Spring is Here!

Brycen LOVES his new wagon and being outside!

Brycen went to Fun City for the first time! His cousins were in town and joined us.
Ice Cream anyone?

The oldest one gets the better job-driver!

I love selling Ice Cream with my cousin.

Brycen's Story Featured

He has done it again! Brycen's story continues to touch the lives of others and now Brycen has been chosen as the Survivor to Profile for the Northwest Arkansas Heart Gala! We are so honored for him to be the feature this year.

Many of you have received a letter from us with this notification already, but for those who haven't it's now time for us to give back! Please join Christy and I in donating to the American Heart Association through the Northwest Arkansas Heart Gala in Brycen's honor. Anything and everything helps. For more information contact us or Christina Hinds at the American Heart Association in Fayetteville (Christina.Hinds@heart.org). Donations to the Heart Gala go to Children's Heart Research.

Or you can donate online through the following link for the Heart Walk! All donations go to General Heart Research. The link will expire next Friday.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=285553&supId=248109397

Children's Radiothon!

Arkansas Children's Hospital is holding a radiothon. We ask that if there is any possible way you can donate anything at all that you please do. The importance of places like Children's isn't truly known until you experience it, and once you experience it you hope it never goes away. Please call 501-364-1477 and be a Miracle Maker!

If it weren't for Children's, we wouldn't have this little guy!

Iced In!

What a great week! No school, No power, and Going Crazy.

Our house has been with no power since Tuesday around noon. We have gotten out today and hope our power will be on soon. Here is what we saw

Brycen is now 8 months. He is into EVERYTHING!! He crawls everywhere, stands on everything, and is starting to like to eat new foods. He has tried toast, waffle, egg yolk, oatmeal, and noodles. He likes it but doesn't get much in his mouth. He enjoys waving bye-bye, is starting to try to call the hogs, and put his hand in front of his nose when he has a "shoo-E." He loves to say da da and hi and lots of other noises and screams. Brycen still only has two teeth but I think more will be in any day.

Prayer Request

We received word today that Brycen's friend Caden is still struggling and fighting every minute for his life. His family is in dire need of our prayers and support. As one thing gets better something else goes wrong and the doctors at Children's continue to look for answers. Please add him to your prayer list that answers may be found and that his family be comforted during this difficult time.

Remember to give thanks for those of us that remain healthy.

Hair, there, and everywhere!

Brycen's hair has started to grow over his ears, so a trim was much in need. Brycen got his first haircut today!

People have told me, "you'll spend one whole year of your life trying to get him to walk and talk and the rest of your life trying to get him to sit down and be quiet," but I didn't think it would come true so fast. While Brycen isn't talking yet, he is scooting and crawling EVERYWHERE! We have reached the point that we can't take our eyes off of him. Just the other day, we were cleaning the kitchen while Brycen was playing with his toys in the living room. All of a sudden, we heard noise that wasn't toys and found him under the couch playing with magazines and pictures that are under the coffee table.

It seems that crawling under things is what he likes best. Once he found out he was getting his picture taken, he crawled under his music table. What a clown!

Scooting is his main mode of transport, and it appears that walking will happen before crawling. He discovered this week that he can pull up on anything and is now circling tables, chairs, etc. He even stands by the door to look outside.

We've had an eventful week with him and enjoy every minute of it. We are so blessed to have our family.

We're healthy!

We had a busy but fun and enjoyable Christmas. Brycen loved tearing off the wrapping paper and playing with it. He got so many new toys he can't make up his mind what to play with. During the Christmas break, he figured out that he loves to hold onto things and stand up. It won't be long and he'll be walking. He has been go-go-go for the past week!

We had a rough start to the Christmas season due to me being in the hospital. Christy became supermom/wife and somehow got all of our shopping done and managed to keep our family in order during the hard time. She deserves more than I could ever repay her for her love and support. Brycen and I are so blessed to have such a wonderful mom and wife.

I am almost fully recovered now. I am eating anything I want again and have been up and out and about. I still lack some energy, but I think that's just from being in a bed for 2 1/2 weeks. I go to the doctor today to hopefully be cleared to drive and lift over 5 pounds. I couldn't take not holding Brycen any longer and started toting him around last week, so I expect the doctor to give me the green light.

Brycen had his check-up from his balloon procedure yesterday at Children's. Dr. Fontenot said everything looks and sounds great and we don't have to go back for 4 months! It appears that the bloodflow through his aorta may possibly be pushing back the rest of the coarctation. We hope that this is the case and we hope that the heart patch will continue to grow with his heart! We are so blessed to have had such wonderful care at Children's and even more blessed to have Brycen!

We did have some sad news while at Children's though. Those of you who have followed along with Brycen's situation from the beginning will remember Brycen's friend Caden who was at Children's during our first trip. As we were going to see our favorite nurses yesterday, we ran into Caden's dad. Caden had to have another open heart surgery earlier this month to take out a band placed on his heart during his first surgery. While they were taking out the band, they accidently poked a hole in his heart. This caused many complications and he has also contracted pneumonia. He is in CVICU and has an uphill battle to overcome again. Please remember Caden and his family in your prayers. They are ready to go home and have their Christmas!

We have experienced quite a year and hope that 2009 goes a little more smoothly. But as we look back we are so thankful for 2008. Without Brycen our life would be incomplete. God has truly blessed our family in good times and bad this year. We thank you again for all of your prayers and support this year and we make it our prayer that He will bless you and yours just as He has blessed us. Have a wonderful and happy 2009!