an afternoon full of awful means catherine's getting better!

this afternoon you got your chest tube out, your epidural out, and your iv out by accident but then they decided not to replace it. so you're almost tube-free! and you were miserable during all of that, but you're so much better now. you got a boat load of morphine for all of those festivities, and you're still sleepy sleepy because of that, but we managed to go play in the playroom and take you to the cafeteria (you get to eat regular food since you're not getting iv narcotics anymore since the last double dose this afternoon) and you're already looking so much better. when we came back from your outings your sweet nurses had given you a pretty pink karate monkey pillow case that made the room feel a little happier, and we fed you some green beans, chicken, broccoli and apple juice, and you fell asleep almost immediately. so now you have lortab and that's what you'll go home with. dr hebra came by and said he was very encouraged by how you were doing and how your chest x-ray looked from this afternoon...he showed me some pictures from during your surgery (gruesome, and i don't know how i feel about the fact that i've now seen your insides) and we talked about how he isn't concerned about re-herniation with you but obviously it's a possibility, and he also mentioned that your pectus (where your chest dents in a little in the middle) will probably get worse as you get older and if it ever compresses your heart or lungs it would need to be fixed. but hopefully not. but overall, he was very positive about how things looked with you and he said we will probably go home tomorrow!!! i couldn't believe that. you still haven't pooped, but he's confident that since we've stopped the iv narcotics that will come along soon enough. hopefully before we go home, because i am quite sure i'll be a little basketcase until you do. it was sad sad this afternoon when you would tell me you were hungry but you had to poo poo first. the first couple of times you said this it was just a stating a fact kind of thing, but then i think you were super tired and probably so hungry and the third time you told me this you started crying and it broke mama's little heart. but then you got to eat and all is well in that department!!!


you've had lots of visitors. mama and daddy and aunt nikki and gigi and grandaddy and grandypa have been in and out. and arnold, hayley and max came by one afternoon. i had a video of nikki and daddy and grandypa dancing like loons on the couches and all around the room and singing to you, but then i deleted it by accident. it was funny and i think you would've liked to watch it one day and i'm so sorry i deleted it. but you are loved for sure. and you've had lots of people cheering you on and the doctor and nurse had quite an audience when they took your chest tube out. luckily they didn't seem to mind.


thank you Lord for taking care of our sweet girl. we are so thankful. it would be awesome if we could now have a bowel movement please=)




love you baby girl.


mommy

i can't wait till this grumpy look is not constantly on your face. we've gotten a few more smiles today and it makes me start crying every time.

you and grandypa with his flowing locks having an important conversation. i love your eyebrows.

your first official meal after surgery=)

i ordered green beans and broccoli and chicken fingers because they are usually your faves.

the green beans on this plate, however, were not your friend. i think your face is so funny. "what did you just feed me? you expect me to eat this?"

p.s. today is the 6th anniversary of when grandma donna went to live with Jesus. it was a sweet day of remembering her while you had a day of (painful) progress. i know she would be so proud of you sweet baby. or i know that she is proud of you. i don't know that works when you get to heaven, whether or not you know what's going on down here on earth, but i believe that the two of you are intimately bonded in deep ways we don't know about or can explain, and i will be forever thankful. we miss her so much and we're so thankful she is deep in the roots of our family.