Update - Day 3 Post-Op

Kaelyn is doing pretty good. Yesterday she developed an arrhythmia (her lower chambers were not pumping) in her heart, so they had to use the pacers that they had set up to her heart. They said that is pretty common with heart surgery and that it is usually related to swelling in the heart that disrupts the conduction pathway. Thankfully it went away today and now she is off the pacers and her heart is doing all the work by herself.

She is still on the ventilator and it sounds like she will be for a few more days. She has been a little more awake and alert but they are trying to keep her comfortable. People keep asking how long we will be in the hospital, but we don't really know. It really just depends on how she does so we are just taking it one day at a time :)

She certainly is a little fighter, my hero. I'm so proud to be her mother (Wayne is so proud to be her father, too [added by Wayne during the proof read]). Thanks again for all the love, support and prayers. They have helped our little family more than we will ever know. The other day I was out on a run and I had the thought, "I hope in the next life I can look back on the last year of our life and see all the angels and family members who have passed that were helping our little girl through all this." I know she is in good hands and I also know that Heavenly Father is close by. When we first found out that Kaelyn had Down syndrome I read a talk by a leader of our church about children with special needs. He quoted a hymn that I have grown to love and often repeat the first line. "Dearest children God is near you, watching over you day and night." My plan is to make a cute saying board with that on it and hang it in Kaelyn's room. It has brought me so much peace and comfort through all of this.

Also I read this little story the other day and I just thought it was so cute.

"Sister Seamons also told of a particularly humorous event that happened when Brad was a young boy sitting with his parents at a ward banquet with the bishop and his wife and their precocious seven-year-old son Jake. At a certain point Jake looked at Brad and said, “Hey kid, you look kind of funny, what’s your problem?” Jake’s parents, of course, were mortified, but Brad’s mom intervened assuring them that it was all right for him to question Brad. This time Jake asked his question a little more quietly, “Well, what is your problem?” Brad looked squarely at Jake and said, “I have Down Syndrome and Heavenly Father knows it—what’s your problem?” Everyone at the table melted into laughter and Jake replied, “Well, if Heavenly Father knows about it, it must be cool!”"

I just love that. Heavenly Father DOES know it and is well aware of the needs of His little ones.