Seraph Home

We don't have news from the cardiologist yet, but someone pointed out I forgot to mention Seraph is home. The heart cath went well. Her pulmonary veins look good. The surgeon was surprised they'd ever worried about them. (Thank you for all your prayers and fasting.)

Seraph came home early, early, early Saturday day morning. She has been cranky the last few days. She is still recovering...but with a bit of Tylenol, all her smiles come back. She's been kicking her legs a ton today. So, I think she's starting to feel better.

Her color looks better than before the surgery. The surgeon plugged up some extra blood vessels that she'd grown. Her heart and lungs are working more efficiently now.

Strong Bear

Mom: [hearing screams] What happened?

Strong Bear: I told Angel to watch out, but she didn't....and I was about to hurt her.

Heart Catheterization

So, tomorrow's the big day :)

This video explains the heart cath procedure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwh3tlFaVm0

Seraph is so happy tonight. She's playing with her alphabet town toy.

I'm excited to hear good news about her heart and pulmonary veins. I'm sad that she'll have to be intubated for the procedure. Silver lining: she's healthy enough to come off the vent. I pray she'll come off it quickly. She hates it sooo much.

I hope it doesn't hurt her voice. She's just coming into her own voice - cooing and trying out different baby sounds. Sometimes she sounds so much like Angel that I can't tell who "talked" unless I'm watching their mouths.

The actual procedure should start just before noon. Please keep her in your prayers. They want to keep her overnight to watch her breathing. If there are no complications, we'll have her back Saturday morning.

The surgeon will tell us his general impressions....but we really won't have results until they compare the videos and numbers to the last heart cath. In question: will she be able to have the 3rd heart surgery she'll need to survive (the Fontan). Are her pulmonary veins big enough to handle the extra pressures the Fontan would create? How are the pressures in her heart now? Is everything working as it should? Is her heart valve leaking more than normal?

etc etc....

It's a big day for my little sweetie - I hope she does well. Thank you for all your prayers and support. This is a big milestone in her journey - thanks for checking in on her progress.

*hugs*

Jumbles

Angel climbs onto the swing all by herself now. I need to take a video so you can fully appreciate the way my heart jumps around seeing her stand in the swing so she's tall enough to play with the buttons. She sits down after a while. When she's all done, she climbs out.

Beautiful Rabbit used to climb on everything, too. She never fell. Angel's following in her footprints.

I'm going crazy. Nesting - decluttering the house. I hid my computer mess in an armoire. I'm quite happy with the results. (pictures later). Seraph's heart cath is on friday. We expect good news. She's doing so well - esp with her physical therapy. Everyone (even her cardiologist) expects good news. I feel good about it.

However....that doesn't keep me from going crazy. My patience is just gone. I can't stop cleaning. I'm not sleeping. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers on friday....and cross your fingers and toes! Sexy Haqon is feeling the pressure, too. My poor kids - having both parents at zero patience levels.

They FINALLY started building the house in the lot next door. My first thought: yay - now people will stop parking there! (don't ask). I'm excited to live next to something prettier than weeds :) I'm sad because my kids LOVE LOVE LOVE playing in the dirt pile that's now gone. I hope we get a nice side yard when they put in my neighbor's landscaping. and I really hope we get along with whoever moves in. My other neighbors are wonderful. Living by people you like is HUGE>!!

Seraph's physical therapy went well today. Her trunk muscles and leg muscles improved tons this week. She's been full of smiles this week, too.

Now

Seraph sat on my lap and played with the music table. Delightful Finch screamed each time someone else pushed a button (changing the song). Her heart was set on dancing to the ABCs song again and again.

Angel figured if Seraph could sit on my lap, then she (Angel) could sit on my lap, too. She keeps climbing into the swing. It shakes and wobbles. Seraph loves to scoot under the swing. So far Angel hasn't fallen off the swing. I'm tired of pulling her off,...so I just buckled her into the swing. She likes to use things she sees Seraph using.

I have to feed Angel rice cereal when the Speech Therapist is feeding Seraph rice cereal. It's good for Seraph to see Angel eating, too.

Beautiful Rabbit is experimenting with my camera. We uploaded the pictures and looked through them. Then, she went out taking pictures again. The second set were better than the first set. She learns fast.

Strong Bear is being a big boy today. (no accidents - yay!!)

I've been feeling icky all day....even after my short nap. I hope Haqon's home soon - I miss him :)

Grumpy Days

Seraph is grumpy. She might be dehydrated. She sees her pediatrician tomorrow.

Other than that, she's doing well. Physical therapy went great today. We're practising putting her feet down when she's sitting (being held). We're also practising pushing up on her arms when she's on her tummy. She hates it, but she's getting a lot stronger.

August 28th is a big day - her heart cath. They'll look inside her heart and check pressures to see if she'll be eligible for the 3rd open heart surgery she'll need next year.

All Grown Up

Beautiful Rabbit, my loving sweet daughter, brought me her journal yesterday to share an entry she'd written when she was 5 or 6:

"Mom, you're not dumb...you're just grown up."

(Pictured: Beautiful Rabbit @ 5 yrs old, holding baby Strong Bear)