Sunday Summary

Daddy, Mommy, and their little fighter

When I awoke this morning to pump just after 6:00 I found the milk I had pumped last night on the coffee table - not in the fridge where it needed to be.  Thus, it went down the drain.  That was disappointing.  I try to pump seven times from around 6:00 in the morning to around 12:00 at night.  Josiah feeds every three hours in the hospital.

Josiah has been relatively stable for the last 24 hours though he has still needed sedatives and has had episodes.  We've had the same wonderful nurse for two days in a row and we've had her previously so she knows Josiah well.  Josiah has had lots of very loose stools so they sent a sample to the lab and we should hear if they find anything tomorrow.  In addition to needing lots of diaper changes today, he also had a bath that he enjoyed.

After having breakfast at RMH we went to SickKids to pump and see Josiah.  We stayed for rounds and heard the fellow say that surgery would probably be this week.  We then went to church at St. Paul's on Bloor.  It was great to be in a service again although it was also hard to not get emotional.  That's my way of saying that I was a basket case as I was getting my bread to celebrate communion.  We were singing about Jesus being broken for us and I was also thinking about how Josiah is broken.  There's something about worshiping God in a corporate setting that can open the floodgates, especially when I'm experiencing lack of sleep.  We definitely needed to have a nap today and were able to have one after lunch. 

Visits from Isaac are always a highlight

I love the Women's Auxiliary at SickKids.  They have a free play park for siblings of patients.  When Isaac is two and half we'll be able to leave him there to play during Josiah's appointments.  Because he's younger, an adult needs to accompany him.  He had fun playing there yesterday.  It's staffed by women's auxiliary volunteers and early childhood education graduates.  They have a number of rooms with games and crafts and toys, etc.

The Bravery Bead Program is another project of the Women's Auxiliary.  Josiah received a coloured cord and beads to spell his name as well as a SickKids bead.  Each time Josiah is in the hospital he receives a different bead for each procedure or event.  Another "heart mom" whose son is four years old said that it's a great way to help your child process what he's gone through.  Her son has over 15 feet of beads!  The nurse thought the beads might also help Isaac to understand what's happening to his brother.  Yesterday I played "Patticake" with Isaac.  When I asked him who we should make a cake for, he immediately said, "Baby."  As you may have guessed, that's his name for Josiah.

Grandma and Grandpa Faulkner came to visit today.  Josiah enjoyed having visitors.  We're hoping to be able to find out a surgery date tomorrow.  We'll let you know what we hear.

Thanks so much for your prayers, support, and emails!  We love hearing from you.

Blessings,

Elizabeth and Graham