It has been 10 weeks since Jersey #2 survived open-heart surgery (although this picture was taken at the 9-week point).
She is doing so well. Her incision is healing nicely. She has no pain. Her energy level increases by the day....and is already a million times better than the entire year before surgery.
I am most happy to report right now that she has gained just over 3 pounds since her surgery. She looks good. It is so nice to see her muscles develop a little meat over her bones. Her skin color is good too, no longer pale. She has grown into the next clothing size. It is such a relief to see her doing so well.
We are moving on to the big hurdle of raising a child with medical issues--attitude! To be honest, it is really, really easy to turn a medically fragile child into a spoiled brat. We feel so badly for their unfair suffering. We cater more. We indulge. I personally think there is a time and a place for that. All of the gifts, praise, and attention served to encourage Jersey #2 in the challenge she had to face. Grumpiness was permitted more, because she had to endure pain. We parented with much more grace, encouragement, and sympathy, because that is what the circumstance required.
But, in reality, too much indulgence yields a negative outcome. Permissive parenting brings forth selfishness and disrespect.
So now that her scabs are healed and her pain is gone, we start the journey of reminding Jersey #2 that the world really does not revolve around her, even though that is what the last year certainly felt like.
It is an adjustment to get back to "normal."
She is doing so well. Her incision is healing nicely. She has no pain. Her energy level increases by the day....and is already a million times better than the entire year before surgery.
I am most happy to report right now that she has gained just over 3 pounds since her surgery. She looks good. It is so nice to see her muscles develop a little meat over her bones. Her skin color is good too, no longer pale. She has grown into the next clothing size. It is such a relief to see her doing so well.
We are moving on to the big hurdle of raising a child with medical issues--attitude! To be honest, it is really, really easy to turn a medically fragile child into a spoiled brat. We feel so badly for their unfair suffering. We cater more. We indulge. I personally think there is a time and a place for that. All of the gifts, praise, and attention served to encourage Jersey #2 in the challenge she had to face. Grumpiness was permitted more, because she had to endure pain. We parented with much more grace, encouragement, and sympathy, because that is what the circumstance required.
But, in reality, too much indulgence yields a negative outcome. Permissive parenting brings forth selfishness and disrespect.
So now that her scabs are healed and her pain is gone, we start the journey of reminding Jersey #2 that the world really does not revolve around her, even though that is what the last year certainly felt like.
It is an adjustment to get back to "normal."
It is always a challenge to go back to normal. We have struggled a little with AJU5 after vacation where she got a few things she normally wouldn't, and that was only 2 weeks' worth of indulgence...
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