Our dear daughter, Tao Tao, is in surgery as we write this. She was so great this morning during an extended time without fluids or food. She had no food after 6 PM Monday, and no fluids after 8:30AM today. Her pre-op appointment was scheduled for 10:30AM with surgery scheduled for 12 Noon. We waited and waited, and Talia An was wonderful. She didn't fuss, and only once asked for something to eat--she can sign so well now. Talia luckily got in a short 45 minute nap in the Ergo carrier. Finally someone came for us around 1:00PM, and we answered a few questions, took Talia's vital signs--all while she was asleep in mama's lap. Then the anesthesiologist and ENT physician talked with us. Around 2PM, Art took Talia into the OR and held her while she was administered "laughing gas". In three breaths, she was asleep.
The surgery is supposed to take about two and one half hours. So, we're waiting and hoping that all is going well with the surgery, and we can't wait to wrap our arms around our brave little girl.
As for the rest of the family, and recent news . . . we were in New York last week, Thursday through Sunday for an Eccleston family reunion of sorts, as July 4th was the first anniversary of Art's father's death. It was also an opportunity for everyone to meet Talia for the first time. Both girls loved being with the extended family. Talia woke up at her Aunt Theresa's on Friday with a fever of 103, but no other real symptoms. After a dose of Tylenol, she was pretty much her usual self. Lydia especially enjoyed the water balloon fight with her "big cousins"--Annie, Nikki, Kerri, Michael, Thomas and Sam, who were so wonderful and patient with her. Lydia came upstairs with water streaming from her two braids and her dress soaked, but so happy, grinning from ear to ear about how much fun it was. Both girls did well with the long car trip, about 11 hours each way due to slow holiday/construction traffic. Lydia also ran a fever of 103 degrees on Sunday night, with a sore throat, vomiting and general misery. She didn't perk right back up with medicine, so the whole family trooped out to the pediatrician Monday morning. Luckily, it doesn't appear to be strep throat, as they suspected, just a virus. Mama took Lydia to meet Aunt Laura just two hours later than planned on Monday, as Lydia will spend the week at "Camp Aunt Laura" as Talia will need mom and dad's undivided attention for some days after surgery. We're talking with her regularly, and she seems to be having a wonderful time already--a week of morning swim lessons and afternoon activities. We'll try to do better with blog posts!
Yea! The 5 o'clock update is that Talia is through with her surgery, and mama can go in to Recovery in a few minutes. Her surgeon said her cleft was of moderate width and moderate complexity to repair, but feels very good about the outcome. If she's able to drink fluids, we may be discharged late tomorrow morning, if not, in the afternoon if she takes fluids. She'll be on an "applesauce consistency" diet for two weeks, which means Stage 2 baby food, or other food put through the blender. She also has to wear "no nos," which are arm restraints to keep her hands out of her mouth for two weeks, when we have our follow up appointment. I can't wait to see her--I get to go first since Art went in for the anesthesia--we flipped a coin! Keep us in your thoughts as we move in to the Recovery portion of this journey.
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