Goodbye Pacifier!

Sunday was the big day. The day Dylan finally said goodbye to his pacifier. Our intentions were always to get rid of it when he turned 2, but that didn't happen. We found excuse after excuse as to why we should keep it around. Maybe it was us that had the problem. HA! So for the past week Dylan and I have had many conversations as to what would happen to his paci come the weekend. On Friday I asked him what was going to happen to his pacifiers. He said "Tie them to a balloon and they go up to the sky. Moon gets a paci and the paci fairy gets a paci". At that point I knew he understood.

Let me back up a tad.....We had to come up with an idea on how to get rid of the pacifiers. I've heard of many great suggestions but this one I came up with on my own. Dylan loves the book Goodnight Moon and we have a song we sing about the moon, so I thought this was a perfect idea. It was important that Dylan be included in all of these decisions so I did ask him if we could send his paci's to the moon. I explained that he was a big boy and a big brother and he didn't need them anymore. When I asked if this was okay, he simply stated "yes Mommy". I proceeded to tell him that the moon and the paci fairy on the moon needed some paci's. He never once said no or became sad.

So on Sunday morning we told him it was time. After nap time Zack took Dylan to the dollar store to pick out balloons. He was extremely excited. We had no idea how many balloons it would take to lift 2 pacifiers into the sky. At first they came home with 2 but that wasn't enough. I looked at Zack and we both agreed we couldn't go back on our story now. We had to make this work. So Zack went back to the store and came home with 6 more balloons. Yup, that's right we spent $8 on BALLOONS! Oh well, its for a great cause and for a little guy that means the world to us. SO WORTH IT! So Dylan had Elmo balloons, star balloons and one smiley face balloon. He helped Zack tie the paci's onto the string. Then it was go time!

I tried to get a picture of Dylan holding the balloons prior to going outside, but he was so excited we couldn't get him to look at the camera. So we proceeded to go outside.

We had him hold the balloons and give his paci's a kiss goodbye. For the last time we explained where they were going and how they would get there. He repeated back what we said, but with a smile on his face. Could this really be this easy? I was afraid he'd have a meltdown when he let go of them. He was giggling and smiling the entire time. It was very sweet to see him kiss the paci's goodbye. That boy melts my heart!

His face during lift off was priceless. His mouth was wide open with a GIANT smile. You can kind of see it in this picture above. And off they went.................

The one thing we feared..............the balloons getting stuck in a tree! In this picture it looks like just that, but we got lucky. They floated right on by. THANK GOODNESS! We stood outside and watched them travel up to the moon until we couldnt see them anymore. Dylan waved to them with a smile on his face.

In this picture he was saying "I'm a big boy!". We were wondering how long he would be okay. It was a bittersweet moment. My little boy is growing up. We knew it was time awhile back, it just took us this long to part from those darn pacifiers. After we took this picture, Dylan and Zack went and played golf in the yard. Dylan never brought up the paci again for the remainder of the day. At night he went to bed without any problems. He looked on his dresser where we kept them and stared for a moment, but never said anything. He climbed in bed and that was that. No problem. Goodbye Paci!

We are so proud of Dylan! Just another reason why he is so awesome.

Hurricane Irene

Let me start off by saying.. I AM SICK OF NATURAL DISASTERS! I freak out during lightning and thunderstorms, so you can imagine my nerves during times like these. We have lived in Western New York, Southern California, and now Central North Carolina. Therefore, we have experienced snow, blizzards, earthquakes, wild fires, tornado's and now hurricanes. I think I am leaving something out but I can't remember. (lack of brain power from sleepless nights)

So now that we have experienced some degree of all of the above, I'd prefer not to be apart of any natural disaster again. Yes I know, this won't happen. I can hope right?

Now, onto Hurricane Irene. I'm sure most of you watch the news and are very aware of Irene's path. In Holly Springs we saw no more than an inch of rain and LOTS of gusty winds. We decided to stay in for the day and not subject the kids to the crazy weather. On a side note: Dylan thought he would blow away if he went outside. Throughout the day I tried to capture some of our family moments.

Zack & Emersyn early in the morning. I love her little polka-dot jammies! We did spend the majority of our day in comfy clothing. It was a great day for that.

We built a track for Dylan's match box cars. We also built cool things with blocks, Lincoln logs and Lego's. Dylan is a busy body and pretty much played with everything he owned.

We love to take funny pictures of ourselves. Dylan thinks it's funny. I obviously looked not so cute this day, hence me attempting to hide behind my handsome little guy.

Keeping busy with puzzles is always fun. After we put together the puzzle, we used the pieces to create a cube to put little treasures in.

Zack took Dylan out to get the mail. At first he was hesitant because he thought he'd blow away. He spent a lot of his time looking out the window and the trees blowing to and fro. He finally decided to go out but in the arms of Daddy. Once he was out there, he loved it. He didn't want to come back in. I think he like the wind in his face.

Emersyn obviously isn't as active as Dylan. She did have tummy time and play a little. Here she is looking beautiful as ever. She really didn't care about the hurricane.

Windy days make Niko & Blitz C.R.A.Z.Y. They love to take walks in the wind. We walked them in the morning and at night, but during the day they had spurts of craziness. In this picture they were wrestling. Something caught their eye out the front door and they froze. I took the opportunity to include them in our Saturday Hurricane pictures.

Dylan loves to sit on Zack's shoulders. I think he was squeezing Zack's head. HA!

Overall we had a great day while Hurricane Irene was passing through. I'm glad we didn't get anymore than rain and winds. I'd be happy if I never saw another natural disaster. Keep in mind, Holly Springs had an earthquake on Tuesday and in April we had a tornado. EEEEKKK!

The Bumbo

The Bumbo Baby Seat was invented by Johan Buitendach of South Africa in 2001 to help his infant grandson sit up and see what was going on around him. As of 2009, the Bumbo Baby Seat factory in South Africa produces 100,000 seats per month and exports them all over the world.

One of those seats resides in our house and we LOVE IT! People have mixed reviews on this seat due to the safety. We supervise our children in the seat and both of them love it. It allows them to take in the world around them. Dylan had a teal one and Emersyn has a pink one.

Dylan loves to sit next to Emersyn when she is in the Bumbo. The funny part is he himself can fit in the seat. When he was little we could barely get his chubby legs in and out of it. Now he is a string bean. He's 2 1/2 and STILL fits in the seat. He thinks it's funny to sit in it.

GOTTA LOVE THE BUMBO!

DJ Duo

Dylan got his little DJ machine when Emersyn was born. He loves music and loves to dance, so why not create his own beats?!? When I sing into the microphone Dylan yells "No Mommy, no singing", but when Zack plays he loves it. The two of them make me smile as Zack tries to get Dylan to rap. I took these on Monday evening when I had a migraine. Wasn't that kind of them to blast tunes and sing! No worries, my boys are my world and its the little things they do that make me smile.

This picture was very hard to get. Dylan refused to look up. He was concentrating on his music.

I LOVE MY BOYS!

Meet White Bear "Bear"

White Bear or "Bear" as Dylan calls him, was given to him when he was an infant. It was a gift from Grandma (my Mom). When asked the bears names, he will tell you that the big bear is "Daddy bear" and the baby is "baby bear". On the foot of the big bear is a symbol representing the Hunters Hope Foundation. While Dylan doesn't understand the symbol, he sees a heart and calls it 'love'. Dylan carries or drags bear all over the house. Bear sits on the table while Dylan eats, snuggles with Dylan during cartoon times, and moves about the house as Dylan makes his daily mess of toys. Every night Dylan sleeps with Bear. He is essential to the nightly routine. Dylan uses Bear as a soother. He rubs his fur, which eventually puts him to sleep. I think it's sweet how much he loves his bear.

One day Bear will be replaced by something 'cooler' like the boy in Toy Story. But until then, Bear is the apple of Dylan's eye!

The Mailbox

Growing up I loved getting the mail everyday. I'd hear the mailman coming down the street and I'd run out to meet him. I didn't even care if there wasn't anything for me. For some reason I thought this was exciting.

Now flash forward to 2011....

I own a home and have many bills to pay. When I hear the mailman zooming down the street, I'm not as exited as I once was. Usually our mail consists of bills, magazines, and junk mail. Since Emersyn's surgery I feel like that's all we get are medical bills. Oh what fun, NOT! So when I see a card or a flyer I appreciate them more. The childhood giddiness slowly floods my heart. Yup, pretty dorky I know.

This brings me to Dylan's love for the mailbox. A boy after my own heart!! He loves to put mail in and put the flag up. In the afternoon he likes to open the mailbox door. He looks in and says "no presents, just mail".

Regardless of what's in the mailbox, he loves to get the mail. It makes me smile! I want that excitement to stay with him for a long time. Well, until he starts getting bills and the excitement fades. I just bought him a year subscription to National Geographic Kids. So when my mom isn't sending the kids 'presents', he will have mail. I can't wait to see his face when the first magazine comes for him. Maybe it will rekindle my weird love affair with getting the mail. HA!

I'll be sure to post up a picture when Dylan receives his first National Geographic.

Cranio- Awareness

In Thursday's paper (North Carolina's News & Observer) there was an article featured on the front page about a Craniosynostosis surgery at Duke Hospital. Duke is where Emersyn had her surgery. I was very excited to see the article! I'm saving it for Emersyns baby book.

Before Emersyns surgery we had never heard of Craniosynostosis. I think it's important to make people aware. There are so many Cranio families that didn't realize there was anything wrong with their little one, therefore had surgery later in life. Keep in mind, surgery before five months is preferred. Some children are almost 2 before their condition is fixed. Emersyn has created awareness in our small community of family and friends. I know this because we received many texts, emails and FB messages alerting us of the newspaper article. That tells me that those people thought of her and could relate it to our situation. I'm thankful for that.

It's now our job to educate others. We WERE those people who assumed we'd have healthy babies. I don't think any parent is prepared for a situation like this, but it was the information and support we received from other families in the same situation that helped us. We in turn want to help others through our experience.

Here is the link to the newspaper article:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/08/18/1419617/in-a-first-at-duke-a-babys-skull.html

*Also as a side note: Emersyn had a traditional strip craniectomy. The baby in the article and the endoscopic version that requires a helmet for 18 months after the surgery. They both had a similar condition and the surgery was preformed the same doctor.

Midnight Circus

Here is another reason why my blog has the word circus in it......

A typical night in our house includes Emersyn crying out and me running to stick her paci in hoping she doesn't wake Dylan. This happens every half hour. At some point she has a hungry cry. So while I'm changing her diaper, Zack makes a bottle. Emersyn is LOUD so we do everything in a speedy manner. Zack runs down the stairs, makes a bottle, runs back up. I change her as fast as possible and get situated in the rocker, hoping that Zack gets here before her cry turns into a scream. We usually take turns with feedings. On occasion Dylan wakes up crying from a dream or simply because he hears Emersyn. This is NOT a good time.

Now let's add the dogs to the mix! Niko & Blitz see us up and decide it's time for them to go outside and pee. One night this week a bunny was in our yard. Normally they go out, do their business and come back in. NOPE!!! The bunny caused chaos. The dogs were running around the yard attempting to kill Mr. Bunny while barking so the entire neighborhood could here them. After the bunny escaped under the fence, it took me 1/2 hour to get them inside and calm again. Phew!!!!

Zack and I work as a team and I am grateful for that. The one who isn't with Emersyn is caring for Dylan and the dogs.

I called this post 'Midnight' circus, but let's get real here... It's an ALL night circus in our house. By the time we both get into a deep sleep our alarms are going off. This gives new meaning to exhaustion. We try to keep humor in our lives. It tends to make everything easier :-)

So, if you ever wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep, just come on over! The circus is always ready to entertain!

*Side Note: Hopefully this craziness calms down when Emersyn starts to sleep the night again. This constant crying out is due to surgery. We just hope is phases out!

Post- Op Visit

Yesterday was Emersyn's post-op appointment. With clothing and a semi- wet diaper she weighed 13lbs 14 oz. I know this is somewhat inaccurate because of her clothing but really??? What a chunky little ladybug! I'm so proud!!!!!

As usual I went with a list of questions. Dr. Grant is so informative and takes the time to answer them and then some. He is awesome! He thought Emersyn looked great. Her incision is healing nicely. There is a spot on either side that is slightly irritated. I was worried but he said it's normal. Infants move their heads so much that the specific area tends to be sensitive. We will continue to put the antibiotic ointment in those areas. She has dissolvable stitches so overtime they will fall out.

She is still taking Tylenol to make her comfortable. The swelling has gone down considerably. Dr. Grant said the remaining swelling should be gone in the next few weeks. He gave us the go ahead to lower her mattress at the end of the week. She's been sleeping at an incline to help with the swelling.

Overall the appointment went extremely well. My questions were answered and my worries were eased. Emersyn is making great progress and we are thrilled about that.

Her next check up is in 6 weeks!!

Surgery Photos

Pre-exam before surgery/getting into the hospital gown

8/3 Right after surgery in the PICU. Swelling has just begun.

My first failed attempt at feeding Emersyn. (she didn't eat until right before we went home)

Day 3: My little swollen sumo wrestler!

Day 4: Head bandage off and successful feeding

A glimpse of our Duke Children's room

My sleeping angel. In this photo the swelling has gone down considerably.

We wanted to share some of Emersyn's photos. Some of them were just to hard to include so I was very selective. For a few days her swelling was so bad she didn't even look like herself. Also the day her bandage came off was very difficult for me. We are choosing now to show those because they are very hard to look at.

This was a surreal experience for us. We are very thankful for Dr. Grant and the staff at Duke Hospital who helped our little girl. She is on the road to recovery. Most of her swelling has gone down and the incision is beginning to look better everyday.

We wanted to include everyone on our journey to inform you and make you aware of Craniosynostosis. Prior to Emersyn's surgery, we had never even heard of it. Now we are advocates and are glad to join the rest of our Cranio friends in helping spread the word.

Dylan's Animals

Dylan and his sleepy time friends

Dylan loves stuffed animals. He must have at least 25! He has his favorites and those are captured in the above picture. He used to sleep with 15, but then we had trouble finding him in the bed. We are down to his top 9. This includes white bear, brown bear, buster bear, lady bug, panda, pillow ducky, Kiwi the turtle, Fluffy the dog and Quakers the duck. His absolute favorite is the white bear holding a baby bear. He carries this bear around the house and snuggles with it every night. He LOVES soft animals.

3 Month Babies

Dylan at 3 months

Emersyn at 3 months

I thought it would be fun to compare the 3 month photos. To me they look nothing alike. Well....with exception of their big eyes.

I love my babies!!!!!!!

A Week in Review

A Week in Review

I thought I'd recap our first week home with Emersyn.

We came home at noon on Sunday. I can't really remember a whole lot from that day as I was exhausted. Thank goodness my mom was here to help out. I was excited to see Dylan and to put our family back together. It makes me sad being away from my little ones.

Sunday and Monday night Emersyn slept well during the day and night. She still had pain meds in her. We did get more sleep those nights. The days were filled with us trying to get her back on a schedule, making sure she ate and had lots of love!! Her pain was definitely present and she let us know by her high pitched screams.

The rest of the week the pain seemed to lessen. We are very cautious of her incision but she's beginning to be the Emersyn we know. We are giving her Tylenol for any remaining pain and bacitracin ointment on her incision. During the day she is very alert. At night we've been getting up a few times because she wakes up crying and/or screaming. We heard about this prior to surgery. This should hopefully subside within the next few weeks. Otherwise, her swelling is going down as expected. We have a post- op appointment on Tuesday. I'm very eager to see what the doctor says about her progress.

The dogs are doing well with her head. They try and sniff it out of concern. They only want to help clean her boo boo. We are quick to move her or scoot them in the other direction.

Dylan loves his sister! He sings & talks to her. When she cries he says " it's okay baby Emersyn".

He's a very sweet boy. He knows the doctors 'fixed' her head. He will tell us "Emerysn has a boo boo on her head" and then proceeds to kiss her hand.

So her first week home is going well. Everyone is adjusting. Time heals all wounds.

Thank you to everyone for supporting us during this difficult time!!

Emersyn is 3 months!

Emersyn is officially an infant! ( I just learned that once a newborn turns 3 months they're considered an infant.) This 3 month celebration comes shortly after her surgery, so I wasn't sure if we would take pictures. I decided to give it a try and while she did cooperate, I struggled to get a smile. So Ms. Serious it is!

Milestones:

* Grabs at clothing, fingers, face

* Smiles and coos

* Starting to put weight on her legs when in a standing position

* Tries to sit up

* Tummy time: she is lacking in this area because right now her head is heavy from fluid. I have no doubt she will catch up.

*Attempts to laugh, but sound doesn't come out yet :-)

Random 3 month facts:

*Loves to put her fingers in her mouth. I hate it because without a doubt she always gags herself. Why do babies do that?!?

* Loves to look at faces & loves music

* While she still likes to be carried around, she will occasionally go her in swing

* Prior to the surgery she was sleeping the night. Currently she isn't but that is due to surgery.

* She loves to go on walks

* Has hiccups at least once a day.

* She was born a gassy baby and still is :-(

* She is a drool machine, but I love it.

That's all I can think of at the moment. The past 3 months have been challenging, but we have enjoyed every moment. We are looking forward to this month and what she has in store for us.

Old Head vs. New Head

Old Head vs. New Head

A week ago today Emersyn had surgery. I honestly can't believe it's been a week. I feel like it's all a blur or that I've been stuck in a dream. On that note, I'm hoping this post will be therapeutic for me. I'm in a grieving stage.

Let me back up........

I was used to Emersyns old head. While I know she had some difficulties laying on the back of it and I know she really needed surgery, I can't help but miss it. For 12 weeks, that's all I knew and loved. She was so cute to me. I'd calm her by rubbing her head front to back. Now things are different. Her head shape has definitely changed. It's the shape it should be, accompanied by swelling and a large incision that extends from ear-to- ear.

I know the swelling will disappear and the incision will heal. But I can't get used to her new look. From the eyebrows down she looks like my baby, but her head is new and different. I know this is all for the better but I miss her old head. I belong to a forum called Cranio Kids. All of these feelings are normal and I'm not the only one who has felt this way. But, why does it make me feel sad? In one aspect I miss her old head, but now I look at her and know her life will be better because if this surgery. I'm really trying to adjust to all of this. AND as the swelling goes down Emersyn is beginning to look a lot like Dylan!

I feel like a horrible parent for feeling like this. Everyday gets a little better and I fully expect these feelings to subside. Emersyn is my little beauty no matter what!! This process has been a whirlwind if emotions.

As I read this back to Zack I cried. It was a cry that really needed to come out. So I'm hoping this post and talking about it will help.

Heroes

Taken today-swelling still present but a smile worth a million bucks

Day 4- My little hero trying to recover

When asked who your hero is, you probably start thinking of someone that you admire for something they did. Heroes are among us everyday young and old, but sometimes we just don't know it or acknowledge these people. So I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to my newest hero.

My hero......Emersyn Isabella Henry. She entered the world in a difficult way, has battled colic, had surgery on her skull and is now staying strong through recovery. She is my little trooper. She's gone through more in 3 months than I have in 29 years. Most adults whine when they stub a toe, get a paper cut or have a headache. I had a reality check sitting in a children's hospital. I can't believe what some of those kids are going through and how strong and positive they remain. It's absolutely amazing. I am very thankful Emersyn's medical issue could be fixed. Some of those kids will be living with their illnesses their whole life. My baby girl is amazing! She was strong during surgery and while in the hospital. And....all without a voice, just cries. She surprised us on many occasions during the last few days. She is my hero!! I'll forever admire her strength and resilience.

Just remember super heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Mine is 3 months old with big blue eyes and a smile that will melt your heart.

Going Home

Dr. Grant came to see Emersyn this morning. Her vitals looked great, her blood count was up, her eyes were open, the swelling was a little better and she was eating. The words "looks like you're going home today" was like music to our ears. We packed up, got her dressed and off we went. We were so excited to leave. Living in a hospital for almost six days can be exhausting.

Fast forward to the afternoon.............

At first Dylan was hesitant to get near Emersyn. I think her swelling and the sight of the incision scare him a little. He is slowly adjusting. Zack is doing amazing with her. I on the other hand am afraid of breaking her head. Sounds ridiculous I know. I just feel like I'm going to hurt her, so it's taking me some time to adjust as well. I do miss her old head quite a bit, but I know this is all for the better. Without this surgery she would eventually have so many developmental problems and her head would continue to grow and become worse. Once the swelling goes down, she will look like Emersyn again but with the round head she was meant to have. Regardless, she looks beautiful to us.

We are all happy to be home and together as a family. This was a very surreal experience. Now we enter the recovery phase. Thank you to all of our friends and family who have given us words of encouragement, prayers and keeping us in your daily thoughts. We truly appreciate it.

-Julie

A Day of Progress

Today was a great day filled with milestones. While Emersyn's eyes are still slightly swollen, she was able to open them. The moment she opened those baby blues our hearts melted. It probably sounds crazy, but the excitement was overwhelming. The poor girl opens her eyes and we're in her face smiling from ear to ear!!! She eventually gave us a little smile. It was so rewarding to see a little piece of her shine through.

She ate a total of 3 oz today. So she's making some progress in the feeding area as well. Hopefully tonight she will eat more so we have a chance at being discharged tomorrow.

Today was a good day!!

On a side note: Dylan & my mom came to visit. Dylan did very well. He talked to her and we showed him her head boo boo. We wanted him to see her before she came home.

Day 3: The Other Side

This post will be shorter since I am super tired. I was up frequently with Emersyn last night and coffee just didn't work its magic today. Our day started off with Emersyn sleeping a lot. She was very peaceful and seemed comfortable. Lunch time hit and that all changed. The swelling in her eyes is decreasing which is great. The bad part is that she's trying to open them and they hurt which can be a challenge when attempting to see. This is frustrating for her so she cried most of the afternoon. So for a few moments today, we saw those blue eyes. You would've thought we won the lottery that's how excited we were. Her vitals are looking great. She's voiding like she should (medical term for pees and poos), she ate a little bit this morning, and her head bandage came off.

Yes, the head bandage was taken off. She cried while the nurse unwrapped her head. Zack stood by her side assisting, while I was very nervous to see her new little head. The head itself is still very swollen but looks great. The incision goes from ear to ear with clear dissoluble stitches. The cut is not a straight line, but a wavy line. This way when her hair gets wet, it doesn't part at the scar. From a doctors standpoint, her head looks great. From the mommy standpoint, it looks painful right now. We are putting an ointment on it a few times a day to help with the healing. Swelling should decrease rapidly in the next few weeks. They didn't shave her head, so the little hair that Emersyn has is still in tact.

She's slowly making progress. In order to go home, a few things need to happen:

- Eyes need to be open fully (she's working on it)

- Eating frequently (this has been a challenge)

- Not using as many pain meds

- Blood count stays up (she had a transfusion during surgery)

It's looking like she will be discharged on Sunday. We are pleased with her progress and can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Eyes Wide Shut

This is the first time we saw Emerysn after the surgery. At this point the swelling was minimal.

Last night I spent much of my time watching my little lady bug sleep. I started thinking about how I'd feel if suddenly I couldn't see. I can't possibly imagine what she is going through. I am doing my best to soothe her with my touch and my voice. Since day 1 her eyes have become very swollen and bruised. When she cries the tears slowly try and escape crusting to her little eye lashes. It's so sad to see. I know its only temporary, but while in the moment it still breaks my heart. Everyday parents look at their kids probably taking for granted that their little eyes open. I know I did. Dylan has beautiful big brown eyes and Emersyn has big blue eyes. But I've never stopped to think for one second what they'd look like if they couldn't open them. So now that Emersyn's eyes look the way they do I anxiously await the moment they open. The moment that I see those big blue sparklers I will probably cry.

So today when you look you little ones in the eyes, please don't take it for granted. Give them a big kiss and soak it in. Seeing is really a gift, that is for sure!

Day 2: PICU

Emersyn spent all day yesterday and today in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Usually there is one nurse for every two patients, but we got lucky and had a nurse all to ourselves. The nursing staff in the PICU are awesome! Emersyn had a rough start as expected. She was in a lot of pain and swelling increased by the hour. Last night was rough as she cried out frequently and was uncomfortable. We were not able to spend the night with her since parents are not allowed to sleep in the PICU. It was very hard for us to leave her, but the nurse took great care of her. We got here nice and early. Her swelling was worse today which is normal after any type of head surgery. She is the cutest swollen baby EVER!! She looks like a mini sumo wrestler. The swelling should start to decrease after 48 hours. So we are hoping by tomorrow evening we'll start to see some change. The eye swelling doesn't hurt her, but she becomes frustrated at times because she can't see. Positives about today: she did eat a tiny bit. Its normal for her not to eat for a few days. So we are pleased with the little bit that she did take. She has a very sore throat from the breathing tube she had during the surgery. So swallowing isn't her favorite thing. Many of her IV's were taken out along with her catheter. Her vitals are looking great! We're excited about that. At 7:00 tonight we moved onto the pediatric floor. We are now in a private room with a nurse that takes care of three at a time. She is sleeping soundly and takes pain meds when needed. It's hard to tell if she is crying because of her throat pain, head pain, hunger pains or the fact that she can't see. So I just chalk it up to " this stinks" and do whatever I can to ease her cries. Zack and I spend the days here with her and will be taking turns at night. Its important we see Dylan too. My Mom is doing a great job at keeping him busy and having a fun time.

I started writing this awhile ago and then Emersyn woke up. I rocked her for a bit and I forgot what I was going to write. So I should probably get some sleep. The neurosurgeon will be coming tomorrow to check her head.

Thank you again for all of the well wishes. We truly appreciate them!

Day 1: Surgery

Today we had to be at the hospital by 7am. Surgeries are performed youngest to oldest so Emersyn was first. We are very thankful for that. The tough part for her was what I'd call fasting. She couldn't eat past midnight so we woke her prior to that time to give her one last feeding. I don't like to be hungry so I can't imagine how frustrating it was for her. Once we got checked in we met with our surgical team. At 8:40 she was taken back to the operating room. This was very hard for us. Handing your child off to a surgeon is everything you probably think it would be. HORRIBLE!!! We both had tears.

I gave her lots of kisses and said many I love you's.

The waiting game seemed like a lifetime. When the call came in that she was being closed up I was elated. Well, until I began to get nervous for the next part: seeing her in the PICU. Her surgery went very well and the neurosurgeon was happy. It was a big relief for us.

When we got to the intensive care unit she was bandaged, hooked up to monitors and IV's everywhere. My poor baby :-(

Swelling began to set in. It will get worse before it gets better. As a parent, I'd do anything to help her but I feel so useless.

She's in a lot of pain and very uncomfortable. We're not sure when we will be released. My guess is Sunday, but time will tell.

So before I end this post we want to thank everyone for the prayers, texts, and calls. We are so happy surgery went well. We are officially on the ' other side'. Now our focus is recovery. It will be a challenging road, but Emersyn is one tough little girl

Waterproof Mascara

Waiting for Emersyn to get out of surgery feels like a lifetime so I thought I'd post. This morning when I was putting my makeup on I decided to wear waterproof mascara in the event I had a meltdown. While I was putting it on I questioned whether mascara expires. I've had the same tube for years. I've only used it twice prior to today. The first time was when my Grandpa passed away and the last time was when I got married. So today I decided to wear it. I've shed countless tears since we found out about this surgery and have been dreading this day for weeks. I'm an emotional person lately, so waterproof mascara was bound to be my choice regardless of the expiration date. (I think once I'm home I'll throw that tube away...I'm guessing its over 4 years old...yup gross I know)

It's 10:40 and I'm pleased with how my most likely expired waterproof mascara is holding up. When one of the doctors came to take Emersyn into surgery my eyes became a small puddle. So instead of looking like I belonged to the band KISS, I maintained my vision of loveliness (wink, wink). I'm sure that moment is one of many today. Her surgery is expected to be 3 hours but the doctor allotted 6 if needed. I'm anxiously awaiting the moment I get to see my little lady bug. We will continue to update as we go.

Pre-op

This morning was Emersyn's pre-op appointment. I was very nervous as I wasn't sure what to expect. We met with many people who did a wonderful job at answering all of our questions. The neurosurgeon eased many of our worries as well. We got to take a tour of where we would wait and how to get to the intensive care area. We ended our appointment with a blood draw. That was the worst part. Emersyn screamed the entire time and I was a bit weepy. All in all it went very well. So because of her age, she will be the first surgery of the day. We'll be at Duke at 7a.m. as she is prepared for an 8:15 surgery time. I'd love to fill everyone in more, but it's very important to me that I spend the rest of my evening with Emersyn. I'll do my best to keep everyone posted tomorrow. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts. We truly appreciate it.