Congenital heart Defect awareness week is here!!!!

I want to share our story, for those you that do not know it. I had a wonderful pregnancy; I ate well, I drank water ALL the time, I kept training martial arts( hey, it was safe) and I even taught my children's brown belt class the night before I delivered! My students were children, and they were understanding when I said I couldn't kick above my waist, but did expect them too! lol. I miss those kids. They will always remain in my heart. Anyway, I my labor and delivery was quick-too quick to get the epid! We spent the night with two pediatricians arguing about Torie's heart. 1 thought it was "just a heart murmurer, she'll out grow it" the 2nd saying it was more. As many times as we asked to see Torie, they kept saying no-you can after the tests are done. I FINALLY got to see her around 4am-after her 7:49 pm birth! yes, it took that long before I could see her. I was more than scared-I was terrified. I had no idea what to ask, to say or do. Finally a ped cardiologist came in around 6 and said "your daughter has Tetralogoy of Fallot and will need open heart surgery soon. I am sending you to Vanderbilt." It was that simple for him. I sat in my bed watching him walk out of the room. I remember looking at Paul and thinking to myself "what have I done? What did I do wrong?" I bawled-a lot. Paul is a wonderful husband who held me and let me cry. While neither one of us truly understood what was happening yet, we knew we had God and each other. Paul had go to carry Torie to the nursery. While he was there, he & Kim took a few pictures of her.

Look how long my foot is!!


Daddy's spoiling me already!




My baby girl!



My birthday!