Time to see the Doctor...again...

So, it was a great weekend--shopping day with my girls on Saturday, Tom built two beautiful book cases so we can unpack the last of the book boxes, the kids all got to spend lots of time playing outside, and Lilly even jumped over a few hurdles and played with some of the sweet neighborhood kids outside and even at their houses without mommy right by her side. Amazing. And, best of all, we think we have found our new home church, and it feels good to tentatively start to put our feet down and get involved.

Grammy and Pop Pop arrived safely last night to take care of Jared and Anna while Tom, Lilly, and I will head up to Philadelphia to see Dr. Campbell this morning. He will have the results of last week's MRI and ultrasound, and we will be discussing what he thinks is the best way to address the ongoing infection in Lilly's hardware. I wish I could tell you what some of the options are, but I would only be speculating. Lilly is tentatively scheduled for surgery on Wednesday the 21st; so our stay in Philly could be all week (depending on what exactly they do and how her recovery goes.)

So, we are getting packed up this morning. I am so much less organized than I like to be when packing for a medical trip...I guess it is getting more routine, and the fact that there is no air travel makes packing a lot less stressful. I think Ihave also learned that I don't need to bring NEARLY as much stuff to entertain Lilly--books, coloring books, little toys, etc.--because she doesn't usually feel much like playing or coloring when we're at the hospital. I am eager to have this infection wiped out...but the hospital stay is something that I am not looking forward to. The first few times, it was a novelty and, even though hospitalization is hard, my adrenaline seemed to make it all quicker. This time, however, after our hospitalizations in FLorida this summer and all that they entailed, I have to admit I am sort of dreading it this time. The folks at CHOP are fabulous, don't get me wrong. Couldn't ask for better care, hands down. But the sleep deprivation, the lack of regular exercise or regular routine of any sort, and--most of all--seeing Lilly in pain and discomfort are things that make me want to curl up and stay in bed.

Our prayer is that God would bring healing to her little body. That Dr. Campbell would have wisdom to know the best course of treatment for her and that God would guide his hands during surgery. That Lilly would continue to be strong and spunky and endure these hard hospital visit with grace. That Jared and Anna would thrive in their regular weekly routines (and Anna would feel comfortable with her new swim team--practices start today). That their bond with Grammy and Pop Pop would grow stronger with this extended time together. That everyone back on the home front would stay safe and healthy.

I'll keep updates coming on Facebook and more details here. Stay tuned!