We're Home from Children's Hospital

Before surgery...

Happy to be in Papa's arms...

Doesn't she look cute in these adorable little hospital pj's?

Always a happy baby...even moments before surgery...

Awww...she's knocked out in the recovery room after a successful couple of surgeries...

2 days after the procedures...our little Sophers is a happy girl once again...

Finally she eats "solid" food...yummy yogurt...

Trying to get her to eat, for the first time in her life she gets chocolate pudding...having surgery is really paying off...

Children's Hospital LA has a great little playroom...Sophie loved all the musical toys with buttons

and the dollhouse with all the wooden furniture...

Right before we were discharged, a stir-crazy patient, tries to escape down the hall, running at full speed away from her beckoning mother...giggling like crazy!

Surgery Update

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 12:30pm, Sophie went in for palatoplasty (plastic surgery to repair her cleft palate) and ear tubes. Our starving and "oh-so-tired-of-waiting" baby didn't like leaving her mama and papa's arms after not having to eat or drink anything for 15 hours, but we all knew it had to be done. The surgeries took 4 hours and were both successful! Praise the Lord, the Great Physician, for whom we had no doubt would be there guiding the Dr. Urata and Dr. Lin's hands.

When we first saw her in recovery we almost didn't recognize her. Her face, lips, and tongue were swollen and there was blood mixed with drool coming out of several orifices. Man, it looked like she had been in an car accident. But there was no time to worry or be sad because for the next couple of days, we focused on getting her well. Both Frank and I held her close and whispered how much we loved her while assuring her that she would be OK. We tried feeding her drops of water, milk, pudding...with very little success. She ran a fever and cried every time (and that was about every 4 hours) they came in to give her medicine, take her temperature, and monitor her blood pressure. Mama and daughter didn't get much sleep, but we got lots of time to bond. :) Papa was always there trying to distract Sophie by walking the halls, taking Sophie up and down the elevator, and playing in the playroom, all done to give Mama a much needed break.

The pictures show the progression of her last couple of days...from waiting for surgery to waiting to go home. I continue to be amazed at how only 48 hours ago Sophie had big time surgery and now she's walking around the house playing with her toys and practicing her "up the steps, down the steps" skills. Thank God for providing the means to repair her palate, for keeping her under His protective wings, and for a quick recovery. Thanks for your prayers! They worked! Hopefully she won't have another surgery for about 4 years.