Colbie Colbert here.  Hope this finds y'all well.

As for me, I could be better.  Kaitlyn, my youngest girl, is in the hospital; she is presently recovering from her latest heart surgery.  Valve replacement.  Hopefully this will do the trick.  She'd been real sick lately, and her pediatrician, Dr. Jubara, decided it was time to do the surgery. 

Kaitlyn had the surgery two days ago.  She is holding her own:  vital signs stable, getting some much needed rest (the doctors have her knocked out, so she doesn't yank out all the lines going into and out of her body), color looking better than it was prior to the surgery.  We are all thankful that the worst is behind us; hopefully things will continue to go smoothly for her.

I have been camped out here at the hospital here in Baton Rouge while my maman watches over the other two children, Diamond and Granger.  I know Diamond misses her little sister terribly; she keeps asking NeNe when her sister is coming home.  Granger, on the other hand, could care less:  he's just a baby; he's too young to know of such things.

All he cares about is people taking care of his needs and keeping him happy, fed, and comfortable.

I see Kaitlyn lying there in the PCICU (Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit), hooked up to every tube known to man; it breaks my heart because she looks so helpless.  I wish I could take away some of her pain, so she doesn't have to go through yet another surgery, another blood workup, or another echocardiogram or angiogram.  She is too young to go through such torture! 

I know she is doing very well, according to the doctors; when I see her lying so still in the bed, I'm not so sure.  I just have to believe that the doctors are telling me the truth and know that each day that goes by means she's closer to the end, which is getting out of the hospital, where she would then continue her recovery at home.  They are very pleased as to how well Kaitie is doing.

I'm thankful Kaitlyn didn't have any setbacks; I pray she doesn't.  She's already been through so much in her brief lifetime.

I think after the next time I see Kaitlyn, I may go home for a while and take a well-deserved nap.  I haven't slept much ever since my daughter went into the hospital, and I am beyond exhausted!  I also stink to high heaven; a bath is severely lacking.  I'm sure people can smell me when they walk by me.  It's embarrassing!

Kaitlyn will probably remain here in the hospital for at least a week, according to Dr. Jubara and her attending surgeon, Dr. Figley, who performed her heart surgery.  They want to keep her on monitors, to make sure she doesn't have any more unforseen problems; Kaitlyn's known to have done that before.  One minute, it's smooth sailing; the next, she's back on the ventilator, gasping for breath, or her blood pressure goes kerflooey.

I have been praying like heck to God to keep her safe, to keep her from having any more problems; so far it's been helping.  It's been nothing short of a miracle!

Well, I am going to see Kaitie; it's visiting hours, anytime from now until six, for fifteen minutes each hour.  I will then go home probably after this next time and go to bed.  I will write in here again in a few days or so, with an update.  Just keep those prayers coming; we could really use them!

Thank you in advance!  We really appreciate them; we really do!

(((HUGS))) and much love, Colbie, Kaitie's mother.  :)