SK meets the Disney Princesses

After our breakfast at Chef Mickey's we headed out to our second day at Magic Kingdom.  We had tickets to be in the parks for 5 days so if I have to pick one park that I want to go to twice it will always be the Magic Kingdom.  


One of the things that puts it at the top of the list for me is that I got engaged there.  Chad asked me to marry him in the rose garden in front of Cinderella's Castle.  I get very emotional there and I'm sure the kids were wondering, "Why is mama so sad I thought she wanted to come here?" It is a very special place for us.  Below is a picture of our children in the spot where their daddy proposed to me 14 years ago.

SK isn't asleep, but the sun was very bright and in her eyes and she didn't appreciate it one bit, but I was getting my picture regardless, sorry sister. 


Daddy got us a fast pass to meet the Princesses so SK and I decided to do that while the boys were riding rides.  Chad asked me if I would be able to handle it by myself and I quickly told him "Of course, I'll be fine."  Wrong...I almost went into the ugly cry when we got in there.

Sophie Kate meets Snow White...

Sophie Kate meets Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)...

These Princesses didn't just sign their names to SK's autograph book, they each wrote her a sweet message.

I really don't want to make more of this than it was, but it definitely deserves it's due.  There's just something about meeting the Disney Princesses for the first time with your daughter, I'm getting teary eyed remembering it and seeing the pictures again.  

Sophie Kate meets Belle...

They were precious with her.  I cannot say enough about their tenderness towards my girl.  Of course that didn't help in my quest to keep the ugly cry away.

Sophie Kate meets Cinderella...

In the picture below, Cinderella commented that Sophie Kate had lost her glass slippers (SK was barefooted) and that she would find 2 Prince Charmings, little did Cinderella know that SK has 4 Prince Charmings who take care of her at home. 

This was a wonderful experience for us.  They have a way of drawing you into a Fairytale, into a place where there are happy endings and wishes really do come true.  It's Disney at it's best and they are the best at what they do.  I bought it hook, line and sinker and I hope my girl did too.


Ok, switching gears, what is one of the most frequently asked questions in the Magic Kingdom...what time is the three o'clock parade?  Sad, but true.  Somehow we were able to make the 3:00 parade on time without asking anyone.

Minnie Mouse again, she's so cute...

SK thinks so too.

Next we were off to meet the Disney fairies, well just SK and I, the boys would have revolted at the mere suggestion of it.

SK and Vidia...

She was darling... 

and then there was Tinkerbell... 

When we went to meet the Fairies I saw that the wait was 60 minutes, well I had no intention of waiting 60 minutes to meet the Fairies, no offense to anyone, but that's a "no." One of the Disney people noticed we were leaving and asked me how many were in my party.  I told her it was just me and my daughter so she told us to follow her and she took us in through the exit and right up to the Fairies.  This kind of stuff was done constantly for us.  We didn't wait in line for rides or anything.  Disney really takes care of their special needs friends and families. 

 On to the Jungle Cruise...

Cooper was chosen to drive our boat for part of the ride. When the ride was over, Cooper said it was totally fake, that he wasn't really driving the boat it was on a track, bummer.

Sweet SK and her daddy on Dumbo...

Can you tell that riding Dumbo was all Grey's idea, cause Cooper looks equally thrilled, doesn't he?

 My favorite one...Grey's face is priceless.

SK and daddy on Winnie the Pooh, she rode everything but the roller coasters.

 Cooper and SK on the People Mover.  I tried to tell y'all we rode everything Disney had to offer, you didn't believe me did you?  I have to tell you the People Mover was a welcome sight for weary legs.  We enjoyed it.

Jacob and Grey on the Buzz Lightyear ride, it was a fan favorite.

I had no intention of watching the Electrical Parade again...you don't believe me do you?  Seriously, I didn't.  It was going to be an early night for us, the park was closing at 11:00pm, ha ha.  As luck would have it, just as we were headed out of the park and toward our bus, we happened upon the perfect spot for our family just as the parade was starting.  My husband, knowing how much I adore this parade, parks SK's stroller and sits the boys down for one last viewing of Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade.
   

Hey Tink!

My night was then complete and although I was a bit sad because I didn't know when I would be back to the Magic Kingdom, I could leave with a contentment in my bones or was it just an ache in my bones.  A day spent to it's fullest and a heart full of memories.  I'm fixin' to break into the first chorus of "When You Wish Upon a Star..."  


Next up is MGM or as it is known now, Disney's Hollywood Studios.  The force was strong there and the boys could not resist their destiny as Padawan learners. Oh, it was good, stay tuned.

Post Op

This girl of ours never ceases to amaze me.  She's had a really good night.  I have kept the pain medicine coming and she has seemed very comfortable.  Her throat from where she had the breathing tube during surgery seems much improved, she is no longer crying when she coughs. Overall, she has a pleasant look on her face.

She is truly the strongest person I have ever known.  The strength God gives her encourages me to come along side of her and help in any way I can.  Her strength gives me strength, because believe me she has every right to be flailing around in a sea of tears and if she did I'd jump right in there with her and flail around too.

There's a different feel to this surgery, I can sense it.  With Sophie Kate's previous surgeries it's been on me to learn how to care for her, especially when she got the feeding tube.  There was lots of equipment and bags and nurses teaching me how to do it all.  Us getting discharged was largely based on how quickly I learned and how well I did doing it all on my own.  This time however, I feel like SK is leading us out of here.  She knows what it takes to get out of here and I am just following her lead and her example, cause like I said before if she were to get down and wallow in this mess I'd get down in there and wallow with her. She's got me by the hand this time and she's showing me that we can do this and that we are going to do this and there is no way that I'm going to let that sweet thing down.

I have to share with you one of the pictures that is hanging in our hospital room...

I know it's poor picture quality, but I took it with my phone.  It's Tink and at the bottom is says "Just a Little Pixie Dust."  How fitting for a princess just coming back from Disney World.  Now in our world "pixie dust" actually translates into a continual work by the hand of God in the life of his daughter, it translates into prayers sent up by so many covering us and lifting us up to the very throne of the Almighty, it translates into a hope that no Disney magic or Disney wishes can compare to and it translates into a love that is so real and so tangible that it stirs your heart and moves you into action.  

I am called once again to that familiar spot by her side, I am called to action.  I will stand by her and I will care for her and it will be my privilege, with the strength God gives me, to do so.

Thanks for praying for us, loving us and caring for us.

SK's Surgery

Update Thursday afternoon:  We're in our room SK is resting comfortably off and on and not resting comfortably off and on. She is crying out some in pain, which is utterly unbearable. Things went well in surgery according to the doctor.  We were in recovery for 4 hours because SK couldn't keep her temperature, her heart rate or her O2 sats up.  Her vitals have been stable since we got in a room.  I think her throat hurts from the breathing tube just as much as her incision sites b/c every time she coughs or tries to cough she cries.  


The brace she is in is awful.  I don't know any other way to say it.  It's big and metal and very unforgiving.  I hate it, but I am trying to put on a brave face for baby girl.  It's so huge, she's not even going to be able to wear her own clothes.  For now they want her laying flat on her back which is the worst position for her as far as her gagging and coughing fits go.  


Pray for her recovery (both immediate and long term).  We will be home bound for a while seeing as how he wants her in the brace continuously for 4 weeks at least.  This has been a very difficult day.  I have broken down several times over the sight of her in this brace, it's crushing my heart to see her like this. This is a mountain for sure and the biggest one we have had to climb in a while.  Thanks for covering us in prayer.


From earlier today:


Sophie Kate's surgery is today.  Yes, I was just posting about Jacob's surgery one week ago today.  In fact, this is his first day back at school.  He's doing really well and is feeling good the hard part now is going to be keeping him from any activity for the next two weeks, especially when he is feeling better and better each day.


Sophie Kate's surgery has not been nearly as cut and dried as Jacob's. It's been a difficult decision to be quite honest and certainly not one we entered into lightly.  The thing with Jacob's surgery and SK's previous surgeries is that they were in pain, they were hurting and the surgery was going to fix that and it did.  SK was much better after her other surgeries.  


With this one though, there's no guarantee.  Her hips aren't completely dislocated at this point.  This surgery doesn't guarantee that they won't become completely dislocated...that could still happen.  This surgery is called a soft tissue surgery, they are cutting tendons in the hopes of lengthening muscles in her hips and knees so that her hips have a chance of developing normally.

The other thing that has made this surgery decision so difficult is that we are taking a perfectly happy little girl and putting her in pain, that as her mother is killing me.  In the past she was already in such pain that surgery was a relief, it made things better, she wasn't hurting anymore.  I just couldn't help wondering this morning as I was watching her smile that huge smile of hers, when I would see it again.  I can’t be without that smile.

She's in surgery now.  Please pray for her recovery (specifically her being extubated and breathing on her own immediately after surgery), her pain and for her long term recovery, that this surgery will allow her hips to develop normally.  She is going to be in a brace for 4 weeks post surgery.  Pray that she is able to tolerate it and I guess that we are able to as well. This is what kept me up last night...she's going to hate that brace and how am I going to hold my girl in that brace. Anyway, I could go on and on....thanks for thinking of her and praying for her throughout the day.  I'll update on here later today.     

Chef Mickey's

Wednesday found us with an early morning reservation for Chef Mickey's, it's a "must do" for us but we only do it for breakfast.  I have heard less than stellar reviews about Chef Mickey's for lunch and dinner.  I cannot speak to that though because we only do breakfast there and as in true Disney fashion it is excellent!


All the Disney characters come around to your table for some extra special one on one time, or in our case one on four time.  We started out with Goofy.  I think this is the fourth time we had seen him by then.

Fist pump...

Hello Princess...

Next came Pluto...

Grey's favorite...

waiting to see whose coming next... 

Donald Duck...

Time for Mickey and Minnie...

Up until this point we had only seen Minnie Mouse from a distance, not up close and personal.  There was a collective sigh in the room when she appeared, "Ahhh, there she is." 

Minnie might just be my favorite.

A kiss from Mickey...

Love this one, almost brought a tear to my eye...

Chef Mickey's deserved it's own post so I didn't feel like it was rushed.  I am so enjoying going back through all my pictures again and taking my time as I remember and record each special memory.  Keep in mind this was just breakfast, we were done and headed to Magic Kingdom by 9:00am.  There is a lot more to this day than just Chef Mickey's like Sophie Kate meeting the Disney Princesses for the first time.  Stay close there's more to come.