OUR DAY AWAY.....

What a fantastic day! Sherri came over to sit with Coop while I headed to Bonner to pick up Raelynn. I left around 11:30 am and have to admit that I stopped long enough to get my nails done. I felt guilty the whole time but also felt great! I picked Raelynn up after that and we headed home. We talked the whole way home and caught up on what had been going on in Raelynn's mind. That is always so much fun. We got home and Raelynn had a little snack. Terry stopped by so snack time ended abruptly and it was on to Daddy time. Terry was crazy busy with work today so was only able to stay a short while. After that I put Raelynn down for a nap so I could get everything I needed done. She was not to anxious to sleep but finally dozed off. I was able to do laundry and repack before she awoke. We shared a Lean Pocket and some chips and again just chit chatted away. Boy how I had missed those talks. We loaded the car and headed back. Raelynn insisted on stopping for Ice Cream and I am such a sucker right now I give her whatever she wants. We had ice cream and could not stop laughing at each other because Raelynn got IC on her nose and her tongue is so long she licked it off!!! I guess you had to be there, hahaha! Anyway, we sang songs and car danced all the way to the hospital. She just makes everything so fun and I remember again why my heart misses her so much when we are apart. We got back to the hospital and Coop had done wonderful why we were gone. Dr. O'Brien had been by and it sounds like the plan to close his chest tomorrow. Yeah!!!! We will get the final assessment in the morning to make sure he is ready but things look good. Things will move pretty quick from there. I just feel so good; this is when I start to see light at the end of the tunnel and it feels great! I told Terry to stay home tonight as he is helping with a job anyway and wouldn't get here until late. He has been great to be here as much as he has. The holiday weekend really helped. Anyway, things are finally looking like Coop is going to be ok and I cannot express the way that makes me feel today. Things have been very rough for Cooper since his original surgery and I know we still have a ways to go but the outlook has drastically improved!

Oh yeah, a couple of funny things about Coop. Because of some things they had attached to the sides of his head that now have been removed, he has no hair left on either side of his head and the back is just peach fuzz from laying on it so long. Therefore our son looks like he has a toupee on his head. Also, the nurses have been working very hard to pin Cooper's ears back with IVs and other tubes. If all goes well maybe he will not look like dumbo by the time we leave!