Going Good

Father and Son - 14 mo.
Caden watching one of dad's baseball games - May 2010
Dana's daycare is officially over. Summer is here! I'm so sad she is moving. Thanks for everything Dana your the best.


Hey all. I know it has been a very long time since we posted but that should be interpreted as "no news is good news". I am happy to confirm just that.

Caden Marshall is doing very well. He is eating well and getting around pretty good. I know he is very close to walking and it is fun to see him move from one thing to another. He has started to climb onto our ottoman table which is fun to watch. He did it the first time for my parents when they were watching him. I did not believe it when my dad told me but Caden showed me himself shortly thereafter. It is funny to watch him as he is so determined. He uses everything to get traction to get up there. He plants his face and hands and then lifts his little leg up there and struggles and grunts his way up there. I love watching him grow and try new things. I am hoping he is not that big of a daredevil as he grows but boys will be boys.

We had a great check up a while back and dont have to return to CHW for another one until September. We would have loved to hear that his heart function is improving but we did not. We did hear that his heart function is not decreasing so that is welcome news on its own. We go up at the end of this month to update his developmental study to see how he compares to his HLHS peers and also his "normal" peers. We feel he is a bit behind but pray that the gap can be closed.

Last Saturday Melissa and I went up to CHW for a Parent Education day. This day is for parents with "heart kids". It was a good day to learn and reconnect/network with families that have walked a similar journey. The highlight of the day was the breakout sessions with parent of kids in the same age range. Just meeting and discussing approaches that have and have not worked was very beneficial to us. I know I have talked about how sometimes we felt alone in our journey but this was a room full of people that are walking a similar road. Melissa and I have a close group of friends (which we love) yet there really isn't anyone that has been through what we have so it is nice to meet and talk with people that can really relate. Its not that our friends dont offer the opportunity to talk but you know what i mean.... The emotional part of the day was when they showed a quick film talking about CHD highlighting a sample the kiddos that CHW has treated. It was wonderfully put together featuring photos of the CHD kids, appropriate music, and heartfelt messages/statistics. The photos highlighted those that have been treated and are still with us as well as those that have earned their angel wings. The video was emotional for Melissa and I for a couple of reasons. Seeing the photos they showed of Caden Marshall, provided by Melissa, brought us right back to that moment in time. Its funny how quickly your heart and head can go back in time instantly as a result of a visual reminder. They used a nice selection for Caden. From the first surgery and all the machines to the happy Caden Marshall we have today. For me, seeing pictures of those that did not make it really hit hard. Some of these kids were older than Caden is today when they earned their wings. It was a hard reminder that raising a child with a CHD does not come with a guarantee of time. That we need to do everything we can to enjoy the time that we have with Caden. I think Melissa and I are doing pretty good at this.

Melissa officially started her summer break and has been spending lots of time outside with Caden. He loves his little water table and the plastic pool we have. I bought Melissa this new fangled go go gadget camera she wanted so as soon as she figures out how to download the pictures onto the computer we will post some.

We are headed out with some good friends this weekend to enjoy their company, the weather, and free lodging. We are looking forward to relaxing and just hanging out. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

DMC