"The river is gonna rise....wash our struggles away....the sun is gonna shine....shine down on a brand new day"

Had a great day today. Mercy's sleep schedule has been quite erratic from being in the hospital again so last night was the first night of "normal" sleep. She woke up in a wonderful mood, and we woke up without sandpaper in our eyes! Her skin today is much paler and the whites of her eyes are literally sparkling . It's so nice to see those bright and shiny eyes of hers.  Pair those beautiful eyes with her happy smile and wow......life is grand.

All of her steri strips fell off her scar today and it looks like it's healing very nicely. Her stitch from her JP drain also looks good.  It's hard to tell that she has been cut open in the same place three times in three months. Ninja. Surgeon. Stig. Somme. Superhero.

Perhaps you are also wondering...."How is her poop?"  She will be so embarrassed when she gets older to find out we blogged about and celebrated her stool :) .... it has been bright yellow and stinky. She used to love to get her diaper changed because that's where her "clean-butt friends" are (song sung by Mom included) but lately she seems a little more annoyed by the process. Not sure what that's all about. She's probably a little wiser to the fact that her Mom doesn't have the greatest singing voice (although it usually sounds pretty good in the car with the tunes cranked...?).

Speaking of vehicles.....on our way home from Denver last week, our GMC was making some interesting noises. To spare you the details, we broke down right at the 7th Avenue Exit in Bozeman. Couldn't have been a more ideal situation, thank goodness (and Thank You Grandma for picking us up and calling the tow truck).  The repair shop mentioned something about bearings, brakes, potential fires and wheels falling off...?  Luckily, we didn't catch on fire or go off the road due to loss of a tire. We did however, make the necessary repairs that (of course) are not cheap. Sometimes it feels like ....life. just. won't. stop. 
Needless to say, the GMC will not be around after tomorrow. We went into town today to trade it off for a used Honda minivan. Yes, a minivan. We are now officially....parents. :) (pardon the really silly stereotype) We figure with the necessity of traveling to Denver in comfort, it's the right thing to do.

Tomorrow is a lab day (blood draw).  Never a fun time for anyone invloved, especially MercyMay....the one getting poked.  We have full confidence (and hope) that her numbers are still down and her liver is functioning properly without any further damage.
Also.... It's time for the nugget to start drinking out of a cup, so that's the new introduction of adventure for this week.  She is very interested in the eating process and watches us like a hawk when we consume food or drink. Her first attempt at the cup was a success, she catches on very fast. For being flat on her back in a hospital for a good portion of her short life, her motor skills are sharp and she is very aware.

So, that's the update. Hoping for a great visit with Dr. Narkewicz in Billings on Thursday. We will let you know how it goes. Until then...enjoy the rest of your week.