Fresh Breath

We have really been amazed at this little girl of ours.

It seems that every time we visit her there is a change of device or medication that reflects her progress & is meant to allow her body to continue moving forward.  The C-Pap only lasted a day.  She was so fussy with it on, yet showed such good progress & stability, that they quickly moved her on to a cannula.  She is much more comfortable with this & has continued to have good numbers.

"I just love my new breathing apparatus!" 

The fact that we have now both been able to hold her already is simply unbelievable.  Because of how delicate she was, we figured it would be weeks or months before we would be able to do that.  She used to get almost unstable in her heart rate, blood pressure & oxygen levels when a nurse simply turned her head.  Now she is acting more & more like a normal little baby who could be at home with us.  We were even planning a covert Thanksgiving day escape for her before coming to our senses. :)

Papa Time

There are, of course, still plenty of concerns.  Although the blood clot in her left ventricle hasn't enlarged at all, it is still there - which means there's always some risk of it causing a major problem, such as a stroke, if a piece breaks off & blocks blood flow.  She has also continued to lose weight a bit beyond where the doctors would like to see her (over a full pound since birth).  It was good for her to lose the excess fluid she was retaining, but at some point she will need to start putting weight back on.  However, they can't just increase her feedings abruptly because her digestive system can only handle a slow, gradual workload and it has been one area where she hasn't progressed as quickly.  So there is basically a continual adjustment in all areas as the nurses & doctors look to maintain a balance while at the same time nudging her along toward sustainability.

Overall, we feel extremely blessed with her progress.  She continues to defy the odds by showing tangible improvement with a heart that really should have no business (from a medical standpoint) supporting the rest of her body - to the credit of the One who gives & sustains life.