Hard to imagine

Cory wrote this last Friday night.

Stefanie and I are trying to stay calm as Monday morning approaches like we were walking the plank and rapidly nearing the end. I don't think I have fully wrapped my mind around the reality of the situation and I am sure that it will hit me like a ton of bricks as I hand over my child to a stranger. I know I have been a parent for a short time, but everyday teaches me something new about how my parents must have felt when I was a kid and scraped my knee, needed stitches or fell off my bike. I am watching Stefanie feed Jack as I write this and finding it more and more difficult to stay focused on the "blog update" as I want to squeeze our little guy tightly. These tender moments will return in time as Jack recovers and as Stefanie and I try to get back into our crazy routine of feedings, diapers, tummy time, work and all the things that make up our family life.

We will arrive at Children's Mercy on Monday Jan. 11, 2009 at 6:00am to check-in. Sometime around 7:30am is when we will say our prayers and hand Jack to the nurses and surgeon. We fully expect the surgery to last 6-8 hours, which will include pre-op, actual surgery and recovery care. We will be updated by a surgery nurse every 90 minutes or so throughout the surgery. After surgery Jack will spend some time in the PICU where he will receive 1 on 1 patient care. Sometime on Tuesday Jack will be released from the PICU to his room where we will stay for the remainder of our time at Children's Mercy. We will be sleeping in his room Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night.

Please feel free to visit if you can. Visiting Hours are 9am - 9pm and you MUST have ID to check in. We will update this site soon.

We appreciate the love that our families have shared with us and we will need your continued support and prayers.

Love ~ Cory & Stefanie