Night-Night

First Step, make sure all the babies have a pillow.



Next, make sure all the babies have socks on their hands. But since I'm the mommy in this game, I don't have too.



Here I am with my baby getting ready for bed for real.

Yesterday, I was in the computer room checking my e-mail and Hannah was playing on the floor beside me. All of a sudden, she got up and told me "right back" and ventured off. She worked hard dragging all her baby dolls into the room with me. Then, she found enough pillows for them each to have one. She told them all "night night" and joined them. Well, then it got even cuter. She had that "I've just thought of something" look and off she went again. I heard her in my bedroom opening drawers. I was curious, but didn't go after her to look. I knew whatever it was she'd have in the room with us in a minute. She returned with my socks! She then proceded to put them on the hands of all her babies. See, that's what I've been doing to her since the surgery. She has these arm splints that most kids wear after cleft palate surgery that keep her from putting her hands in her mouth and messing up the surgical sight. She hates them and her surgeon told me she didn't have to wear them as long as I was watching her. So, most of the day goes by with her hands free. But, I have been putting socks on her hands as a compromise for those times I'm not right with her. Mostly when she goes to sleep and when she's in her carseat. She doesn't particularly like it, but she cooperates and definately prefers the socks over the arm splints. I thought it was cute that she decided to put them on her baby dolls. As you can see, she chose not to put them on herself. I figure she decided that in this play, she was the mommy so she didn't have to wear the socks. It was kind of like her own personal therapy because when we got ready for bed that night and I held out the sock for her arm, she not only cooperated, but smiled and then held out her baby doll and told me what color sock to put on her.

On another note, she had her follow up appointment with the ENT today and it went GREAT! He had told me a week ago that he was going to plan to suction her ears out because they were so bad. Well, he took one look today and said everything was clear, it looked good, and he'd see us back in a year! YEAH!!!!

Our follow up with the plastic surgeon is October 5th. I **hope hope hope** he gives as glowing a report as the ENT!

Home from the Hospital

We are home and Hannah is sleeping soundly. Overall, everything went well. Her surgeon was pleased with the surgery and says her palate looks good. She did have a massive ear infection in both ears and had shown no symptons at all. But the ENT who put her tubes in said that was probably so normal for her over her life that she didn't react. He wants to see her back next week, and our plastic surgeon wants to see her in 2 weeks. Hannah was a trooper and did great. She had her moments, and I know that there were times she really felt the pain, but overall her recovery was wonderful. In fact, the day after surgery, she was entertaining people all over Children's with her Elmo slippers as we pranced around every floor because she was stir-crazy from being in her room. She's still not eating and drinking great, but she has eaten some ice-cream and jello and has drank some chocolate milk. I'm hopeful that tomorrow brings a willingness to eat and drink a little more. Thanks for the prayers and support and thanks to those who showed up at the hospital. Please continue to keep us in your prayers during our recovery time.
DeEtte

First Haircut

Here's a couple pictures from Hannah's haircut yesterday. Okay, I do know it wasn't her first haircut - as short as it seems her hair was kept, she probably had numerous haircuts. But, it was the first one with me. Hannah did great during her haircut and was happy to have a sucker afterwards!

Surgery is scheduled for between 9:00 and 9:30 Monday morning. We have to be there at 8:00, but the time of her surgery is somewhat dependent on the surgery before hers. Hannah is the 2nd cleft surgery of the day.

Well..an update finally / upcoming surgery

1. See this great blanket? The office staff at my school made it for me! Each person knitted a different color and then they put it together. It's so soft!

2. My first hot dog!


Well, it's been a little while since I updated. Things have just been a little busy between school and a three year old! But, also wonderful. Hannah continues to do very well and it's so hard to believe that she has only been here a little over 3 months. She is doing great in school. She comes in my room in the morning because all of the early arrival preschoolers are combined in my room from 7:00-7:30 (and then in the afternoon they're all in the other room from 2:30 - 3:30). When Hannah's teacher comes over to collect her class, Hannah grabs her backpack, gives me a quick hug, and heads out the door to her room without a look back. She's still very hestitant about being separated from me in new situations, but in places that have become routine (school, church nursery, etc.) she does great. I'm so proud of how far she has come.

For labor day, we enjoyed a very relaxed day. We headed down to McCalla to check out a festival they were having. We enjoyed walking around, and Hannah got to ride a pony. that was the highlight of the event for her. No pictures though - I had to help hold her on the pony. She also had her first hot dog and she really enjoyed it.

Hannah is doing very well with her cast and it hasn't slowed her down a bit. But, it is getting old to me. I keep having to tell her "no, you can't climb to the very top of that jungle gym meant for 10 year olds when you are three and only have 1 good arm at the moment!" Plus, that arm is starting to get a bit grungy...maybe that's more info than you wanted. But, with a cast that can't get wet that's expected. But, we get it off Friday (YEAH!) and I plan to bring Hannah straight home and fill the tub up and let her play in it for an hour if she wants!

So, we get the cast off on Friday, and then on Monday (the 18th) we will be headed to Children's Hospital here in bham for her cleft palate surgery. Please keep her in your prayers. I'll find out a lot more information later this week when we go in for our pre-op appointment, but I do know that she will spend 1 or 2 nights in the hospital and that she will be on a soft diet for a month. Her surgeon also told me to expect her to be "uncomfortable and fussy" for about 2 weeks. She's not suppossed to play with anything small enough to fit in her mouth or use spoons and forks for a while after surgery either. So, while I know this surgery is a good thing for her and I also know that she is a very resilient little girl, I also know it's going to be hard for my very independent-spirited child who loves to eat! So, we appreciate your prayers! I do really like her plastic surgeon and have talked to other parents that have used him as well. Everyone had only good things to say about him and the care their children received. So, I'm thankful he will be the one taking care of Hannah as well.

Thanks for keeping up with us. I'll update again after we're home from the hospital.