Successful operation

Willow went for her operation this morning to repair a diaphramatic hernia, moving her liver back into position to allow her lungs to begin to grow. We'd been warned she'd probably take a step back after her operation, in terms of support, but she did so well she was on the exact same support after as before.

Briar went on another 9pm - 1am cluster feed last night. The midwives on the ward, who realised we'd need sleep to cope with today kindly took her for a bit - but I didn't actually manage to get any extra sleep because rather pathetically I was missing ivy too much. I doubt she's cried for me yet- I'm clearly more dependant on her than she is on me.

We went down in the morning to wish willow farewell for her op, leaving briar a bottle of her sisters expressed breast milk 'just in case' (willow is currently not getting any milk, but she will soon so I'm building her a freezer stash). We thought we'd sit and have a coffee in the cafe before coming back to the room to distract us from the 3 hour operation , but the cafe was cold and draughty so wasn't helping the mood. came back to find Briar just finishing off a bottle of milk- I was a bit surprised, I had assumed they'd give a breastfed baby mim out of a cup or off a spoon instead of a bottle with a teat- but it doesn't seem to have done briar any harm and it's good to know she will take a bottle if needed.

We passed our morning chatting to the cleaner and the lady who came to do briars hearing test (she passed), who Euan got to ask physicsy questions too. The surgeon phoned Euan to say the operation had gone as well as it was possible to go- there was plenty of room to put everything back where it needed to go and she hadn't needed her ventilation changed. He said everyone was standing about looking bored waiting for the ambulance to collect her looking bored because they had no stabilising to do. I like our surgeon, Mr Driver. He's the same height as Euan, so in my head he was like a family member taking her away. I was glad he wasn't too tall.

Aunty Kirsty came to visit in the afternoon, she held briar whilst we got our tea.

Briar lost her umbilical cord today (Ivy's lasted till day 10). She has a spectacular outey. Euan gave her a bath, since she's good at getting her feet in her dirty nappy. She's getting really good at sucking her thumb.

Ivy travelled South from Ullapool to East Kilbride with granny grant and pops. She stopped in gargunnock to drop off some stuff and saw grandma, grampa , Aunty sinead and Jacob. We phoned her in the evening, and unprompted she asked 'briar willow?'