Final Day...We're Going Home!

Annalise did much better the second night.  The night nurse really stayed on top of getting her meds to her and repositioning her often which seemed to make a big difference.  

She woke in the morning happy and ate all of her french toast sticks and apple juice. 

Then as I was working on something across the room, she called to me and told me to look at the smiley face she had made.  It was so cute.  She was so proud of her smiley face.  It was good to see her smile! 

Not long after breakfast, a child life specialist came in and said that the toy room was open and we were welcome to go down and play with toys.  As soon as Annalise heard the word toys, she was ready to go.  We got her all set up in the loaner wheelchair they had for us and headed down to the playroom.   

 

Doing her Hello kitty art activity 

Playing a game 

Reading a book and drawing 

After a little bit, she wanted to get out of her wheelchair, so we laid her on the little mattress that was there.  While she played with the volunteers, I was able to go downstairs and fill her prescriptions.    

Before long, this little Princess had her own little area all set up with lots and lots of toys all around her.   She kept wanting  to go to the cabinet and pick out her own toy.  That is when I realized just how heavy she really is now!

We finally had lunch, signed the discharge papers, gave her the final hospital pain meds, and were on our way home.  The little black wheelchair worked pretty well for her, but it cannot be strapped into  the car.  So we rigged up her regular wheelchair and headed for home. 

Out of the blue, she began singing The Wheels on the Bus.  So before we left the parking lot we sang that song together.   

She enjoyed playing with her balloon on the way home.  She did not want to let go of it...

 even when she fell asleep.  I looked back at one point and saw her like this, sound asleep with the balloon string in her mouth.  Silly girl!  I had to stop and get a picture.  She stayed that way the entire way home.  

Once we got home, all the boys were excited to see her, but she was sound asleep.  She even slept through a visit from my friend Bobbie Bumm who brought her a bunch of goodies.   She did really enjoy those and seeing her brothers once she woke up though!  It was good to be home.