Getting Our Summer Started

Summer Fun - Part 2

As you can see the girls are getting their summer started with lots of fun in the water and sun!

2011 Santa visit

We took the girls to visit Santa on Saturday. It went just as I thought it would. Lexi hopped right up on his sleigh and told him what she wanted and Madison grabbed my arm for dear life as I put her on his lap and then screamed! We tortured her,I know, but we had to have a photo for the memory books. Santa didn't seemed bothered by it at all, he acted as if it happens all the time.Alexis told Santa that she wanted a Ariel Little Mermaid alarm clock that flips her tail when it's time to wake up. "And Santa said okay when I told him. I think he's going to get it for me, Mama", she states with the utmost confidence. I give the girl a lot of credit for her imagination because when we asked her where she saw it, she said, "I didn't see it anywhere, that's what I want the elves to make me, you know with red paint for her hair and green paint for her tail." Okay, then! We've searched all the stores we know and the world wide web and I am not sure there has ever been one made. If Santa and his elves figure it all out, he will make a BELIEVEr out of me!
Although, we are not too sure how much she believes in Santa because I've already been asked if I was going to play Santa this year. And in a few other conversations she asked if we could get her a red suit so that she could play Santa and bring the gifts. She's also quite concerned that we don't have a chimney and she says he can't come in the back door. You've seen the Santa hat in all the photos since Thanksgiving - she thinks she's Santa! Christmas morning should be fun and interesting - I hope no one is disappointed.

Cardiologist Appt.

On Friday, we went to check in with Dr. Jedeikin for a post-op visit. We didn't have an echo because they said her echo she had at the hospital before they discharged her looked pretty good. He did a thorough physical exam and she had a EKG done. He said she looked good. Lexi and Dr. J talked a lot about Santa at the visit. He said she could be weaned off of her two remaining medicines (Lasix & Ibuprofen). We've been doing that as ordered this week and Lexi is excited that she doesn't have to take any more medicine. It's so weird because she has been on Atenolol since she was 9 months old so we are establishing a new morning and bedtime routine without medicine. I still find myself reaching for the syringe to dispense it. She got the release to go back to school when it begins in January. No playground or physical activity where she could fall and hurt her sternum, it needs approximately 8 weeks to heal back together after being split open. But she is just so happy to be able to go back to school and see her teachers and friends. She keeps asking if we can go see the snow and go sledding. Dr. Jedeikin said we will talk about that at our next visit at the end of January. The poor girl, all she wants for Christmas is to see the snow. Everytime we talk about Christmas Day she asks if there will be snow then. Having lived in a colder climate for 21 years, I don't miss it a bit. But to her it's a winter wonderland that she's never seen before! We do hope to make her wish come true and take her up to see the snow in February.
We are getting prepared for Christmas here, gifts are bought, stockings are hanging, the tree is trimmed, the gingerbread house is built and decorated, the mailed packages have arrived. We just have cookies to bake & decorate and gifts to wrap. It's beginning to look like an Arizona Christmas (without snow). :)
Not sure if more candy made it in Lexi's tummy or on the gingerbread house!The girls all snugly in their fuzzy pajamas!

You know it's love when . . .

your big sister picks your toe jam out of your toes!

Oh, Christmas tree!

We picked out our Christmas tree this weekend. Both girls were a big help, especially with the decorating! :)We've been having Xmas concerts in front of the tree everyday!

Post - op Surgery Appt.

Yesterday, I took Lexi back to Phoenix Children's Hospital for her wound/incision to be looked at. After her shower, her incision was looking really red and she said it hurt really bad when I touched it. Taking all precautions, I emailed photos of her wound to the Cardiac Surgery NP and she called me and said to come in. While we were there, we just decided to do her post-op appointment so that we didn't need to make a separate trip back. Thankfully, Kristen (Surgery NP) said the incision looked great and it was just a little irritated from Lexi's shirts rubbing on it and the scab was ready to fall off. Kristen discontinued her pain med (LorTab) and said if she needs anything for pain just use Tylenol. After her appt., they sent us down to Radiology to have a follow up chest xray. After about 45 minutes, I could no longer contain the girls and we took a "waiting room" break and went to the cafeteria for lunch and then came back for our x-ray. The hospital is all decorated for Christmas so we took a tour of all the different decorated trees (there are probably 20 trees in the main lobby area and they all are decorated in unique themes by different sponsors). Lexi's favorite tree - the LEGO tree - all ornaments are made out of legos
We quickly stopped by Cora's room to say hello since we had a quick good bye at discharge. We have a follow up appointment with Dr. Jedeikin (cardiologist) on Friday, Dec. 16th. We'll keep you posted on the outcome of that appointment.

10 days Post Op

Lexi is doing great. Stronger and stronger each day. She rarely complains of pain and when she does it is usually because she is doing something she really shouldn't be doing (pulling herself up into chairs/car seat). They said she had no restrictions and that children are self-limiting but sometimes I think she forgets she is still healing (it's a hard concept for 4 year olds to understand). She refers to her incision and the hole from her chest tube as "her crack and her hole". I believe she is referencing the book Franklin Goes to the Hospital. Franklin the turtle has an operation at the hospital to fix the crack in his shell. We've had several visitors this week and Lexi has really enjoyed seeing everyone, especially since we haven't left the house besides going to the doctor and taking rides in the car to look at Christmas lights.
Today, she received a beautiful painting for her room from all the kids in her class. It's adorable - a big heart with all of their hand prints inside of it. I'll have to take a picture. She loves it and it's already hanging on her wall next to her bed. Thanks to Mrs. Osman for a great idea and gift!
I've been doing my best to find "projects" for her everyday. Monday & Tuesday we began decorating for Christmas and we plan to get our tree this weekend. All of the arts and crafts she has received from friends and family are wonderful and help keep her busy.
(Photos coming soon - we got a new camera and need to get them uploaded to the computer)

We're Home

Lexi had a really good night last night. She slept the whole night without waking for pain medicine and she was able to keep her Oxygen Saturation levels in the high 90's without needing oxygen. Also, last night she had a bowel movement before she went to bed (that was another thing on her "to-do list" to be discharged.) We received the Echo report this morning and it looked good and was the same as when they did it after surgery. We went back to the playroom again this morning before we left while they were finishing the discharge papers to make some more pigs (paper plate pig craft) and we said goodbye to her new friend Cora. We left the hospital about 12 noon and had to look at all the beautifully decorated Christmas trees that they have put up around the hospital this last week. Lexi wasn't able to leave her floor/unit because of all her monitors and she kept asking the nurses if they were going to decorate the hospital for Christmas. She came home on a few different medicines (Ibuprofen, Lasix, and a pain medicine). Lexi hasn't really complained of too much pain today and is beginning to be herself again. It's wonderful to be back home and have all of our family under one roof and together again. Madison has been giving Lexi tons of hugs and kisses. Thank you all for your help, gifts, prayers, support, and love during this difficult time. We are very blessed with Lexi's outcome from the surgery and blessed to have family and friends like you.

Post Op - Day 3 - We're Getting Close to "HOME"

Lexi had a pretty good night. She needed pain meds at 2 am and then some other meds at 4 am. She's still needing oxygen when she sleeps but not when she is awake. She has a small area in the lower lobe of one of the lungs that is slightly collapsed. She needs to do some more breathing exercises to help open up her lungs and improve that area. This morning we bathed, got dressed, ate some Trix for breakfast, and walked to the playroom to make more crafts with Cora, her new heart friend.
After the playroom, we came back to the room because Lexi was tired and needed to rest. While she was resting they came to do an ECHO (ultrasound of her heart) to see how it looked since surgery. We haven't received the full report, but her surgeon was here when they were doing it and he seemed pleased by what they showed him.
Vanessa from Mended Little Hearts came to visit and brought us some food and fun things. She also had a visit from Juliet, the gray poodle. And then we went back to the playroom to make a pink pig face & tissue paper Christmas tree. They have lots of fun crafts and keep the kids really busy.
Lexi just finished her breathing treatment (EasyPap)to help with her lungs and is watching The Lion King movie in bed.
They are in the process of decorating the hospital for Christmas and we are hoping to be able to take Lexi for a walk later to see all the Christmas trees and the trains that are in the old PICU where she used to stay when she was here previously. Tonight, Gramma Cindy & Papa Tom are coming to visit Lexi while Mommy and Daddy take Madison to the Winnie the Pooh Christmas show with the HopeKids. We are getting closer and closer to coming home each day. It's been a busy day and I am sure Lexi will be tired tonight.