4 days to go...

 So hard to believe we have just a few short days until Cora's surgery.  The rest of today and then the weekend, and then Monday is pre-op and Tuesday is the big day. It doesn't quite feel real.

I've been preparing by reading the blogs of other parents whose babies have gone through this surgery.  There are so many great blogs out there.  This one is great for its list of suggestions, as well as a list of what you can do to support the family of the little one.  If Your Baby Needs Open Heart Surgery

One of the suggestions I've heard repeated the most has been to look at post-op photos of other babies so you're not shocked by all the tubes and wires.  So we've been doing that too, as well as reading about the surgery and what to expect.

We're really looking forward to having a chance to talk to her surgeon on Monday and to get a tour of the PICU and the rooms for when she's out of intensive care.  Crazy that all that will happen the afternoon before our 6:00am check in.  In the meantime, we're compiling our list of questions.

And of course, we're trying not to dwell too much on surgery day, but to focus on how great it will be when it is done.

In the last couple of days her eating has really gone downhill.  And I don't have the heart to try too hard to feed her knowing that surgery is so soon.  So we've been tubing a lot.  It's amazing that after 1/2 ounce of milk, she'll be sweating more than halfway up her head.  Right now she's sleeping in the baby carrier, and I'm listening to her very LOUD and labored breathing.

Here's a picture of her exhausted and sweating after eating.

Won't it be nice when eating isn't the equivalent of a sprint for her?  These days just resting is like taking a jog.  Poor little girl.