Change of plans…

Dr. Bradley, Mary Clare’s surgeon, called Mel yesterday. Unfortunately, there is a child that needs emergency heart surgery this weekend and Mary Clare’s surgery has been postponed until Friday, December 7. (Pre-Op day will be on Thursday)

We were mentally prepared and ready to get this behind us, so the delay is a bit upsetting. However, this is a reminder to us that Mary Clare is progressing so well. We are thankful that her health is in such a state that allows her to be able to wait. I hope and pray that the other child recovers well from the surgery.

I also spoke to a new friend recently about her baby daughter, Kiara who also suffers from HLHS. Kiara will need to have a heart transplant because of difficulties after her Norwood. She was born in October and she and her mother spent Thanksgiving at MUSC. She will most likely remain at MUSC through the holidays and into the new year.

Baby Emerson is doing well and will have her heart catheterization in January with her second surgery probably in February. Emerson is so cute and sounds a bit like my McCanless as a baby, which makes for a tired mommy!

While HLHS is a rare Congenital Heart Disease, is has become a small world and I feel like I know many of the other HLHS mothers going through the same thing. It is a comfort to speak to them and know that we aren’t alone.

Well at least now my family will have Christmas presents! I have been doing a bit of shopping online, and McCanless is beginning to think that I have a thing for our UPS man because I run out to greet him everyday. ( to intercept boxes) I guess the good thing is that this gives us a few more days to enjoy the Christmas season at home and get a bit more shopping done! (Still looking for the Disney Enchanted Tales Deluxe Princess Castle!)

We’ll be in Charleston on Thursday and will update you from there!

Mary Clare’s surgery update

Mel, Mary Clare and I will travel down to MUSC on Friday morning for a pre-op day. They have told me to be prepared to stay for about 4-5 hours. (We’ll be back in Hartsville that afternoon) She will have blood work done, echo cardiograms, and EKGs before her surgery, which is scheduled for Monday morning. On Friday, we will find out exactly what time she will go in for surgery. Mel and I plan to drive down to Charleston on Sunday, meeting Mimi along the way to “deliver” McCanless for a fun trip to Daufuskie while we are at MUSC.

I’m having such mixed emotions about the surgery. I know it is absolutely necessary for her to sustain life, but at the same time, I know she faces all of the complications that come along with such a complex surgery. We knew this second surgery was coming, it just seemed to come so quickly. Just the thought of seeing her in PCICU again breaks my heart. She is doing so well right now that it is hard to believe that under her tiny chest, her heart still needs “to be fixed,” as I have been telling McCanless and myself. As every day approaches, and I find myself making the preparations of returning to MUSC, the reality of it all grows.

We are truly blessed to have Mary Clare in our lives and even more blessed that God has allowed us to care for her. It is such a comfort to know that we have so many people praying for her everyday, and we know that God is with her and will carry her through this next hurdle. She is so sweet and such an inspiration that I hope each and everyone of you that don’t already know her, will someday get a chance to meet her smiling face. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. On Monday, we’ll be in the PC-ICU waiting room and will keep you all updated. Please pray for our baby girl.

Thanksgiving 2007

Mary Clare woke up at 6am on Thanksgiving morning starving…here she is having a bit of cereal.

I don’t even bother with a bib in the morning. Messy is fun!

Much to my excitement, McCanless was very into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade this year! My sisters and I always look forward to watching it and I was thrilled to see McCanless just as excited. She sat and gazed at the floats and shows until we left for Nonnie’s house.

…which had a delay. Mary Clare was in desperate need of her morning nap, so we put her down and we all watched the parade together.

Even though it was almost 80 degrees outside, the trees still look like fall!

The spontaneous tree lighting…

I decided to get a…… fake Christmas tree this year…Yes, I know, it’s horrible, but I figured that we are going to be in Charleston for a while and I AM NOT RE-DECORATING a tree again this year. A few years ago about three days before Christmas, I un-decorated our completely dehydrated, brown, very dead and very hazardous tree, bought a new one and completely re-decorated it. I couldn’t stand the thought of having a dead tree on Christmas morning.

I love the beautiful look and fresh smell of Christmas trees, and I, nor anyone in my recent ancestry has EVER turned to fake, but it was easy and it isn’t messy. (I’m still trying to convince myself) I ventured out this morning and did which I said I would never do, shop on Black Friday. I saw a Lowe’s commercial which promised a sale on Christmas trees. I literally, rolled out of bed at 6:30 a.m.before Mel and the girls were up and hit the Christmas crowd. I was at Lowes at 6:45 and the sale tree, which turned out to be about 4 feet tall and very similar to a Charlie Brown tree, was already sold out. After a very hard decision I ended up with a beautiful 7 1/2 ft. tall fresh-cut Frasier “Ready to Trim” tree. I got home assembled it and had all of the lights on when McCanless woke up. Her face was priceless when I carried her into the den. After she yelled at me from her bed because apparently, I forgot to sleep with her.

We broke out the Christmas movies, songs, and all decorations. My house looked like the North Pole exploded in it today. Even Mary Clare had fun “helping.” She cooed and laughed and loved the lights on the tree. We had so much fun. Mel even made breakfast and we decorated the entire house. This is the earliest we have ever decorated, but it was the most fun! I guess it doesn’t matter what kind of tree you have, as long as it gets you into the spirit. So much for pine, I think I’m getting used to the plastic smell. (at least for this year)

Okay, so I tried to “stage” a Christmas photo with the girls. (McCanless’ Little Mermaid pj’s were not doing it for me) I put both of the girls in cute Christmas pj’s and this was the best shot I got. Mary Clare fell asleep and McCanless was on such a Christmas high that this was the only face she made all day. Also notice the beads on the tree that she “fixed” for me. She told me I didn’t have them on perfect, so she perfected them.

MUSC check-up…

Mary Clare had a check up yesterday, and after along ride down to Charleston, all looks well. Now that she is sleeping through the night she, obviously, sleeps much less during the day which makes for more difficult car trips! Mel went with us so Mommy was able to sit in the back and entertain munchkin.

She weighs 13 lbs 4 oz and is 25 inches long. (At almost 5 months, she is now a bit bigger than my brother was at birth!) Her oxygen levels were actually pretty high and in the 80′s, which was a relief. She has been a bit bluer lately, which tells us that surgery is getting closer. Our next visit will be pre-op day on Nov. 30. Please keep her in your prayers as we go through this next surgery!

Mary Clare’s Baptism Celebration

Mary Clare was baptized at MUSC just before her first surgery, but we still felt it was necessary to celebrate such an occasion! Here we are with family at the Midnight Rooster last Sunday after the church ceremony. I’m hoping to get better photos from others, because as you can see, I wasn’t able to get many great shots. McCanless wasn’t in any at all except from behind, and I didn’t even get many of Mary Clare! I also didn’t get photos of most of our family there! This “mom of two” business can really get me behind sometimes!!

Aunt Liz and Mimi walking McCanless into St. Bartholowmew’s, our church.

Someone was excited about the day!

This is how Mary Clare spent the entire luncheon…at least she was awake for church.

I know She is Mom!

Tonight after McCanless said her prayers and “blessed” a long list of her closest friends, relatives, animals, movies, toys, nature, etc, (you get the point) I told her how proud I was of her.

I also mentioned that God was very proud of her, too. As we lay in the darkness and after a brief moment, I heard her little voice, sounding almost annoyed but agreeing with me, “I know She is, Mom.” I laughed to myself and started to ask, but I heard her stuff her silky in her mouth and begin to drift off, so I decided to leave that conversation for later.

Had to mention this…

Every year, the teachers at First Baptist “name” their students for Thanksgiving. The teachers think about an appropriate Indian name each child should receive and incorporate it into an Indian headband, art project, etc….Mrs. Martrano explained that they really think about each child and try to find a very fitting “name.”

Last year, Mrs. Jordan humorously bestowed “Morning Dove” upon our sweet McCanless because she isn’t quite the morning person, a sarcastic approach that certainly was appropriate. (We love Mrs. Jordan-she was exactly what McCanless needed for a first year teacher-so much fun!)

This year McCanless’ Indian name is “Free Spirit.”

I see it and know that Mrs. Martrano hit the nail on the head, but as a parent, I always wondered if McCanless was the same little person at school as she is at home and elsewhere. Now I know! She is what she is, my little free spirit!

Tummy Time…

I think she is “cheek heavy.” Looks like she is about to topple over.

A girl can never get enough of Mommy!

(Really, this started out as a joke when McCanless was a baby. Mel and I would “argue” about who McCanless loved most. One morning I slipped this photo of me in this toy and placed it in her crib before Mel went to pick her up for the morning. (It is my engagement photo from 2001) I wanted to surprise him! The photo has remained ever since)

Speaking of Native American names…Little Big Cheeks is ready for her first Thanksgiving!