FREE, FREE, FREE AT LAST!!!

Yesterday, I went for my 2 weeks post op check in Birmingham. Dr Colvin was very pleased with everything on the Echo, I was very pleased with the sucker he gave me while he did it. I can totally be bought, HaHa! He is weaning me off of my lasix (the diuretic) but I will still take my BP medicine a little while longer. He also cut the chest tube stitches while I was there. That was not fun and not even the sucker could help at that point. All in all I had a very good report. I am now able to venture out in this world and see all kinds of new things. My restrictions are: no smoking areas (which eliminates all restaurants in Meridian), don't be around people coughing or sneezing, no daycare or church nursery at this point, and still no picking me up under the arms. To celebrate this Joyous occasion my parent's took me first to look at appliances (boring) then we were able to go to one of the prettiest places in the world... the Cheesecake Factory! It was beautiful and the food smelled delicious. My mom even carried me around the restaurant, not in my carrier, on her hip!! I felt so free! It was a great experience. Next, my parent's took me shopping...love, love, love!! Daddy, you better watch out! We didn't go to all the places I would have liked because it was getting late. I did get to go to Gap Kids where I got the cutest sandals, a blue jean skirt, and a top.
It was a great day and I am looking foward to the days of freedom ahead of me. I have heard..."the best things come to those who wait".
Sorry, no pictures this time.

4th of July Weekend!

Friday --

WOW!!! I had a great 4th of July weekend. First of all, I met Mary Frances White ( the beautiful daughter of my mom's best friend, Elizabeth Carlisle White). To this day I have never really been around another child, I didn't even know there was such a thing. I am supposed to be the only one!! Just kidding, I have seen other children from a distant. My visit with Mary Frances was up close and personal. She held my bottle for me, played with my toys, played with my toes, sang, squealed, and jumped around. It was fascinating. She can do all the things I ever dreamed of doing and can't wait for my day to come when I can. We met Mary Frances and her mother at McAllister's. We all ate lunch there including me, of course, mine was out of a jar and a bottle brought from home. It was not the scrumptious ham and cheese Mary Frances had. After lunch we then went to Mary Frances' grandparents house (Quinn and Mary Carlisle) where we sat outside on there new patio watching Mary Frances run and jump. The Carlisle's are such wonderful people. I cannot wait to go back and visit with them again. I had such a wonderful time with Mary Frances. I hope we will grow up and be best of friends like our mothers are. Mrs. Elizabeth is the sister my mother never had.

Saturday night--

My parents and I went to Sandra and Abby's House for a Fourth of July Celebration! It was a lot of fun. We sat outside on the deck and talked and visited with family and friends. I was the only child there so everyone just doted over me and wanted to play with me. I was the life of the party... the brief time I was awake! There was lots of food: homemade ice cream (peach and butterfinger); homemade strawberry cake (made by my Nana); an American Flag cake (with blueberries and strawberries); ribs; grilled corn salad; and much more. My mom says it was all delicious but you know me I had to eat the same ole cereal and bananas and my bottle. I can't wait to enjoy all of that good food. I am already working on my Nana for one of her homemade strawberry cakes for my first birthday... we'll see!

My mom says we celebrate the Fourth of July, not just for my Uncle Tyler's birthday, but for the Independence of our Country. So a very special "Thank You" to my Uncle Daniel and all the other soldiers (past and present) for fighting for our country that we may live free!!!

Happy Independence Everyone!!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig :)

Ha! That is what my granny says all the time and now my mom. Well folks, I am finally at home with a Whole Heart!!!! Man, how wonderful it is! I just didn't realize how hard my little heart had been working. The Dr says I will now have more energy and will eat alot better...my parents say they do not know how I will be able to eat better than I was and that if I get any more energy they will not be able to keep up. Well, put your rollerskates on mom and dad cause things are fixing to get "real" around here!!! So far everything is going really good. I am a little sore so I am a little timid about rolling over onto my stomach (not that I liked that position anyway but at least I could do it) and sleeping on my side (which was my favorite way to sleep). Hiccups, oh the hiccups hurt like crazy and I get them all the time!! I have managed to block sneezing so far, thank goodness. My parents can't pick me up under my arms for 6-8weeks so they just have to scoop me (I don't care much for that method but you do what you have to do, right). The Dr also said that I can't get out in the sun all summer...umm, my mom already knows how she is gonna get around this one. Thanks Mom! We have a beach trip planned for the last weekend in Sept with the Watts and I am so excited.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who was kind enough to pray for me during this time! I know in my heart that Jesus was there with me the whole time and continues to be. I felt everyone's prayers during surgery and the days following. The wonderful people of First Baptist Church gave me a blanket that they had prayed over the very first time I had surgery and they prayed over it again this time. My mom kept the blanket with her during surgery and then placed it on my crib in CICU. Thank you so much First Baptist! Everyone's prayers were definitely needed, heard, and felt.

3rd Day of Recovery

Harper has charm and knows how to work it!!! When the surgeon came in this morning to check on Harper she was flirting and smiling so much that he decided she was doing great and that we could possibly go home tomorrow!!! Way to go Harper...work it girl!!! She has had a much better day today. We still haven't found a great way to hold her yet but we are working on it. Several people and a dog came to visit us. We had "hand and paw" therapy today. This woman named Joy, stopped by with her dog named Dixie to visit. Harper loved it! She rubbed Dixie with her feet and watched her every move. She also had her picture taken with Dixie (they are going to mail us a copy). Nana and Pop came bearing gifts!! Brother Carl and his wife Frances stopped by for a visit and so did our cousin Lisa Sharman. We had a great time visiting with everyone.
Her other chest tube was taken out this afternoon. She still isn't eating the greatest but she is getting there. Hopefully, tomorrow we will be blogging from our computer at home!!

2nd Day of Recovery

Today has been a good but hard day. Harper was discharged from the CICU which is a stepping stone towards discharge from the hospital. She has had formula for the first time since surgery and has tolerated it well. At dinner I gave her a few bites of cereal and she did good with this also. She has been in a good bit of pain which makes it so hard to care for her. She cries when you pick her up and in different holding positions. Her chest sounds very junky and for this they recommend percussing (patting her back with your hand cupped) which is extremely painful to her. I haven't done it much because she just screams in pain and I do not handle that well. I know she needs it to get better so I will try again later. She even cries when I put her up on my chest. This used to be her favorite position but not so much now. She is also very tired today, probably because of the pain meds. She really is doing good it is just a difficult time but I know things will get better in the next couple of days. She is so amazing!! She has been through more her 5mths of life than most people will ever go through. Harper you are such an amazing and wonderful girl, Daddy and Mommy love you so much!!!!!!

First Day of Recovery

Harper is feeling and looking much better today, yea!!!! This morning she was hurting a little and not feeling the best, her blood pressure was still up, her urine was very dark and concentrated looking, and had gotten sick a couple of times.
Chad and I left after visiting hours and went to Babies R Us to pick up our little angel a few new toys for being such a trooper during this time. We got back just in time for our afternoon visit. When we walked in we could see those little "HAMs" (legs) flailing around and her usual grunting. The nurse practioner was pulling her pacing wires and Harper was not happy about it at all. She was letting her know it too (that a girl)! Next, the nurse practioner pulled one of her chest tubes and the foley catheter was removed earlier. With a few less wires she is much happier and can move a little bit easier. Chad put in a new Baby Einstein movie and she was completely mesmerized!! They should have used it when they pulled all those wires, I believe we could have done anything to her during that movie and she would not have cared as long as we didn't block her view or talk over the music, haha. She is so funny! She is running a little bit of fever so would like to have continued prayers that we do not develop an infection. Her blood pressure is still up a little bit but her urine was clearer and she was going to the bathroom very well. She had a little bit of sugar water and was able to keep it down. Yea!!! She did get the hiccups which were extremely painful so they gave her a little bit of morphine. By the end of our visit she was back taking a nap.
We are now waiting to go back in for our night visit. Maybe the nurse will let us stay past visiting hours tonight also. She did last night but our nurse today... no way!!

Praise the Lord for Great things He hath done!!

Yesterday was a very busy day so I will try to play catch up. In the note before this one I had told you that the surgery had started and that they had gone on cardiopulmonary bypass around 9:00. At 10:30 the surgical nurses called out to let us know that they had come off bypass with no problems. How awesome!! About an hour later they called out to let us know that they weren't able to close yet due to some bleeding. That had to have been the longest 45min of my entire life. We were all very nervous but we just kept praying. After 45min had passed the volunteer came and took me, chad, and our parents into a conference room to meet with the Dr. Still we had no news about how Harper was doing. We sat in the conference room for an eternity (really about 10min) in complete silence waiting on the Dr to come and talk. Finally, he did and told us that Harper was doing great. Praise the Lord!!!!
Last night they took her off the ventilator around 9:15. We were able to go and see her afterwards but still were not able to hold her. She never even opened her eyes but she was tearing that pacifier up. HaHa!! She loves her NukNuk! I had made her a couple of cd's, bought her a portable cd player, and brought her favorite toys and blankets all of which are in her bed now. Her music is playing in the background..."Praise him in this Storm".
Will try to keep better updates today. She is such a little Angel!