis and only wanted to lighten their burden. Late that night little Ethan passed. As I went out of Hatcher's room I instantly knew what had happened. Lisa and Shawn, I am sure that night was incredibly hard for you but we wanted to thank you for sharing it with us. I will never forget kissing sweet Ethan on the head, tears in my eyes asking him to help Hatcher now. He looked so free from everything. Cozy in a blanket just as a baby should be. Lisa your strength that night is something I will never forget. There was a beautiful feeling in the room, you had done all you could do. I have thought in depth about life and death and when I went back to Hatcher's room that night I cried and cried. I felt the heart ache, but more than that I felt peace. You have forever touched my heart little Ethan, I know you will make one amazing angel! Lisa and Shawn, Canada is far but you will always remain in our hearts. Thank you for letting us be part of your journey, we love you.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

This is why I love being a mom ... Hatcher, Jax and Randy, you always make me laugh!
The weather has been so nice, but it has turned a little cold the past few days. This is Hatcher in my hat getting ready to go outside to the CVICU patio, so glad he has that, makes the day much better.

One of my dad's best friends came in to town to watch his son who plays for the Huskies. It was so wonderful to have some visitors, what a great guy you are Jim. Thanks for coming to see us, it meant so much! Randy and Jaxyn got to sit with them at the Standford / Washington baseball game and had a blast.

Hatcher got a special visit from Nissen Osterneck ... professional suffer and ultimate fighter. Brought hats, shirts and a signed poster that is now on Hatcher wall.

Randy and Hatcher love to watch ultimate fighting together and Randy told Hatcher that this was one of the guys they watch. This picture is Hatcher showing Nissen how he fights his dad ... what a cool guy Nissen, you have fans for life!

Hatcher hates his "shaky vest" treatments and inhaled TPA along with other drugs every 4 hrs. He was promised chocolate pudding if he was a big boy and was good for his treatment ... the next time he was offered the same reward he said, " no thanks, lets just not do the treatment."

So fun to get a packages, thanks Auntie for the Superman PJ's and treats. To everyone who has sent us things to brighten our days a huge thank you ... we couldn't do it without you all!

I have had so many thoughts today. Ever since I was a little girl I have always wanted to be a mom. I can remember begging my parents to have more kids. I often pretended my younger cousins Tyler, Mica, Shane, Kai, Cam, Cody, were my younger siblings and loved it when they would sit with us at church. I could just imagine how fun it would be to have a baby and be a mom. Although I realize there is a lot more to it now, I I feel like the luckiest mom in the world. I feel like I have been given a gift ... one that I would never have known had Hatcher not come to our family. Each day that he is here I am reminded that someone else is in charge and we can only make the best of each and every day. This surgery I have come to really know the sick child world that exists. The hug from another mom who just let their 9 year old go, in the OR so he could be a complete organ donor. The pain of another as I watched her walk her pink bundle out of the CVICU and down to the morgue. The love of a family we only knew for a few weeks but felt so connected with ... kissing sweet Ethan goodbye is something I will never forget. It is the grace of a mother that I am so thankful for tonight. My mom is here and she sat with Hatcher so Randy, Jax and I could go out to dinner. She was happy to do it ... isn't that what mom's do, take care of us even if it's their day, thanks mom for doing that for us, it was a much needed break! Jaxyn and Hatcher I hope you know that I feel blessed to be your mom, and for the record I think you are the best kids ever, I love you!

CINCO DE MAYO

2011-05-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Taking a walk with dad and his stick
Jaxyn was able to enjoy the Cinco De Mayo activities upstairs and brought Hatcher a sombrero!

Still lovin on nurse Amy.

This is Adam, our favorite respiratory guy ... makes TPA time fun! Thanks Adam for bringing laughter to our day!

Thanks Barlow bunch for the cowboy cowgirl mickey! They kids have had so much fun with them!

So good to have grandma Lori here.

How awesome is this? Jeff sits outside Hatcher's room and plays and sings with his guitar ... so cool!

One good thing ... no bronch or CT this week! They decided as a team that Hatcher has been doing so well they wanted to just leave him so he could continue to regain his strength. They still need to be done, but we are hoping he will be able to wait until next week. I love seeing his personality come back as he has been saying funny things and teasing his nurses. We pray that things will be clear to us as to what to do. Because plastic bronchitis is so rare there is no clear one thing to do. It has been hard to, "just wait and take it day by day." We have had such a good week that Randy and I both feel so blessed that if we can get Hatcher home and have good days like the past few we will take it. It may be a day, a week, a month, a year, (and of course I'm hopin for a lot more) but we are ready to live it up and enjoy everyday we have with him. My wheels are spinning as to the fun things we will do when we get home. Like fort building, eating cookie dough for breakfast, and lots of snuggling!

2011-05-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is all I want ... my two kiddos snuggling up!

Spoiled by yet another Aunt!

Cathy brought us some treats today. Hatcher said, "Oh, is it my birthday?" We decided it would be his un-birthday!

So good to have Pops and Grams here!

This is Kirsten one of our favorites from when Hatcher was a baby. Thanks for making us feel so great, you have wonderful energy and Hatcher is even calling her his girlfriend!

Airplane flying with Aunt Lon ... so happy to see him smile!

Nurse Dorothy brought Hatcher some purple dye for his mohawk. He thought it was pretty cool and so did I! I think he more than deserves to be able to live it up in the CVICU!

Happy times with SIS!

Thanks Grady and LC for the goodie box! Hatcher loved the hat! We hope he will be your star player in years to come! We appreciate all of you who care... it keeps us going!

Once again it's been days since my last update. I will try to do a quick recap of the last few days. Wednesday night Jaxyn, Grams, and Pops arrived. It was crazy good to see miss Jaxyn! She looked so big and her teeth have grown in so much! It had been 1 month since we had seen her... never been away from her close to that long! Hatcher had had a sad day, just not feeling good. I was thinking that he was going to light up when he saw all of them, but he was just feeling too sick. The next morning he had another bronch. It was much better than the last two and stayed stable and they pulled out less plastic. Once he got back to his room he was like a new boy. He has been so happy to have some fresh playmates. It has been so refreshing to see him having happy moments again and even doing some singing and dancing. Lonnie came in on Friday night and boy was I glad to see her. It has been a much needed lift me up! Plans are to head to the OR to bronch tomorrow and also get a CT scan. We still don't know what all of this means for Hatcher but we are trying to remain hopeful. We meet with the head of transplant and discussed some options. Randy and I never could have imagined we would be having discussions like the ones we have had about life the past little while. Jaxyn seems to be handling things OK, her faith is amazing and I am grateful that she is here with us once again. She will start school Monday at the hospital school upstairs and is excited for a new adventure. So sad to see Randy's parents leave today ... can't thank them enough for all they have done for us and for their love and support. My mom is coming in tonight ... we feel so blessed to be lifted and re energized!

I can't even begin to express the experiences we have had with other families who are experiencing such tremendous loss and sadness. We have made friends for life here and will continue to lift each other up. We have felt the loss of 3 beautiful children this week. Although it is sad I am reminded of the grace, love and peace that only comes in those desperate moments. Love to each of the families .... thank you for letting us be part of your journey and we look forward to keeping in touch.

Easter

2011-04-25T00:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter
This is one of our favorite Drs ... Rebeca we will miss you and look forward to seeing you Thursday. You have been a tremendous blessing to our family and we can not thank you enough for being such a great advocate of Hatcher's. Not only are you so talented in what you do, but are a wonderful person. Thank you for being part of our journey.

It has been a few days since I last posted .... so I thought tonight I would catch up. A quick overview ... Friday Hatcher went to the OR where they were able to pull out a huge cast from his right lung. It was huge and hard to believe he has even been able to breath with that thing in him. It was a fast procedure ... about 4 minutes to take it out, but because Hatcher is Hatcher they had a hard time trying to stabilize him and it ended up being about 3 hours. We are back in the CVICU and are doing a new treatment called TPA through a nebulizer in hopes of helping with the plastic bronchitis. It is so much for him. I feel so bad putting him through all of this. The treatments are every 3 hours and it feels like just when we are done with one it is time for another. He gets a mask sealed to his face and a tent over him. We all mask up for the treatments and it even makes my lungs irritated. Just having the RT guy walk in makes him scream, "I don't want a treatment." His phrase for the past few days is, "I wanna be done!" It is so rare to see plastic bronchitis and it has been hard having so many unknowns. He will go again to the OR tomorrow because his right lung once again appears to be compromised. On a better note I am so thankful that it is Easter... the bunny did find us, but more importantly what a wonderful hope the celebration of Easter brings. Our faith remains strong, thank goodness for unwavering faith, it is what we live on everyday. Hatcher just finished his 12am treatment and is asleep. I have been curling up on the end of his bed and he loves to put his feet on my face. I will gently move them but within minutes they are right back on. Oh my silly little boy, we love you!

Grandma Wheatley ... We are praying for you and a fast recovery! Hatcher and I prayed for you tonight and I told him you were in the hospital too. He said, "oh, that's too bad hu." That is too bad grandma, but know that we are thinking of you and love you to pieces!

Hard Day

2011-04-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

A special visit form some Easte Bunnies!
These dogs are amazing in connecting with children, so gentel and loving.

This was so sweet they way this dog just let Hatcher look at him.

Yesterday was a hard day for Hatcher. It started out with a very unsuccessful blood draw with lots of tears from Hatcher and mom. When it was all said and done he was so sweaty and so were Randy and I. Then the normal checks ... x-ray and the vest with the nebulizer treatments that are now up to four times a day. The vest is often used in CF patients, but they are hoping it will help Hatcher and his plastic bronchitis. Yesterday he coughed up two cast and he had one this morning early around 1 am. It breaks my heart to see him struggle to get those out. We are hoping that today we will be able to make a plan... still not sure what the best approach is. It is scary to see our happy little Hatcher turn into a very sick little boy so quickly. Once the cast is coughed up he feels so much better almost instantly and his saturation levels go right back up. We feel at peace with all that he is up against and know that the Lord will take care of him. Last night was a long night. It was all I could do not to cry ... Hatcher must have asked to go home more than 100 times. He kept saying "I just want my cowboy bed mom, I wanna go home." He has been asking for Jaxyn too and says, "Jaxyn I need you." Last night before bed pet therapy came and after a rough day it was so good to see that smile back. We appreciate all the volunteers that come so faithfully to play the guitar, put on preschool, bring their pets, it makes hard days easier.

One Month!

2011-04-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

The final diagnosis of Plastic Bronchitis was confirmed Monday. We feel blessed to be at a hospital that really works as a team to figure out what the best approach will be. They brought in other Dr's from different hospitals to help in trying to decide what to do. It is rare and complex so finding the best solution is going to take some work. It will be a bit of a waiting game to determine what we are going to do but there has been talk of going to the cath lab to check heart pressures, the possibility of a transplant, going home and living it out, and others I'm sure we haven't even heard yet. Although a little overwhelmed and not what we were wanting to hear, we know that the Lord will watch over us and ultimately the best decision for Hatcher will be made. If anything we feel so blessed to have so much support and encouragement from all of our family, friends, and even complete strangers ... it keeps us going. Special thanks to all of the doctors and nurses, Hatcher has some amazing people on his team! I'm starting to feel a little greedy with these miracles, but another one would sure come in handy!

Hatcher has been so lovey dovey ... kissin and hugin on Randy and I all day. I love it and can't seem to get enough!
Out of all the fun toys in the playroom Hatcher always goes to the barn and horses ... imagine that!

This is Hatcher's new bull ridding vest. He thought it was cool and even had an arm in the air till it was turned on and shook him for 30 minutes! What a good sport you have been through all of this!

Dyeing Easter eggs in the toy room!

I haven't even been able to think about getting out thank yous .... so for now this is a huge thank you for all who have sent goodies, notes, helped out with Jaxyn and been so wonderful to us. It sure makes the day brighter to know so many care!

I just had to post this! This is a picture of Hatcher's cast .... amazing .... icky ... very sci-fi! Here's to plastic bronchitis!

SUNNY DAY!

2011-04-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

I think he might have a future on the Stanford golf team. We probably played the equivalent to an entire course today!

I planned a fun little early Easter egg hunt out in the court yard. Hatcher was so bugged that I wanted to take his picture and interrupt his hunt.

My mom got him a little monster making book. We have had fun with it. I asked him what kind of monster he wanted to make..."a cowboy monster." What a surprise.

The sun was out and it was a beautiful day! Hatcher is feeling so much better and is off of IICU status, so that means more playing and he doesn't have to have a nurse escort. They did tell us this weekend that they are 99% sure he has plastic bronchitis. Tomorrow we will have all the final results and make a plan. I am so grateful for days like today. He golfed, feed the birds, went on an Easter egg hunt, tried to do some jumping, blew bubbles, and gave us lots of loves! He has to be on the monitors a certain amount of time, so we would come back to the room and hook him back up. As soon as we did he would say, "OK guys, lets get outa here." Hatcher we hope we are outa here really soon bud!

Sweet Hatcher

2011-04-15T23:16:00.001-07:00

Hatcher just woke up, it's about 11 pm and he had to get an NG feed started. He asked for a drink so sweetly and I tucked him in again with his puppy blanket. I tickled his head for a minute, kissed his nose and asked him if he needed anything. "yep, just watch me sleep." Oh how I am in love with this little boy! I went home to shower and do some laundry this morning. I had about 20 min till I needed to put the clothes in the dryer so I thought I would do some stretches and deep breathing. The next thing I knew was that is was 3pm! I never can go to sleep like that, let alone on the carpet, but I guess I'm exhausted! Randy is so good to be so involved and didn't even miss me. Hatcher had a good day, was able to ween down his oxygen and if you can believe it he has been on room air since 12:30pm! His sats have been good, running about 94 all day! I feel better about things today. Yesterday was overwhelming learning about plastic bronchitis. This is what they think he has. The final diagnosis won't come back till Monday from the lab, but the team is confident that is most likely what it is. It is not contagious and there is no cure for it. It is very rare but sometimes can happen after the fontan. We will just have to learn to manage it. We are learning how to use a nebulizer with 4 different medications he needs daily 2 times. There are cases that ultimately lead to respiratory failure but there are some that seem to pop up and then go away. Having both hypo plastic left heart syndrome and plastic bronchitis is almost too much for me to even think about. You can't even make up stuff like this! The plastic bronchitis forms in the bronchial and Hatcher's looked very string cheese like. It is not detectable on an x-ray and is hard to get out. Randy keeps telling me, just wait till Monday... it's out of our hands. I am grateful for his positve attitude. I cried tonight watching him have to do so many things a 3 year old or anyone should have to endure. One of my best friends Kenz, her sister Sadie (we actually went to Ricks together) has a little fighter of her own. I was on her blog and came across this conference talk below. I think she may have posted that just for me, thank you Sadie, it brought so much peace today. I do have to say that when Hatcher came back from the cath lab and was coming out of sedation he looked up and said, "hey guys, come down here." Randy and I both looked at each other comforted by the fact that he has angels watching over him. Hatcher, I pray that dad and I will be able to make the best decisions for you and that your team of doctors will know what to do. I'm so grateful for everyday I have with you even if its in your hospital bed snuggling because you don't feel good. I love the smell of your hair, the way you go ahhh after a drink of pop, that you hate wearing diapers in the hospital, that we get to keel by your bed at night and hold hands in prayer, that you miss Jaxyn, and that no matter what question a doctor or nurse asks you the answer is always no. I love you, sweet dreams.

Elder Kent F. Richards

2011-04-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

2011-04-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

SPEED BUMP!

2011-04-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

This is for all of you Sehome Baseball players! I had Hatcher doing a little Sehome spell out...Give me a S-E-H-O-M-E, what's that spell, Sehome, who's gonna win, SEHOME! Keep believing guys and know that Hatcher is your #1 fan!

Passing the time with dad shooting hoops!

Now in isolation Hatcher has a new gun, syringes filled with water, he loves to shoot them!

Dr. Wright has to be one of the best Dr's around, thanks for fighting for our little boy! We love and appreciate all you have done for our family!

Hatcher flirting with the Stanford synchronised swimmers!

Hatcher won pirate eye patches playing BINGO! So happy LPCH has so many fun distractions!

10 am preschool, I love that all the kids are in their PJ's and so easy to please!

Another echo!

I think I spoke too soon! Last night Hatcher really struggled. He had a coughing spell that made his saturation levels drop. He was uncomfortable all night and had drs and nurses in his room most of the time. We are grateful they were so on top of things. My stomach sank when our nurse told us to prepare to move back down to CVICU! Randy came right over when I called to tell him what what was happening, and today we both were exhausted. He ended up on IICU status, which is intermediate, so that was a relief. He went through a bunch of test this morning with blood work, nose swab, new IV, and they sent off a sample that he coughed up. It seriously looked like a salamander, it was huge and nasty. There are a few possibilities of what it may be, one of which is very serious. I pray that he will not have another health issue to deal with, but we know it's out of our hands. He was put in isolation in case it is a viral infection (they don't think it is but wanted to be safe) which made for a long day with a 3 year old. He slept most of the morning and was so sweet this afternoon and evening. We played games, skyped sis, pops, grams, and they even held Brownie up to the screen so he could see his dog! We are disappointed but are trying to stay positive. He went from looking and acting like my Hatcher, to a very sick little boy again, and now tonight looking much better again! Here is to another bump in the road!

THE COWBOY IS BACK!

2011-04-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how fast the human body heals, we can't believe how good his chest looks!

I tease that people are going to ask what happened to his head and he will say, "I had open heart surgery." Dang that c-pap mark!

Look out, this cowboy is ready to fight again! He loves his BOB balloon!

He is just so much happier!

Hatcher's PJ's say, "Chicks dig scars"

Story time to help the day go by! One of our favorite people Lupe!

I can't even tell you how grateful I am for a place to sleep by my baby at night!

Hatcher had the best nights sleep last night since this whole crazy thing began! He only woke up a few times and was easy to comfort and get back to sleep. Every time he asked for a drink, he would say, "oh, thank you momma." My little man is coming back! This morning Randy and I gave him his first real bath in the tub in his room. He even brought in a toy to play with. They are telling us that we will be able to go to the apartment soon! He will have to stay local and do follow ups here at LPCH, but anything sounds better than another night in the hospital! I would come everyday if it meant we could get out of here! Sounds like he will have to go home with oxygen, NG tube and plenty of medications, bring it on, no biggy! His lungs and sodium levels still keep us on our toes. This morning he had his daily x-ray, echo, and blood work. We continue to feel so blessed as we watch his progress and want to thank everyone for all of the support, love and prayers! We are so happy to have our little cowbly back!

Happy 8th Birthday Sis!

2011-04-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

My sweet Jaxyn, where has the time gone? You are 8 today and Dad and I can't hardly believe it. It has been so hard for me to be away from you. You are my side kick, cook, artist, dancer, rodeo star, comedian, sassafras, gymnast, determined, football player, big sister (OK, more like a 2nd mom), and these are just a few words to describe you right now. We are so proud of you and can't wait till we are all together again. You make me laugh everyday. You are sunshine to our family. I know you will always remember this birthday, big eight and getting baptised, but also that you put your brother first and have been such a trooper. After Hatcher had been on ecmo a few days you told me and dad in the car, " I wish the second coming would just happen so Hatcher could just touch Jesus robe and be healed." Never lose that faith, it is what makes you so strong. We love you, Happy Birthday SIS!

Day 21

2011-04-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Heather and the Fisher family for letting us be a part of HUGS! Hatcher was able to give a bunch of these, definitely a highlight of the trip! I know the reason Heather and I became friends was not by chance. We have felt so much strength and I'm afraid Hatcher has made Jason work overtime this go around! Thank you Fisher family for lending us your favorite uncle to watch over Hatcher, he was an amazing man and continues to be. I can't help but think all the kids who got hugs also got a guardian angel. We love you Heather and look forward to continuing Jason's memory.

I knew he must be feeling better when he asked for his chaps and cowboy hat last night!

We were trying to get Hatcher to play trains, all he wanted to do was scratch!

I'm not sure who liked this outdoor time better, Hatcher or Randy!

This is Alex, the first nurse I have seen Hatcher smile at! Wagon rides, wagon rides and more wagon rides! Even at 3 and 4 this morning, fun for mom!

Nichole and Jaxyn got him this little horse before they left. I saw it in the car yesterday and it has been a hit. He named it spot and it goes on all wagon rides and walks!

This is Hatcher's 21st day in the hospital and I can hardly believe all of the things this little man has gone through! He got the rest of his stitches out and he is definitely getting his strength back because it took 3 of us to hold him down and 1 to take out the stitches! He is just on oxygen and the NG tube to put his medications through! The hardest thing is trying to get a 3 year old not to scratch all the things that are oh so scratchy!

2011-04-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hatcher loved pet therapy and guess who cried when the dog left? I think Randy and I have spent just about as much time in the bed as Hatcher!

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed sores bite!

They figure this happened because of the length of the surgery, ouch!

Hatcher has collected lots of beads this trip, too many for my liking!

Hatcher continues to get stronger and stronger! He is grumpy most of the time, so when he smiles it just melts my heart! He has a little Nerf shooter and has been shooting it at the nurses and Dr's when they come in his room. He thinks it is so funny and pumps his arm and says, "yes" after he gets one of them. I love seeing his personality come back once in a while! Over all we have had a much better last 2 days and he slept for a few hours at a time last night! He still continues to have some withdrawal issues, but they are getting better each day. His x-ray this morning showed more improvement with his lungs, and his echo yesterday showed his heart function was good. His pic line came out yesterday, and he is now getting all meds through his NG tube. It's really amazing to think how far he has come!

Another one of our heart friends passed away yesterday, we are thinking of you and pray for peace. I feel like I was a fly on the wall watching as you fought for your baby with so much courage. We are grateful for all of the wonderful people we have meet, you have truly touched our lives.

Keep on Keepin on!

2011-04-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

With dad in the toy room! This rice table was so much fun, I'm sure this is where he will be sending lots of time!

Walking to the play room.

Feeding the birds out on the ICU terrace.

Yum, he actually had a few bites of grilled cheese and a chocolate chip cookies!

Once again Hatcher has had an amazing day with lots of progress. It has been heart breaking seeing him in pain and so weak, but he just keeps on keepin on. Early this morning he once again threw-up, this kills me, it looks like it hurts so bad! After a 4 am x-ray we learned that the right upper lob in his lung had collapsed, ugh.... but they got him right back on high flow, did a bunch of RT and sure enough it looked better within a few hours. He also had to have his NG tube relocated, it was doing a full loop in his tummy. They had talked about moving us up to 3 west, but because of the lung they thought they better keep him in ICU ... until another baby was life flighted in emergently and they needed a bed. Hatcher having had a great day we felt ready to take the next step. It has been wonderful, we have our own room and it even has a place for me to get some sleep by him tonight! He had lunch out on the ICU terrace this afternoon and even feed the birds some bird seed. It's the most I've seen him smile since this all started. He also did some walking. I have to laugh because when I'm in charge we take one or two steps then get in the wagon. I went to shower this morning and when I came back they were telling me Randy had him doing a lap around the ICU unit! I guess its that cowboy in him that's makin him get back on the bull! He did walk to the play room with lots of help and mustered up enough energy to last about 20 min playing! So good to see him doing little boy stuff again. I have to pinch myself as he continues to amaze all of us, making giant leaps, way to go Hatcher!

A special thanks and good bye to my mom who has been here over 3 weeks! We sure love and appreciate all you have done to help us get through this journey. It was hard to see her go. Also thanks to Randy's parents for coming and helping so much as well, I hope Jaxyn will keep behaving herself back home! We are overwhelmed by all of the support we have gotten, it truly has lifted us and keeps us positive.

HAPPY DAY!

2011-04-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

Sitting on Dad's lap for the fist time

Hatcher looking at his roommate Caleb. If you can believe it these two sweeties were roommates when they were babies too! How wonderful to have friends to room with. Out of 24 beds in the CVICU we ended up together. He has the same heart defect as Hatcher. I love it when they turn and just look at each other. Caleb has had a really rough go this round too, keep being strong our sweet friend! Caleb waving to Hatcher.

I quick took a shot as they were changing his bandages, looking so much better! He got the 2 chest tubes out today. The only thing in his chest still is the pace wires (blue) that go to his heart.

In the wagon getting settled

Just getting in the wagon was a production!

Happy day! Hatcher has had an amazing last 2 days, so sore, but huge progress! He started to talk yesterday which was the most wonderful sound I have ever heard! His first sentence was, "I wanna go home." He had a sippy cup and boy was he thirsty. He asked for ice water all day but they wanted him to take it slow, so it never was enough. We were able to take him on a wagon ride inside the icu unit. He is so weak, and what a production to get everything into the wagon! It was well worth it seeing him enjoy something! He pooped, watched a little American Idol and even pretended he was playing his guitar. Today they took out his last 2 chest tubes! He seemed to be uncomfortable all day, but so refreshing to see him acting like himself. They are even talking about sending him up to 3 west in the next few days which is an intermediate unit. It is so crazy all of the little things I take for granted every day. Just being able to swallow, or talk or walk! Hatcher we love you, keep fighting and getting better!

Hatcher

2011-04-06T01:11:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite Drs. Regan! She has always gone above and beyond since Hathcer was a baby! Thanks for bringing the girls by the other day, it made my day! All clean and ready for bed! Now you just need to sleep!

Hatcher did get his fontan line and PD drain out, they ended up doing it this morning and all went well. He has had a rough couple of days, although we have seen improvement! His lungs looked better today - yeha bud! He and I had a long night last night, tossing and turning (ouch with those chest tubes), hallucinations, and a crazy night in the cvicu didn't help matters! I cried as I watched parents rush to their babies bedside in the middle of the night. And our love to the family who lost their 6 year old today. We have all been touched as so many have come to see her. So, lets just say that I was more than happy to see Randy walk in this morning fresh and ready to go! I was able to go and sleep today, thank goodness for a partner in all of this! Jaxyn talked to Hatcher on the phone 2 times today and although he didn't respond, you could tell he had a connection and listened so intently. The child life specialist brought by some bird seed to put outside his window so tomorrow he can watch the birds. It's crazy how much you can love such a little person. Jaxyn thank you for being such a big strong girl, I am so proud of you, we all miss you and can't wait till we are all together again. Keep being good for Pops and Grams.

Hatcher's Recovery

2011-04-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

I love how Hatcher is always crossing his legs. Right now the surgeon is taking out Hatcher's fontan line to his heart and his pd drain from his abdomen. I'm sure it will go fine, nerve racking but one more step that he has to take. Another big thing today was getting a pic line put in. Hope that will help in the long run not getting poked so many times! Thanks for all of the love, support, letters, prayers, and fun things we are getting in the mail! Melanie, the ABC book was just too cute! I can't thank you enough for going to all of that work, I know it will be Hatchers favorite thing! It made me cry (and I think I am almost out of tears), so good to remember better days! We will forever be grateful for all who have lifted us!

Yum, that sponge with water sure tastes good dad!

Today, Day 13, Hatcher's first little sponge drink! No more c-pap agiain!

And yes, Amy is still my favorite nurse! Thanks for putting up with us!

Back on C-pap

Before C-pap

Hatcher is still fighting strong although he had to go back on c-pap yesterday due to fluid in the lungs. That thing is just so uncomfortable for a 3 year old, although I think I was more bummed out than Hatcher! Today was a much better day. He was very uncomfortable because they are taking him off of his medications, but its good to hear a fight in his little voice again. We spent the day shifting, watching movies, telling stories, changing diapers (witch he hates) and just trying to make him get through the day. This really is so exhausting, thank goodness I have a good hubby (and grandma) to help all the time! He was able to suck on a little green sponge with water on it, and boy did he love it! He kept saying "thirsty dad." His voice is still so little and scratchy from being on the vent, but I could hear it today! I can't wait till he can have his sippy cup back!

2011-04-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

My little trooper!

Brooke and Danny surprised us with a visit. What a wonderful uplift to be able to see them! We sure love you Mauger clan, thanks for your friendship and support, it meant more than you know. I should also note surprise visits from Marshall and Kevin!

So good to see this handsome face again!

Hatcher was on cpap for just over 24 hours.

Last day on vent!

It is amazing what 2 days can do! Although Hatcher is still having trouble with his lungs they felt it was best to get off the vent. He is on a high flow oxygen, which still puts lots of air into his tummy so he can't eat. They put in an NJ tube which goes past the stomach. He will hopeful start to get small amounts of feed to help give him some strength. He is having some withdrawal issues and is restless, but is on methadone to help keep him in la la land. He is such a trooper and so tough. On Thursday night our nurse changed his sternum bandage. It was my turn on nights and it was 1 am, so I guess technically it was Friday. My legs could hardly hold me when I saw his chest. It looked like something out of a horror film. I'm a wimp anyway when it comes to blood and guts! I didn't say that I was about to drop on the ground because Hatcher was so wide eyed and wanted me so bad. I have to admit as soon as it was over and he was back asleep I went out to the couches, cried, and had to lay down! Sorry I'm such a wimp bud!

I had these teats to give to all of our nurses and Dr's that have taken such good care of Hatcher. It's true, life really would "SUCK" without all of them! Thanks to everyone that has taken such good care of our little man!

2011-03-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

So first with the update. Hatcher had a good night, seemed to be stable and looked a lot more peaceful. Randy stayed with him. I think it is all hitting me, last night my whole body was tired, shaky and I stayed at the apartment and slept. So glad Randy has the strength to keep on night shift! Hope I can do it tonight so he can sleep! He is still on the vent, and his x-ray looked a little more hazy than yesterday so most likely he will not be getting off the vent today. He does have some bed sores on the back of his head (ouch) and his cute little bum. Also because of his open chest, when they took off the bandage to close him it took some skin and his chest area is raw and looks so tender. He also has a hernia in his scrotum, they found about 4 days ago. It seriously was the size of a softball. It will have to be surgically fixed but is not urgent right now. We keep the faith and know his guardian angels are working overtime keeping him comfortable. My kids favorite song is a Taylor Swift song about never growing up. I sing along to it and put their names in it. I always tell them I'm going to put a brick on their head so they just stop growing. I guess today I'm taking that back. All I want is to see Hatcher grow up. This morning I told myself if I ever see Hatcher get on the school bus I will only cry tears of joy - and remember these days, so I will cherish all the simple things. I appreciate hardships, they make me a better mom. I heard the sobs of another mother who lost her sweet angel. These are defining moments in my life and my faith is straightened and I know that we do not endure alone, the Lord is always there.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES

2011-03-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you Dr. Reddy for giving us so much hope, what an amazing person you are!

Look at all this family cheering you on! Thanks everyone for taking shifts so our little guy always has someone by his side!

Yesterday, Chest still open, yuck bud! This is why I love this man! Randy is so sweet to Hatcher, he is always having talks with him and reading him "cowboy small" I love you Randy, thank you for being my rock through all of this, I would want no one else by my side and Hatchers!

We believe in miracles! Hatcher had an amazing day. Dr. Reddy went in and cleaned the lung today. After removing fluid, clots and old blood his lung had major improvement and they kept taking slow steps as Hatcher was tolerating. He ended up with a closed chest, hurray, a surprise to everyone! I can hardly believe it. We recognize God in all of this, and know all of our prayers have been heard. He still faces many things to come (like getting of the vent) but we as a family feel so blessed, loved and full of hope. We are grateful for the things that build us, bring us together and make us stronger. Our love to all of you!

Naughty Ecom!

2011-03-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started out a little rough when we learned that Hatcher's ecmo machine was not functioning properly. He had to be changed to a new one, but the transition seemed to go well and he continues to amaze us. For some reason yesterday I was really affected by his open chest. It just seems too much for such a little boy to have to endure. Our night nurse Roada gave him a little bath and washed his hair. In the morning he got a bear hug, which is an inflatable warming blanket and for the first time since surgery he wasn't freezin cold! We have meet so many families from all over the country that have come here to LPCH at Stanford. Our prayers and love go out to all of you who endure such overwhelming battles!

Aunties!

2011-03-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Haley let Jaxyn do her hair, now that's what I call style! Nichole and Jaxyn

Jaxyn has been in heaven having one on one time with her Aunts! Thanks Haley and Nichole for making her feel like a million bucks and letting her be your shadow.

Hatcher Update

2011-03-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hatcher's (well, OK mine too) favorite nurse AMY! We love you and know we will be friends for years to come! Thanks for being so good to our little cowboy! I love little parts of him that I actually get to a kiss on!

The swelling in his face has really gone down, he looks a little more like Hatcher today!

First of all we want to thank all of our friends, family and even strangers who have given us so much strength. Although exausted, we continue to be lifted up by all of you! Hatcher is still on ecmo, and is very sick, but he is making small amounts of progress each day. He continues to have fluid on his right lung which is his biggest hurdle at this time. I have been so hesitant to take any pictures but felt like today is a new day with new hope! Both of the Papa's stayed by Hatcher's bed side last night so Randy and I could sleep. Walking out of the room I couldn't help but tear up seeing these two strong men that he loves so much watching over my sick little boy. Love to all of you, go give those you love an extra hug and kiss!

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

2011-03-24T18:03:00.001-07:00

Our little cowboy has a big fight ahead of him. Last night Hatcher's surgeon had to go in and try to fix his lungs, they are very sick. Not able to remove all of the fluid Hatcher had to be put on the ecmo machine, which is functioning as his heart and lungs. His chest is still open, Randy took a picture with his phone, but it's just too much for mama to take. He has had some alert moments, which they do not want him to have, but he reached for me and mouthed the words mama and ouch. Tears oh tears, but it gave me hope that my little Hatcher is still in there somewhere. Our sweet boy needs a miracle .... thank you to all who have kept us in your prayers ... we can feel all of your support.

2011-03-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Oh where to even begin. Hatcher was doing well in surgery, in fact they had him closed up and our surgeon had actually scrubbed out when things started to unravel. They had to emergently open him back up and get him stabilized. His chest is still open and he is very puffy, poor little guy! It was over a 10 hr surgery. He continues to fight and amaze us and we are enjoying reconnecting with all of our wonderful friends here at LPCH. Thanks to everyone for all the thoughts and prayers. Hang on bud, we love you!

Open Heart #4

2011-03-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

A long week of pre op, cath lab and waiting, but it finally is here. Hatcher went in this afternoon for his 4th open heart surgery. He is such a tough little guy, we are so proud of you Hatcher. He was crying when I handed him over, and so was I! Hatcher you have taught me so much about love and life, hope all goes well my little buddy!

STANFORD

2011-03-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

I will update more in depth when things are not so crazy. Aunt Haley came to California and we sure had fun with her. She was a bright spot in a long weekend of waiting! Thanks aunt Haley for taking our pics! We love you.

Surgery Postponed

2011-03-19T13:38:00.001-07:00

We made it to California! Hatcher did well in the cath lab Wednesday, they had to do a few coils in his heart so he stayed the night. It was a rough night for the poor little guy, but all in all it went well and we were able to come back to the apartment. His surgery has been postponed till Monday, I am so anxious and wishing we could get this over and done with, but for now we are enjoying our family and trying to sneak in a little fun!

Hatcher 3-18-11

2011-03-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of our amazing friends and family for all of the love and support you have given us. We will keep you all updated. Surgery will be March 18th .... we love you bud!

1000 Cranes

2011-03-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Arvas Family for making us feel so special! Check out the story at

idahostatejournal.com Boy receives 1000 origami cranes before surgery.

Pirate Cowboys

2011-03-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

I guess one good thing about staying in and keeping Hatcher away from any sickness is spending time together. He has really been into playing pirates and finding treasure and shooting things with his gun. He makes me laugh so hard and even had me dressing up in some pirate gear. He started out with his pirate hat but by the end of the day his cowboy hat managed to be back in its place. He told me he was a cowboy pirate. I treasure these days of just the two of us making fun memories together.

SNOW

2011-03-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

The best part of our house has to be the amazing views and sledding hill! The kids have had a blast going down and down and down. This was the first Saturday in a long time Randy was able to sneak in a bit of fun with the kiddos, thanks babe for working so hard for us.

Happy Heart Day

2011-03-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

I just love Valentines day! I had some special treats for the gang in the morning and had put prizes in their cereal and then re glued the box, even Randy was surprised. Hatcher and I decorated the house with streamers and balloons for our Valentines dinner. Hatcher was so excited he kept saying. "I love Christmas Mom." What a neat day to celebrate heart awareness!

NO CAVITIES

2011-03-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

Before heart surgery Hatcher had to go to the dentist to make sure there were no bugs hanging out in his teeth. He was so cute and so excited. Way to go bud, no cavities!

Sunbeams!

2011-01-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam! I can hardly believe that Hathcher is old enough for primary! The first week was a little rough with tears and needing mom and dad, but week #2 he made it all the way through! Way to go bud. I hate that my baby is growing up way to fast! He was so proud to have his scriptures like the big kids. You look way to grown up Hatcher!

Projects!

2011-01-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

I love fixing up old furniture and giving it new life. I wish I had taken before pics, but it was a great transformation! It will look so cute at Jaxyn's desk! Funky and fun!

Welcome 2011

2011-01-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

We welcomed 2011 in with family, games, food, and fun. The kids had fun New Years day just hanging out with cousins, bubble baths, snow forts and more games! I love the start of a new year and new goals. Here we come 2011, hope its a great one!

Christmas Morning!

2011-01-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

I love the magic of Christmas morning! The kids were more than excited about all of their treasures! Hatcher got a red barn with animals and some tools. I never thought he would put the two together, but he has had more fun fixing his barn with his "toodels."Jaxyn has kept us all busy playing games, she loves family game night!

Santa is Coming!

2011-01-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

I love that the kids were sooo excited this year! Hatcher really got into the mood and was so excited for Santa to come. Christmas PJ's and scrap books helped to get them excited. It was fun to be with Ralph, Vauna and Kristen, she was excited as Hatcher and Jax!

Christmas Eve

2011-01-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

We had fun Christmas Eve going to a movie together and then to see a nativity and see some animals the kids feed. Then it was off to Remos for dinner with the Wheatley gang. After, we went up to grandma Edwards to visit and open gifts. On our way up to grandmas we looked at some Christmas lights and found Santa handing out candy canes! Jaxyn was in another vehicle with the cousins and Hatcher was scared to death when we pulled up to Santa. He kept saying, "I need Jaxyn!" Some kids carry a blankie, he just needs his Jaxyn!

Christmas Sugar Cookies!

2011-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Guess who did more tasting than frosting?
These look good enough to eat!

Jaxyn with her favorite cookie, what an artist you are sis!

I just couldn't resit this cute little bum! Even his 2T undies are saggy.

It's a Hatch family tradition to make home made Christmas sugar cookies. I can remember as a kid looking forward to this every year and competing with my brother and sister who had the best one. Of course Dane won hands down every year on Easter eggs and sugar cookies! I love that Jaxyn cold do this kind of stuff all day and that Hatcher really had no interest except for to eat the frosting and decorations!

Hatcher or Rudolph?

2011-01-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

I did a Christmas count down for the kids which had a fun activity or prize for the 24 days before Christmas. Hatcher and Jaxyn were so excited to do it every day! One of the days I had reindeer horns and nose and we were to sing Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. That night Jaxyn planned family home evening and had Hatcher come out wearing this! He was so serious about his important roll and got on all fours for the entire song acting like a reindeer. I love these memories!

Hatcher's New Puppy "Brownie"

2010-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hatcher's 3rd Cowboy Birthday Party

2010-12-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hatcher was more interested in finding straw then prizes!

Fun cowboy crafts!

Hot Potato

Krue and Jax

There's a snake in my boot!Cousin Teague

MMMM.....

I have been looking forward to Hatcher's big # 3 for some time now! I had so much fun planning a cowboy party. We had cowboy food with hamburgers and hot hot dogs, soda in glass bottles, chips, and all kinds of goodies! We played hot potato, tossed snakes into cowboy boots, found treasures in the straw, pinned the wheel on the tractor, opened gifts and had a great time. The highlight was definitely seeing little Hatcher's face when Jaxyn and Randy brought in his new puppy. He loves that thing and didn't hesitate naming her brownie. So funny considering she is black and white, but just too cute to talk him into anything else. He has been crying for her at night and wishes that she lived in Pops kitchen. We had so many friends and family come, thanks to all who made this party so much fun!

2010 Gingerbread House

2010-12-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

The only thing missing from our annual gingerbread house building was Kase,Ty and Presley! We miss them and all of our fun traditions we started together. It looks good enough to eat!

A BOX FROM AUNTIE SHARON!

2010-12-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

Every day is like Christmas when you have an Auntie Sharon! My Aunt Sharon is s wonderful and is always sending the kids boxes full of treasures. They squeal with excitement when they receive a box! She recently sent the kids cowboy boot stockings and boy did they love them! Hatcher has even been wearing them around on his feet like real boots, funny stuff. She always manages to send awesome movies, cowboy books and crafts! We sure love and appreciate you Auntie!

Minnesota Business Trip

2010-12-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

Walking in a winter wonderland to the movies!
Yes, Randy is an "A"

Lunch at Bubba Gumps ... Yumm

Happy Birthday Randy, Kimi, and Becky!

The girls at the work party!

Mall of America Christma tree.

The whole time I was at the Mall I kept thinking of how much the kids would have loved it!

I was able to get away with Randy and go to Minnesota for a business trip and work party. Thanks to grandma and grandpa for taking the kids 5 days, strep throat and all! It was a great break and I had fun digital scarp booking, catching up on some sleep, shopping at Mall of America, and most of all spending time with Ran. We had a wonderful time at the party with dancing, good company and good food, but my favorite part of the trip is when Randy and I went to the movies. It snowed like crazy one afternoon and by the time night came it was a winter wonderland. We had wanted to go to a movie but all the taxis in town were gone and delayed because of the weather so we decided to bundle up and walk. It was so much fun to be spontaneous and do some shopping and go to a movie that wasn't a kids one! I'm so grateful Randy works with people that are also great friends, what fun memories!

Hatcher 3 Years Old!

2010-12-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

I have to start Hatcher's 3 year pictures with his sippy cup. He lives for his moments with his sippy full of Pediasure! He is so funny and yes, he is definitely my big baby!

Hatcher's favorite glove!

And rope!

Hatcher, I can hardly believe that we are coming up on your 3rd birthday! Wow, I'm so thankful for you in our family. What a little miracle you are. Such an amazing journey you have taken us on and we are so grateful that you came to our family. I had so much fun taking your 3 year cowboy pictures on Papa's tractor and you loved every minute of it... until it was time to go in, then you cried and cried because you wanted to go feed cows with Pops. You are one awesome cowboy bud!

Christmas Play 2010

2010-12-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

Jaxyn was a Christmas doll in the annual Mountain View Elementary School Christmas play. She was so cute as she was very excited to get her lines memorized and costume planned out. I love being at a school where we have an old fashioned Christmas play with the message centered around Jesus Christ. Jaxyn, once again you were amazing and never seem to lack in the confidence department.

We will miss you Grandpa Burrup

2010-12-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful service Grandpa had. Thanks Melissa for taking all of the wonderful pictures.

Grandpa Burrup

2010-12-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Burrup went to live with Heavenly Father last Tuesday. We will miss you grandpa but are so thankful you are at peace. What a wonderful man and example you are to all of us. His funeral was beautiful and heartfelt. Thank you grandpa for being so good to us, we love you and know we will be together again.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

We really enjoyed being with family over the week of Thanksgiving. We love you all!

Blackfoot Dance Competition

2010-12-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Jaxyn had her first dance competition of the year and did great! It is so fun to watch her perform, she loves it and really does a good job. She was in two numbers with her class and then did a solo. I also entered her into a photogenic contest and she won her age category. Her class numbers took 1st and she won top "Queen" dancer for her solo "Cooties." Way to go Jax. Hatcher was so excited about the trophy and crown and kept saying, "this is my congratulations." The best part of the day though was watching Kristen dance. All of the family was there to cheer on the girls and we went crazy when Kristen stepped onto the floor. She was so cute and did such a great job. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

Memorizing!

2010-12-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Jaxyn has set some goals she would like to meet before she turns 8 and gets baptized. One of them is memorizing all 13 Articles of Faith and she has done it! We all joined her and even papa and grandma did it with us. When we memorized one we got to put our name by that number on this big poster. What a great accomplishment sis, we are so proud of you!

Miniature Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

Even a miniature wish bone!

This year I decided to have a miniature Thanksgiving a few weeks before to get us in the mood! It was so much fun to plan and cook for this! We had little cornish game hens, mini corn, mini cans of pop, baby carrots, tiny little rolls, mandrin oranges, and mini baked potatos. Papa Ralph prepared a fun Thanksgiving history FHE lesson and then we had miniature pumpkin pies for dessert! I think we will make this a yearly tradition.

2010-11-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

The other night at family home evening I asked Papa if he would do a lesson on the history of the first Thanksgiving. Jaxyn says very serious, "Oh, I already know a lot about the Indians and leprechauns." I wanted to die laughing but held it together and asked if she meant Pilgrims. Too funny sis.

Hatcher and I were snuggling before bed the other night when he took my face in his hands and said, "Mama, I don't want you to dead." I told him that I didn't want to be dead either, and he says, "me neither, I don't like people to be dead." Hatcher, you have been full of new words and are talking so well, I love every minute.

2010-11-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Hatcher loves his cousins Kaden and Krue! The boys were dressing up and playing rodeo with Hatcher who was in 7th heaven! I love to see Hatcher being such a normal little boy, and have to pinch myself that he is doing so well. Thanks boys for being so good to him, he sure loves you!

BYU Ballet

2010-11-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

BYU Ballet came and put on a cute princess performance in Marsh Valley. The little girls got to come dressed like princesses, meet the ballerinas, have a treat with strawberry milk, dance on stage with the real ballerinas and enjoy a fun show with mom and grandma! I love doing these fun things with Jaxyn, I hate to see her growing up so fast, but enjoy all the big girl things we are getting to do together!

Potty Training!

2010-11-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

Happy day! Hatcher is finally potty training. I was really hoping we could get it done before he turned 3 and we did! Thanks to baby Chloe! We went to Twin Falls for a little get away and got to watch my friend kenz's baby. She is just too cute and even though we didn't have her very long, we got to change a diaper. She had the same polk a dot diapers Hatcher wears and it was like a light bulb moment. He wanted to go potty right then and did it for the first time on the toilet. He kept saying, "I'm not a little baby hu mama?" ever since then he has been potty training and just about has it down! Way to go bud, I'm so excited! I love that he always is playing toys on the potty and just seeing his itty bitty little bum in those undies is just too dang cute! Sorry bud for posting this I just couldn't resists!

Happy Fluoween!

2010-10-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

This should be a post of just how much fun we had in Wendell at the Maugers annual Halloween party, but instead the kids had the flu! I felt so bad for Jaxyn as she was so sad that we werent going to get to go. In between her throwing up she would cry and say, "this is going to be the worst Halloween ever!" and "I just wanted to see Kase and Ty." How sad! I have to say that even Randy and I were pretty bummed out! Randy and I were going to be rodeo clowns and we seriously had great costumes. The kids were going to be bull riders. I'm sure Hatcher will want to be that again next year! So the Halloween bowl at our house was not filled with little candies, but it was filled! Thank goodness for Lysol and Clorox wipes!

School Halloween Activities

2010-10-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love that Jaxyn is going to the school Randy did and getting to participate in some of the same traditions that he did! They let the kids dress up and have a costume parade and party, and that night we had a big Halloween carnival. I helped this year with the carnival and boy was it a ton of work but definitely worth it as we raised lots of money for our school. Jaxyn insisted on being something "cool" at school and wanted to be a football player. I sure love you sis and love watching you grow up ... even though its way too fast!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

The pumpkins were so amazing they won prizes!
BOO!

Lighting the pumpkins!

Guess who didn't want any help!

Yuck, pumpkin guts!

Last Sunday we had the cousins over for a yummy dinner and pumpkin carving contest! The kids were so funny, really into it! It took us a few hours, but the results were definitely worth it. After they each got an award, fitting to their carving of course! What fun memories, I think we will have to do this every year!

FUN WITH CHRIS AND OLIVIA

2010-10-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have such great friends! This is the Arvas family, the family that was so wonderful to us when we found out about Hatcher's heart defect. Chris also has hyop plastic, and when we saw him our whole outlook totally changed! He was this handsome, blond, active, little boy, what a blessing that our paths crossed! We are so happy to be close now and look forward to many fun times together! Jaxyn and Olivia are the same age and had so much fun. Jaxyn keeps bugging me when she can have her to play! I think the best part of the night was watching our two little miracles playing like normal little boys, who would have ever thought! I have to say Hatcher loved and I mean loved their dog - Barkley - but came out Sparkly. He is still talking about his favorite dog "Sparkly." And my sweet friend Janell, what a special person you are! Anyways, thanks for the fun night filled with good food, gifts, conversation and friendship! W sure look forward to many more memories!

More Hallween Fun

2010-10-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

The kids continue to have so much fun with the Halloween count down. Jaxyn really thought everyone would fall for our jello brain! I let the kids sleep in my bed and watch Monster House. I knew it was pretty scary so I wasn't sure how Hatcher would take it. He was sitting straight up in the bed, those huge eyes hardly blinked and he kept saying, "this is not good." He loved it though, and thought he was so big watching a "scary movie."

Toys in the bath

2010-10-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hatcher insists on taking toys into the bath, the more the better. He has such a fun time digging through his toy box trying to find the perfect ones. He always takes a truck and trailer and then tries to find animals he can load in and out of it. The other night I told him it was late so he could only get one toy and it had to be fast. He comes running into the bath room with this huge horse so excited. "This will be perfect." He was so proud of himself, and because I made Jax hop in too it was a pretty crowed event!

Halloween Costumes

2010-10-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM PIPPY LONGSTOCKING AND LANE FROST!

Dirty little cowboy

2010-10-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

If Hatcher could live outside he would. This is his idea of a perfect day, in his cowboy clothes playing in grandmas flower bed. What a funny little boy, the more dirt the better and everywhere we go he always is packing a toy. The other day we were running errands and we had to bring in a truck, trailer, horses, rope and bull. I was putting him in his car seat on the way out of Lowes and Hatcher tells me he left his truck in the shopping cart. So back inside we went, sure enough there is was in the cart!

HALLOWEEN COUNT DOWN

2010-10-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have always loved Halloween! This year I decided to make the kids a Halloween count down with activities and Halloween socks filled with fun little treasures, Ralph and Vauna's hand rail was the perfect spot! It has been so much fun, I love watching them do it everyday. Here is just a peak at some of the fun things we have been able to do. We had a Halloween bingo night, Randy was a great bingo caller and really got the kids and cousins into it. One night I had new Halloween PJ's sitting on their bed, corn maze, pumpkin patch, made spider cookies with the cousins, jello brain, dead hand drink, wax teeth, pencils to take to school, edible witches fingers, popcorn balls, a new Halloween story that scared Hatcher, cupcakes, and many more. I had such a fun time planning it all, I can't wait for the next part of the month!