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I'm off to the playroom. . . slowly but surely on the way there but more confident on the way back.--
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My two gorgeous boys x--
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Here's Thomas with all the post he received today! Wow! He had 10 cards, a balloon in a box, some parcels and some lovely pictures. Thanks to u all - he was pleased as punch. He's still doing well. His sats are in the low 90's which is where they like them. His chest drain drained a bit more yest but that's normal. He started his warfarin last nite and has been taking his medicines better today. Thank goodness. He was making cakes on his bed this mornin and doing some work on the computer. All that wore him out so he had a good sleep and then his best mate came to see him :-) He was determined to get to see Alex and Samuel in the playroom so that encouraged him to get on his feet and get walking. He took it slow and steady and altho he's a little hunched over he did gr8. The more mobile the better as this gets everything working again. And guess what . . . . He asked to play his DSI :-) this is the first time he's wanted to play it since his op. For me that's a good sign :-) --
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A genuine smile from our wonderful boy! We're just starting to see signs that the old Thomas is coming back. It is so lovely to see a couple of spontaneous smiles :-) we had a good nite. He's being really rascally taking his medicines tho. It took 45 mins in the nite and was a real battle. I suppose it's only to be expected after everything he's been thru but it's frustrating as he needs them to get better. We have tried one in tablet form this mornin and that was a bit easier. I'll report back afta the docs round to see what the plan for the day is. --
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Yeh! thomas has had a little walk :-) and we hav moved bedspace to number 4 which has a bit more room and where camp beds are allowed. He keeps getting acute back pain which is all down to his drains. So horrible to see him in pain. I've been rubbing his aching back for him. Here he is looking a little happier in the chair. All his smiles are forced at the minute but each day there are slight improvements. --
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On his feet for the first time since the op! Bless him. Not taken any steps yet apart from shuffling backwards to the chair but progress nonetheless. As soon as he starts being mobile his sats should go up to the low 90's which is where they like them to be. There's talk of taking his pacing wires and 2 drains out tomorro but we shall hav to wait and see. That would be gr8 as it'll make it a bit more comfortable for him. We're hoping to move bed spaces today. There's v little room where we are and we can't hav the camp bed up so Paul and I are taking it in turns to 'sleep' on the chair. Not ideal, but it's nothing to wot T is going thru but so far so good. --
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It is sooo lovely to see our little Pickle Pie today. Mum and dad are doing a fantastic job looking after him. I really don't know what we would do without their help and support. It makes it sooo much easier to know he is being looked after so well so we can concentrate on Thomas at this time. --
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With his balloons from 'funny Gen' :-) x--
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Out of bed in the chair. More comfy today x--
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Thomas had a comfortable night. Slept for most of it but woke at 3am and wanted to watch The Polar Express. They're going to change his dressing today and maybe start to wean him off the morphine. He's doing so well. Taking small steps in the right direction. --
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Snoozin with Jez with a little bit of colour in his cheeks x--
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Thomas had a peaceful night. Slept for abt an hour at a time then woke for a drink. He's still v thirsty but his fluid allowance goes up today which will help. He's doing well but sore and uncomfortable. His sats are slightly higher today, it's gonna take time for his little body to recover from the brutallity of the surgery but so far so good. Horrid to see him looking sad and speaking in a small voice you just want to make it a little easier for him. Time will help i'm sure x--
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Out of bed to be weighed bit sore and painful :-( but doing really well. X--
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Back on the ward and almost a smile :-) It's v cramped on here - not particularly conducive to sleep but we will see how he goes. Sats are now in the 80's as he's off the oxygen. They like them to be between 85-92. Once his heart is rested and his lungs and his body start recovering they should go up. It's a hard slog for the little man keep sending ur positive vibes. --
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Here's our precious boy yesterday post op. The op went well and we're just waiting to go to HDU on the ward. He's thirsty, uncomfortable and a bit grumpy but everything is where it should be and is only to be expected. We're the other side! ! ! Still a very looooong way to go but very proud of our Thomas :-) --
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Cancelled again....

Thomas' operation got cancelled on Thursday at 3.20pm. The first case was still in theatre and with the four day bank holiday weekend it meant we were sent home. We are due back in at 8am on Wednesday for his operation on Wednesday afternoon, although as we know there are a lot of variables that need to be in place in order for this to happen.

To say it's been a rollercoaster of a week is an understatement. We have tried to take our mind off things this weekend and so took the boys to Drayton Manor yesterday. We had a really good day, Thomas absolutely loved the new Ben 10 ride and Samuel enjoyed a few rides in Thomas Land.

Thomas has been a bit off colour today :-( he woke up with tummy ache and was sick before breakfast. He has been pretty ok for the rest of the day but not eaten much and not quite firing off all cylinders. I really hope he's back on form tomorrow as we don't want anything else to jeopardise him having the op this week. He's been bug and cold free for months so it feels like really bad timing. Fingers crossed he's ok tomorrow.

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Pretty noisy on the ward last nite and T was up at 5.30am wanting to play his DSI :-) He had to hav breakfast by 6.30am tho so that did give me chance to get a big bowl of crunchie nuts and a slice of toast down him. He's now happily playing. He said 'it's a big day for me mummy isn't it'. It certainly is bless him. I could quite easily pick him up and run for the hills but equally i'd rather not put it off any longer and just want to get to the other side of it. Keep everything crossed for him today. Lets hope he uses that steely determination of his to come thru smoothly and safely.
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We're here all installed on the ward. (Ward 12 is being refurbished so it's moved to ward 5). Thomas has had all his observations. Sats 84, weight 19kg he's had an ECG, chest xray and his cannula is in. He has been an absolute star so far! He's on the list for surgery tomorro afternoon. Fingers crossed it goes ahead otherwise we'll be sent home for the wkend which we really don't want to happen. The surgeon has been and was v positive abt the operation, obviously there are risks but Thomas is in the best group to be having this type of op. So far so good. Please keep everything goes ahead as planned tomorro and our precious boy does really well.
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No bed...

Just called the hospital and apparently there is no bed available on the ward. They want to keep us on hold and will call us when they know the definite position. Hmmmm......watch this space!

Back home....

Well we called this hospital at 9am this morning and was told there was a bed for Thomas and we should report to the ward by 1pm. So, after having a bit of a panic at the reality of the situation, we gathered all of our stuff and off we went only to be told, the minute we arrived, that there was a very poorly baby who needs an operation tomorrow and therefore Thomas' operation would be Thursday at the earliest. Initially we all felt pretty fed up, we absolutely appreciate and accept the emergency situation we just wish we hadn't actually arrived on the ward. A simple phone call would have saved us packing the car up and getting ourselves all psyched up but in the grand scheme of things I suppose it's better to be at home rather than hanging around waiting in hospital.

So, we decided to go out for Thomas' favourite tea which is Harvester ribs. It beats hospital food that's for sure :-) Paul and I are both feeling a bit shattered this evening, it's been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster today and so an early night is in order. Lets see what tomorrow brings........

Fontan Operation

Well, here we are one sleep to go until we are due in hospital for Thomas' Fontan operation.

He's actually looking forward to getting his heart fixed and has been counting the sleeps. We have spent many hours playing at 'getting my heart fixed' and swallowing tic-tacs in one go (Thomas will be on warfarin after the op and we are told the tablets taste disgusting when they're diluted so it's better all round if you can just knock them back). He knows he's going to be sore and uncomfortable, he know all about the mini shopping trolley he will have to carry his buckets and all the other horrible bits but he has also seen how this operation can make a big difference. We met Ali and Charlie Turner through Little hearts Matter when I was pregnant with Thomas. We are now great friends whose boys just happen to have similiar heart conditions. Thomas has seen how the Fontan has made a difference to Charlie and can't wait to try and keep up with him. It's really lovely hearing them talk about their hearts and share their stories.

I think we're as prepared as we can be for this operation. There really is only so much prep you can do and while I would like to avoid it forever I know it's got to happen so just want to get on with it.

We've spent the last week at the caravan in Cornwall. The weather was fantastic and we spent every day on the beach, riding the sand dunes, building sand castles and paddling in the sea. It was a brilliant distraction and we had a lovely time. I was amazed at how far Thomas walked (at his own pace) and seeing him clamber up the sand dunes you would never believe he only had half a heart and was due a major op. He's a very cute character though, he knows what he can do and if he can get other people to do stuff for him he will. There is definitely a BIG difference to Thomas' activity levels compared to his peers. The other kids were bounding up and down the sand dunes 3/4 times compared to Thomas' one BUT he was there enjoying it just the same and why carry the sand board up the dunes yourself when you can get your mate to do it for you ;-)

I will keep you posted in these next few weeks. I can update the blog from my mobile so keep checking it. Please keep our little man in your thoughts and send positive vibes. It's really not going to be a nice experience for him but we have to be strong for him and keep looking forward.

Here's a few photo's

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Updating by text message - testing testing!
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Testing

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Just testing whether I can update the blog via emai

UPDATE

Hi everyone!
Well Thomas has his cardiac catheter on 12th November. All went ok although it was awful for us handing him over and when he woke up he was really cross :-( We ended up staying in over night as he spiked a temperature in the afternoon but it was something and nothing and so came home the next morning.

Since then we have received a letter from BCH to say that 'Thomas is on Mr Jones' routine waiting list for surgery in the next 3-4 months'. This is good news - no time is ever going to be a good time for putting your little boy through open heart surgery but by March/April time hopefully the weather will be a little better, he will have had his birthday and hopefully we will be settled in our new house.

It was Thomas' first Nativity at school yesterday. They all put on a brilliant show. Thomas was a soldier and had to count out loud by himself. He did great! We were very proud of him.

Here's a short video of him in action....

Cardiac Catheter

Thomas' cardiac catheter is this Friday. We've been to the pre-admission clinic today where we completed lots of paperwork and went through what is going to happen. We were expecting that Thomas would have an echo, an ECG and a chest x-ray today but all the consultant requested was the usual observations (height, weight, sats, bp) and a blood test. We were still there for the best part of 3.5 hours as we also visited the ward and Thomas went in the play room. A cardiac catheter is usually a minimum of one night stay in hospital but as long as his blood results are ok we will not have to go in until the morning of the cath. It'll be an early start as we've got to report to the ward for 8am and there is always a chance that he might have to stay after he's had the cath done but we are hopeful Thomas will be in and out in the day.

Thomas seems fairly ok with it all thus far. We've been doing some hospital play at home with some real medical bits of equipment and we've been looking at some books to help him understand how his heart is special. It feels quite strange going back in hospital but I think it will be good to help prepare ourselves for his next operation The Fontan. As things stand this is scheduled for next spring but the catheter results are key.

Thomas has settled in really well at school. He's still happy to go in the mornings and
seems to be enjoying the learning. We've had our first parents evening and his teachers are really pleased with how he's settled. As long as he's happy and enjoying it that is all that matters. He had his first school trip the other week to Coombe Abbey to see the changes of Autumn. I went along as a parent helper as Thomas was in a buggy - we had to borrow a big buggy (off Thomas' heart friend Charlie) as Thomas was initially rejected but we have since been granted one by the wheelchair service so he now has his own.

Samuel is lovely, still dotes on his brother (despite the wrestles) and has taken his first step, only one so far but he's getting there.

I'll update again after Friday.

BIG school!

Thomas started school on Wednesday. He was very excited he couldn't wait to get his uniform on and get there. He skipped in and was all smiles when I picked him up a couple of hours later. I asked him how he'd got on and he said 'Well, that was quick am I staying longer tomorrow?'. The last two mornings have gone equally as well so all in all a very good start. He starts full time next Thursday so he has a few more morning sessions before then. We are so chuffed for him - it is so great that he is starting school just like all the others and he looks very smart in his uniform. We're very proud of big school boy :-)


Samuel had his first birthday on 26th August. I can't believe where this last year has gone. We had a little party at lunchtime and a family tea later on. He has started to pull himself up the furniture now and is generally enjoying seeing the world at a different level.


P.s No word from the hospital as yet as to when Thomas' cardiac catheter will be. I keep expecting that brown envelope to arrive on the mat - I guess we will hear soon.

Heart check up

Hi all

We've been to Birmingham today for Thomas' heart check up. His height and weight were spot on and his sats 82 (fine for Thomas). They did an Echo and are very happy with him. As expected they discussed the timing of his next operation (the Fontan). Basically they have no waiting lists and as Thomas is now 4.5yrs 'we could get it all done and dusted by Autumn' GULP! Equally because he is doing well we have the 'luxury' of time so we plumped for the cardiac catheter (the exploratory procedure) in October/November with a view to the operation next Spring. We've always known it was coming but it is still hard. You would never choose to put your child through it but we know that it needs to happen so Thomas can keep up better with his peers.

They did an exercise tolerance test with him whereby they checked his sats at the top of the stairs, he then had to walk down two flights and back up two flights and then had sats checked again. His sats peaked at the top at 87 (yee-har!) and dropped to 70 after exercise. They said that 70 wasn't bad at all for Thomas. It was also interesting hearing the Dr describe children like Thomas at school. He said you will see them running around in the playground, the difference being they will run then stop (to get their breath back) run, stop, run, stop. Whereas the other children have so much more endurance. This is exactly what Thomas is like, he does everything his friends do now just at his pace. This 3rd op will give him much more energy and he will be able to cope better with exercise. We know this has to be better for him.

Thomas just wants to get his heart fixed so he can run faster and get a big present. Oh to be so carefree eh!

He starts school on 8th September - it's amazing to think he's going to school. I'm so happy for him but equally I'm a bit nervous. He is definitely ready for it and seems to be looking forward to it. We've been into see his teachers and go through all the medical side of things. They gave us confidence they will do right by him, the main thing is for us to keep communicating with each other. It's a big learning curve for all of us and it will take a bit of time for us all to get used to things but it's a fantastic milestone!

I'll try and keep the blog updated a bit more often over these next few months. We've had such a busy year enjoying ourselves I've neglected my blog duties ;-) Thomas & Daddy are going camping this weekend (weather permitting) at Wicksteed Park. We're all going for the day with our friends (The Duffs) then the big boys are staying over under canvas, while the Mummy's and the young ones head home and then regroup on Sunday morning.

The next Thursday is Samuel's first birthday, I really cannot believe he is doing to be one. He's such a little treasure, he's crawling around everywhere and spends most of his time trying to get at Thomas' toys. It's so lovely to see them together though.

We're off to Cornwall for the last week in August. We thought we'd get another holiday in before Thomas starts school. So no doubt Rick Steins fish and chips will be on the menu and hopefully a bit of sand castle building as well. Happy times!

I've added a couple of photos above - for some reason I couldn't get them to appear down here - must be out of practice ;-)

A mega update....

Hi everyone
Life has been pretty manic these last few months so apologies for the lack of news. Thomas has been on form - a little too on form at times - and is still very much into his little brother. Samuel has settled in nicely and is now so much more aware. He giggles, hold things, has found his feet and is generally very interested in the world around him but his little face absolutely lights up when his big brother is around.

Christmas was great, busy as usual, but good fun. We took Thomas to see Santa on the Severn Valley Railway which was really nice plus many other Christmas parties and festive gatherings.

Thomas had a heart check up after Christmas, the usual 6 monthly one, but we were anxious about it because Thomas is coming up 4yrs old and is getting closer to the time of the next operation. They scanned him and are very happy with his heart which is brilliant news. His sats were 84, which again is spot on for Thomas, but as predicted they did start the conversation about the Fontan (the 3rd open heart operation). His consultant said realistically we are looking at the next 12-18 months. It's during these next couple of years he thinks we will really start to notice the difference between Thomas' level of activity and his friends. He's starting school in September and they like to get the Fontan done in Reception or Year 1 'before the real work starts'. Anyway nothing is happening for the next 6 months, he said when we go back in the summer they will do some exercise tolerance tests with Thomas to see how puffed he gets and take it from there. The next thing will be a Cardiac Catheter which is generally a one/two night stay in hospital where they go up through the groin to check the pressures in the heart and generally have a good look at it from an internal perspective. So, the good news is he's doing well and they are happy with him. We've always known about the 3rd op but it doesn't make it any easier. At least we have some time to get used to the idea (if you ever do!).

Samuel has had Bronciolitis so we were in Walsgrave hospital with him a week or so ago as he wasn't feeding. It's taken a little while to shift but he seems to be back to normal now pretty much. He was still very smiley throughout and the doctors and nurses kept saying he looked too well to be in there (plus they thought he was really cute! ;-) Thankfully he avoided having an NG tube and I syringe fed him small amounts of milk until he could take it better himself by the bottle.

It's Thomas' 4th birthday on 2nd Feb - I can't believe our little rascal is going to be 4 years old. We're off to Center Parcs on 1st Feb so we'll celebrate his birthday there but he's having a party next Sunday before we go.

Here's some photo's of the last few months - I'll report back after his birthday and Center Parcs.

Samuel James Hooks

Thomas is a BIG brother!!

Samuel James was born on 26th August at 2.03pm weighing 7lb 1oz. He came 5 days early - obviously doesn't take after his Mum - but it all went really well and we are totally made up with our boys :-) Thomas is the doting big brother and seemed to instantly accept Samuel, he couldn't wait to get to the hospital and meet him. He keeps kissing him and wanting to cuddle him which is really lovely. He's been a bit of a handful for us at times, which is obviously a reaction and only to be accepted, but he's besotted with his little bro which is the main thing.

Here's a slideshow of a few pics

28th July 2009

Hello again

Thomas' heart outpatients appointment went well on 25th June. His sats were 82 (that's fine for Thomas) and after a thorough heart scan the registrar said his heart was 'working well'. We didn't ask any questions this time, we basically just scarpered out of there when he said he'd see us again in 6 months. We didn't want to prompt any discussion about the next stage. Thomas is reaching the age where they could start talking about the next operation and start the ball rolling i.e put him on the cardiac catheter list and we really don't to face this over the next 6 months with the new baby coming along. It would be different if Thomas was struggling in anyway but he's doing very well and having such a lovely time so leave us be for the time being please.

The next day I had another scan to check on the baby's heart and that all went very well too so it was a really good couple of days for us :-) Also 26th June was my Mum's 65th birthday and we'd arranged a surprise BBQ for her at my brothers. This all went off really well (despite a monsoon like downpour in the afternoon) and we even managed to keep it a surprise from her - for anybody who knows my Mum will realise this is no mean feat :-)

Thomas has finished his first term at 'big boy pre-school' for the summer holidays. He's back there for 2 sessions a week in September. He seems to really enjoy it, he's made some new friends and is always coming home with some crafty thing he's made.

I've now finished work - I've taken some holiday before my maternity leave which officially starts on my due date 31st August. So today we've been playing cricket & golf in the garden and playing in the sandpit - this beats work any day!!

Last Friday we went to West Midlands Safari park and met up with Thomas' heart friend Charlie and his mum. We had a brilliant day and despite the hideous weather forecast it was actually really pleasant and sunny for the most of the day. The boys had a ball and the next morning Thomas said ' Mummy I really like Charlie and he's got a special heart like me' awwwwww.....

We've been very busy at home decorating and reorganising the bedrooms in readiness for our new baby. I'm pleased to say the nursery is now ready and the new office/spare room is nearly there. Thomas has been helping (in his own way) he likes to be involved in everything, we've found the best approach is to let him have a go and then he often gets bored and goes off to play.

Daddy's fathers day present was a book called 'Daddy's little boy' in it there is a boy called Tom who does lots of great stuff with his Daddy. One of things they get up to is making a castle so Thomas wanted to do the same. I've added some photo's of it for you - it's been a bit of a project but it's all finished now and the boys are very proud of their creation (especially Daddy ;-).

We've not that much planned over the next few weeks, the baby is due in 5 weeks time so I want to spend as much quality time with my little man before his new sibling arrives. I still cannot quite believe we will have a newborn arriving soon. Thomas is still excited about it - he's been coming to my antenatal appointments and listening to the baby's heart beat. We'll see if he still feels the same when it arrives!

I've added a slide show below of some photo's taken over the last few weeks.

A mega update!!

It's a ridiculous amount of time since I last updated you about what Thomas has been up to - we've been really busy and having lots of fun.

The first major news (well, it's old news now) is that Thomas is having a new baby brother/sister due at the end of August :-) So far he is very much into the idea of his new sibling, he keeps kissing my tummy and asking 'when's it coming out Mummy?'. Lets hope he shows the same enthusiasm when it arrives and realises it's here to stay! We've had some extra scans and another one due on 26th June but so far this baby is looking like it has a heathly heart, which you can probably imagine is a HUGE relief for us.

Thomas started pre-school for two sessions a week after Easter. It's the one attached to the school that he will hopefully go to. We call it 'Big boy pre-school' and he's settled in really well and seems to enjoy it. It's another milestone for our little boy who is really growing up - he suddenly decided a few weeks back that he didn't want to wear his night time nappy anymore and so that was it, he hasn't since and done really well with it!

He's more into Tom & Jerry and Power Rangers at the minute with Lazy Town and Sportacus taking more of a back seat. He's still very much into cars and balls and loves playing bat and ball.

We went on holiday to Wales at the beginning of May - the weather was OK and we managed to get to the beach every other day. Thomas loves the beach. He loves looking in rock pools, demolishing sand castles and playing football on the beach. We also went on a steam railway and to an Animalarium where Thomas held a snake!!!

We've just got back from a week in Ibiza - last chance for a holiday abroad before number 2 arrives! We've had a great week, the weather was glorious, beautiful sun all week. Thomas was dipping in and out of the pool, the beach was a 2 minute walk away and there was 2 cartoon characters in the hotel called Dizzy (dolphin) and Shades (shark) - which were a big hit with Thomas. There was a children's disco on every evening and he really enjoyed a good boogie to the Dizzy & Shades Shakedown. He's a bit of a mover our boy! :-)

Other stuff he's been up to over the last few months is a visit to the zoo, having picnics in parks (galore) and going to a couple of children's farms. We also had a day trip to Skeggy over the bank holiday weekend which was a really good day out.

Thomas has had a new 'football' bedroom which he's very pleased about. We're changing all the bedrooms around in anticipation of the new baby coming so Thomas has now got a big boys themed room. It was so funny when he was looking through the different designs for his room, dinosaurs, diggers, space, animals, racing cars etc etc but he just kept going back to the football one. He certainly knows what he wants!

Heartwise Thomas is doing well (touch wood, fingers crossed and all that) we are due back in Birmingham for a check up on 25th June so hopefully that will go well. He certainly seems full of life and energy. He definitely can't walk as far his little friends and does get puffed but he is doing really, really well. Looooooong may it continue!!!

Thomas' 3rd Birthday

It was Thomas' 3rd birthday on Monday - can you believe he is three already??

He's had a great time, he had a party on Sunday afternoon at a local sports centre. There was the biggest bouncy castle you've ever seen plus loads of soft play items and bats and balls. It was really good, and great to see him will all his little friends enjoying himself. There was about 26 kiddies in total but there was no catastrophes or dramas and everyone seemed to have a great time. Thomas' little heart friend Charlie travelled all the way from Cardiff to be there - how lovely is that.

Every birthday is such a milestone for us when you think back to where we were when we first learnt about Thomas' heart. It's easy to forget when you see him carrying on like a typical a 3year old but we never forget how precious he is. He does get breathless and he can't walk as far as his mates without getting tired (esp in the cold weather) but he's done amazingly well in these three years we just hope this is a taster for how the future will be.

Gushing proud Mummy moment over........... :-)

On his birthday itself Thomas woke up to a winter wonderland he went to the window and said 'Mummy, it's snowing because it's my birthday'. It did make his birthday even more magical as after he'd finally opened all of his presents (which took 4 hours!!!) we went outside to build a snowman and play in the snow. It was great!!!

Grandma and Grandad spent the day with us and brought some more presents and then we had our tea out at a local carvery and Uncle Paul joined us there. All in all the little man seemed to have a great day.

The next morning he woke up and said 'who's birthday is it today Mummy'?

Here's a few photo's I'll do a slide show later.......

P.s I must tell you this little story - a couple of weeks ago we had a power cut in the middle of the night which ordinarily you would think would go unnoticed but not in our house as Thomas has a night light and the bathroom light is left on to shine in his room. SO, he woke up in the small hours really upset saying 'Mummy, Daddy my eyes aren't working'....... awwwww

Christmas 2008 & Center Parcs Jan 2009

Well, it's been a while since my last update......time flies when you're having fun!

Thomas had his outpatients appointment in mid Dec and all went well. They were pleased with his heart function, his growth and sats so we can breathe again for another 6 months. He was such a good boy while they scanned his heart, lying very still and doing just as the registrar wanted.

Then came Christmas - what a great time we had. Thomas was far more aware this year, he knew it was Christmas time and loved all the lights on the houses and all the festivities. On Christmas morning itself he came downstairs oblivious and casually walked into the lounge and on seeing the mountain of presents he said 'WOW look at all my presents, Santa bring all my presents to my home' ..........priceless!




We've just had a mid week break in Center Parcs, it was great. It was nice to have a few days away in the forrest. It's always pretty relaxing eventhough there's loads going on, we did swimming, biking, bowling, soft play and all sorts. Here's some photo's of our waterbaby.......


In other news Thomas has been to the cinema for the first time. He enjoyed Madagascar 2 just after Christmas and for a first time cinema goer he did really well. It was a good film actually I really enjoyed it myself :-)

He's still very much into playing with his cars, he's a big fan of his work bench (that he had for Christmas) and he's seriously into his marbles. Telly wise he's into Lazy Town (he thinks he is Sportacus), Peppa Pig and The Backyardigans or as Thomas calls it The Backcardigans :-)

We've got a full weekend ahead of us with Thomas' birthday party on Sunday and the big day itself on Monday. I can't quite believe my little rascal is going to be three on Monday. I'll post again soon with photo's of the birthday boy!!!

Euro Disney - November 2008

Thomas has been to Euro Disney!

We had a great time albeit absolutely FREEZING brrrrr.... we arrived on the Thursday and each day got colder and colder until the Sunday afternoon when we actually had a blizzard. We were well prepared for it though, Thomas was kitted out in a thermal vest, super hero tights under his trousers (well, we couldn't let on they were just 'girls' tights could we) and several layers, so he was pretty snug.

He LOVED all the characters but Mickey was definitely his favourite, he kept kissing him on the nose ahhhhh....

We went to all the family Disney shows, Winnie the Pooh and friends, The Lion King, Animagic, Mickey's Winter Wonderland etc etc and they were just the right length of time for Thomas to be mesmerised with them. The Disney parades were great and the Christmas lights were so well done. He really enjoyed the rides, particulary the Flying Elephants and the Disney Cars ride although once on them he wasn't quite so keen on having to get off them!

It was really busy at the weekend but thankfully we took one of his hospital outpatient letters with us and his blue badge and they presented us with a pass that meant we bypassed the queues. It was brilliant, we would have never have thought about it but some of our Little Hearts friends have been and passed on the tip. We were so grateful for it, at first it felt a bit weird using it but we soon got over ourselves and got into the swing of it.

All in all we had a great time.

We're off to Birmingham on Thursday for a check up so I'll let you know how he gets on. I always get a little anxious when we have to go back but he seems to be doing so well.... we just hope they agree.

Quick update

Thanks to everyone for sponsoring Thomas, he's raised £235 for Little Hearts which is really great. He did his 'toddle', which turned out to be an egg and spoon race, and was pleased as punch with his medal.

We're off to Euro Disney tomorrow so there's lots of excitement in the Hooks house at the minute. Although, we have had to stop talking about it as Thomas has no concept of time and wants to go and see Mickey NOW!!!

So you can see what the little fella has been up to here's a slideshow of some recent photo's. As you can see he gets about a bit! I'll report back soon with all the news from Disney, we can't wait :-)

Thomas is doing a sponsored toddle

Thomas is doing a sponsored 'toddle' on Sunday 12th October, at Shugborough Hall, in aid of Little Hearts Matter. It would be great if you could sponsor him.

I'll let you know how he gets on and post some photo's next week.

Nerja photo's

We've been to Spain!

Hi everyone

We've just returned from a few days in Spain, the first day wasn't so great but then we had 4 glorious days in the Spanish sunshine,Thomas has been building sandcastles, paddling in the sea, swimming in the pool and eating Paella! It was so nice to get a last bit of summer as Autumn definitely feels like it's arrived while we've been away. When we left Malaga it was 25c and when we arrived in Birmingham it was only 10c brrrrr....

Here's a couple photo's of our holiday (I seem to have lost the knack with the slideshows)




Other news is that Thomas is officially not a baby anymore :-( over the last couple of months he's moved into his big boys bed and he's out of nappies. Both have gone pretty well, we bought a bed guard for his bed which didn't fit so we had a couple of nights of him being a bit unsettled but when we finally found a bed guard that fitted (thanks Ann-marie) he was fine. The potty training is going well, we started it about a month ago, he got the hang of it really quickly and by the 3rd day he was dry all day! We've had some accidents since then though, and we don't leave the house without the potty, but overall I think he's done very well.

Thomas is such a typical little boy, he's really into Disney Cars at the minute and he LOVES rough and tumble and wrestling. I seriously don't know where he gets his energy from sometimes, yes he gets puffed but I do think all that he does is pretty incredible considering his special heart. It was exactly 3 years ago today we found out about Thomas' heart condition. It makes me go cold when I think back to that day. I can't believe how lucky we are - he's soooooo precious.

Thomas is doing a sponsored toddle on Sunday to raise money for Little Hearts Matter so I'll be setting up a Just Giving page over the next couple of days - it would be great if you could sponsor him. I'll send you the link when it's all set up.

X

Slideshow

Hi everyone

I'm just trying out a new way of sharing photo's with you. Hope it works!

All is well in the Hooks camp, Thomas is great and such good fun at the minute. I'll update again soon I just wanted to share some photo's from the last few weeks with you.