VSD repair and update

So Baby Love had her surgery on September 5th.  The surgery was 6 hours long and it was the longest wait ever!  Even though there were updates from the cardio thoracic surgeon's nurse every couple of hours, we didn't get to see her from 8am until almost 5pm.  It was so hard to wait. The surgery was a success and she is recovering well. She was discharged only 4 days after her surgery.  I brought her home with steri strips over her incision and a packed chest tube incision.  Her tiny feet were bruised and her groin had many holes from the IV's and sensors.  She was very happy to see us all and was all smiles...until we got home...the morphine was still in her system.  About 4 hours after we got home she was miserable!!! I went back and forth giving her Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours to help alleviate her pain.  It seemed to help some.  The nurse sent her home with strict orders of 3 ounces of formula every 3 hours.  She did so well in  the hospital and they want her off the feeding tube.  First, her belly was only used to taking 2 ounces every 3 hours and second, she is not hungry enough to take the full 3 ounces.  It has definitely been a challenge getting her to eat and I have cheated and put her on the tube or given her a gravity feed with a 60 ml syringe.  The Dr's keep telling me to make sure her pain is under control before I try to feed her.  She has already had her follow-up appointments with the surgeon and the cardiologist and her repair looks great. 
She already has more energy and is moving so much more.  I am looking into trying solids with her in the near future.  I was a bit surprised when my case worker handed me a gift certificate to the Chees3 Cak3 Fact0ry.  The note inside the card was touching.   Bio mom will be released next month and I'm sure things will be changing. As we wait to see what the future holds for this sweet girl, we are loving on her and watching her grow.  Hoping things are a bit more boring for a while. 

Catch up...

*Found out that Baby Love's bio mom had a miscarriage the day Baby Love came into care. 

*Surgery is only a few weeks away and I'm a bit nervous!

*G-ma was 30 minutes late for this weeks visit.  I wonder if it's a sign of anything to come!? 

*Baby Love gained 6 OUNCES at her last well check.  That's a total of 10 ounces in 5 weeks :)

*Sprout is SOOO cute around her.  He is constantly saying her name and cooing at her. 

Back to the roller coaster...

There's never a dull moment in foster care.  This week has had many ups and downs.  Caring for Baby Love is the easiest part of all this!!  Found out via E*I evaluation that Baby Love's bio mom is expecting another baby.  Our agency worker was unaware.  I had the evaluation sent to her as well.  At a dr's appointment earlier this week, the agency worker asked bio g-ma about the pregnancy and it seems that bio mom had a mis*carriage.  This has been the craziest ride so far.  Baby Love is scheduled for heart surgery later this month.  Since she be admitted for about a week, I have been scrambling trying to make sure 'life' is in order with my other kids and making plans for sitters for Sprout.  In the middle of all this we are putting an extension onto our existing house so the construction crews have been here at 7am every day this week!  Nothing like waking up to the sound of someone sneezing (REALLY LOUD) outside your second story bathroom window.  Baby Love is doing well.  She has only gained 4 ounces because her heart is working so hard and burning so many calories.  The pediat*ric cardiolo*gist assured me that after the heart surgery (VSD repair) she will be a typical child with Down*Syndrome.  Sprout is too cute with her.  While he had a hard time with a child closer to his own age, he loves this baby girl. He is so gentle and sweet with her.  Her bio g-ma has come to every dr's appointment and brought her clothes and gifts.  I can't understand WHY she just didn't take care of her when she had the chance because having foster*care involved in your life is difficult.  I am starting to think that maybe she only WANTS to see her grandbaby 2 hours a week instead of caring for her  24/7.