Great News!

Penis. Family Jewels. Weenie. Tallywhacker. Wanker. Johnson. Snickerdoodle. Peepee.

.... Whatever you want to call it Baby Tingey has got one. We found out on the 18th and it came as a big surprise because we didn't expect them to be able to tell us yet. I've always joked that the 'Tingey curse' means that no Tingey men can produce girls (honestly, all Tingey's have boys) but I have to say that even though I knew from the start that we would be having a boy I am still very excited!!! And I hope everyone realizes I'm joking about 'the curse' because I truly consider it a blessing. Boys are so much fun. Andy is going to have a lot of fun with a little brother. Matthew and my dad are pretty ecstatic to be adding to the boy's club. I'm starting to feel outnumbered...

On a more important note, baby looks perfectly healthy and is developing great. This is all that ever mattered to me and my prayers are being answered.

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.

Today I had to take Andy to see the pediatrician. I always cringe when we have to do this because he's still at the age where he absolutely hates any doctor of any sort and doesn't want to be poked or prodded with any kind of instrument, and admittedly he feels that way for good reason. It stresses me out but I love his pediatrician and ultimately know we have to go whether he wants to or not. He did pretty good this time, no screaming or crying or all out tantrums.

On our way out to the parking lot I decided to stop at the cafeteria they have at the hospital and get myself and Andy some lunch. I have a special spot in my heart for this cafe because Matthew and I practically lived there while Andy was in the NICU. We would have starved without it and had no where to hang out when we couldn't be in the NICU for the nurses' shift change.

Anyway, as I was waiting in line to pick up our sandwich Andy laid down on the floor and wouldn't move. He just laid there and refused to move. I was juggling a food tray and my purse (and not to mention my not so co-ordinated, big, pregnant body) and I tried to lift him up off the ground but he'd just get fussy and lay right back down. I was starting to get shaky from not eating all day and because he was stressing me out. Even with all the crowds of people there we were making a scene. I wasn't sure how I was going to get him through the cashier line and to a table and that's when a nice older gentlemen came up to me and asked if he could take my tray. He took it for me while I gathered Andy up off the ground and then waitied in line with us until we got to the cashier, at which point he pulled out his employee badge to get us a discount on the food. Then he walked us to a table and after we got situated he came back with a high chair for Andy. I thanked the man over and over but I really don't think he realized that it meant a lot to me. I'm not exactly sure how things would have worked out if he hadn't have helped. Andy was still fussy and two minutes into eating dumped his entire sandwich on the floor. The lady we were sitting next to helped us clean it up and said she understood because she had kids. We really needed to just get out of there. As we were leaving and putting the high chair back a different man offered to take it for us.

After thanking the man who stood in line with us again many times I realized that his kindness had made my day happier. He didn't have to help us but he took a few minutes out of his day to make mine substantially easier. I remember the day that we found out about Andy's heart condition. The drive home was horrible for me. I was crying so hard I couldn't see well. I was so stunned and hurt I was driving slowly. After not responding immediately to a green light the person in the car behind me honked and flipped me off. I wanted to get out of my car and ask them what kind of crisis they had just been handed, ask them to put things in perspective and treat fellow humans with compassion.

I truly believe that everyone is fighting their own battle and they way we treat them, even the smallest interactions, can negatively or positively impact their daily lives. It reminds me of that quote that goes something like "Be kind for eveyone is fighting their own battles." Today has been a good day so far and the strangers I've run into have been kind, and what better thing can a person be?

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
-Mother Teresa

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." ~Dalai Lama

Our Little Miracle Boy

I really never intended to show these pictures or to post this post because I feel like these moments are private to me as well as my family and also sacred in a way. And you never know what people are going to do with information you put on the internet, which is concerning... But today I've felt especially compelled to share them because they come with a message; my testimony. I don't often put too many religious thoughts in my blog but this very special post deserves it. I do believe in Jesus Christ and that he is our living Saviour. I believe that he knows the pain our family has gone through and has personally felt each moment we've felt. I also believe that through his power and Heavenly Father's mercy our child has not needed open heart surgery. Doctors told us they thought he would need it before he was one. Now he is edging in on two years old with not even a catheterzation. He won't need to be seen back at Primary Children's Hospital until he is three. How strong is my God! How powerful is my God! He is bigger than heart defects, there is no battle too large for us to fight as long as we have God on our side. We pray for the doctors at Primary Children's to know the right decisions to make and also for all the rest of the staff handling our child. We are grateful to live so close to such a miraculous hospital. Andy is doing well. Thank you for all the prayers on his behalf. All is well. All is well. The cocktail of drugs all lined up.........

Nurses working to put an I.V. into his arm. A mother's personal hell, he wanted me to rescue him and I couldn't.
Sedated out of his mind. His eyes moved rapidly back and forth, he looked like he'd been hit by a bus. This is the part where they actually do the echocardigram, which is painless- just not the stuff leading up to it.
Making our way to the recovery room. Cute Andrew couldn't focus his eyes and the nurses told us he would see stars. He kept saying "WOW!" He was still completely out of his mind.

Daddy loving on Andy.

Nana comforting Andy. He was so sick he couldn't even drink a sippy. =(
We did think that he was good enough to take some juice but it ended up all over daddy. Matthew's been puked on so many times!

Still pretty sedated... "Mom, don't ever make me do that again!" He's feeling a touch better and as you can see he's good enough to try his sippy again. I can't complain too much, he bounces back well.