Goodbye Temple...We love you!!!

Well, this is going to be short because it's late and I still have more to do to prepare for our big day tomorrow.  D-day is finally here!  Tomorrow morning the kids and I will head out from Temple, TX on our 3 day journey to our new home in Virginia with Daddy.  We are very saddened to leave all of our friends and family but know that in today's world we can "keep in touch" a lot better through technology.  Please check the blog for updates not only on Reagan but our whole family.
We had a lot of "last times"this week which were no fun but glad we were able to have them.  We will cherish our last 7 yrs. spent in Temple forever.  Plus, plan to come back here to "retire" in 3 yrs.  That's right, after our time in Virginia, Rod will be just 3 yrs. away from retirement!!!  We have already decided Central Texas is where we would like to be.  That means this is only a temporary goodbye for now : )
Here is a glimpse at our last week in Temple:

Eating with Rod's side of the family

Eating out with friends

Reagan with Ms. Donna, her Physical Therapist

Last Day with Mrs. Lauren, her Occupational Therapist

Reagan on her last day with Mrs. Melissa, her Homebound Teacher

Nolan's last day, with his 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Villarreal

Nolan with his best bud Grant

Nolan with his Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Sims

Although we'll be in Virginia the next few years, our hearts are with all of you!!  

We love you,

Rod, Jen, Nolan & Reagan

Happy 5th Birthday Reagan!!!

Baby girl, I cannot believe you are 5 years old today.  Your Daddy, brother and I are sooo proud of you for how far you have come in these 5 years.  There were days your Daddy and I did not know if you’d make it through the day.....And look at you now turning 5!  You are such a strong little girl and so full of cheer.  Your laugh is contagious and your Aunt Robyn has said on more than one occasion she’d like to record your laugh and use it as her ringtone.  You brighten everyone’s day that you come in contact with.  You have taught your family well how to cherish every moment and not take anything for granted!!  You are God’s gift from above to show others His power....You are a true living miracle!  Thank you for showing us how to smile through the hard times and keep pushing on toward the goal at hand.  We love you dear Reagan and look forward to the next 5 minutes, hours, days or years with you!!

Here are some glimpses from the first 5 years....

The day you got to come home from the hospital after spending 10 days in the NICU

My precious one

Smiling through the rough times

1st birthday- feeding from a feeding tube.  

You had already had one heart surgery and a two major scares (a stroke & staph infection)

Spending Easter in the hospital in California

Enjoying the exersaucer with oxygen & feeding tube attached 

(Mama spent the whole time untangling your tubes : )

Learning to crawl at 2 yrs old with a feeding tube in tow

Learning to walk with your walker

Your 2nd birthday, feeling a little under the weather after just being sick

Your 3rd birthday (Finally able to eat your cake and enjoy it)

Many days spent in the hospital but with a smile : )

Graduating from Homeschool Pre-K with your teacher Mrs. Melissa

Acting crazy with your brother Nolan

Your 4th birthday party

Outside Ronald McDonald House in California (Our home away from home)

My big girl today, all ready for school (boo hoo for Mom)  

Don't know what I'll do with myself when you're at school next year.

And, of course, in closing, we couldn't have made it this far without our Lord, 

our friends helping taking care of Nolan, 

our family helping us with Reagan in & out of the hospital,

Reagan with MiMi in hotel in California

Our main babysitter Aunt Kay

and Miss Katie 

our generous friends at Wilsonart

                                                                         all the therapists, doctors, nurses, etc. 

Here with Ms. Donna who has been Reagan's Physical Therapist since she was a baby.

and with Dr. Johnson, Reagan's beloved cardiologist since she was born.

And all of you for your support & prayers throughout this journey!!  

We love & thank you all!!

Home Sweet Home....

Just wanted to let everyone know Reagan did great Friday night following her heart cath.  She was discharged Sat. morning and we all took a much needed 5 hr. nap Sat. afternoon in the hotel room.  Sunday morning we checked out of our hotel and headed for the airport.  Reagan kept wanting to leave while Mom & I were packing up Sunday morning and I kept telling her, "Our airplane is not here yet."  To which, she kept replying "Is our airplane here YET?" about every 15 minutes.  She was definitely ready to come home!  She also kept saying, "I feel better, I got out of the hospital."

Discharge Day...Ready to GO!

She did great for the plane ride home, played with her toys for awhile then said, "I'm done" and laid down on my lap.  Here's how she spent the rest of the flight...

Since coming home, she is back to her normal self blowing and going.....

Off to therapy she goes Monday...

Off to ballet on Tuesday...

So thankful she was able to jump right back into her schedule this time without needing extra time to recover.  We are truly thankful for an easy trip!!
Speaking of trips, how about one to Virginia.  Before Rod left in early January for Virginia, I contemplated whether the kids and I should stay in Texas until the end of the school year or if Reagan were to have a good checkup in CA, move sooner.  Well, before knowing how well she'd do this time, Rod and I discussed the move and decided we should move sooner.
Reason #1:  Nolan plays baseball and last year Rod missed the season due to being in Afghanistan.  Also, Nolan was on a winning team and they played until the end of July before getting knocked out of the State Playoffs.  If we were to stay and that happened again, Rod would miss Nolan's baseball season again and that would keep us here longer, therefore keep our family apart longer.  : (
By moving early, Nolan could play baseball in VA & Dad would get to be a part of it! : )
Reason #2:  Reagan turns 5 next month which means she will be able to attend Kindergarten in the fall.  With us moving to Virginia & starting over with a new school, I would feel better about getting into their school system this year & getting a feel for it, as well as meet with the team about an IEP for Reagan.  We know she is smart and capable of the work but know she is going to need some extra help with certain things.  Her endurance we are not sure about, as far as if she can make it 7 hrs. a day at school.  Moving early would allow me to get set up with a pediatrician, cardiologist, etc. in case they need to request modified school hours for her until she can go the distance of a regular school day.  All that said, if we moved in the summer, I would be scrambling to find people at the school in order to have things set up for her BEFORE school started.
Reason #3:  Daddy is a sad, depressed little puppy without us and he has had to spend enough time away from his family.  He needs us!!
So, in conclusion, we have decided to move at our Spring Break time here in Texas which starts March 9th.  The Spring Break in Virginia is actually an Easter Break the first week of April.  By moving over our Spring Break, Nolan would start school up there for 2 weeks then get another week off.  I only think this is fair seeing that he started school in Texas in Aug. & won't finish until Jun. 19 in VA.  That deserves 2 Spring Breaks, right??
With all that said, we need your prayers for our upcoming move, adjustment for Nolan starting a new school, getting setup with all new doctors, therapists, etc. for Reagan.  It's a giant task, but I keep telling  myself, "It's hard by the yard, but a cinch by the inch."  So, each day (when time allows)  I do a little something to help get ready for the Big Day.  Today, we made a countdown chain together.  Reagan cut the strips, Nolan glued & put the chain together.

1 loop for each week....7 weeks-  Not long....it will be here before we know it!

Best Cath Ever!!!

Reagan went back to the cath lab a little after 8 this morning.  By about 10:40 I was getting word that Reagan was done and headed to recovery.  I questioned them whether she truly was done or someone was just coming out to update us as they had blocked off 4 hrs. for Reagan's cath.  Shortly after, Dr. Perry, the cardiologist who did her cath, came walking in and gave us great news!!  She truly was done and did great.  Back in July, Dr. Perry had to balloon 4 of Reagan's pulmonary arteries to her right lung.  Today 3 of the 4 looked good but one of them to her right upper lobe had re-narrowed & they had to balloon it again.  There also was an artery to her right middle lobe that they had to balloon as well.  And, the best news of all was that her coronary artery that they had to balloon last time, due to it only measuring .3mm , has stayed open and nothing further had to be done!  Praise God!!  Oh, and a double bonus is we don't have to come back for her next cath for 1 YEAR.  Overall, I am told she surprised Dr. Perry by how good she looked, which is a feat to do. 
Afterward in the recovery room, however, she was quite the handful for her mama.  She has to lay flat for 4 hrs. after a cath without bending her legs.  She was in no mood to follow those rules today and I literally felt like I was in a wrestling match with her trying to get her to stay down.  Eventually, after I was almost brought to tears, I got her somewhat calmer and distracted by eating a popsicle.  We finally were moved upstairs to a room for her overnight stay.  She is on a slight bit (1/4 L) of oxygen following the cath but we are working on getting rid of that by morning.  If the night goes well, the plan is to discharge Sat., spend the night in the hotel, and fly home Sunday.
Thank you all for your prayers.  Here are a couple of pics from this trip I wasn't able to add yesterday.

Reagan at her pre-cath appt. Thurs.

Painting at the RMH playroom with her heart friend, Callie.

Grabbing a yummy dinner from In-N-Out Burger

This morning before her heart cath

Being put to sleep in the cath lab

Post cath in her room tonight trying to eat some dinner

P.S. On a final note, while I've been gone Nolan hurt his elbow at a skating party Wed. night and it has remained swollen for two days now.  Aunt Kay took him to the pediatrician for me today and got it x-rayed.  They're not sure if it's fractured or if there's a fluid accumulation so he is being referred to an orthopedic & is in a sling until then.  Guess I'll be spending next week at the doctors with Nolan. : (