7 Quick Takes: We're Back!

1. But you have to say it like Kramer does when he's got the Merv Griffin show set in his apartment....Anyways. All week, I was trying to write a blog post about Pia's surgery and a whole dissertation on how it went and how I felt and etc etc but it's also the first week of summer so the kids and I are trying to get used to this new amount of togetherness. So, surgery recap in 7 quick takes...here we go.

2. It was a long. long. long day. I had to stop nursing Pia at 6:30am, we arrived at the hospital at 9:15 to get ready for our 11am start time. Except it was more like 11:30 when we went back to the induction room. I am very thankful I make big babies; because Pia is over 10 kilograms (20 lbs) the anesthesiologist allowed Brad and I in the induction room when they started the anesthesia. That's probably the hardest part for me...handing my limp baby over to strangers and being ushered out to the waiting room. I'm always Lot's wife...looking back over my shoulder, wanting just one more minute. The whole show ended up taking 6 hours due to some inflammation in her ears left over from a cold the previous week. Fortunately it was not anything unsafe, nor did it inhibit the actual success of the surgery.

3. I used the hospital's fancy schmancy double electric pump twice while we waited. I wish I could have taken my 16 ounces of milk up to the NICU but instead I dumped it in the sink. Pumping is weird. Not bad, but weird for sure. Hats off to the mamas who do it regularly!

4. The second-worst part of the cochlear implant surgery, for me, is when we finally get to the kid in the recovery room, and I know the implants are in their head. I see the bandage and now I know. It's over, they're in there, essentially permanently. And I kind of hate that. I pray that later the girls will understand that we weren't trying to "fix" them but give them the opportunity of sound.

5. Last time, they sent Gianna home like this
 

But they've gotten so slick in the last 4 years that all Pia needed was this deal while we stayed over night

And then they removed the gauze and she has to wear this very aesthetically pleasing, extremely breathable neoprene head wrap to put pressure on the implant site for 10 days post-op.

kinda looks like Instagram huh? Nope. The iPad cover was partially covering the camera lens. It's low budget over here, what can I say?

6. Just two days later, back to her regular life. Can you believe that she had just had 6 hours of surgery? On her head? Babies are crazy.

Brad thinks she looks like a Shriner

7. So now it's time for the (hopefully) fun part! We saw our surgeon today and everything looks fantastic, so we are set to go in Monday for activation and our PiaBaby will really hear us for the first time! I plan to video it and if it's cute and not traumatic I will share it with all of you! I cannot thank everyone enough for their prayers. I know they are the reason that I was able to be so much more peaceful than last time and I know that's why everything went so well. We are truly blessed.

Have a great weekend, for more Quick Takes hit up Conversion Diary!