Our Ebenezer

Some of you were asking me recently, what type of heart defect Natalia had when she was born. I was looking back through my blog posts and realized I had never really explained it. I also thought I'd include "our story" in this post as a way of recording it for the future.


Here is a simple explanation from the American Heart Association website for D-Transposition of the Great Arteries/Vessels. (If you are interested in learning about other congenital heart defects, their website is very helpful in putting things in layman's terms.)
*Italics are mine.


TGV--What is it?


A heart in which the two main arteries carrying blood away from the heart are reversed. (Instead of crossing, they run parallel.)


A normal blood pattern carries blood in a cycle: body-heart-lungs-heart-body.


When a d-transposition occurs, the blood pathway is impaired because the two arteries are connecting to the wrong chambers in the heart.


This means that the blood flow cycle is stuck in either:
body–heart –body (without being routed to the lungs for oxygen) or
lungs–heart–lungs (without delivering oxygen to the body)
This results in blue baby symptoms, and is rapidly fatal unless intervention occurs.

Without surgery, the only way to survive this condition temporarily is to have leakages that allow some oxygen-rich blood to cross into the oxygen-poor blood for delivery to the body. A hospital facility can also catheterize a patient until corrective surgery can be performed.


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Our story:
I was just thinking the other morning about the day I gave birth to Natalia.


I had had a normal pregnancy (4 months of 24-hour nausea, but normal). I had no health issues, no heart disease in our immediate family history, and normal ultrasound results. Natalia's condition was completely unexpected.


I remember the joy of hearing "it's a girl!", having her placed on my belly and Pete cutting the cord. Through the blur of tears I told him, "You were right! We have a girl!"


My doctor, who had been such a calm presence during the delivery, simply said to the nurses standing by to "have a closer look" at her, that he was concerned about her color. Pete was more aware of what was going on than I, and noticed that very quickly more nurses showed up and things appeared urgent. The doctor then told us that they were going to take Natalia down the hall and he'd return in a few minutes to let us know how she was doing.


We were in shock. We honestly were protected by it. Had we known the full scope of what was happening, oh my...


When the doctor returned he gently told us of her heart defect. (The man had incredible bedside manner!) He said they were doing all they could to stabilize her and he'd let us know more when he could.


As Pete began making calls to our family, church and close friends, reality began to sink in just a bit. We knew very little, yet even what we knew seemed so daunting. But from the very first moments, God's unexplainable, unsurpassable peace flooded our hearts. We sensed acutely the many prayers being uttered on our behalf. (Even on this day, as I write these words, my eyes well up with thankfulness. Thankfulness for the believers that surrounded us. People we didn't even know.)


We would get to touch her hand through the hole in the side of her transport cart before they took her to the University of Maryland Medical Center, which was an hour south of where we lived. It would be 4 days later, on my 29th birthday, that I would get to hold her for the first time. The best birthday gift I've ever received!


Natalia would spend the first 5 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Weighing 8 lbs., 8 1/2 oz., she was obviously a cardio baby at first glance to anyone who walked in those doors. Those extra pounds and being full-term certainly helped in the days ahead. Would you believe that even after her 10-hour surgery on day 6, she never dropped below 7 lbs.?!


At birth, the size of a human heart is about the dimensions of an unshelled walnut. They would switch her two main arteries to the currect position. The whole thing is just so hard for me to fathom!


The day of her surgery was agony. My parents had come down to be with us and we found a waiting "room" that was really a courtyard with lots of plants and running water. A very peaceful setting with cushioned benches. We were in such a blur though, my memory is fuzzy. I do remember being unable to make even the smallest decision, like what I wanted for lunch. My uterus was shrinking and I was doubled over for awhile. I also was pumping regularly so Natalia could continue having my milk with the extra calorie formula they were adding. I'm glad we weren't alone, and that Pete wasn't carrying everything on his shoulders.



We saw her briefly post-surgery. I remember someone warning me about all the wires, tubes, and equipment, but I'll never forget her palor. I had never seen anyone so incredibly white like that before. That rattled me more than anything else that day.


Once she gained her strength enough to feed regularly, she came home at 3 weeks of age on Tuesday, January 17th. I'm not medically knowledgeable, but a mere 2 weeks for an infant to recover from open heart surgery seems pretty miraculous to me.

Looking back, we can see God's fingerprints all over this story. For one thing, the doctor who delivered her had not seen this particular heart defect in 16 years of practice. Two weeks prior to Natalia's birth, he delivered a little boy with the exact same thing!


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Today, 5 years later, as I was traveling the highway on the way to the grocery store, I passed a medical transport truck for the Penn State Children's Hospital. (That's who we see for her yearly checkups now.) I smiled and thought, maybe they're helping a cardiac patient today. :o)


We are so aware of God's kindness and mercy when we look at our daughter.


We certainly went through the emotions that accompanies trauma, but God protected us from fear. How? I have no idea other than by the power of prayer. God's peace overwhelmed us.


Today, when I look at Natalia's scar, I am reminded of God's faithfulness to us in that dark valley. It has lengthened to about 6" as she's grown, but it has faded in color.



I am thankful for it. And, I hope Natalia learns to think of it as her "Ebenezer", as Samuel called the stone he placed at the spot of Israel's re-dedication.

A reminder of God's mercy and restoration.

What I Read in 2010--Part 2

The rating scale, once again:

* (1 star) It was okay. If not my cup of tea, maybe it's yours.
** (2 stars) Good. One to borrow from a friend or the library.
*** (3 stars) Very good. Well-written. Definately worth your time.
**** (4 stars) Excellent. On all levels. One for your personal library.
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FICTION:

21. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen ** I really liked vast portions of this book, but a few dicey scenes left a bad taste in my mouth, hence the low rating. Overall, it educated me as to what life aboard a traveling circus during the Great Depression era might have been like, and was an engaging story.

22. ROOFTOPS OF TEHRAN by Mahbod Seraji *** If you liked THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini, you’ll like this one. Set in Iran instead of Afghanistan, it chronicles the friendship and life of two young men during the harsh reign of the shah in the 1970’s.

23. JUST JANE by Nancy Moser *** Thoroughly delightful! If you’re an Austen fan, pick this one up to get a glimpse of the world-according-to-Jane.

24. BAREFOOT by Elin Hilderbrand ** It was good chick lit…nothing strenuous.

25. BROOKLYN by Colm Toibin ** An interesting “coming to America” post-WWII story. Not stellar in my opinion, but okay.

26. HOUSE RULES by Jodi Picoult ** I love Picoult, but this one was such a let-down. If you don’t mind an ending you can see comin’ half way through the book, pick this one up. Otherwise, stick to the ones Picoult knocks out of the park: PLAIN TRUTH, NINETEEN MINUTES, and MY SISTER’S KEEPER.

27. MERCY by Jodi Picoult ** When I picked this one off the shelf at the library, I knew it dealt with euthanasia—and I figured I’d see how Picoult handled the topic. What I didn’t count on were the scenes of adultery. It was certainly an interesting way to juxtapose her “mercy killing” couple, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

28. FLOWER NET by Lisa See ** I L.O.V.E.D. See’s SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN and SHANGHAI GIRLS, but this one didn’t grip me like those did. It was shorter for one thing, but I also found it hard to identify with the main characters.

29. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd *** I really enjoyed this one. What’s surprising is that the movie was pretty pleasing too. Not all film adaptations ring true to the book.

30. HER MOTHER’S HOPE by Francine Rivers ** Good, but for some reason I kept looking at all the pages that remained (it’s a thick one!) and wondering where the author was headed. It certainly was interesting, but not one that kept me up late at night because I couldn’t put it down.

31. HER DAUGHTER’S DREAM by Francine Rivers *** This sequel totally made up for any real or subjective deficiencies of the first book! It’s not uncommon for me to be moved by a book, but this one had me actually in tears a few times. You have to read both books to truly appreciate the sequel though.

32. THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett **** This was perhaps my favorite book of the year. It’s hard to actually pick just one though. I could not put this down. I think I read it in the span of 36 hours. Not enough sleep as a result, but so worth it!

33. VEILED FREEDOM by Jeanette Windle *** This was my introduction to Ms. Windle, and what a web she can weave. I really enjoyed this glimpse into the world of expat's, humanitarian aid, and war-zone workers, and was forced to think deeply about the complexities of war recovery. This book had a lot of acronyms that made things cumbersome at times, but it was still an enjoyable read.

34. CROSSFIRE by Jeanette Windle *** Another good book, though very long! At times I'd glance at all the pages that remained and wonder if maybe she could have cut out some parts. All in all, a good suspenseful read, with characters that really grow on you, and keep you reading to the end.

35. BETRAYED by Jeanette Windle ** I wish I could give this one 2 ½ stars, because it was thrilling, as far as Christian suspense goes, but so long I felt I was plodding through parts. I don’t like plodding. Having spent time in Guatemala and other parts of Latin America, I could readily picture, smell, and identify with the main character and her experiences, so that was a treat.

36. HIDDEN PLACES by Lynn Austin *** I really liked this one. I almost want to give it 4 stars, but there are 1-2 other books by this author that hold that rank in my mind, and this wasn't quite their equal. BUT, a great faith story, well-fleshed out characters, with real struggles and failings and a happy ending.

37. UNTIL WE REACH HOME by Lynn Austin ** Not my favorite of hers, but okay. An Ellis Island, coming-to-America story.

38. A PROPER PURSUIT by Lynn Austin ** Fun, light, Christian fiction. Nothing strenuous. A bit of a surprise ending which was nice. Set during the Chicago World’s Fair.

39. WHILE WE’RE FAR APART by Lynn Austin ** Another fun, light piece of fiction—this one based in New York City, during WWII.

40. THE WITNESS by Dee Henderson *** Good Christian suspense. However, if tightly wrapped up endings annoy you, consider yourself forewarned. Henderson always keeps me guessing as to how things will end, and I like that, but hindsight reveals little loose ends. Then again, sometimes I want a book like that.

41. EVERY NOW AND THEN by Karen Kingsbury ** A nice piece of Christian chick lit.

42. UNCLE TOM'S CABIN by Harriet Beecher Stowe *** I had never read this wonderful classic, sadly. I happened to pick it up during a season of constant interruptions. So that, coupled with getting used to the way the slave's speech was written, resulted in a long drawn-out affair. But definately a good one if you've never read it!

A few re-reads:
43. REKINDLED by Tamera Alexander *** Another one that I own that I like to read again and again.

44. REVEALED by Tamera Alexander *** The continuing story of REKINDLED, just focusing on different characters.

45. BEYOND TUESDAY MORNING by Karen Kingsbury *** Second book in her 9/11 series.

46. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Houseini **** One of my favorites. Now that I own a copy I read it every year or so.

47. VIENNA PRELUDE **** and 48. PRAGUE COUNTERPOINT **** by Bodie Thoene
One of my favorite series, THE ZION COVENANT. I’m slowing working my way through a few of these again. I’m excited to try the Thoenes’ new series too, THE ZION DIARIES.

And finally, 2 very worthwhile devotional books:
49. KNOWING GOD BY THE THINGS HE KEEPS by Leigh DeMoss *** Chock full of “object lessons”--I really enjoyed this one!

50. A PRAYING LIFE by Paul E. Miller **** Just excellent! The ladies in my Care Group at church have been going through this together. I find myself reading and re-reading it.

Happy Birthday Natalia!

My dear, sweet girl...you're growing up so fast.




You've always been tall for your age, but you appear mature in other ways too. You love to hang out with the adults when we're in a group setting, and try to participate in our conversation. You often pretend to be a mommy or teacher. When I finish a phone conversation you like to get on the line and make similar arrangements, always planning some type of activity. I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree. :-) I call you my event-coordinator-in-training.


You like to mother your little brother, and I am thankful for how you care for him. Your imagination is ever at work--your pretend friends Ella, Grizz, and Don sure have interesting lives. Their antics are the source of much laughter in our household.


You are a very perceptive little girl. Daddy and I have to increasingly find new ways to talk about things in code because you're very good at guessing! You are a keen observer, as I am constantly amazed when you know which road we need to travel to get to a certain location, even when we vary our route.


You LOVE going to preschool! It is so much fun watching you learn to recognize and write your letters, count in Spanish and German (in addition to knowing Polish), and hearing you talk about hibernation, amphibians, and how important it is to eat healthy snacks. :-)


You have such a wide array of interests. You like to dress up, play "house", and mimic mommy, but you also love your Thomas trains, farm set, and playing outside in the dirt. You love to listen and dance to music, make up songs and pretend you're singing in church.


We pray that you continue to learn about Jesus, that you see your need for Him, and that your determination and creative spirit will be aligned with God's good purposes. Your life is a testiment to God's mercy and kindness. He loves you so much, and so do we.


Happy 5th Birthday Sweetpea!


I never thought I'd have a daughter requesting a combine cake, but then again, the life God has blessed me with is more than I could have ever imagined.

"Is it dinnertime yet, Mom?"

What I Read In 2010--Part 1

Time for a reading summation for the year.

I wasn't keeping track of how many books I read, nor did I have any reading goals other than to read more non-fiction. When I started to tally them up, preparing this post, I was surprised! The number was nearing 50! And that, I confess, urged me to finish those on my shelf these last few weeks.


Because there are so many, I thought I'd break them down into 2 posts.
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I've rated each of the following accordingly:
* (1 star) It was okay. If not my cup of tea, maybe it's yours.
** (2 stars) Good. One to borrow from a friend or the library.
*** (3 stars) Very good. Well-written. Definately worth your time.
**** (4 stars) Excellent. On all levels. One for your personal library.
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NON-FICTION:

1. BIRTH: THE SURPRISING HISTORY OF HOW WE ARE BORN by Tina Cassidy *** Babies are miracles...every single one of them. This book made me appreciate that fact all the more and thank God I live in the 21st century.

2. SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME by Ron Hall and Denver Moore *** A great, faith-inspiring, true-life story of two men literally from two different worlds, and the woman who encouraged their friendship. It challenged my worldview, and caused me to consider my thoughts/attitudes/responses towards those who are homeless--and why I have next to no contact with them.

3. MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child *** Loved this book! Some may find this memoir of her life and her love of la belle France a bit slow-moving, but that's how you should enjoy a fine meal.

4. MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLN'S KILLER by James L. Swanson *** It took me while to get into this one, but in the end I really enjoyed it. If you like early American history, crime dramas, and true stories, this one is for you.

5. THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson **** Excellent! The writing style was a bit awkward in parts, but the story totally made up for it. I find learning about other cultures and geographic regions so fascinating, and so this was a real gem.

6. THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND by William Kamkwamba & Brian Mealer *** It's kind of scientific, but William's ingenuity and zeal for learning made me forget that I don't enjoy science. (I married my husband because he's good at all that stuff. LOL.)

7. THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA: A NATURAL HISTORY OF FOUR MEALS by Michael Pollan *** Some of this was new information, other parts I was already familiar with due to reading Salatin's book (#18) and viewing a number of documentaries. Very worthwhile and I enjoyed Pollan's humorous presentation of what could have been dry reading material.

8. HALF BROKE HORSES by Jeannette Walls **** Mind-blowing memoir. Read this one before the next title if you can.

9. THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls **** How do you top "mind-blowing"?! I'm not sure, but she did it.

10. STILL LIFE WITH RICE by Helie Lee *** What a wonderful memoir--and with an element of faith that I had not expected!

11. THE OTHER WES MOORE by Wes Moore *** Two black men, same name, from the same inner-city streets, but by their early 30's are living polarly opposite lives. What made the difference?

12. LEFT TO TELL: DISCOVERING GOD AMIDST THE RWANDAN HOLOCAUST by Immaculee Ilibagiza *** An incredible account of how one young woman survived 91 days, hidden with 7 other women, in a pastor's tiny bathroom.

13. I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou ** What a story of resilience! She certainly had to overcome alot of pain at a young age. This memoir moved pretty slowly for me, but I'm still glad I read it.

14. I AM HUTTERITE by Mary-Ann Kirkby ** An interesting look at communal life among the Manitoban Hutterites, and one family's decision to leave. I felt this memoir did a good job of presenting the good and the bad--not always the case when someone leaves a faith community.

15. CROSSING OVER: ONE WOMAN'S ESCAPE FROM AMISH LIFE by Ruth Irene Garrett with Rick Farrant ** I learned a few more things about the Amish way of life, but I didn't agree with the choice Ms. Garrett made that precipitated leaving her community.

16. THE GREATEST GENERATION by Tom Brokaw ** Fascinating snapshots of life during the WWII era.

17. THE GREATEST GENERATION SPEAKS by Tom Brokaw ** Letters of response to the earlier book.

18. PASTURED POULTRY PROFITS by Joel Salatin *** This book got us started raising our own chickens for meat this year. An excellent resource for the WHY and the HOW. And even if you're just wondering what the fuss is all about.

19. THE COLOR OF WATER by James McBride ** Another interesting true-life story. What a diverse background this man has!

20. THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS: THE EPIC STORY OF AMERICA'S GREAT MIGRATION by Isabel Wilkerson *** Chronicling the lives of two men and one woman as they search for a better life, this book spans the early 1900's to the 1970's--an era riddled by Jim Crow laws, lynchings, and grievous injustices. A very well-written account.

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More to come tomorrow!

Merry Christmas!

Here are some snippets from our fun-filled weekend.

Yummy Greek sweet bread...Pete found the hidden nickel this morning at breakfast. :-)

Both kids REALLY got into the unwrapping part this year. Fun to watch.

The holidays just wouldn't be the same without traditional Polish Vegetable Salad.

Would you believe a 99 year-old lady knitted this outfit?! From what she charges it is obviously something that brings her joy and keeps her busy--not an enterprise.


The big ones, modeling their new umbrellas.



And finally, because our attempt at a Christmas family photo was abandoned due to a not-in-the-mood-you-can't-make-me-smile incident, you just get us.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may God bless you in the coming year!

Thanks to all of you for reading this blog (and for leaving comments). I enjoy every one!

Happy Birthday Adam!

Son, everytime I look at you my heart squeezes.

Your daddy and I exchange these glances every now and then, our minds sharing the same thought. We can't believe how fast the time is going. We look at you and your sister almost in disbelief--we are so SO blessed to have you. We see our lives passing before us. Maybe it's because we're nearing middle age (gasp!) and we're becoming more reflective.

There is a commercial from a few years ago, where a teenage girl is asking her dad to borrow the car, and when he hands over the keys she's suddenly a toddler, with a "they grow up so fast" type of tagline. Then a little boy of about 8 walks through the living room and the dad asks "where are you going?" The kid slings a jacket over his shoulder and says "Work." We can't remember what the commercial is for, but that kid's deadpan delivery of "work" just cracks us up! So true. :-)

You're at such a fun age. Last year at this time you were taking your first steps. Now, you run like the wind and jump off of things with wild abandon. I try to remember that little boys need to do things like this, but I'm still ending up with gray hair. You love to play horsey with Daddy and be wild and crazy. We love to hear your squeals and belly laughs.



Your vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. The things you say and how you express yourself are at the same time adorable and perceptive. You do not miss a thing!



You love your big sister and follow her like a shadow. The two of you share many interests right now and it's so much fun seeing you play together.





You're affectionate, mischievous, inquisitive, a blur of activity. We definitely see you share your daddy's need-for-speed as you race around the house. Babcia has told us stories and wears a knowing smile when she watches you.



You can be still...if someone will read you books, or there are trains, cars, or farm things to play with. You like to line things up in rows and you are so helpful when it's time to clean up. But holding still while we're singing in church is no fun! That's when we call you our squirmy wormy. :-)



You bring so much joy to our family, Adam! We pray you continue to grow strong and healthy, that you understand your need for a Savior even at a young age, and that you know how deeply Jesus loves you.

We love you!

Christmas Books For Children

This is something I've been researching online. (I know, it's alittle late to take full advantage this year, but anywho.)

This is the first that Natalia has really shown interest in the 2 Christmas books I have to date: THE TALE OF THREE TREES by Angela Elwell Hunt, and THE CITY THAT FORGOT ABOUT CHRISTMAS by Mary Warren.

Both of my children love, and I mean LOVE, books and I like the idea of having a special box of books to read during the holiday season.

The other day when I googled "Christian Christmas children's books" I discovered a great blog! It is a treasure-trove of solid reviews on holiday books and much, much more. I will definately go back and read through the reviews they offer on other subjects too.

Check it out here.

What are some of your favorite holiday children's titles?