More lemonade?

Summer is upon us in all its humid glory.

   After recovery, finals week, graduation, Mikey's CMA course, and a much needed week in Denver- I finally find myself here, ready to reflect and share about Elina. 

   Mikey and I have been wondering how to tell all  the people that we love that Elina is heading into another  surgery sooner than we thought. 


   As many of you know, Elina has been wearing glasses to try to correct the eye problem that intensified during her heart surgery recovery. We went to KC to see how the glasses were working. Our opthamologist told us that the crossing was stronger than before. Elina is having to switch back and forth between her eyes in order to focus. Not good!!!! 


   So I will leave you with a date: June 22nd. One week before Elina's birthday, she will be braving another procedure. 


PLEASE PRAY that this surgery is successful. We are told that the problem with her eyes lies within her brain. They are making some changes to the outer eye in  order to encourage the brain to straighten her vision. Some kids need to have eye surgery several times. We are praying for another miracle! We need your help in that. 

My mom and Elina spending some much needed time together

   To be honest, when I heard the news about Elina's eye problems, I felt defeated. I mean, here was my girl not even out of the hospital yet, having to deal with more. I was sitting in the hospital parking lot. In my dreams, I was going to ride off in triumph with my family and a girl who was whole and healed. I felt that this eye problem was enough to break me. Even now, there are times when I still feel as though life has been a bit unfair to her. I feel angry that I can't take her problems upon myself. 

   Then, I remember all the amazing graces that God has provided us along this journey. Then, I look upon a tiny girl who is brimming with both strength and joy. I realize that these trials have transformed me as a person, for the better. I am a thankful person- one who realizes that today is a gift.

Life has handed us some seemingly unwanted lemons. There are these things that make us feel angry and scared. God gives us a choice to take those things and to put them in his hands. He makes them into something beautiful. Lemons into lemonade. 

So, with this lemon in my hands, I take heart because I can trust that God is here. He is already taking our struggles and making them into something beautiful. 

More lemonade, please. 

***

 Summer is upon us. We are looking forward to ruffled swimsuits, a hot pink baby pool, and ferocious little hands splashing water with fervor. In the midst of all the appointments and procedures, we will find times to have some traditional summer fun.

  I will have some cute pool photos up soon! 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

-Romans 8:28

Believe it for yourselves, our world, and for our girl.

The Girl Can Rock Glasses

We are settling back down. Our lives have sort of moved to a single point for a few months now (Elina's Surgery). Now we are at a place of great thankfulness. We are excited for the future and enamored by the past. We are looking back and seeing just how far we have come.

Elina is doing really well. We are back at home, me finishing up my last weeks of school, Mikey is getting ready to earn his CMA, and Elina preparing for take-off. She is turning over like a pro, and she is oh-so-close to sitting on her own.

After the surgery, we found out that Elina's eye had become unable to focus completly. Her eye began to turn in noticably. We saw the opthamologist and we found out our girl needed some help. She is wearing patches for two hours a day, and is now wearing glasses. In fact we just got her first pair (We have a metal pair coming) just today.

We are not sure how long she will need them, or if the problem will eventually require another surgery. We are just taking it a day at a time. We are too busy enjoying her to worry. 

It is spring. I feel a great sense of excitement and anticipation. What is up ahead? I don't know, but I just know it is going to take my breath away. I expect to be surprised- I learned a long time ago not to try to figure out what my life would hold.

Easter is around the corner... let's celebrate life.

Going Wireless and Other Celebrations

Elina is officially wireless. She got her main artery line pulled out (which was unexpectedly traumatic). She is free of all of her cords and tubes, and we are happy to be able cuddle her properly.

We are set to head home in a couple days. She is dead tired of being poked and messed with in general. Someday she will understand the greatness of what went on this week, but for now- she is justified in being angry, etc.

So here is a progression of this week:

A few hours after the surgery. Here she is on the ventilator and a heart pacer. She wasn't able to start waking up until the end of the second day.

 Here is Elina just using supporting oxygen, she is doing all the breathing on her own. At this point she still needed the pacemaker.

This is the point were Elina's recovery started taking off. She began breathing and beating all by herself. This was a couple hours before she moved to a regular room.

Elina rolling in the wagon, getting a break from her bed. Almost as good as riding in the cart at Walmart.

Elina is doing great. With every new step she is getting back to normal and feeling more comfortable.

It didn't take her more than a few minutes of being conscience to find her feet again

And here is a little video just to show how well our girl is doing now.

She is smiling and talking again. She is ready to hit the road. One chapter of her story is drawing to a close. She has her whole life in front of her. 

Faster than a Speeding Bullet

When Elina went into the surgery, I was pretty educated on the recovery. However,  I did not anticipate the weight of the struggles. I did not understand the huge milestone of being able to breath on your own or maintaining a steady pulse.

Along the same lines, I expected Elina to heal well. Here I am, shocked, as I was after her catherization surgery, at her lightning paced recovery.

Big news is she if off the ventilator and breathing like a pro.


If that's not a big enough shock, try this one on for size; Elina's heart is now beating on it's own.

This is our last night in the icu. Since she is doing so well and eating great, she will be moving to the regular floor. We do not know how long she will need to stay there, but it will be much more relaxed for everyone. 

We are so thankful. 

We are so proud of our girl, who continues to amaze us with her strength.

Morning Report

There are so many ways I could start this post. There are deep thoughts that want to escape onto the page, but they still require some reflection, some more turns in my mind. So what I want to say is that Elina is a warrior. 

She is lying feet from me, and her heart is working to find a new rhythm. We need prayers. Pray that her heart will be able to maintain a strong beat. 

We are confident that God has big plans for her. So for now we are waiting. 

They have kept her asleep to give her some much needed rest. She may be able to wake today, just in time for Daddy's birthday. 

Until later, remember Hope.

Miracle Girl

Elina is well. She is a fighter. We are continually amazed by her.

She is out of surgery, and about to go into the icu. We are playing the waiting game until we can see her.
I will be posting updates and pictures as soon and as often as I can manage (unless I don't feel like it).

This morning in the waiting room:

 

We thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We had a deep sense of calm and peace. We had some kind of blessed assurance.

Get ready to see this girl take off.

PRAISE GOD!

Do I have to say it again?

I suppose it is unavoidable to feel like the boy who cried wolf. Surgery. Pushed. Back.

This time some good news, because the doctor who did her catherization said she required the surgery before nine months (April 1st), we have been pushed to the top of the list.

Lets try it one more time, 3rd 4th times the charm? March 14th.

In the meantime, we are happy to say that our girl is eight months old today.