Photo Shoot

We want to thank Janae (my sister-in-law) for taking such great pictures. We just wanted to share a few from the shoot:

After Heart Surgery

Claire's surgery was at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. We were told she couldn't eat anything after 5:00 a.m. her last feeding was at 4:00 so we just hoped that she would last until 9:00. She made it, a little mad that we weren't giving her something yummy, but she made it. They checked us in and did an exam on her and she cried, both because she was being bugged again by people with instruments she isn't use to and because she was hungry. She did well and Daddy finally got her to sleep. Then we met with the anasteseologist, telling us what he would be doing with the surgery. watching her heart and making sure she stays asleep and just watching her in general. He then took us down to the room where everything was going to happen, we met with the doctor and we gave our Claire a kiss and told her we loved her. was handed a pager and when the pager went off we could come back down. We then went back up to were our parents were. They had both come to be our support, which we appreciated very much. Then we waited, they had told us 4 hours to get everything down, but it only took two.

We were then taken to out patient care, where we were going to stay the night, so she could be monitored. She woke up and as soon as they gave her pedilight she downed it. Then after that she ate about ever two hours and then we got her on her normal eating schedule. She did so well and her breathing already seemed to have gotten better. She did amazing, and we were sent home the next morning by 9:00 a.m.

Here is a picture of the heart, where the circle is, is the valve that was two small. it was causing the right side of her heart to have to work harder and making the muscle in the right atrium to be enlarged. He gave us some pictures of the balloon in the valve and what it looked liked after it had popped the valve open. Also it will take her muscles in her heart to work just right after a few months. he said it was like working out at the gym a certain muscle group, it causes it to be stronger and that is what it did to the Right Atrium muscle.




She is doing so great. We love her tons and thank you to everyone that had out precious little girl in there thoughts and prayers. We appreciate it very much.

Claire's Heart

Claire was born with a heart murmur as I said in a previous post. They told us it was an abnormal murmur so they set us up with the cardiology at Primary Children's. So Friday I went in to have her heart looked at. They had to do a EKG to measure what they heart was doing, and then the Cardiologist came in to talk to me and look at Claire. After finding a really strong pulse, and looking at the heart beat, he told me that she needed a ultra sound of her heart and that it needed to be done then. So I had to feed her so she would sleep through the 40 minute ultra sound.
After the cardiologist on call looked at the report and said they had enough pictures, they sent everything to the other doctor we had seen first. He came in with a third cardiologist and told me we would be coming in on Tuesday and he was the one we would be seeing.

After that he explained to me what was going on. Claire not only has a heart murmur from the small hole that they had heard before, but the valve that goes to the Pulmonary Artery is to small. Her blood can not flow through the hole at the normal speed that it should. That means it is causing the right side of her heart to have extra blood in it and the muscle in her right atrium is bigger then it should be.

So surgery is the way we need to fix this problem. They said in the past they use to have to open the patient up and fix the heart, but now they can put to small cuts in her groin and feed everything up into the heart that way. After feed everything up they take a balloon and blow it up to pop open that small valve and make it the normal size.

This is a great new way to do this procedure and we are so very lucky to live when we do, that we are able to have the technology we have. This surgery is at 98% for patients doing extremely well.

Her surgery is on Tuesday and we just need to wait for outpatient surgery to call. Claire has been put has number 1 at the hospital so she wont have to not eat for a long time and so she wont have to wait for someone to finish up if they are running late. Because she is so little they will keep her over night just in case.

Other then that, Claire is healthy and happy. She is back up plus an ounce on her birth weight, putting her at 5 lbs. 8 oz. and has grown taller, 18 and 3/4 inches. She is eating well and sleeping and she even stays awake and is very alert. They say all of this is a good. She is a very strong girl. She has been since day one even being early, that didn't seem to stop her. She is truly amazing. Her spirit, and attitude is amazing.

We will keep you posted in the outcome, we are praying everyday for peace and know that the Lord is with us in this hard time.

My Daddy

Claire and I wanted to write to her Daddy.
In the seven days since I was born, my Daddy is one of my favorite people. He came to visit, and feed and talk to me in the nursery. He told me about my family, and all the kids I will get to meet soon. He sings me songs and dances with me, I love it when he does that. He took me on a walk and made fun car noises and made me feel safe when those big dogs barked. I love it when he feeds me, because I get to spend time with him. I love my Daddy he is so much fun.

Claire's Daddy is the best. Thank you so much for being there for us. For taking pictures of Claire when I couldn't see her yet, for letting me get some extra sleep. I love you so much.



Daddy, Mommy and I love you more than anything!!! You have our hearts!

A Happy Surprise!

Well, Claire Marie Carlson is here!!!!! She joined us on Wednesday September 3, 2008She was 5 lbs 7 ounces and born at 7:50 p.m.

Yes she is a little early. 3 1/2 weeks early. I went to my 36 week check up and ended up having Toxcimia and my doctor told me I was not allowed to leave the hospital until I had given birth to this beautiful little girl. I was told to go over to Labor and Delievery and that they were expecting me. So I headed over and filled out paper work, called Brandon and told hime that I was being induced and that we would have out baby girl by the next day. he headed straight for the hospital, where I was started from a zero at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday the 2nd and ended at a 10 within the next 24 hours. I started pushing at 3:30 on the 3rd and at 7:30 we got a little help from the clamps and she was here at 7:50. After they took her to the Nursery which she stayed until we got home today, they checked her breathing and it started to come down like it should. She has a heart murmur and they think it will just close on it's own. She had to learn to suck and swallow and has now mastered that task, and is quite the little eater. She also go t Jaundice, she was under lights the 4 days we were there. She still has Jaundice and she was discharged with a bili bed to help at home. She gets to just lay on a little blue light that will help get the jaundice to go down some more. She is doing incredible. She is so strong and mastered all the things that she needed to learn when we needed her to. She is Beautiful and we love her so much. Mommy and Daddy are very proud and are glad we finally get to see and hold her. She is amazing. WE LOVE YOU CLAIRE!!!






Daddy feeding Claire


Claire's Cool Cat Glasses. She wore these under the lights for her jaundice process.

Sunday September 7, WE GET TO GO HOME YAHOO!!!!