first stop post surgery ~ NICU

we just visited you in the nicu.  no need to beat around the bush gage, it's tough to see you with all these tubes and wires.  your little cheeks are swollen from all the fluid pushed for the anesthesia.  there's a little mark above your lip from the breathing tube.  the tube draining your chest is larger than i expected it would be.  the nurse told me that when they opened up your chest they washed the inside walls really well to ward off infection.  the drain is required to get all that unwanted fluid out of your chest wall. 

i guess they decided earlier that they would only close off the one hole, the larger hole, using the new device and that way they wouldn't have to put you on life support and such things.  supposedly, the idea is the newly closed off hole will allow for better blood flow through your heart which will hopefully help the much smaller hole to close naturally.

your breathing has already slowed to a normal pace.  this is so amazing to me.  just like that, an ailment cured.  of course, the process to overcome this ailment is a bit extreme but still ...

currently they are hoping your skin coloring will improve just a bit.  i guess you're just a little bit pale but we all agree that you've always been just a little fair skinned!

i think your mommy and daddy were relieved to hear that all went well but i can tell it's hard for them to see you this way.  to not be able to pick you up and snuggle you close.  soon enough.

the waiting room around here is gaudy.  i'm glad you don't have to hang out in here.  i guess if i were 5 or 6 years old, i might change my mind.  the clouds painted on the blue wall might not seem so dreary.  maybe i would color with these markers.  

right now you're visiting with your dear parents.

grandpa craig just got here and he's sitting with me in the cloud room watching the disney movie bolt.  you'll like grandpa craig.  he watches disney movies.

a woman from your church came by to bring your mommy and daddy some snacks.  all the way from draper.  isn't that nice?  i think her name is robyn.  i probably got that wrong.

i love you gage.  i'm looking forward to seeing your smiling face.

here's to healing.

xoxoxoxo