He Got All of Me...

Well, today marks 3 weeks since Parke passed away. It's gone by fast. 

I've started to get back in a routine (as much as one can with life's craziness), I have both Landry and Collier back in my arms today, and I have had a fabulous week of shopping away some blues with friends. 

I had a few friends buy me special CD's after Parke's death. One friend said, "I know this is so 90's, but these are great." :) Ha! Really, they have been wonderful tools to minister to my heart. One of my new scheduled items with my "routine" is to get up at 5:30 or 6 to do my quiet time and work out. A lot of mornings, I do it all together. I stick one of the CD's in the player and work out while listening and worshiping our Lord. Spiritual and physical work out all in one...you know, always multitasking! 

So, I wanted to share two of my favorite songs out of the bunch with you...

The first is Natalie Grant's "Held." It is a beautiful song that we actually used in Parke's service. My sweet friend, Emily, sang the song beautifully during Parke's slideshow. You can watch the picture video and hear the song at the link below.

Parke Picture Video to "Held"

The second song is newer to me. I just heard it in the past few days, but it created a total sob-fest for me. It is by Matt Hammitt and called "All of Me." 

Listen to the song here.

The lyrics of this song are perfect, and they describe the way that I felt about Parke that I didn't know how to put in words. 

Here are the words...

Afraid to love 

something that could break

Could I move on

if you were torn away?

And I'm so close to what I can't control

I can't give you half my heart and pray he makes you whole.

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ALL OF ME, 

You're gonna have all of me, 

Cause' you're worth every falling tear, 

You're worth facing any fear

 YOU'RE GONNA KNOW ALL MY LOVE,

even if it's not enough

Enough to mend our broken hearts,

But giving you all of me is where I'll start

I won't let sadness, steal you from my arms.

I won't let pain keep you from my heart.

I'LL TRADE THE FEAR OF ALL THAT I COULD LOSE,

FOR EVERY MOMENT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU

 You're gonna have all of me, you're gonna have all of me.

Cause you're worth every falling tear, you're worth facing any fear. 

You're gonna know all my love, even if it's not enough. 

Enough to mend our broken hearts, but giving you all of me is where I'll start. 

Heaven brought you to this moment, it's too wonderful to speak. You're worth all of me. 

You're worth all of me!

So let me RECKLESSLY LOVE YOU, even if I bleed. 

You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me...

{Chorus Again}

The words to that song just give me chills to type them. They speak a lot of what is on my heart. We could have walked away, we could have chosen to "switch" our match to a healthy baby after we learned of Parke's illness, but HE WAS WORTH EVERY TEAR. Parke getting to be a part of our family (here and for eternity!) was worth any amount of pain I'm facing. I lived 49 days with him as a normal baby. I tried not to look at him and see a child who was here in passing. He was my baby, and he got all my love...even when it hurt. I would choose this path every day over and over again because I was blessed by being Parke's mama. I did (and do) recklessly love him, and that makes the pain even more real....but he was worth having all my love. 

I'm missing my boy today, but thankful and blessed by the two crazy fair-skinned Gibsons. 

Happy Thursday...it's almost the weekend! :)

Celebrating through tears...

Today we will join with many friends and family to celebrate Parke's life. Today is a good day. Today, I am thankful that we have a reason to celebrate and a baby in heaven that belongs to our family. 

I have moments of being so sad, but I try to remind myself to be thankful that God gave us the gift of such a beautiful baby...even just for a short time. Eternity will not be short, and we will be with him again for those days. I'm so thankful for Parke Henry, and today we will celebrate his days of LIFE here with us. His days were peaceful, precious, and full of love. 

Job 1:21

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Landry's Moments...

Landry was able to have some special big sister time with Parke on Thursday morning before he passed. This will probably surprise a lot of people, but she didn't even know he was sick. We hadn't really talked about that. She overlooked the oxygen, the medicine, the doctors visits, and all she saw was her baby brother...he was perfect and complete in her eyes. 

Thursday morning, we brought her into our room and snuggled her up in the bed with the 3 of us. The first thing she did was lean down and kiss Parke's head. She giggled and laughed and said, "Baby Parke is teasin' me! He sounds like a little piggy!" His breathing was labored at that point, and it was a cute description and made us all giggle for her to describe it that way. I'm so thankful that she interpreted it that way and not as scary. 

We told her for the first time that baby Parke was going to go live with Jesus. 

She said, "But I want him to live with me!" and "When will he come back?"

We told her that he had a broken heart and it would be totally fixed in Heaven. We explained that one day we would all get to go live in heaven with Jesus and we would be with Parke again on that day. 

She said, "But I don't have a broken heart." 

Landry also kept saying, "But I still want TWO brudders!" 

We told her that she will always have two brothers, and that she gets to tell people that she has a brother in heaven...not many little girls get to say that, and that makes her an extra special sister!

Her reply was, "But I want two brudders HERE." 

She asked some tough questions...things we didn't expect from a 2 1/2 year old. But, it was amazing what she understood. I loved getting to tell her even more about God and his purpose for our lives. 

One of Landry's favorite things about Parke were his "tiny feet!" She wanted to match their feet up that morning, so I snapped a quick picture. What a precious moment. 

She loved on him and hugged him lots that morning. We never asked her to say "goodbye" because that isn't what I wanted her to remember. I asked her if she wanted to sing Jesus Loves Me to him, and she did. The way she sang it was priceless...

"Jesus loves me...you!" and would look at Parke.

"Yes, Jesus loves me...you! Yes, Jesus loves me...you!"

She wanted him to know that he was SO loved...because he was!

I'm glad I didn't post this a few days ago because since then, we have continued to be amazed at Landry's comprehension of the situation. Someone was sharing their condolences with us the other day when we were out, and Landry told them that her baby brother, Parke, was in heaven with Jesus. She told the lady, "Jesus is holding him because babies have to be watched." :) 

Just this morning, she told me that she missed baby Parke and wanted him to come back to his home with her. We talked about how that wouldn't happen and that he is so happy to be where he is now. We talked about how we can anxiously await being joined with him again one day. I told her that we could pray and ask Jesus to tell Parke things if we wanted to and if that would make us feel better. She prayed and asked Jesus to give Parke a lollipop...and a taco. Ha! 

She has been amazingly strong through this whole situation. Most of the time, she carries on as usual. There are those few moments of questions, and then she moves on with playing or telling stories. I hope that she keeps asking and keeps remembering her time with him. 

Micah and I were discussing some areas of hurt for us over the weekend. We had some families close to ours who backed away when Parke was born and chose not to "expose" their family to his story or situation.  We had others who practically would have lived with us for 7 weeks just to let their kids have a glimpse of God's hand working. I am so thankful that our kids got to be a daily part of Parke's story, and I am so thankful that Parke is a part of their life stories. I can't imagine it any other way, and we pray that as parents we live consciously choosing to expose our children to things that will help them know God on a more intimate level. 

 Even though Collier doesn't understand yet, we will be able to show him pictures of them together and teach him about God through Parke's miraculous little life. The questions may be tough, and the conversations are hard....but this is where life lessons are taught and accepted.  

I had a church friend share this with me through email. Her kids never met Parke, but the fact that they used his story to Glorify and teach about God in their family was so touching and comforting to us. 

 "I cherish the lessons of love you have taught me and my family by your example.  My children have cried and questioned God about Parke Henry's short life.  It has been wonderful to discuss  with my children about trusting our Lord with all of our fears and questions."

Thank you all for sharing your stories with us over email. We have received so many emails about purpose that Parke's life held. We will cherish those stories and look back with joy that his short life had meaning to others besides just us. 

Parke Henry...

This post is hard, but I'm ready to document these moments before I forget. We are feeling your prayers bathing over our family, and we are so grateful for that. Parke was a special, special baby. I am so grateful to God that he gave him to us...even if just for a little while. I am so honored that I was chosen to be Parke's mama. He changed our lives in such an amazing way, and he will forever be my baby. 

Our last days with Parke were extremely precious, peaceful, and a time that I will never ever forget. 

Parke was on oxygen most of the time, so we didn't leave the house at all. It was wonderful to just snuggle up with our family of 5 and enjoy each other. Parke was comfortable the entire time, but sleepy throughout. I loved it when he would open his eyes and make contact with mine. He knew it was getting close, and he just seemed so at peace.

My grandparents were over on Wednesday, and we were able to get a few family pictures on the couch. They didn't go perfectly with our wild munchkins, but the pictures and memories they will bring my heart are absolutely perfect in every way.  

Parke continued to be "over-loved" throughout his last day on earth. He was SO loved by Landry and Collier, and I'm so glad we will have pictures to show them and talk to them about their relationship as they get bigger. Collier started saying "bru-ber" on Wednesday.  

When the kids went to bed Wednesday night, Micah spent some alone time with Parke on the couch while I visited with an old friend. He needed that time with his son, and I am so glad he got it. 

We went to bed late and stayed up until around 2:00 crying, admiring Parke's features, and just soaking up his presence. We read scripture to him, sang some of our favorite songs, and prayed for God to go ahead and take him. His breathing was very labored, and even though he seemed comfortable, we were ready for him to be fully healed. He hadn't had any fluid intake in 24 hours, and we knew that there would not be "normalcy" for him at that point. 

The scripture that stood out that we kept reading to him over and over was, 

1 Peter 5:10 "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast." 

We got a little bit of sleep that night snuggled up with our boy. He made it through to the morning, and we got up early and started the process we went through the night before all over again. Pictures, sweet stories, scripture, songs. I snapped this picture of sweet Parke that morning around 7:00. Does he not look just amazingly peaceful and beautiful? He even seems to have a little grin on his face. I will cherish this picture, always! He had to know how much we loved him!

I kept struggling to understand why God was having him hold on. Why things couldn't happen quickly and without any struggling on Parke's part. God kept reminding me that his timing is perfect, and there is a reason for every second he has planned.

Landry woke up before Collier that morning, and we were able to bring her down and let her spend a few special moments with her baby brother. The minutes were PRECIOUS and I broke down and cried as she left the room knowing that God intended for those moments to happen. I will be doing an entire post about those few minutes because I want her to be able to look back and experience it all over again. It was amazing. 

At this point in the morning, we were still just a family of 5 hanging out together. Our sweet babysitter offered to come play with the kids that morning, and I was hesitant to say yes the day before. We love our mornings as a family, and we like to move slow when Micah is home. I thought about it and decided maybe 9:00 would be a good time for her to come. I'm so glad she did because she was in the room with us as we knew Parke was in his last seconds. She took the kids immediately so that Micah and I could be alone with Parke. 

I held him in my arms, staring into his face as he took his last breaths. Micah and I hugged him closely and told him over and over how much we loved him. We sang to him and rocked him tightly as he passed directly into the arms of Jesus. We knew immediately when he wasn't here any longer, but there was a resounding peace in our home. An amazing feeling of knowing we were covered in prayer and God was present with us. 

That is all I can handle to share for now.

More tomorrow...

Below is a link to Parke's obituary. I am going to try to sit down in the morning and share a post with some pictures and precious memories from our last few days with our baby boy. 

I cannot thank you all enough for the love and kindness that has been shown to our family. 

http://eptingfuneralhome.webs.com/obituariescondolences.htm#906757073

Parke is with Jesus

Our precious Parke Henry went to be with Jesus this morning. 

He is fully healed and perfect. I miss him already, but I know he is celebrating this day with our Lord. 

Angels are rejoicing for this beautiful baby they just received!

We had him for 7 weeks, and we will join with him again for eternity when our time comes. 

Thank you for your prayers. 

Wednesday Update

Parke had a peaceful night last night. He ate a little formula before bed and kept it down. He slept 7 hours without waking up and then took a small amount of formula again this morning. We've continued to give him some pedialite to keep him comfortable and hydrated. We are not pushing food, but only giving it to him when he seems uncomfortable because he's hungry. The oxygen has really kept his color looking good, and his breathing seems less labored (except for a few periods of struggling). We have gone ahead and given him a few doses of morphine which helps when his breathing gets crazy and he becomes anxious. 

Parke is resting well now and being snuggled by Daddy. 

Landry and Collier are still here with us, and we plan to keep it that way as much as possible. We have some precious friends who are taking turns at the house playing with them, holding the baby, whatever we need to keep things as "normal" as possible. 

Please keep praying for comfort for sweet Parke. He is just a doll! 

Also, please pray for my sanity and for me not to be a crazy nut to my family. Stress has been a beast in our house this week, and satan is using it to create tension in what I want to be a precious and peaceful situation. 

On top of that, my mama flew out this morning on a mission-type trip out of the country. She struggled with leaving a little bit, but it had been planned for a long time. I acted tough when I talked to her on the phone early this morning, but it is going to be hard not having access to her (not even by phone) for several days. 

She's the one I talk to multiple times a day, and she's been on-call throughout this whole process for whatever we need. Friends have obviously stepped in and have been wonderful as well, but sometimes a girl just needs her mama! 

I will continue to keep you as updated as possible. Thanks so much for your prayers. 

God is good, all the time!

Yesterday was great...until it wasn't

Yesterday started off perfectly. The kids {kind of} cooperated for me to get out the door to Parke's early morning doctor's appointment, and the appointment went well. 

Well, I need to back up. Sunday night after I had my gripe-fest on the blog, I tried going to bed right after the kids went down. I had not done a quiet time that day, so I picked up my phone while laying in bed and went to my YouVersion Bible app. The following was the verse of the day, and it just made me cry! It was exactly what I needed to read that night...

Isaiah 25:1

Lord, you are my God; 

I will exalt you and praise your name

for in perfect faithfulness,

you have done wonderful things, 

things planned long ago. 

In PERFECT FAITHFULNESS, God planned Parke's days long ago. He is faithful and able to carry us through whatever storms may come our way and whatever dark days we may have. I will exalt and praise his name!

So, with that verse on my heart, we started our Monday. The visit to our doctor went well, and despite Parke's poor eating the night before, he sounded and looked good...maybe even better than when we were in a few weeks ago! We discussed that maybe Parke had a little virus that was slowing  his appetite for a while and that it would pick back up. His cough could be from that too, and it was "normal" for Parke to change colors when he coughed because his oxygen levels would drop. 

We went on with our rainy and dreary day and met one of my favorite friends for coffee. Parke loved the loud buzz of the coffee shop and slept like a champ. We ran a few additional errands and headed back home.  

Landry has dance class on Mondays, and our "Emmy" normally stays home with Collier while Parke and I take the ballerina to class. Yesterday, it started getting really nasty out, so Emmy took Landry to class so that Parke wouldn't have to get out again. 

Parke rested a lot while they were gone, so Mini Picasso and I got to have ice cream and a painting party. He is so much fun to spend one-on-one time with...he eats it up!

Then in the afternoon, Parke started making some changes. His eating was still decreased, and what he did take in he spit back up shortly after. He even "dry heaved" some, and it was so pitiful. He seemed weak and tired. Fast forward through the night, and we have basically gone 24 hours without any formula intake (that stayed). We have been feeding Parke Pedialite through a dropper to keep him hydrated, but his wet diapers have decreased significantly. 

Parke seemed uncomfortable through the night. Especially after feedings...until he would spit it back up and get it off his stomach. His breathing pattern has changed, and he seems to struggle with that some. His color still looks great, but some of that is probably his beautiful skin-tone. :)

Our Little Rock doctor talked with our local doctor, and they have decided that continuous oxygen might help keep Parke comfortable. The oxygen was delivered today, and Parke was not a huge fan of having the hook-up on his face. We will see how this goes! 

Ultimately, we want him to be comfortable...that has been our goal from the start. We don't want him to struggle, and we will do whatever we need to do to keep him happy and covered in love. 

Please pray for Parke Henry over the next several days. We know what we are expecting to happen, but he could always rally again and keep us on our toes. 

Thanks for your prayers for our family...these have been tough days. 

I'm just being honest...

I'm a little grumpy and have been in a funk the past few days. I'll just be honest and tell you that I think it is because we have seen some changes with Parke. Nothing super serious, and he always seems to rebound and go back to being "normal" just as fast as it went the other way. He has a cough right now, and when he has a little spell of coughing his color seems to change. He hasn't been eating as well and has been getting choked more often. So, there it is. That's what has been going on the past few days, and it is just hard to take time to sit down and update when all I want to do is snuggle a baby....and we've been doing a lot of that!

We go see Parke's normal pediatrician tomorrow, and I'm anxious to see what he weighs, let them hear his lungs, and find out what his pulse-ox is. I'll keep you posted!

When I say that I'm a little grumpy with all that is going on, it makes me frustrated with myself. I don't want to be grumpy, I want to be happy and thankful...and I am 99% of the time. Lucky ya'll...I've sat down at the computer perfectly timed to the other 1%. Ha! 

I am SO happy and thankful that Parke is still with us. I am blessed by each day that we get to spend with him and the amazing love that he has added to our family. It's just hard for a planner to live in limbo-land, and that is exactly where I feel like we are today. We thought Parke's life was going to be short and sweet....2 days to 2 weeks (ish). Am I upset that he is still here? Heck no, but we don't know what tomorrow brings, and that is hard for me. Does him making it 6 1/2 weeks mean that he will be here forever? Does him making it 6 1/2 weeks mean that he has only a few days left? Only God knows, and I totally trust him. I would just love to receive an email from him with a detailed schedule of what to expect...and I'm definitely learning a lesson or two on who is in control of this situation. :)

I like to consider myself a realist. I know that I could lose Micah, Landry, or Collier in an instant as well. I've always tried to live my life without regrets and as if it could be anyone's last day...including my own. I try to always tell my family that I love them and leave situations in good standing...just in case. The part that makes this situation with Parke different is that we were expecting it to be his last day, and it wasn't. Now, we're moving on with our lives and making plans with him in them, but there is still a cloud over us with what statistics say will happen. 

So, we're living each day wondering if it will be Parke's last. Trying not to let it be the focus of our lives, but the question is there. 

I'm probably doing a pitiful job explaining my feelings, but I think you will get the idea. 

Parke gave me a thumbs up on his 6 week birthday, and that made my heart sing. He is thrilled to be here with us for as long as he has, and I must get back to snuggling him now. 

Thanks for letting me vent. Some days, I just need it! 

^{I'm going to put these verses on my bathroom mirror this week and make sure I focus on today and not tomorrow. I'm thankful that HE is in control and not me.} 

^{Matthew 6: 27 and 34}

²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

A snow day and a milestone...

Today is snowy, cold, and a great day to stay in. We had to cancel some morning plans because Collier was up most of the night with a cough, stuffy nose, and a bit of an upset tummy. Some of it is teething, and I hope the rest is just a quick cold that will pass. The last thing we need is to spread sickness around our house!

So, this morning, I got up and scrambled around looking for a clean cup for Collier. I couldn't find a lid anywhere. We seem to have 10,000 cups but only 5 or 6 lids because he chews through them. I made a wonderful discovery...rotten cups hidden behind his crib! 

He has stashed cups back there before, but these were pretty disgusting. I am going to have to keep a closer eye on his hiding spots. 

Good morning to me!

Collier was a little grumpy this morning, but nothing makes our sweet boy feel better than a beautiful tutu. :) And camo, of course, for good measure. 

I got to snuggle this little man for a while, and he was making some of the sweetest baby faces at me. I even got a smile or two, but couldn't catch those in a picture. 

Landry enjoyed some baby snuggles of her own. She is crazy, crazy, crazy, about holding her "tiny brudder." I think he could take it or leave it! Ha. 

And now to the milestone...

Today is 3 weeks from the day that the surgeon told us *in his opinion* that Parke had a 0% chance of making it another 3 weeks! 

We aren't seeing any changes at this point in his health. Parke is continuing to be strong, eat well, and grow like a normal baby....an extra special normal baby!  

I told you guys that I knew he was going to beat that prediction...he doesn't seem to like deadlines. :) 

I remember a blog post I wrote before Parke's birth talking about how I knew he was going to be a fighter. I honestly didn't picture 6 weeks in my wildest dreams. "Fighter" in my mind meant that we would have a few days rather than a few hours. "Fighter" to me meant that our children might have the chance to get a quick picture with him at the hospital instead of him being swept away to an area they couldn't visit. "Fighter" doesn't even seem like a fit word to describe our precious son anymore. He is a miracle, a blessing, and bright light in our family. His life, no matter how long it ends up being, will forever change our family. Our kids will never be the same, and I am SO thankful for the lessons of love and life that they will learn through his presence in our family. 

These moments are priceless...

If you would have asked me 6 weeks ago what our family would look like today, these would not have been the pictures in my mind. Preparing for Parke's short life, we didn't even know for sure that our kids would have the opportunity to meet him. These past 5 1/2 weeks, the moments that we have shared as a family of 5, and the love that has surrounded Parke's miraculous little life has just been amazing. 

Some of my favorite moments and memories have come in the evenings. When our wonderful visitors head home, we bathe the kiddos, get in our pj's, and snuggle like crazy on "daddy's bed." (Apparently, I don't sleep there...ha!)

There are lots of kisses, wall climbing (see picture below), dancing, wrestling, and a crazy amount of giggles and smiles. 

(Collier breaks down when we take the baby away!)

These moments are priceless! 

We are okay! :)

I have had several texts and emails the past few days checking in on our little man...y'all are so sweet! I'm sorry I have been behind on updating. Life just got busy this week! We are back in a normal routine, and the three babies keep my hands tied up most of the day. My goal has been to get up and to do some Bible reading, prayer time, and update the blog every morning before the kids get up, BUT going back to being up multiple times during the night is getting me down. :) 

Parke is really a great sleeper, but he is still little and needs to eat every 3 hours. Micah and I take turns getting up to feed him on the weekends, but I try to take all the shifts during the week. Looking back, I was SO well rested when I only had one child. With two, I was a little sleepy. With three, I'm exhausted. I know these days will go by quickly, and I feel so fortunate that Parke is still here to wear me down. Ha! 

Maybe, just maybe, I will find time for a nap this week!

So, this little booger had an appointment on Wednesday with our cardiologist from Little Rock. We didn't have to drive down, he actually flew up to see a few patients that day. It was really great! 

Parke is continuing to gain weight, and he is at 7 pounds 9 ounces now. That isn't as much weight as they wished he was gaining, but to me, it is SUCCESS! Honestly, with never thinking he would take a bottle, I am absolutely thrilled that he is thriving. 

They checked his oxygen levels, blood pressure, and listened to his heart. We did not do another echo-cardiogram. From everything they checked, it sounds like Parke is staying pretty stable for now. 

Because of some of the coarctation, his blood pressure is much lower when they take it on the lower half of his body. However, they are still able to feel a pulse there, which is pretty surprising. 

His little heart is strong, and his body seems to be accepting all of the problems as normal right now. 

Parke has a significant leak in something called the tricuspid valve that we expected would end up making his heart stop fairly soon. It, obviously, has not. 

We are so thankful that he just keeps fighting and hanging in there! 

We left the appointment with plans to see our doctor again in one month. Another reason for him to stick around longer. :) 

We talked with our doctor about our long-term plan for Parke, and we really don't have one besides just taking it day by day like we have been. We are moving forward and planning our summer vacations with him in mind and praying for God's will to be carried out in his special little life. 

Excuse my extremely tired eyes in this picture, but I just love Parke's precious face at his appointment. He looks like a big boy! 

It's hard to believe that we fell in love with this....

really, just the idea of this, months ago. 

I love looking back at his ultrasound pictures and seeing how much he looks like them. I prayed to be able to kiss those lips, squeeze those cheeks, and even wipe that nose! God has been so good to us! 

I'm Learning A Lot

You already know that Parke is teaching our family a lot about life. He is teaching us to trust, teaching us to love more fully, teaching us that family doesn't mean blood, teaching us that joy can be found in the midst of trials, and so much more. 

Beyond all of that, there is something that I have learned through his life that I would like to share with you....

This week, February 7-14, is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. I'm not asking you to share this, to wear a certain color on a certain day, or anything like that (not that there is anything wrong with those things). I just want to share...to tell you what we have learned over the past several weeks. 

While we were at ACH, I found out that 1 in every 100 babies is born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). I also learned that CHDs are responsible for the most deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect. I really had no clue! I totally took for granted that Landry and Collier were born with no complications. 

Some CHDs require surgery, some do not. Some can be lived with, others cannot. There is so much information on the internet about these conditions, and if you're interested in doing some research, there is a lot to learn!

Also, I haven't shared before, but I am going to list Parke's heart conditions for you. I've had several people ask, especially those who have found our blog through having their own children with heart issues. There is a big community! 

I'm copying these directly off of the discharge papers from ACH...I am NO expert on what each of these are, but we have been studying up and learning a lot about our sweet boy's heart. He is extra, extra special! 

Parke's conditions are: 

Complex Congenital Heart Disease

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Double Outlet Right Ventricle

Mitral Atresia

Hypoplastic Aortic Arch

Coarctation of the Aorta

Tricuspid Insufficiency

Small Atrial Septal Defect

Parke is amazing. He is a miracle. He is the strongest person I know, and I will say it again and again....I am PROUD and HONORED to be his mama!

Day 33!

A Reason To Celebrate!

Some of our most precious friends put together a 1 month birthday party for Parke Henry. It was a special day for our family, and it was so much fun to celebrate with a small group of friends. Parke was surrounded by wild kiddos and lots of other babies...it was just perfect! 

The kids played so hard and totally wore themselves out. They both slept hard last night (despite all the sugar!). 

The birthday boy was passed around and loved on a lot...just the way it was supposed to be! 

Happy 1 month (and one day now) birthday to our little miracle! He has doubled his original life expectancy, and we hope he just keeps going and going. 

Parke's pediatrician was partying with us last night....those are his lovely daughters holding Parke in a few of the pics. He gave me permission (probably because I didn't ask, I just told him...ha!) to give P a tiny taste of icing for his special day. Honestly, he wasn't a fan. :) 

Parke received several cards at his party, but I have to say that this was my favorite. Emma's mama sent me a picture of this earlier this week, but it was so sweet that they wanted to give Parke the actual paper. Emma is 4 years old and was asked to write something she was thankful for at church last week. She was thankful for baby Parke. :) I love that our friends' kiddos lives are being touched by Parke...we don't know the reason he is here, but God certainly does!

Love, love, loved yesterday. Thank you to everyone for the sweet messages, wishes, and prayers for Parke!