Splashing in the Fountains

This is how we have been spending our time and keeping cool on these long, HOT days of summer!

Mended Little Hearts

On Tuesday night, Rick and I attended our first Mended Little Hearts of Phoenix charter meeting. This is a support group for caregivers of children with heart problems. It was a good meeting and it was nice to speak with parents that can relate to our situation. They host monthly meetings so we will continue to go on a regular basis.

Our Sweet Michelle

Our dear friend Michelle was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in April and had surgery on Monday to remove the tumor and lymph nodes. We will continue to pray that her treatments and recovery go smooth. Please keep her in your thoughts.She has a contagious smile, sweet personality, and is great with Alexis!

Mommy's Night Out

Mommy went out with some friends on Sunday night to dinner and to see the movie S*x in the City. I stayed home with daddy and kept him very busy.When Daddy was doing a few dishes I crawled over to my toy basket and took every toy out of the basket!

Celebration of DAD!

Alexis wanted to make her dad's first Father's Day really special because after all he is the perfect daddy! All weekend long it was all about celebrating the dad and spending time doing some of their favorite things. On Saturday morning, we all got up early and went to the zoo. We all had so much fun. This trip to the zoo we decided to visit the children's zoo and the farm (2 places we had never explored before at the zoo). Alexis is really starting to enjoy the zoo and all the different animals. On Sunday morning, we made daddy breakfast and then headed off to church. Later in the day, we took Rick to a nice steakhouse for dinner.

Helping Dad open his cards and presents.

Inside the clam shell sits a tiny, shiny pearl!
Inside the kangaroo's pocket.
Riding the cow on the farm.What a perfect place for a family picture!

The "Motley Crew"

Today, we had a play date with some girls that we have been friends with since they were all only a couple months old. Look how they have grown up!3 months old - sliding down the couch

9 months old - trying to crawl away from the couch

9 month doctor visit

We had our 9 month appt. on Monday and Alexis weighed 16 lbs., 3 oz. and was 28.5 inches tall. Our little pea is growing up so fast. Here she is walking with the help of Daddy's hands and she is so proud!Playing Peek-A-Boo after bath time.So many cute clothes, mommy loves to dress me up and take pictures!

Gin Blossoms Concert

Last night, we attended a Gin Blossoms concert. They performed for a fund raising event to help support the new NICU at our hospital. Alexis had a good time enjoying the music and playing with a couple of friends we ran into at the event.

Nine Months Outside the Belly

Where have the last 9 months gone? It seems like just yesterday we were on our way to the hospital (Rick as excited as can be - wanting to call everyone and anyone who would talk to him at 2 am. Me - scared for my life, hoping I wasn't about to enter 24 hours of long, hard labor and that I wasn't going to die during childbirth). Oh, the wonderful times Alexis has brought us! It's been a roller coaster ride to say the least, but a fun one it has been. We look forward to all the rides and roads we have yet to travel with our lil' sweet pea! Speaking of peas - here a few favorite shots at 9 months old.

Loving her sweet peas!Our little "Iowa Hawkeye" Cheerleader!Who needs to crawl? I'd rather go straight to walking.

Music at the Railroad Park

On Sunday nights, the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park has free concerts on the lawn. It is really a great way to end our weekend, just taking in the warm air and relaxing on the blanket as a family. Daddy especially loves it because he gets to take Alexis on the train and carousel.We are just starting to get this crawling thing kind-of figured out!

Bagels in the Park

Last Friday, we had bagels in the park at our community center. We had a wonderful time meeting up with other moms and babies and playing in the park before it got too hot. The babies really enjoyed the splash pad!

A message from our Broken Hearts

Last week, we had a follow up appointment with Alexis' cardiologist. The news we received was heart breaking . . . Alexis will need open heart surgery probably within the next year. The valve that they ballooned in April has since returned to the way it was before the procedure. The valve needs repair so that she will receive the adequate blood flow and oxygen that she needs to be able to run around like a normal little baby and toddler. As you can imagine, the news was devastating to us. We are going to seek a second opinion from another cardiologist to confirm that the surgery is necessary and what our options are. More information to follow after our 2nd opinion appointment.