Visit with Dr. Sanchez

Today Braydon went to Dr. Sanchez's office in Voorhees. He got a great update there after the echocardiagram was done. His last suture was removed and and the steri strips were pulled off his incision. It looks great!!
He needs to sleep through the night and is still cautious around strangers. All results of time in the hospital. Plus he is getting more teeth and is really congested.
Thanks for the prayers.
Posts for the Young Adult Ministry will be back in a few days. The ministry has some big events coming up in the near future and our Bible Study is starting in a few weeks. Keep checking back here.

Healing...

Braydon continues to heal from his surgery. He has had a couple rough nights at home. Although the incision is itchy and he can't or rather won't do some of the things that he is used to (roll over on his belly) because of the pain, he continues to play hard and talk up a storm. Thank you for continuing to pray for us as we readjust to home life without the great nurses and docs.

Braydon says, "No more vitals!!"

Praise the Lord, we are all home safe and sound this evening. Braydon is home with instructions to take only two meds and a special formula to take for a month. Hard to believe. He is allowed to regulate himself and the activities he wants to do. With the looks of this picture he is ready for tackle football. Not quite. We are so thankful to be home and thank the Lord for His goodness to us this past week. It was truly a roller coaster ride.

Silly Braydon

This video is Braydon displaying the fact he is happy to be home. Back to his old goofy self.

Picture from today

Just saying hi to everyone who has been praying for me. I should be home tomorrow. Yeah!!

A Popular Kid

Braydon has taken several trips in his stroller today. Each ride he gets more and more attention from the hospital staff. All of them comment on his eyes!! But he still does not quite understand why he is getting all of the attention. I can see in his face that he is thinking, "Whats the big deal???"
The doctors are pleased with his progress. He is now taking meds by mouth. He had an xray and an echocardiagram today telling us things are looking good. Discharge tomorrow? We are still waiting to find out.
Continue to pray for some of his unit friends, Hartley (from Mississippi) and Baby Dylan (from State College). Also for Andrew and his family who received bad news on their baby Sofi in the CICU. We have grown close to them.

Unhooked!

Braydon's second chest tube was taken out this afternoon. Definitely good news. His surgeon Dr. Spray (the best cardiac surgeon in the world, not to brag) was happy with his progress and the results of the drain, and it was decided to go forward with the removal.
We are getting his stroller ready and it will be time to venture into the outside world of his unit! Today a nutritionist came in to check on his diet and she said he looks bigger than she expected. That was news to us. Braydon is happy being unhooked from everything and is rolling around in his crib. He just keeps us busy. But that is definitely a great thing...

Braydon's Noisy Room

Someone's vocal chords woke up all of a sudden. The little guy is telling us how happy he is by screaming and yelling and making his animal noises. There is also a lot of playing and giving the nursing students a hard time.
We were concerned overnight by the change in the fluid color of his lungs. Due to his genetic characteristics, his lymphatic system recovers different from us. So his fluid is not the way it should be and will slow his recovery. All the medical team is going to change is his formula for now. No worries for this morning though. He is a happy guy. Thanks for your prayers.

We heard Mama, Nana

The title says it all. Braydon is getting a little bit of his personality back. He started to talk again and wanted to play with his toys. The Childlife therapists were his friends because they brought "new" Baby Einstein videos. He likes Noah's Animals the best.
The chest tube is still in helping with the draining of any remaining effusion. There were not numerous visits by the doctors like yesterday. They were happy that he began eating a little bit and also got some strength back. Lets hope for more of the same tomorrow. Maybe he will be able to take a little walk and see the world outside his door.

The Sign says, "This is Sara's last round of chemo."

We have visited CHOP a few times before. In October we had to spend the night. This time around it will be 5-7 days at least with CHOP being our home away from home.
But when my eyes first saw the sign, "This is Sara's last round of chemo" hanging in a window above the atrium I had different thoughts. You know my little guy has a heart condition. But this little trip to CHOP for a surgery should fix him in the long run. He has the 2nd most common form of a heart defect.
Leukemia, cancer, bone marrow transplants, premature infants, etc. bring so many more challenges. Kids live here at CHOP weeks and months at a time. Braydon will most likely have one week stay and he is out the door good as new. I can't imagine what families feel coming here day in and day out. They can only cling and hold on to the encouragement of their families and the care and support of hospital staff. And if they know the Lord they can feel His love and His peace which passes all understanding (Phil 4). Our family has come to know several families in much more dire situations than ours and we reassure them that as we go through our adventure we remember them in prayer daily. Please do the same.

Braydon's Update. MLK Day one to remember

Thank you all for your prayers, Braydon developed some fluid around his lungs and required a chest tube be put in to drain the fluid this afternoon. He made it through the procedure fine and is resting comfortably now. He showed he was having trouble breathing and kept flaring his little nostrils and just won't eat. Lord willing the tube will open his chest back up and he will be more comfortable. Also keep praying that he will eat (since he hasn't in 2 days) and that he will get up and moving and playing and back to his old self. He is making lots of friends on the CCU floor and everyone loves his blue eyes. The doctors, nurses and especially his family can't wait to see him when he is feeling good again. Keep checking back here for updates.

Sunday Morning from CHOP

Well, we had quite a weekend. This morning I am writing this post from Braydon's hospital room. overlooking the main entrance. I went home last night and left Shelly and Braydon here. He had an ok night. Hoping for a better day with him waking up more and maybe even a little play time.
He is progressing well. Still a little sleepy and fussy. We need him to have some playtime today and get moving a little bit to loosen his lungs.
Will post more later.

Be Content

As I read on in Philippians 4, the night before my son's surgery something sticks out to me. In verse 11 Paul tells us, "Not that I speak from want for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am in." How can an Apostle of Jesus Christ say that while he sits in a prison probably starving, thirsty, black and blue from the daily beatings?
That truth has to stick with me this weekend. I have to trust in the sovereign LORD of my life, and my family's life. God is teaching me to rejoice (V. 4), not be anxious (v.6), know HIS peace (v.7), dwell on Him (v.8), be content (v.11), and finally, He will supply all my needs (v.19). What a passage!!!

Big Week

Paul reminds us while he was in prison: "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

That is the prayer for our family this week as Shelly and I approach Friday when our son Braydon goes into open heart surgery. We are trusting God through all of this and He has an ultimate, sovereign, plan for our family. He provides the peace and understanding through His Son Jesus Christ.

Check back in the coming days for updates.

"24" without the writers

I am a big fan of 24. It should be starting this month but due to the WGA strike it has been pulled indefinitely. Day 6 was a terrible season and the show needs to bounce back. I dug up this video described as 9am -10am without the writers. Pretty funny..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7RY_eBgNFQ&eurl=http://24fans.com/

Go Mountaineers!

We were cautiously watching the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night. Happy with the win and the New Coach! Go Neers!