Pictures!

On the way to the pool! That's the way we get around now!





Every Monday & Friday we spend time in the pool, here's Sara sitting on Dad!

Sara loves chocolate once in a while, and it was so good!

                            Working up an appetite has been getting a little easier with her walking around so much, but it could be better, and that would help her blood thinners level out.

Playing in the Tipi outside the hospital, we went off the sidewalk to get into it and got a pine cone stuck in the IKUS wheel!

A great visit with friends who know all about a heart transplant!

Busy Builder Sara working hard at the Beach! With all the activity centers there, she pretty entertained, and fairly entertaining!

We love walks, and Sara's now walking for longer then 10 min.

Loving the sunshine!

We found a new playroom, so we'll make use of it when the Beach is closed. New toys are always fun!

Playing ring toss with Hailey!

Sara spotted my earbuds, so we listened to music for a while, fun times!

Sara's night sky

We're getting to know the hospital halls well with all the walks we take.

Sara's sure looking good, especially now that her stitches are out and she can shower.

 Camp friends have the best skits ever!

Hailey trying to explain the new story from our camp friends, the pictures are super awesome!

Love the new clothes from Auntie Dawn, thanks!

All ready for school!

It's nice to have everything organised now, we'll have to get at it now that all our school books are in!

All dressed up and ready to go!

Sara's been so good at getting around, and she's even wanting to get dressed in her own clothes now. She no longer has a feeding tube, so we're trying to help her eat & drink well. Some of her meds have an awful taste, but she's doing ok keeping them down now, and so far today has been the best day yet for fluid intake! Yay Sara!
It's so fun to be up and around with Sara & Hailey, that the days aren't feeling as long, we've been keeping quite busy with all the activites there are to do! Next time I'll have to post a few pictures to show you what we've been up to lately, but here's one taken by Dawn when she visited today.

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Along the way there are a number of people that inspire us in our journey. Thank you for your caring words, hugs, gifts, prayers & love. Many have inspired us to be bold in sharing our faith, to pray for others and be grateful for the blessings we have. We know we have to keep hoping for the best for Sara, to live for today, to be brave, to be at peace, but also to find joy in life again after the roller coaster ride of surviving a heart transplant. We are forever learning, and continually amazed at what God has done, and now, we're waiting to see what God will do!

The Weekend

Unlike last weekend, this weekend has been quite busy! Thanks to friends stopping by!

Sara had an IV come out and replaced with a new one yesterday, and today she had it removed! So now she only has her pik line in for blood work and meds. The only line holding her down is her air hose to the IKUS, which makes getting around so much easier! It's so good to see Sara walking around, she's having more fun being more mobile!

Please keep praying that she'll be able to eat & drink more in order to get the feeding tube out. She's come along ways, and she's recovering well. Thanks for praying for us!

Moving up!

We've moved up on the list and our to our own room! 

We are happy to have our own room, we can even decorate it with the girl's artwork! They love painting! We even spent time with a princess at the Beach! We've been walking around the room a little, even checking out what's outside! We went outside in the sunshine too, after swimming in the pool today! Joel & I are now trained on the IKUS (device that controls the settings for the Berlin Heart), and Sara now rides the IKUS whenever we travel down the halls! 

Sara is back to a status 4 the highest status on the transplant list. The reason she was bumped back up from 3.5 is because small manageable clots keep forming and they're worried about the chance of a stroke. They've already changed her pump once and they can again if they need too. Please pray for a new heart for Sara.

Seeing as we're here for all of the day, it's really nice to have people stop by! Thanks to everyone who has visited! We're doing pretty well now, getting into a routine. Sara's really looking forward to the pool tomorrow, and she still loves the beach! It's so amazing to see her getting back to what she used to be doing and playing with Hailey again, God has blessed us with with two wonderful girlies!  

We are continue to pray for others in need; Caleb, Jensen, Drayton, Morgan and our good friend Hannah.

Another good day

Today was more of the same, lots of walking, and playing at the beach. Sara also had an echo done, which they'll do weekly now. She's eating a little better, but we still need that to improve before she can get the feeding tube out. Hailey had fun today playing at the beach & painting, also bingo at the Ronald McDonald House. It's really nice to be together here, we are so blessed by both our girls everyday!

You might have to be there... but I'll share it anyway...
Sara was telling the nurse today that "my Mommy calls me a cutiepie, and my Daddy calls me a chicklet", with a little chuckle, "And Hailey, she's a turkey". She also told then nurse that "My Daddy says I can have this tube out now," (pointing to her feeding tube). And when I commented that I liked her singing, (Twinkle, twinkle), she replied "I'm not singing, it's Abby", (her doll), just a while after that I heard her tell her doll, "good singing Abby".

Splashing in the Pool!

Today was a very busy day, and also a very fun day! Sara & Hailey spent time at the beach, doing crafts & games. Sara loved riding the car and splashing her feet in the pool, she also had an x-ray, and a dressing change. She did great, and she was awake the whole day and so was so exhausted that I think she'll sleep well tonight. Everyday she's doing a little bit better. She's now only on feeds at night, so during the day she can try to eat, and she's been holding down her food! She's also off the monitors & oxygen because she's doing well, (they put her back on the monitors at night). Thank you so much for praying!

Playing at the Beach!

It's really fun playing at "The Beach" with Sara, she loves the play kitchen, dolls, trains and she really likes going for rides in the stroller and the wagon. We're so glad to be able to get out of the room! It's pretty slow over the weekend, and not too many changes with Sara. But as you can see, she is much happier!

Standing UP!

Today Sara worked with Physio, and sat up and stood up! She is doing really well, we even got to go to the Beach (area with many play centers & activities)! We love that we get to move around, it's hard because we have to move the Ikus (machine that controls the Berlin Heart), the meds/IV tower and Sara in a stroller all at once! Tomorrow if it's sunny we may get to go outside for some fresh air! 

Sara's lungs have been doing fairly well now with no pneumonia, but she still has a bad cough. Please pray for Sara's cold to get better, her chest to heal from the incision and the tape burns. Also that she will improve and be more mobile, that her strength will come back so she can get around again. Hopefully she'll be able to eat again so they can take out the feeding tube. She keeps impressing us everyday with how she's improving, thank the Lord!

more progress

Sara was quite happy today, to be reading, colouring and watching movies. Today they sent off cultures to see if she has any infections, and are watching her temperature and white blood cells closely and they have been higher then normal. We had a very busy day with all the doctors coming in to see Sara. She is doing really well with the dressing changes each day, which is quite the procedure, and she does it without any pain meds! They're very impressed that she's handling it so well, and she was thrilled when she got to have a prize from the "treasure chest". We're praying that she can continue to eat foods on top of the feeds she gets in the feeding tube. Also that she will be able to keep it down, with the cough she has it's hard not to gag sometimes. Your prayers have helped us tremendously, and we're praising the Lord for his strength and peace through it all.

In the ICE room on the 4th floor!

We have moved! Sara is now comfortably laying in bed in the ICE room. It's a transition from the PICU to the floor. Eventually we'll be in a semi-private room on the 4th floor, but for now we're enjoying the ICE room. Sara is more happy today, it's good to see those smiles and even laughs come out when she's playing with Hailey! Please pray with us as we work out the details of our schedule at the hospital with Sara, Joel's work and school with Hailey. We know we're going to be here a while, so it will be nice to start getting into a routine.
We're so happy to read all of your comments, and encouragements. We've had great times visiting with friends, and especially with family that have come from Salmon Arm, BC & High Level, AB. It is all such a blessing to us to have your support and prayers. Love from Joel, Karey, Hailey & Sara