happy due date!

catherine-

happy due date my sweet girl! it's funny to think that today is the day you were expected to come out and see us, but you've already been through so much in your little 2 weeks and 2 days life=) as daddy has already told you, you had surgery 2 days ago and you did great! it was a tough one-the surgeon said he didn't have much diaphragm muscle to work with so the patch took longer than expected to sew in its place. you really didn't have any major complications during surgery-there was a little period of time where your heart rate got really high, but they fixed that pretty quickly. and you lost just a little bit of blood but that got replaced after you came back to the nicu. they also said your little left lung was bigger than expected-that was great news=) (i think daddy said we would now call that your "big little lung"...) you got out of surgery around 5pm, and at 2am they got to turn off your blood pressure medicine (which is considered a "life saving" medicine so being on it boosts your critical status) so that is great news! they also started weaning your other blood pressure medicine at the same time, and since then your blood pressure has been behaving! so now what we're needing to happen is for the fluid around your lungs to go away and give the lungs more room to grow and expand and do their job-just get oxygen into your body and get co2 out of your body. they're doing better, but they've got a ways to go for sure. i'm so proud of you my sweet one=) you are so strong and brave. you know what's a little funny? well, not really funny but we smile about it because what else are we gonna do? you've gotten so puffy and swollen since surgery!!! daddy kisses your head and his lips and nose leave little indentations=) he came up to your bed the first day he saw you swollen and said "hey puffy baby!" and i thought it was cute=) so now that we're talking about your daddy, let me tell you how ridiculously excited he's been since you came successfully out of surgery! he really was walking around so giddy that afternoon and yesterday-and he keeps singing all these songs about you. here's one of my favorites:

you are my catherine-shine
my only catherine-shine
you make me happy
when skies are gray...
you'll never know catherine
how much i love you
so please don't take
my catherine-shine away

you'll learn how that song really goes one day, but i like the one with your name in it better=) he's also started doing his school work beside your little bed in the nicu. we're very lucky he gets to do that here. he just looks up every now and then, and if i'm standing next to you he'll ask me to rub your head for him=) oh guess what else??? i've never seen a man get more ridiculous over a baby opening her eyes!!! i completely understand and share his sentiment, of course, but i think it's so cute how quickly he comes if i tell him you're awake and we can see your pretty little eyes=) we love you my precious girl, and we can't get enough of you. every now and then i start feeling so impatient like i just want to have you home with us, but then i quickly remember how far we've come, and how we didn't even think we'd have you this long. so then i just thank God again for how good He's been to us, and how He's blessed us with you, my love, and how i still have no idea what He's doing but i know He's smiling sweetly up there as He looks at us and He's continuing to hold us all closely. i pray that He would breathe His breath of life in and through you, and that He would continue to heal your little body. i also pray that you would bond with Jesus during this time and He would whisper sweet stories and songs in your ear...these are simple prayers, but sometimes my head feels overwhelmed thinking about what else i should pray, and i think God is ok with that. He knows our hearts, and He knows we trust Him. i hope you can feel how much He loves you.

you are our hearts' delight my sweet one=)

mommy