Saturday, April 18, 2009 - On our way home on Friday night my parents 
called and asked if they could do us a favor. Of course was our answer! They decided that they would go up to the hospital early Saturday morning so Lee and I could stay around the house - clean up a bit - play with the dogs - and take our time getting into the hospital. It ended up working out remarkably well. We called the nurse this morning and she told us that Elle was going to have a big day ahead of her. OT was going to work with her on feeding and she was also going to be moved into a "big girl bed." I personally hate the "circus cage" beds they move babies into that are doing well - but the "bird cage" means Elle is doing well enough to no longer need the heater. Lee and I thought we were going to make it into the hospital by noon - just in time for OT to work with Elle - but the weather was so bad here that it took us 2 hours to get to the hospital. It didn't help that we had to stop to get more snaps so Lee could fix more of Elle's outfits! Estrella, our day nurse, had given Elle a bottle at her 9:00am feeding. She took 5cc of milk by the bottle. When OT worked with her at noon - Elle took 3 cc of milk by her bottle and then fell asleep. Eating is a lot of work! My parents spent the morning with Elle and I kept getting updates and pictures from my dad. I am so thankful he has a blackberry! The only scare we got was when Lee got an email asking what Elle's oxygen saturation levels were supposed to be at. This immediately raised red flags for the two of us and I called my dad in a slight panic that something was happening and we weren't there for it. No worries though - the nurse from the night shift has taken the leads off of Elle when she weighed her and had neglected to re-set the limits of what Elle's oxygen saturation is supposed to be - so the alarms were going off every 3 seconds w
hen Elle would take a breath and her oxygen level would drop. Because of Elle's heart condition - her oxygen limits should be between 75 to 95. The limits on the machine were set from 85 to 95...which is a huge difference...especially for the people that are there that have to listen to the constant alarm going off that something is wrong. Vickie and Lee's grandmother, Meme made it up to the hospital before we did. Meme was able to hold Little Elle for a while. I think she has the magic touch because Little Elle looks quite content! It is so much easier to hold her now that she doesn't have too many wires and tubes to deal with! When Lee and I finally made it to the hospital, they were ready to move her into her bird cage. I didn't take any pictures of her new home because it is still too sterile - I need to dress it up a bit before I post any pictures! The big girl bed means we are one step closer to coming home - we just need Elle to start swallowing the milk! This evening, Lee and I got to give Elle a bath (which is still a 2 person job because she hates every minute of it). Lee then changed Elle's diaper and suctioned out her nose and then he got to try to feed Elle from the bottle. It 
was a total daddy/daughter day! Elle is doing extremely well on her breathing out of her nose. She seems so content now and is also staying awake for more and more of the day. Her eyes are open and she is focusing on different people and things. She just looks around all day! She hasn't had to have any Tylenol in the past 2 days so I am thinking that her pain has greatly diminished. She has also been taken off of every medication she was on. She only gets a multi vitamin. The only IV she still has in is the PICC and they are running saline with heprin in that to keep it cleaned out in case they need to use it for anything. She has the most dirty diapers out of all the kids on the cardiac block which means that she is tolerating her feeds extremely well - now we just need her to figure out suck, swallow and breathe!! We were living life one hour at a time for the first few weeks Elle was in the NICU, now we are living life 3 hours at a time because that is when Elle gets fed! One thing at a time!! I have to keep reminding myself...baby steps...baby steps...the Lord will guide her and help to teach her all in his wonderful, perfect timing. She may figure it out tomorrow or she may figure it out in a week - there is only 1 person who knows and he will be revealing his plan for our little eater all in due time!
called and asked if they could do us a favor. Of course was our answer! They decided that they would go up to the hospital early Saturday morning so Lee and I could stay around the house - clean up a bit - play with the dogs - and take our time getting into the hospital. It ended up working out remarkably well. We called the nurse this morning and she told us that Elle was going to have a big day ahead of her. OT was going to work with her on feeding and she was also going to be moved into a "big girl bed." I personally hate the "circus cage" beds they move babies into that are doing well - but the "bird cage" means Elle is doing well enough to no longer need the heater. Lee and I thought we were going to make it into the hospital by noon - just in time for OT to work with Elle - but the weather was so bad here that it took us 2 hours to get to the hospital. It didn't help that we had to stop to get more snaps so Lee could fix more of Elle's outfits! Estrella, our day nurse, had given Elle a bottle at her 9:00am feeding. She took 5cc of milk by the bottle. When OT worked with her at noon - Elle took 3 cc of milk by her bottle and then fell asleep. Eating is a lot of work! My parents spent the morning with Elle and I kept getting updates and pictures from my dad. I am so thankful he has a blackberry! The only scare we got was when Lee got an email asking what Elle's oxygen saturation levels were supposed to be at. This immediately raised red flags for the two of us and I called my dad in a slight panic that something was happening and we weren't there for it. No worries though - the nurse from the night shift has taken the leads off of Elle when she weighed her and had neglected to re-set the limits of what Elle's oxygen saturation is supposed to be - so the alarms were going off every 3 seconds w
hen Elle would take a breath and her oxygen level would drop. Because of Elle's heart condition - her oxygen limits should be between 75 to 95. The limits on the machine were set from 85 to 95...which is a huge difference...especially for the people that are there that have to listen to the constant alarm going off that something is wrong. Vickie and Lee's grandmother, Meme made it up to the hospital before we did. Meme was able to hold Little Elle for a while. I think she has the magic touch because Little Elle looks quite content! It is so much easier to hold her now that she doesn't have too many wires and tubes to deal with! When Lee and I finally made it to the hospital, they were ready to move her into her bird cage. I didn't take any pictures of her new home because it is still too sterile - I need to dress it up a bit before I post any pictures! The big girl bed means we are one step closer to coming home - we just need Elle to start swallowing the milk! This evening, Lee and I got to give Elle a bath (which is still a 2 person job because she hates every minute of it). Lee then changed Elle's diaper and suctioned out her nose and then he got to try to feed Elle from the bottle. It 
was a total daddy/daughter day! Elle is doing extremely well on her breathing out of her nose. She seems so content now and is also staying awake for more and more of the day. Her eyes are open and she is focusing on different people and things. She just looks around all day! She hasn't had to have any Tylenol in the past 2 days so I am thinking that her pain has greatly diminished. She has also been taken off of every medication she was on. She only gets a multi vitamin. The only IV she still has in is the PICC and they are running saline with heprin in that to keep it cleaned out in case they need to use it for anything. She has the most dirty diapers out of all the kids on the cardiac block which means that she is tolerating her feeds extremely well - now we just need her to figure out suck, swallow and breathe!! We were living life one hour at a time for the first few weeks Elle was in the NICU, now we are living life 3 hours at a time because that is when Elle gets fed! One thing at a time!! I have to keep reminding myself...baby steps...baby steps...the Lord will guide her and help to teach her all in his wonderful, perfect timing. She may figure it out tomorrow or she may figure it out in a week - there is only 1 person who knows and he will be revealing his plan for our little eater all in due time! 
3 comments:
Way to make me smile!!!!!!!!!
LEE the BEE - YOU ROCK!!!
OOPS!!
That other comment was for the previous blog about Lee and the snaps. I think that is amazing.
But MOM....you are amazing! You are so positive. I can't help but see this light around you as I read each blog. I want to come visit again, but I can't until after next week. At the rate Elle is going....she may be home by then. And then...we can come up and bring you guys dinner!!!
Are you still wearing that Positivity is Power bracelet? I swear that helps. If you are, then I will send one to Lee in the mail tomorrow. Let me know!
We love you!!!!
xoxo
Thank you Lord for protecting, guiding and healing our dear sweet Elle. Thank you for the amazing faith that Lisha and Lee have in You Father, and the way their testimony has and will continue to touch so many. Oh Father, continue to bless, protect and comfort this precious family. We thank you for answering our prayers and look forward to the day when Lisha and Lee can take their baby girl home. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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