7 days to go- contemplating

One week out and today I have been contemplating things big and small.

Big things-

• How will she feel to wake up with her face feeling entirely different.
• my guess is she will adapt very quickly. It will be us who need a little more time.
• What effect will all of this have on her sisters
• they will really miss us and will be concerned if they see her in pain. As for her appearance, they completely love her and take her as she is, no worries there.
• Will anything go wrong
• Probably not. She is in great hands.

Not so big things-

• How much milk should I take in just in case my supply drops significantly while we are in there
• If I don't take enough, I can always ask for DH or someone to bring some in. 
• Questions to ask at our pre op appointment tomorrow
• I feel really well informed about the surgery and admission process from the information already supplied. Really just housekeeping questions about life on the ward, and maybe a look tomorrow to get a feel for the lay of the land.
• What I need to buy to take in
• How to finish her little cardi. Because she will have a sore mouth, we won't want to be putting clothes over her head so I have knit a few things to wear. Just need to work out the finishing touches
• What do I need to organise so things run smoothly here while we are away

Great thing-

• NO MORE LIP TAPING!!!!! 
• I am trying for now not to think of what she will do with nasal stents if they are fitted. One thing at a time Lisa

All in all, as the day edges closer, I feel somewhat organised and ready for the next chapter. Before one of H's appointments with her orthodontist I met a lovely couple with a sweet 4 year old daughter who has the same kind of cleft as our darling. They said that at the time her lip repair seemed like a massive deal but now it is just a distant memory. I expect that before I know it, I will be saying the very same thing to someone else.

Waking up from nap time

 

 She's just too yummy for words. I am trying to take as many photos as I can pre op. I will miss this gorgeous face. It is already dramatically different to the way she was born because of her plate and taping, but being a gradual change it was easy to cope with.

Ten days time brings a big change and a new beginning.  Knowing her, she will take the challenge of recovery beautifully while exercising her rights to pull off her arm splints and nasal stents while she is at it.

Another year, another new home

Here we go, moving again. In her four years sweet B is now up to six homes in three different cities across two different continents. My husband and I had the very opposite in our upbringings. His Mum only eighteen months ago sold after fifty years and my Dad still lives in my childhood home. My hope for the next 5 years is for us to not move as often and for all three girls to have the opportunity to stay at the one (fantastic) primary school .

There is so much to do, but tomorrow I would love to take a little time alone with my yarn to become reacquainted after all this time.

Another milestone today. Darling H is four months old. I can't even put into words how full of love I am for our little poppet. I can't think about her without breaking into a smile. She is not feeling so jolly today as she has her first ear infection. Poor little sweety. I am optimistic that she will be better in no time powered by mother's milk.

Oh and she has started solids. Early? very. Guided by me? NO! She has been eating the steri strips that hold her orthodontic plate in place. The whiskers from my last post. I was beside myself watching her pull them off just as quickly as I put them on. The above image was one of my failed attempts to foil her- train tracks that took me longer to put on than her to take off.  Thankfully one of the orthodontists at the RCH came up with the great suggestion to put some of the duoderm base tape over the top of the steri strips. No more surprises at nappy change time. She can still take her plate out, but that is a whole different ball game. Before we know it, this will be a thing of the past. Time really does fly.

"Mum look! The baby has whiskers!"

That has to go down as my favourite comment about H so far! Today when out for coffee with the girls, there was a little boy who could not take his eyes off H. Of course, people look at her wherever we go so I just smiled at him and placed my attention back with the girls. When the boy's Mum returned from the counter he said that gorgeous line at the top of his voice. His poor Mum apologised but I told her there was no need to be sorry and that he made my day. As she pointed out, children have such a great knack of saying things as they see them.

He went on for the whole rest of the time we were there smiling at and talking to H. I wonder if he will always remember the baby with whiskers.

Now we have renamed the steri strips that are holding H's plate in place and taping her upper lip to help draw everything together as whiskers. The plate and taping have done the more tremendous job and will hopefully give her surgeon more options when repair time comes.

Speaking of, no date yet. In the meantime, I have been looking at lots of before and after photos from online contacts. What most adults have to say about H really is true, surgeons can do so much these days. I trust that our precious little darling is in good hands.

If you wanted to know a little more about whiskers, this link to a Canadian orthodontist has some information about the plate, lip taping and H's Christmas gift from Dr Hugh, a nasal stint which she will hopefully get next week.