Twas' the night before surgery...Nicole was loving her hospital room and al the cool buttons on her bed. We spent that day doing pre-surgery stuff, and partying at the hospital's 90th birthday. She proclaimed it one of her favorite places.
The morning of...doesn't she look cute in her hospital gown?
Hanging out at x-ray with Daddy (and Mommy). They wanted to check out her neck as well just to play it safe with intubation and all. Everything looked good to go!
Grandpa arrived just before the big send-off (and after the "goofy juice"). Having Grandma & Grandpa there was a lifesaver for us, especially juggling the needs of all three girls in two different places and all the stress and emotions this type of journey evokes. Words can't express our gratitude for having them there.
Getting in one last hug (oh, and those are her buddies, her old, loyal Ruff-ruff, and the newbie, Freddy)
Then they wheeled her off to surgery. Nicole had 8-plates put on her growth plates/bones on the inner part of her knees. She has become increasingly knock-kneed, and this will hopefully allow the outside of her knees to catch up as she grows and allow her legs to straighten, at least enough to make life a little easier. The surgery went very well, without the slightest concern...major prayers answered there!
We waited (im)patiently the few hours it took for them to complete the procedure and for her to "wake up." We then walked with her as they brought her back to her room. She was still pretty tired, so we let her sleep, Sarah (what she calls her CPAP...y'know for her sleep apnea) and all.
Vanessa missed her little sister a lot and couldn't wait for her to wake up
Once she was awake, big sister didn't want to leave Nicole's side
Natalie wasn't interested in holding still long, but she was excited to see Coli and give her kisses
Yay, food! (She had to wait a while, with only ice chips to suck on...)
After a tough night, she was happy to have an awesome view on a beautiful day! She was pretty cheerful after a bit of sleep.
The reality of recovery...pain and learning to walk again. Bless her heart, Nicole is a trooper, to say the least. She walked the whole length of her room and part of the hallway, even though each step hurt. The doctor told us recovery is about a week or so, and the sooner/more she is up and walking, the better. We were happy to praise her with love and chocolate
Her other motivation...the playroom and painting tiles
Natalie taking the walker for a spin...she thinks it's for her
Whoo! Rock star!...more fun in the playroom before being discharged
We needed a little outside adventure after leaving the hospital, so we found a street-side pumpkin "patch." Oh, and all except the family photo, all shots taken here were by our girls...budding photographers? It was fun to see things from their perspective
Dallas World Aquarium...not enough cool pictures for a fun time at a cool place, but I love this one!
And, how, do you ask, is Coli doing now? Amazing. It has now been four (okay, technically five) days since surgery, and she is traversing the whole house on her walker. She loved Dallas, but was homesick, and ready to be back in her own element. She has even started getting herself down off chairs and couches (and would climb up on things, too, if Mommy and Daddy weren't worried about her hurting her incisions/scars). We're so proud of our sweet girl, and we're so grateful for everyone who has been thinking and praying and doing kind things for our beautiful Nicole.
We love you, Coli-boo!
