It's Been a Year...Part 2

I really didn't mean to leave you all hanging last night, as if you don't know the story, but if you noticed the posting time.....well it was 2 hours off, so it was 1:05 when I posted that bad boy and Mama was tired.  I was also emotionally drained.  Anywho, here's where left off....

The scene in the waiting room lightened from the sad, heart breaking scene that was just a floor above.  Somehow, in the cozy waiting room atmosphere, you can go light years from where you really are.  You can snap back into reality in a flash too.  One moment, you are laughing with friends and family, the next moment you hear "Jenna's family" and you are harshly reminded why all these loving people are here providing a distraction with their company.  The kind folks in the operating room called and updated us every hour and half or so.  The updates went something like this:

She went to sleep quickly and Dr. Singhal has just started the surgery.

She is doing great. Everything is on track in here.

She is still doing great. Dr. Singhal is about to finish up.

She did great. He is closing her up now.  He'll be down to see you soon.

Dr. Singhal's report when he came to see us was more of the same.  She did great. We had no problems.  All is repaired, and it went perfectly.  I asked questions, similar to my worries, her eyes are okay?  Her brain is okay?  Her forehead is okay?  YES, YES, YES, it went great, just as expected, just like they planned.  Just like they had done thousands of times on thousands of babies.  But this one was the first time on MY baby, so I wanted to make certain!  We still had longer to wait while she was in recovery.  And then we were reunited.  But first, some fun photos while we were light years away somehow....



This might be my favorite.  I have no story for it besides these guys are hilarious, make us laugh and I love them a lot!



Uncle Eli (apparently SHOCKED at my camera), Aunt Hallie and Great Grandma Mary



War!  He won these rounds, but I could really whoop up on him when he was younger!

There were others with us that day.  Grace Baptist Church had been praying for this girl and this day, and many came to support us with their presence that day.  Of course, our families were there. Also, Rebble, my new cranio mama friend, blessed us by bringing her cranio baby.  Lily Jane, not a baby anymore, stood as a beautiful picture of proof that my Jenna would get through this day and blossom.

After the waiting, there was more waiting, in reunion avenue, and then....

This is the first time we got to see our punkin. Man, she sure was swollen and pale.  You can see her ever faithful best friend Dolly up by her head.  She used Dolly over the next few days to hide from the world. 

After we met Jenna in the hallway from recovery to the PICU (pediatric ICU), we had more waiting.  It was more agonizing, because we had seen her and I just wanted to be with her.  It was over, and this Mama was DONE waiting. 

When we finally got to the room with her, there was one of us with her at all times.  We stayed with her and every little whimper roused us to go check on her all through the night.  I learned a lot that night.  I learned, more than ever, that your kids are like your heart running around outside your body.  It hurt so much to see her like that. No, I don't think she was in pain.  She made some wincing faces now and again, but she slept peacefully most of the night and into the late morning.  We kept up on her pain meds and monitored her every sound, move and possible need. She wasn't in pain, but we were.  My heart ached for her and her puffy little body.  I also learned that while this was painfully agonizing and scary and no fun, our adventure would come to an end soon, and I would take my healthy child home in a few days.  And for at least the immediate future, we would be fine.  There are other families with deep hurts too, up at that hospital right now, sitting in their PICU rooms, holding their breath while doctors work away.  And a lot of them are not quick fixes. They have this pain all the time.  Our was like a sprint, it was a short run, then we were back to normal.  Other families, they are on marathons, and there are some drink breaks along the way, but really they must run a lot more than we had too.  I prayed for them then, I pray for them now, and I hope you will pray for them too. 



Sweet Angel Baby

The next few days were a whirlwind of emotions.  Sometime I will post on my blog my email updates that I sent out that week.  I hope that someone will read this blog and get hope for their cranio baby.  That week was long, I only left once for a hot, non-hospital lunch (and yes, we chose Chipotle).  We had visitors, people checking on through facebook, email and phones and some lovely flowers.  Nurses and doctors came in several times throughout the day, sometimes with updates, or to answer our questions, but mostly always to make sure Jenna was doing perfectly.  But don't think there wasn't any fun. Jenna, for the most part, felt pretty good after that first day.  There was a play room she got to go to. She made us all NERVOUS, but she had a good time.  Also, Cale came to see her, which totally made the girl's day.  Here they are playing cars, IV pole and all!

We got to come home on Saturday, following her Tuesday surgery.  Home was good.  The first thing Jenna did was drink a bottle, something she had refused to do in the hospital.  She actually bought us an extra day with her crazy non-drinking antics!  Here is a picture of her at home that first night, all smiles of course!

 Our sweet girl is great now. One year later, there is barely proof under her beautiful dark wavy hair of a scar line.  Her forehead is perfectly perfect.  She is developing very much on target and is full of SASS!!!  She adores her brother, and likewise, he loves her to the moon and back plus infinity.  We are blessed beyond measure by these 2 sweet babies, the extensions of our hearts.