"HEAR" he is.

I was up at 5:15 am.
Time to rub the lidocaine cream on the tops of Lincoln's hands an hour before he went to the hospital.
It was SUPPOSED to numb the area where they'd hook up his IV.
(Supposed to--as the operative words here.  It didn't work.  Poor fella.)
Ben wanted to be with Lincoln for the surgery.
He didn't like the idea of me and little Sammy at the hospital, so he took the day off to be with Lincoln.
I sent them on their way, a backpack stuffed with Lincoln's favorite blanket and stuffed snake.
He was a little cautious this morning.  Scared and nervous, he said.
The opposite of yesterday.

I took Lincoln shopping last night. 
He could choose any flavors he wanted within certain categories:
popsicles, yogurt, jello, pudding, and gatarade.
Hello, CHRISTMAS!
That's how he felt.  He said, "You mean, I can choose ANYTHING I want!?"
Sweet boy, he practically skipped through the whole store.

(I was so glad we had something exciting for Lincoln to do because at the exact same time, Ben was getting ice cream with the big boys--a reward for consistent stellar performance at school.  They were getting lazy about spelling tests and needed something to work towards, ahem, to reaquaint them with their more academic selves.  It worked.) 

Ben checked-in often, giving me updates.  The surgery lasted 30 minutes.  I'm surprised you can remove tonsils, adenoids, and put tubes in both ears, ALL in 30 minutes.  Thankfully, everything went great.  I was able to talk to Lincoln on the phone, but he kept falling asleep because of the anesthesia.  While I waited, I got the couch prepped for him.  Base camp for recovery. 

Really, I just wanted him home.  I felt strange not being the one at the hospital.  I kept thinking about if something happened to him, some fluky allergic reaction or complication, and I wouldn't be there for him.  I'm his mother, the nurturer, the comforter.  I had to put those thoughts on a shelf and let them be.  It's times like that when I have to remind myself that God knows all.  And if that's true, and something DID happen, God's tailored that experience for a reason, for us.  Even knowing this procedure is extremely common, I'm still relieved that Lincoln survived:).  It's just like me to briefly entertain worse-case scenarios on occasion.

Lincoln's home now.  We've hung out on the couch all day, eating popsicles, playing footsie, and watching "The Andy Griffith Show" episodes from the library (almost done with season one).  I'm delighted that my kids love that show.  I did, too.  They sure don't make 'em like they used to.

I hope we can stay on top of his pain.  That he'll recover without hurting too much.  I whispered his name this afternoon, "Lincoln, can you hear me?"  Eyes closed, he nodded.  That was he best thing of all.  I am so grateful for modern medicine, for doctors who know what they're doing, for my little boy who can hear again. 

In spite of it all, today was a good day.