Baby Payton McKenzy

Yes, she arrived! 4:34 p.m. on August 10, weighing in at 5 lbs. 10 oz. But there was a problem. It was determined less than 8 hours later that Payton has a heart defect. (Check out delaney.blog for more information.) She's currently at Children's Mercy Hospital, gaining weight and getting ready for heart surgery when the cardiologist says it's time.

We're all praying that the surgery fixes the problem and Payton is able to come home soon. Her brothers and sisters haven't even seen her! But whatever it takes and however long it takes, we'll wait. We want her healthy and strong.

It's a little hard to find the fun in this situation. We take the positive track in our family with things like this though, so in the spirit of lightheartedness, I issued an order to my daughters: NO MORE 4th CHILDREN IN THIS FAMILY. You see, my youngest was my 4th, and she was born without a soft spot. There's a technical term for that, but who can remember after almost 20 years? Sure, I could google it, but there are more important things to do. The point is, at 7 weeks, they opened up her head, cut a ridge of bone out from temple to temple across the top of her head, and gave her brain room to grow. We assume it grew, although she can be a blonde, at times. Payton is Lyndsay's 4th child. Now do you see why I issued the order?

Today's update is much the same as yesterday's. Payton is still doing well, but until the heart cath is done tomorrow, no one knows when surgery will be scheduled. It's a wait-and-see thing. I had her brothers and sisters here today, while other grandma got some work done. They've been staying with her, giving me a break. School starts on Monday, so schedules will change. It will be interesting, if nothing else. :)

Prayers and positive thoughts are always welcome. Thank you to EVERYONE who has contacted me via email, Facebook and phone. I love you all.