Anyway, this picture brings back a lot of memories because it was taken right before Kevin had surgery on his cleft lip when he was just a few weeks old. I know it wasn't major heart surgery or anything, but I was still terrified. He was my first baby. I was getting ready to give him to a doctor who would change the way he looked for the rest of his life.I remember him not being allowed to eat for six hours before the surgery. For a baby who ate every two hours, that was a long time. I fully expected him to cry for the last four hours before his surgery, and I was dreading it. Bryan gave him a blessing the night before. Kevin didn't make a single peep the morning of his surgery. Didn't act hungry at all. I know it seems trite now, but to an anxious and frazzled new mom, it was a small miracle. It let me know that God does hear and answer our prayers - even if it's something as small as "please don't let my baby feel hungry for a few hours."
The surgery went great. He cried a lot during the next eight weeks. He had every right to. His arms were tied to his diaper so he couldn't move them enough to touch his face. He had plastic stints up his nose that didn't look comfortable at all. He had a metal bar over his lip so nothing would hit it, and every time I had to take the metal bar off, I ripped a layer of skin off of his cheeks with the tape. Not fun.
I was so worried about everything at the time. Looking back, it all seems so simple. Of all the things to go wrong, a cleft lip was an easy fix and a welcome "defect" (I hate that word) compared to most of the things I saw. I learned a lot during his first three months of life, and if I had a chance to do it over, I wouldn't change a thing. 
2 comments:
Jamie that is so sweet. We had to have surgery with both our little boys too, and it was nothing serious,but it does make you extra greatful for health and the simple things in life. What a cute boy!
I am totally crying as I am writing this post! What a special memory! Thanks for sharing it!
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