Our week

It is now a week ago that we were waiting, waiting, waiting as the doctors intricately took off her birthmark and replaced it with the expanded skin. A week later, the healing process continues to go well. Here's the week in pictures:

Still swollen on Monday, looking all beat up but still smilin'!

The swelling didn't stop her from enjoying her friends and cousins coming over. It's actually quite funny because all the other kids were given the "riot act" by their parents: no running, no jumping, stay calm around Keziah. But who is running, jumping and bouncing from wall to wall? Keziah!! "My friends are here!! My friends are here!!".

As the day went on, her swelling started to slowly go down and we could see those sparkly brown eyes start to peek through.

Tuesday she woke up and came to the thrilling realization that her head now fits into her bowl! With the forehead expander now gone, she can drink her cereal milk again. :o)

Spoiled, I tell you!! This girl has received SO many gifts in the last three months! Here she is with a very large gift bag packed full with all kinds of stickers, books, colouring books, crayons, etc.etc. all from Nathan's employees. What generosity!!

Something's caught her eye in there!! Looks like she is about to fall in as she is digging for it!

Ahhhh, yes. I would risk falling in the bag for that, too!!

At night, Keziah met her new baby cousin, Addison. She was so excited to hold her!

Wednesday was a turning point in the cleaning department. We rigged up a shower head that can be held in the hand and she LOVES it. And so the cleaning has gone a lot more smoother! We are so thankful for that, seeing as nothing else was working. Even the threat of going back to the hospital wasn't working!! By Wednesday, the swelling was also really going down, leaving behind this gorgeous girl!

Less than a week from surgery, this is what she looked like:

And you can tell what she's been through by just watching her play. Below she has her baby in Lincoln's carseat and is on her way to Aunt Karen's house (where Lincoln was while she was the hospital). The picture underneath that one, she is laying in bed with her baby at the "hosible".

BUT, the definite high-light of the day for her was when she received flowers from her Uncle Nick!

She was SO thrilled!! You see, Nathan had come home with flowers for me the other day. Seeing that, she went out in the backyard and also picked me some flowers.

But these were her very own flowers! Just for her!! Uncle Nick made her day! She was so excited!!

And so we've come to today, Friday. It is H.O.T. out there and it is almost not fair that we have this teasing us every time we look in the backyard:

She can't go in until her drain is out. I even told the doctors that it was a salt pool, but still no go. It's been a bit tough because last year, on July 18th I broke my wrist and was in a plaster cast until September. So I couldn't use the pool then either. And now we are having quite the heat wave and still can't use it. Oh well.....July 11th is not that far away!! And then c'mon over and enjoy it with us!!!

Daddy, being the best daddy that he is, went out and bought this little pool for her to keep somewhat cool in this +35 degree weather.

And so we made him this:



We are so happy with the results of her surgery, with it being only a week ago. She continues to heal well and hasn't had any pain medications since last Saturday. The drain is the biggest "concern" right now, with it slowly inching its way out of her skin. I did call the hospital today about that because now there is a part of the drain I can see which I couldn't see before as it was under the skin. But they told me as long as the bulb on the end still has suction, we are okay. And it does. The drain is draining excess fluid out of her cheek or else it would stay in a pocket in her cheek. We look forward to Wednesday when the drain comes out, as well as the gauze coming off. We pray that the skin grafts "took" and is healing well.

This girl would like to say again a BIG thank you to all of you. She has been remembered by so many people in thought, word, prayer, through cards, little gifts, visits and phone calls. Although she won't remember all of this, I do plan on turning this blog into a book eventually (once the journey is over), where all your comments will also be listed, so she has something to look back on when she is older.

 I hope to do a post on Lincoln as he just had his 6 month check up this morning. Let's just say it's no wonder I have a sore back from lugging him around!!! :o)