5 days a week our life is: getting 4 little girls dressed fed teeth brushed hair brushed waterbottles snacks lunches folders library books backpacks packed and so many more little inbetweener steps I can’t even list! And would you believe our mornings run quite smoothly?! It’s not because we were blessed with easy peasy, compliant…
Read More“I might be laidback, but I can lean forward real quick.” Confrontation has never been my strong suit! By nature, I am a pretty passive person who gives people the benefit of the doubt. So to put on my “advocate” hat is not easy for me. But for my girl, I’d do anything… this quote/mantra…
Read MoreWe call our kids who are fighting big battles warriors…but mama’s are warriors too! I got very used to being the caregiver with all of Maya’s surgeries and subsequent recoveries. Now don’t get me wrong, Ryan and I were a good team, but I was the one who got to be home taking care of…
Read MoreCongenital Heart Defects (CHD) effects every 1 in 100 babies born, making it the most common birth defect. Having a CHD is 60x more common than childhood cancer but gets a fraction of the funding for research. That’s why I am selling bracelets and donating all the profits to a local non-profit called Project Bubaloo.…
Read MoreAhhh, good ol’ scanxiety. The word to describe the anxiety one feels before a scan. Maya has had so many echos in her three years of life…way more than most people have in a lifetime! I have been by her side for every single one. And every single one produces anxiety. Scans have changed the…
Read MoreAfter hearing that Maya had a congenital heart defect, the searching for answers began! We got paired up with a wonderful cardiologist at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin where we got answers to our most pressing questions. Throughout my pregnancy, there were many more questions after every fetal echo and I have tried to distill them…
Read MoreThis is hard to admit but I remember after Mayas’ diagnosis, crying and feeling sad that Ryan and I would never be empty nesters, and get the chance to travel together just us two once the kids were grown. I remember Ryan holding me and saying, “but just think, well get to show our baby…
Read MoreThis is Maya! She is a funny, smart, adorable and strong 18 month old. If you met her today, you would notice her beautiful eyes and her infectious, toothless smile. You would never guess she had to fight for her life multiple times during the first 12 weeks of her life. We found out at…
Read More