***GOOD NEWS UPDATE***

Steven (for Jamie)

Today has been a good and blessed day so far!!!

This morning we awoke to the fairly rough realization that we were scheduled to go home without our precious angel. In fact, it was hitting Jamie really, really hard. Not a surprise; it's tough enough as a father, but I am not sure that I, or any guy, can really ever understand the emotions or, some form of, guilt that go into growing/delivering a baby that isn't just "perfectly normal". But, it wasn't long before the good came along to wash away the bad!

Ellie has been doing good (the same) overnight. They moved her ventilator down to 40 breaths per minute late last night. At that time, her O2 was set at 25% (just 4% over plain air we all breathe). Her nurse, Lisa, was under some instruction from Dr. Tolentino to see what she could take and have much Ellie was ready to step forward. The lowered her ventilator O2 all the way to 20%; which she didn't like too much. So we went back up to 28%, but that's just fine!

While lying around awaiting our impending "doom", Jamie (Ellie's nurse today) came into Jamie's room and said "Why don't you guys just stay here over the weekend?!?" Jamie L. had a BIG grin on her face when asking this; and Momma Jamie LIT UP...BIGTIME!!! So, that's good news number 1. We don't have to fight "the great blizzard of Spring" to come be with our angel. Not that a little snow would have stopped me!!! So, while officially discharge, the wonderful, truly wonderful, people here at Deaconess have made room for us right by the NICU - 232.

Now for an even better note!

Ellie has being doing SO SO SO GOOD that they removed her (unsightly) umbilical IV. They said from the beginning that it didn't go just where they had hoped so it wasn't of much use and that was ok. They also told me that it didn't hurt in anyway because they are no nerve ending in the umbilical cord. Of course, thinking of how sensitive belly buttons are, I just thought it looked like it hurt so, Daddy was plenty happy it was gone!

Tthe best note (so far...as we believe and pray God has more in store today)!

ELLIE's CHEST TUBE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF OF SUCTION AND SET ONLY TO WATER SEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!! This means everything is holding and working just like it is supposed to and her little lung is staying inflated well enough that soon she won't need the tube!!!

So much for a short update!!! But, I don't really care...I'm still over the moon with that little girl (and her Momma too)!

While typing this, Dr. Tolentino's nurse practitioner Julie came in. They are bringing Ellie a "tanning bed" to thwart any jaundice that kind of looks like it is starting. Gonna do another EKG later to double check Ellie's heart murmur. They just want to monitor her duct to make sure the opening is staying small; if not, they will administer some medication to close it. All is a-ok.