All Patched Up!

Maddie's surgery was Thursday, November 10 and it went off without a hitch!  She was in surgery for about 3.5 hours, only 30 minutes of which was the actual procedure.  Dr. Starnes was able to patch up her hole in her heart and repair her pulmonary valve and she will not have to have surgery again.  The most difficult part of the whole experience for us was walking with her to the double doors to the operating room and handing our little baby girl over to the nurses not knowing what the outcome would be.  Of course, she looked adorable and shot us a smile as they took her away...

Right when she came out of surgery she was heavily sedated and had tons of tubes and wires connected to her.  We were warned about what she would look like; it was scary at first but as soon as the doctors told us that she was going to be ok, we felt much better.  Her recovery went extremely well, by Friday afternoon most of the major tubes and wires were off of her and we were able to hold and feed her.  On Saturday night, we were surprised to find out that we were going to be discharged the next day.  We were told she would be in the hospital for a week.

So a little over 72 hours after surgery, we were on our way home.  Right when we got home she went back to her normal sleep schedule at night and is pretty much back to her daily routine.  She is a little whiny but I think it is just because she is still a little sore from her surgery.  But who could blame her ?!  Besides not being able to pick her up under her arms for 8 weeks - which is taking some getting used to - and one medication she has to take twice a day, we just treat her like a normal little girl.  It is amazing how fast she has bounced back from all of this.

Today, on her 6 month birthday (!), we had a post op appointment with her cardiologist and everything looks great!  She had some stitches removed - I think she will forever dislike nurses now - and is now medication free.  All we have to do now is have quarterly cardiologist appointments.  I think we can handle that.  :)

Here are some pics from her hospital adventure.  Don't worry, I left out the ones that might make some people woozy.

 Way to happy to be in the pre op waiting room....

 Our tiger in her way too big hospital gown

 Off the venitlator, sleeping 

Our tiny little girl in a huge hospital bed

Moved to a crib after getting rid of some the paraphernalia

Almost a smile...  And, yes, those are heart shaped stickers holding the oxygen in place

Finally get to hold her only one day after surgery

 Free of everything!  3 days after surgery and ready to go home!

Our room.

I'm free!!!

First walk, post op.

Maddie's Surgery

Maddie goes in for heart surgery this Thursday.  When she was two days old, we found out she has tetralogy of fallot.  A condition in which her heart did not fully develop properly when she was in the womb.  She has a large hole in her heart between the right and left ventricles and her pulmonary valve is a bit restricted.  So on Thursday, she is getting her heart "patched up" as Jake likes to put it.  It is a fairly routine surgery; at Children's Hospital LA, where she is having the surgery with the best heart surgeon in California, they perform 7 heart surgeries a day, 4 of which are to fix holes in children's hearts....

Saying it's routine helps but not much.  It isn't routine when it is your 5.5 month baby girl.  Jake is very positive about her condition and her surgery but, of course, I am the doom and gloom Italian that has all these crazy thoughts running through my head.  I have to have faith, though, that she will be ok.  When I start having bad thoughts about what could happen, I try to take a deep breath and look at my baby girl and say thank you to God that I am fortunate enough to have her.  There are babies out there that aren't as lucky as she is.

The surgery is 3 - 4 hours long and she will be in the hospital for a week.  I will be spending my 30th birthday on Wednesday in pre op tests at CHLA with my little girl.  The best birthday present will be my healthy Maddie.

So as Jake has been saying to me, "Come Thursday night, we will have a healthy baby girl."  Please keep little Maddie in your thoughts.  I know she will be ok, but the more positive energy, the better, right?

Here is our little munchkin.  Mommy has been keeping her warm and bundled up so she is well for the big day.

Halloween Fun

As you have already seen, we took Maddie to the pumpkin patch for some Halloween festivities.  This past week/weekend we went to a party at Studio Seaside, which is a very kid friendly workout studio down the street from us.  We also made an early appearance at Auntie Allie's Halloween Party.  On the big day, we dressed Maddie up briefly and walked around the neighborhood.  Here are some pics of her in her various Halloween outfits.  :)

 What's up?!

 I just couldn't resist taking this one.

 What went under the costume.  I had to buy a boys' onesie.

Little Ladybug Lehmkuhl

 It adds a couple lbs.

 My first Halloween!

 At Auntie Allie's

 Third outfit of the day on Halloween... don't ask why.

 She wasn't giving us smiles.  I think she was over it. 

 Mommy carved this while watching the intense SC v Stanford game.

 Hanging out in her pumpkin outfit

Not Halloween related, she was watching the World Series!  Yay Cards!