Here she is recovering on that day exactly one year ago!
And here is the big girl today!
"What, dey really cut me open and fixed my heart?"
"I just don't member any of dat!"
"But I'm happy - it all seemed to work out!"
During our time(s) in the hospital, Ellie was always referred to (like the other kiddos there) as a "heart baby". Nurses would always say "heart babies sweat more", "heart babies need more oxygen" and things like that. It kind of grew on us - Ellie is our heart baby!
So here we are with our heart baby - one year later. We thought the day was worth a little celebrating.
Ellie and her crew in their heart shaped glasses (and hearts on her shirt). And trust me, if I could have had all four of them in one picture I would have but the picture of her required all of their help!
UPDATE: Okkkkkkkkkaaaayyy...I had typed this and saved it and was down the last picture WHEN I heard Ellie crying. I had been checking on her often in the boys room while I was finishing up school and typing the above. There was peace in the kingdom and I knew she was playing with some of the kids plastic animals. But, when I got to her, she was in the boys closet which is always closed and there are two giant bins of "special" items for the boys which always have the lids on.
Want to guess what the child who hardly puts anything in her mouth, never mind swallows it, did on her one year anniversary of heart surgery? When I got to her she was alternating between crying, gasping, gulping and dry heaving. I knew something had managed to go down. I searched the boxes (I have them memorized) and knew right away what was missing. A "gem" found in the street - a tiny purple rock (or plastic jewel from a ring?). Now, who in their right mind would even allow the risk of a baby getting a hold of this? Well, number one - I'm not in my right mind. Number two - she doesn't put things in her mouth! But I guess she's sort of starting to do that at the dinner table when you hand her a cracker or something.
So I debated Heimlich as well as helping her throw up while I dialed the pediatrician and I knew right away it was a dime sized little rock the kids found on the street. Shiny and purple - worth keeping forever. She was obviously breathing so they said what I thought they would - let's get an x-ray. Luckily there's a Chick Fil A in the hospital so when I announced at 11:45 we were going to the hospital - cheers followed when I told them we'd be getting lunch.
I connected with Jeff and he said "do you need me?" and I easily was able to say "nah, I got this". Because "this" is nothing like "this". Now, here's how you leave your house for an x-ray at a busy hospital at 11:52 and pull back into your garage at 1:05. When you've done this act a few times, you kind of have it down.
You tell your little soldiers that they are to do what you say and questions must be limited (I can't believe this actually worked). You call the hospital registration desk and speak to a nice girl named Ashley. Ashley does all the paperwork for you ahead of time so all you have to do is say "I'm here" when you arrive. You have a home fax machine so the doctor faxes the x-ray order to you. You dash out the door with the x-ray order. You drive to the hospital quickly. Not too quickly, but certainly not slowly. You find a good parking space (this is luck). You get the stroller, put baby in it and tell everyone to hold on to a part of your body as you speed walk to the door. You pass Chick Fil A and take orders as you walk. You meet Ashley - she says "a few more to print". You say "Ok, I'm going to grab lunch". You get four bags with everyone's food in it and a cup of water and hand it out and say everyone is responsible for their own food (your youngest must be at least four for this to fly). You go back, grab the papers and go to radiology. You sit for just a minute (more luck) and then go back. You get the college student to watch your kids in the hallway so they don't get radiation. They deal with the task of eating standing up. Have I mentioned our kids are amazing yet? We get the job done, Mom spots the rock before the tech does and you pack up. Radiologist will call doctor. Speed walk back out, this time I'm eating my sandwich, and we get in the van. Kids keep baby awake by handing her things.
We came home, got Ellie to sleep, prayed she was ok and tried to laugh. Laugh at the irony of a clean house (super clean due to a marathon cleaning last night) and one little box and one little rock for our little girl. Anyway, now we're in the hands of a gastro doc in town we've never seen because it appears the rock is kind of in a weird place along the GI tract. Maybe it will pass, maybe it is kind of wedged? Not sure.
SO, my friends - please PRAY for Ellie! On the anniversary of her surgery, she's in a hospital with a rock in her gut! Lord have mercy, please let her be ok! I'll keep you posted but for now we go at 9:00 tomorrow morning.
