Updating with Photos

I bet everyone has been wondering where I have been and why there are not more photos! Well two kids can keep you busy! Plus my new volunteer work with the Dell Childrens/Milagros Foundation has had me very busy also. Today Jason took the kids to the park and I have some alone time and decided to catch everyone up on the Todd family.

Everyone is doing great. Joshua turns 3 on March 7th!!! I cant believe it. He is getting too big:-) for his own good! We are tackling the potty training. And well....it is a work in progress. Seems he is like me and very stubborn. But we will get there. He has his own friends and is a very smart and happy boy. His favorite thing to do is build things. Can spend the whole day doing that! He also just got a bunk bed. His Granddad and Grammy took him out shopping for new sheets for it. He enjoyed going on his first outing with them. And, from what I hear so did his grandparents, so they might be doing that more:-)

Nathan is doing well also. On March 28th we will celebrate one year post op!!! I can not believe it has been a year since his heart surgery. Time has flown. His scar is hardly noticeable. He is walking, and saying some words (only me and Jason can understand;-) ) He has an appointment for his 15 month checkup next Friday so I will fill everyone in on how he is doing. He also has a cardiologist appointment on April 3rd. I always get nervous before those appointments but I am slowly learning to never look too far ahead. It just makes it hard to enjoy what I have at this minute. Nathan is completely off his beta blocker and is sleeping much better. Now we are dealing with teething pain but I can handle that! I am completely amazed by Nathan. He has such a cute personality. He is learning to get his way too:-) Just like his brother!

Ok so I am going to post some random pictures but I will need to split them in multiple posts.

Hope everyone is well!

Laura

Please read

Hello Everyone

I wanted to share some information about a family in our support group. Please go to http://laithdougherty.info/ and read about Laith. He is needing all the prayers he can get right now. I cant imagine how his parents are feeling right now, and to tell you the truth it saddens me to think that a parent would have to go through something like this.

Jason and I struggle with our own insurance issues, but nothing like this. This is just proof that the USA has a long way to go when it comes to health insurance. How can we let a child die just because his parents do not have the right kind of insurance? You may say...well there must be something they can get or do. They are looking into every possibility and will do anything. But when it is all said and done, they shouldnt have to be searching for ways to keep their child alive. They should be with him, holding him, loving him. They should spend their energy trying to give their son hope, not have hope taken away.

I can only hope they find a miracle before it is too late.

Thanks for reading and I hope all is well!

Laura

February 14th is National CHD Awareness Day!

Hello Everyone,

February 14th is not just Valentines it is also National CHD Awareness Day. I am posting a video that our group put together to help spread awareness. Please watch the video and consider donating to the Childrens Heart Foundation or the Austin based foundation Milagros.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=51ce70593fcfb0f59cbc55&skin
_id=801&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

Hope all is well!!

Laura

Flowers

Hello Friends and Family,

I was writing to let you all know that if you order flowers for any holiday season (i.e. Valentines, Mother's Day, birthdays, Christmas) this year, you can make a contribution to the Childrens Heart Foundation (CHF) by ordering through www.proflowers.com/CHF. CHF provides grant money for research of congenital heart disease (CHD) studies. As far as I know, they are the only organization that does research on CHD. There are many other organizations that do studies on adult heart disease but none that specialize in children born with heart disease. You can learn more at CHF's website at www.childrensheartfoundation.org. Some of the studies they have funded are listed on the website.

I think this is an important contribution to all heart families and everyone in general. Please keep in mind that congenital heart disease is the #1 birth defect in the US. There is one child out of every 125 that is born with CHD. Valentine's Day is National Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Day.

I appreciate your support and thank you for listening (or reading).

More pictures

New Addition to the Family!

Here is Chloe. She is 5 months old. She is very gentle with the kids and her and Grendel get along very well!

Update

Hello Everyone!

Well we just wanted to say happy new year to everyone! The boys had a wonderful Christmas. Jason had two weeks off and I am NOT looking forward to him going back to work tomorrow!

The cardiologists decided to put Nathan back on his medication. So, once again sleep is not happening in this house! Hopefully we can reevaluate this in about a month or so.

I believe that is all now. I will upload some photos today or tomorrow!

Love

Laura