To help promote their upcoming film the makers of 'Super 8' created an iPhone app of the same name. As the name suggests it's a Super 8 camera emulator.
The camera has lots of features to play with. There are a fair amount of vintage effects, including live film scratches, light leaks, vignettes. It also supports hardware torch and front facing camera on equipped devices which make for a range of fun colored film options. It records sound and adds the ol' authentic camera noise to the film clips as well.
The app saves your clips to the app’s library and if desired adds an old Kodak white leader. Viewing your clips can be done so using a built-in “projector”. You can also export your developed film (clips) to your phone's main photo library.
This app is pretty wicked! At the time I downloaded it the app's description said it was free for a limited time.
The following are emulator clips I took of Daylon last weekend. The original is a single clip but I had to bust it out into two clips in order to export/email them to myself to post here. If you can't view the clips let me know. And you'll see that Daylon has a nice raspberry on his forehead. The poor little guy took a spill and hit his head minutes before I filmed these clips.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Super Jumper
Daylon has recently discovered hopping. It's impressive to see in addition to it being pretty dang cute. The little stinker though knows when I have the video camera all ready for some action shots and turns his attention to, well, not hopping =). We're pretty sure his discovery is attributed to his enjoyment of our friends' trampoline. 'Weeeeee!!'
Monday, May 16, 2011
Super Easter
Easter Weekend was fantastic! The Mardocks journeyed down here Saturday morning and we all found ourselves immediately discussing and adventuring to find a new local fun and yummy eatery. We found one indeed. Sunshine Tavern on SE division. Highly recommend. The food and drink were tasty, and the other draw to the restaurant was their heavy advertising of being kid friendly. The place was hopping with folks young and old. We had a fantastic time and were thoroughly pleased and stuffed (gravy fries, burgers, rigatoni, salads, all top drawer). Rachel and Jeanne ordered Citrus and Ginger sodas; unique but refreshing. And given the busyness of the place on a holiday eve Saturday the service was wonderful. Oh, and they house a shuffleboard right in the middle in the restaurant. Who doesn't like shuffleboard?
Easter Sunday. In the morning we made our way to Riverwest Church and heard Pastor Guy preach on Luke 24. A sobering, encouraging and sometimes humorous message about the reality of Christ, His resurrection, and His desire to have a relationship with each one of us. Give the above passage a read!
Gathering friends and family to our home after Church, the kids played well and hard while glorious amounts of wonderful foods were being prepared. There really isn't much more needed in life than celebrating Christ in fellowship with others you love gathered around eating a well prepared meal. Well, okay, there is one more thing I'm sure the kids would add; watching Cars. Check out these little dudes; wrecked, whooped and veggin'. How Cute! I love Daylon's arm resting on Jude.
Luke 24 : 13-18
"And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"
Heh heh, oh Cleopas. His buddy, "Hey Cleo, remember when we were headed to the springs in Emmaus?..."
Easter Sunday. In the morning we made our way to Riverwest Church and heard Pastor Guy preach on Luke 24. A sobering, encouraging and sometimes humorous message about the reality of Christ, His resurrection, and His desire to have a relationship with each one of us. Give the above passage a read!
Gathering friends and family to our home after Church, the kids played well and hard while glorious amounts of wonderful foods were being prepared. There really isn't much more needed in life than celebrating Christ in fellowship with others you love gathered around eating a well prepared meal. Well, okay, there is one more thing I'm sure the kids would add; watching Cars. Check out these little dudes; wrecked, whooped and veggin'. How Cute! I love Daylon's arm resting on Jude.
Luke 24 : 13-18
"And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"
Heh heh, oh Cleopas. His buddy, "Hey Cleo, remember when we were headed to the springs in Emmaus?..."
Friday, April 22, 2011
Palm Sunday, Good Friday
What a pleasant day we had last Sunday, Palm Sunday.
Our good friend and Pastor, Adam, preached a wonderful and challenging word at Riverwest Church. Referencing Mark 8 and focusing on Jesus' healing of a blind man in Bethsaida Adam challenged us to consider three prayers to humbly pray before the Lord.
1. 'I pray, Lord, that you reveal to me the problems with my spiritual vision.'
What are my 'blind spots'? This prayer begins with truly being humble before the Lord, a longing for the Holy Spirit to reveal what it is in our hearts that obstructs our vision of Christ and how we love and serve Him and those around us. Only with humility can we have a clear vision of His Love and Will and in this surrendering relationship can Christ show us his identity through Grace. And with what the Lord does reveal pray that He heals.
2. 'I pray, Lord, that you would help me understand how my blind spots are creating problems in my life.'
Surely Jesus was intentional taking a few steps to heal the man of his blindness. Why? Jesus asked about the state of the man's vision to challenge that man and us on precisely that; the state of our vision. Jesus asks us 'What do you see? Is something improved? Does some impairment still exist?'. And we ask 'What do I want to see? Do I have a 'correct' vision/view of Christ?' Being our Lord and Savior Jesus can heal us without all the inquiry. But He wants an active relationship with each one of us. And He desires us to want an active relationship with Him as well. We need to look for patterns that provide a 'Gospel Gap' that impede a clear vision of the true Gospel. Jesus wants to dig deep and help us create a clear understanding of who He is, but again, we must want it and seek it.
3. 'I pray, Lord, that you would give me a clear vision and a deeper understanding of my blind spots with the Gospel at the heart.'
Today marks Good Friday. Christ's love for us was on full brutal display this day many years ago. His sacrificial love for us gives us every hope that we no longer are subject to our sin but are heirs saved by Christ's blood that we would glorify and praise Him forever. We ought not to want something, anything that would impede our relationship with Christ. His vision was clear for us.
A few side notes Adam made. In v8:14 Christ basically asks 'Why are you concerned about bread? I am the Bread of Life, do you not see!?' Some worldly 'breads' look pretty good and tasty, but beware. Don't miss the true Bread of Life.
After Church I took Daylon down to the park. We saw lots of airplanes and we both were super intrigued with sticks, wood chips and rocks. We were being boys getting our hands dirty. It was glorious and so much fun.
After wards Jeanne prepared a fantastic meal that included me enthusiastically firing up the BBQ! Uncle Josh came over, we all gorged, Daylon soon passed out for the night after his fun filled and exhausting day. But Jeanne, Josh and I continued our day playing a game of Ticket to Ride and a game of Acquire all the while filling our hollow legs with apple pie. I can easily say that this last Sunday was perfect.
Today, Good Friday, Christ's crucifixion day, a super dark and sobering day to say the very least. But Sunday, His resurrection day, an exuberant day to say the very least. We are looking forward to the party! Happy Easter everyone!
Our good friend and Pastor, Adam, preached a wonderful and challenging word at Riverwest Church. Referencing Mark 8 and focusing on Jesus' healing of a blind man in Bethsaida Adam challenged us to consider three prayers to humbly pray before the Lord.
1. 'I pray, Lord, that you reveal to me the problems with my spiritual vision.'
What are my 'blind spots'? This prayer begins with truly being humble before the Lord, a longing for the Holy Spirit to reveal what it is in our hearts that obstructs our vision of Christ and how we love and serve Him and those around us. Only with humility can we have a clear vision of His Love and Will and in this surrendering relationship can Christ show us his identity through Grace. And with what the Lord does reveal pray that He heals.
2. 'I pray, Lord, that you would help me understand how my blind spots are creating problems in my life.'
Surely Jesus was intentional taking a few steps to heal the man of his blindness. Why? Jesus asked about the state of the man's vision to challenge that man and us on precisely that; the state of our vision. Jesus asks us 'What do you see? Is something improved? Does some impairment still exist?'. And we ask 'What do I want to see? Do I have a 'correct' vision/view of Christ?' Being our Lord and Savior Jesus can heal us without all the inquiry. But He wants an active relationship with each one of us. And He desires us to want an active relationship with Him as well. We need to look for patterns that provide a 'Gospel Gap' that impede a clear vision of the true Gospel. Jesus wants to dig deep and help us create a clear understanding of who He is, but again, we must want it and seek it.
3. 'I pray, Lord, that you would give me a clear vision and a deeper understanding of my blind spots with the Gospel at the heart.'
Today marks Good Friday. Christ's love for us was on full brutal display this day many years ago. His sacrificial love for us gives us every hope that we no longer are subject to our sin but are heirs saved by Christ's blood that we would glorify and praise Him forever. We ought not to want something, anything that would impede our relationship with Christ. His vision was clear for us.
A few side notes Adam made. In v8:14 Christ basically asks 'Why are you concerned about bread? I am the Bread of Life, do you not see!?' Some worldly 'breads' look pretty good and tasty, but beware. Don't miss the true Bread of Life.
After Church I took Daylon down to the park. We saw lots of airplanes and we both were super intrigued with sticks, wood chips and rocks. We were being boys getting our hands dirty. It was glorious and so much fun.
After wards Jeanne prepared a fantastic meal that included me enthusiastically firing up the BBQ! Uncle Josh came over, we all gorged, Daylon soon passed out for the night after his fun filled and exhausting day. But Jeanne, Josh and I continued our day playing a game of Ticket to Ride and a game of Acquire all the while filling our hollow legs with apple pie. I can easily say that this last Sunday was perfect.
Today, Good Friday, Christ's crucifixion day, a super dark and sobering day to say the very least. But Sunday, His resurrection day, an exuberant day to say the very least. We are looking forward to the party! Happy Easter everyone!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Few Photos
A couple of weeks ago Jeanne, Daylon and I headed up to the Seattle area for the weekend. We celebrated Joandy's Carter turning one with a mega party! And we spent some fantastic quality time with my parents. There lives a cool little park just a few minutes away from where my folks live. My mom, Daylon and I ventured over there for a some playtime and pictures. Daylon digs swings (hinted at that in my previous post)! If left on a swing for just the right amount of time he gets pretty relaxed and sleepy. And Daylon rocked one of his wicked fun hats as well!
The next two photos are of Daylon from last week. The first is our little man throwing out a 'peaceful' gang sign from his happenin' car seat. The second photo is of him at one of his favorite spots at home; at the love seat playing with his cars. Notice in the second picture Daylon sporting new soccer gear!
A couple more of me and Daylon from last week playing around making faces. I really don't know where Daylon gets his goofiness. And he's wearing his Big Ed's Flap Jack Shack t-shirt. Yeah, splatter dabs! I love that shirt!
The next two photos are of Daylon from last week. The first is our little man throwing out a 'peaceful' gang sign from his happenin' car seat. The second photo is of him at one of his favorite spots at home; at the love seat playing with his cars. Notice in the second picture Daylon sporting new soccer gear!
A couple more of me and Daylon from last week playing around making faces. I really don't know where Daylon gets his goofiness. And he's wearing his Big Ed's Flap Jack Shack t-shirt. Yeah, splatter dabs! I love that shirt!
Friday, April 01, 2011
The Month of March
Rob, Rachel and their boys came down the weekend of the 11th and what a weekend it was. Rob and I shared our birthday celebrations over some rad food adventures. Rob had a strong list of foods he wanted to try while he was here and I loved every one of his ideas. So we went with and off his list. And the girls were relieved not to worry about cooking =). A sampling of our conquests (Rob, chime in if I've missed something) :
- Pok Pok. Um, yes. If you haven't tried this place (related to the restaurant Ping), go. Go as soon as possible. Asian cuisine. And they have fantastic drinking vinegars. Sounds odd but they are goo-oood.
- Cheesecake Factory. For dessert. 'nough said.
- Sterling Coffee. Local roaster. Their cafe is next to Trader Joes up on 21st and Glisan.
- A birthday weekend wouldn't be complete without donuts from VooDoo. We had some buttermilk bars, Ol' Dirty Bastards (simple glazed donut with crumpled oreos on top drizzled with peanut butter) and a Memphis Mafia fritter (think the Dirty Bastard but with an apple fritter). Yes.
- Barista. They are a touch more expensive than Stumptown cafes but oh so worth it. Mochas with dark chocolate.
- PB&Js Grilled. Rob and Rachel's first experience with one of Jeanne's and my favorite food carts. A previous post of mine on the cart.
And finally, Daylon. He's getting so big. Coming up on 2 years old already!? Him and I go on walks often and if the weather permits we'll head down to the playground area by our home for some swinging and climbing on the Jungle Jim. We did so a few days ago, and as you can see from the video Daylon is swinging on his own (with super parental oversight of course). He was a little anxious but had fun!
Friday, March 04, 2011
Cousins, Trains and Transformers
Two weeks ago marked the first time I've been to the Portland Children's Museum. Jeanne and Daylon, at least once before. What a fun place! Each little venue was uniquely entertaining, the featured set being of Curious George. We didn't quite make it to the Curious George area but it goes on until June I believe. I don't think Daylon would mind it one bit if we went back a few more times. Especially if at the same time while taking in all the sights and sounds of the museum he can do so enjoying the time with his cousin Kaia. We had set up a play date for the cousins. It was such a treat to see the two of them have so much fun together. Pictures!
Daylon has recently starting building 'trains' using his toy cars and trucks. If that wasn't cute enough anytime we would ask Daylon about his trains or show him pictures of trains he would answer 'choo choo'. When we show him rabbits, 'bop bop bop'. How. Fun! Here is a picture of one of his trains.
A few of Daylon's train creations have included using GoBots I had brought out for him from storage. I grew up playing with GoBots, G.I. Joe, Star Wars of course, Transformers. It's been a blast digging through boxes finding and busting out 25+ year old hearty metal vintage toys I had as a young lad and handing them down for my son to play with. This photo link I posted a few days ago via Twitter shows the latest Transformer I handed to Daylon to enjoy playing with. A small coffee treat for whoever guesses correctly the name and year of the Transformer. I'm still figuring out the timing for when I want to bring out the ultimate Transformers keepsakes; original Megatron and JetFire. I still have all the accessories to go with them as well. Yeah, nerd. But Daylon will have jealous friends. And that's pretty important =).
Daylon has recently starting building 'trains' using his toy cars and trucks. If that wasn't cute enough anytime we would ask Daylon about his trains or show him pictures of trains he would answer 'choo choo'. When we show him rabbits, 'bop bop bop'. How. Fun! Here is a picture of one of his trains.
A few of Daylon's train creations have included using GoBots I had brought out for him from storage. I grew up playing with GoBots, G.I. Joe, Star Wars of course, Transformers. It's been a blast digging through boxes finding and busting out 25+ year old hearty metal vintage toys I had as a young lad and handing them down for my son to play with. This photo link I posted a few days ago via Twitter shows the latest Transformer I handed to Daylon to enjoy playing with. A small coffee treat for whoever guesses correctly the name and year of the Transformer. I'm still figuring out the timing for when I want to bring out the ultimate Transformers keepsakes; original Megatron and JetFire. I still have all the accessories to go with them as well. Yeah, nerd. But Daylon will have jealous friends. And that's pretty important =).
Friday, February 18, 2011
Food Cart : PB&Js Grilled
As I mentioned in my previous post Portland is food cart crazy! We've tried a handful with oh so many more on our list to try. Last year Jeanne and Daylon found a gem of a cart up on 23rd, PB&Js Grilled. They were brand new. Jeanne immediately was interested and the three of us went back soon after and have been loyal regular customers ever since. Shane and Keena are the owners; super busy, super motivated, masters of their craft and creations and most of all super friendly, ready to have a good chat without ever losing their inviting smiles. We've enjoyed getting to know them and have admired their passion to provide such a tasty, unique yet original product (using fresh and organic ingredients made locally or made themselves).
Our first grilled sandwich was The Joy; smooth dark chocolate spread, sweet coconut filling and almond butter sandwiched between think pieces of challah bread lightly basted in butter then grilled to perfection. We've tried just about all their sandwiches (Spicy Thai! Betty!) and although all their treats are superb Jeanne finds herself enjoying their Pumpkin Pie creation (the perfect blend of their yummy pumpkin butter, Two Tarts caramel sauce, scrumptious pie crust and peanut butter again between butter basted challah bread all grilled together just right) most of the time where I always find myself craving that Joy. Daylon has nibbled on every one we've ordered and seems to be very indiscriminate. He loves them all. We know he would love having a whole sandwich to himself. One of these days when Jeanne and I aren't looking Shane and Keena just might hand him one. I don't think we'd mind. As long as Daylon shared.
This last weekend we met up with our good friends the Phipps' and they finally were able to experience PB&Js Grilled. We ordered our treats, enjoyed some hot beverages from Two Tarts (a local bakery/cookie/coffee cafe), shopped the toy store around the corner and enjoyed fellowship and pleasant conversation. Here is a photo of Shane and Keena working their magic :
Here be their menu and they are active on twitter @pbjsgrilledcom. I'm looking forward to when their newest idea/creation finally makes the menu : a Pecan Pie Sandwich!
Our first grilled sandwich was The Joy; smooth dark chocolate spread, sweet coconut filling and almond butter sandwiched between think pieces of challah bread lightly basted in butter then grilled to perfection. We've tried just about all their sandwiches (Spicy Thai! Betty!) and although all their treats are superb Jeanne finds herself enjoying their Pumpkin Pie creation (the perfect blend of their yummy pumpkin butter, Two Tarts caramel sauce, scrumptious pie crust and peanut butter again between butter basted challah bread all grilled together just right) most of the time where I always find myself craving that Joy. Daylon has nibbled on every one we've ordered and seems to be very indiscriminate. He loves them all. We know he would love having a whole sandwich to himself. One of these days when Jeanne and I aren't looking Shane and Keena just might hand him one. I don't think we'd mind. As long as Daylon shared.
This last weekend we met up with our good friends the Phipps' and they finally were able to experience PB&Js Grilled. We ordered our treats, enjoyed some hot beverages from Two Tarts (a local bakery/cookie/coffee cafe), shopped the toy store around the corner and enjoyed fellowship and pleasant conversation. Here is a photo of Shane and Keena working their magic :
Here be their menu and they are active on twitter @pbjsgrilledcom. I'm looking forward to when their newest idea/creation finally makes the menu : a Pecan Pie Sandwich!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
2.0
I've neglected blogging. I blame Facebook. But I've said goodbye to that addictive networking horse and have been sober now for almost of month. Breathing the social site free air has been fresh and sweet.
So now what? Are there folks our there that still read my blog? Do I have an audience? Let me know. I thank those few that are indeed still here and dedicated. It is because of you that I feel reinvigorated and willing to pen my ramblings once again and share stories, pictures, thoughts, prayers.
There really is so much to tell since I last wrote. Too much really. Thinking it all over I can easily say that our Lord is Good, Gracious, Forgiving, and at work in our lives. We are healthy, we are joyful, we are active, and boy are we tired. Jeanne is more beautiful everyday and Daylon is growing up way too fast for our liking. Jeanne, I don't deserve, and Daylon, what a character. He runs and doesn't walk. He loves it when I toss him in the air and when I chase him. 'up', 'dada', 'ball' (which is Mom to him, heh heh), 'plea (se)'. And he sure does suck down his smoothies! Can it really be February 2011? Daylon coming up on 2 years old? Wow.
How about a few pictures to go along with my 'restarting' to blog?
I've abandoned Facebook, but I'm still somewhat active on Twitter. And you'll notice my tweets, twerps, twits, whatever, show up on the side of my blog over there. I make use of a photo tool called Instagram that I sometimes use to edit and post pictures that I then share via Twitter. Keep an eye out for those posts.
A few other things; Jeanne and I are hooked on Cake Boss and Fringe, I'm addicted to running, Daylon still loves wheels, trucks and cars, Jeanne grows more and more stunning every day (yeah, I mentioned it above but I'm trying to score some points here =) ), and Daylon loves the soft serve ice cream from Costco. He helps us out eating most of it.
Question: is BlogPress really a good tool to use for mobile?
So now what? Are there folks our there that still read my blog? Do I have an audience? Let me know. I thank those few that are indeed still here and dedicated. It is because of you that I feel reinvigorated and willing to pen my ramblings once again and share stories, pictures, thoughts, prayers.
There really is so much to tell since I last wrote. Too much really. Thinking it all over I can easily say that our Lord is Good, Gracious, Forgiving, and at work in our lives. We are healthy, we are joyful, we are active, and boy are we tired. Jeanne is more beautiful everyday and Daylon is growing up way too fast for our liking. Jeanne, I don't deserve, and Daylon, what a character. He runs and doesn't walk. He loves it when I toss him in the air and when I chase him. 'up', 'dada', 'ball' (which is Mom to him, heh heh), 'plea (se)'. And he sure does suck down his smoothies! Can it really be February 2011? Daylon coming up on 2 years old? Wow.
How about a few pictures to go along with my 'restarting' to blog?
 |
| Uncle Josh took this wonderful photo of me and Daylon playing on the beach. It was over New Years where Jeanne and her siblings planned a few days for us all to get away and spend time in wonderful fellowship, eat glorious amounts of food and play plenty of board games. Pacific City, Oregon, 2011. |
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| The next photo is of Jeanne and Daylon reading at Costco. He points to all the letters and numbers he can and is doing super well recognizing them. 'O?' 'I?'. Cuuuute! Tigard, January 2011. |
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| Portland is quickly becoming known for its food cart craze. So many varieties, so many treats, so many yummies. A few weeks ago the three of us went to one called the Potato Champion. We devoured our chili fries. And froze our rear-ends off. PDX, January 2011. |
I've abandoned Facebook, but I'm still somewhat active on Twitter. And you'll notice my tweets, twerps, twits, whatever, show up on the side of my blog over there. I make use of a photo tool called Instagram that I sometimes use to edit and post pictures that I then share via Twitter. Keep an eye out for those posts.
A few other things; Jeanne and I are hooked on Cake Boss and Fringe, I'm addicted to running, Daylon still loves wheels, trucks and cars, Jeanne grows more and more stunning every day (yeah, I mentioned it above but I'm trying to score some points here =) ), and Daylon loves the soft serve ice cream from Costco. He helps us out eating most of it.
Question: is BlogPress really a good tool to use for mobile?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Fantastic News!
This morning Daylon had a checkup appointment with his cardiologist. And it couldn't have some at a better time since we have been anxiously awaiting the results of Daylon's second Holter session from over two weeks ago.
Dr. LeGras' medical assistant first had Daylon weighed. She weighed him in at 11 pounds 13 ounces! Dr. LeGras than came in and after giving Daylon a quick checkup (everything sounded perfect) I immediately asked about his Holter results; no SVT episodes! We. Are. So. Excited! What does this mean though exactly? It means that the combination of Digoxin and Propanolol are working well together at their current dosage. Dr. LeGras instructed us to continue administering the medications at their current dosage for at least another three months until Daylon's next appointment. He'll have another Holter session done at that time as well.
There were two other brief points of discussion.
First, with Daylon gaining weight and getting bigger shouldn't the dosage of his medications be bumped up for body weight to medication ratios? Dr. LeGras seemed confident that the combination of the medications at their current dosage are working fine and he doesn't want to tinker with it. And as Daylon continues to grow, and because the current medications are working, his body each day is 'growing' out of possible reoccurring SVT episodes hopefully encouraging us to wean the meds away as we go. Jeanne and I have been and will continue to monitor Daylon's heart rate and if we suspect SVT's are reoccurring we can immediately call Dr. LeGras and he'll see Daylon, evaluate, and bump the med dosages up if need be. Dr. LeGras reminded us again that even though the second Holter session showed no SVT's in that 24 hour period Daylon's little heart could still at any moment go into SVT. The results showed that Daylon and his heart are heading in the right direction but it is still obvious and vital we continue the process of appointments, Holter sessions and medications.
Second, Daylon will be two months old tomorrow. We have a pediatricians appointment next week and a vaccination schedule will most likely be determined. Dr. LeGras said there are no interactions between the Digoxin/Propanolol heart meds and vaccinations and said so without any worries, concerns or hesitations.
What a wonderful day to start our Tuesday! Praise the Lord for His blessings and healing hands!
As a side note Daylon and his bum have been making for a wicked liquid bazooka as of late! In the past few days he has managed to project and shower us with poo during diaper changes. It has been glorious! What can we do but laugh, and laugh we did, till we were crying! We can see immediate relief on Daylon's face. And I'm sure he likes watching us laugh over seeing our arms drip with smelly yellowish orange goo. Proud parents =)!
Dr. LeGras' medical assistant first had Daylon weighed. She weighed him in at 11 pounds 13 ounces! Dr. LeGras than came in and after giving Daylon a quick checkup (everything sounded perfect) I immediately asked about his Holter results; no SVT episodes! We. Are. So. Excited! What does this mean though exactly? It means that the combination of Digoxin and Propanolol are working well together at their current dosage. Dr. LeGras instructed us to continue administering the medications at their current dosage for at least another three months until Daylon's next appointment. He'll have another Holter session done at that time as well.
There were two other brief points of discussion.
First, with Daylon gaining weight and getting bigger shouldn't the dosage of his medications be bumped up for body weight to medication ratios? Dr. LeGras seemed confident that the combination of the medications at their current dosage are working fine and he doesn't want to tinker with it. And as Daylon continues to grow, and because the current medications are working, his body each day is 'growing' out of possible reoccurring SVT episodes hopefully encouraging us to wean the meds away as we go. Jeanne and I have been and will continue to monitor Daylon's heart rate and if we suspect SVT's are reoccurring we can immediately call Dr. LeGras and he'll see Daylon, evaluate, and bump the med dosages up if need be. Dr. LeGras reminded us again that even though the second Holter session showed no SVT's in that 24 hour period Daylon's little heart could still at any moment go into SVT. The results showed that Daylon and his heart are heading in the right direction but it is still obvious and vital we continue the process of appointments, Holter sessions and medications.
Second, Daylon will be two months old tomorrow. We have a pediatricians appointment next week and a vaccination schedule will most likely be determined. Dr. LeGras said there are no interactions between the Digoxin/Propanolol heart meds and vaccinations and said so without any worries, concerns or hesitations.
What a wonderful day to start our Tuesday! Praise the Lord for His blessings and healing hands!
As a side note Daylon and his bum have been making for a wicked liquid bazooka as of late! In the past few days he has managed to project and shower us with poo during diaper changes. It has been glorious! What can we do but laugh, and laugh we did, till we were crying! We can see immediate relief on Daylon's face. And I'm sure he likes watching us laugh over seeing our arms drip with smelly yellowish orange goo. Proud parents =)!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Big Smiles!
Daylon was so smiley all morning yesterday! I was able to capture a few on video. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Still waiting...
Almost three weeks ago, as part of his SVT monitoring and treatment, Daylon came home from his cardiologist with a Holter device. Holter devices capture EKG readings for a 24 hour period of time and in Daylon's case reveals how many SVT episodes he has in that period of time. This first Holter session revealed that he had had eight SVT episodes, not very encouraging at all. This meant that in addition to the Digoxin medication he was taking another medication, Propanolol, was prescribed.
After three days of taking the Propanolol four times a day another Holter session was done almost two weeks ago. The cardiologist was hoping that the additional medication would bring the number of episodes down, hopefully driving that number down to zero. Jeanne and I are little anxious, and worried to say the least, since we still haven't heard back about the results! We are praying Daylon and his little heart are indeed improving!
Here are links describing Digoxin and Propanolol. The short of it is is that Digoxin keeps the heart's electrical impulses at bay while the Propanolol is used for hypertension, for Daylon this means slowing his heart rate down just a little.
Photos!
Above photos were taken July 3rd. The last one is of Daylon and the Holter device. Poor guy!
Daylon meeting his Great-Grandpa Wood.
After three days of taking the Propanolol four times a day another Holter session was done almost two weeks ago. The cardiologist was hoping that the additional medication would bring the number of episodes down, hopefully driving that number down to zero. Jeanne and I are little anxious, and worried to say the least, since we still haven't heard back about the results! We are praying Daylon and his little heart are indeed improving!
Here are links describing Digoxin and Propanolol. The short of it is is that Digoxin keeps the heart's electrical impulses at bay while the Propanolol is used for hypertension, for Daylon this means slowing his heart rate down just a little.
Photos!
Above photos were taken July 3rd. The last one is of Daylon and the Holter device. Poor guy!
Daylon meeting his Great-Grandpa Wood.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Concealed Accessory Pathway...huh?
As you all know Daylon has been diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). This means that in addition to normal pediatric visits, Daylon's first 6 to 12 months (hopefully no longer than that) will also include appointments to a pediatric cardiologist. The first cardiologist appointment was this past Friday.
Before diving into the details of how Daylon's first appointment went I'm guessing most of you might still be wondering what SVT is exactly. Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of material on SVT, at least for non-medical persons. General materials on cardiology are plentiful but documentation on specific cardiac studies, such as bradycardiac and tachycardiac arrhythmia conditions, have been hard to find. Daylon's cardiologist provided us with some materials that describe basic cardiology and arrhythmias, and the following is a crude overview of those materials as best as I can decipher and understand it.
The heart as a pump
The heart has four chambers; two receiving chambers on top and two pumping chambers on the bottom. For the heart to function as a good pump, the top chambers (the atria) must squeeze first, filling the bottom chambers with blood. The bottom chambers (the ventricles) then squeeze, pumping blood from the right side to the lungs to get oxygen and from the left side, out the aorta to the body.
The normal electrical system
The normal pacemaker of the heart is on the right side in the top chamber. It controls the normal heart rate automatically (faster when you run or are excited, slower when you sleep or rest). An electrical wave passes from the pacemaker (also called the sinus node) through the top chambers of the heart, much like the ripples from a pebble thrown in a puddle. This electrical wave makes the top chambers squeeze.
The only way for the electrical signal to get to the bottom of the heart to make the ventricles squeeze is through the normal conduction system. This conduction system is like a cable the runs from the atria to the ventricles and is called the atrioventricular node (AV node). This AV node cable has a delay mechanism in the upper part that slows the electrical signal. When the signal reaches the middle of the heart, the electrical wave spreads rapidly to the bottom chambers making them squeeze. Once that happens, there is no way (normally) for the electrical signal to get back up to the top part of the heart.
The normal sequence of electrical events, therefore, allows the normal top-delay-bottom squeeze of the heart muscle for normal heart pump function.
Abnormal heart rhythms
Abnormal heart rhythms can be too slow or too fast. Slow rhythms are called bradycardias. Fast rhythms are called tachycardias. Daylon's condition is of the tachycardia type so I won't write anymore on bradycardias.
There are many types of tachycardias. Some are only located in the upper chambers of the heart (for example, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter), some are located only in the bottom chambers (ventricular tachycardia or VT) and many involve both the top and bottom chambers (supraventricular tachycardia or SVT).
Remember in a normal electrical system that the only way for the impulse to get from the top to the bottom of the heart is through the AV node. Sometimes, even if the heart is structurally normal (normal valves and chambers), there is a "short circuit" in the system. If you consider the AV node the normal electrical connection in the heart, these short circuits may be called "accessory" (extra) connections. They are tiny strands of muscle, smaller than a piece of hair, that bridge the areas where the atria meet the ventricles. This allows an electrical impulse to get from the top to the bottom through a route other than the AV node and can also conduct from bottom to top, allowing impulses to get back up to the top from the ventricles after a normal heart beat.
There are two main problems that accessory connections permit. The first involves conduction from top to bottom. If an abnormal atrial rhythm call atrial fibrillation occurs, the top of the heart beats very fast and irregularly (quivers like jello), the accessory connection can allow rapid conduction to the ventricles causing ventricular fibrillation. This is very rare, but very dangerous and life-threatening. Daylon does NOT have this sub-type of SVT. The second problem is with conduction form bottom to top. Normal conduction does not allow this to happen. Sometimes, the accessory connection does and the electrical signal "re-enters" the top chamber of the heart. Once that happens, the normal conductor doesn't care where the impulse comes from and it conducts again to the bottom chambers. A tachycardia "circuit" can be set-up, with a fast rhythm going top-bottom-top-bottom-top...until somthing makes it stop (vagal maneuvers or drugs such as Digoxin). This second sub-type of SVT is indeed what Daylon is most likely having episodes of.
Phew. Now, Daylon's appointment. He had both an electrocardiogram (EKG) and an echocardiogram (ultrasound). The EKG quickly told the cardiologist that Daylon does NOT have the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome SVT. WPW is an SVT where if an abnormal conduction pathway runs between the atria and the ventricles, much like an accessory pathway, the electrical signal arrives at the ventricles sooner than normal. The cardiologist was quick to note that this SVT is not good at all so it was a relief to hear that Daylon's SVT is of the above mentioned non-life threatening accessory pathway SVT. The ultrasound indicated that Daylon does indeed have a murmur as well but it is benign. Another interesting bit that the ultrasound revealed is that Daylon's heart has a tiny, tiny hole called a patent foramen ovale. This too is benign and can actually be found in 25% of adults apparently. The ovale hole is a mechanism that helps the unborn baby and his or her heart pump normally while in the placenta. During the strenuous laboring and birthing process this hole seems to close up, but in plenty of cases this hole persists after birth and closes as the baby ages and grows. The cardiologist also noted that Daylon most likely had a brief SVT episode while being examined under the ultrasound.
A nurse weighed Daylon after the ultrasound. He is at 8 pounds 11 ounces, having gained almost a full pound in one week! Because of his growth and increased body weight Daylon's dosage of Digoxin has increased. After six months of Digoxin and with Daylon's continued body development the goal is to hopefully have the number of SVT episodes or occurrences as close to 0 as possible, if not 0. The other goal is that the condition will have been outgrown or in the process there of and that we can start weaning him off Digoxin medication. Note that the Digoxin medication (derived from the foxglove plant) keeps the heart in normal rhythm as much as possible and tries to keep the heart from using, in Daylon's case, the accessory pathway that causes the heart to race. Simply put, Digoxin keeps the number of SVT episodes to a minimum in hopes that as Daylon grows his heart will out-grow the SVT.
And finally tomorrow we are scheduled to take Daylon in to get fitted for a Holter device. This device provides for a continuous 24 hour period EKG reading. Though the cardiologist is almost positive Daylon has the accessory pathway SVT sub-type, the 24 hour reading will give the doctor a very accurate assessment of the SVT condition and will also indicate how well the current dosage of Digoxin is working. In one month we are scheduled for another visit to review the progress of Daylon's SVT and to review his body weight and dosage of Digoxin.
Before diving into the details of how Daylon's first appointment went I'm guessing most of you might still be wondering what SVT is exactly. Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of material on SVT, at least for non-medical persons. General materials on cardiology are plentiful but documentation on specific cardiac studies, such as bradycardiac and tachycardiac arrhythmia conditions, have been hard to find. Daylon's cardiologist provided us with some materials that describe basic cardiology and arrhythmias, and the following is a crude overview of those materials as best as I can decipher and understand it.
The heart as a pump
The heart has four chambers; two receiving chambers on top and two pumping chambers on the bottom. For the heart to function as a good pump, the top chambers (the atria) must squeeze first, filling the bottom chambers with blood. The bottom chambers (the ventricles) then squeeze, pumping blood from the right side to the lungs to get oxygen and from the left side, out the aorta to the body.
The normal electrical system
The normal pacemaker of the heart is on the right side in the top chamber. It controls the normal heart rate automatically (faster when you run or are excited, slower when you sleep or rest). An electrical wave passes from the pacemaker (also called the sinus node) through the top chambers of the heart, much like the ripples from a pebble thrown in a puddle. This electrical wave makes the top chambers squeeze.
The only way for the electrical signal to get to the bottom of the heart to make the ventricles squeeze is through the normal conduction system. This conduction system is like a cable the runs from the atria to the ventricles and is called the atrioventricular node (AV node). This AV node cable has a delay mechanism in the upper part that slows the electrical signal. When the signal reaches the middle of the heart, the electrical wave spreads rapidly to the bottom chambers making them squeeze. Once that happens, there is no way (normally) for the electrical signal to get back up to the top part of the heart.
The normal sequence of electrical events, therefore, allows the normal top-delay-bottom squeeze of the heart muscle for normal heart pump function.
Abnormal heart rhythms
Abnormal heart rhythms can be too slow or too fast. Slow rhythms are called bradycardias. Fast rhythms are called tachycardias. Daylon's condition is of the tachycardia type so I won't write anymore on bradycardias.
There are many types of tachycardias. Some are only located in the upper chambers of the heart (for example, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter), some are located only in the bottom chambers (ventricular tachycardia or VT) and many involve both the top and bottom chambers (supraventricular tachycardia or SVT).
Remember in a normal electrical system that the only way for the impulse to get from the top to the bottom of the heart is through the AV node. Sometimes, even if the heart is structurally normal (normal valves and chambers), there is a "short circuit" in the system. If you consider the AV node the normal electrical connection in the heart, these short circuits may be called "accessory" (extra) connections. They are tiny strands of muscle, smaller than a piece of hair, that bridge the areas where the atria meet the ventricles. This allows an electrical impulse to get from the top to the bottom through a route other than the AV node and can also conduct from bottom to top, allowing impulses to get back up to the top from the ventricles after a normal heart beat.
There are two main problems that accessory connections permit. The first involves conduction from top to bottom. If an abnormal atrial rhythm call atrial fibrillation occurs, the top of the heart beats very fast and irregularly (quivers like jello), the accessory connection can allow rapid conduction to the ventricles causing ventricular fibrillation. This is very rare, but very dangerous and life-threatening. Daylon does NOT have this sub-type of SVT. The second problem is with conduction form bottom to top. Normal conduction does not allow this to happen. Sometimes, the accessory connection does and the electrical signal "re-enters" the top chamber of the heart. Once that happens, the normal conductor doesn't care where the impulse comes from and it conducts again to the bottom chambers. A tachycardia "circuit" can be set-up, with a fast rhythm going top-bottom-top-bottom-top...until somthing makes it stop (vagal maneuvers or drugs such as Digoxin). This second sub-type of SVT is indeed what Daylon is most likely having episodes of.
Phew. Now, Daylon's appointment. He had both an electrocardiogram (EKG) and an echocardiogram (ultrasound). The EKG quickly told the cardiologist that Daylon does NOT have the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome SVT. WPW is an SVT where if an abnormal conduction pathway runs between the atria and the ventricles, much like an accessory pathway, the electrical signal arrives at the ventricles sooner than normal. The cardiologist was quick to note that this SVT is not good at all so it was a relief to hear that Daylon's SVT is of the above mentioned non-life threatening accessory pathway SVT. The ultrasound indicated that Daylon does indeed have a murmur as well but it is benign. Another interesting bit that the ultrasound revealed is that Daylon's heart has a tiny, tiny hole called a patent foramen ovale. This too is benign and can actually be found in 25% of adults apparently. The ovale hole is a mechanism that helps the unborn baby and his or her heart pump normally while in the placenta. During the strenuous laboring and birthing process this hole seems to close up, but in plenty of cases this hole persists after birth and closes as the baby ages and grows. The cardiologist also noted that Daylon most likely had a brief SVT episode while being examined under the ultrasound.
A nurse weighed Daylon after the ultrasound. He is at 8 pounds 11 ounces, having gained almost a full pound in one week! Because of his growth and increased body weight Daylon's dosage of Digoxin has increased. After six months of Digoxin and with Daylon's continued body development the goal is to hopefully have the number of SVT episodes or occurrences as close to 0 as possible, if not 0. The other goal is that the condition will have been outgrown or in the process there of and that we can start weaning him off Digoxin medication. Note that the Digoxin medication (derived from the foxglove plant) keeps the heart in normal rhythm as much as possible and tries to keep the heart from using, in Daylon's case, the accessory pathway that causes the heart to race. Simply put, Digoxin keeps the number of SVT episodes to a minimum in hopes that as Daylon grows his heart will out-grow the SVT.
And finally tomorrow we are scheduled to take Daylon in to get fitted for a Holter device. This device provides for a continuous 24 hour period EKG reading. Though the cardiologist is almost positive Daylon has the accessory pathway SVT sub-type, the 24 hour reading will give the doctor a very accurate assessment of the SVT condition and will also indicate how well the current dosage of Digoxin is working. In one month we are scheduled for another visit to review the progress of Daylon's SVT and to review his body weight and dosage of Digoxin.
Friday, June 19, 2009
3 Weeks Old
Daylon is 3 weeks old! He. Is. Beautiful. And healthy. And hungry. And fills his diapers well. And cuddly. And smiley. Jeanne and I are totally in love with him!
Tomorrow (or this morning rather) we head to the cardiologist to get a current status on Daylon's supraventricular tachycardia condition. Not quite sure what sub-type of SVT Daylon has, certainly a question I'll try and remember to ask the specialist. We are praying that we'll find that his body is 'working' or 'healing' itself out and that we can start to wean him of his Digoxin medication. Later on in the day I'll post an update on how the appointment went.
In the meantime, photos, lots of them!!!
That boppy sure is comfy!
Aunt Joanne.
Uncle Andy.
Cousins Daylon and Jude.
Cousin Jude.
Daylon's first bath.
Jeanne, Daylon, and Cousin Kaia.
Cousin Kaia.
Cousin Kaia and Uncle Woody.
Aunt Brinda.
Proud Grandparents.
Grandparents and Grandchildren. I love this shot!
Hi there bright eyes!
3 weeks old!
Tomorrow (or this morning rather) we head to the cardiologist to get a current status on Daylon's supraventricular tachycardia condition. Not quite sure what sub-type of SVT Daylon has, certainly a question I'll try and remember to ask the specialist. We are praying that we'll find that his body is 'working' or 'healing' itself out and that we can start to wean him of his Digoxin medication. Later on in the day I'll post an update on how the appointment went.
In the meantime, photos, lots of them!!!
That boppy sure is comfy!
Aunt Joanne.
Uncle Andy.
Cousins Daylon and Jude.
Cousin Jude.
Daylon's first bath.
Jeanne, Daylon, and Cousin Kaia.
Cousin Kaia.
Cousin Kaia and Uncle Woody.
Aunt Brinda.
Proud Grandparents.
Grandparents and Grandchildren. I love this shot!
Hi there bright eyes!
3 weeks old!
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