she just keeps getting better...

Two days post-op and we couldn't ask for better results...Mia is doing sooooo well.  Her tummy and chest are pretty swollen from the operation, but she is nowhere near as puffy as she was when she was on the ECMO.  Her ventilator settings (pressure and rate) were lowered this morning, and her Morphine was decreased. Her UAC (umbilical IV) was removed this morning, since she now only requires a blood test every 24 hours. She has still been hanging out under the photo therapy lights, but hopefully they'll be removed tomorrow. The best news of the day is that if she continues on this path of improvement, her ventilator might be removed by Friday, and then she can start being fed. I'm trying not to get too excited because Friday still seems a long way off, but I know my little girl is definitely on the mend.

Tonight, Ryan and I popped in to say good night to Mia just in time to see her little eyes uncovered for a bit. The nurses perform an evaluation on her every four hours, which includes things like taking her temperature, repositioning her little body, drawing blood if necessary, listening to her heart and lungs...AND turning off the photo therapy lights for a little bit to give her eyes a rest from the goggles. She was so alert tonight with her little goggles off. She looked around and moved her little arms, and we had a good "conversation." It is the most alert I've seen her yet. After about 45 minutes of checking things out and fighting off the sleepies, she fell asleep with my hand on her head. It was almost like putting her to bed - a very special moment for sure.

The resiliency of these sick little babies and kids just amazes me. I can't imagine going through what she has gone through and recovering so quickly.

I am expecting big things from this little girl over the next few weeks. She has a lot of family anxious to meet her, especially a big sister who can say, "Meeeee Ah" very, very well. And I'm anxious to have our little family of four under one roof, even if that roof is the roof of a trailer under the roof of a shop.