We're Home!

Does this look like a boy who had open heart surgery just a week ago?

I've said it before, but it's very surreal.

This year long build up of one big surgery day, to fix a heart, has come and gone. It feels like the day after Christmas, except sweeter.

Now we move forward.

They released us last night and we made the two-hour drive home by nine o'clock. The two little boys that I was convinced would sleep the whole way home managed to talk our ears off the entire time while sipping milkshakes and covering Caleb up with blankets and pillows, despite the many threats to their lives to not do so.

Saturday Cyndee and I escaped the hospital with Collin in tow, promising him ice cream and cookies, just to be good and give us a break. We went to the mall. I had some retail therapy in the $1 section at Target. Hence the new toys, sunglasses, and shoes (not a dollar!) for Caleb. He took it all in pretty well.

It was crazy to load this little man up into a car seat and head home with him last night. I felt like we were doing something illegal, just walking out of the hospital with this child who less than an hour ago was hooked up to heart monitors and IV's. Are you sure you trust me to go home with him? Now I have to keep reminding myself that he's still in a delicate state. He has to be handled carefully, it will take the bone and stitches 4-6 weeks to heal up completely. So we have to be careful in how we pick him up and carry him. He never complains and he hasn't been on any pain meds. He's very happy, and I'm starting to wonder if they put a new super heart in him instead of just repairing the old one. He's full of life, giggles and babbling.

This past week has been a blur. But looking back I am so grateful to the Lord and the blessings he has showered onto my family. And a ward who has been so helpful and supportive and cleaned my home for me while I was gone. There is nothing sweeter than coming home to a clean home and a scrubbed refrigerator. And there are so many people that have been willing to help with the boys in taking them to school and driving them up to Iowa City for us. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. I'm going to be writing Thank You cards for a very long time!