Recovery

Clare continues to do well at home. She is having a bit of an adjustment with her sleeping, but she had this issue after her last stay in the ICU, so I know it will work out eventually. We also are adjusting to being back at home and staying on top of Clare's recovery. A visiting nurse is coming in twice a week for incision care, medication and feeding issues, and weight checks. Clare lost a pound in the hospital (which is a lot for a 14-pound baby), so the nurse will help us keep track of her weight and make sure she is gaining.

I am a scrapbooker, and as well as blogging, have been including Clare's hospital stays in her first-year scrapbook. So I have been taking photos to document Clare's progress. When Clare was in the ICU, Shawn and I debated whether to take photos of her hooked up to the ventilator. It was a scary sight for us, and we didn't think we would want to remember it years later. Honestly, I will never forget that sight, photos or not. We decided to take some photos because we want to show Clare down the road what a strong baby she was and what she went through. We are so proud of our little girl! The bottom photo is from Saturday, November 12 - Clare was four days post-surgery. She actually looks pretty good in the photo compared to how she looked immediately after surgery. The top photo is Clare five days later, November 17, after we were transferred to the cardiac floor. It is amazing what a difference five days make! Clare's recovery is unbelievable. She was such a sick baby when she first came out of surgery. Less than two weeks later, she is smiling, playing, eating, and at HOME!