Saturday, April 27, 2013

One Month Home!!

 We have been home for one month today!!

It has been a busy month!

We have seen:

2 Pediatric Cardiologists
Pediatric Heart Surgeon
International Adoption Clinic Physician
Pediatric Urologist
Pediatrician

We have also had heart surgery!

WOW!
We are now going to embark on:
Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Speech Therapy
 probably 2-3 times each week for each discipline
to see if we can't get this little one closer to being caught up!

The changes in him are subtle:

He has now gained about a pound.
He is smiling so much more than when we first brought him home.
He is exploring the whole house.
He loves the outside.
He isn't crying before, during, and after eating anymore, 
just a few whimpers before and after.
He LOVES to watch Jacob and Julia.
He is able to hold his own bottle while drinking - not that he always will...
He took his first independent steps on his own just today!!

We are in love with this little one!!
We love the redemption of a life played out in his life
as he touches the lives and hearts of everyone he has come into contact with
this month.

Happy One Month Home Hannes...


Thursday, April 25, 2013

We are home!!






We were discharged today!!

We are a bit weary,
Hannes is a bit sore,
but we are so 
glad to be home!


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Hannes has a healed heart!

Hannes had surgery at UCLA on Monday!
They found a bit more wrong than they anticipated - 
but they were able to fix everything
and
they don't believe that Hannes will need any more heart surgery!!

Yay!

His recovery has been really good:
Monday he slept most of the day
Tuesday he was a bit fussy most of the day
Today he had a visit from Jacob (6) and Julia (5)
and was happy most of the day
Tomorrow they are anticipating - discharge!!

Yay!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and
encouragement throughout this journey!

We are so in love with him
and so grateful
that God brought us together!

Yay!!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Enjoying the weekend...

Enjoying the weekend...

Hannes's open heart surgery is
early Monday morning...

We would appreciate your prayers for 
a successful operation,
wisdom for the doctors,
and peace for Mom.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Update!!



We have seen two pediatric cardiologists and had two ECHO's done and have met with a pediatric heart surgeon who is the Chief of Congenital Heart Surgery at UCLA.  Hannes will have open heart surgery on Monday, April 22.  We ask that you pray for his surgery, the surgeon, and for his recovery.  We know that God is good no matter the outcome


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Today with Hannes in pictures...





 Hannes LOVES to be outside!


 He is mesmerized by all that there is to see outside!!



 He has the silliest faces!!



And there are those smiles he has... melt my heart ~ love those dimples!!



Monday, April 8, 2013

Diagnosis...

When we committed to Hannes, the medical information we had was that he had a VSD. That is a hole between the two ventricles in his heart. The entire time we have been working toward him, we felt an urgency to get him home - not just because he was an orphan, but also because we were thinking that there was more wrong with his heart than "just" a VSD.

Today, the pediatric cardiologist did an EKG and an ECHO of his heart. He has Tetralogy of Fallot. This is actually 4 distinct heart defects - which include his original diagnosis of VSD. It also includes an ASD, which is an Atrial Septal Defect, which is a hole between the two atria. These two holes are quite big in Hannes's heart. This can be offset by the pulmonary vessel going into his lungs being a bit narrowed, which would protect his lungs from too much blood flowing into the lungs. However, his isn't narrowed as much as the cardiologist would have liked.

This is more serious than can be handled at our local hospital, so we will be going to either UCLA or Children's Hospital of LA - both which are known for good pediatric cardiology care. Our next step is to go for a cardiac cath which will give the doctors information about the pressure in his heart and lungs. Depending on the results, the thought is that they will then do surgery to repair his heart - most likely this summer. He said they will want to do it before the next flu/RSV season.

Thank you for your prayers for Hannes and for us as we travel this road.


Sunday, April 7, 2013

Hannes's Heart

Please pray for our pediatric cardiologist 
appointment tomorrow.

We got several conflicting diagnosis's 
while in his country.

One was quite serious, if it is true.
One was quite repairable, if it is true.

I am eager to get the truth tomorrow
and know just
what congenital heart defect 
that Hannes has.

I know that the Lord has this covered.
He knows what is wrong with Hannes's heart.
And He will be with us throughout our future
no matter what that journey 
looks like.

Thank you for your prayers.



Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Siblings...


 
 
Hannes with his big brother Nate and his big sister Lydia...