Pictures from Stage 2, the Glenn
Pictures from Stage 3, the Fontan Please note - these pictures, for the most part, are "safe". If you're interested in post-op pictures from the Norwood, please email us at us@babysamson.com for access.
Doctor Visits
Fontan
General Updates
Glenn
Life with Sammy
Norwood
Other HLHS families
Support
Surgery & Recovery
Surprises
Test Results
Worrying
Four years old
Happy holidays!
Home, home, home!
Recovery
Unexpected Open Heart Surgery
Fenestration-closing cath
One year post-Fontan!
NSTAR's Walk for Children's Hospital Boston
3 years old & cardiology visit
Wild Man
Update and Santa
Blue episodes and a cardiology appointment today
Ellie's Fontan
Post-Fontan Cardiology Visit
"You've gotta just let him be."
Sammy's Recovery from the Fontan
Life Post-Fontan
Bump from home
We are home!
Fontanized - Day 6 Update
Day 4 Post-Op 2:30pm Update
Fontanized, Day 4 Post-Op
Bump #2 - Pneumothorax
Little Bump
Fontan Post-Op, Day 2
Extubated!
Fontan Post-Op Update
Fontan Day
Fontan Pre-op Done
Checking in
Update, 2 years old, Fontan date, more
And we're free!
Pre-Fontan cath DONE.
Cath Day
Day 1, Pre-Fontan Cath Prep
Pre-Fontan cath
Twenty-three months: chatterbox, the holidays and the cath
Twenty-two months
Cardiology visit
Eighteen months
Seventeen months
Early Intervention Assessment
Fourteen month update
Miles for Miracles - Together in Heart.
Sedated echo
Look who's one!
One year.
11 1/2 months old!
Almost 10 months old!
Cardiologist Visit
Just about nine months!
Who is this kid, and what did you do with my baby?
Eight months old!
7 months old!
Coming up on 7 months
Six month update
Post-op Checkup & Life post-Glenn
And we're outta here!
Waiting to go home & a few firsts...
Truckin' along
Step-Down!
And the lines are OUT!
Happy updates
Post-Glenn, Day 4
Post-Glenn, Day 3
Post-Glenn, Post-Bronchial Spams, Day 3
Not fun - post-Glenn, night 2
Post-Glenn, Day 2
Post-Glenn, Day 2 - morning
Post-Glenn, Day 1, part 2
Post-Glenn, Day 1
He's out!
In surgery - updates
the wait
The night before the Glenn
Preparing for the Glenn
Update & Surgery
Milk Allergy Fun
Chatty Sammy
Cath Hospitalization
Catheterization
Gasmonster!
Teaching Sammy about the world.
Miles for Miracles
First bath!
Gassy infant prodigy
Rockin' Sammy
Revelations about mamahood
Babymoon, Part 2
Babymoon, Part 1
Home Sweet Home
Discharged!
Rumor has it...
Stepdown, Day 2
We have step down!
Today was pretty mellow
No step-down for you
Time to buy stock in St. Joseph's
One step closer
Extubation!
One step at a time
Done with the closing
Chest Closing
Birth story
Chest Closing & Mama in Triage
Recovery
Out of Surgery
Welcome, Sammy!
Samson Arrives
Labor update
Of due dates and inductions
Baby Grace
Snow baby?
Welcome to the jungle
Getting closer...
37 1/2 week update
Fighting the bad thoughts
Getting bigger - and closer!
31 weeks with Dr. Brown, CHB
31 Week Appt. w/ Dr. Johnson
One big monkey!
Starting to Get Ready
30 Weeks and Full-blown Panic
Silly Pregnant Lady
27 Week Visit
Fears
EFO Shout Out
Weird Pains & an Early Morning Trip to the Hospital
Fetal Echo at Boston Children's Hospital
DiGeorge's - Negative!
Evil Genetics Counselor
Full amnio results
22 weeks and Life Now
Pediatric Cardiologist
Redefining Normal
FISH Results
Embarrassing the poor boy already
The Baby's Name
Post-Amnio
Pre-amnio, Baby痴 name riddle
Reiki energy, and not being alone
Friends and Tarzan
Trying to get through the day
The diagnosis
Trying to stay positive
Pre-Diagnosis
Two days ago, my friend Alyson said to me, "His first birthday - heart issue or not - is going to be an emotional day no matter how you slice it."
Did I expect to be crying within moments of waking up? Seriously. Jay went and got Sammy from his crib just minutes before the actual one year anniversary of his birth and had him hand me two cards - one from Sammy and one from him thanking me for Sammy. Then the clocked flashed the very numbers for the very moment when Sammy entered the world and I turned into a blubbery mess.
It's been a very emotional year, a very hard year, a very amazing year. And it is so comforting to have it behind us. There's something about the one-year mark that seemed so huge to us, as though the first year is the hardest struggle with heart kids, and here - we made it! We made it to one! And he is fantastic! Even with one more surgery looming, it feels like the toughest, most fragile days are behind us. I know that might not be the case, but I'm hoping it is and that he sails through the next surgery and we have so many, many more birthdays ahead of us. He's on a good path - good weight gain (we broke 19lbs!), good heart numbers (we had sats in the 90s the other day!), right on target for all the milestones (talking up a storm and almost WALKING!!!) and just the happiest, most social little man. We couldn't be luckier. (Knock on wood. Please.)
He's no longer a little baby, and I'm so grateful for the toddler we now have.
My dad commented on Sammy's energy, how he has more energy than most kids my dad has known. There was no stopping the kid yesterday - he bowled over the other kids. Literally. What is it about first birthdays that makes everyone insist that the new toddler walk? We didn't get more than a few stumbly steps out of him - soon! - but he played hard and charmed everyone and made it through most of the cake before he had a meltdown - and rightfully so. I didn't schedule it quite right, and the cake came about a half-hour too late, when he should have been snuggled in and peacefully snoring away. Still, he mashed some cake, shared a handful or two with whomever was closest, smeared blue and red icing all over the Little Einstein shirt we had made for him and nibbled on the plastic Quincy decoration before being whisked off for naptime.
It was a great weekend filled with family and friends and a deep, deep appreciation for the support and love we've gotten over the past year. It may not have been said, but it was in our hearts all day long.
He's one now, and the most fantastic one-year-old I've ever known.
Previous entry :One year.
Next entry: Sedated echo
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