Swagger Wagon

So, this weekend marks a new high point in our lives. Kristen has been talking about the need for more room in her car if she is to be able to nanny for more kids since she has to do a lot of picking up and bring home. Originally she always thought that when more kids came, we would get something like a Honda Pilot to replace her CR-V that she loves so much. Well the need to have more seats came before the time to upgrade the car and she has been tossing around the idea, begrudgingly might I add, of getting a mini-van. She was also only willing to get very specific makes and models because she is so picky about her car.

Well, she started looking and found one she wanted to look at. We went to look at it on Saturday morning and that afternoon we bought the car. So now we are the new owners of a Swagger Wagon. Check out this commercial we saw tonight. Its hilarious. Its not a Sienna, though we like it and are excited at the possibilities our new Dodge Caravan will bring our family. Here's to the new soccer mom.

Our Hero

This week the 7-14th is Congenital Heart Defect awareness week. Aaron and I feel passionately about this cause because of our own experience with our son Jonathan. It was actually 2 years ago exactly today that we found out that our yet to be born baby boy had a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot which is actually one of the most common heart defects that a baby might be born with (to learn more about Tetralogy you can go here http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11071)
We were blessed to have found out while still pregnant and we able to prepare and so we knew what to expect for after Jonathan was born. We were also extremely blessed because Jonathan had a mild case and did well and we got to take him home for 2 1/2 months before he had to go into surgery. In Jonathans case they fixed the hole that was in between his to Ventricles and they were able to help fix his Pulmonary valve without cutting through it. This means that Jonathan now has a 50/50 chance of not having to have another open heart surgery whereas if they had cut into the valve it would have been certain.
Here are some pictures of our little Hero!


This was taken the morning of Jonathans surgery. The last picture of his chest without his zipper scar


This one is just a few hours after coming out of surgery.


This one is a couple days later with almost everything removed.


This was the first time that we actually got to see what his chest looked like without all the bandages covering it. It was not as scary as we pictured in our heads.


Finally awake! This was bittersweet to us. We hadnt seen him awake in 4 days but they still wouldnt let us hold him.


This picture will probably forever be my favorite picture that I have of Jonathan. They finally let me hold him on the morning of day 5 after surgery! It was like getting to hold him for the first time all over again and he was so happy that I could hold him!


If you can believe it they let us come home about 24 hours after the first time I got to hold him again so in case you are trying to keep count that was 6 days total in the hospital. This picture was a week after we came home and the day that we got all his stitches removed.


You can barely even see his scar anymore unless you are really looking for it! Jonathan is an amazing little healer even his Cardiologist comments on how good it looks!! And obviously if you know me at all you will know that Jonathan gets his healing powers from his father not from me. :)


Today Jonathan is a regular 20 month old boy into everything and endlessly curious. He is a blessing not only to me and Aaron but to his Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. He is a loving and sweet boy. He is amazingly strong and very little fazes him. We know that Jonathan was sent to me and Aaron for a reason and we feel incredibly humbled to be entrusted with this special little boy.