Friday did not end with us coming home. For myself, Trinity and Echo there was a girls only weekend with Cousin Veronika to begin. Ken and I decided it was best for Echo to go to Veronika’s where there is more space and a quieter atmosphere while she got back to 100% again. Yours truly was in GREAT need of a break from the stress that has become our end of the month. Of course I will share THAT adventure after I catch this blog up on our medical saga.

I was home a little over an hour, called my mom, started sorting through a few things to continue on for use during the weekend before Veronika made it to our place.  I had prepacked most of what we needed anyway so it was rather easy to gather everything up and head out… with a stroller and playpen of course. 

Our first stop was the grocery store to pick up Echo’s baby aspirin and run through our instructions with the pharmacist. Apparently the way we are using the aspirin is really the only way you use it now a days.  Then it was on to Veronika’s for supper and hanging out. RELAXATION (once we drug all our stuff in) was just what we all needed… time with Trinity, watching Echo get used to walking around again… sitting around NOT worrying… it was so nice! We really didn’t have much planned for the weekend but lots of fun and time without the stresses that are present in my home right now. 

The only plastic cup in the house!

Stretching those legs!

That night Kathy came to visit with a new old boardgame for us to try. She lives 10 min or so from Veronika’s so the drive was very short for her. We hung out and watched the new Muppets movie with Trinity first and then it was time for games and snacks. Good company, positive company was a balm for the soul really. We stayed up late visiting and hanging out after Kathy left. 

I think it was called Fullhouse. It was made in 1979 and was a hotel based game, great fun and not too hard to learn!

Of course that meant ECHO was up SUPER early… and now that she is completely mobile no sleeping on the floor for Mommy. But that was ok, as we made sure to make time for a nap in the afternoon.  Saturday we went out to the grocery store for free cookies from the bakery and a ride in the car shaped shopping cart (oh and groceries). It was so much fun watching the girls turn the little steering wheels and Echo cover herself in cookie. 

The awesome cart

The amazing cookies

The reason for the outfit change (and this was BEFORE she finished the cookie, it got worse!)

The rest of Saturday was relaxing… of course the nap mentioned above, snacking, bad tv… all the wonderful things in life. Lots of girly time!

Wandering pre grocery trip

Learning the iPad from big sister

Post cookie yoga?

Followed by serious colouring with the favourite cousin

And passing out on the couch late at night

Sunday morning we headed over to Kathy’s to visit with her, her brother and her kitties. Well the kitties were a little nervous but we will win them over. I am supposed to pet sit at her house in June so we are visiting when we can to work on getting to know them better. 

More colouring at Kathy's

As an added bonus Trinity got to make cookies with Veronika, the premade dough in a tube kind. We tried no name brand – total yum!

Baking of the cookies

NOMS

The weather went a little icky Sunday with more snow… so we came back to the house and had naps and tv and and and… repeat process.

Baby in the house

Then onto Monday and a slight change in plans – story time at the Indigo Veronika works at. Well we didn’t make it much through story time but Trinity had fun playing with the toys. We decided to shop the next day as the weather was even worse… snow and rain and in the morning fog. Of course a quick stop off at the grocery for cookies first! 

Screw the books... they had TOYS

And trains

But Dinah was more fun!

We spent another quiet evening in the home. Trinity got spoiled with a chocolate cake in a mug. 

Spoiled little girl!

TUESDAY was shopping day… Trinity opted NOT to go to storytime but we wandered enough that when we came around to the bookstore to shop there was CRAFT time! So of course Trinity sat down and partook. It was a Scardey Squirrel themed event (we have some of those books thanks to Karyn) and we even got a poster to take home!  We had lunch in the foodcourt… Trinity had KFC that she shared with Echo and I went for A&W (I do so love their rootbeer). It was fun to just sit and chat and people watch (one of Echo’s favourite activities). Then back to shopping.

Enjoying the mall

Which had some cool decor

With the best of cousins

Stopping only for lunch

We found a cute dolly for Trinity at the Buck or Two for 3.00, I got a pair of pjs on sale for around 5.00. We checked out the Sanrio store that was Hello Kitty heaven but decided against purchasing. Instead we stopped at a Dollarama where we bought some bits and bobs. It was fun to get out and do a little guilt free shopping, though I wish I had been able to find a book or two! 

With dolly - 3.00!

The plan WAS to head home Tuesday night but after calling Ken and finding out that there really was nothing for me to do back home to help with month end’s drama and the calmness that was right where I was… and a cousin willing to drive me home the next day the plan changed to Wednesday. Sometimes the vacation doesn’t have to end… well for one more night at least. 

Darling Dinah

Wednesday actually showed a slight change in pattern – Echo let us sleep in until 8! Veronika was long gone for work for the day so that left us some time to get working on her laundry and boxing up some items (she is moving by the 15th of April). A last half day or so of relaxation and avoidance before returning to the chaos. 

My yellow girls

And a little more iPad

Trinity (and myself really) did NOT want to go home… she was in tears when we pulled up to the house! BUT once she saw Daddy it was a little better. The rest of the evening she had to tell me how much she missed Veronika. (I think she actually missed her more than the iPad!) It was so surreal to walk back into the chaos and noise after so long away. 

Zander had lots his two front (top) teeth while I was gone! (and Echo grew in her bottom left from center tooth!) They had watched a TON of tv, played games with Daddy (Zander asked the tooth fairy for nothing more than more time with Daddy! He wrote her a letter and everything I am told!) and got utterly spoiled. So we all had a bit of fun that week! 

So very glad she is up and walking again!

Friday marked the end of our hospital saga. I lucked out and our nurse took Echo out to snuggle around 5am instead of waking me (did I ever need sleep) and from then on she started to perk up more and more. She could not stand or walk of course with the iv in her foot but sometime the night before they closed off her iv so that it was not connected to fluids and medications giving us more freedom to hold and snuggle her as well as in the morning removed her from the monitors. The left the stickers and such on as they were needed for the Echocardiogram we had to have before leaving the hospital.

Ken and I had agreed to meeting up back at Echo’s room at 7am Friday morning, I didn’t wake up until 7:30 and Ken required me using the phone in the shared area of our ward that allowed local calls! His timing was rather amazing, he came in right behind the nurse who was there to take us to our x-ray. The first stage of us going home. 

I hate the xrays… Ken and I both were quick to go behind the shield and not look. It is hard to deal with! But the techs are compassionate and they even gave us the option NOT to go with… but in for a penny in for a pound! She got to ride down there in a stroller and everything. 

Ready to x-ray

Then it was back to hurry up and wait… well breakfast for our Echo. The night before the nurse had helped me give her a sponge bath for her head, neck and face so she was at least a little fresh. I had to go back to the kitchenette to fill out her meal as she didn’t like most of what was there but it was a good meal. She had finally started drinking again too… they were a little concerned about that. She didn’t drink much at all the day/night before, but with all the iv fluids she just wasn’t feeling it. 

We had time to sit up a bit… no crawling of course and to start fussing… and wait wait wait for those last two steps – the echocardiogram and the meeting with the surgeon. 

I had time for a shower in the room… time to bring out blocks from the toy room for Echo to keep busy… time to enjoy our littlest angel becoming more herself again! 

Blocks

Then it was rush off to the echo-cardiogram where Echo AND Daddy fell asleep with Baby Einstein playing. The doctor had to see the results so the tech sneaked out and let Echo sleep. She had a really hard time napping in the hospital, she was either too busy people watching out her door of her room or checking to ensure that myself or Ken did not leave her bedside.

At that point it was time to wait for the surgeon. Once we chatted with him, went over the post op instructions AGAIN and were made aware that we had to come back in a month for a follow up all that was left was the nurse coming to remove the last of Echo’s hook ups, check us out and see us off.

Taking the iv out was a bit traumatic. The nurses in surgery really taped it on, but she was so excited to be free! Then there was the chest stickers (those didn’t hurt, and I saved them) and then FINALLY clothing!! Ken went to get the vehicle and between the nurse and myself we packed us up and readied Echo to go home. The nurses were able to give me the left over bottle of the antibiotics so we don’t need to purchase the prescription which is great as we don’t have coverage for that right now. She gave me the nurse’s instructions and the doctor’s write up. The nurse’s version is MUCH easier to read! Basically we walked through what to look for with her incisions (swelling, bleeding, etc etc) and a reminder as to how to deal with the aspirin (once a day, crush and add to small amounts of yogurt etc if needed)… she also gave me enough syringes that I don’t have to worry about how many doses, just run out of syringes on the antibiotic!

I stopped off at the cardiology office to check on the scheduling of our 1 month follow up. They are to call us with a date. And we were off! Time to pack the car up and head back to the den Otter’s to get the rest of our things. We visited Izaac, Alexander and their grandma for a little while to let Echo stretch and gather everything off and then it was FINALLY time to go home! Time to reunite our little family! 

Nekky baby to end the entry