Baby Annabelle – Day 5

Well, in 3 hours, Annabelle will be officially 5 days old. WOW how time flies… but at the same time, it’s been a very long five days.

As I noted last time, her surgery Friday was a no-go. They had her prepped, put out, and even the little dotted line on her chest and everything, but an emergency came up and took longer than they anticipated, so they decided it best that they wait. As frustrating as it was, to be honest, I’d rather the doctor be fresh when he’s doing her surgery then have it be last on the docket for the week and after 2 surgeries already that day!

As of right now, she is scheduled for first surgery on Monday, but that is tentative as there are several other heart cases right now.

Annabelle is doing well right now. There is a little concern as I type that one side of her lungs isn’t working as well as the other, but this may just be a bit temporary. Please just keep that in your prayers though!! She’s also been kept completely sedated and paralyzed since coming back up from her almost-surgery, with a breathing tube in. It is so hard to see her so limp and non-responsive, instead of before, when she was crying, grunting, and sucking pretty good on that pacifier. *sigh* But I’m believing that it will be soon enough when she’ll be back to all that!

I *might* get to hold her briefly tonight, but that is up in the air too. Obviously I am just aching to hold her, but not if it is going to cause her to get worse. I’ve only really held her one time on Wednesday (not counting the 15 seconds she snuggled by my cheek in the delivery room before they whisked her away) so holding her one more time before surgery would be a HUGE blessing for me. Prayers about that are appreciated as well!

Hubby is doing well, He is SUCH a gift to me. He’s taking such good care and wow, I feel like he’s giving and I’m just taking, but I am beyond blessed to have him by my side. He is SUCH a good Daddy and husband!

My kids are doing well too. Missing Mommy, but not as much as I miss them! I’m limiting their visits a little, mostly due to my sanity. I’m a bit overwhelmed with everything, tired, and just blah, so having them here, while completely enjoyable because I CRAVE their hugs and kisses, just takes a lot out of me. Please pray for them as well, as they go through this time of missing us. I just pray that they know and feel how important THEY are to us too, even though we can’t be with them a lot right now. My in-laws are staying with them at our house, which is a tremendous help, but I know they are feeling the separation and anxiety.

Um… what else… Oh, there is probably a ton of stuff, but my head is just whirling a little.

OH! I remember…

I’ll write more about this later, because it’s deeply on my heart, but I can’t help but sit here, surrounded by a lot of people that are in just as much pain and agony over their loved ones condition as Scott and I are over Annabelle, and not just ache for them. I hear horror stories swapped, have a little one on one side of us that is going through the same thing as Annabelle, and another one on the other side that is much older but having issues. My heart breaks for them, and it is so hard not fear in the midst of it all.

But at the same time, my heart goes out to them and I feel the need to lift THEM up in prayer as well. There is so much hurting, so much pain. And I know God sees and hears all of it. So please join me in praying for the other little one’s here as well, especially one in particular at the moment who is struggling.

Here are a few updated pictures, mostly from after they sedated her. The ones towards the end are recently, as her color is back compared to earlier.

Annabelle after her no-go surgery.

Mommy changing Annabelle’s diaper!

Annabelle with her ladybug blankie!

Annabelle with her bow.

They took her off her paralytic medicine for a while today to give her a little break to move, however she wasn’t wanting to move much (they also have her on sedation medicine, which is probably why.) Anyway, we did get her to wiggle her toes and hold my finger (pictured) before they restarted her medicine!