Birthdays and Surgery

Seriously, I am going to get some kind of "Worst Mom of the Year" award (just ask my 8 year old, coincidentally the only one I have not signed up for surgery yet!). First I have Isaac's palate surgery on his birthday, then I sign Audrey up to have ear tubes put in and adenoids out two days before her birthday! What is the matter with me? That being said, it all went so very well and I am so proud of my brave Audrey.

First, a funny....they had given her versed to make her drowsy before we took her back to the OR. I still got to go with her, which I was so thankful for. Anyway, when it kicked in, it really kicked in! In this picture we were asking her to smile and show us her tubeless ears for the last time. She couldn't quite remember where her ears were or how to smile. Maybe it shouldn't have been, but it was SO funny!! She was trying so hard to focus on where her ears were and just couldn't!

When we got to the post-op she was laying so peacefully on her side. They kept trying to keep her on her back, but she was too stubborn- even knocked out with anesthesia!! I held her as she woke up and she was so confused.. she said "they didn't put the mask on my face like you said" and, "have they put tubes in my adenoids yet?" Kind of pitiful, but also great that she remembered none of it!
<

This is the family (minus Emily who had to go to school..thus my Worst Mom title that day from her) wheeling her out. It is fantastic to have a family like this! My mom and sister drove almost 8 hours to help juggle kids with this surgery and finding a new van from my accident. It was so nice to have them- although we did take up a third of the waiting room all by ourselves!!

And maybe the funniest picture of the day... we had gotten Audrey a goody bag full of things to play with while resting after surgery. The doctors said she'd be sore from the adenoid removal and probably sleep most of the day-- they have not had much experience with my Audrey who was running around (albeit into walls because of the lingering anesthesia) a few hours after surgery. But when Emily saw the goody bag she started crying that it was so unfair that she'd never needed surgery to get such treats (may I direct your attention to the ice cream in her hands?!).

And here's the party a mere two days later. She wanted to go to preschool and have cake and my mom got balloons for all the kids- they loved it!! That night we went to the Japanese steak house- more presents and cake. It's always a great party with Grandmother and Aunt Rachel!! We're doing a small party later with some church friends- can you tell how much we like to party at our house?