It’s been awhile since we posted…We hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Sorry it’s been so long since we have updated all of you! We have been on many new adventures… homeschooling the girls, e-learning preschool with Zeke, I’m working full time as a nurse, while David is staying home building his Shaklee Health and Wellness business.
Our Holidays were perfect. Santa was kind enough to come a day early since I, Katie, had to work but we enjoyed it all the same. Yes we DEFINITELY missed seeing our family in person and can’t wait until we can get together again, but we enjoyed slowing down for a change. We stayed in our PJs extra long and the kids were excited that they didn’t have to leave all their new toys to adventure to another gathering. Our favorite part was that each of our kids crafted homemade presents for everyone, and seeing the JOY on their faces when we opened them was priceless! We hope a new family tradition has been created with that one. We enjoyed our usual homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast and all the kids loved helping me cook all our delicious homemade food in the midst of playing with their toys. We even got to have Zoom Christmas with all our Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins which was full of laughs and games.?
As for our little miracle boy ZEKE…He turns 4 years old today! He loves anything to do with playing outside, Paw Patrol, Super Hero’s, Cars, Legos, and playing family with his sisters. ?
Today, February 1st, is his birthday and to think about the journey he has been on is incredible. Full of ups and downs, but he has come so so so far. In the beginning of December we got some really great news. He had his yearly Echocardiogram and EKG and we can now say that his heart has HEALED!!! He has a normal heart structure!!! He was diagnosed with a moderate to large ASD and moderate pulmonary stenosis as birth both of which we would just follow up with outpatient. He went from having Echocardiograms every 6 months to yearly after his transplant. It slowly closed over the course of 4 years! Zeke was so excited too and happy that he had one less doctor to visit, even though we loved our Cardiologist. We are happy we no longer have to follow up!!!! He just kept saying “Yay, no more ECHOs” over and over again. He told the girls when we got home and they jumped up and down in excitement for him too. It’s just another amazing reminder that God’s got this, and He has from the start! His plan is bigger and better than ours.
Zeke still has his challenges for sure and some more surgeries in his future but he is one of the happiest silliest boys that will make you laugh and smile. Our follow ups with Cincinnati have been through video chats the last couple of months with COVID being crazy which has been great. I draw his monthly labs through his mediport at home then take blood to the hospital. I am so thankful that I have that capability and that he is truly the BEST PATIENT EVER!!! He sits so still every time and just watches us. I’m pretty sure he would tell us if we aren’t doing it right. Of course we wish he didn’t have to be used to all of this but it’s the life we have been given and we are making the most of it.
We are traveling to Cincinnati twice this month for routine check ups. Once with Urology and Nephrology and the other with Orthopedics for his scoliosis.
Thank you for your love and support. We always covet your prayers. Please be praying for the following…
1. Pray for Zeke’s Spine and that it will straighten as he grows so that he won’t have to endure surgery.
2. Pray Zeke will improve on eating full meals, so we can get him off his nightly continuous g-tube feedings.
3. Pray for his kidney and that it continues to function perfectly.
Also, if you would like to see more pictures and videos of Zeke and the kids, follow my husband David on Facebook, he posts about them frequently on his wall and story.
https://www.facebook.com/davidbell711
