Tuesday, September 8, 2009

This and That........

This weekend was definitely fun-filled! JR and I went to the U of M game.....by ourselves might I add, and Sunday and Monday we had a mini vacation at the lake! The boys fished, we ate pizza on the boat (always a hit!) and got to spend quality time with the family. It was a picture perfect weekend to boot! Aunt Marva (Lindsay's great-grandma Lindsay's sister and my great aunt) was able to come out and I got this great picture of the two of them. So sweet. The weekend is not complete without fishin' pictures to show off! This was Cole's bass that he caught. It was only 13 1/2 inches so it wasn't a keeper but it sure made his day by catching it! We tried to put it in this bucket but the fish flew out. We then went to a cooler until we could measure it. ;-)

Now, this scene made me tear up. My baby in her first life jacket and getting ready to go on her first boat ride! WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!! Thank you GOD! Not a peep came from her on the ride. I'm glad she liked it because there will be much more of that in her future! (mommy and daddy like it too!) And, no Meg, no swimming in the lake! ha ha



Cruz wanted a piece of the action too. This is the bass that he caught.....all by himself!!! It was funny because after the excitement of the catch, he casted again and after about 2 minutes, he said it was taking too long and left the pole right on the dock with the line still in the water! Comedian, this kid! Oh, and he kissed the fish before he let it go. Too cute!



This photo was on game day! Go BLUE!!!!!! (Love the bow blogger friend!)




Rubba Dub Dub. Three little monkeys in the tub! We have waited so long to get this picture. (Um, can you tell that Lindsay hasn't been sunbathing?? ha ha) Yeah, again, crying! We are just overflowing with joy, I can't even describe it! Life is good! (that nose crinkle is for you nurse Jen!)
One other thing I wanted to share with all of you that will probably set you back a little. Our sweet, sweet, almost six year old was talking about his birthday coming up at the end of this month. So, we got into the discussion of what he wanted to do for a party, if he even wanted one. This is how the conversation went......
Mom: " So, Cole. What would you like to do for your party?"
Cole: "Um, I want to have a car show for my birthday." (JR takes Cole to allot of car shows!)
Mom: "You do, huh?" (I'm thinking, now how in the heck can I pull that one off!!)
Cole: "Yeah, you know like some car shows get (he meant to say raise) money and then give it to people? I think we should do that and give the money to the heart babies. You know, like people did for Lindsay?"
Mom: " Oh, Cole! (crying of course!) I love you so much buddy!"
Well, needless to say, the kid "gets it". WOW! If anything, this whole experience has taught him that giving is a wonderful thing and that people really appreciate it, as we do today. To all of you, you had a hand in teaching Cole how to give. This is a lesson that will stick with him for a lifetime and we are so grateful for that. So, next year, mark your calendars that sometime in the fall, we will be doing a fundraiser for heart babies at Mott and the event will be a car show per Cole's request! I want it to be HUGE so committee, get your thinking caps on and as Ty Pennington says, "Let's do it!!!!"
OK, now that you have wiped the tears away, I have one last item for this post. I got "The bill" today...........
293 days room charge: $791,047.00
Pharmacy: $122,678.20
IV solutions: $53,390.20
IV Therapy: $190.00
Medical-surgical supplies: $467,056.00
Sterile supplies: $13,795.00
Take Home supplies: $26.96
Pace Maker: $2,246.00
Laboratory: $361,805.00
Pathology Laboratory: $313.00
Diagnostic x-ray: $21,462.00
Nuclear Medicine: $1,109.00
Cat Scan: $2,466.00
Operating/Treatment RM: $115,678.00
Anesthesia: $23,052.00
Blood Storage Processing: $16,823.00
Imaging Services: $506.00
Respiratory Services: $61,154.00
Physical Therapy: $9,690.00
Occupational therapy: $6,990.00
Pulmonary Function: $62,622.00
Cardiology: $83,835.00
MRI: $3,206.00
Recovery room: $919.00
EKG/EEG: $4,557.00
EEG: $5,775.00
Organ Acquisition: $80,000.00
GRAND TOTAL: $2,312,388.36
One happy baby at home in our arms, PRICELESS!!!! God is good!
Now, I thought long and hard about posting this and it is just on here to show what it took to keep our baby! In our eyes, no matter how crazy the cost may seem, the total number will never matter. Even if we had to pay this out of our own pocket (good luck with that by the way! ha ha), we wouldn't change a thing! No matter what we went through, what she went through, and how long it took, that number will never matter. We have our baby thanks to the medical staff, all of you, and God, WE HAVE OUR BABY!!!!!
That post tuckered me out! More photos to share soon and more of an update on the princess.
Heart Blessings~
Suzie

32 comments:

Cousin Nancy said...

Loved the picture of Marva and Lindsay! The one in the tub - rub-a-dub-dub - makes me think of John, Rick and Linda! Cruz became and official fisherman when he kissed the fish, but a typical two-year-old when he got bored with it and left the pole behind. :) Cole has obviously learned how good it makes you feel to help. I think your (over) two million dollar baby is worth every penny!

Cousin Nancy

Ashley said...

suzie...

I will help with the carshow! let me know what i can do! i will help with whatever!! give cole a big ole hug for me! that made me tear up!! i love that kiddo of yours!

love and miss you all,
ashley

Cousin Nancy said...

P.S.

I forgot that Cruz had a birthday recently, so make that a typical THREE-year-old!

Cousin Nancy

Maggie Geiger said...

PRICELESS! That is for sure. Enjoy every minute of her, she is a true miracle that we are all so happy for!

Love,
The Geigers

The Davidson Gang said...

Beautiful Suzie, thank you for taking the time to share the pictures & the family updates! We can't wait for the car show and I would LOVE to help in anyway I can, don't hesitate to let us know when you start to put things together. So nice to see you guys yesterday, have a wonderful week!

Love, The Davidson's

aimee gillespie said...

Definitely Priceless! I'm in tears! Cole is such a great kid. A little stinker, but a great kid ;-) Looking forward to helping with a car show!

Gillespie Clan

Anonymous said...

I've been following your blog for a long time and am so happy for you and your family. Your family picture is wonderful. I love that you guys are getting to experience all 3 of your babies all at once.
God Bless
Julie

Misty Rice said...

Great post, love the pictures of her with her brothers. And totally priceless it is.

Amber Thompson said...

I am so happy your family is getting to be a family!! Lindsey looks so great and all of you look so happy! I am glad you received the bow and love it! Thanks for posting the picture of her wearing it! That really made my day!

Tiffany Lockette said...

Lindsey looks truly amazing and you are right, that figure is just a number, you have your baby girl and that number will just have to wait. I am so happy for all of you that you have a complete family. Enjoy each other.

Tommy Schomaker said...

Oh my word! SUZIE! You are killing me here. I was already emotional this morning when I kissed Tommy goodbye and he practically RAN to class, kind of looking back at me. This is all so surreal...I am actually just now starting to absorb some of it all. I pulled up my video from June 5th..Tommy was just waking up from transplant and you hear me say, "Tommy, did you hear?,..did you hear who got their heart today?!"..and he took a minute to respond and then said,.."Yes, our Lindsay.."...oh man. Well we will be involved in the car show for sure! Maybe Hearts of Hope can help somehow too! Let's chat in our spare time.
I miss you so much, and I so wish we lived closer. Heart Hugs from all of us to all of you! xxoo
..Colleen
p.s. the pictures are amazing. Tommy will be on here as soon as he gets home from school and will probably post you all a note too!

Danielle @ Living Out Loud said...

I was already in tears and then I read Colleen's comment above and now I have MORE tears!

UNBELIEVABLE.

I don't know what else to say!

The picture of the 3 kids in the tub is my favorite, but they are all priceless for sure! I actually cried when the blog opened up and I saw the top picture of your family all together... somewhere other than the hospital!

Thanking God for all the blessings and mercies He has shown your family. Through your struggle, you not only increased your own faith, but that of total strangers too!

Love to you...
Danielle

PS Did Rebecca tell you that I'm going to get a chance to meet her in about 2 weeks? We are vacationing in North and South Carolina and it turns out that we will be driving almost right through her town! How crazy is that?! She said you were going to be there sometime too. I wish it would've been at the same time... that would've been too good to be true!

Evie's Story said...

Oh friend...This truly is amazing to see you sweet crew doing things as a whole, healthy TOGETHER family! I am praising the Lord with you for the answers to oh, so MANY prayers on behalf of your little princess. She is clearly loving life and thriving and getting more and more beautiful by the day.

Rebecca said you have a family vacation in the planning to come down south. I cant believe it! So happy for you guys!

Elaine said...

Oh my dear "other" daughter...

I am crying, the "Suzie snot bubbles kind"...and you had already told me the Cole story! This is a beautiful and heartwrenching post...so much to think about. Then I recovered a bit...and read Colleen's post...well, you know, snot bubbles again. I had also just read Colleen's first day of school post, so I am an absolute mess! You two have so much to bind you together...you will share each others ups and downs for life.

I feel pretty inadequate to respond, except to say I am so thankful to God that you have these wonderful happy days to enjoy your children, which as hard as we all prayed, none of us KNEW you would ever get. I feel absolutely so blessed and honored to share in your joy, both you and Colleen. So: ENJOY, LAUGH, HUG, CUDDLE, LOVE your children. Life is good!!!

As to the grand total, Suz...I don't know why but I think it is important to see it in print...a physical representation of what it took to keep Lindsay alive and get her a heart. And...a good reason to fund raise!!! So you tell Cole all the Lindsay Fundraisers are so proud of him and we will help him get that car show to help the babies at Mott. God Bless you Cole...you are a very special little boy and you have taught us a lot, too...you have been brave and helpful and understanding when your mommy and daddy had to be away with Lindsay and we all love you so very much.

So...this blubbering friend must get it together and go cook dinner...mundane, but true.

Love you soooo much...

Elaine

PS: Pictures are AWESOME!!!

Shawna - Round Rock, Texas said...

Hi,

I am just a blog follower in Texas and I am still so amazed looking at your little girl without tubes. What a blessing and a miracle!! I am so happy for you that you get to hold your little girl and take those precious pictures with her brothers and other family members. God is good!! I had tears in my eyes reading this entire post. May God continue to fill your lives with blessings! :o)

Courtney said...

I'm so glad to see all three of your beautiful babies together in the tub. How sweet! You are absoultly right she is PRICELESS!!!
Love Courtney

Anonymous said...

I love the family photo. You all look so happy and healthy. I'm glad to hear that you and JR had a date and had a great time with the kids sounds like a perfect weekend to me. I'm not a car show kind of person but I'll be there.

Thanks for the post. Good to hear great news.

Michelle Dickson

Kacie Catlett said...

What a gorgeous family! It is in God's awesome power that Lindsay is getting to do so mamy wonderful things with her family. It brings tears to my eyes...very, very happy tears. And the tub picture is priceless!!!

We are continuing to pray for your entire family here in Texas. You truly are a miracle, Princess Lindsay...and such an inspiration to so many more!

The Catlett Family
Texas

Stephanie said...

I absolutely love this post...Lindsay in a lifejacket and her with the boys...adorable!

Bless Cole's heart...what an amazing boy he is!!!! What he asks for he gets...make sure when the time comes you put a link up so those of us that aren't close by can donate....who could resist!

Wow for the bill...that's all I can say! Amazing!!!!!!!!Worth every penny though....you have to wonder though how they figure they'll ever get that money :) Lindsay is worth so much more though!

Anonymous said...

Suzie, How blessed you are to have such wonderful, beautiful, and caring children. What a sweet gesture for Cole to make, thinking of others, for HIS birthday. The tears are flowing, as I think of the lesson, that sweet child has learned, at such a young age. God bless his heart, and yours and JR's, for raising such a thoughtful child. Glad the two of you got to spend some alone time together!
The pictures of Lindsay are just precious, and it is so nice to see her sharing in all the family things! She is a miracle, and you can't even put a monetary amount on that. Cruz is such a funny and typical 3 year old, out to have a good time. He is precious, and so darn cute!
Thanks for sharing the pictures, and many hugs for all of your beautiful family. A special hug and kiss for the Princess. She looks soooo good!!

Many hugs from NJ
Dale Budd

Kandi Butcher said...

Miracles do happen and YES GOD IS GOOD!!! Your post was great and my family can relate to all of it!! Heart Hugs<3 Kandi Butcher (Brittney's Gramma)

Anonymous said...

The picture of all three in the tub is absolutely adorable! Glad to see everyone is doing good.

If you need any help with your car show next year, please feel free to get ahold of me. We are looking forward to it! :)

Love, The Martin Family

Laura Boykin said...

I've been following "Stalking" since the fund raiser at St. Ambrose on Valentines day. I think that a fundraiser is a great plan. I belong to a local british car club (Mad Dogs and Englishmen) and I'm sure we could get members to participate for this cause. We have a rally with the Northern Indiana Austin Healey Club tomorrow and pass the word. Just figure out when and where but keep in mind most of these cars put up for the winter.......Laura in Parchment

Anonymous said...

Worth every cent! Lindsay is making mommies smile and cry all over the state! Please make sure to post what help is needed with the car show, what a great idea!

Love,
Janel
(Jillian's Mom HLHS)

Andrea said...

How sweet, sweet and sweeter. Cole's birthday wish is priceless, what a great kid! I love your pictures, they are such special ones. They made me tear up a little too! Such a wonderful family!!

Heather said...

Love the family pic at the top of the blog. That is so awesome. I am crying over what Cole said. That is so cool. Thanks for the update.

Anonymous said...

Give me a minute to wipe the tears away - Tears of Joy mind you! You can't put a price on LOVE and what it took to keep her with us! What a wonderful weekend for all of you, and many more to come!!! God Bless All of You! You have a Wonderful Family! Hugs! Sara D

traxfam said...

Thanks for sharing the pictures. What a great family photo. Wishing you all continued health and happiness.

The Hands said...

Hope you enjoyed the game today. I thought of you as my husband agonized over the score (he's strictly ND). It's exciting to see how your life is getting back to "normal" even with all the extras. Enjoy the apples for us.
Angie

Tommy Schomaker said...

Hi Lindsay;
It's Tommy here. I like all the pictures. My favorite one is the one of you saying 'I miss you, Tommy!', because I miss you too and hope we can see each other soon!
xoxo, TOMMY

Anonymous said...

The British car clubs this past weekend are open to participate. You may also want to contact the antique car restorer group. They're huge and like to bring their support to things like this......laura......

Anonymous said...

The tears are just flowing, what a miracle it is and completely priceless! Lots of ♥ to your family- Megan