Get me the heck out of here!!!!!!

Day Nine – we have been moved up to the heart center on the forth floor. This is good news and means Ella continues to do better. However, we miss those ICU nurses  The doctor was just in and stated all looks good for no pacemaker but they want to continue to watch her to make sure. That isn’t a problem since we can’t go anywhere. The chest tubes are still in place and draining. Two of the chest tubes have slowed down considerably but the third is still about the same as it was after the surgery. They placed a PICC line yesterday and removed her IJ. That didn’t go over so well. Chalk it up to one more traumatizing event for the little girl.
Ella is needy. Whining seems to be her main source of communication these days. It is already hard to understand her and the whining adds a whole new dimension to the art of translation/interpretation. Being the mean mom that I am, I made her take her own bites of food this morning. While in the ICU she couldn’t feed herself because they had a line in her left arm with a board to help keep it in place. She let me know in no uncertain terms that she wanted me to feed her today. I assured her she is capable and the nurse in me came out with firm encouragement for her to do this herself. You would have thought I was torturing her (as is the case most of the day) but she did indeed feed herself. In light of this whole experience, yet another miracle 
Paul and I continue to take turns spending the night at the hospital. We are the only constants for her and we feel it is important that she doesn’t feel abandoned. I’ve lost track of time – is it 9 or 10 weeks that she has been home? Sometimes it feels like she has always been here. Other times when we struggle to communicate I am keenly aware that this is all new to her. There is a fine balancing act of love, guidance, instruction, and correction of this feisty three year old. She keeps us on our toes.
I missed Ella’s feisty side yesterday when she was given oral medications. She has been taking medicine since she has been awake. Always with whining, but she has taken it. Yesterday for Paul she took the first medicine into her mouth, paused and it looked as if she might get sick. She then wiggled her way over to the side of the bed and spewed the medicine all over the floor. Paul was concerned at first that she had thrown up until he noticed there wasn’t anything except medicine on the floor. He corrected Ella and tried to hold back the laughter. As I write this Ella has been whining and crying nonstop for the past hour - honestly! She doesn’t even know what she wants or needs except to be out of here. She has asked for and been given stickers, coloring book, TV turned on and none of it makes her happy. I offered to color with her and she barked at me so I’ve retreated to my corner of the room in hopes she may fall asleep. I find it mind boggling that she can keep up the moaning/crying nonstop. She is making me tired!! Paul and the other two kiddos are on their way up to the hospital so I will be able to share her joy with others  Please feel free to come experience it for yourselves.