You won't believe this!

We got sent home today! We were expecting to be in the hospital for another couple days, but Dr. G said he was pleased with everything and since Elijah is eating so well, to head home! We couldn't believe it! So here is our man, tired from the whole experience and already taking a snooze (hopefully a long one so Ma and Pa can rest, too) in his swing (nice arms).



We have to bring Elijah back in for some check-ups in the next week here, and then the plan from there is to do another heart cath in a couple months and see how his collaterals that didn't get surgery this time are growing. If they grow the way we'd like them to, Elijah won't need another surgery for 9-15 more months. If they don't grow the way we'd like them to, he may have to have another surgery in a few months AND another open heart in 9-15 months.

I thought by this point I'd just be relieved to be done and feel nothing else, but that's definitely not the case. I feel like I'm a totally different person after this experience and that Dan and I need time to heal up, too...but in a different way than Elijah does. I feel so many emotions right now....mostly, I feel RELIEF that this first surgery is done. I also feel sadness that our man had to go through something like this (even though he most likely doesn't have a clue). I feel like I don't know how in the world we can possibly go through something like this again. I feel extremely emotionally and physically tired. I feel overwhelmed about all the love and support that was given to us over the past 10 days. I feel even more love for this baby than I could have ever imagined. I feel an amazing amount of love for my husband for being such a wonderful daddy and hubby and for being my rock through all of this. I feel so thankful that God has given me everything I have!

Ok, enough sharing my emotions. We are going to try to sleep now. We are weary!
Thank you SO MUCH for all the support and love. Our little man's journey certainly isn't done, but getting this first step behind us feels amazing.

Oh and one more thing....gotta brag about what a champ Eli is. We had some nurses tell us that typically after surgery, heart babies are crabby and mad and they don't eat and they just cry all the time. They even have a term for these babies: Cardiac Crabbies. Well, I hate to jinx anything here, but our little guy is much more content, smiley and happy than before and he is eating better than he was before. He is defying the odds! He is amazing!!!

p.s. All the nurses LOVED Elijah and thought he was the cutest baby in the hospital, and he was such a little flirt and flashed his awesome little smile at all of them. :)