The Patterson Pack

The big day is Monday!!!!

2011-02-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

Well we are having a baby girl on Monday, February 21st!!! That is if she doesn't come before then but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Today I had an ultrasound and they "estimated" her weight at 7 pounds 1 ounce. We will see how accurate that is. I will be going into Baptist at 6 in the morning, they will be inducing me and hopefully I will be able to have a normal vaginal delivery with no complications! We can pray for that, ha ha. I will be keeping you all updated on this blog with how things are going and how Hannah is doing. She will be going to Children's shortly after delivery and hopefully on Tuesday I can give you all a run down of what the doctors have to say.

Thanks to all our family and friends for your support and prayers. JP and I appreciate all you have done and continue to do. I am looking forward to seeing my baby girl very soon.

Snow 2011

2011-02-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

Well we have already had snow two or three times this year already but now we have gotten it again. And since I am stuck at home and pretty bored I thought I would get some pics out of the boys playing in it. I feel bad that my last few posts have been about Hannah so here are some pics of Tate and Seth playing in the snow.

I love looking at the snow, it is sooooo pretty.

Hannah's birthday is approaching

2011-01-26T09:33:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post a pic of my precious little girl and give some updates. We have had several echos and the prognosis has been the same. The only difference between now and the last post is that I have decided to deliver at Baptist. My doctor and I are comfortable with the care she will receive and since she will be going to Children's pretty soon after delivery the place really didn't matter all that much.

Oh and she has a birthday picked out..... Monday, February 21st. I will be in my 38th week of pregnancy and as long as I am progressing on my own the doctors are okay with me going early. Both the boys were born in the 38th week as well. So that is the plan but as you all know it can change so I will keep you posted. I will also try my best to continue to post updates about Hannah and how she is doing throughout her hospital stay.

I am getting very excited and still nervous as the same time. I am praying I get all my anxiety out before she gets here and then I will just kick into mommy mode after she arrives. The boys are excited, Tate especially. He is really looking forward to meeting baby Hannah. I don't think Seth really understands all that much right now. He will be happy to meet her too though, they both love babies.

Thanks to all who have given their prayers and encouragement to us. We REALLY appreciate it. Please continue to pray for us and for Hannah as we all get ready for her arrival. I can't wait to hold her and kiss on her and as you can see in her pic she is adorable.

Hannah's Heart

2010-12-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been a complete roller coaster ride. As a precaution, Tate's cardiologist recommends having an fetal echo done on my babies, Seth had one and Hannah has had one. Well much to my surprise they found something wrong with Hannah's heart. And with sadness I tell you that my precious little Hannah has a heart defect similar to her brothers'.

Hannah has been diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus. "This defect describes the incomplete development of the aorta and the pulmonary artery. During the formation of the heart and its vessels in utero, the pulmonary artery and aorta begin as one large 'trunk' of an artery. Eventually, as the heart twists and out-patches, the aorta and the pulmonary artery separate to form two distinctly separate vessels. In Truncus Arteriosus, the complete separation of these two vessels fails to occur. The arterial trunk usually ends up being positioned over a large hole in the wall between the right and left ventricle."

So basically what this means for us and our family, Hannah will be delivered at UAMS and transported to Children's (much like Tate) and will have open heart surgery, probably within the first to second week of her life, to repair the hole and to separate the aorta and the pulmonary artery, they will put in a pulmonary valve (just like Tate). Hopefully within two to four weeks she will be able to come home.

I know I probably sound very matter of fact but this news has been extremely hard on me. Even though I have been through this before it doesn't make it any easier. It has been hard for me to comprehend that this is happening again to a completely different child. That Tate and Hannah have very similar defects and will spend their life going into the hospital replacing worn out pulmonary valves. Even writing that I can't wrap my mind around it.

I have been pretty detailed with what we are expecting but I know that anything could change at anytime. That basically we won't know exactly how she is doing until she gets here or if by chance she has something else wrong that has triggered this defect. Her cardiologist (who is also Tate's) has told me that their type of defect is most common in siblings and that she could very well be just as normal, healthy and happy as her brother with nothing else wrong. But like I said we won't know anything for sure until we get to see her pretty little self.

Please pray for me and JP and our families as we prepare for our precious Hannah. I can't even fathom what is going to happen when she gets here but I do want to keep things as normal as I can for Tate and Seth. We will have lots of help to make that possible I'm sure. Pray also for me, I can honestly say this news has broken me once again. As God and I work through this He reminds me of His love and that "His ways are not my ways". We have wonderful family, friends and church home that I'm sure we will lean on when the time comes.

Pray also for baby Hannah, this is her heart and life I am writing about. I'm so incredibly sad for her but I know God is in control and loves her as well.

And thanks to all who are close to me that have to put up with me during this time, ha ha. The Lord knows I'm difficult on normal days so I can imagine what I am like when I'm out of whack. I'm am blessed with good friends!!!!

Think and pray for us often,
Ashley

I'm a Girl!!!

2010-10-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

We are officially having a baby girl. She is due on March 4th. Name to come at a later date.

2010-06-03T06:49:00.001-07:00

More pics of Disney World!

Disney World!!

2010-06-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time in Disney World. Both of the boys loved every minute, even though I know they won't remember it. It was neat to get to see it through their eyes. It went by way too fast. You spend so much time planning for it and then it is here and gone before you know it. We got to basically see and do everything we wanted to. Even us big kids got to ride all the rides, ha ha. I am already starting to plan going back, can't wait!!!

Tate's 5th Birthday

2010-04-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

Well I can't believe it but my baby boy just turned 5. It is amazing how much time flies. I'm so blessed to have him and finally feel like I have healed. I guess it just take me long to get over things, ha ha. Here are some pictures of my big man.

He had a backyard sleepover with some kids from school. They slept outside in the camper and had a blast. The firetruck paid us a visit for fun, had hot dogs and made smores on the campfire. It was so much fun.

Snow 2010

2010-02-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

It snowed this year!! It hasn't snowed this much in a while. Both the boys loved it but of course could only stay out for a little while, they don't have the gear to play outside for long. We had a blast and I love seeing the way things look with snow over it, so pretty.

Christmas '09

2010-02-15T06:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun this year. Tate understands it better and even though Seth didn't know what was going on, he loved playing with his toys.

Seth's 2nd birthday

2010-02-15T05:50:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry guys that I haven't blogged in such a long time. Going to put up some new pics. Seth turned two in December. We had his party at Chick-Fil-A and had a great time. He is getting so big and he is so smart. Everyone tells me how much he and Tate look alike. It is fun watching him and Tate together, they are starting to play really well together. Just love my boys.

2009-09-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

The kids are doing so great and I'm excited for Fall. Seth is almost 2 and I can't believe my baby is getting so big. It has been such a great summer and I'm having so much fun with both my boys. Since big brother Tate is in preschool now Seth and I get to have some mommy and me time. On Mondays we go to the Library for story time and then to Chick-Fil-A with all our friends. Seth hasn't gotten that into singing though he loves to at home. He is actually a pretty shy boy but I'm sure once he gets used to it he will break out of his shell. He really does like showing out at home and for certain people. He loves to sing and dance and he really loves reading books. I have moved Tate back into his room with Seth (he has been sleeping in the quest room for several months) and bedtime is so much fun for me, reading to both the boys and saying our bedtime prayers. Seth just looks at you when you pray but when you are done he says AMEN. The boys are also playing really well together. They will chase each other all over the house, jump on the bed or even wrestle. Seth is actually getting pretty tough with Tate, will have to start watching him a little more closely, ha ha.

I have some pictures of them playing in the armoire in the playroom, which by the way I have now reorganized and put toys in that I don't want them to get into like colors, markers, play-doh, games, leggos, blocks and all the puzzles. They must ask to get something in there and can only take one thing at a time. I was getting so tired of not being able to find parts to stuff and everything being cluttered. I know all my friends who know how bad my playroom is would be really proud of me. And the boys can no longer "hang" out in there.

Tate also got to go to a farm a few weekends ago and loved getting to see the cows up close. He had a really good time. He even got to feed a goat.

So things are great here, thanking God everyday for all our wonderful blessings. I pray health over my babies this winter and healing for Tate. I wish you all the same.

Tate's 1st day of pre-k 4

2009-09-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Tate had his first day of preschool today. He was very excited and seemed to really enjoy going back to school and spending time with his friends. He has a great teacher which I am really excited about and glad he is getting to meet some new friends. It makes me sad that he is growing up so fast, he is getting so big. He is such an amazing boy and I can't wait to see what all he learns this year at school.

Seth is also getting very big. He is reminding me so much of Tate lately at his age. We went to the park today and to eat all by ourselves, well without our big brother. It was bitter sweet. But I know I am really going to enjoy the quality, alone time I will get to spend with Seth, especially at the age he is now, he is so fun to play with and is learning so much. They are so much fun to see together. I love watching how good Tate is with him and how much Seth loves to spend time with him. Just tonight at church Seth was sitting in Tate's lap at the end of choir. They can be so sweet to each other. They can also be pretty rough at times but hey they are boys. I feel so blessed to have them both. Getting excited for the fall, looking forward to see what God has in store this school year and at home with me and the boys.

Trip to San Fran

2009-08-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well Jason and I went to San Francisco a few weeks ago. We had a great time but I missed the kids terribly. It was our first time away from them for that long. They did well and thanks to my sister and Memaw who took care of them for me while we were gone. We got the boys some karate outfits from Chinatown and I wanted to post some pictures of them trying to chop JP. They are adorable.

Scope

2009-07-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Tate's scope today went great. The Dr. said he is doing well, there is no compression and that we didn't need his services any longer (ENT). YEAH!!!!! Tate did well, the nurses and staff like having him for a patient, he is extremely laid back, he gets that from his daddy. He had some mild soreness when he woke up and wasn't too happy but he eventually came around, ate a really big breakfast and has played really well. He is napping now.

I am so extremely thankful for Children's Hospital but let me tell you I hate being there. Every fiber in my being screams that we don't belong, I'm tired to being there and having Tate go through so much and yet I know it could be much worse. I guess at times like these it just compounds the sadness I feel for Tate and what he has to endure. I am watching and listening as a friend goes through grief and healing from a loss of a son and when I think of her and how much I hate for Tate to have to go the hospital and have all this stuff done to him, when I feel like for some things God can't relate, I do feel peace in knowing he does to the suffering and loss of a son. It fascinates me that through having children you can learn so much of God's love for us. And in the end I have nothing to complain about.

Tate's ENT appointment

2009-06-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Tate had a check-up today with his ENT and all his doctors are amazed at how well he is doing. We are very happy that Tate is growing, doing normal activities for his age and continuing to be a testament to God's goodness and healing. The Dr. wants to do a scope on Tate to see how he looks from his last surgery. We are scheduled for that on July the 1st at Children's. He is hoping that Tate's case can be a learning experience and provide information for future surgeries. For those of you who don't remember Tate had compression from his first surgery that was causing him to have asthma symptoms and reoccurring pneumonia. I am thankful that his surgeon took the time to have an ENT come in to do a scope to find out what the problem was. Apparently with his repair his aorta was compressing his bronchial tubes which made them not work effectively. The Dr. then moved his aorta over a bit and was able to stop the compression. Since it has been over 6 months his ENT wants to take another look and make sure all looks well. So pray for Tate, it will be an outpatient procedure and shouldn't be too big of a deal or take too long. Tate is an amazing child, he continues to astound me on almost a daily basis. What a blessing he is.

Gulf Shores '09

2009-06-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

We had a blast in Gulf Shores last week. Both the boys loved playing at the beach and we got to do all sorts of fun stuff. Tate even went parasailing with me and JP, can you believe it? He loved it, Caden did too. Hopefully my sister got some pics of that because I didn't have my camera. We got to swim in the pool they had there and they even had a playground at the condo. We took them to a little park where they got to ride rides and even drive go carts. The big boys got to play golf and go deep sea fishing (they had a blast and brought home lots of fish) and us girls got to go shopping, it was so fun and we got some great things. Amy and I took the boys to an alligator farm, it was fun and interesting but very hot, I was glad to get out of that place, they had a gigantic alligator whose name was Captain Crunch. The guide said he was in time out because he didn't play well with others. The boys thought that was funny, but he was isolated. Tate got a little alligator at the gift shop and named him "little crunch". Totally original my boy Tate is. Anyway, we had a great time, can't wait to do it again. Here are some pics.

White River '09

2009-05-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

Well it was probably the most rainy weekend we have ever spent there but we still had fun. The boys got to fish a little bit but they didn't get to go out on the boat. Of course they loved playing in the water, including Seth. Did I mention the water is about 40 degrees there? Seth ran right into it, go figure. I'm really going to have to watch him in the water this summer. He is fearless. Anyway we had a good time but I'm glad to be home. Still trying to catch up on some sleep. Got to visit with some family. Thanks for the good time with the balloons Aunt Donna. They are still playing with them. Here are some pics. I can't wait until the boys get old enough to really enjoy fishing and spending time with their dads. Seth loves being outside.

Tate's 4th Birthday

2009-04-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Tate is 4!!!! Can you believe it? It is hard for me to imagine that it has been 4 years since he was born. Man the things we have gone through since his birth. Many blessing and many hardships. There is no way I would of thought of the plans God had for us with Tate's birth. He sure if full of surprises sometimes. Tate has been such a blessing and JP and I are so thankful to have him. He is doing so well and I'm so glad that he is a normal child that is able to do all the things 4 year olds get to do. Praise God.

His party was at Party Central which is a jump place for children. He loves going to parties there and insisted that he have his party there also. We had a blast. That place is so fun to play at and even the adults get to play too. All his friends had an awesome time and the parents did as well. Tate got lots of gifts and we feel so blessed to have such a great cloud of friends and family around us. Can't wait to see what God has in store for the next 4 years.

Enjoy the pictures.

T-ball, Tate and the Rockhounds

2009-04-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hey gang, so I told you I would update the blog when Tate started t-ball and it has started. The practices so far weren't going very well. Tate cried the first practice, he seemed to be really tired. JP was giving me an "I told you so" look, he thinks we started him way to early while I think this is just the right time. It is a good thing for me too because I am getting to see how Tate does physically and even though I'm trying not to judge too quickly I don't see Tate playing sports in the future. Well ones that require much running and continuous exercise. He is the slowest one on the team and seems to need breaks pretty often. Of course what is good now is that he doesn't have to run very far and they don't care how slow you are. T-ball is a pretty fun activity to watch, they are adorable.

His first game went really well though. They were all excited to be in their uniforms and at the ballpark. He was the first one to bat and he did very well, they all did. He tends to lose focus so I'm glad he is the first batter. He likes to play in the dirt when he is on the field, doesn't really care much about catching a ball. There is also a train track that goes by right behind the field so that is entertaining for the kids to watch. I think he will be pretty athletic so I'm going to try and see if golf can interest him, eventually. Don't want to think about paying for that one.

We got him a heart guard and he likes to tell his friends to punch him in the heart, I don't find that very amusing, hopefully the newness of that will wear off soon. So we will try all the sports for now and see how he does. But like I said, I'm voting for golf.

AWANA Grand Prix '09

2009-03-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was our AWANA Race car night and Tate came in 4th place. He had so much fun, JP and I were so excited. I think Tate really enjoyed the attention but really didn't care if his car won or not. He was the youngest winner and represented the Cubbies well. YEAH Tate!!!

This is Tate with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

The boys are doing well. Here are some random pics. Seth crawled up in Tate's lap to watch cartoons the other day, I thought it was so cute so I had to take a pic.

Tate is fixing to start T-ball very soon. Hopefully he will enjoy it and we won't hate all the time that we have to devote to practices and games. I'm starting to wonder if we started him too early. He is going to be playing sports for a long time. I hope this transition will be a good one.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

I love going to parties for kids. Of course in a few years I probably won't be saying that anymore. But Tate had his preschool party last Friday and it was a blast. Sometimes I think we parents have just as much fun as the kids.

On Valentine's Day we went to the zoo as a family. It was a little chilly but we had a blast. Tate also got to go see a 3D IMAX movie with Caden and Mima and Papa Jim. We had a fun day.

Since Monday was a holiday JP decided to go to deer camp to set up a deer stand and Tate got to go with him. He was so excited, he even got up so early and didn't complain at all. He had a blast and even got to shoot a pistol with his Papa Roy. (I wasn't so happy about that but I'm sure they were safe :) ) I think my Tate is definitely going to be a deer hunter.

Poor little Tate

2009-02-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

Why does every little thing happen to Tate? The poor guy had an allergic reaction to his antibiotic this weekend. It was horrible. His rash was so bad, he looked awful. It is finally getting better after 4 days. Needless to say he is allergic to penicillin.

JP and I were so amazed at Tate's attitude. He never complains. He would tell me every once in a while that he was itching and to put some medicine on it but other than that nothing. JP was putting medicine on him one night before bed and he told Tate that he was so sorry that he had this awful rash that hurt him and Tate told him "it's okay daddy, don't be sad". He really is a tough little guy.

Tate hasn't gotten up yet this morning so I'm hoping that it is pretty much gone and won't be bothering him anymore.

Seth's 1st haircut

2009-01-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well today we went for Seth's very first haircut. It was great. He did so good, just sat there and watched everything. Nothing like Tate's complete meltdown when he first got his cut. He looks so much like a little boy. I was sad looking at him today, he is growing so fast and getting so big. It still amazes me how much time can fly by. Tate will be 4 soon, I just can't believe it.

Everyone is doing well. Tate hasn't been sick at all since his surgery. I hope it stays that way but since Amy's boys are sick mine will probably be next.

We also took a field trip to the library today. They got to hear some stories and make a dragon as a craft. What fun it can be with little ones. I love the time I spend with my boys.

2009-01-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

Well the new year has started and I'm ready for it. Tate started preschool again today so we had to get out in the pouring rain. He wasn't happy when I had to wake him up. He is so much like me in that way. We both love our sleep. But he seems to always lighten up when he sees his baby brother up and ready to play with him. It is so sweet to see how much they love each other. Seth can be in a totally awful mood and he will see Tate and light up. He can even say Tate now.

Seth still isn't walking, won't even try but he is growing so big. He has been playing with the rocking horse, dancing to the song it sings, "I'm a pretty pony, clippty clop, clippty clop". He loves to make the horse sing and to ride him. Of course Cole also plays with anything that has music. He carries this car around that says "Who let the dogs out" it is fun at first but can get pretty annoying. He is also telling Seth no now. I couldn't believe it but sure enough this morning he was telling Seth no, no. I guess Amy's boys will always be the boss of mine, ha ha.

The boys are growing so fast. Seth is such a sweet boy. Loves all over me. Sometimes it still surprises me that they both belong to me. Such blessings.

So I'm really looking forward to this year with my guys. I pray it is a good one.

Christmas

2008-12-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy this Christmas season, especially since Tate has been involved in choir and preschool. We have had several programs to go to these last weeks. It is so much fun to watch Tate perform, he loves being on stage. Wonder where he gets that from.

Tate was really excited about Christmas this year. I think it gets better for the parents when the kids are really into it. Of course Seth just watched everything and annoyed Tate by playing with all of his toys. They were great though. Can't believe it is over with already. Now JP and I need to go through the playroom and clean out the old toys to get room for the new ones. Here are some pictures of the boys with their cousins on both sides. And of Tate and Caden singing at church. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. Love you all.

Seth's 1st Birthday

2008-12-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

Well I haven't posted in a long while so I thought I would try and catch up. My little Seth turned one on December 11th. I can't believe it. The time has gone by so fast and he is getting so big. He is precious. Here are some pictures of his party.

He is doing great!

2008-11-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

We just got back from the cardiologist office. He is very pleased by Tate's recovery and says he looks and sounds great. We don't have to go back until 6 months for a check-up. He wants him to stay on the Propranolol until then but just as a precaution. He hasn't had an irregular rhythm since that one time so Dr. Best just thinks it was his heart adjusting to being messed with at surgery. He will check it again in 6 months and if everything looks good he can come off the medicine.

When Tate and I were talking about going to the doctor today he asked why he had to go and I told him that the Dr.'s wanted to make sure his fixed heart was working good and he said that it was because Jesus lived there. So sweet, I just kissed him. They make me laugh all the time.

I am very relieved and ready to get back to everyday life. Tate is doing really well. He went to choir last night at church and we are going to go back to school on Monday. He doesn't have school next Wednesday and Friday so that will give us more time until he goes back for good the first of December.

Trying to get ready for Seth's first birthday party. I can't believe he is almost one. I hope you guys don't mind getting your invites a little late. I'm trying the best I can to get everything done and to catch up with stuff we have missed.

Sorry for not posting sooner (Aunt Candy :)) but I wanted to have this information before I wrote anything. Will get some more pictures up of the boys and am going to try to include Seth more. Poor little honey, I feel as though I have neglected him. I'm sure he doesn't mind though as he gets much love at home. You can't help but love all over that boy.

I am actually starting to look forward to the holidays. Please continue to pray for Tate's healing and for the valve to last a very long time. I don't want to do that again any time soon.

2008-11-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures that I haven't posted yet. He is doing very well.

WE ARE HOME!!!

2008-11-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, we are finally home, thank you Lord. I was about to crawl out of my skin today waiting to go home. Tate is doing really well. He was up and playing yesterday. Everyone has said what an improvement 12 hours has been. The only thing we have to do is hook him up to an EKG machine tomorrow that he has to wear for 24 hours and to take his blood pressure medicine. We have a PCP appointment in one week and a cardio appointment in two weeks.

We are all glad to be here. Hopefully he will rest well. Both my boys have been pretty whiny since I have gotten home so pray for patience for me.

Thanks again for everyone's prayers and support. You have no idea how much we appreciate all you have done. THANK GOD IT IS OVER.

Love you all.

P.S. I will post a bunch of pictures tomorrow. I can't download to my computer so I have to go to my parents house.

We are just hanging out.

2008-11-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

Well, Tate is doing really well right now so we are just hanging out waiting to see when we can go home. The night before last he had some irregular heart rhythms so they did an EKG. They don't know what caused them but say that it is normal after heart surgery for that to happen. The heart has gone through a lot and needs time to adjust back to normal. So they have put Tate on blood pressure medicine. I was very concerned since Tate has been relatively normal and I wish him not to have to take medicine to help his heart but the doctor said we will check it out again in two weeks from release and if it is better he can come off of it. So that is encouraging. His ECHO yesterday looked really good. Like I said we are just hanging out. Tate is in better spirits today. He is doing much better. He is still having difficulty getting up and walking around but we are working on it. He is smiling more and playing better. I just have to get the sucker up and out of bed more.

Tate is my hero. He is so stinkin' cute in is Hulk PJ's and he is such a trooper! - Amy May Teague

Continue to pray for Tate and his healing. Also please pray for the other families here. I cannot describe what some of this kids are going through. Even though this is hard on me and am so sad that Tate has to be here I feel truly blessed that he is doing well and am thinking that old cliche "It could always be worse".

Sorry no pictures but I'm down in the hospital computer lab and can't upload any right now. I have some good ones though so keep checking.

We got a room!!!

2008-11-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, today has been a busy day. Last night was very hard. Tate was having trouble going potty on his own, it hurt him since the Foley came out but he has gotten better today. I am keeping pull-ups on him and letting him go in them. That seems to help. He doesn't want to get out of bed very often. He has been walking (well really taking several steps) twice today. He seems to be doing very well and in much better spirits as am I. I even got him to smile today. He was playing with a fan that JP's work got him and that made him laugh. Thanks guys.

We are in room 8 in CVICU west for those of you who want to visit. He only has one IV and is only getting Tylenol with codeine. He has been such a trooper and I'm so very proud of him. I can't imagine what he thinks about all this. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Hopefully we will be home in a few days.

2008-11-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

Tate is doing well. He has gotten his chest tubes out, the IV in his foot and his Foley. That was traumatic having it all done at one time but he did very well. I have put him in his pj bottoms and his house slippers. They are letting his rest before he has to get up and walk. He has to walk 3 times today. It has been a very good time but we are extremely tired. Spending the night last night went really well (thanks to some sleeping aid) and my sister will be staying with me tonight. What an experience. We have talked to several families with kids here and are encouraged with their stories. Tate has fared a lot better than some but it still saddens me to know this will be a lifetime journey for him. I am so thankful for living in a time where modern medicine can do wonders but I'm also weary of what all this surgery could do to him. We will continue to praise God for our amazingly strong Tate and know that He will prove faithful. We love you all.

He is out!

2008-11-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

He is out of surgery and doing well. He is in pain and they are trying to control it as best they can. Pray for strength, he is scared. The surgery went really well and everything looks great. We are very tired and hope to get some rest. Here are some pics.

Tate's 2nd surgery

2008-11-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, we are here at the hospital and Tate's surgery has just started. His surgeon called an ENT doctor in to look at Tate's lungs because he has had several bouts of pneumonia last winter and still has fluid in his right lung. So they put a scope in and found some infection and flushed it out. They also found a blood vessel putting pressure on his trachea. Tate's surgeon is going to try to move the vessel over so he will stop building up fluid and will be able to flush his lungs out on his own. Hopefully Tate won't be getting sick all the time.

They are going to be putting in a bicuspid valve. We don't know how long it will stay in so that will be unknown territory. Continue to pray for Tate, he will be in surgery for a few hours longer. Thanks for all your support and prayers. Here are some pictures from Tate's party last night and the video game his preschool class gave him and a picture of him and daddy this morning getting his blood pressure taken.

Pumpkin patch and Halloween

2008-11-02T17:31:00.001-08:00

Well this week has been fun and exciting. On Monday we went with Tate's preschool to the pumpkin patch. There were pig races, a hayride, petting zoo and then the pumpkins. We had a great time but it was a little cold for me. Friday was Tate's Halloween party at school. He had a blast and came home with lots of goodies.

And of course we went out to the church fall fest and trick or treating. Seth won the costume contest for his age group. He was adorable, check out the pic. This was the first year Tate has gone trick or treating and after the first two houses when he realized that people were giving him candy he told me that he really liked Halloween. Imagine that.

Okay, on to tomorrow. We have to be at the hospital at 8:30. JP and I are taking Tate to McDonald's for breakfast. At the hospital he will have blood work done, x-rays, EKG and an ECHO. They will look him over really well and we will get to meet the surgeons and get a rundown of the procedure. Please pray that Tate is well enough to have the surgery done. He has allergies and hasn't been feeling all that great so I hope the surgery doesn't get postponed. My grandmother has flown down from Chicago to take care of Seth while we are at the hospital. I am so grateful for that, thanks Mama Martha, we love you.

Will post an update as soon as we know something tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed. Thanks for all your prayers and support.

One week and counting

2008-10-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

It is one week until Tate's surgery and I am counting down the days. I am trying and praying for Tate to be healthy so nothing will postpone his surgery. He has had a bad cough the past few days which is normal for him when the weather starts getting cooler. I am trying my best to keep him at home and limit his activities to school and some church. I am SO ready to get this over with. Pray for strength for me these last few days, I am very sad for my Tate. I can't really explain how I feel so I'm not going to try too.
This week is very busy trying to get things in order. Thanks to all my friends and family who are helping us out so much, I am very grateful for you all.
We will be talking to Tate about the surgery this weekend. He has videos to watch and books to look at. We also are having a party for him on Monday night before his big day. If you want info regarding his party just get in touch with me and I will give you specifics.

Want to put a plug in for my boys. I have all four here today. Seth and Cole are fighting over a Backyardigans guitar. In between the yells they stop and dance. They are so cute. I love watching them get more independence. Tate is spider man and Caden is Batman. My superheros!!!!! It is so neat to see how much they love each other.

I want to shout out to my friend Amy May whose birthday is today. Happy Birthday Maymer!!! I love you.

I will be posting more later.

P.S. On a side note, to those of you who will be spending next Tuesday with us at the hospital, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! You can vote early if you don't want to have to worry with it next Tuesday.

Wild and Crazy Weekend

2008-10-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well, JP and I learned a big lesson this weekend. Don't do two events with kids on the same day. On Saturday we went to the Air Force Base to see the Air Show. It was great even though we didn't get to see the Blue Angels. Tate seemed to enjoy himself and Seth did great. JP loved the F16's which all the kids thought was way too loud. Then we did a mad dash home to get ready to go to the State Fair. What fun!!! Tate loved the rides and all the animals and of course I loved the food. Seth stayed at home with Mima. We had a great time but we were all exhausted. It is amazing how your son having surgery can put a different perspective in view. I seem to appreciate things more and want to do family outings more often. What is sad is that I should always be that way. We only have our children for a short time so we shouldn't be taking these precious moments for granted.

Maybe we shouldn't of told him

2008-10-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Tate doesn't seem to be dealing with his surgery very well right now. He has said some very sad things which makes me sad as well. Yesterday he told me that since he didn't have to get his flu shot (he was sick that day so he couldn't get it) that he didn't want to get his boo boo again either. He refers to his scar as his boo boo. He says that he doesn't want his boo boo to bleed. I just said I don't want him to get to have a boo boo either but that we have to make his heart better. When we went to his pediatrician the other day he suggested that Dr. Holmes will fix his heart for him. I wish she could. So it seems that he has this dread, sadness that he somewhat knows what lies again. (For those of you who don't know Tate well he has been to the doctor so much and had so many things done that he is scared of needles and basically anything you get near him.) So I have many anxieties along with him. I just hope that I can give him comfort and strength when the time comes. His reaction to the IV in his foot a few weeks ago has me very scared. Pray for us.

Tate's 2nd surgery

2008-10-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is 3 years later and the doctors have called us in again to do surgery on Tate. We went for his annual cardio checkup and his echo showed that the monocupst (sp?) valve they put in Tate's heart during his first surgery has stopped working, there is some leakage and his right ventricle is enlarging to compensate. So they have decided to bring Tate in and put in a pulmonary valve. I don't know the specifics about the surgery but it is scheduled for November 4, 2008. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially Tate. I feel better going into this surgery then I did before but it is still extremely hard. I can't even describe it. I will keep posting updates and everyday life here at the Patterson household.

Tate's 1st surgery

2008-10-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

In September 2005, Tate had surgery to repair his defect. He was 5 1/2 months old. The doctors originally told me that he would at least be a year old before they would do the repair so needless to say when they gave me 3 weeks notice about his surgery I was a basketcase. But they wanted to get it done before RSV season and since he seemed to be doing really well they wanted to get it over with. He was in the hospital for 6 days and did remarkably well. He was such a trooper. We had lots of family and friends visit which was a huge blessing. He has continued to do well and had grown up to be such an amazing child.

My little man Tate

2008-10-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Tate was born in April, 2005. It was a pretty uneventfull pregnancy which was good. It never once crossed my mind that something could possibly be wrong with my little man. I still had the mindset that nothing bad was ever going to happen to me, I guess I hadn't crossed the threshold into adulthood were bad things are unavoidable and those who love God aren't without exemption. So there I was, just given birth to what I thought was a huge baby (I couldn't believe that person had just come out of me) watching the nurses look him over when I notice something strange. The two nurses that were checking him out kept taking turns listening to his heart. I thought huh, how many times does one need to do that. One of the nurses walks over to me and tells me that they would like to take Tate down to the nursery and have him checked out by one of the pediatric doctors. I guess I knew then that something was wrong.
The doctor came back to tell me that something was wrong with Tate's heart. He kept saying heart disease which made no sense to me but then it seemed like all things were a vacuum and I couldn't process what was going on. So they took Tate to Children's Hospital. Jason went with him as well as most of the family. A doctor from Children's called me a few hours later to tell me what they had found. Tate was born with a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot with Absent Pulmonary Valve. I just remember asking him "Is it fixable?" and he said yes. Tate spent his first week of life in the hospital and got to come home on my birthday. I can't even describe that week, I still tear up thinking about it. I don't think I have ever felt such brokenness, such devastation. But I do know it was the best birthday present ever.

Getting started

2008-10-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I will start by saying a few things about myself and my pack. Jason and I have been married since 2001 and we have two adorable boys. Tate who is 3 and Seth who is 10 months. I am a stay at home mom and loving every minute of it. I have lots of friends who blog so I thought I would give it a try but I also wanted somewhere I could keep people undated on Tate. I guess I will do that now.