CHD week is February 7th through 14th.
This year for CHD week I want to share with you stories of some pretty amazing kiddos. Other heart moms who I consider good friends of mine have allowed me to share their stories with you and I am going to highlight one story each day. What better way to spread awareness then to show you how it impacts other families and what they go through? I can't take all of the credit. One of my fellow heart sisters did this last year and I thought it was a brilliant idea. So thank you Jenny for letting me steal your idea for this year! Her daughter Aly will be the first story I feature on here!
So please check out the this blog beginning February 7th and each day after that until the 14th.
Also if you are on Pinterest there is a ton of awareness going on! A few moms started sharing the stories of our kids by pinning their story and pictures on their boards. We are all re-pinning them onto boards of our own so these stories reach many more people. Check out my board by clicking the link below and feel free to re-pin the stories onto a board of your own!
Spreading Hope... The Faces of Congenital Heart Defects
I am also very excited because this year Andy and I are attending the American Heart Association's Heart Ball at the end of the month. We have never been and are really looking forward to having a "Date Night". What better way than dinner, dancing and spreading awareness! I will post pictures after the ball.
I will also be working hard trying to get the pulse ox bill passed. If you haven't already and are a WV resident please click below to send a letter to your lawmakers telling them to support HB4327. It only takes a minute and we need to get the word out to our legislators to support this bill. This is so important. So many families are sent home undiagnosed only to lose their child at home. Please help us make pulse ox screening mandatory before any infant is discharged from the hospital.
CLICK HERE TO HELP GET THIS BILL PASSED!
I decided to take on two pretty major projects at once. A few months back I moved the boys into one room and made Jacob's room a playroom. After finding some great idea's on Pinterest I decided it was time to kick it up a knotch. I painted the walls in the boys playroom and created a chalboard on the bottom half of the wall using chalk board paint. It turned out AMAZING. It looks just like the one on pinterest though lol but I love it. Most importantly the boys love it. Jake goes in there multiple times a day and just starts coloring. He is getting really good at it too!
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| How the room looked when it was Jake's bedroom. |
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| Transformed into PLAYROOM! |
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| Jake LOVES to color! |
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| Hooks for Play Clothes |
My second project was re-facing the kitchen cabinets. This started out as a simple idea, paint the kitchen cabinets white. Then my sister mentioned it would look awesome to add molding to the front of them for depth (My cabinets were flat and very plain). So my sister, my dad and I went off to Home Depot and I saw some Bead board and thought that it would look really great. Little did I know how much work it would be. My dad and I built them on the weekends (4 days, not bad for neither of us having any experience with this). We put the bead board in the center then cut the molding to fit and mitered the edges. I glued the bead board down and nailed in the molding then spent my evenings painting. We got some inexpensive pulls to put on the and now my kitchen looks like it is brand new but cost less than what one cabinet would cost to purchase! I LOVE IT! I can't believe how bright it is now.
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| Kitchen Before |
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 Kitchen After! |
The boys are both doing great. Jake got over his cold and has another synagis shot this Friday. Please pray he doesn't catch anything this time. I hate bringing him into the office during cold and flu season but I have to for these shots. Jake is continuing to amaze me with his signing. Everyday he seems to learn a new sign. Last night he went to his room and signed "Sleepy". I put him to bed and he went right to sleep. Tonight I was putting him in the bath and he did the sign for "bath". He loves to watch himself sign in the mirror. I am so proud of him.
Aidan continues to make me beyond proud. He is so good with his brother. He is loving and never gets mad if Jake takes his toys. instead he gets Jacob another one before taking his back so his brother won't get upset. I can't believe how lucky I got with these kids. Aidan loves helping Jacob learn new things and cheers him on. We cheer Aidan on as well and always tell him how proud of him we are. Jacob gives him hugs everyday. It just melts my heart. This was what I dreamed of when I was pregnant with Jake. The day I could watch my boys playing and happy. I couldn't ask for anything better than seeing them smile.
Happy Heart Month Everyone.
Don't forget to check back next Tuesday for CHD week.
Some ways you can spread awareness:
1. Learn the facts and share them with someone.
Click here for more facts about Congenital Heart Defects
2. Donate Blood
3. Donate to CHD research
Children's Heart Foundation
American Heart Association
4. Donate to Sisters by Heart! We provide care packages to newly diagnosed families. This month alone we have sent out 32 care packages. Our packages include items to make their hospital stay easier and most importantly the gift of hope.
Click here to Donate!
I LOVE that picture of Jake at the top. His smile is contagious. :) And your makeovers look awesome!
ReplyDeleteNeat home improvement projects! It is great to hear you will also be sharing stories this year. I will have to add your link to my heart mom interviews once yours start posting.
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