Princess for a day

Hi everyone... I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for following my blog. It warms my heart when you can stop me and mention it, to know that so many people care and are rooting for Monique is amazing.

Monique is back in school full time. She has also started at a new babysitters. She is doing amazing.

Monique has been invited to be an honorary Princess at the 1st annual Princess Tea Party at a local hotel on April 18th. This is a fundraiser for Children's Wish. She will be presented as a wish child at the event. I have also been invited to speak as a wish parent. It will be an amazing experience for all of us. :)

School

Monique started school this week. She went for a few hours yesterday morning. She would not let me leave though! Which was so completely OK. She took the bus this morning and went to school until noon all by herself. She was excited and I could tell a little nervous too. I think she did fine though. When I picked her up she was happy so... she is tired though. I am planning on sending her for a full day tomorrow and see how she copes. I am hoping it will be fine. I have to go back to work.

Monique's incision is all healed! Looks beautiful. She is so proud. She only has pain when she hick-ups or sneezes. She is hesitant to cough too. We go in for her post-op check-up on March 15th.

Healing

The healing process is well on it's way. Monique's incision stitch tape is all off. Her scar is a little raised right now but it is new (well new old scar) it will go down. She is having a little trouble with the top stitch. It has not dissolved yet and surrounded by red so... I am bringing her in to see our family physician tomorrow. She was a little nervous going to bed about the whole thing but I think she will do great.

Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. We are bringing her out for supper. Monique was slightly excited to be going out in public. She looked at me with a puzzled look on her face and was all like... it's ok? but i can't... Poor thing.

As I was talking to mom tonight. I realized I had completely forgotten Monique's other grandmother's birthday (Mique's father's mother). I have never forgotten before, in the whole 11 years I have known her. I feel super bad, so I invited her too.

The plan is to bring Mique to school Friday afternoon for their Valentine's day party. I hope all will be ok. I am staying with her though. We went to pick up work yesterday at school and she was very shy, didn't talk much. She did show her incision scar to all her friends though. Right up with the shirt. Sorry to all those parents who would rather not their children to have seen that. She is proud of her battle scar. It is the reason she is alive.

Energy

Just a little note to let you all know that Monique is still doing fantastic. One of her stitch tape strips fell off and she was slightly excited! Her incision looks fantastic, a little raised but not dark at all. I did end up taking her to the pediatrician to get checked out. He was pleased and said that all was still ok.

I talked to her about wishes the other day. We talked about Disney, the Princesses, airplanes. She said her number one wish was to have wings. She wants wings! She wants to be able to fly. That wish scares me and amazes me all in one bundle.

She is getting her energy back although she is stil my little cuddle bunny. I love it! I am hoping to get her caught up on schoolwork this week. She will be starting school on the 15th. The day after Valentine's day.

A note to you all that this week is CHD awareness week. All week. Feb. 14th is not only Valentine's day but it is also CHD awareness day. This birth defect is the #1 birth defect that our children are born with yet it is one of the least funded research in our country. How is that? Not enough people are aware that this problem exists. Please, be aware.

Our heart warriors are heros!

Pale

Well... slow day number one. I think Monique has been overdoing it. Today, after 2 days of no naps, she was pale all day, only nibbled for breakfast and lunch, and slept for two hours this afternoon. I am now going to make her have a little nap after lunch so she does not overdo it again. Hopefully she will have a better day tomorrow. Not that today was a bad day.

Much cuddles

Monique is still doing amazing! Her incision is healing well and will be only a scar soon. A reminder of another milestone... and another little miracle.

For right now... I am soaking up the cuddles. Monique wants to cuddle all day long and must be entertained. She has changed a little bit.. I wonder how much she will change back. She randomly tells me now that she loves me which I adore. I don't know how long the cuddles will ast so I am soaking them all in... I will never refuse cuddles! (Ok... some housework has te be done!)

I figure I will bring her into school for half a day next friday and she will start half days for a few days starting Feb. 15th.. the day after Valentine's day. I showed her the day she will be going back to school the day after where the heart is on the calendar. She is excited. I am petrified!!

Now, I have to tell myself she will be ok. She will not have a big bump that will shatter her new forming sternum. Life cannot stop.

I have to go back to work ... I am thouroughly enjoying being a mom and I have very much enjoyed being nothing but a mom... I have never been that. I have always either been in school or worked along with being a mom. Even when Monique was an infant, when others have maternity leave, I was in University. I have learned so much about myself and about Monique these past few weeks.

HOME!

We were able to play in the play room yesterday morning to pass the time while we waited for Moniques travel meds. While we were there Monique received "Josh", a golden retriever teddy from students of the PEI vet college. He came with a story book about his journey with an operation. Monique loves it. Here is a link to the website http://www.joshandfriends.com/


Once we had the meds and Monique took Tylenol for the ride we headed home. Monique slept for half the 3-hour car ride. We made it home. YAY! It felt so good to walk through that door. We were all able to relax a little bit. We had a few visitors bring the balloons and toys they brought home for us on Sunday.

Now we stay home for 2 weeks until Monique heals a litte more and gradually introduce her to life after that. I am so afraid of sending her back to school!