HOSPITAL TWO DAYS IN A ROW

Yesterday we took Lauren in to have some bloodwork done. At our last cardiology appointment the doctor told us to take her when she was having a bad day but she has been a happy little monkey every day since then. We had to just bite the bullet and do it.

Lauren was a tough cookie. She has very slight veins so getting them is always a challenge. She cried screamed through the needle going in but while the blood was being drawn she calmly laid there and ran her toes through my hair. It was a little disturbing because she has stinky feet for such a cute little girl but if it'll keep her calm, it's happening.

After that we went to go visit the ICU. Walking down the hall with the familiar smells and sad faces of families who are currently going through their worst days made it difficult to keep strong and stay in the moment with my baby who was in my arms. When we got into the ICU, it was such a nice surprise to see so many familiar faces! There were many of the nurses and doctors who were a huge part of Lauren's time in the hospital. It was nice to show them how well she is doing and for me to stand in the ICU with a smile in my face and no worry in my heart. It is definitely still a hard place to be but we will continue to visit the people who saved Lauren's life until happy visits are all we remember when we walk down the hall.

Today Lauren went in for a test because she has lost some weight and, rather than Matt and I having to convince ourselves and each other that it is unrelated to her heart, we wanted to have her checked. Her heart actually checked out better than the last time we were in! There was some definite improvement and this has increased her heart function from very poor to pretty poor. Improvement!! We'll take it!