Well, we're home and settling in. I haven't gotten around to the blog yet this week with all of the acclimating that we've been doing since returning late Sunday. Last Saturday ended up being a very draining day. We actually thought through the morning hours that we may not be able to fly back until Monday because Rivers just didn't seem to be turning the corner. After they removed her epidural, though, her oxygen saturation went back to normal and she started to drink more milk and nibble at some food. In the evening, she felt well enough go downstairs to watch the ball maze, but fell asleep after about 15 minutes. She had a great night Saturday night and was ready to leave by 11:45 Sunday morning. She laid down in the taxi using a special seat belt designed for children with spica casts, and was smiling and saying, "Yippee!" as we drove along. We went straight to the airport. There wasn't a direct flight, so we went through Newark. Needless to say, we were SO HAPPY to get home! Sadly, Rivers thought that when she got home that she would put her shoes on and begin to walk again, so she was very disappointed to find out that she was still "stuck." Monday was a hard day as she got used to the idea of being held a lot and losing her independence, but she got a new chair (...a highchair...but we call it her BIG girl chair) that she can sit in so that she can eat, play, and do crafts by herself. This greatly improved her spirits as well as getting off of all of her medicine by late Tuesday. She went to children's choir last night and was so glad to see her friends and Mrs. Nancy, but I noticed that she didn't sing or do any of the hand motions the whole time. She still has a lot of adjusting to do, but she is more and more back to her old self every day. Today, she went to the zoo with Mrs. Crowson while my mother and I took Jackson to 3 pre-op appointments in Charlotte. She had a great time at the zoo, and Mrs. C said she played and was happy all day. Every day gets a little bit better!
Poor baby!
Our first picture together after Tuesday's surgery and CT scan.
Mrs. Crowson brought Rivers a beautiful Disney princess balloon to brighten her spirits on Wednesday before she and Daniel left for the airport and before Rivers' second procedure. 
Thursday, Rivers dozed on and off and watched Playhouse Disney shows and Barney tapes. She's wearing the dreaded oxygen mask that irritated her until I rigged up a nebulizer mask so that the cord would stay where it was supposed to.
Dr. Kim with Rivers on Friday. He seemed very flattered that we wanted to take his picture with her. We're so thankful for all that he was able to accomplish!
Mimi and Rivers. Bless her heart! These were very long days stuck in the bed. She got to where every time the door opened, she thought a nurse was coming in, and she would start crying. She also asked us to cover her ears so that she wouldn't hear the noise from the oxygen and the beeping of the monitors.
Rivers rested before we went downstairs. She was so swollen from the IV fluids and medication that her cast began to impair her breathing and they had to cut a larger hole in the stomach of the cast, and they split the part around her chest so that she could breathe more easily. 
Rivers loved getting out of her room Saturday evening and going down to look at the ball maze. We pulled up a chair after about 10 minutes, and she fell asleep watching it before we went back upstairs to have dinner. 
Rivers and nurse Megan. She took care of Rivers 3 days in a row and wore pink the day we left in her honor. What a sweetheart!
Flying home to see Daddy and Jackson! Yeah!
