The Living Planet Aquarium & and overdue echo report

Adding some pictures to the blog! YAY

Mariska had her echo, I've forgotten how LONG and slow the time goes when your in the hospital. You know the drill, starve your child the night before you do anything. :) Mariska did well with that part. We headed to PCMC at 5am got there just as the heavens opened and dumped snow. At 7am the tech and a few others had gotten stuck in the traffic so we waited a while. Forgotten the sedation drug(s) that gave Mariska, Very happy this was done via IV she was out so much faster this time around.

Her heart hasn't enlarged any more which is awesome news! Shes still having mild regurgitation with her tricupus valve. Dr. W said this would cause for another Open heart surgery but where she needs her fontan done sometime next year it can wait and be done with that surgery. Counting our blessings with that news.

She went in with a cough.. the same one shes had off and on since Christmas! Cant wait for the spring and all the winter bugs to go away. Despite her mild cough they went a head with it. Finished the Echo and the dr's were not happy with something they saw so we moved her to have a 3D echo done. Moving a sedated person is not a good thing. She has always fight the drugs which made the move not so enjoyable. Got to the next room ended up giving her something else to help her stay asleep, and got the images they we're happy with.

Went up stairs to help her sleep off the drugs, which wasn't to fun with her fighting sleep. She finally fell asleep slept it off, Silly thing was giggling and saying Good-bye to everyone we passed on our way back to cardiology. Talked to Dr. W. ( Dr. P has found a job back east we will miss him) Decided to add her back on to one of her old meds Dig.

So very Grateful things went smoothly thank you for your thoughts and prayers!


We thought it was time to do something fun a last week on Sam's day off so we went to the living planet aquarium . Such an awesome place. The high lights we're watching an octopus eat its lunch and change colors, and touching sting rays.



Mariska in the coral community.

Mariska LOVED this frog.

Mariska and her daddy watching a show.

Asked her if she wanted to touch it and this is the look she gave us, HAHA. NOOo way momma!

I was brave and touched them! So soft and furry.

Mariska's new favorite thing is ELMO which she wants to watch 5 times a day. Shes such a dramatic little thing. Loves to fuss over everything, making sure they have spoons shares her toys, food and smiles. Loves to play baseball on our Wii and is pretty good for being 2. Speaking of 2 she is into everything... my make-up, peanut butter, makers, Loves putting it on her face and saying me Pretty pretty with a huge grin. Hard to get mad with that look.

<3>

CHD Awareness week is February 7th - 14th

Beautiful CHD Awareness Week Poem

Somewhere...someplace... today...

A family is waiting to hear...

Is something wrong with their baby?

The answers aren't quite clear...

This family has entered an unwanted world...

And they just don't know what to expect...

Somewhere...someplace... today

They first heard the words: heart defect.

And how they hoped this was not true...

And thought... this cannot be...

I too... know just how this feels...

For one day...this was me.

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A man and a woman embrace...

Their baby is in surgery...

They long to see her face...

They haven't got to hold her yet...

Without...a cord or line...

They pace the room awaiting news...

And hope she'll be just fine.

Prayers fill this busy waiting room...

And mom and dad are scared...

Somewhere...someplace..today...

The tiniest hearts are repaired.

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A child's growing fast...

Smiling,laughing,thriving...

His mom thinks...can this last?

It's almost easy...to forget...

That anything is wrong...

Somewhere...someplace..today...

Her child seems so strong.

Somewhere...someplace... today...

A little boy fights...

just to live A father holds his tiny hand...

His love...all he can give...

The doctor's are all baffled...

They fear that he might die...

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A family says goodbye... Somewhere...someplace...each year..

More than 40,000 families will see...

What it means...when something's wrong...

They'll face a CHD.

Today...for just a moment...

Stop...remember...reflect...

Make time to tell someone you know...

"I've been changed by a heart defect".

Author - Stephanie Husted

Little tid bits.

Thought I would do a short post while I add a new playlist to the blog and Mariska is down for a nap.

Misky's vobabulary is finally picking up! yay. Shes learning about a new word everyday. Pretty exciting. She Loves to help with the dishes. washing them fulling and empting the dishwasher. Shes such a good lil momma. She has a doll she's starting to pack with her all over the house and its sure to always be by her side at bed and nap time. She still a lil girly girly with her small sweet voice and movements. Dancing is her favorite thing to do. At home and church. Shes Loves prayer time. Folds her arms and cheers when its over. lol Always makes us laugh.

She got her flu shot a few weeks ago. We're on the fence about getting her the H1N1 Vac. She'll start getting the rsv synagis shots again here soon. Poor thing.

We have a date for her next sedated echo. January 19 is the date. praying that goes smoothly. Hits me how fast shes growing. I think at that date we'll talk more on a time frame for her next surgery (fontan) She will have it at 3 1/2 Becuase her cardi doesnt like them to have it later. =) Scary but also a piece of mind knowing about when.

Mariska is excited as are we about halloween this year. Shes going to be Raggedy Ann. She has a cute witch laugh a spooky Heeheeheeee and a silly ghost Boo. Took her to the pumpkin Patch on Sat. She thought it was pretty neat to pick her own. And HAD to hold some of the hay from the hay ride. lol

Sam found a job. (forgotten if I"ve posted about this or not, haha so sry if its a repeat) Hes working for Red Gear full time (H&R Block bought them last year) He works on the text side of the software. He LOves his work place. Full of funny awesome people who all share the same views how lucky is that? We're planning to move this winter to a slightly larger apartment. Mariska Turns 2 in two weeks. Eek time has flown by this year.

Heart Hugs
Melynda, Sam & Mariska (HLHS post glenn)

A few Updated pics

Facebook :o) and Summer time

Mariska is doing just awesome. Feel blessed to say that! Misky becomes more of a little lady every day. Shes so silly, Always making funny faces laughing and giggling. Shes a bit of a monkey also, Loves to sit on the table or our computer desk and play. Shes almost running, just a super fast walk for now, I fear when she can unlock the front door and run, haha. She loves to say "I wana go out" or " I neee go out" Sounds like hes plugging her lil nose. Shes learned this crazy duck sound, not sure where she picked it from, A deep razpy WaaWaah Always gets us laughing.

I posted on Twitter and facebook a day we had a few weeks ago.. ohh what a day.

Started with me taking two sticks of butter out of the freezer so we could make cookies the next morning. We all went to bed, and in the morning found Misky with the two sticks of butter... well the papers to the butter. She Ate! all but half of one, which she smooshed into the carpet next to Sams side of the bed... As normal things come in three's. Later that afternoon I took a nap on the sofa, Mariska climbed up on the computer desk to look out the window. Being the smart cookie she is she took off her diaper and pee'ed all over the desk, she was nice enough not to get the mouse of keyboard, haha. The next part embarrasses me to say, That night we had chile for dinner, remember all that butter... She comes to our bed in the mornings while she was there she left a surprise hands Sam a piece of corn looks at it for a minute then it hits him OHH NOOOO! What a way to start a day :o)

Then the fight started to counter act the butter. 3 almost 4 weeks of 4-7 runny diapers a day, :- Took her in to the doctor after the first week, She lost some weight, Frustrating how easy it is to drop and so hard to add on. We'll take her back in this month to make sure everything is fine.

Off to some fun adventures for the month. We headed to Oregon and California with all my family. 3 sisters, 2 brothers both grandparents, and the kiddos, Had a blast! Checked out Crater Lake, then the Red Woods, and the Beach. I need to pick some pictures out and post them here, almost 2000 to look at, hehe might take me a while. Mariska loved the ocean and the sand. I learned getting sand out of her hair is kind of tricky. but so worth watching her play. x)

Sam and I are both on facebook if anyone wants to read the short updates I do. Samuel T. Anderson and Melynda Browning Anderson are our facebook names. Just say you follow our blog when you buddy, so I keep the picture files open to you.

Updates, Updates, Updates!!

Boy oh boy its been a while. :) Mariska is doing awesome. We took her in for her 15/18month pediatrician visit 3 weeks ago they decided to combined the two and maybe hope Misky and the nurse can be friends again someday, Pooor thing, every time she sees her nurse she knows whats coming. Cant say I blame her. Next visit no more shots. Not sure if she had a side effect to one of the shots that got her sick or the fact we forgot the shopping cart cover and she licked the bars *sigh* all that work of being a germaphobic.

A week later after the shots she spiked a fever. 3 took about 3 hours to go from normal or almost 103.f. Gave her some medicine and went back down. :) After a week or 2 Sam and I both got what ever she had. Sam was over it in a week, took me down for almost 3 weeks with her cold/allergies. got to love em. She picked up a cough for a week. and Now I feel we're all on the mend or just over it.

Misky is walking! every where. :) has been for almost a month. She crawls up the stairs at Grandma B's house and loves opening her back door to let the dogs in. (her buddies) When ever she hears a dog barking she sticks out her tongue for the dog sigh in sigh language and then barks, to cute.

Little miss has a few new faces. One oh her newest is covering her mouth and pouting while squinting her eyes. I call it I cant believe it face. I get it every time we stay "stop" "no" "don't" or shaking our head at her.

We had a cardio visit on May 6th. Dr. Williams said every thing looks good. He would like to see her heart size go down but at least it hasn't gotten any better. Took her off of Lasix. Left Dig. and aspirin the same. Increased Enalripli to 2.mg. She will for sure have the Fontan when shes 3- 3 1/2. That's when he likes to sent them if they need it yet or not. Nice to have a time frame to count up to. Always wondering when she would need it is a bit draining. He also said she wont have any trouble with her weighing enough for the surgery because of how well shes gaining.

Her weight and height we're the same at both visits. 22lbs and 30inches. Oh she finally got a front tooth this month!! 4 molars and two bottom ones. haha and not a front tooth in sight that's all changing now. :)

Had our first PT (physical therapy) in Davis county today. Now that shes walking she doesn't really need the serves any more. Last visit we had was back in November!.. I canceled the one in December cause she was getting sick. Then we moved got lost and found are way back in to the system. haha The visits we did have helped her and us a ton on how to help her learn. Then she took off from there. Shes one smart cookie.

Just before every thing happened Sam was layed off from his job. Its been a bit stressful looking for a job that just doesn't seem to be there. But we're looking at it like a Looooong Vacation. Hes getting a lot of school work done. Keep us in your prayers that he'll find a job soon :)

Happy late spring :)