Mud Pies & Minivans: Asher Has Surgery

Wow, I feel like it has been forever since I have had the opportunity to sit down & write a decent post. Life has definitely been busy, but every day I find myself being more & more grateful for all that I have been given.

Earlier this year we learned that one of my daughters would be needing surgery for something she was born with that had not matured on its own. Of course this is something that no mommy EVER wants to hear, but in this case it was necessary step to take for her well being.

As soon as we decided that surgery was the course we were going to need to take, we began taking the steps for preparing our daughter mentally & making her feel as comfortable as possible with the upcoming event (A Mother's Love: Dealing With A Child Going Through Surgery).

Being pregnant while all this was going on in our lives definitely did not make things easier on my end. I had to battle with an extra overload of emotions daily that I constantly had to put in check like fear, sadness, doubt, & so forth. But with God, my wonderful family, & friends I was able to push through & stay strong.

Tuesday I got to see 4:30am for the first time in my life (j/k) & we successfully got every child & every bag out the door & off to the hospital on time. Before surgery, I always like to get my kid some special pajamas to wear to their procedure. I remember Aidann selecting a pair of fairy pj's that resembled Tinkerbell & Asher chose a whole Snow White ensemble complete with a doll & matching flipflops. She also requested 2 french braids which she coined as "Snow White hair". You & I both know that is not Snow White's every day hair style, but my daughter's theory was that when Snow White has to work extra hard she put her hair up like this so she won't get too sweaty. Hmmm...Never thought of that, but very smart.

After we got all signed in, it was time to kiss everyone & head off to the back. Like a big kid, she headed down the mysterious hall hand-in-hand with her daddy & I. That is something I will never forget, not because I dreaded something horrible was going to happen & it was "the end", but because I noticed the hop in her step. We are supposed to go through our lives with "child-like faith" & even though she had an idea what lied shortly ahead for her, she trusted that everything would be okay & she had no fear or apprehension in the least. Beautiful picture!

The nurse weighed & measured her. Such a tiny thing weighing in at barely 32 lbs despite being almost 4 years old. The first thing she asked the lady is "Am I tall enough for Cars McQueen land yet?". So cute. We then headed back to a special area designated for kiddos. It was beautifully decorated in a ocean theme & every person we ran into was so nice. Asher was thrilled to have a hospital gown in her favorite color purple & hospital socks in her mommy's favorite color yellow.

After getting her dressed, they explained the breathing mask to her that smelled like strawberries & allowed her to decorate it with stickers galore. When it was almost time for the procedure, she was introduced to the world's sweetest nurse "Annie" who would be there with her every step of the way. She showed her how she was going to look in the operating room ahead of time so she would have no fear & then showed her a fun Dora game on her special I-pad. Normally Asher never plays on this device so she was thrilled when she got an "It's okay" nod from mom & dad.

The "fun nurse" then gave Asher the option to ride in the bed to the operating room, walk, or ride in a wagon. Immedately, Asher opted for the wagon because "She is daddy's princess". As she boldly crawled into that wagon all by her lil' self, kissed us with a "see you later", smiled, & got back to her I-pad game as they wheeled her off my heart once again swelled. Of course I was a bundle of nerves inside, but as long as she was good I could be too.

The surgery took the full 4 hours & I definitely felt ever minute of it, but once I got to talk to the doctor & then go back to see her it was one of the best feelings ever!

She looked so tiny laying in the bed post operation. She only cried for a few seconds they said until she saw her dad & I. Then nurses told us they had never seen a 3 year old this calm after all she had been through. They offered her pain meds, but she continued to tell them that she felt just fine. After we finally got to her room to rest, I was sure she would fall asleep or something, but she remained so quiet and eerily calm the whole time. The first thing she asked for when she was able & ready to eat was a Popsicle & broccoli, lol. In the night the doctors & nurses had a few concerns arise with Asher, but that sweet lil' thing just kept being a total sport about everything & in the morning everything was all good. Her sisters showed up the next day with a Cars balloon & flowers & Ashy could not have been more thrilled to see them now that she was a lil' more awake. They let us go home that afternoon & Asher was overjoyed to be home with her sisters & daddy once again!!!

Our family has been so blessed with frozen meals, lil' thoughtful gifts for Asher, sweet visitors, cards in the mail, & so much more. We are on the road to recovery & I am happy that the actual surgery is behind us. Just another beautiful testimony about how good God is & another victory in the life of Asher!

-M&M Momma