Cristina Sullivan

every time i go to the zoo, i never get to bring my camera, my work camera that is.  because it’s either chase a little one all around the zoo and try to take quick shots in between chasing, or just leave the camera at home and just enjoy the moment.  well a couple weeks ago, i was able to both enjoy the moment and photograph it. because this time, i had reinforcements with me ;0) which means i was off chasing duty! here are a few shots from the day:

sleepy lions, seems like that is all they do : /

funny giraffe.  the giraffe happens to be one of my favorite animals.  i don’t know what it is about them.  i guess i just like how different they are. their patterns are like no other and their shape is like no other.  and i think melman from madagascar is pretty neat :0)

this hippo was hilarious! it might not seem that way from the picture, but it was really funny to see him run around his little habitat then dive into his pool which is what he or she is about to do here.

last but not least, my little animal ;0) he had such a blast pointing and oohing and ahhing at all the animals.  it was fun just to watch him.

much love,

~c

exactly one year ago today, my world was falling apart. i don’t think i slept the night of march 21, 2010. i was expected to bring my 6 month old baby boy at 6 am to miami children’s hospital for heart surgery. believe me i thought of every possible scenario i could to avoid this surgery. in tears i begged the nurses and doctors at miami children’s hospital and at my son’s cardiologist office to please please please come up with a different solution, just not surgery. the risks were too many, and i could not stand to think of all the negative consequences i would face if something went wrong during surgery. i have never been so afraid of anything in my entire life. as we handed our son over to the staff who would administer the anesthesia before surgery, i couldn’t help but wonder if that was the last i would ever see my precious isaiah. wow….i didn’t know it would be so hard to write this even one year later, ok. whew, i’m good. *wipe tears* move forward :0) we were told he would be put on the heart and lung machine during the operation and that one risk factor of that machine is that when they are removed from the machine, that the heart and lungs could possibly not continue to function on their own. this was just one of the many risks that were explained to us prior to his surgery and we had to sign a consent form explaining we understood what all the risks were. so as a mommy who worries way too much, all i could think about on the day of his surgery were all of these risks and all the details surrounding them. as we sat in a room and waited for a nurse to update us on any news from the operating room, in walks dr. burke. dr. burke was isaiah’s surgeon. he introduced himself and explained that he decided not to use the heart and lung machine because he would be taking a different approach and entering in through isaiah’s back and not his chest. (dr. burke, if you ever read this feel free to correct me on any of my non-technical terminology here!) and off he went to begin the surgery. i can’t tell you why, or explain it, but after he walked out of our room i felt such a burden lifted, and filled with a little more hope. an hour later, we received the news…the surgery was a success!!! isaiah was stable and doing well. so, one year later, i want to give a shout out. a shout out to my God who heard the prayers of many people. people who knew us, and people who didn’t know us praying around the globe for isaiah. if you were one of those people, you have no idea how much i treasure your prayers every single day. thank you for praying when i could not find the strength to do so. i know my God heard and granted us isaiah’s life. the next shout out is to dr. burke. God has given you an amazing talent. not only are you the best in the world and if anyone reading doesn’t believe me, than just google him, but for being so amazingly skillful during isaiah’s surgery, and also amazingly kind to our family. i pray for God’s blessing in your life constantly. and my last shout out is to isaiah. thank you for being a fighter and coming through all of that. thank you for making me smile every day, all day long. i love you with all of me.

dr burke and isaiah right after surgery 3.22.2010

isaiah one year later

me: “isaiah, hold the sign honey and sit on this cute little step stool”

isaiah: “bite, tear, wear as a hat, and rip the sign, don’t sit on the stool…ha ha ha ha”

and one more just for the smiles :0)

and yes those are spray paint cans, and no, i don’t allow him to spray paint stuff ;0)

have a beautiful day my friends!

xoxo,

~cs