Jackson's Journey

Not Much To Tell...

2011-03-14T08:46:00.002-04:00

Well, there's not a lot to tell and to be honest I like it that way! After all the excitement we had during Little Man's first couple of years, we kind of like dull and boring!! Jackson continues to love school! Every morning he asks "when do I get to go to school?".
He started ball practice about 2 weeks ago. Needless to say, it's a HUGE switch from last year! Last year was wee-ball...everyone runs the bases and ends up with a homerun and there are no real rules, they just stop the ball and call time. This year is coach's pitch. They actually play baseball! They pitch overhanded to them, after 3 pitches if they still can't hit the ball they hit off of the tee. They are catching pop-flys and ground balls, and actually holding a position and throwing it to the correct base to get the runner out. Craziness!!! Of course, we were not expecting things to be so "advanced" so...there has been a lot of practicing at home in addition to the 3 days a week that he practices with his team. Yes, I said they practice 3 days a week! He's in the MAJOR LEAGUE now! He's doing really well, he shows improvement with each practice. His first game will be April 9. We'll start off with the annual Hickory Tavern parade to kick off ball season then go staight to the field to play ball. He is so excited to get to be in the parade again this year!
Jackson continues to do really well from a "health" standpoint, he did have strep throat about 2 weeks ago...then I got it last week! I thought I was dying!! We go back to the cardiologist in May...we haven't seen him in a whole 6 months. We truly don't know what to do with ourselves! Jackson still only knows one gear and he keeps it in "high" all the time. It absolutely amazes us at how wide open he is...24/7!

Here Comes Santa Clause...

2011-01-22T09:29:00.009-05:00

Christmas came and went. We stayed busy, as usual! We started out at my Mama's house for lunch Christmas eve then to Darrin's family for supper. Santa Clause came and left way too many goodies! Christmas day evening we went to Darrin's parent's house for supper to exchange gifts. Needless to say this little boy got WWWAAAYYY too many toys!! Luckily I had cleaned out his room in preparation for the gift overload!

Christmas at Maw-Maw's

Look What Santa Brought!

Did You Catch the Prized Position?...The One That We Can't Get Him To Take Off!

Christmas At Nana and Papa's

Happy Birthday To You...

2011-01-21T22:31:00.009-05:00

On December 4, we had Jackson's actual party at Gigglebugs with family and friends. Jackson begs to come here all the time, so of course he was tickled when he found out that we were having his party here. We had a "Cars" theme and a football cake. I tried to get a "Cocka-Doo" cake but they didn't have garnet and black dressed players. Oh well, he was happy with it anyway. December 4 just happened to be when the Gamecocks were playing in the SEC championship game. Check out all of the little ones dressed in Gamecock attire...

Happy Birthday Dear Jackson...

2011-01-21T22:11:00.008-05:00

DECEMBER 1, 2005
It's hard to believe that Jackson was born 5 years ago. Boy, does time fly? We started the birthday week out by celebrating at Jackson's favorite restaurant..."Chips and Cheese" aka El Rancho Grande with family. As you can tell he had a ball. We go there every Wednesday, so the employees know him by name. They sang Happy Birthday (in el Espanol, of course.) and even provided us with candles...trick candles! They thought that was the funniest thing!!

Jackson and Emma

Jackson trying to blow his "candle" out!

My Sweet Little Man

"Cocka-Doo" Football At Its Best!

2011-01-21T16:44:00.006-05:00

Fall is dedicated to the "Cocka-Doo's" around our house! Jackson is OBSESSED with the Gamecocks. He wears his "Cocka-Doo" uniform complete with helmet 24/7, and would wear his jersey everyday if we would let him!!

My Favorite Picture...Jackson and Gunner.

Looks like he's got his game face on.

I see a touchdown in the making!!

GOOOO COCKS!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-01-21T16:08:00.008-05:00

This year Jackson decided that he wanted to be a "boom-fighter" aka UFC mixed martial arts fighter. Can you tell that he watches TV with his Daddy? We stayed local and visited family then we met up with Emma and Ethan and went to our church for Trunk or Treat. They had lots of fun!! (Jackson got to meet his favorite...Scooby Doo!!!

Mr "Tuff Stuff"

Looks like Papa Grunt is loosing his dentures!! Too Funny!

The Trunk or Treat Crew

Scooby Doo (and Emma too)...what more could a boy want?!?

Hall Of Fame

2011-01-21T10:46:00.007-05:00

In August, Jackson's Papa (Darrin's Dad) was inducted into the Greenwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Papa was quite the athlete back in his day...

His senior year, he scored 10 touchdowns...4 in one game!
He averaged over 5 yards per carry.
He was 2nd in scoring and rushing yards.
He was part of a state championship team.
He was elected to play in the North/South All-Star game.
He received a football scholarship to Furman.

Just to name a few...(we're not proud one bit, can you tell?)

Way To Go Papa!

The Wheels On The Bus...

2011-01-21T10:30:00.004-05:00

August was a big month for Little Man, he started school! 4-K to be exact. He's in Montessori which is very much a non-traditional way of learning. We were a little concerned about this at first because each child somewhat dictates what lessons they will do that day. Jackson is all boy so we were concerned about him being able to FOCUS...we didn't even know if that word was in his vocabulary! He has done amazingly well and loves it!! He cries if he doesn't get to go. He has even managed to find him two girlfriends (good to know that he has his priorities in check!). Believe it or not, he can't wait until he can go to school all day long!!!

Get Your Kleenex Ready!

2010-09-02T22:08:00.004-04:00

I came across this poem on another families blog a couple of weeks ago. I had never heard this one before. It is absolutely beautiful and pretty much sums it up for us. It is titled "Half Of An Angel's Heart".

It's a beautiful day up in heaven. Jesus is rounding up his tiniest angels to go live on earth and be born. One of the sweetest angels says to Jesus, "I don't want to leave, I like it here, and I will miss you." He reassures the scared little angel that everything will be okay, and that she is just going for a visit. She is still not swayed on this idea. So Jesus kneels down, and says, "How about if you leave half of your heart here with me and take the other half with you, will that be okay?" The angel smiles and says, "I guess that will work." But the little angel is still a little scared. She asks, "Will I be okay with only half of my heart?" Jesus replies, "Of course you will, I have other angels there that will help out, and you will be fine." Then Jesus gives the angel more details about His plan. He says, "When you are born, your mommy will be scared, so you have to be strong, and when you feel weak just remember that I have the other half of your heart." "Enjoy your time with your family, play and laugh everyday." "And when its time to come back to heaven, I will make your heart whole again." "Always remember that you are not broken, just torn between two loves."
-Author Unknown

Poem for Jackson

2010-08-16T09:27:00.003-04:00

Here is a very random post but I wrote a poem almost a year ago to be displayed with Jackson's 4 year old portrait and I've never shared it with the "world". (I am NO poet, but I think it sums us up!)

You were created by His gentle hand.
A special heart, He had in His plan.
He sent you to us with a kiss on your chest.
For what lay ahead, He knew would be best.
We know every heartbeat is a sign of His love;
You are a MIRACLE, a gift from above.
-Kristin Boyd-

PRAISE REPORT!!!

2010-08-06T08:08:00.003-04:00

We went to the the cardiologist Wednesday for the first time since his fenestration was closed in April by heart cath...and drumroll please!!! I am very ecstatic to report that Jackson's o2 sats were 99%!!! (Sorry for all the exclamation marks, but this is a very big deal in "heart baby world"!) If you remember Jackson's o2 sats have been as high as 92% and as low as 50%.(A normal healthy person's o2 sats should be in the high 90's!) Dr. L also said that his ECHO looked great and that he couldn't be more pleased with the way things are! Two little side notes...(we tend to hold on to all the details no matter how small and especially the good ones!) Ok, here we go, so before the Dr. came in to check out Jackson he was walking in the hall with a resident and a medical student (his 2 shadows for the day), Jackson and I were headed to have his ECHO done, Dr.L asked the students...Jackson is 4 years old, if you were to pick out 4 kids that are his age, would you ever be able to pick him out as the single ventricle? The students were floored that my little man is the single ventricle! He also said that now when he diagnoses new babies with a single ventricle, he thinks of Jackson and knows that one day these babies can look as good as he does! Sorry for rambleing on... but as you can imagine, this appointment nearly had me in tears! I am so PROUD of how far he has come...THANKFUL...and TRULY BLESSED!!!

My Favorite Things...Being Outside, Baseball, and Dirt!

2010-07-28T22:27:00.010-04:00

Summertime...

2010-07-28T22:12:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I last posted an update so I thought that I would do it all at one time! We've been staying pretty busy...seems like there is something to do all the time. Jackson continues to do really well. We have had no issues since our last trip to MUSC. We go back to the cardiologist next week for our first check up since his heart cath. I'm anxious to see how that goes! Jackson starts k4 this year. He is so excited to finally get to go to "Emma's school" aka Hickory Tavern Elementary. We've already got his bookbag and school supplies, so looks like it's official now! I hope everyone is enjoying there summer! Stay Cool!

My Favorite Place To Be...

2010-07-28T21:23:00.005-04:00

This is actually a funny story...At the beginning of the summer we were literally having to pry him off of the steps kicking and screaming! We're talking a full blown panic attack!! Now you can't get him out of the water, especially out from UNDER the water! We're still working on swimming but he has several "tricks" that he can do...cutting flips, hand-stands, and jumps!

Random Pics From April

2010-07-28T21:07:00.007-04:00

Here are some random pictures from April!

Batter Up!

2010-07-28T19:55:00.013-04:00

We started our spring off with Wee-ball, which Jackson LOVED!! Darrin was "nominated" to be coach! Needless to say there was a lot of picking flowers, catchin' catepillars, and diving in the dirt! Too cute!!

As Promised...PICTURES!!

2010-05-01T11:44:00.015-04:00

Here are a few pics from April 26 (heart cath day).

Let The FUN Begin...

The Entertainer

Assuming The "ECHO Position"

This Is How It All Started...
(Jackson ended up with 10 tatoos by the time it was all said and done...
1.race car-R leg,2.dinosaur-R leg, 3.baseball-L leg, 4.monster truck-R arm, 5.spider-man-L arm, 6-10. 5 little monkeys in a variety of colors dancing across his chest! Plus they drew smiley faces on both feet and big toes!)

Paintin' In The ATRIUM

Ahoy Matey!

Bob The Builder

Someone Was Hit By The SANDMAN!

(Did I mention that this child does not take naps, so how he managed to fall asleep in this setting is beyond me!)

High On LIFE (aka versed)

Back From The "Magical Place"

Good Mornin' Sunshine

Where Are They Taking Me!?!

Free At Last!

Home at last...

2010-04-27T16:56:00.002-04:00

We just rolled into town at about 4:30pm. Feels good to be back!!! Jackson is doing really well. He hasn't complained of any pain. Poor guy just walks like he got off of a horse. Both of his legs are taped from his waist to mid thigh. I have one thing that I need to correct. I tried so hard to explain in English what a fenestration was and still didn't get it right!) I obviously was in "mommy mode" or out to lunch when I heard the explanation, so here goes again...They connected the inferior vena cava to the pulmonary artery by a gortex tube during his last surgery. The fenestration is the hole that they placed in the side of the tube. I stand corrected! Once we get settled I'll try to post some pictures. (Little man got a lot of tatoos to show off...10 to be exact!) Until later...

Back to Charleston

2010-04-27T06:29:00.007-04:00

We'll yesterday was the big day...so why am I just now posting you ask?!? EXHAUSTION!!! We got to MUSC about 7am, got checked in, and headed on up to same day observation. We already knew that he would be 2nd case which meant he wouldn't go back until around 11am. As we got settled into our little cubby, Jackson started...I wanna go home. I don't like being far far away from my house. Poor little guy was in familiar territory!! He finally warmed up to the idea, but not without giving everyone the cold shoulder. (By the end of it all, nurses were asking him to be there boyfriend!) At about 9am, they decided that the first case was going to run long so they let Jackson have some sprite for a whole 10min.(He had not been able to eat or drink since midnight.) Next he went for an echo...he assumed his usual position-hands behind his head watching cartoons, and didn't move until it was all over. Then they let us go to the atrium-if you remember from before, this is the play room that has EVERYTHING including the kitchen sink! Of course he had a ball!! Unfortunately they close at 1200pm for a couple of hours, so back to same day we went to hang out. After about 30min of being there Jackson took him a good ol' nap (did I mention that he hasn't taken a nap in the past 2 years!!) At about 2pm they called back and told the nurses to get him ready, which meant it was cocktail time!!! Once again they gave him some versed...the good stuff! He was drunk as a skunk, hiccups and all! He left at around 2:30pm. The first hour was spent getting him prepped...breathing tube in, iv's in, under anesthesia, and catheter access obtained. The whole point of this heart cath was to close his fenestration. What the heck is a fenestration you ask? Well, I'll do my best to try to explain it in English...

Because of Jackson's particular heart defect the whole purpose behind the 3 heart surgeries is to "reroute the plumbing" so that his heart doesn't have to work as hard. Each time they have changed the plumbing,the pressure in his heart has changed. The final surgery that he had in July 2009, connected the inferior vena cava to the pulmonary artery (the large vessel that carries blood from the lower half of the body was connected to the lungs). Of course, this made another change in pressure, to help with that they made a "pop off valve" aka fenestration. A fenestration is a small gortex tube that branches off from the "new connection" into one of the chambers of the heart.. So, if the pressure was too high the extra blood would have a place to "pop off" instead of trying to go to lungs (which could potentially cause problems). After the body has had time to adjust they go in and close off the fenestration.

So, back to the heart cath...They first go in and check the pressures in his heart, then they do a "test close" to make sure that he would tolerate them permanately closing the fenestration. He tolerated it fine so they went ahead and closed it by plugging it. No extra vessels were seen! (sometimes vessels will grow because of the change in pressure...these are bad and have to be taken care of because they make his oxygen levels go down.) He did extremely well. He stayed asleep for the whole 2 hours that he had to remain completely still! Because it was so late when he got back from his cath they decided that it would be best for us to spend the night. As they were fixing to move him to his new room they noticed some new blood on his sheet. One of his cath sites was bleeding (they went in his right and left groin). After about an hour of holding pressure it finally stopped bleeding, but once again he had to lay completely still for 2 hours and now he was awake!! He did amazingly well. After being awake for a little he was in a really good mood, no pain and has been very cooperative. Darrin and I were able to sleep (if you call it that) with him. I slept in the bed with Jackson and Darrin slept on a vinyl couch that was about 3 feet wide! Jackson seems to have slept really well. Hopefully we will be heading back to HT really soon! Thank you so much for your prayers, calls and cards!

New Game Plan

2010-03-15T11:12:00.004-04:00

MUSC just called and we have been bumped...by jury duty!! Can you believe it!?! I couldn't either but it's true, the Dr. doing his cath has jury duty that day that he can't get out of! They can't do it any earlier because he is going out on paternity leave with his soon expected new baby! What are the odds!?! Sorry for all of the punctuation marks... but I think this situation calls for lots of them! Praise God that we are in a situation that we can be bumped! I remember a time when WE were the ones doing the bumping! Not a good feeling!
Anyway, the new date is set for: April 26

On Our Way To Watch The COCKA-DOOS Play!

2010-02-27T01:06:00.008-05:00

We took Jackson this past Saturday to watch the Gamecocks play. This was his first time watching them play, and I think he had a pretty good time! Although we lost, it was still a good afternoon!

I'm Ready To Go!

Go Cocks!

Me And "Mr. Photogenic"

How Does My HAIR Look!?!

Tuckered Out!!

Jeff Foxworthy Material...

2010-02-27T00:55:00.004-05:00

You Might Be A Redneck...

...If You Wear 2 Walmart Plastic Bags On Your Feet As Snow Boots!

...If You Use A Storage Bin Lid And A Dog Leash As A Sled!

Let It SNOW! Let It SNOW! Let It SNOW!

2010-02-27T00:25:00.003-05:00

As I promised... these are some pictures that I took when it iced in January and snowed in February. Of course, Jackson had a ball! Plenty of bicycle ridin', 4-wheelin, sleddin', and snowball fightin'! We ALL loved every minute of it! Here you go...

Home Sweet Home

My Favorite!

Man's Best Friend

Gunner

This is our sad interpretation of a snowman. We COULD NOT get the snow to stick together, so Jackson had the idea to draw the snowman. Pretty good idea if you ask me!

I LOVE That Little Mouth!

We Can't Forget the 4-wheelin'...

...And More 4-wheelin'!

Whatcha' Doin'!?!

Charleston Bound

2010-02-20T21:13:00.003-05:00

Well, we went to our routine cardiologist appointment and...(don't get your britches in a wad) everthing is GREAT, but we did find out that it is time to head back to MUSC for a heart cath. He said that we would probably hear from MUSC by the end of the month but they gave us a call the next day! For now, the big day will be April 5. The purpose of this heart cath is to close the fenestration (aka hole) that they left during his last surgery. Remember they intentionally left this hole there to allow for an easier/better recovery. It has allowed him to adjust to the change in pressure throughout his body.[ His major vessels (inferior vena cava, superior vena cava, pulmonary artery, etc.) are "hooked" up completely different than a healthy heart.] So, please remember Jackson in your prayers, and us too! Poor thing doesn't have a clue as to what lies ahead (and won't until we hit the front door)! He has a very BIG case of "white coat syndrome". He tends to flip out and worry himself (and us) sick when he knows that he is headed to see the doctor. Please pray for peace and comfort for Jackson and us as we prepare mentally and emotionally to head to Charleston. I know that I am a horrible blogger, but I do intend on posting some snow pics and other stuff very soon. Stay tuned...

Santa Makes His Debut In Hickory Tavern...

2010-01-18T10:35:00.010-05:00

Well, Santa did make a stop at our house (it was in question there for a while!) and left WWAAAYYY too much stuff as usual. I think Santa brought him everything that he wanted except for a skateboard (Santa did leave a note saying that he thought Jackson was still too little for a skateboard but he left him a scooter instead so that he could start practicing for a skateboard.) Guess what was his favorite...!

What did Santa bring?

Unloading my stocking.

I just found the scooter that Santa left me.

(He left it back behind the tree, Santa is such a sneak!)

"Like a pig in mud"

Waitin' On Santa Claus...

2010-01-18T09:59:00.009-05:00

December was a busy month...lots of birthdays, christmas parties, and other things to do. We were able to find time to get some pictures made, look at christmas lights, visit with Santa, and just hang out. Check us out...

Mama and Daddy's Christmas present...Early.

Best Buds

This was a really cool house in a subdivision in Mauldin. It was lit up as bright as a runway!! They handed out hot chocolate and popcorn while we cruised their yard. They were taking up donations for Duke Power!!

This is the only picture that we could get them to sit still...of course they are not looking at the camera!!

(Cole, Jackson, and Madison)

Chatting it up with Santa

Mama's little handy man "fixkin" stuff around the house!

Guess Who Turned 4?!?

2010-01-18T09:33:00.007-05:00

Well, the Little Man turned 4 on December 1. We celebrated all week long...partied like rockstars! We started out by taking Jackson and Anna to Jumpin' Jax on his actual birthday. Then on that Saturday we had a REAL birthday party with family and friends. It was a lot of fun! He just had to have a Spider Man cake (he doesn't even really know who Spider Man is but whatever). It's hard to believe 4 years have come and gone. What a rollercoaster!

Trick or Treat!

2009-11-01T21:22:00.010-05:00

Well, we survived another Halloween! We started our evening out by visiting family and then we went to trunk or treat at our church (they had a bunch of activities for the kids-horseback riding, games, hot dogs, car show, and of course lots of candy!!). Next we went to "Mama Nell's" which has been a Halloween tradition since I was a small child. Mama Nell was a precious lady who would open her home to the community on Halloween. Every year she would dress up as a witch and serve "witches brew" and popcorn. We always looked forward to going to her house as a child. Mama Nell passed away a little over a year ago, but her family is carrying on the tradition. Her granddaughter Anna is now the "official" witch of Greenpond. Here are a few pics from our evening. Enjoy...

Jackson fell in love with this costume at Target. He actually originally wanted to be a mailman. (I don't know where he comes up with some of his ideas:)

Poor horse... I'm sure he has an awful crick in his neck this morning!

I just love this angle! (In case you don't get it, those are the horses hooves on the ground and the "cowboys" legs hanging from the horse.) aka cowboy riding a horse.

He looks like a natural up on that horse!

I'm a COWBOY!!

Nanny and all of her great-grands!

Trick or treating is hard work, but someome's got to do it!

Playin' Catch Up!!

2009-10-28T20:06:00.011-04:00

I know, I know, I'm a bad bloggin' mama! I am horrible at remembering to update!! Sssoooo....I'm going to try and play catch up with what we've been up to for the past 2 months. We've been trying to lay low and avoid the BIG PIG (swine flu, that is). We have managed to dodge it so far! We've celebrated at a couple of birthday parties. We've been doing alot of hanging out and getting ready for fall. In fact, this past weekend we went to Nevin's Apple Farm and picked out our pumpkin to carve. (I made my first attempt at carving...Ha! Ha!) On a heart note, Jackson continues to do extremely well. We go back to the cardiologist November 4th for a check up. He's all healed up! We are so thankful to finally have all of this behind us. It's hard to believe that it was only 3 months ago since his surgery-seems like forever ago! Well, that's all for now...nothing new or exciting to report.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy...

Partyin' at Jumpin' Jax

Just chillin' in my new boots!

Modeling my new Carhart's.

My FAVORITE place to be!!
(If there is an empty laundry basket or storage bin, you can bet that Jackson is gonna' be in it!)

I rounded the corner and found "Handy Manny" sitting on my couch!

Playing at the pumpkin patch

Let's Go!

Look at my "LITTLE ANGEL" sitting among the pumpkins!

(Just a few seconds before he was trying to play football with them!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Just Monkeyin' Around

2009-09-06T21:03:00.011-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since our last post and I'm happy to report that nothing exciting has been happening. We've been trying to lay low and avoid the Swine flu and any other nasty bugs floating around. We did take a family adventure to the good ol' Columbia zoo. We all had a blast! It was Jackson's first time here and Darrin and I had not been since elementary school many many moons ago!! We did make a trip to see the cardiologist this week, and got the word that Jackson is officially back to normal! Yippee!! Since the word "GO" he has been a bike-ridin', swing-swingin', bed-jumpin' fool!! (He's got a lot of time to make up for...8 weeks to be exact!!) We did have one more "first" this week. Today we went back to church as a family for the first time since surgery. Jackson was really excited! He has begged us every Sunday (and sometimes ended up in tears) for the past 8 weeks to go back to church. It felt great to be back! Here are some pictures from the zoo. Hope you enjoy...

Jackson, I mean, Monkey at work!

This was Jackson's favorite! (Not even an exhibit...just runnin' wild) He was absolutely fascinated with this squirrel. (Go figure! Guess we could've just stayed in the backyard instead of driving to Columbia!!)

"The BOYD exhibit"

This was probably the "big people" favorite. This is Darrin actually feeding the giraffes! Pretty cool, huh?!?

"WILD Man"

SHHHH!! Don't tell anyone you saw me riding a tiger.

GO COCKS!!

Last but not least... My absolute favorite picture of the day!

"BIRD MAN"

OOOPS!

2009-08-13T12:25:00.002-04:00

OOOPS! I guess I forgot to give you a follow up from the previous post. Do you forgive me?!?Jackson is doing well. His incision has finally started to heal and looks much better! He still continues on aspirin, lasix, enalapril, and keflex. He still hates medicine time but hopefully all this will be better once we get rid of all the extras...lasix, enalapril, and keflex. He is still somewhat limited on his activity-feet still can't leave the floor:(,and NO SWIMMING:(! We only have about 2 more weeks!! YYYEEEAAA!!! So, for now we're trying to stay cool and NON-busy (no such luck with this one)! Until next time...

A Trip To The ER!!

2009-08-03T08:45:00.002-04:00

As we showed you before, Jackson has a "bad" place on his incision. Well, it has progressively gotten worse!! We saw his cardiologist on Wednesday and he has been making threats to send us back to MUSC if it continues to get worse. Friday morning a new place appeared. I called the MD gave him a description of the new area, he told us to continue to watch it for now but that if ANYTHING changes (fever, pain at the site, the new place starts to blend into the old place, or if my "motherly" instinct kicked in, etc,) that he wanted to know about it. So, of course, we checked his incision every couple of hours as we always do and you would know that another new place had formed. Darrin and I both felt very uneasy about the new place-it looked completely different than the old "new" places did. We called the MD on call (of course it wasn't our own MD), we gave him a description, told him what Jackson's MD had told us that morning, and came up with a plan. We all thought that it would be best for someone to lay eyes on it. So... We loaded up the car and headed to Greenville. We arrived at the children's ER at about 10:30pm. Things went very smoothly (this was our very first visit to the ER-and hopefully LAST!). We were seen by the MD and she called the cardiologist on call (the one who said we should go to the ER). They both agreed that Jackson should be started on another antibiotic by mouth. Keflex was ordered and we were on our way at 12:00am! Who has ever heard of an 1 1/2 hour trip to the ER!?! Over the weekend Jackson has pretty much held steady as far as incision site looks go. They wanted us to be seen by our cardiologist today for a recheck. Of course he's not in the Greenville office today, so we are waiting to hear back from him to decide what we should do. Please pray for healing of Jackson's incision and that we don't have to head back to MUSC for any invasive procedures. I will try to update later. Until then...PRAYING and WAITING!!!

INTRODUCING...

2009-07-28T22:07:00.012-04:00

Ethan Cole Greene

7lbs. 10oz. 19 3/4in.

born on

7/28/2009 at 2:28pm

Little Ethan entered this world today by c-section. Kim and the baby are both doing GREAT!! Everyone was extremely excited. You couldn't wipe the smile off of Nick or Emma's face. It's amazing how much Ethan and Emma (as a baby) look alike! Here are just a few of the special moments that we were able to capture. Enjoy!

Emma seeing Ethan for the 1st time.

Can we keep him?!?

I'm a BIG sister!

The PROUD Mama.

My Baby Brother.

Sleepin' Away.

The PROUD Papas.

Family Portrait.

What Have I Got Myself Into?!?

PRICELESS

2009-07-26T10:47:00.006-04:00

I couldn't resist sharing this with you. Jackson met me outside this morning wearing this (and only this!)!

Fire truck pajamas. $7. Pack of Elmo underoos. $4. Spider-Man boots. $9.

Jackson Boyd. PRICELESS.

WARNING! This is NOT for the SQUEAMISH!!

2009-07-25T22:37:00.003-04:00

We tried to warn you!...This is what we are now dealing with. Jackson is trying to "spit a stitch". (No, we did not make that up!) The technical terminology would be a foreign body reaction. Basically, the body recognizes the stitches as "foreign" and so the body tries to get rid of them. This usually happens over the knot of the stitch which is why his is occuring at the bottom of his incision. As horrible as this looks, they say that it's not infected. We have been communicating with the doc's this week and we actually took him in to be seen yesterday because it has gradually gotten worse (and because it's the weekend). They did go ahead and start him on an antibiotic by mouth just as a precaution (which made me feel better!). They wanted us to continue to watch it like a hawk and use the antibiotic cream. All we are waiting for now is his body to "spit the stitch"(the stitch will actually come through the skin, the doc's will snip it, and it will all be over with-WE HOPE!!). Jackson did spit a stitch after his second surgery but nothing like this. SO... PLEASE pray that this does NOT turn into an infection. As you can imagine, infection would be a very bad thing because it has a path straight to the heart! Otherwise, Jackson is doing extremely well!! WIDE OPEN to be exact!! As I said before, PLEASE pray that God would wrap his arms around Jackson and continue to heal him completely.

LOVE Much, LAUGH Often, and PRAY HARD!!

Made You LOOK!!

Nuttin' New To Tell

2009-07-20T23:37:00.007-04:00

Well, it's been a little bit since our last post but it's been a whirlwind around here. Hopefully, things will return to DULL and BORING real soon... we can't wait!! Jackson continues to do really well. We did have 2 doctor appointments last week. His cardiologist said that everything still looked and sounded good, so no changes for now. The place on his chest that we were concerned about is still there-really red and scabbed, so we're still watching it closely and putting antibiotic cream on it. We're still limiting our exposure to crowds and probably still will for a little bit longer. It's been really hard "limiting his activity". I feel like we're constantly saying "NO, you can't do that" or "Get down from there". He's been a pretty good sport about it though. He does seem to need a nap since surgery which we think is related to him lying around for so long, but we have seen a big improvement in his activity tolerance. Before surgery, if he was running for a long distance he might would have to stop and rest halfway there. Tonight we went to Darrin's softball game and Jackson was able to run to and back without resting and he was barely winded. This is a big improvement for him! I don't have any new pics, but we'll try to work on that this week. So for now our plan is to patiently wait on the arrival of our new nephew who will be arriving July 28 (if not before), and do NOTHING!!

Thank you again for all the prayers for Jackson, Papa, and our family throughout the last couple of weeks. It's been a few weeks of HI's and LO's, but we have truly been blessed to have our church, family and friends supporting us all the way.

We LOVE You, Papa!!

2009-07-15T19:23:00.005-04:00

Today around 12:40pm my Papa passed away (David Curry). He was diagnosed over a year ago with multiple myeloma (a type of cancer that effects the cells of the bone). He's 82 and has endured chemotherapy among other things throughout this past year. The family made the decision to place him in the McCall Hospice House, which was an absolute blessing! The children tried to keep him at home as long as possible and with the help of 3 very special caregivers, they were able to until he became to weak to handle at home. Papa was the most generous, hard-working, OPTIMISTIC, fun-loving, family-loving man that I've met!!

He will be GREATLY missed but NEVER forgotten!!

WE LOVE YOU, PAPA!!

We Love You!!

Home SWEET Home!!

2009-07-13T21:03:00.008-04:00

We never knew how GREAT it would be to be back in our own bed!! Saturday night we all crashed once we hit the door. Jackson is still doing great! He's back to his old WILD MAN ways with an attitude of course but, we're working on that! We have to remind ourselves that it has only been 11 days since surgery and he's probably been through more in 9 days than most adults will go through in a lifetime. Anyway, he continues to do really well. We do have some post-op rules to follow...1. no activities that require his feet to leave the ground, 2. no large crowds, 3. no picking him up under his arms(This is probably the hardest, try picking up an almost 40 lb child "baby style"). They sent him home with several different medicines, all but one will be for a short time only. He's now on aspirin (This is used to thin his blood. He has been on this one since the first surgery and will be for life.), enalapril (This one is used to "dry" up any fluid from around the heart and lungs), and lasix (This is what most older folks call their "fluid pill". This is used to get rid of the extra fluid via the kidneys.), and last but not least oxycodone as needed for pain. He's not too fond of taking medicine anymore since this hospitalization (he has always been an excellent medicine taker!) so, every morning and night is now a struggle when it comes medicine time. We have 2 doctor's appointment this week- the pediatrician, and cardiologist. He does have one spot on his incision that does have us slightly concerned. He has an area at the bottom of his incision that is red and has a small pus filled area. We think that he is trying to "spit a stitch" (this happened after his 2nd surgery). This basically happens when the body recognizes the stitches as "foreign" and tries to reject them. We're watching this area very closely and we'll see what the cardiologist says on Wednesday. Well, that's basically "US" in a nutshell! Thank you so much for your prayers, calls, cards, gifts, and visits! God has once again truly blessed us! We're still praying for a quick and complete recovery without any complications. We love ya'll!!! Stay tuned...

Wild Man

Makin' Stuff

Playing Baseball on a Wii

Still Smilin'

Notice Anything Missing?!?

Keller and Jackson

SEE YA!!!!

HT, Here We Come!!

2009-07-11T23:05:00.002-04:00

The numbers for Jackson's chest tube were right on this am, but we had to wait on his surgeon's approval. Once again we played the waiting game. He finally came around about 1:30pm and said to pull it. He went ahead and pulled it while he was there. We took Jackson back to the treatment room (where they do all procedures) which he screamed the whole way! He pulled it without any pain med or sedation and Jackson was back in his room within 5min. Jackson has been WIDE OPEN ever since! After an ECHO and chest XRAY. We got word to head to the house. After getting all of his medicines, etc. we got home about 10:30pm tonight. Needless to say, but no pics for tonight. The bed is calling our name!!!

Same Ol' Story, Just a Different Day!!

2009-07-10T21:11:00.006-04:00

Well, nothing new to say. Same ol' story just a different day. We still have one chest tube that is still draining. Today, it has barely drained much at all, so we'll see what it does tonight. Jackson took a long nap, had play time and visited with my mom while Darrin and I got out for a few hours,and once again, visiting the playroom was the highlight of our day! Here are some pics from our day, there's one in there from last night that I couldn't resist. Jackson had not had his hair washed since last Wednesday, and it's not exactly easy to do since 1. he can't get in the shower 2. he has a tube and leads right in the middle of his chest and 3. we can't pick him up under his arms, so we're kind of limited on what we can do. Anyway, the girls suggested that we use this shower cap that has soap already built in and it's NO RINSE. I'll let you decide but I think that the picture is pretty priceless (or at least good blackmail for later)! You decide!

Am I Beautiful, OR What?!?

My Jungle Mask

A Wanna-be Beach Bum

Star Tap Dancing

Can You HEAR Me Now?

Hurry, Hurry, Quick, Quick, FAST!!

2009-07-09T19:37:00.007-04:00

Today has been a better day for Jackson. He's overall been in a better mood. Thank goodness! Our day has pretty much been the same ol' same ol' except... We do have some new news to tell. We no longer have a left chest tube or pacing wires. YYEEAA!!! We now have one foot out the front door. All we are waiting for is the right chest tube to stop draining. We are heading in the right direction, just not there yet. Probably a few more days. NOT SOON ENOUGH!!!

Horton Hears a WHAT?

VRROOOM!!

Role Reversal

Almost ANGELIC!

Another Hard Day of Work

One Down, One To Go!

Nothin' Much To Say...

2009-07-08T20:49:00.003-04:00

Well, we're still here playing the waiting game. The drainage from his tubes has definately decreased but not enough to pull the tubes. So, nothing new and exciting to tell. We pretty much just hung out today. We went to the playroom twice, watched movies, and went outside. We were bad parents today and didn't take very many pics. Oh, Jackson did do a good bit more walking today and did I mention he took a 4 hour nap! Boy did he pay us back when he finally decided to wake up! A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E!!! (We are all better now. Nothing a little pain medicine can't fix!!). Thank you for the uplifted prayers and comments posted. That's what gets us through each day. I promise we'll do better on pics tomorrow.

Workin' On My Jungle.

Handy Manny and His Favorite Tools!

Hurry Up and Wait!

2009-07-07T21:36:00.007-04:00

We're still playing the waiting game. Both chest tubes are still draining some the right more than the left. Jackson has had a pretty good day. He ate an ok breakfast and lunch but refused supper. We went to the playroom twice, we didn't get to go outside today(it has rained some off and on all day). Darrin's parents came down today and stayed with Jackson so we were able to get away for a few hours. We're still trying to figure out a good pain medicine schedule. Jackson will never admit when he hurts because he doesn't want to take the medicine, so instead he just gets extremely MEAN(like satan himself!!)!!!!! So, we've been trying to go by his mood swings to medicate him. Most of the time the "evil pain beast" rears its ugly head before we know it! Hopefully within the next few days we will begin to lose tubes and get the old Jackson back! So for now we just wait...

Show Me Yours and I'll Show You Mine

You Better Watch Out, I'm Running on NO PAIN MEDICINE!!!

There's the Old ME!!

Did Mama Mention That I Didn't Take a NAP Today?!?

I Like To Move It, Move It!

2009-07-06T19:57:00.013-04:00

Well, yesterday we were able to venture outside, and for a short while we had a brand new child or should I say back to his old self. His mood is still a constant roller coaster based on his pain level. Today has been a good day for him. He has only had something for pain (other than tylenol or motrin) one time today. This morning the doctors thought that he was continuing to do well. They separated his chest tubes to where they actually empty into 2 separate chambers that way they can tell which side is draining more or less. They started him on a new drug to help "dry" things up as far as chest tubes are concerned. He did really well with that, they had to give him a test dose to see how he tolerated it(one of the side effects is for the bp to bottom out). Scary thought!! Enough of the yuck stuff...Today we went to the playroom three times in the wagon and two of the times he actually walked all the way back to the room! We were able to go outside for a little while, but it was somewhat short lived because it is sooo stinkin' hot down here. In the playroom Jackson was a different child. He wasn't scared to move. He held his monitor while we followed with the "suitcases". He was getting down on the floor, climbing, etc. He has eaten a little bit for each meal today, which is a new stepping stone for us! Here are some pictures of what we've been up to.

Crown Me!

An Artist at Work

Jabby, Jabby-Do, Where Are You?

Choo!Choo!

Jackson Boyd, MD

Livin' It Up OUTSIDE!!

Do What?!?

You Missed a Spot!

Get Me Outta' Here!

2009-07-05T15:50:00.007-04:00

Well, we finally made it to 7c, which is one step closer to the front door! Jackson continues to do really well. The doctors are very impressed on how well he is doing. He still continues to have a fair amount of pain, because of this he is scared to move! We actually were having some urination issues. This morning he had only urinated one time since they pulled his foley catheter at approx. 1:00pm yesterday!. They scanned his bladder and found that there was approx. 300ml (approx. 10 oz) of urine in his bladder. We made him get up and go to the bathroom and...YEEAA! He was able to urinate! We did get him out of the room this afternoon. We put him in a wagon and rolled to the atrium (a HUGE playroom with everything that you could imagine in it!). Needless to say, he was NOT impressed!!

So, to sum him up...

1. He's still in a moderate amount of pain.

2. He no longer has to wear oxygen. (It was taken off this morning.)

3. He has 2 chest tubes, pacing wires (these are left in so that if his heart goes into a funky rhythm, they can connect him to an external pacemaker), and an iv in his hand.

4. He's connected to a portable heart monitor 24/7.

5. Did I mention that he is in a BAD MOOD!!(with good reason)

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. God has truly blessed us!!

Bringin' in the 4th

"Boppin' up and down in my little red wagon!"

I don't think that we need a mood ring to figure this one out!!

Are we there yet?

Just Hanging Out!

2009-07-04T12:34:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was a little rough for Jackson. I guess overall he had a fair day. He's in a fair amount of pain, which they are able to control with morphine or oxycodone. He's wanting to be held and GO HOME! We won't be able to hold him until they remove his LA line (a line that goes straight to his heart). It's been really hard to hear him crying that he wants to be held. We both feel like if we could just hold him we could make things all better (not really, but that's what we think anyway), but... DRUMROLL PLEASE...They are in the process as we speak of removing his IJ line(an iv in his neck that goes to his heart), femoral line (an iv in his groin), his LA line, the mediastinal chest tube (this is a LARGE, RIGID tube that drains the fluid from around the heart), and his foley catheter (this one drains urine). The cardiologist said that he is doing fantastic and that his chest xray was probably the best in PCICU. This afternoon we should be able to go to 7C. YYEEAAA! This means that we can spend the night with him.

This is the ONLY smile that we've been able to squeak out of him!

GOTCHA'!! Here he is, at it again trying to speed things up and take his oxygen off!

Peaceful at last.

07/04/2009

Sleeping away.

07/04/2009

NO comment!

07/04/2009

Growlin' for JUICE!

2009-07-03T07:02:00.004-04:00

We stopped by last night to check on Jackson after supper. He had just been given some pain medicine, but did wake up long enough for us to catch a snipit of video of him. Turn your sound up!

I called to check on Jackson this AM, His nurse said that he slept most of the night, he hasn't had any extra doses of pain medicine (they give him a little pain medicine around the clock whether they think he needs it or not). She said he was very talkative. He was able to tolerate ice chips and apple juice throughout the night but he's already put in his order for this am. Fruit Loops, chocolate milk, and juice. We will go back to see him this am around 8:30 AM. We will update then. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. They were definately felt!!

The GREAT Houdini

2009-07-02T18:03:00.002-04:00

Well, Jackson has decided to take matters into his own hands and remove his breathing tubes WITH RESTRAINTS ON!!! His nurse has been calling him "Houdini". They can't figure out how he did it. For now, he is breathing ok on his own. He did wake up and talk to me for a second. He said "hey mommy" and "I want my chocolate milk". He can't have anything for a couple of more hours. We're fixing to go eat supper and then we will visit tonight after 8:30PM. Until then...

Battle Wounds

2009-07-02T16:45:00.009-04:00

Everything is still going good. BP is still a little low, but they are adjusting his meds to get that under control. We all were able to see him. He looks really good. Here are some pics to prove it.

Pre-op

Sleepy Time

Tubes, Tubes, Everywhere...

What's Up Doc?

2009-07-02T14:29:00.002-04:00

We just talked with the surgeon. Everything went well. no mishaps. When they took him off of heart-lung, his bp dropped a little-they were able to adjust some of his meds and get it under control. He's stable for now. We can go see him at 3:15PM. We'll update later this PM-maybe post some pics too! Continue to remember us in your prayers. Recovery is going to be a doozy!!!

update #6

2009-07-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

He's in PCICU! We're waiting to talk with the surgeon.

Update #5

2009-07-02T13:21:00.002-04:00

Everything still the same. He is having a little bleeding but that is not uncommon. Will be another 45 min to an hour. Still very stable.

update #4

2009-07-02T12:23:00.002-04:00

We just got another update. They are in the process of taking him off of heart-lung bypass. he is still "very stable and doing well". The next update will be to let us know when they are done and moving him to PCICU.

update #3

2009-07-02T12:04:00.003-04:00

Take a deep breath...there was a malfunction in the paging system so we didn't get the page that was sent at 11:10AM until now. Everything is still going well. We should get another page soon.

update #2

2009-07-02T10:19:00.003-04:00

All is well. Jackson is now on heart-lung bypass. He remains "very stable". See ya in an hour.

update #1

2009-07-02T09:16:00.001-04:00

We just got our first update, all is well. He's stable. They're just cutting through scar tissue. Will update in 1 hour.

Gone Into Battle

2009-07-02T07:58:00.002-04:00

We had to be here at 5:30AM! Needless to say, Little Man was not happy. They gave him another versed cocktail (the good stuff) to relax him before he left out. Once again he was drunk as a skunk! They took him back at about 6:30AM. Surgery should start at 7:30AM. We will get our first update between 9:00-9:30AM! Until then...

Whatcha' Doin?!?

2009-06-28T21:49:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since our last post, but we've been staying pretty busy. I'll post some new pics so that you can see what Jackson has been up to. This will be our last post before we head to MUSC. We're heading out Tuesday, June 30. He has to be at the hospital on Wednesday morning at 9:00am for preop, which will consist of an Echo, EKG, labwork, X-rays, a visit from anesthesia, the MD's who will be taking care of him, and of course the surgeon. They say that it should only take 2-4 hours but we'll see!! In our free time we plan on trying to pack in as much fun stuff as possible. We told Jackson this morning where he was going and what will be happening. He was actually pretty excited about it. All day long he asked "are we going to the hospital now?". Hopefully he'll still think that it's FUN in about 3 weeks. With that being said, we will start posting Thursday, July 2 on at least a daily basis. Please continue to pray that Jackson will be brave and that God will protect and comfort him, for all the MD's and nurses that will come in contact with him along this journey, and last but not least for MAMA and DADDY!!! Please also pray for Papa, he moved into the McCall Hospice House Tuesday. His body is very weak and tired. Our prayer is that God would comfort him and grant our family peace.
Until next time...

Believe it or not, Riley actually lets Jackson ride him around in the back of the Gator!

Gone Fishin'

Splishin' and Splashin'

Cruisin' around in the BIG town of "Hickey Tickey"

This is the tool box FULL of stuff that Home Depot gave him. Lots of tools and candy!

The GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY!!

2009-05-19T17:27:00.003-04:00

Do you want the good news or the bad news?!?

The BAD news is that MUSC called this morning and Jackson's surgery has been bumped to JULY 2, 2009. They have had an abundance of "heart" babies to be born and waiting to be born that require emergency surgery.
The GOOD news is that OUR "heart" baby is no longer the one who is the emergency nor is he the one bumping other kids out of surgery. We've been on that side of the fence and believe me the view is much better from where we are now! So for now, we'll sit back and enjoy another month of no surgery, no hospitals, etc. and enjoy our 3 year old "little blessing" that God has given us.

Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often and ...PRAY HARD!

On the Countdown!!

2009-05-13T15:57:00.007-04:00

Jackson's surgery is still planned for May 29. Hard to believe that we leave in 2 weeks!! We had a pretty neat thing happen yesterday... Darrin has been taking Jackson to the kids workshops at Lowes and Home Depot (HD) a couple of months now. Two weeks ago they went to the HD workshop and the lady asked him if he was coming next month. Darrin explained to her about his upcoming surgery and Jackson showed her his "Jesus kisses" (aka battle wounds). She told Jackson that she would save him a project from next months workshop (since it will be for Father's Day). Yesterday we got a call from the lady who does the workshops at HD. She told Darrin that Jackson had touched her so much and that she couldn't get him off of her mind, and wanted to know if HD could make a basket for him to take to Charleston with him filled with HD goodies and projects for him to do while he heals.What an awesome thing!

Please continue to remember us in your prayers!!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T22:04:00.008-04:00

We've had a busy Easter weekend! We dyed eggs, which was complicated because Little Man wanted to do it "all by myself"!! Saturday morning we went to Lowes Build and Grow kids workshop and built a birdhouse. Next, we went to "The Great Egg-Venture" at Heritage Park. We "hunted" for eggs, rode the train, and hung out on a firetruck. Today, we had our "Easter Bunny" moment, went to church, had lunch, played outside and hunted for eggs around the house for the rest of the evening. Jackson also got to ride in Daddy's big red truck (you couldn't wipe the smile off of his face). We were able to get a couple of good pictures. Hope you enjoy!!

The Easter Bucket

Can you tell that his jaws are PACKED with chocolate?!?

My Easter outfit

Believe it or not... Jackson took this one all by himself. He has a way of putting a "spin" on things. (Notice the modern twist of the lens- we may have a photographer on our hands!!)

My FAVORITE picture of the day!-Too Cute!!

Keepin' In Touch

2009-03-26T10:21:00.001-04:00

We're new at this blogging thing, but we thought it would be a good way for you to keep up with Jackson especially when he has his surgery. With all that said, Jackson did have a heart catherization March 17. He did really well! They did find 2 things that weren't expected. The first thing they found is called a collateral vessel. This is a vessel that commonly forms in kids with Jackson's kind of circulation due to the higher pressures in his heart. (Remember, they have "rerouted the plumbing" in his heart, so the pressures in his heart are different than ours.) Theses vessels form kind of like branches off of a limb. They are bad for Jackson because they do carry their own blood supply which causes his oxygen levels to drop. They closed this vessel off with 4 occlusive devices. The 2nd thing that they found is that the mitral valve in his heart (this is the valve between the top and bottom half of the heart) is too narrow to compensate for all of the blood that has to pass through. Over time this will cause the pressures in his heart to increase even higher which can cause a whole mess of other problems which we don't need! To fix this problem the doctors will cut out the wall between the 2 top chambers to allow a larger space for the blood to go. This process will be done during his 3rd surgery. We have been reassured by the doctors at MUSC and home that his is not a big deal. This process will take Jackson from a 3 chamber heart to a 2 chamber heart! And finally, DRUMROLL PLEASE...Jackson's surgery is set for May 29, 2009! Please continue to remember us in your prayers. I'll try and update occasionally b/t now and May 29, but we will update at least daily while we are in Charleston. To be continued...

Jackson showing off his new bracelet.

Killin' time

This picture actually has a funny story to go with it. They gave Jackson some versed before they took him back to help with separation anxiety from us. Needless to say he was DRUNK AS A SKUNK!! Wish we had video of it. Priceless!!

Over and done with and still SMILIN'!!

See ya later!