A Dallas Weekend

The carousel at the Dallas Zoo
Here is to looking at you

Natalie's first ice cream cone

The clean before the storm...Luke and Carter

Luke, Carter, Gigi, Natalie and Kate

Last Thursday, we loaded up the car full of bags, kids; even my mom and headed to Dallas for a busy weekend of doctor's appointments, family and fun.

I have started to realize that my kids are not perfect angels in the car like I always prayed they would be. In fact, my kids talk almost the entire time, which is 5 to 6 hours to Dallas with them. I try to be that good mom and pack healthy snacks to keep their tummy's full, but the only thing they want and it does keep them quiet is CANDY. I did get a few healthy snacks in before the airheads and ring pops came out...whatever keeps them quiet and happy the longest, sometimes is the best answer in my book.

We were welcomed to Dallas on Thursday night with a nice thunderstorm. I forgot what thunder even sounded like. Carter was too cute, he asked Larry what the lights in the sky were. Larry of course giving him the best answer, "It is God turning the lights on and off in Heaven." Carter thought that was the coolest thing he had ever heard or seen. I love the innocence of kids!

Friday was a full day at Children's Medical Center, our home away from home. We started off the visit with the ENT department. We had a new doctor, Dr. Mitchell this visit and he was wonderful. Natalie's right ear tube is about 50% out. Dr. Mitchell feels that within the next few months both should be out. Please pray that Natalie does okay with her ear tubes out and does not start having infections again. He said that if she starts having a lot of ear infections, they normally like to be proactive with heart kids, so that means more tubes, but for now time will tell.

After ENT we had about an hour to spare, which really is not a lot of time by the time you load kids into car seats, so we decided to just stay at Children's and enjoy the trains and playground for a bit and then go eat lunch in the cafeteria. This was really the first time Natalie got to see the trains and probably understand them. She loved it just as much as Carter did. They were both running around screaming.

After lunch we headed to our favorite floor, 3! We even ran into one of our good nurse friends in the hallway, which was a wonderful surprise.

Natalie's appointment with Zellers was good, but not like I had hoped. Natalie is growing great, but her oxygen is down. I have noticed lately Natalie has been breathing a little bit harder and have just been aware over the past few doctor visits to the pediatrician that her oxygen is not has high as it was last March. Last March when we went to Dallas her oxygen was running 89 to 90 and now it is 79 to 82. Her EKG looked good, but her blood was above average, but okay.

Dr. Zellers said she is growing, which in turn she is just not getting enough blood flow to the lungs. This is all normal for a heart baby, she is just moving toward the next surgery. I guess, I was just hoping she would be able to wait another summer, but it does not look like that is going to happen. Right now, it looks like she will have surgery this coming summer. Yes, that freaks me out, but I know it will be okay. I know we have gone through heart surgery before, 3 times to be exact, but this time will feel different. I think partially because she is older, we have spend so much time with her outside the hospital. Plus, she can talk, she will be able to express her hurting and fear better than before, which is both good and scary as a mother to know your child is in pain or scared. No need to start worrying now, because we still have time.

Dr. Zellers has moved up our next appointment with him. He wants to give her a little time to be able to see somethings, but not too much time. We go back in January and will know a lot more then about what lies head and timing.

After a full day of fun at Children's, what better then to have Gran and Papa come in for the weekend to play! Larry's parents came in Friday night for the weekend.

Actually, they kept our kids on Saturday while we went to the Arkansas vs A&M game. Now if you missed that game, you missed a great one...Go Hogs! The game came down to the last minute, but the Hogs decided to show up for the second half.

While we were celebrating the win. Larry's parents took the kids to the Dallas Zoo. Natalie's favorite thing was the carousel. She got to ride going in and going out, of course. Carter had a ball as well.

Sunday we went to pick my mom back up from my brother's and hang out with them as well. Carter got a hold of my nephew's Luke's swords and went to down on a dead bush out front. We do not have toys like that yet, because I am pretty sure he would use it more on his sister and his sister would use it on him. Natalie played with Kate and loved all of her fun big girl things.

It was so nice in Dallas this weekend, that we walked to a burger joint close by and then had ice cream. Natalie and Carter both had their first ice cream cone. I hope the pictures above do some of the justice, but nothing was better then the seeing it in person, the ice cream was everywhere. A good friend of mine, Sarah came to meet us as well with her cute little boy too.

Family + Friends + Good Doctor Appointments + Hog Victory = Successful Weekend