Nov. 19th, 2008 - A little more on my story....We left Sunday for our "trip" it was Bobby, me, Abrieanna and Makenzie.  Makenzie fussed most of the way there and unfortunetly has a cold and finds it really difficult to breathe.  Abrieanna was just excited to go on a trip.  She doesn't really grasp anything about the doctors and I try not to exaterate on it with her.  So she was having a blast.  It takes about 5 1/2 hours to 6 hrs to get there.  We were able to stay at the Ronald McDonald house.  IT was  a very nice OLD 3 story home.  The people there are fantastic.  Abrieanna kept calling it our new house.  There was a little table for the kids in the kitchen and she picked out a chair for each of her friends  back home to sit at.  So it was hard explaining that her friends wouldn't be here right now.  But she quickly got passed that and found a million other things to do.  We ate dinner that they had at the house and boy was it GOOD.  It was some good Down Home Southern cooking....Soon we were off to bed....

Monday we get up and play for a bit then leave for the hospital.  We had eco's and ekg and different test to be done for the surgery on TUes.  Today was the deciding day on what type of surgery she would need.  Abrieanna was now catching on to why we were here and wanted to go home.  She pulled through like a trooper.  To our greatest fear the doctor came in after reviewing all the pictures and such and told us it wouldn't be able to be the less invasive through the artery repair, she would need to have "surgery" OPEN HEART SURGERY.  Our hearts sank.  We were finally able to leave and went to grab some lunch, and then went back to the house to let Makenzie nap.  During her nap we took Abrieanna to the back yard to play on the play set when I got a phone call asking us to come back to the hospital as they needed to do blood work so we wouln't be delayed the next morning.  So we packed the girls back up to head to the hospital.  Poor Abrieanna is still asking if we can just go home.  The fun is NOW GONE......Once we get there they do some x rays which she was fine with, but then it was time to draw blood.  Man this girl got strenght like you wouldn't belive.  She screamed so loud and got so strong I had to go and get Bobby to hold her as I couldn't hold her down still enough anymore for them to insert the needle.  Once it was in, she calmed down a good bit.  I feel so bad for her.  After that we were able to go.  We had planned on going somewhere nice to eat for dinner when we finished, but she just said she didn't want to go and wanted to go back to the house and then go home.....After 5 minutes in the car she fell asleep so Bobby dropped me off at Walmart to pick up some clothing they recommended for her to have after surgery.  When she finally woke up she felt a bit better and we went to eat.  She also wanted to call her friends back home, so that we did and it made her feel much better!!  Now its late enough to get back to the house and get the girls in bed for our big day....

Tuesday we arrive at 630 am to the hospital only to have one of the doctors come in at about 645 to tell us the surgery would be canceld due to the fact that they had an emergency in the OR with an infant.  The surgeon and the OR staff worked till 3 am and it wouldn't be possible or wise for the doc to do her surgery tired.  I very well agreed.  But do you think that they rescheduled us for that afternoon or even the next day or so.....NO....I had to go home and wait on a phone call of when the new would be.  So back on the 6 hour trip home.

Once we got home, I had a message that they wanted to reschedule for Dec. 9th.  so we have to be there on the 8th for the pre-op again....With her surgery on the 9th.  She will go to the ICU for 3 days after her open heart and then on the 3 or 4th day be put in a normal room anywhere from the 5th to 7th day we will be  able to go home.  Of course everything is played on how she is doing, so it could be longer, it could be a day or so shorter.   Once we get home she is to stay pretty quite for a week at least.  The total recover time is about 6-8 weeks they say.  She will have a scar from her collar bone to where where rib cage splits.  This will be her 6th major scar from different types of surgerys in her 4 years.  But they say due to her being so young that the scar will be thin and fade it time.  By the time she is grown, it should be that obvious anymore!!

I just am finding it difficult to face that day again.  Finding out your little girl is going to have to face Open Heart along with all the risks.....WOW....But God is good and watching out for her. 

Again thank you all again and I will keep you updated as things happen.

Nov. 18th, 20008 - We just got home from a 6 hour drive.  THere was no surgery as there was an emergency with an infant in the OR last nite.  We are rescheduled for her open heart on the 9th of Dec.  I gotta run for now, but thank you everyone for your prayers and well wishes.  Please keep them coming as we will going back in 3 weeks.

Thanks Tina for keeping everyone abreast of whats going on.

Love,

Stacey

11-16-08

Abrieanna Update...

This is Tina W...Stacey just texted me with and update on Abrieanna.  She will be having open heart surgery in the morning. The hole is to big and to high for artery option.  Please keep her in your prayers and she will get back to us tomorrow!

Winstead Family you are all in our prayers tonight and tomorrow!

Tina

Nov. 10th, 2008 - Well we leave Sunday for Abrieanna's surgery.  Mom and Dad will be here on Friday the 14th.  Please keep Abrieanna in your Prayers. 

Shortly after we get home, it will be Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to my parents and friends coming over.  I sure do wish Uncle Paul would have been able to make it.  He is going overseas as he is in the Airforce, so please keep him in your prayer as well.  He will be gone for about 3 months then return for a short time and go back.

Nov. 1st, 2008 - We had a great weekend!!  Saturday we got up and went to a fun festival at Abrieanna's school.  We strolled Makenzie and Ryan around in the stroller and Abrieanna and Mason had a blast playing the games and winning candy.  Mason of course ate every piece of candy as he got it, so by the time he got home he didn't have much left.  They both had a blast running around with their friends.  Then later that day, Mason, Abrieanna and I left to go to their friends bday party at a pizza and game place.  They again had a ball!  There was so much for them to do there.  Abrieanna even got on stage and sang Karokee!  It was so cute. 

I also think Makenzie has said Momma twice now.  The first time I heard it was about a week or two ago.  I was in the bathroom giving the big kids their bath and heard a tiny girl voice say Momma.  I found this odd as Abrieanna was with me, but decided to go check on Makenzie who was right around the corner in the living room.  She was just happily swinging in her swing.  So I brushed it off as my imagination.  Then just a few days ago I had Mason and Ryan in the bath and Abrieanna comes running in saying, "Makenzie said Momma, Makenzie said Momma, she wants you!"  So maybe I really did hear it the first time....And Abrieanna has never said that Makenzie has said anything before, so maybe she heard it as well too!  So of course I try to get her to say it again and NO LUCK....

Nov. 3rd, 2008 - Okay, did you see those silly pics of Ryan.  Don't know what that is about, but he has decided, he likes baby food veggies...YUCK!.  For about a week or two now, that is what he as been wanting when Makenzie is eating.  So I decided I would let him have a bite thinking he wouldn't like them and it would be over.  NOPE, he likes them and now eats one container along with Makenzie....How odd is that?  He won't eat veggies off his plate like the big people, but he will eat those yucky baby food ones.

Halloween went great!  We first went to church and did the trunk or treat and then went around the neigborhood.  Makenzie and Ryan did the church event well but went home after that while I walked the other two around with some neigbors.  We has a BALL and got waaaaay tooo much candy!

Took Abrieanna and Mason in for the flu mist today.  It was also Mason's 3 yr check up!  He is perfect at 38 in. tall and 31 lbs!

Oct. 19th, 2008 - After church today we ate lunch and them Mom and I went out shopping.  Abrieanna needed another pair of blue jeans and we also went to see if we could find any more great clearance sales on summer clothes.  We also tried on several dresses for our cruise coming up in April, we ended up not buy dresses, but it was fun trying them on.

Tomorrow Mock and Grandpa leave to go back home.  We will see them or at least Mock on about 3.5 weeks as Mock is coming to watch the boys while Makenzie, Bobby and I take Abrieanna to Augusta for her heart surgery...Now that the time is less than 1 month I am getting more nervous...

If Grandpa isn't able to  make it right away when Mock comes to watch the boys for Abrieanna's surgery, he will be here the following week for Thanksgiving along with Kelly and Zac.  Thanksgiving weekend will be another fun one.  Zac will also turn 12 over Thanksgiving, so we will have a little party for him!

Oct. 06, 2008 - Today Abrieanna went on her first school field trip of the year.  She had a blast.  They went to a produce place and had a hay ride, played on hay bales, were able to pet horses and even saw a baby calf that had been born minutes before they got there, then they went fishing and had grilled hot dogs for  lunch.  After lunch, they went to a local country store and got ice cream.. She had a BLAST!

Not so good for Makenzie today as she got her second set of shots.  She did well on the first but is not doing to good this time around.  Once we got home, she was very tired and fussy.  She has been running mild fever on and off and doesn't have a big appetite.  She woke up this am the same way.  Hopefully she will be feeling better soon!!  She is growing as well.  She is now 23.5 inches long and 11 lbs 13.5 oz!!  She turned 4 months on Oct. 4th.

October 1st, 2008-  I finally got Ryan to an allergist/asthma doctor today and found out that he has asthma!!  So those treatments we gave him only when he was sick or weazing, are now supposed to be given everyday.  YUCK.  She stressed how preventative maintenance is the key to helping prevent attacks or hospitalizations, so we will follow her instruction.

Makenzie has started to eat #1 foods.  She has had peaches and banannas so far.  She is growing like a little weed.  We go to the doctor Monday for her 4 month old shots and check up.  I am anxious to see how much she has grown.

Abrieanna is doing great at school!  She LOVES it...She is learning so much and growing up way too quick.  Just this am, she pointed at Mason jacket and went R-E-D.  In totally shock, I said what is that?  She replied RED Mom!  Now my little girl is spelling.  She is also learning to write.  She has finally mastered writing her name and even spells it correctly!  If she learned that, she can learn anything...haha

Mason and Ryan are doing wonderful.  They enjoy going over to the neighbors house some mornings, and playing in our back yard all day.  They have currenlty started to take naps together.  That means only one nap a day for Ryan now vs. 2.  I miss him taking 2 naps, but it is nice having all the kids a sleep at the same time for and hour or two!  And Mason, by goodness he will be 3 in just two weeks...I can't believe it!  And Ryan is running up on 2, just four more months left for him.

And wonderful news for me!!!  Me and my Mom are going to take a 7 day Caribbean cruise together!!!  It will be going to San Juan, St. Marteen, and St. Thomas.  I am so siked.  It leaves out of Miami, which is only about 6.5 hours from here.  We will be leaving for the trip in April.  Grandpa and Daddy will be watching all 4 kids while we are gone.  I am nervous about leaving the kids for that long, I will miss them terribly (I may end up buying some internet time in order to eamil home while on the boat being we won't be able to use our cell phone...) But on the same hand look forward to a super fun week with Mom.  As I look at it, it will be a once in a life time trip with her.

Kristin....Man you are good!!!  And for all else.  That sand box was built for the kids by Grandpa and Daddy when we lived in AL.  Grandpa and Mock wanted to buy the kids a sand box about a year or so ago, but had a heart attack over how much they wanted for a little tiny plastic box, so Grandpa said "I will make a sandbox" and that he did.  It is a 6' X 6' box.  I have had up to 6 kids in it at one time ages 1-8.  And they all had room to play.  Grandpa and Daddy even built it with a little seat around the top so you could sit on the side vs in the box if you wanted to.  Then it came time to move from our home in AL to GA and there was NO WAY I could leave that sand box.  It was built out of love for the grandkids, so Daddy took it apart and loaded it up and put it back together here.  That box is and will always be a memory!  NO, we didn't move the actual sand.  We bought more once we moved here!  The sand box holds 2 TONS (literally) of sand!!!!  We currently have only 1 ton in there.  We will be getting the other TON at a later time.

Sept. 24th, 2008 - We have all been doing good.  Still fighting chest and nasal congestion with all the kids except Makenzie.  I hope this passes soon.  Mason finally caught the pink eye and is now over it as well.  Everyone got that except for Ryan and hopefully he won't catch it!

We have almost finished up on the playroom.  Just a few minor touches left.  I think Mock did a wonderful job.  And I actually helped paint some of it as well!!  Hopefully one day I will be as good as her and can do my grandchildren's room.  The girls room still has a way to go.  So we will finish that up next time she comes to visit.  But I LOVE their room.  It now feels relaxing and warm!

Mock left this past weekend and Bobby had to go out of town as well.  So its back to the normal life.  We have been doing great!  The weather outside has been PERFECT the past 2 days.  Its in its upper 50's at nite and upper 80's during the day.  Not a cloud in the sky...LOVE IT!!

09/05/08 - I have posted pictures of our work in progress on our play room.  You can also just view the picture album named Mickey and Minnie 2008.  I will keep it updated as we work.  And yes, this time around I am painting.  I am not as good as my Mom, but hey I am doing it!!!  So this is our first project we are working together on.  Hope you enjoy.

Stacey

Sept. 5th, 2008 - Just got notice that Abrieanna's heart surgery will be Nov. 18th at 6:30 am.  The day before on the 17th we will do all her pre op stuff and find out then if it will be a surgery through her artery or if it will have to be open heart.

Sept. 4th, 2008 - Well this past labor day weekend was FANTASTIC!!!  On Thursday nite, the whole family went to a friends house for a pizza get together with all the kiddo's.  We had so much fun over there.  Friday nite were were expecting my friend Kelly and her son Zac.   To our surprise when we rounded the corner on the way back home, Bobby says, your Mom is here.  Wow, what excitement as we weren't expecting to see her until October.  Abrieanna yells out her window, "Mock, Wait, I am coming"  it was so cute.  Then as we got a little closer, we saw Grandpa's motorcyle, how wonderful as the excitement grows, then low and behold, we saw Grandpa and UNCLE  PAUL standing by the garage!!! HOLY COW!!!!  It was great seeing everybody there.  Its been way to long since the last visit for all.  Abrieanna and Mason were so happy to see Grandpa and Mock, but super happy to see Uncle Paul as it has been several months since they last saw him.  Mason was glued to him most of the weekend.  Everyone was able to stay until Monday.   Mock is even staying a little longer as we are now painting the play room in our Mickey and Minnie theme.  (I'll post some pictures of the progress on that soon).  The weekend was filled with fun.  We had a cook out, later went to a friends cook out, made smores, the guys went and hit golf balls, Uncle Paul and Bobby took Ryan & Abrieanna to the airport.  Abrieanna soooo wants to go flying with her Uncle again, so when he comes back we have planned to rent a plane and he will fly her around.....We had a great weekend.  It will be one to remember, thanks Uncle Paul for the surprise visit. 

Aug. 28th, 2008 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE PAUL...WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.  WE SURE DO MISS YOU...

Yesterday we took Abrieanna to the orthopedic and got a good report....Her spine is not getting worse according to the xrays and the doc said her feet look good for the problem that she has.  Yes, there are still issues with them, but that will remain for her whole life.  They apparently are as good as they will ever be able to get.  So hopefully her tendions wont tighten back up and she shouldn't have to worry about sugeries, at least on her feet.  Should they tighten up, she will have to have a surgery for tendion release again.