A visit from Sienna

I regret telling everyone I wouldn't be able to access this site. Strangely, this is one of the only sites I can post on. All my usual web haunts are blocked by these stinkin' HIPPA laws, leaving me alone, in a hospital, with a sleeping baby, no book, and about a dozen dog-eared magazines. If that's not bad enough no cell phones are allowed on the floor; and the cafeteria, the only other place I venture out to, is one big dead-zone. Oh, and for some reason, I can't even access the Comcast home page to log-on to my e-mail. So, my word of advice for those of you who have a child undergoing surgery...bring lots of reading material, crosswords, and whatever else excites you. One thing most parents don't even consider is how much down time you'll have during a week or two stay at a hospital-never mind a six week stay which is not all together uncommon for some of these heart kids.

However, the bigger picture is I can stop complaining about my boredom and relish the fact that Luna is doing spectacularly well. The rumor is she might be discharged TOMORROW as in the Sunday after her surgery she had on Wednesday(!!) Today she had her X-Ray which passed with flying colors. From there the nurses took out her pacing wire and then removed the dressing over her heart. After that bout of excitement she had to be put on the monitors for the rest of the afternoon. Her vitals remained the same solid numbers we've seen all along. Meanwhile the hospital tedium was interrupted by a visit from Daddy and Big Sister. Sienna came crashing into Luna's hospital room and wasted no time making herself at home. Luna's balloon, stuffed animals and books that had been bestowed upon her by generous friends now belonged to Sienna. And it only took a moment before our cramped quarters were converted in to a full day-care unit. (for this part of the story to make sense it helps the reader to understand that Sienna runs an at-home daycare. This consists of rotating her 1/2 dozen or so baby dolls in and out of Luna's equipment. Unfortunately, for Sienna the babies are not all on the same schedule so they are fed, burped, diapered and put to bed or into the swing, Bumbo or highchair though out the day, every day).

Finally, in a desperate plea to let Luna (and Daddy) sleep, we left the babies behind and I took Sienna into the hospital playroom. I gazed out of the vast floor to ceiling windows down at the rain-soaked city below while Sienna and a brother-sister duo played. They played nicely, all sharing each others toys. At one point during the afternoon, I heard the older sister say to Sienna as she stuffed a fist full of fake dollars into the toy cart heaped with naked dolls she was pushing, "here is some money, go out and get something nice for your babies."

Around 4pm Sienna and Daddy braced the torrential rain storm to make the drive home. Luna ate solids (applesauce) for the first time since before the surgery, then went to sleep where she's been ever since.