Daily Hope: Monday

Hope: Day 22

The Daily Dose today is a picture of Hope's Dad helping to reposition her. Hope resumed her feedings today, which is great because that means she can get bigger and stronger!! The feedings are going well so we pray that continues. She is back onto room air with the ventilator and has continued to be weaned off the Dopamine (for blood pressure) but still has to take that. Her chest x-rays showed some regression, but overall things were doing better than yesterday.

According to very credible sources (Hope's mom and Grandpa), Hope misses her Aunt Em; however, she allegedly also misses Christmas Bear and Kwanzaa Zebra. Hope can live without Aunt Em, but take away her little friends and she gets mad!! Grandpa said that Hope was very active today, kicking and moving her arms around. In my opinion, she was totally throwing a temper tantrum because Aunt Em wasn't there. Yes, that's definitely what was going on. Aunt Em must go back very very soon!!

Hope: Day 20

Hope: Day 20; laying on her OWN ladybug blanket with a new hat

Hope's First Feeding!!!

Hope had a great day today (rating from the scale will begin tomorrow). Last night she was getting too much oxygen, hard to believe, so they took her off the jet ventilator and put her on a conventional ventilator. She responded very well and today was eventually weaned off the oxygen and was breathing room air by the end of the day!!! These were really great steps. Being on the conventional ventilator, Hope is much more active again, moving her arms around, being cute and everything.

Hope also had her first feeding of breast milk today! Her first feeding was 4 cc's. She took it very well and as far as we know, digested it well. She had another feeding tonight, so tomorrow we will know how that went.

As you will notice, Hope has begun her fashion show. Her first look on the runway (aka bed) is a red hat with a green ball on top. Rather Christmassy, but also matching the ladybug blanket her isolette is donning. Overall the matching hat and blanket were a big hit on the runway. The next look will be featured tomorrow.

Today, Aunt Em read Hope her first book: The Grouchy Ladybug. Hope really liked the story. She was a little scared at the Grouchy Ladybug and didn't understand why the Grouchy Ladybug was so mean. But at the end when the Grouchy Ladybug and the Friendly Ladybug ate together, Hope was happy that they could get along. Overall, the book was a big hit!! Kwanzaa Zebra & Christmas Bear also made appearances today.

Tomorrow will be another great day, I know it. However, it will be a little sad for Aunt Em as I am forced to go back to Chicago. I don't really want to leave Hope behind, but I know that she is doing great and I will be back in just a few weeks. Plus, the Daily Dose will continue with pictures.

Hope: Day 19

Hope: Day 19

Hope: Day 19

Hope: Day 19

Hope and mom

Hope's new friends: Christmas Bear & Kwanzaa Zebra

Hope and her Christmas Bear

Today was a very good day for Hope. She was weened off the Dopamine (for blood pressure) and did wonderful, keeping her blood pressure right where it is supposed to be!! Hope also had a very demanding respiratory day. The respiratory therapists were working hard with Hope today. After a respiratory treatment, they suctioned and they suctioned and they suctioned some more!! But is was very prosperous!! Slowly but surely Hope's lungs are starting to clear up. They suctioned lots of good gunk out of her lungs. And she has been reacting very well to the "aggressive respiratory treatment" today.

As you can see above, Hope has made some new friends. She now has two finger puppet friends to keep her company and tell her stories. They are "Christmas Bear" and "Kwanzaa Zebra". Yesterday, Kwanzaa Zebra told Hope all about zebras and safaris in South Africa, about how zebras run wild through the bush, and how someday when Hope is older, Aunt Em will take her on a safari and watch zebras. Christmas Bear told Hope about all the fun things that happen around Christmas time. Today Christmas Bear told Hope all about Christmas and how, just like Jesus, Hope is a gift from God.

Hope definitely likes her new friends, her heart rate stabilizing and her oxygen levels going up above the numbers her dad approves of. Her friends will be telling more stories tomorrow, but Hope has a fashion show tomorrow so there may not be as many opportunities for stories.

In other Hope news... The scoreboard has started. The game is between Hope and her dad. Only the beginning of a long running battle. Today's battle was with Hope's hat. Recently she had been fighting with her dad, dad puts hat on, Hope pushes hat off. Dad puts hat back on. Hope closes all her veins so she has to have an IV in her head, which means no hat. Hope wins. HOWEVER... we didn't begin keeping score until today, and today was a hat day. So the score begins:
Dad- 1; Hope- 0

Things to look forward to tomorrow:
another great day, Hope's first fashion show, an update on the scoreboard, a new rating system for Hope's days, a new rating system for dad's stress levels....