Gallstones and One Month

This post is going to be a little bit disgusting. I want you all to know that you can feel free to stop reading any time. We'll start with the pleasantries: yesterday, Ivy celebrated her one month of being alive anniversary day. Luke kept calling it a birthday, which it's not, but I'm not sure what it is.
The truth is, we Bangerters (referring only to Luke and myself) are not too good at the whole "celebrating special days" thing. We just aren't. In Luke's case, he is the type of guy who would do anything for me any day of the year, so I can forgive him. In my case, I'm just lazy and forgetful. I guess we celebrated the one month day by giving Ivy a bath. Ivy is really iffy about baths. The first few, she screamed like we were murdering her, and though she's gotten more tolerant, she's still very wary. I heard somewhere that putting a washcloth on a baby's tummy will make them feel better, so we put washcloths all over her in the hope that she would feel absolutely overwhelmed with security and support.

I really love giving her baths. Sometimes I feel intimidated by this tiny little person, but then I put her in the tub and see her dark eyes darting around wildly and her scrawny arms and legs flailing and I remember that she needs me completely. The last few baths, she hasn't even cried. What a doll.

It just goes to show that if you chew hard enough on your fist, you can get through anything! So, I promise that this is the last time I will talk about my gallstones. BECAUSE THEY ARE GONE. More accurately, my gallbladder is gone, and since it housed gallstones, they are also no more. I went in early Friday morning and they made me wear one of those weird hairnet things and I think I got the best sleep I've had in months. When I woke up, I had 4 tiny little holes in my abdomen and pictures of my gallbladder. Ivy did great during the whole thing. She slept a bunch and Luke and I basically passed out for hours and the nurses went crazy over her. I asked the doctor if I could look at my gallbladder, and he said that I could just look at pictures. I was planning on asking him if I could HAVE my gallbladder, so I'm glad I didn't. Do you want to see the pictures? They are gross!

That white thing is my gallbladder! How NASTY is that? It gets worse.

That is my gallbladder all splayed out and opened up, and those are GALLSTONES! Those horrible little demons caused me the worst pain of my life, and I wish I could have them so I could smash them with a hammer. But I suppose it's enough that they are rotting away in some surgeons garbage can right now. Maybe. A few weeks ago, we took Ivy to church for the first time and she was blessed. She wore the same blessing dress that I wore, back in the day, and I probably hated wearing it just as much as she did. She cried during the whole thing. Oh well. I love my contrary little imp.