I read this today and I LOVE IT!

http://powerofmoms.com/2013/01/you-dont-have-to-like-it/

You don't have to like it. I can totally get my head around that idea. Somehow it's affirming and liberating at the same time.

This is my favorite quote:

"I may wish for children who are perfectly obedient, respectful, kind, and generous, but if they were, then how would I grow? Motherhood is every bit as much about my personal growth and development as it is about my children’s."

Also, today I am happy that I can be a good friend to someone who was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I love her and her family so much, and I understand a little bit of what they are going through. Though I hated it at the time, now I'm kind of glad I've been there and done that.

Matching tongue and shirt. That's talent.

First post-op checkup

Elijah's morning meds used to look like this, with everything but the aspirin again at night.

Last Thursday we took a day trip to Dallas to see his cardiologist.

A trip to Dallas includes lunch and ice cream at Braum's.

While Elijah and I checked in at the doctor's office, Jack and the kids walked around the hospital and found all of Elijah's favorite places.

Elijah and I did paperwork, height and weight (12.8 kg), blood pressure, O2 (90%!) and an EKG, which Elijah hated. They put stickers all over his chest and clipped the stickers to the computer to monitor his heart function. He cried about the stickers coming off, too. His chest is very tender still.

Then he had a sonogram, crying, lying on me, until M&Ms and Mater on the tv cheered him up.

When Dr. Verma came in to talk to us, Elijah remembered to tell him he doesn't want to take the yucky aldactazide anymore. It turns out that they checked his lungs a little when they were doing the heart sonogram and didn't see any fluid, so we are starting to wean off the diuretic, starting with the yucky one. We are down to three morning meds and one again at night. Yea!

After the checkup, we headed over to the Perot Museum to spend the afternoon.

Dinosaurs in 3D!

We wore ourselves out having fun, and then had dinner and finished off the day with a trip to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus at the American Airlines Center. We got free tickets while Elijah was in the hospital and thought it would be a good thing to do the same day as his checkup since we would already be in Dallas. The day was long, but it was so fun. I had some low expectations based on a childhood experience with a circus, and I was pleasantly surprised and amazed. It was a very, very, very good show. Elijah's favorite animal is the tiger, and he was over the moon to see ten tigers in real life doing their tricks.

Once Ellen realized that things were going on in the dark areas, she was almost more interested in trying to figure out what they were setting up for next than in what was going on front and center. Funny. She was also a perfect responding audience member. Every time the ringmaster said something like, "If you want to be amazed, someone say YES!" Ellen was jumping out of her seat and yelling.

By the time we got home Thursday night it was nearly midnight. Good news at the doctor's office, good fun at the museum and the circus, and good night, sleeping children all the way home. 

Home

Things are back to pretty normal around here. We got home Monday afternoon and played with Nana, visiting cousin Kason, and Ellen, Jack, and Rose.

Tuesday we all went to the summer dollar movie to see "Walking with Dinosaurs." Wednesday we went to the Hewitt Library end of summer splash party and Hewitt Park. Mostly we played at the park. Elijah was too short for most of the inflatables and wouldn't have been able to climb them anyway. (No pushing or pulling for 4-6 weeks to allow his sternum to heal.)

Elijah had an appointment with his pediatrician to check in after surgery. Dr. Clark's medical student got to play twenty questions with us and try to "diagnose" Elijah. Fail. Elijah's heart defect is one of the most rare of all congenital heart defects. We had a nice visit and got the all clear for Elijah to go ahead and have his teeth cleaned as scheduled with the other kids next week.

Pa came in time for dinner Wednesday evening, and Thursday he took Kason and Nana back home. We will miss them, especially the kids, who have been super spoiled by all the Nana and Pa attention.

Thursday afternoon we went to turn in our library reading logs and eat lunch with some kids meal coupons the kids scored for reading. Then we spent some time at the Mayborn Museum and finished up the day with dinner and a movie at home for Daddy and the kids, and a fun baby shower with dinner and friends for Mommy.

Today we did yard work and errands, cleaned the house and went to see another movie. We are really living it up here, taking advantage of Daddy's last few days off. 

And loving the nice weather.