We Did It!

I feel like I can finally say, "We did it!" We made it through the Fontan. We made it with fewer breakdowns than expected, more strength than expected, and more love than I can fathom.
Over the past month and half we have witnessed just how much Olivia (and our family) is loved. Neighbors, family, friends, even strangers. All of you stepped up and pulled us through when we weren't sure if we could take one more setback. Everything, from the meals and gifts to the simple texts from neighbors, gave me us one more ounce of strength. I am incredibly grateful. Words cannot express just how much it has all meant to us. I have a plan to at least start to express our gratitude, but it'll take about a month before I can get that going. So until then, I hope this will do. Thank you!

Yesterday Olivia had her third follow-up. I packed a bag just in case. I wore my "Olivia" shirt, for good luck. Livie wore hearts. We prayed. We thought good, happy thoughts. And it payed off! While the Xray tech did her magic I sat behind the wall and stared at that computer. When those nice, crisp, black lines of Livie's lungs popped up I could have screamed from happiness. I controlled myself though. No need to startle anyone. When Annie (one of the NPs we know so well) and the cardiologist came in they were all smiles. Olivia is finally perfect! Perfect, but difficult. So despite the perfect, and because of the difficult, we are not changing a thing. She will be on oxygen for a while longer. She will be on the hard core diuretics a while longer. We are not touching a thing because it is all working. She is doing well. She is gaining more strength and stamina every day. She doesn't get as shaky and pale when playing anymore. She is happy, and sassy, and three. And I want to rip my hair out just about every five minutes because she is being such a typical three year old stinker. And I couldn't be happier about it.
We have been home one week and two days and things feel like they're getting back to normal. I have worked in my garden, caught up on housework, sat on the deck and finished my book, I have made dinner (my premade, frozen crock pot meals, but still, I remembered to pull them out so that's something.) I have gone to back to school night with Ella, met with Olivia's preschool teacher, and slept through the night without waking up to make sure Livie is still breathing. We are getting back to normal. Tripping on the oxygen may be part of our normal for a while, but we'll take it if it means our normal can be at home.

K, this has nothing to do with what I've been talking about but Livie said something cute and I like to journal these things on here before I forget. Livie was looking at a picture of my friend's babies (they're quads) and said, "Cute bebes! Dose ones are upside down and dose ones are upside up!"  And I giggled. It feels so good to get back to normal. (See what I did there? I totally tied it in!)