Final Chapter

Well, someone needs to pinch me. I can't believe tonight is the last night Preston will have a damaged airway and tomorrow he will have the LTR surgery. We took lots of pics today and tonight. I want to never forget this day for so many reasons. It's been a long road but so worth it to be here tonight! We got up bright and early after a great night sleep for all of us. Didn't even have to suction P once throughout the night. That is always a nice treat when we wake up in the morning and realize he never coughed once and needed suctioning. The breakfast Hampton Inn serves is DELISH and once we got our bellies full, he headed to the Aquarium in KY which was great. Preston loved it and we didn't have much of a crowd (always thinking of germs) since we got there early. We took a nice walk along the river, had a light lunch, stopped by a candy shop to try the famous buckeye candy (its like a peanut butter cup but better). I had one bite and stopped myself b/c Graeters Ice Cream was on my to do list for a mid afternoon snack. SO WORTH THE CALORIES! I could write a whole paragraph on our ice cream experience there. LOL How sad is that? We headed back to the hotel room for Preston to get a nap and we laid down too. 3 hours later, we woke up and felt like a million bucks. Off to CCH for a tour of ICU and their new surgery waiting area. I am so glad Tim thought to book a hospital tour (even though we had been there before). We know exactly what to expect and what is available to us etc. The reality of his surgery being tomorrow FINALLY sunk in. We headed back to the hotel room to pack our bags for our hospital stay, give P a bath, and enjoy some down time reading books and watching a movie. If I could describe how wonderful and NORMAL today felt, I would. But I just can't. The amount of PEACE Tim and I both feel is surreal. We know God has Preston in the palm of his hand and tomorrow is going to go BETTER THAN EXPECTED! We just know it. We don't feel anxious or worried. This has been my prayer for so long because I didn't want Preston to sense any of our anxiety. I have repeated over and over "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." 4:6  I had a few very emotional days prior to leaving because I knew we would miss Reid terribly. I have not shed one tear since we left about being away from him (not yet anyway :) and I think its because I know we HAVE TO DO THIS FOR HIS BROTHER! It feels so good to not be an emotional wreck like I was afraid I might be. Is not like we left Reid behind because we wanted a lighter load coming here. Sure, its easier with one kiddo (and also a bit boring if you want my honesty *wink*) but we have a great reason for all that we are doing. It also helps to get pictures of Reid having a blast! :)

As we turn in for the night, Tim and I just want to extend a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to all of our dear friends and family who have supported us 110% on this journey. Your prayers tomorrow (11am is surgery time) will be felt and we can't wait to post updates throughout the day to keep everyone informed. Pics will be posted once I have time to upload them from my camera!