Perspective...

Staying at Ronald MacDonald House has been a learning experience on many levels... It has been a lesson on how to manage an active 17-month old and a 6-week old through the night hours.....when you are in a single open room and want one to wake on a 3-hour interval and the other not to wake at all!! We are working it out pretty well.  There are lots of lounging areas, a TV and laundry room on each level, so it is possible to get the noisy, ready-to-eat baby out before he wakes the other...

Another thing we are getting at RMH is a giant dose of perspective... Henry has a fixable heart problem. We wish he didn't have to go through this, but in another way, it now feels like we need to count our blessings... we suddenly feel almost 'lucky' that the heart problem is all he has... We met a family who have spent 8 months at RMH, whose 9-month old was the 5th patient (in Canada I believe) to have a 5-organ transplant (that's not a typo - 5 organs)... or the cute, outgoing little 5-year old girl with leukemia who told us, "If I grow up, I want to have red hair" .... "if" I grow up? Chokes me up even thinking about it.... Or the father who spoke to Hal last night at dinner about the decision facing he and his wife...whether to continue supporting the life of their daughter who has minimal prospects for any quality of life due to her numerous medical complications... Henry has been given an amazing chance and that is a lot more than many kids get unfortunately...   On the note of RMH, thank you so much for those of you supporting this cause by donating to Kim's fundraising for the marathon.  Please know that it is making a huge difference in our lives and cleary in the lives of many other families.

Although we have had unspeakable stress over the past several days, another thing RMH is great for is providing great play space and entertainment for kids...well, also areas for snack time....which a less stressed member of our family really seems to enjoy :) As you will see, he also enjoys mornings with his Daddy.

Another member or our family is also not so stressed...Owen shown here enjoying his mommy cuddle.

Below is a picture of Henry yesterday.  He remains quite puffy, but this will start to improve with the diuretics they give him.  Dr. Ross thought he would close Henry's chest this morning, but they are going to delay it by a day -- he has a little fluid on one of his lungs (common in this post-surgical setting) and they would like that to improve before closing him.  We are encouraged to talk to Henry and touch him (away from any of the dressings and areas with tubes/drains). He knows we are here -- he opens his eyes often when Hal or I touch and talk to him. They put in an NG tube (for feeding) this morning and will pass it to an area beyond the stomach - this will allow them to provide him with EBM (expressed breast milk) with a lower risk of regurgitation (ie- coming back up)... which would pose additional problems/concerns.