). We loved having those matching shirts (even if Grandma did forget theirs...) and a few times people said to me "so you're from Canada?" and I would be trying to figure out how they knew when it dawned on me: the Canadian flag on my shirt, of course! 
I guess even brownhaired girls are blond sometimes. 
It was HIS nurses that had told me to bring her in! I told him about the breathing, first that she holds her breath, and he said "not cardiac related!" all cockily. And then i said about her getting out of breath and he said that could be related but he was still kind of brushing it off (dh told me later that he heard some comments that there were some inner conflict happening in the clinic that day so maybe he was just in a bad mood to begin with). My dh came in after parking the car and I just felt like leaving but him and the doc both said that we might as well check her now that she was here. I let dh take care of it while I found a quiet corner and cried... 
As if I enjoy taking her in to be poked and prodded!!!!! 
I would have been happy had he smiled and said "oh, that is nothing to worry about, I understand you worry, but this is okay". After a good long while dh came out and told me to come into the office. The doc said right away "I was wrong, you were right" (as close to an apology a specialist will get I suppose). I really, really, really didn't want to be right.... So this is what he said: her pulmonic pressures (bloodpressures in the lungs) have gone up quite a lot since October, which is really not a good thing. There seems to be an obstruction at or below her mitral valve and the left part of her heart is too small. He started her on Enalapril right away, and we'll come back in 6-8 weeks. If the pressures seems to have gotten better, then that would be great. She would need to be on Enalapril for life, but that's not a big deal. If pressures stay the same or go up, we'll need to do a cath (heart catheterization) to find the more accurate pressures. We might end up doing that anyway to have a baseline. She might also have to use Sildenafil (viagra, lol). Now properly chastised, he was really nice and talked to us for a long time. If the medication doesn't help enough, we're looking at surgery.... I HATE that word.....! This time a lot more complex and there's even a chance they would not be able to fix the valve and have to put in a mechanical one, which would mean she could never have children.... That just breaks my heart.... As for the pulmonary pressures, if they don't improve with all this, there really is nothing more to do. It would mean a slow death..... He said "personally I don't recommend a heart-lung transplant (our only option to "treat" it) as the survival rate is only 5%". Not that he thought that was something that would necessarily be in our future at all. But he gave us the worst case scenarioes and they were not pretty. 
We went for Lydia's check-up today and did not get the news we were hoping for... First, as we got there, the cardiologist was acting like a big jerk asking all annoyed "why are you here? I saw her in October and she was fine!"
So, all of you that pray, please pray for Lydia. We love her sooo much... Can't even fathom going through that hell again....
He is good and His love endures Forever.
Lydia is on page 1 of my prayer list. I was so thinking everything was fine.
I am so upset that the doctor treated you guys like that. And so glad you stuck it out.
I am so sorry that all of this is happening and we will pray that the medicine does wonders for her!!
Bless your heart.
I saw the Disney on Ice pics...wow. What a magical night. Again!
We are praying!!!
It feels so good to know that people all over the world (literally, all of my family is in Norway) are praying for us. Thank you for your prayers. Oh Linda, I'm so, so sorry about the bad news at Lydia's appointment. You guys will remain in my prayers! I truly hope the medication works and Lydia will be happy, healthy and strong! Lots and lots of
Lol, no she didn't stop smiling, except for the time when we had to carry her crying out of AK because she didn't want to sit in the stroller or hold our hands... 
But I haven't gotten to that part yet. 
Oh, honey, I'm so so sorry. Of course we will be praying for you and Lydia.
I probably had JUST as much fun dressing her up all prettily) so special. That goes for you too, Mary! Linda, I just read your news about Lydia.
It just breaks my heart what these kids have to endure! Here I am all worked up about a tube/adenoid surgery when really it is nothing by comparison. I will add Lydia to our prayers...I think we have direct line to the Big Guy you know? Sending you lots of love and good wishes!!!
p.s. you totally need a blog
Yes, maybe I should consider one. I love yours but you're such an excellent writer too. I think anything hard our kids go through ages us a year at least... And all you've been through with that little pumpkin, of course you're worried. 
I just realized I haadn't posted anything, but I have been checking in to see if there are any new updates. I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner.
