Day 2

Today is Day 2.  

             Morning of surgery

As most of you know on Friday Knox had his second open heart surgery. It was the longest 7 hours of my life. It was hard to sit there and wait. They didn't end up having to replace any valves at this time. They just repaired. The surgeon said it couldn't have gone more perfectly. 

We met Knox up in our old stomping grounds, the CTICU. Knox did great the first night, and they were already taking about moving us across the squirrel. 

BUT in true Knox Hatmaker style it just couldn't be that easy. We have had a few hiccups the last two days that have landed us to still be residing in the CTICU. NONE of them have to do with his heart. The heart looks great. (Insert insanely happy smile).  I don't mind being over here though because we are surrounded by old and new friends that are taking great care of our little peanut. Everything going on is pretty normal post op things around a surgery of this magnitude. His body just needs a little more time to recover. With the wonderful news we received from his surgeon, I don't care if he makes me sit here for 20 days. 

He is slowly becoming his old self. We even got a smile out of him this morning. Thank you again for all your texts, prayers, Facebook photos, and ridiculously amazing Knox Tshirt photos. 

We love you all From the bay in H4b! 

It's time

Well.... it certainly has been awhile. As I look back the last time I blogged was in July. Ouch.

Now its December. And Knox is 9 months old. When did that happen? He is such a little man and we love him so. He wants to touch everything and then put it in his mouth! Sometimes its hard to remember how our adventure with Knox began, but its always there. Looming in the back of your mind. When its time to head back to Columbus for phase two of Knox's congenital heart defect journey.

Merry Christmas, its time.

We knew it was coming. Every three weeks we would go to our cardiology appointment just kind of waiting for the word. We are still sitting pretty good because his numbers are still good, thus its not an emergency. Its just necessary.

So, next Wednesday we will load our family up for Columbus. This is the first time Knox will actually ride to Columbus out of womb. We will have all of our pre-op tests on Thursday, and then on Friday, December 19th Knox will have his second open heart surgery. They say if all goes well recovery usually is 5 to 7 days; which means we are likely spending our second holiday at Nationwide Children's Hospital.  I told Knox, like the Easter bunny, I'm sure Santa can find him.

This time will be hard and it will be different for Drew and I. Not that it wasn't hard the first time because it definitely was, but its different. When Knox was born he was a little baby who we didn't know. We hadn't cuddled. When hadn't spent late nights and early mornings together. We hadn't travelled to 14 states together, met Santa, and attended numerous cattle sales. This time it is our little man; who is wiggly and active. Please say a prayer for our strength through all of this.

But here is where I ask for a favor. Many of you wonderful people bought Knox shirts this summer. I ask that on Friday, December 19th you wear your Knox shirt for strength and support of our little guy.   Take a photo and tag it to Drew or I on Facebook so that we can make an album for Knox to see in the future of all the wonderful support he received. Of course, we also hope that you will keep Knox and his doctors, nurses, and team in your prayers.

If you don't have a shirt and would like one, there are still some available. Contact me to get one.

I will go back to updating this blog during our stay at Nationwide as I can.

Blanket of Love

Throughout 2014, thus far. I have been truly humbled by the amount of love and support Drew, myself, and Knox have been given by friends all over the United States, but perhaps none has hit me quite as hard as Saturday evening. 

As most of you know I was a member of the American Junior Simmental Association for many years, and competed at national classics for 11 years. Since aging out I have attended national classics to judge, promote our business, and continue my investment in some amazing young people of our breed. I served two terms on the AJSA Board of Trustees. 

You have seen from an earlier blog that Project Linus gave Knox a blanket while we were in the hospital, and the AJSA was making blankets for Project Linus as their service project. 

Knox, himself donated four blankets, and his great- Nana gave us two more blankets to donate as well. 

Other friends donated money in honor of Knox to make blankets. 

On Saturday night at the banquet, the junior board gave an update on their service project that the completed. The Louisville Project Linus chapter was given 150 blankets to brighten sick children's day. 

Allison then began to talk about three future AJSA members that got off to a rough start. Knox and his friends Breham and Berwick Bloomberg; twins of my good friend Blake who were born at only a pound a piece. They just got to go home last week. The AJSA Board presented our family as well as the Bloomberg family with blankets they made for us. 

They called us to the front to accept these blankets. I was a bucket of tears. Knox and Drew had stayed at the hotel so it was just me and my tears. I love the simmental breed and the AJSA, but knowing that they support my little guy and thought of him as they did this program was too much for me to handle.

We have been blessed by some great friends and even strangers since Knox came into this world, but this gesture was just too much for me to handle. I was (and still am) overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness to Knox. It will forever be a moment that will hold a special place in my heart as well as those young people who thought of my little man. 

Thank you AJSA board, you will never know how much I appreciate this blanket. I look forward to telling Knox about you all as he gets older. I am so proud of the success of your project and for helping children who need a bright spot in their day. 

 

Raise your hand if you are 4 months!

Monday we celebrated Knox's 4 month birthday! 

4 months? Whoa! 

We celebrated with getting our 4 month shots which he did not enjoy, and then shopping at Trader Joe's. Our pediatrician who we love, of course only sees us for normal baby stuff. She was very happy with his growth and development. 

4 month stats: 

Weight: 10 pds 3 oz. 

Height: 23 in. 

Knox loves: 

- Taking a bath in his bath tub

- Sitting up (with some help)

New things: 

- Went to his first wedding 

- Celebrated his first 4th of July

- Went shopping for the first time

- 0-3 month clothing

- Size 1 diapers!

Knox wasn't really into photo taking because he still didn't feel well. 

Some Good News

Today we got some wonderful news. 

A lot of you have asked what's next for Knox and his heart journey. We haven't known what to tell you because we weren't for sure ourselves. We have been waiting to see if the left ventricle of the heart will heal and begin to work better. 

Over the last few weeks our pediatric cardiologist here in Lexington has been very happy with Knox's numbers. She said that it looked like the left side was working better. Like she does every two weeks she sends his numbers to Columbus for our team to look at. 

Today during our visit Dr. Cottrill read us a letter from The Heart Center that said indeed the left side was doing better and believed that in the future it will be a working part of the heart. Which is AMAZING news. I couldn't help but cry tears of joy. 

Yes he will still have to have surgery but this route is the much more ideal route that the one we hoped for. It will also likely require some maintenance later in life. 

Tomorrow Drew and I will celebrate our four year wedding anniversary and we couldn't have asked for a better gift than this wonderful news. 

Please continue to pray for growth and strength for Knox and his heart. The prayers sure are working! 

3 months old

News flash! We now have a three month old baby in the Hatmaker residence! Well, we have for a few weeks, but it has been way busy!

3 month stats: 

Weight: 8.5 Pds 

Length: 21 1/2 inches 

Likes to: 

- suck our thumb

- chew on our hands 

- choo and make noises 

Father's Day

Today is a very special day. Today is Father's Day! Of course, as many of you can gather it also Drew's first Father's Day. 

I got pretty lucky when God designed my perfect match. He designed a wonderful, strong man who loves me unconditionally no matter what the circumstances. But it has never been more evident how amazing and perfect Drew is for me and was meant to be a daddy than this spring. 

God knew that I needed someone strong to sit beside in the hospital on one of our many trips to Central Baptist. He knew that I needed someone to told me when we first received the news about our unborn child. He knew that Drew would be the perfect person to sit with me through labor pains and tell me how wonderful I was and how great of a job I was doing. He made Drew strong to support his wife and child through 47 days at the Children's hospital, but more importantly, he made him the perfect dad. 

I know that I could not have made it through the last couple months without him. Knox is incredibly lucky to have him as a daddy, and I plan on telling him that for the rest of his life. The saying at the top really is true, my love for Drew has grown immensely as I have watched him care for Knox in and out of the womb. 

Not only did God make Drew to be my partner and best friend, but he made the perfect daddy for our precious son. 

So Knox and I hope that we can make the first Father's Day a special one for the one we love and cherish. We can't thank him enough for being the rock for our family.