Ronald McDonald House- Salt Lake City Edition!!

Here was the serving and clean up crew!  The picture accidentally had a filter on it so I tried to brighten it up- Oh dear!
L- R Lisa, Me, Ryanne, Julia, my dad- Dave, my mom- Sheila, Jason, Laura, Jeff, Ben, Barbara and Luke.

Here is the preperation crew!
L-R John, Neils, Barbara, me, Natalie, my dad, Jason, Jeff, my mom, Julia and Luke

My mom made her homemade rolls to serve the sloppy joes on.  Some people came back for more homemade bread, or took a plate of bread only:)

Great Aunt Shauna watched our kids while we went downtown to Salt Lake City to prepare and serve dinner to all the folks staying at the Ronald McDonald House.  

It was such an heart filling experience to serve side by side with our families.  Our siblings and parents and one niece were incredible workers with us.  I felt so much love for all of them and compassion for all those coming through the line.  It also brings to surface those tucked away emotions of worry and vulnerability.  And then hearing a few other stories makes you undeniably grateful for the one that is yours.  

As we were driving away from the event that night, I felt as if my own heart might explode with the overwhelming love and compassion I felt, from my family, from the folks we served, and even towards us as I reflected on what it was like to need the services of the Ronald McDonald house so dearly.  I am even teared up as I write this post.  

The next day I felt so exhausted.  Satisfied and happy, but EXHAUSTED.  Emotionally and spiritually it is awakening to feel the healing that happens when I talk about my experience.  Jeff said to me what will it be like when Lucas is old enough to help us with this?  Made me so happy to think that he will be able to!!  I am so thankful for our baby boy and what he brings to our world!  The love and energy and enthusiasm he shares is totally contagoius.  When we got to Aunt Shauna's he said you are my GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT Aunt!  She smiled and said I didn't even have to coach you on that:)

Here is the picture we showed:

I forgot I usually write the year on there-- 2012 to 2017

5 and a half years!  I am still so thankful.

When the whole family goes for the heart check up!

Holding still like a statue.  :)

Here is Lucas, almost 5 and a half!!

Oxygen of 99.  BP 89/53

Our heart baby.  Has a heart of gold, and has so much heart.  He puts everything in to EVERYTHING.  Nothing is halfsies, including his fits.

Everything looks good for him!  How thankful, how happy, and how wonderful it is that he is healthy. Sometimes I think what a gift every day we have with him is!!!  Hard to believe 30 years ago the surgery they would have done would have been different, and may have affected him differently through life.  At the very least when he was in his 30's he would have been potetially waiting for a heart transplant.  But with the arterial switch, it is expected that his heart function will last much longer.

But for now he has NO RESTRICTIONS, except the ones his parents put on him. (HAHA!)

We are looking forward to hosting his Ronald McDonald house dinner next month in Utah so that some of his aunts and uncles and grandparents can participate.  SUPER exciting!

Oh, and also noteworthy is the fact that he saw Dr. Gremmels because when I scheduled it I somehow managed to schedule it in St. Paul, but we were in Minneapolis, so he kindly worked us in.
So it took 2 hours and 8 minutes:(

Here are a few things he mentioned:
Still has a leaky valve that is fine.
They will likely do a Cat scan around 10-12 to check things.
NO Restrictions
Come back in a year.
He told him to eat his vegetables, get along with his sister and listen to his mom.

We talked to him again about his profuse sweating, and he says they see this as a common symptom of heart babies, his speculation was that it was the adrenaline they might have flowing right from getting surgery/ having a hospitalization.

Thank you for enjoying (a slightly excessive) amount of pictures of our cardiology follow up.

We are so thankful and could not be happier with the outcome.

I do want to acknowledge the stress I was feeling at the last follow up could have been intermingled with finding out that we were pregnant, and even though I tried not to think about it for the first 20 weeks I was hoping and hoping that we would not have a baby with a heart condition again, I mean I knew we could do it if we had to--- because we had before, but it was in the back of my brain.  And at the heart appointment when Lucas was 3.5, I was aware of that possibility.

And worth mentioning is that when we found out that our babies heart was okay at around 20 weeks, I bawled and bawled.  More about that than finding out the gender!!  Baby Thomas (who is now 17 months) is a healthy boy with a completely uncomplicated pregnancy, labor and delivery.  Which was a remarkable gift for us.  We are thankful and humbled by the joy he brings to our family.
My baby boys.  Lucas told someone the other day that he will always be my baby!  I loved that he knows that.

My heart is full, and happy.  I love our little Lucas so much.  His grit, fierceness and passion are remarkable.  He still can light up a room with his laugh.  And he is so smart it is scary.