TheMommyBlog

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 Familybits

I cannot for the life of me get that song out of my head. I’ve been explaining to the children as well as I can how the doctors were able to replace mom’s hip with a stainless steel one yesterday. They’re just staring at the little bandage, and then at the huge container holding all the stuff draining from the surgical site and going, “Huh?”

She didn’t sleep at all last night–how I don’t know, I would have been hitting that morphine drip button like Cliff Claven on Jeopardy–so I haven’t gone to see her yet today. I did wait there until she’d been sent to recovery, and then returned later on with Daphne just as she was being wheeled to her room. Mom asked to stop long enough to let Daph catch up and say hi and touch her hand.

While they were negotiating the hallway to get into the room, I told Daphne,"Just go up and tickle the back of her head. Go on, it won’t hurt, and she can’t do anything about it.” She was too shy so I did it, but Mom thought it was her anyway and said, “I feeeeel someone!” Which nearly sent me into giggles right there. Right after I gave Daphne the long lecture about how we respect the quiet and seriousness of the hospital at all times.

Dylan got the tour later on when he returned with Daph and me (Logan had a game), and Mom showed them every wire and tube and needle and bag, explaining what all of it was. And I mean EVERY wire, tube, needle and bag. Daphne deadpanned, “I was hoping that wasn’t pee.”

We told Dylan which ones he also had while he was in the NICU as an infant (don’t laugh, smart boy, you had a catheter, too), and it’s been a long time since he’s listened so intently to what someone–anyone–has said in a donkey’s age. That child runs deep.

They had a hopscotch pattern laid into the tiles in front of the elevator, which I thought was genius, the perfect way to release some of that tension while waiting to leave.