Our weekend in NYC did not go exactly as planned, but it was still a very lovely weekend. I love that I am feeling back to myself and able to adjust my plans without feeling anxious. There was a good long while after returning home where just about everything exhausted me. I am glad that has seemingly passed.
On Sunday night I wanted to bring the night nurses a little something special to signify the one year anniversary of meeting Matilda. And of course thank them for all of their fantastic care. With coffee, donuts and a picture of Matilda in hand, I marched up to the PICU. They were so excited to see me and skipped down the hall with delight. It really made me happy. They hid their disappointment that Matilda was not with me, and turned their attention to complimenting me. I mean they literately showered me with compliments and made me feel like I was Miss America. It felt nice, I wish I could go there everyday to boost my confidence. We were all about the laughter and smiles. Even when I was holding back tears, my smile remained. Being there felt so good. So refreshing. And all around perfect (except that a few of my faves were missing). I was planning on taking the subway home, but the downtown trains weren't running and so I walked. It felt nice. The weather was perfect, lots of people were out going to dinner, etc. and I felt proud of myself for knowing exactly where I was and how to get home, even in the dark.
Then on Monday, Matilda and I headed out for her appointment and left Parker and Tyler behind. Parker was still sick and although he was extremely disappointed, we felt it was the right thing to keep him tucked away. And of course I signed up for the shuttle on the wrong day, so we ended up walking to the hospital. We were a little late for labs, but they got us right in and that went well. Then we went up to visit with the transplant team. Matilda's appointment could not have been better. Everyone was excited to see her smiling face. She weighs 19.5 pounds and is 28 inches long. She has no signs of rejection and her liver function numbers are exquisite. After stopping by the PICU one more time to visit the day crew and treat them with coffee and donuts, we walked home through Central Park. It was so beautiful. Nothing could spoil the happiness I felt, not even the cold that hit me hard that night.
It has been a year full of unimaginables. But you guys, it has been the best year. We have been blessed and we feel that everyday. Matilda is well and we are happy.
