Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A CELEBRATION OF THE HEART........

This past weekend our family headed down to Charleston, South Carolina for the Little Hearts LowCountry Heart Walk sponsored by MUSC and for the Heart Kids are Superheros Pediatric Cardiology Reunion at the Children's Museum. We went to CELEBRATE our son ZEB and his courage, strength and the absolute Miracle that he is in our lives. ALSO to join with many of our precious "heart" friends as they Celebrate their Little Heart.  Here are a few pics; I have many more and I will try to post more later:






                                   
                                                         Our Sweet Kiddos..Ready for the Walk



 
TEAM Z .



 



Zeb and his Heart Friend Luci


We Got to meet Zach...He is one "SWEETHEART"


                  We got to meet our friend "Funky Heart" !!!


Went to visit our favorite nurse...Caroline!! We love her with all our HEART!


It's hard work being a Heart Warrior...

Our Amazing Surgeon...Dr. Scott Bradley.... WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOU!


Cool Face Paint at the Heart Kids are Superheros!!


We Celebrate every day...Our Gift, Our Little Heart.... Zeb!!


We keep on pressing on toward the goal, more research, more awareness, a cure  for all of our children.


Many Blessings,

Rhonda :) 

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I'M GONNA MISS THIS .......





















GOODBYE SUMMER 2010.......WE HAD A BLAST!! SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!

Many Blessings,

Rhonda :)

Saturday, September 11, 2010

NOTES TO SELF:

I find it is always a good thing to make a list either on paper or a file in your brain of things that are good to remember about a 3 year old with a Congenital Heart Defect.  You know they have to be kept still and quiet and calm...YEAH RIGHT!!  Here are a few of mine for our son, Zeb.

NOTE TO SELF # 1.

** Keep all Makeup/Eyeliner etc., up and out of sight, beyond reach unless ....

You want your 3 yr old to look like Paul Stanley from KISS... Rock on Zeb!!


NOTE TO SELF #2.


You might want to hide the baby oil or gel








NOTE TO SELF # 3. 

Sister's Black Nail Polish does not come off the "SHARK BOY" as he said he pretending to be. ...



NOTE TO SELF #4.

The Drs. Office is a Dress Up Factory to them ....



NOTE TO SELF #5. 

They love to help with the laundry....let's see 72 loads scoop will work just fine ...

NOTE TO SELF #6.

Sometimes you just got to go ALL NATURAL even if it is in the middle of a campground..

NOTE TO SELF #7.

This 3 yr old knows how to chill out....  So don't worry about him getting tired!

NOTE TO SELF # 7.

He can Party ANYTIME, ANYPLACE....He brings the Party !

NOTE TO SELF # 8. 

Never let this ADORABLE INNOCENT face fool you..HE IS UP TO SOMETHING!!!

Does CHD get him down????? NOT A CHANCE!!!  He keeps Mommy Hopping, and Laughing and LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!

Counting my Blessings,

Rhonda ~

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A Stop in your Tracks Moment .........

Have you ever just been going about your everyday life and then something out of the blue, just makes you stop in your tracks.  Well I am sure that most of us have.  This is my stop in my tracks moment.  We recently got some pretty exciting news that I will share with you at a later date ( yes you will have to wait) but part of it involved a letter I received.  This is the one line from the letter.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lyle,

We have been informed that your son Sawyer Zeb Lyle has a life threatening condition/illness.....

As most of you know Zeb has a Congenital Heart Defect and had open heart surgery 6 months ago today exactly.  This is our 3rd year of the knowledge that our son has a CHD,  so we are not newbys or anything.  However  to actually read this on paper, actually made my heart skips a beat.  It is one of those surreal moments that you wish you were reading a line out of a fiction novel. You have a quick reaction that you know in your mind is denial. You say to self, well they cannot be possible talking about my child.   It is not a fun thing to see it in writing and to have to face the reality, that yes they are talking about your child. My beautiful precious growing 3 yr old son, who looks like any other healthy 3 yr old, but underneath he has a broken heart. Even though, he is doing very well and thriving, CHD will never go away, it is a life long condition. We are very Thankful that Zeb has done so well and for the awesome doctors who monitor him and his progress.  However CHD is still part of our everyday lives. It doesn't have to be a death sentence. It is still the #1 birth defect. There is still not enough research. There is still too many children who do not live to see their 1st birthdays. There is still not enough awareness. Most mothers and fathers to be still do not know what  a CHD is and that 1 in 100 babies are born with it.  Every 13 minutes a baby is born with a CHD and eleven of them to do not make it.  It is not enough.  This is why that it is so important to spread awareness and to support research.  Research is so important and so under funded.   TO a mom with a child with CHD, research means everything.   I am proud to be a part of a wonderful
non profit organization that does just that, research is a priority......
Introducing.....   http://www.hopeforbravehearts.org/


To find out much more about Hope for BraveHearts,  please check out my friend Shannon's Blog and meet 
her amazing lil miracle, Derrick.

www.carolinacarters.com/2010/07/introducing/html

Get involved...Spread Awareness, Donate to Research....  Make a difference..

and  hopefully one day no parent ever has to hear " Your child has something wrong with his/her heart." or
they never have to stop and reread  a simple sentence in a letter about your child, because it takes your breath away .

Many Blessings,

Rhonda

Our Little Fighter!!!