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Well- 1 week away from surgery day.  YIKES!
Yes, I am freaking out, but trying to keep it together so I can take care of these 2 beauties of mine.

This surgery is our 2nd round of hip surgeries... I remember her first surgery like it was yesterday... I remember how badly I wanted to get her out of the hospital.  I remember her waking up for about a week with muscle spasms... jumping up screaming in the night.  I remember the look on her face when she woke up and was stuck in a cast.  She looked at me with fear in her eyes... total panic, and screamed and screamed until she threw up.  It was awful.

Am I expecting this again?  Yep.

The point to this is that I feel a little better knowing what to expect.  I know the first 10 days is going to be difficult aka a living hell.  I know I will wonder every day how we are going to make it through.  I know before bed every night I will cry and cry, and pray to God that her hip is healing... I know all this because I have been there before.

Today on the way home from her gym class, I caught myself looking in my rear view mirror at each stop light.  I tilted it down so I could see her perfect little face... smiling once in awhile and giggling when Dora did something funny.  (Yes, we have a tv in the car!)  She caught me looking at her and got the biggest smile on her face, and said, 'MOMMY! LOVE YOU!'  I just thought, how in the world am I going to do this?  How am I going to feel when that smile is taken off her face, and she wakes up with the look of pain and fear?  I am terrified.  Terrified of that first dreaded 10 days.

I am really trying to focus, and get prepared.  I didn't quite know how to prepare last time, and actually this time- I don't either!  We don't know if she going to have a cast, or an abduction pillow.  'Pillow' sounds like a half way decent option, until you see that its a huge, thick piece of foam strapped to her legs to keep her immobile.  Honestly, both options suck in my opinion, but at least with this pillow thing (and I use the term pillow very loosely) she can sit up on her bottom and play.  She won't have to be propped up with blankets and pillows.  AND- it's not hot for her.  I also have to admit, I am (unfortunately) a spica cast pro.  I can waterproof a cast and maneuver it around like nobody's business... 16 weeks of that will do that to ya... :)

I had a few hours alone yesterday, and decided to hit up our local craft store, Hobby Lobby, to find things for Lucy and I to do together while she is immobile.  Most of these were super cheap!  (Don't let the price tags on them fool you, they were 30-50% off that price.)  It's going to be a whole new ballgame entertaining a child that can communicate and has her own ideas... and knows what she is missing by not walking.  I am hiding all of these toys/crafts and going to bring 1 or 2 out each day to keep us busy.

OH WAIT!  I forgot to post this, but Dr. Segal told us that it may not be 6 weeks.  It could be FOUR!  SAY WHAT!?!?  We will re-evaluate after 4 weeks and pray that we get that lucky.  Four weeks is 28 days!  3 of them will be in the hospital... the following 7 will be hell so those don't count when you first get home... then the last week is the countdown... SO- really 2 weeks that we need to worry about.  (Yes, I am getting my hopes up, and I am CLAIMING this for Lucy.)  FOUR WEEKS FOUR WEEKS!  If it's 6, it's 6, but I feel like God is going to cut us some slack here, since we did a 2 week 'for fun' cast time the first time.  (Her hip re dislocated in the cast after surgery and we did close to 2 weeks for nothing!)  This is hopefully my good juju coming back... :)

Here are pics of what we have so far... There are more things coming also.  Total for all the crafts and supplies (including scooter board) were about $150... not too bad.  Sanity has no price tag. :-)
Hope some of these ideas help!

This is amazing. It should be here Thursday. I ordered it from Flaghouse. It's an extra long scooter board that she can lay on her tummy and zip around. (hopefully) My friend and fellow mom of 2 girls, Lindsay at Two Bobbins Later, is going to make a padded vinyl covering that's wipeable for it.  She's also going to make 2 pillowcases that velcro on.  She's uber talented, so this is going to look amazing.  AND- I am going to donate it to someone after we are done.  I have a weird thing with keeping anything that reminds me of this.  I got rid of all of Lucy's clothes that she wore during her cast last year.  Every single thing that reminded me of it... (sigh)

A lap tray.  This will work with a cast or pillow.  Perfect for a snack or a game...

A must!  PAINT!  We love to paint, so this will be something Lucy will enjoy...

We are going to make her and Lily matching shirts!  We got iron on transfers, and fabric markers and we are going to go to town!  I will let her decorate them however she chooses... Lucy will LOVE to see sister wearing something she has made...

Lucy is a HAT and SUNGLASSES freak!  We rarely go anywhere without her having to grab a hat... so we will decorate these with glitter and stickers...

Pom Poms and Feathers for sensory bins... I am going to do rice and beans also

These were kinda cute... Masks on a stick... Her cousins that will visit will have fun making these with her

Since Lucy is into accessories (LOL) she can decorate her very own purse. There are 3 in the pack

Stamps and ink pads... as long as she doesn't stamp her sister, we will be ok

So cute. We are going to do these for Grandmas for Mother's Day also!

We bought glitter to put inside the water.

ONLY .87 cents!

Re-usable coloring pages that turn colors when you add water. Pretty neat.

She will love this! Super good for fine motor skills also.

This was cheap, so we got it!  Looks fun...

This seemed to be a must... IF she isn't sleeping in bed with me, that is... 

Lucy LOVES LOVES LOVES the Nick Jr show, BUBBLE GUPPIES.   So, these will be her friends to sleep with for awhile to make her smile

Thomas the train re-usable ice pack.  She has no clue who Thomas the train is... She thinks its Chugginton, her other fave show, so I didn't tell her any different.  She touches it and says, 'I cold!'

Gift box from Grandma!  Pumbaa (from the Lion King) stuffed toy, Chuggington carry case and trains, Beauty and the beast figurines, matching games, puzzles...

Nick Jr's website has TONS of free printables!  This is for when she is DONE! YAY!

Also, there are TONS of free games, tv episodes and cool stuff!  It's a super website...

Another FREE printable. Matching game of Yo Gabba Gabba

FREE printable crown

FREE printable coloring pages

Free printable

Just a little quote that gets me through the day...

New Ipad cover.  It actually has a stand so we don't have to prop it up... She officially has her own play list of music too! (Don't judge)  :-)  We bought her headphones too, but those aren't here yet.

PERFECTION.

These two are the reason for living!

Thank you God for them and my wonderful family.  Couldn't make it without them. :)