Hey Everyone....
   We made it to Charleston!!!  Boy is this place busy!  I wanted to let you all know that Parker did great on the ride down.  He looked at his car seat like it was a new toy!!  We have been very busy today, and tomorrow will be the same.  They have given Parker his I.V. and placed him back on his slow feeds, and have him connected to his heart monitor.  After being told at 2:00 today that The Ronald McDonald house did not have a room and would not for more than 2 days, we received a phone call that they had a room become available at 5:oo!  What an answer to prayer.  Parker will have his sleepmed echo tomorrow morning at 8:00am.   They did tell us that we can go to that if we would like.  He will then have a chest x-ray done for pre-op.  While Parker is busy with his nurses, Willis and I will be taking a tour of the O.R. and the PCICU where he will be taken after surgery.  We hear they are great there.  We are very excited to meet Dr. Bradley in the morning.  We have lots of questions for him!!  Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. 
Love In Christ,
The Crafts 

Praise The Lord!!!!!
           We have a double digit baby!!!  Parker weighed in this morning at 10 lbs. 0.8oz.!!!!  We successfully reached our goal weight before surgery!  I posted a picture of them weighing Parker this morning with the good news so you all could see.  The nurse and I gave a BIG high FIVE!!  We are thrilled.  Only one more night at the Children's Hospital.  Parker's discharge papers will be ready at 6:45am.  Willis and I will leave with him at 8:00 to head for MUSC.  We've been waiting for this day and finally it is before us.  We can hardly wait to get this behind us.  Parker is going to feel so much better.  Thanks for all of your prayers and support.  We love you all.

Love In Christ
The Crafts

Hey Everyone....
  Parker weighed 9 lbs 14.1 oz today!!!  I really think that we will be seeing double digits soon!  Hopefully before Charleston.  Parker threw up this afternoon.  We haven't done that in several days.  It was not a big episode thank goodness.  Parker has been more on the fussy side today and is having trouble going to sleep tonight.  His sweet little nurse just came in with his Tylenol so hopefully he can start to settle down.  I am so greatful that Dr. Bradley moved Parker's surgery date up.  He has been sweating more than normal, and his heart is beating so strong.  It's definitely time.  Only one more night at the Childrens Hospital and then we'll be Charleston bound!!!   I am packing up our room and getting things in order before Monday morning.  Please be in prayer that there is a room available for us at the Ronald McDonald house.  I know that God has a plan for our family and He has everything set aside ahead of time.  Thank you all for your prayers and comments on our blog.  It is such a breath of fresh air to hear from you all.   
Love In Christ...
The Crafts

Hey Everybody...
  Parker has done really well today!  We are gaining weight!!! Parker weighed in today at 9 lbs. 13.7 oz!
We are thrilled!  The doctor is very pleased not only with his weight gain but the color of his skin looks great.  Parker still has his blue tone but, of course, that will not change until after the surgery.  Only five days away from our BIG heart reconstruction.  It almost does not seem real.  I did the online virtual tour of the PCICU today and it is a nice facility. We have only heard great things about MUSC.  We are looking forward to meeting Dr. Bradley (surgeon), and the nurses that will be involved with Parker.  Our family has some very big days ahead of us.  I officially have cabin fever!  I have only been outside the hospital once and it was to walk to Nine Med Park for pizza two nights ago.  Other than that I have been in this room.  Parker and I have been here for nine days now, and by the time we are discharged it will have been twelve full days.  Just in time to leave for another hospital for surgery!! I can't wait to have our family home for the holidays!!! 

Love In Christ,
The Crafts       

Parker Talking

Happy Thanksgiving....
  First of all may I say just how very thankful, and blessed we are for Parker's life.  Parker will always be able to say that he spent his very first Thanksgiving at the Richland Memorial Childrens Hospital.... not to many babies can claim that!!!  Parker slept all night long again.  Three days in a row.  His weight has gone from 9 lbs. 8 oz. yesterday, to 9 lbs. 10 oz. today!!!  We are so thankful for that.  As of today we are officially at our goal volume of 30 CC's per hour for feeds.  They increased Parker at 1:00 today and he has done very well.  Not one episode!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!  We thank God everyday for our family and the time that we are able to spend with each other.  This, of course, has not been the ideal thanksgiving, but it has been nice.  Willis is on his way up to the hospital with our dinner. The doctors and nurses have been so sweet.   I want to let you all know just how THANKFUL our family is to have such wonderful friends and family surrounding us.  In all that we have been through, we both know that the love and support you all have given us is irreplaceable.  I heard once that "Family and Friends are angels who lift us up when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly".  This last week has felt like that, and we are forever greatful to all of you. With all of the hustle and bustle this time of year, it's been nice to slow down and focus on the little things that are always taken for granted throughout the year.  This thanksgiving we thank God for the little things.  We also thank God for the knowledge of the surgeon that will be fixing Parker's heart.  For the doctors and nurses that take such great care of Parker and for the time God has allowed us to spend with him before his surgery.

Love In Christ,
The Crafts     

Good Morning...
              Parker and I both slept all night long again for the second night in a row!!!!  Keep those prayers for R and R coming because they work!!!  Parker's doctor came in this morning and has increased his feeds to 25 CC's.  Be in prayer today that he does well adjusting to this increase in volume.  He definitely needs it.  Parker is no longer working to eat on his own but even with the NG tube he continues to lose weight.  Parker weighed 9 lbs 10 oz yesterday and is 9 lbs 8 oz. this morning.  So we've not yet been successful for the weight gain before surgery!  Hopefully the increase of volume will start to work today!  His poor little heart is working so hard that even when resting he burns too many calories.  Parker had such a great day yesterday and this morning and has been so happy and content.  What a wonderful change!
Love In Christ,
The Crafts

Hey Everyone...
Yesterday when we spoke with the doctors they had decided to continue on with the TP tube.  Since then I had a "mommy moment" and told them not to place the tube.  Parker has been through so much over the last five days and Willis and I just could not see putting him through yet another insertion of a feeding tube for the third time.  Parker's grandma and I gave him a bath yesterday and it completely took every bit of energy he had.  After the bath he slept for 5 1/2 hours with nothing to eat during that time.  When he woke up he cried for 2 hours off and on.  I then called the doctor in to speak with me at midnight to help achieve a better option for his feeds.  Parker's doctors decided to put him on a slow drip feed last night in preperation for the TP feed.  This drip feed offers Parker 20 CC's per hour, giving him a total of 60 CC's over a 3 hour time frame.  His goal for his age is 90 CC's per 3 hours.  I decided last night that we would not allow them to place the TP tube, as long as he tolerates the slow feeds on the NG.  His doctors have agreed to allow us the opportunity to try this first before changing anything else.    I also decided to change the formula from Enfamil to Good Start.  Parker slept all night long last night and has rested more today than he has collectively since we've been here.  He has tolerated the slow feeds in such an amazing way.   Parker actually talked today for the first time in 5 days to our pastor.  I couldn't believe it!  It was so nice to see Parker happy and smiling for a change!  We still are not out of the woods yet with the feeds.  The next 48 hours will be a determining factor on his tolerance once they start to increase the CC's slowly. Please be in much prayer for Parker that he not only accepts the feeds for his nourishment, but that he also will rest!!  Parker needs all of the rest he can get to store up energy so he will have the energy to heal after surgery.  Also, we heard from Charleston today and the new surgery date is December 2nd at 7:00am.  We will be discharged from Richland Memorial Children's Hospital on Monday, November 30, and will be admitted to MUSC on the same day.  He will have a 5 hour presurgical work up and then continue on with surgery on the 2nd.  Thank you all for your prayers,
Love In Christ,
The Crafts

Hey Everyone...
Parker now weighs in at 9 lbs. 11oz. and has gained 1 oz. since yesterday.   As of 30 minutes ago, the doctors have ordered a different feeding tube for Parker.  He is still not tolerating feedings like they need for him too. The new tube is called a TP tube.  This will bypass Parker's stomach and go directly into his small intestine.  This will feed him every 20 minutes on a slow drip feed.  He will no longer be eating from a bottle or breast fed. To ensure proper placement, they will follow the TP tube in with multiple x-rays.  This prevents the tube from puncturing his small intestine in any way.  The doctors did reasure us that this is the safest way to place it.  We did hear back from the results of the RSV test, and it was negative.  Also....MUSC called this morning and Parker's surgery has been rescheduled to December 2, 2009 at 7:00am.  We will all be thankful to have this day behind us.  Parker will no longer have to struggle to breathe and eat.  I will make sure that we keep you all updated as we hear more from the doctors, but until then, please continue to pray.
Love In Christ,
The Crafts

Hey Everyone...
    It's 6:15 on Sunday evening. We had an hour and a half long meeting with the cardiologist this afternoon, and we are going to Charleston earlier than expected. It looks like we will be going to Charleston next weekend, with the surgery being the first to the middle of the week of the 30th. The discussion with the cardiologist was very beneficial, he is a wonderful doctor and we feel very blessed to have him monitoring Parker's heart.  We had yet another very scary episode with Parker today!  The Cardiologist ordered that Parker have a saline injection in his nose due to the cough that he has acquired this weekend.  This is to obtain the information that they would need to test for RSV.  When they finished the injection Parker turned very blue and had difficulty breathing.  Parker's stats went down to 73 on his pulse ox.  The target number is 100.  As you can imagine this is not easy to watch him go through.  Parker's nurses are simply amazing!   They have all given him their undivided attention.  We could not ask for better support outside of our family and friends!!!  Parker does seem to have a pull with the nurses around here!  Thank you all for the food that you have brought to us.  The laughter that you all have brought with you has been nothing but pure medicine for us.  AND... to our Willow Ridge Family....Thank you for the prayer chain that you have committed your time to for our precious baby boy.  You all will never know how much that has touched our hearts.  I just cried when Cheryl told us about service today.  We love you all dearly and appreciate every moment that you are lifting our child, Parker, up to Jesus in prayer.
Love In Christ,
The Crafts

Good Morning Everyone....
It is 3:56 am and about 30 minutes ago Parker's feeding was completed and his machine was beeping.  When I got up to silence his alarm I noticed that Parker had successfully pulled his NG tube completely out of his stomach.  All of Parker's food for his 3:00 am feed was on the bed.  As soon as I noticed it was out, I turned the lamp on and looked down at him and said "Did you pull that out all by yourself?." He just looked right at me and smiled!  Little does he know that it has to go right back in!!!  I asked the nurse to please give him something to help calm him before they inserted the feeding tube and she gave him some Tylenol to help soothe him.  Well.....Parker is crying right now so as of 4:01 the NG tube has been re-established.  This is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do.  Not to mention exhausting mentally and physically.  As a parent, you never want your child to hurt for anything.  It is so hard to sit and listen to him cry and struggle to breathe.  I know full well that God has a plan for Parker and that we are where we need to be...no matter the pain.  We live by the verse Deuteronomy 31:6....."Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you wherever you go, He will not leave you nor forsake you."  How wonderful it is to know that His word is true!!!  Thank you all for your love and support.  Your continuous prayers are always felt.  This is just the beginning of our walk with Parker.  His life has been such a blessing to all of us.  As hard as it is for us as parents....we wouldn't change it for the world!  Parker is loved by so many.  There is no higher compliment from God than for Him to send His special child for Willis and me to love.  We are so thankful that our wonderful gift from God is Parker.  This is simply God's way of saying that he knows and trusts us with Parker and all of the special attention that he will need to meet all of his needs.  Although getting the job done for God to complete Parker here on earth may be a stuggle at times, and we may not understand full well the extent of why we are here...God's plan is never up for discussion! All of these days will pass so quickly and it won't be like this for long.   Instead of "race running" with his heart, soon we will be watching him running across the front yard, with his arms stretched out just to give us a hug.  Parker has calmed down now and it is 5:17 and we are starting him on some more fluids!  I covered Parker's hands with his nightgown cuffs so he won't be pulling the NG tube out on my watch....
Love In Christ,
The Crafts

Hey Everyone...
We wanted to let you know about Parker, and how he is doing this week.  As of November 20, 2009 we have been admitted to Richland Memorial Children's Hospital.  Parker lost too much weight this week for all of his doctors comfort level, so collectively they decided to admit him.  They have started Parker on an NG tube (feeding tube through his nose, that goes into his stomach) and he does not like that at all!!!  Yesterday was an exhausting introduction to the hospital for Parker!  He did not have any rest yesterday and cried for a solid 6 hours before he settled down.  His jaundice levels are at an all time low of 3. That is great news!! Parker's doctor's have put him on a 27 calorie diet to help him gain some weight before his open heart surgery on December 9, 2009.  Parker has had a really hard time handling the increase of fluids from his normal 2 ounces to 3. But this morning he seemed to handle the 3 ounces much better.  He has been completely checked out from head to toe by all of the doctors and residents.  Parker's skin color is a little on the grey side and of course with all of his heart issues he turns blue from time to time....but that is normal for him.  We are expected to be here until Monday, but not sure when he will go home for sure.  We do know that they will be sending him home with the feeding tube. This will allow him not to work so hard to eat, and he can just focus on gaining weight without tiring so quickly.   We are so thankful they admitted him this weekend so we can get a handle on his eating.  He needs to gain as much weight as possible before the surgery.  Parker weighed 8.13 at Dr. Bonnetts office on Thursday, on Friday he weighed 9.7 lbs, and is 9.12 today.  Thank you all for praying for Parker and we will be sure to keep you updated on all of his news.
Love In Christ,
The Crafts