Surgery Date

We got a call last night from Texas Children's surgery department that Jake's surgery will be on Tuesday, December 11th. I think Ty and I both feel very relieved that it is scheduled and are ready to get Jake "fixed." With that said, we both have many questions about the operation and effects of it. I probably have more questions than Ty since he has gone through this himself and better understands the process. I've been told that the first day of surgery is the hardest for the family since Jake will be connected to so many tubes and wires. I've also been told that babies/children bounce back incredibly fast. From what I understand, he'll just be in the hospital 5-6 days, but will be in the ICU the entire time for monitoring. I'm not sure what limitations Jake will have after the surgery. I know he is not allowed on his stomach for sometime obviously while his breastbone/chest is healing. He is quite a busy little boy so I'm not sure what he'll be able to do for the month or so after. He is crawling everywhere and pulling up. I have a feeling after he heals from his surgery, he'll be really fast when his heart is actually pumping blood properly! I'm even unsure about using his car seat since the strap would seem to bother his chest. My mom told me her friend's grandson wore a protective vest after his open heart surgery to protect his chest. That sounds like a great idea to me...I do know my birthday is on December 17th and the best birthday present I could ever ask for would be for Jake's surgery to go well and for him to be home for my birthday. He should be able to enjoy Christmas too although we had planned to go to Oklahoma for Christmas. Instead, we will have a very warm Houston Christmas and celebrate Jake's repair! We appreciate so much all the friends and family who continue to lift Jake up in prayer. We just ask that you pray that he stays healthy until his heart surgery and that the surgery is successful.

The pictures are from our trip to Oklahoma. Jake loved his cousin Hendrix's car and was a natural at "driving" around the backyard (with Poppy's help). He and Hendrix had fun together and loved the pumpkin patch we took them to. He also had fun with my friend Amber's little boy, Finn (in the picture). Finn loved "baby Jake" and was so sweet and gentle with him. We saw lots of friends and family and had quality time with my parents and Ryan, Crys, and Hendrix. It is always so wonderful to be home...red dirt, strong winds, and all!