Surprise #2

Together again!Collage of pictures of my kids - on my wall next to my bed.

Guess what my incredibly fabulous husband did this evening???

He drove 2 hours from Beaumont to Katy to pick up Madison, then drove 45 minutes to the hospital in Houston and SURPRISED ME!!!

He had it all arranged the night prior...All along, I thought Tana was bringing Madison up to see me late this afternoon. I got a scheduled call from Tana telling me when the door opens, to call Madison's name. The door opened a second later, I called Madison's name, and she walked in like a big girl...with Daddy behind her! Of course, I immediately began crying tears of happiness upon seeing them both. Once again, my heart melted.

We enjoyed the evening eating dinner together and watching Madison play around my room. It felt more wonderful than I can describe to be together again...doing our former normal routine...which at one time would have seemed very mundane and typical...just eating dinner together...except this time, we just kept looking at each other, not taking a SECOND of it for granted. Oh, how we miss those "normal, boring nights at home"!

My heart hurts for little Madison. She's begun acting out a bit lately, in ways that are extremely abnormal for her. She has been crying off and on during the day and has been clingy, just wanting to be held,, according to Tana. Usually, she is very independent and does not like to cuddle. Tonight, whenever anyone other than me and Mark came into the room (nurses, cleaning staff, etc), Madison would come to me at the bed and throw her arms around my neck, not allowing me to let go. She actually seemed "scared" to us. Well, I would think this makes perfect sense for her to act like this. I know she will be fine, and this is just temporary. But it breaks my heart to see her like this. Nothing - not ONE thing - in her life now is familiar. Neither Mommy or Daddy are with her, she's been taken care of by people she's not familiar with, sleeping environment is different, sleep schedule different, no longer "only child", etc. She just doesn't understand what's going on, but she's done extremely well, overall. Soon, it will be good for her to get back to her own home.

Naturally, the visit needed to come to an end. I always dread that time. My throat closes, eyes water, and my heart weighs a ton. I watch Madison's every move, studying her, as if trying to permanently etch the final moments in my mind...only wishing time would stand still. I hold Madison on my bed, close my eyes and squeeze her tight. I make sure she hears me tell her how special she is and how much Mommy loves her. I tell her to be a brave, good girl this week. And soon, we will all be together, again.

THANK YOU...

Thank you, Dad and Mom, The Camou family, Shelley and Trista, and The Arnold Family!

Thank you, Celia and Craig!
Thank you, Dixon and Elaine!