WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL ARTICLE--Christmas 2015

WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL ARTICLE--Christmas 2015
Click to read the article

Friday, November 18, 2016

Wen Xiang is turning two!

It's my birthday!!!  Come and celebrate with me...  An open house Sunday 11.20.16 from 2-5 pm.
No presents necessary.  Just people celebrating my life and the gift of adoption.
                     365 Tyvand Road   Blanchardville




                                    Joseph using a shovel and a hockey stick to "help" out.

                                                           Joseph getting tossed in.
                          We don't have many large trees in our immediate yard so the kids took the wheel barrow and hauled them all together.  Then we ALL jump in!



 Sometimes we get ourselves in a little pickle...... and need mom's help...but not before I take a picture.....funny thing Joseph did this the week before.....It must a a Guilin thing!




                             HOPE is WHY.  Congenital Heart Awareness.  Always Have HOPE!!!!



 These two have a very special bond.  Jordan carries him around alot!!! And oh the snuggles....he loves to snuggle.

 James is the face of an older adoption, adopted at age 6.5, living all those years in an orphanage.  Thankfully he is feeling safe in our home and beginning to thrive and grow in so many ways, but with that, his grief and trauma have begun to surface.  Pray as he processes the pain of his early years.  Pray for wisdom for Ryan and I to know how to parent through the really hard stuff with grace, love and reflecting Christ.  We love to see this smile, but we need to let his tears flow freely, in order for him to live with this smile!



We have a Dr on call!  Quick update on this little guy.  The genetic testing for 22 deletion syndrome came back negative.  So thankful for the good news.  He underwent a Echo and bronchoscopy recently and we are beginning to understand his heart a little better.  Everything looked really good in the bronchoscopy. The problem right now is his oxygen is so low and his blood level show he is at a high risk for a stroke with his high hemoglobin levels.  Right now he is younger than the optimal age for the next surgery, the Fontan.   They like to wait till age at least 3 , even as old as 5.  The older he is the larger conduit they can place in which will allow his better function in the long run.   This echo also confirmed his ventricle defect is very large, his mitral value placement and very small pulmonary artery has most likely ruled out any possibility of dividing his ventricles as we did with Joseph.  As disappointing as this is, we are thankful he will have the option of the Fontan.

Based on the data found it is assumed he has venous collateral connections that formed which is routing the blood incorrectly causing his o2 to be lower than expected one year post Glenn surgery.  He will have a heart catherization early December in which they will try to close those connections which should increase his o2.    They will also do more imaging, a TEE, to get more pictures of his heart and functions.   A catherization is under general anesthesia and involves keeping him still and sedated and still for 4-6 hours post procedure.  Pray this will be successful and that it will buy us some time.  He needs more bonding with us before undergoing a major surgery.