Dear Lexi,
‘Twas the night before surgery and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… WHO AM I KIDDING?!?!?! Our house is chaos, full of love, but CHAOS! Between packing and feeding five kids and prepping to be gone for a week, mommy is exhausted!
We planned on taking you and Libby shopping today. We woke up and it was FREEZING! Like negative six degrees kind of freezing. I checked the news and what do you know, your brothers and sister had a two hour delay from school. Thats fine, I figured more time for breakfast and getting ready. Look at facebook. Psych! School is closed. Shopping is a lot more difficult with five kids and freezing temps. Luckily, I am fully convinced that we have the best kids in the universe because other than being cold walking from the heated car to the heated stores, shopping was great. We got you lots of your favorite little food pouches and snacks. We also got you three sets of sweats.
My lovely friend, Stephanie, had suggested cutting some tank tops and making them into tie tops so that you didn’t have to wear the awful, scratchy and uncomfortable hospital clothes the whole time we are there. I have a knack for going overboard. Remember the cold and the sweats I mentioned. Well, I got this awesome idea to alter sweats into hospital clothes for you. I would cut the sides of the sweats from top to bottom, finish the edges and add velcro to keep them closed. The top I would cut like a hospital gown, down the back and then down the sleeves, finish the edges and add velcro. I planned to do this to all three sets of sweats. What a disaster! I am so glad that I only cut one pair from the beginning because, well, lets just say that the finished product was about a million times better in my head than it was in practical application. We will graciously accept the hospital clothes as long as you need to be hooked up to cords. Sorry baby, I tried!
After things around the house settled down a bit you and Libby decided that you were going to entertain each other. You two are so sweet. I love to watch you play together. It is incredible to see the love you two have for each other. Libby out of nowhere decided to spin in a little circle. You thought it was the absolute funniest thing you had ever seen. Then, you tried it. You are a far cry from graceful, you got that from me, we are as clumsy as they come. You tried and tried and tried and finally made a complete circle without falling. Your laughs and giggles could make the worst day turn around in a heartbeat.
I am so glad you had a good dinner tonight. Sometimes all you want to do is snack. For dinner you had half of a zucchini, pear and amaranth baby food pouch, cheese, artichoke heart and some of mommy’s zuppa toscana. Hopefully that will keep your belly a little happy tomorrow. I don’t know who’s great idea it was to schedule surgery on a baby at 2 in the afternoon, but it seems like all your fasting appointments go that way.
We have to wake you up early because you are not allowed to eat after 7am. No milk after 10am and no juice after 12. Surgery is not until 2pm and is expected to take about 3 hours.
I am glad you are too little to really be afraid of what is going on because Miley is scared enough for the both of you. I am scared but I am also thankful. I am afraid that what I have planned for us as a family may not be the same as Gods plan. I am afraid to watch you be in pain through recovery. I am afraid that I am not going to be able to give you everything you need right now, but mostly I am thankful. I am thankful that God thought enough of me and my heart to give me a perfect child with unique challenges. It is incredible how in your 15 months of life you have changed my heart, given be so much strength and tightened my relationship with God. I am thankful that your sweet daddy works so hard so that we have good insurance to cover whatever happens with all of this. I am thankful that daddy is able to be with us, in fact, you are falling asleep in his arms as I type this. I am thankful for the many friends we have that have rallied behind us. Friends that are helping in whatever way they can, wether it is jumping in to help lead Miley’s Girl Scout troop for me, or watching the other four kiddos so that mommy and daddy can be with you at the doctors together, or sending up one of the many prayers that God will watch over and protect you. I am thankful that doctors are able to perform miracles. I am thankful for our family.
I love you Lexi, to the moon and back a million times, infinity times infinity.
XOXO,
Mom
Dear Lexi 