Day 9: More of the Same

We're happy to report that Vivienne had another great day! Her slow but steady progress is wonderful for her (and for us!), but it doesn't result in very exciting blog posts. Viv's oxygen support was under 50 today and her ventilator settings were reduced based on an encouraging X-ray that showed more of her good lung had opened up. The team did decide to increase her morphine a bit to make her more comfortable. Other than that it was a very uneventful day. Her vitals looked great and her blood gases continue to be encouraging. She also tolerated a lot of NICU noise and commotion and generally maintained her composure during routine care and a follow-up echocardiogram. It's weird having a baby that can't cry, and it's sad when it's apparent that she's trying. Luckily those moments are rare since they keep her pretty comfortable and sedated. Dave was able to get in some quality hand-holding time when she was receiving care, and I think it helped her cope with being poked, prodded, and moved.

This has been a great week so far. Viv's surgeon returns from vacation soon and will determine if she's ready for surgery. Hopefully the repair can happen sometime next week, but we're all comfortable waiting until she is ready.