Good Day!

What a difference a week makes! Last Monday I was in tears sitting next to a very sick baby. Today I was greeted with good news. Elizabeth is having a great day. She has been tolerating her feeds, digesting almost everything. She has gained a whopping 2 ounces, so she now tips the scales at 1lb and about 6oz! Her chest tube was removed this morning and she had the best chest x-ray yet! Her lungs are clear and open. Elizabeth’s blood tests show no more sign of infection. The best news is that they are going to try to take her off the ventilator tomorrow, if she continues to do well through the night. Elizabeth will have another machine that will help her, called a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP. This blows air into her lungs to help keep them open, but Elizabeth must do all the breathing work herself. I was told not to be surprised if she has to go back to the ventilator, most babies have to be put back on after 12-24 hours because they often just get tired.
It is great to share goods news, but it is hard not to wonder when the other shoe will drop next and what it will be. Unfortunately life in the NICU is not a smoothly paved road. We are praying that we have seen the worst, but have to be prepared for more bumps. Thanks you all for your continued prayers and messages of support, they are very comforting to us.