Cleft Lip and Nose Surgery Update

Kenzi had her first surgery today.  First, she had ear tubes placed.  A few weeks ago, the ENT with the cleft team saw fluid in both ears, which is common for a cleft kid.  The ENT surgeon today saw lots of infected fluid in both ears, so tubes went in.  A double ear infection could explain why she's been really fussy and "off" for the past few days.

Then the cleft surgeon repaired her nose and lip.  It is truly stunning what these surgeons can do.  I just can't believe it.  Here's a picture of her about 1 hour after surgery.  Of course, there is a lot of swelling and bruising, and it will get worse over the next few days.  Isn't the transformation amazing?

She woke up from the anesthesia and cried just for a minute.  She drank a ton of Pedialyte and we went home about 2 1/2 hours after surgery.  She did great on the way home .... she was still pretty dazed and she fell asleep when we were almost home.  True to form, she woke up when Aaron came home with food!  She ate some Jell-o and applesauce.

I'm sure the recovery period will be full of ups and downs and it won't all be as easy as today was.  I'm very thankful that friends are bringing us dinner tomorrow night and Monday.  We'll be working hard to control her pain, keep her fingers away from her lip, and keep the big kids from being too rough with her!

Thank you to everyone who has said prayers and sent good thoughts and kind words to us.  We are so lucky to have this gorgeous little girl in our family.  As hard as this adoption stuff is, this is what our family is supposed to do and we couldn't be happier.  We love all 3 of these little miracles and it takes my breath away that God gave them to us to take care of.  We surely don't deserve these 3 precious children and they all came to us by way of a miracle .... Luke through infertility treatments and the girls through complicated birth family situations.  I'm so glad that God can take bad situations and create good things.  People tell us all the time that the girls are so lucky to be in our family, but the fact is that we are the lucky ones.