surgery...

working backwards... silly blogger doesn't upload my pictures the right way! no matter how hard i try! at home in his mom-mom's arms!

just before he fell asleep in my arms before the surgery.

snuggling while waiting for the doctors, etc...

getting all the vitals. he's 18 1/2 pounds with the casts on. and 26 inches.

on the way to the hospital... my sweet baby james!

hanging out with daddy while i got all our bags ready and loaded.

walked out to the car and this is what i saw. except, it was even more beautiful than it turned out in the pictures! a reminder that God is the artist of all...
james at home. he was getting a little hungry again, but is mostly happy!

so, our morning. left here at 6:20 am. (by the way, james woke up at 4am to eat... didn't even have to use my alarm!) got to the hospital and all registered, then walked to the surgical suites. waiting for awhile and james did great. then, they did the vitals and consent to surgery. wait some more... and it was about this time i could tell he was really getting hungry. but, he never cried and i made david hold him so he couldn't smell his food TOO much. then, sleep started winning out over hunger, so i held him and rocked him to sleep. he fell asleep just before they took him back. the docs were all great and explained everything to a very informed mother. (by the way, he got the same combo of drugs as michael jackson... propophal and fentanyl) then, i handed him off to the nurse. that was hard, because she didn't seem to snuggle him like i would have! but, he did fine. kinda woke up and looked at me like, "i was sleeping here... what's going on??" it was 8:30.

and we waited... david went and got us a breakfast for champions (mcdonald's). and waited. they called us back at 9:05 into another room. at 9:15, the doctor came in and said he did great and would be out soon. at 9:55, they called me back. and was he ever MAD! (and those 40 minutes of waiting might have been the longest of my life!!) he was getting sugar water in a bottle, and i got ready to nurse. he alternated screaming and nursing, mostly nursing. then, the nurse took out his iv. he was not a fan! but, he nursed really well!! after about 15 minutes, we got moved out of the recovery room into the discharge room. they told me we would be there about an hour. james snuggled back into my arms and fell asleep. i still hadn't seen him open his eyes. the tech came and tried to take his blood pressure (on the same arm his iv just came out of, which hurts like crazy!! but, she didn't want to do it on the other arm when i pointed that out!), and his bp wouldn't take. so, the nurse came in to do it. it was fine, so she came back with our discharge paper work and we were on our way! i was in the car, paying our parking fee an hour after i got into the recovery room!

he slept most of the way home... still hadn't seen his eyes. then, just as i got off of the highway, he started playing with his blanket, so sweetly and quietly. and, he's been fairly pleasant the whole day! he took a good nap and had eaten a few times. he was a little cranky when he woke up last time, but nothing like i expected! mostly, he's been smiling and playing!

as an aside... mom and nora got into the house and had a great morning! that's why we live next to an awesome fireman and his family!! (thanks guys!!)

thanks also for the emails, texts and phone calls. i can't tell you how much it meant just to see that you all were thinking of and praying for us! i tried calling some family members on the way to the hospital (david and i were in separate cars, because he was going to go to work afterwards- he didn't make it), and no one could talk. it was such a good reminder to me (as God always does in times like this) that i need to turn to Him for comfort! so, i did... and was very relaxed remembering "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and may the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus". that was the best medicine for me!

and, the same song i listened to all during my pregnancy played... "the pathway is broken, the signs are unclear. and i don't know the reason why you brought me here. but just because you love me the way that you do, i'm going to walk through the valley if you want me to"-ginny owens and, hopefully we are walking out of that valley. he gets his casts off in three weeks (they are red this time... we asked for orange, and red was what they had!) and then goes back to the shoes and bar/brace. i am PRAYING that they will only be at night, but we'll see. i am anticipating that it will be 24/7 for awhile. but, that for awhile, then just at night until he's four. (barring any unforeseen circumstances...)

thanks... for all the hailes!