8 Months Old

   
At 8 months Avery's favorite things are:

Time with her Nona and Grumpy (grandma and grandpa)

 Reading Time with either Mommy or Daddy (this is an old picture)

 Bath Time

 Crawling all over the house

Nap time (Yes she likes her naps :p)

 Video Game time with Daddy

 Her toys

The TV show Bonnie Bear

Some of the new things she is doing:

Crawling

 Pulling herself up and standing

Clapping

Saying Dada

She now sits in a convertible car seat

On a side note today is exactly 8 months since she was born...But it's also her daddy's birthday.

Happy Birthday James!!!!

Questions and Answer and The Winner

 Happy Saturday Everyone and a big THANK YOU! To everyone who participated in this successful CHD Awareness Week. Before I announce the winner I want to answer the question that I received.

Karen Stewart asked
      "Is CHD more common in boys or girls or does it matter?"

This is a really great question. That I had no clue what the answer was. :) So I did some research. This website says "It's 2 to 5 times more common in men and boys than in women and girls."
 But then this website says that due to all the different types of CHD's it react differently. For instance they said "The most common form of ASD is the secundum defect.... Boys have the defect twice as often as girls" I guess it just depends on the type of CHD. Because from what I gather from that website is that different CHD's are more prevalent in boys or girls. I hope this helps. Sorry I couldn't answer it better.
CHD Mom's if you can help with this answer I would love your comments.

Now for the Winner of that necklace. Thanks to random.org our winner is... 

ZUZANA!!!!

Congratulations!!!!

Please send me your address at kabby17@yahoo.com Subject: CHD necklace. Or send it to me here on the comments or on facebook. Congrats again.

Thanks again Everyone for a wonderful Awareness Week. Please continue to learn more about CHD and spreading the word.

Last Day to Enter

 Today is the last chance to enter to win that beautiful yellow gold and diamond necklace. All you have to do is ask a question about CHD or help spread awareness. Just make sure to leave the link in the comments section. And check back tomorrow to find out the answers to the questions and to see if you won.

Anyway I feel a little tapped out of topics. So I want to share an article that my sister in law shared. It's research that if proven successful can help people who have transplants. Here is the link...

 http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/health-news/organ-transplant-can-be-free-of-immunosuppressants-research_20574.html



P.S. I am so sorry I thought I hit publish earlier today. Just for that I will announce the winner tomorrow at 5:00 PM (MST). You have until then to enter. Sorry again!

Happy Valentines Day

 HAPPY VALENTINES DAY AND CHD AWARENESS DAY!!! :)

So now that I have thoroughly yelled at you. :p Since i am getting to this so late I wanted to share with you the link to some more videos that Abby did to answer more questions about CHD.
Enjoy!!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=583102068371128&set=vb.134599113222357&type=3&theater

Organ Donation

 Due to the news we received yesterday about Abby's friend Kylie. I wanted to talk about organ donation. I know that this is a touchy subject for people. Even more so when you are talking about kids. Being a organ donor may mean saving a life of a person. I cant even imagine losing my little girl and having to go through that. My heart goes out to all the Heart Angels parents and families as well as my friends who have had to say goodbye to a child.
Last year Abby was able to receive a heart from an organ donor. The boy in the picture above is the one who gave her this new life. Words cannot express our gratitude to his family for making the choice of donating their sons organs to save lives. Abby's life is not the only one he saved. We are forever grateful for this beautiful gift. I know it's hard to think of but please be an organ donor and when the time comes encourage your kids to do so. Death is a hard topic. But giving life to another is the best gift that could ever be given.

Please help spread awareness.

Kylie

I'm sorry this post is so late. My niece Abby had a heart friend who died last night. Here is what Abby's mom had to say...

"It's CHD Awareness Week...and the reason we spread awareness, is for little ones like Kylie. Kylie passed away last night after waiting in the hospital for months and months for a new heart. She was born with HLHS and she fought hard against this ugly monster. We love you Kylie...fly high sweet girl. We are praying for you Chrissie and family.  no words can't make anything better or right. It isn't fair. Kylie will forever be in my heart with way too many other angels I have come to love over the last 13 years. ♥ Shine bright sweet girl."
  
HLHS is just another form of CHD.
My heart aches for Kylie's family. Please keep them in your prayers that they may feel the love of our Heavenly Father and know that their sweet Kylie is still with them in spirit.

Is CHD Genetic?

 This wasn't a question it was actually a comment that a friend made to me. The comment was made that "I love reading your blog on CHD Awareness Week. My heart goes out to your family and all those people but I am just so glad that I don't have to worry about it." This shocked me so I said " Oh Are you done having kids?" Answer.. " No but CHD doesn't run in my family so I don't have to worry about it."

This took me by surprise so I just want to do this post. CHD is NOT genetic. Nikki and Justin or anyone in our family had never even heard of CHD or Tetrology of Fallot. My mother in law actual made the comment the other day that she didn't even now that Primary Children's Hospital even had a cardiac intensive care unit or a cardiac unit. CHD is not something you can catch. Its not contagious. It's not something you can get because your Grandma has it or your cousin. I know that human nature makes us think "oh that's not going to happen to me" but the truth is that things do happen. CHD is a brith defect.

I don't mean to sound cruel or preachy. This comment just really tore at me and actual has been eating at me for awhile and I just really want to address it. It's amazing what can be done with technology these days. James and I requested to have a ultra sound done to focus on the heart and to see all 4 heart chambers on Avery just to make sure. Our doctor was more than happy. But she also knew our concern. the point is, With technology these days and with having a pulse ox test on your newborn you can find out very easy if your child will have a heart defect. Also this is why we help to spread awareness, so that people know that this isn't genetic and can happen to anyway. Knowledge is power!

Win this necklace

Sorry I didnt post yesterday. But I am here today and I am glad to show you this week's prize.

This is the 18kt Gold-Plated Silver Genuine Heart Pendant With a Diamond at the top of the heart. and you have a chance to win it. :) All you have to do is leave ask a question in the comments section or help spread awareness either through your blog, Google+, or facebook and send me the link so that I can see it. Sorry I dont have twitter. 

Please help spread awareness. 

Questions Answered and Gift Card Winner

Happy Saturday Everyone!
Well today's the day to win. Are you feeling lucky? :) Before I announce the winner I would like to answer the questions That were asked.

Christine.Michael Nielsen asked...
"I don't know if you can answer this question, but do you know if Abby's parents saw anything on her ultra sounds when she was a baby before she was born? Did they have any idea she was going to have to deal with this?"

I talked to my Sister in Law about this. She said that the way the ultra sound worked with Abby was a lot different then it is now. She didn't have an ultra sound tech take a look. Her doctor just looked at the ultra sound and looked for certain specifics, gender, etc. So no they didn't know. But she added that with how ultrasounds are now that they have a better chance at seeing something. She said medically wise everything was perfect but she also said that she had a feeling...more like a premonition that something was wrong.

Three days after they had Abby is when they knew something was seriously wrong with her heart. Nikki said when they went to Primary Children's Hospital the doctors talked to them about all their options. They knew she was going to have to have surgery. But they had no idea what that was going to entail.

Well that was the only question so now for the winner. Hooray!


Thanks to Random.org we have a winner......drum roll.....

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

NICOLE!!! :)

please send me either your facebook link or email so I can send you instruction on how to use your gift card.
Congrats again.

Heart Angel and Pulse Ox

Before I start my topic for today. I just wanted to remind you all that tomorrow I will be answering your questions and choosing a winner for the Everythings Ducky Boutique gift card. So if you would like to have your name entered into the drawing to win this gift card please click HERE to find out how.

Today is going to be a little more somber post. Today I want to talk about a sweet little Heart Angel named Cora. If you would like to watch Cora's video please click HERE. Cora was born in Nov 30, 2009. The doctors and nurses said Cora passed all her test with flying colors and that she was a perfect little baby. They had no idea that Cora a=had a Congenital Heart Condition. Cora went home with her mom and dad and they started their life with their new baby. One night Cora woke up hungry. But her mom noticed she had blood around her mouth. They had a police escort rush them to the hospital. But on Dec 9, 2009 Cora passed away.
I found out about Cora and her mom through my SIL Nikki and my niece Abby. I cant even imagine. It's hard enough to talk about and tell Cora's story without crying. My heart goes out to the McCormick family.
Ever since Cora passed away her mom (Kristine) has been fighting hard to spread awareness and make it so a pulse ox test is mandatory in hospitals. So far she has been able to get a bill passed in her own state and has been working on getting something going in washington. She has been interviewed n National Television about Cora and her success. Kristine talks about how if they had gotten a pulse ox test for Cora they would have found her CHD. You can read more about Cora and what her mom is trying to accomplish on their website.

The pulse ox test measures the oxygen levels in the vlood as well as the pulse rate. It is a simple pain free test. They simple tape a red light to your newborns hand or foot. That's it. So why is a pulse ox used to detect CHD?

  "Pulse ox is used to measure how much oxygen is in the blood. Pulse ox is a routinely used test that can be used to monitor an baby's oxygen level during a procedure or treatment. It can also be helpful in determining if an baby’s heart and lungs are healthy. Pulse ox can also help to identify babies with low levels of oxygen in their blood that may have serious heart problems. A doctor or nurse practitioner may ask for more testing such as an ultrasound of the heart, or echocardiogram (or “echo”) when a low pulse ox reading is identified. The echo will screen for a serious problem in the structure of the heart or the blood flow through the heart. Pulse ox can identify a baby with serious CHD before he or she leaves the newborn nursery." (Website)

This website also answers lots of other questins about the pulse ox and CHD.

My little Avery getting her pulse ox test.

The pulse ox test is not a mandatory test. You have to request it. there are some states where they are but here in Utah you have to request it. and in some hospitals I have heard you have to request it a few times to remind the nurses since it isnt one of their normal tests they do with their routine. But they are more than happy to do it.

Please Help Spread Awareness

Pulse Ox Test

My sister in law just posted this on facebook and I wanted to share it. I will be talking more about Pulse Ox testing and why they are so important later in the week.

 Nicole Wardell

"UTAH!! You did it!! Thank you Utah congress. It is now law that EVERY newborn will receive a pulse ox test in our state. This means that newborns with undiagnosed heart defects now have a greater chance at being diagnosed BEFORE going home...thus increasing chances at early treatment and survival. Today I'm proud of our men and women "on the hill" working to improve lives of some of Utah's most fragile!! ♥"

Nicole Wardell

Correction...I jumped the gun...I was a bit excited...and still am...but the senate bill for pulse ox testing passed in the house and is now going before the senate for a vote. I'm sorry for the misrepresentation. C'mon Senate...this bill will save lives!!

CHD Awarness Week Feb 7-14

This is my niece Abby. She is our CHD Heart Hero and the reason I spread awareness about CHD. Abby was diagnosed with a CHD called Tetrology of Fallot. She had open heart surgery to help fix this when she was 5 months old. Then again when she was 10. But a year later she went into heart failure and had to have a heart transplant. A few more surgery's and a lot of doctor visits later. Visits with the transplant board about when she should go on the list and what level she should be. Last year they put her on the list. A few days later (no exaggeration it was literally about 3 to 4 days) they got the call that they had a heart for Abby. this was a very trying time for our family. We not only was concerned about Abby but the family that lost a child to be able to bless Abby with this heart. James and I were living 300+ miles away at the time and couldn't be there as much as we wanted to. The surgery wet well, textbook even and Abby started the long road to recovery. For a long time she had to be in "confinement". Which means she couldn't go into any public buildings. SO school, church even grocery stores and restaurants were out. (unless the restaurant had out door seating). For awhile if we wanted to see Abby, all we could do was go to her bedroom window and wave at her from outside. It was a very hard time for our little social butterfly. But she made it through. Today she is doing excellent. Her rejections meds are slowly decreasing from 34 to...actually I'm not sure the number of meds she has to take now. :p She is back in school, can go back in public places again and is actually preparing for her (hopefully) last surgery for a long LONG time to fix her scoliosis which is also a result of her CHD. Abby's story is so amazing to me. This little girl has been through more in her 13 years of life then I could even begin to comprehend. Her faith, hope and zest for life and living everyday to the fullest is such an inspiration to all who know  and come in contact with her. She is such n inspiratin to me as well. I have learned so much from her. To help spread awareness, Abby and her mom have put together a little video. Abby talks about CHD and what it's like having to live with it. I was unable to post it because the onl posted it on facebook but you can find it on Abby's Perfect Broken Heart. Or just click HERE. You dont need a facebook account to be able to view the video.

Please help spread Awareness.

What if your Child has a Congenital Heart Defect?

Primary Childrens did a wonderful article all about CHD. From what causes it to signs and symptoms, treatment, etc. I thought about posting it here but I didnt want to take away from their website and the chance someone may have to explore it a little more. So to read the article just click HERE.

Also dont forget that tomorrow through Valentines day officially marks CHD Awareness Week. There is still time to win the $15 gift card to Everythings Ducky Boutique. All you need to do is ask a question about CHD, or help spread awareness through your blog or facebook. And dont forget to send me the link.

CHD Dads Sing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

This is so cute and I wanted to share it for my CHD post today. Enjoy!

1 out of 100

 A lot of people(...well most people) arent aware of just how common CHD really is. So here is some facts for you.

1 in every 100 babies are born with CHD...well 1 out of 100 seems pretty small right? Well I googled how many babies are born in a day.First in the U.S. I checked a few different websites but got the same answer. So, how many babies? There are 11,000! That’s in 1 day in the U.S. alone. (Website) 11 babies born in the U.S. are born with CHD. I wanted to go further than that so I googled How many babies were born every day in the world. Again I checked a few different sites and they all had roughly the same number. Approximately 490,000 babies are born throughout the world in a single day. Now if I did my math right (which I might not have) that means that approximately 4,900 babies are born throughout the world in a single day with CHD. (Website) Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect and are the number one cause of death from birth defects during the first year of life. Nearly twice as many children die from congenital heart disease in the United States each year as die from all forms of childhood cancers combined. (Website)

 THIS is why I am trying to help spread awareness. Because my niece has a CHD, her mother and her are very active in the CHD community. They are always talking about their heart friends and what they are going through. Wether it's news of one of their friends getting a new heart, going through a successful surgery or the sad news of a new heart angel leaving this world. I know Nikki crys for all her heart friends. Either tears of joy or sadness. I know of one mother who is fighting for her daughters story to be told to help spread Awareness (I will post this story later on in the week). I am simply the aunt of a CHD warrior. But I feel apart of this community. These women and children who's stories I read on my sister in laws blog or on facebook are so strong and truly my hero's. YES Abby and Nikki this includes both of you.
So please as I continue my CHD posts. Ask questions, get the fact and spread the word. Because you never know out of those 4,900 babies that are born throughout the world in a single day with a CHD. One of those babies could be the baby of a sibling, relative, friend or aquaintance. Or even you.

4th Annual CHD Awareness Week Event

Happy Super Bowl everyone. :) And WELCOME to the 4th Annual CHD Awareness Week. I am really excited to start another year to help spread awareness about CHD. But before I get started I wanted to let you know what this week's prize is. This week you have a chance to win a $15 gift card to Everythings Ducky Boutique.
There are 3 different ways you can submit your name into the drawing. (So a chance to have your name in the drawing 3 times instead of 1) One way is posting a question in the comments here on the blog, I will be answering all questions at the end of each week. The 2nd & 3rd way is helping to spread CHD awareness. Post something on your blog about CHD and then put the link to your post in the comments so that I can go read about it. The other way is helping to spread awareness on facebook. You can do this by posting about CHD awareness, sharing my blog, or making your profile picture something about CHD. Please remember to tag me on facebook or post a link in the comments section on my blog, so I know to add your name to the drawing. I would hate to only have your name in 2 times when you deserve 3. These are just some examples and will only get your name in the drawing once. If you win the gift card you will not be eligible to win the necklace however.

Ok let the fun begin :) tomorrow I will start all the facts and news about CHD. What it is and more. Also an update on our family's CHD hero Abby Wardell.