CV ICU Day # 4

I promise I will start getting more creative with my posting titles! Elle's day today was definitely better than yesterday which makes me keep repeating the mantra "day by day." She woke up angry a few times today but was able to be calmed down to the point where she would turn her head and watch tv and then eventually fall back asleep. While she was a lot calmer while she was awake, her blood pressure was still extremely high so she is still getting versed and morphine as needed to help bring her blood pressure down. The plan for today was to again let Elle rest. They lowered one of her medicines that helps her heart pump to hopefully help bring down her blood pressure. She stayed on the ventilator today and they exercised her lungs a few times by doing vent tests. Hopefully, they will pull out the breathing tube tomorrow so our little princess can get back to normal. She still has pacing wires in her chest and a chest tube that is draining blood/fluid from the surgery site. The drainage has greatly decreased in the last day, so hopefully that will be pulled tomorrow too. During the day today, I had to sit back and take count of the little things that make me smile throughout the day... Wonderful nurses who indulge our love of animal prints by bringing Elle a cow print heart pillow. All cardiac patients get a heart pillow after surgery - this was the only animal print one they had and our nurse grabbed it before anyone else could

Our wonderful night nurse last night that gave Elle a bath last night and then had her dressed in pink socks and a pink bow for us this morning when we walked into her room

My darling husband who this morning in an attempt to appease Elle, gave her the tubing from her blood pressure cuff to hold because if he gave her his finger, he would have had to stay all day (she has a pretty tight grip when she is holding your hand!). He gave it to her this morning at 8am and when we left her room at 11pm - she was still holding on to it!

Those big blue eyes from the most precious baby! My heart melted every time she woke up today and would look at me with those adorable eyes

Elle looking at me while I signed to her. My signing skills are limited but whenever she would wake up I would tell Elle "I love you" and tell her she is such a beautiful, smart, silly girl.

Elle's precious pouty lip that would stick out when she was mad. I love that little lip and while my heart breaks every time she tries to cry and no sound comes out, I still smile at that precious little lip.

We continue to pray for God's perfect timing for our little princess. He knows when she will be ready to come off the vent. He knows when she will be ready for food. He knows everything about her and all we have to do is follow Him to see where the path will go!