Success sounds like a whisper

We made it. Actually, I guess I should say Karis made it. But, in all honesty, I feel like I've crossed the finish line. This picture represents my finish line moment. Karis is walking with the nurse back to the operating room for her surgery. I watched as she walked off, lured by the nurse's sweet offer to show her the zoo animals on the wall, and I breathed a sigh of relief. My job was over. I delivered her healthy and hungry to the surgeon's table, and from that point on, it was all up the the skillful hands of the doctor.

Thankfully, Karis' surgery went as planned, and this morning, as she lay in bed next to me while I was waking up, she whispered softly to her dolly, and I knew the surgery was a success. If you've ever spent any length of time in our home you would know that the loudest noise, by far, originates from my daughter's vocal chords. With all of her ear infections and the doctor's repeated exasperated reports of "there's still fluid in her ears," we knew that her hearing could best be described as the equivalent of hearing under water. So when I heard her whispering, something she's done almost never before now, I was pleased. Thrilled, really. She can now hear well enough to monitor her own voice and talk softly. Or softer...she is, after all, still only two years old. And, a little later on, when she jumped and spun around at the sound of the coffee grinder, throwing her hands around her ears and proclaiming it "too loud", I was certain all the work and sacrifice over the last week had paid off!

I thought I'd give you a little photo tour of the things we did to keep ourselves busy at home over the last week.

First, we went canoeing on the river (read: sat in a box in the hallway and rowed with a plastic golf club).


Pokey the puppy was taken on many walk/runs around the house.


We picked cherries and somebody tried to eat them. Incidentally, this is her first board game experience. It went quite well, and since then we've visited the game board section at the store, and I can't wait to get this game by Eric Carle. I'm quite excited that we're entering the world of board games.


We celebrated Karis' cousin Evie's fourth birthday party...alone at home. Since Karis couldn't be around kids and their snotty noses, we had to miss the party. But Aunt Megan, party planner extraordinaire, sent cupcakes, party favors, materials for the craft, and the Alice and Wonderland movie (the theme of the party) for us to watch. Very fun. Thanks for the at-home party, Aunt Megan!