Waiting for surgery. Audrey says hi!
An hour after this photo was taken, she was under the influence of Versed (which apart from the amnesiac effect also makes her silly, well sillier than usual) and I showed her this photo on my phone and said, who's that? She stared wide-eyed at the photo and protested, "MY blankie!!" As though it was someone else in the picture, with her yellow cast and blanket. I actually think she was deliberately making a joke.
A couple of weeks ago, when we were supposed to be leaving for Boston and had to reschedule last minute with the onset of that terrible virus, I remember feeling so drained, physically, mentally and emotionally, so unready to leave my family again and head out for another procedure. I had tried to cheer myself up by planning some side trips into the visit, but between the amount of stuff going on with the kids and my own body beginning to battle the bug, I just had the blues. But this week, in great contrast, the night before my plane trip I lay in bed listening to the night sounds of crickets and fans blowing, catching real or imagined whiffs of campfire smoke from backyard barbeques and s'more roasts, and it seemed to me that the warmth of the summer sun had actually soaked into my soul. And I knew I was ready. Here are my little journal entries for this lightning quick, very dense trip. I'll add photos asap:
June 25-26: My friend Tamara is the bomb. Thanks for picking me up at the airport, letting me crash your place, borrow your car, eat your food, spoil your kids. Me heart you muchas. Audrey and I loved frolicking at the PEZ factory with you guys!
June 27: Dead tired after driving through crawling traffic for 6 hours, unexpectedly double the time it should have from Trumbull, Connecticut to Boston, between some fallen trees on the highway, construction and rush hour it was nutso, but it was all worth it because we had a wonderful time visiting my dear friends, the Moldenhauer family, who fed Audrey and I a lovely dinner and shared with us the latest news in their family's wait to see their son receive a kidney transplant. Audrey, unfortunately, really struggled to swallow any of the dinner and regurgitated several times-- I am so thankful for my very patient hostess Shohreh who took it all in stride and did not let it bother her. Although our drive to Boston was much longer than planned, it was a beautiful lush drive in the misty rain with green as far as I could see, munching my souvenir bucket of PEZ and with no ac in the borrowed car, it meant I enjoyed having the windows open the entire way, it felt GREAT like wind in my sails.... PLUS I still managed to work in a quick stop to see the famous Walden Pond, which was gorgeous between evening rainshowers, not to mention my incredibly sweet Little Miss endured the long hours in the car beautifully, she's been handling our crazy travel schedule with truly amazing grace, especially for a two year old! Now we've reached our home away from home in Jamaica Plain for the night (THANK YOU Patty!), got Audrey's bed and pump set up for the night, it's 11pm and we report to the hospital at 9am, surgery is at 11am, I'm exhausted and I want to sleep but I also reeeeeally want to watch just onnnne episode of Dr Who. Better be good, big day tomorrow... But but but! Sigh. The battles I have with my inner teenager. Good night!
June 28: After Audrey's surgery, she and I had a wonderful dinner with Beth C.'s awesome family and the LDS missionaries tonight, and then the sweetest conversation with Anna E. tonight before bedtime. Thank you for all of your generosity and for encouraging me in my life dreams, feeling very humbled and blessed tonight.
June 29: Sadly sweet baby girl slept very poorly, and me likewise in consequence, due to a lot of reflux and discomfort from surgery and perhaps an oncoming cold. After a delicious breakfast from our sweet friend Anna E., Audrey and I packed up and drove to the lovely street where we lived for those happy, crazy, sad, wonderful and densely busy months last winter. It was an immense joy to see our sweet neighbors there, and I picked up a few things that one of them had very kindly stored for me until I could return for them. After our visit, we drove the country roads near the house and I took some photographs of a few of my favorite spots. Then we drove on to Newport (of course. I was well dubbed "Newport Ahab" by my husband last winter, when I avidly sought every opportunity to learn and see something else at the Newport Historical Society properties) to see some things that had been closed during the months we were there before. To my delight, the weather cooperated and we were able to see the Green Animal Topiary Gardens, Hunter House, the gardens at The Elms and The Breakers where the fountains were filled with water and running merrily. We stopped at my favorite chocolate shop for gifts and treats, and then drove a glorious green highway on our way back to Trumbull and the home of my friend Tamara. In the morning it's back to Utah.
Mischief managed.
An hour after this photo was taken, she was under the influence of Versed (which apart from the desired amnesiac effect also makes her silly, well sillier than usual) and I showed her this photo on my phone and said, who's that? She stared at the photo and said in amazement, "MY blankie!!". As though it was someone else in the picture, with her yellow cast and blanket. I actually think she was deliberately making a joke.
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