Dylan: How long did her surgery take? Did she have to get a lot of morphine afterwards? What kind of stitching did they use this time?
Connor: I just need to know if they have chocolate milk at that hospital. Did they even let her have chocolate milk??
We made it home! On Wednesday around lunch, Ava had surgery to cleanse the exposed titanium rod and then re-close the area. Dr. Haber and his team were able to cut away some of her scar tissue, make the incision longer, and then completely reseal the entire thing without having to get Plastics involved. Honestly, the whole area looks better than it did before, so I’m trusting that this time around she will heal faster, and correctly (assuming she gets those “wiggles” under control!) Because of infection, we stayed at the hospital for another 48 hours. Here is an overview at our post-surgical stay at our Vacation Home:
Eat, sleep, bathe (me, not her -bless it), eat sleep, bathe, eat, sleep…no really, that’s it.
Except for one more thing…AVA SAT UP! She SAT up! On Thursday evening at approximately 9:30 P.M., in an attempt to get a better view of Phianus and Ferb, my little girl rocked herself up and off of her surgical wedge with her noggin, braced her hands and elbows in front of her just right, and sat up on her own.
I cried, and I cried, and then I took pictures, and then I cried, and then I sent a GI-NORMOUS group text to brag, and then I Facebook’d it, and then I cried, and then I made the nurse come and see….all because years ago my little princess couldn’t even hold a rattle. Not only did she have severely underdeveloped muscle tone, but also there was a severe lack of motivation in her. Those days were awkward for us both. I longed for the opportunity to be a “let me tell you what she’s done now” kind of mom, but at the same time, I felt like other mom’s should be jealous because I have a forever-baby. Ava will never lie to me. She’ll never forget her homework at school. When she’s sixteen, she’ll be having date nights at home with her Popi and not some boy who is clearly no good for her. It should be understood that we LOVE having our forever-baby for so many reasons, but it still hurts to see so many empty spaces in the milestones section of her baby book. My heart is so conflicted.
Ava has spent many days in therapy (I’d guess around 450, plus). She has had the most amazing teachers a mother could ever dream up for her child. During her 5 year stint with The Children’s Center of the University of Southern Miss, she learned to express emotion, she learned to have empathy for others, she learned how to say “No”, “Mah”, and “Uh huh”. Ava learned to overcome sensory issues that kept her feet off of the ground for two years. She learned to stretch on her own and give a “thumbs up” and to use a talk box for communication. She even learned to hold that rattle. That school (and Ava’s titanium rods!) did wonders for her development, but nothing will ever compare to what her step-brothers Dylan and Connor have done.
Something switched on in her when she was introduced to the boys right before her 3rd birthday. Dylan, the boy genius, instantly needed to know more. He wanted to be told an answer for every issue concerning her, and when I couldn’t give one he vowed to figure it out for his self and let me know. He hasn’t slowed down since. Connor, who is less that a year older than her, quickly developed a less matter-of-fact and more extraordinary, imaginary type of relationship with her. For years now he has told me what Ava is thinking and what she wants. She fawns over him like he is THE coolest kid on the block. For Connor, she does more. For Connor, she learned to say her own name…incorrectly, but exactly as he pronounces it (Abuh). Connor is her best friend, and her best teacher, and I don’t think he even realizes the power he has over her! I love seeing her blossom under the care of Dylan and the instruction of Connor.
The day after we got home from the hospital (on Connor’s 6th birthday!), I saw him looking at the pictures I’d taken of Ava sitting up. He looked at them, looked at her, looked at the pictures again then ran up to her. With the sweetest voice and hands petting the top of her head he said, “That’s a good girl, Abuh! You did your very best! Do you want a treat?” So I guess Ava is his pet, now. J Those kids always make me laugh! I know the boys’ perceptions of Ava will change as they grow older and able to understand more, but what I hope will never change is the love they have for their little sister.
Thank you all for the prayers while we waited and wondered. It warms me to see people following Ava’s story! Isn’t she something else? J
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