My datebook is very busy for the rest of this week. Last night I had a wonderful surprise when my Theresa, Jason and Joey all came over for dinner. Joey loves me so much and just kept trying to hug me and squeeze me – at one point, I was sitting on his belly and he just kept pulling me down to hug him some more. Joey also really loves my dog Ellie, which is good, because I’m too little to be much fun for Ellie right now, so Joey can keep her entertained until I’m big enough to play too. Joey loves our cat, Morse, too but Morse didn’t really love him back. I think Morse only likes the mom’s because she doesn’t even come around me very much. Just wait until I’m big enough to crawl after her and pull her tail, maybe then she’ll love me!
Today was swimming lessons with Thor and Dano, which is always a fun way to spend a morning. Thor was very excited to see me and kept coming over to give me kisses. I’m not sure how Dano feels about me, but I think he’s getting a little more interested. Mama C kept talking to Auntie CC and Jenna about my surgery, and how excited she is to see how much I’m going to change after it’s all done. They also talked about how they think I’m growing and I’m excited to tell them that they’re right!
After swimming, Mama C and I got home just in time to go to see my doctor at Children’s Aid for my very last visit with them. I was very happy because my foster mom Barb was there and she already has a new foster baby – a teeny tiny 3-week old baby named Triston. He’s getting adopted too and Mommy kept telling Barb to watch out because Mama C might try and take him too. I think it would be really fun to have a brother or sister, but I’m not ready to share the mom’s yet. I also got to see my adoption workers, Jacquie and Alexis, who were there to be part of my big day. And most importantly, I got to see “Cute Joe” who is the nurse at the doctor’s and all of the ladies think he’s very cute (but not as cute as me!). Even the mom’s think he’s wonderful, but not because he’s cute but because he’s just so nice. He weighed and measured me and everyone was so happy with how much I’ve grown! I’m in the 50th percentile for weight (11.5 pounds, which is impressive with how much I vomit) and I’m in the 90th percentile for height (66cm – I’m almost a giant!). This is compared to other kids with Down Syndrome because we’re always a bit smaller than typical kids, so I still need my weight to catch up with my height, but everyone is really happy that I’m growing so much. Cute Joe became less cute when he gave me my 6 month needles, which made me cry a lot but the mom’s were still happy because he offered to help them find a pediatrician (a doctor just for kids and something that’s very hard to find in Toronto).
After seeing Cute Joe and my doctor, the mom’s and I said goodbye to Alexis and foster mom Barb (who’s going on a much deserved vacation!) and we went a signed all of the paperwork that said that I’m officially placed for adoption with the mom’s! I didn’t see what was so exciting because the adoption won’t be final for almost a whole year still (the mom’s are on something called “Adoption Probation”) but it was the first time that a peice of paper said my whole new name and everyone today called me Lily, instead of Natalia (which was the name my birth parents gave me but is now my middle name).
I was super tired by the time we got home, so I just stayed up long enough to eat and have a bath and then I crashed out, which is good because we have to be up super early tomorrow because we have something called Pre-Op at Sick Kids hospital for my heart surgery next week. We get to spend the whole day at Sick Kids 
because they’re going to take some blood (I’m not happy about that) and then a chest x-ray. Then we get to do a tour of the hospital and help the mom’s know where everything is going to be while we’re all there, especially Mama C because she’ll be staying at the hospital with me. Then we’ll get to meet my surgeon and some of the rest of their team so that they can explain to the mom’s exactly what they’re going to do to make my heart better.
Then on Friday morning, we have to go back to Sick Kids (it’s kinda like my second home) to see the people at the GI clinic, who will talk to the mom’s about my Ng tube and about maybe moving to a G-tube, which will help make my reflux a bit better, which hopefully means that I’ll be able to start putting food in my mouth. I think people are a little worried that if I get the G-tube that everyone will just be happy about that and will forget about teaching me how to eat with my mouth, but I’m pretty sure that the mom’s won’t let that happen. I know that they’re already making me work hard – they helped me learn to suck my thumb and are now working on sucking a pacifier that’s been dipped in my formula. I think it will take some time for me to re-learn how to do it, but I think that I can. So, we’ll go and talk to the GI people and hopefully the mom’s can work with them to come up with something that works for everyone.
With all of this activity, I’m going to be super excited for the weekend. I hear it’s something called Father’s Day. I have the mom’s, so maybe for me this will just be Grandfather’s day instead!