Today the sun came out in DC. It has been quite rainy and gray the last few days. Baby Z's room has had the blinds drawn since the day we arrived and since both his parents are sun lovers I asked if we could open the blinds and let some sun in. They let me. It lifted the spirits of us all. There really is power in sun light.
It was also sunny in spirit today. Baby Z is one week old and doing so well! He has been completely weened from his blood pressure medications, is down to 25% on his oxygen (the goal is 21%), is down 5 units on his nitric oxide (he is now at 15), and they have been able to move down the different pressure levels on his ventilator to get him closer to the numbers needed to transfer him to the new ventilator. There is even talk of taking out his chest tube tomorrow. The future is bright. He has also needed less sedatives which means he is awake and aware more. It is so wonderful to see his eyes (they are blue for now). And to see his fighting spirit. This evening when Grandma and I went to visit they were having trouble keeping him from pulling on the ventilator tube. They had both his hands pinned down under blankets but he kept wiggling them free. He's got fire.
Since Baby Z is doing so well the nurses are letting Mom and Dad get more involved. We get to take his temperature and change his diapers. Baby Z sprayed Dad for the first time (and we are sure not the last time) and got quite the shout out of him. In Dad's words "it was like a geyser coming at me."
As for other activities...
Dad has created detailed charts to track Baby Z's progress and stats - every three minutes. Thus he spends most of the day staring at the monitor. When he is not charting he is quizzing the nurses and doctors learning all he can. We've determined he is the one who will be documenting this medically.
Mom is in charge of the emotional tracking. Whether I am typing up this blog (which is a form of therapy right now) or talking and singing to Baby Z, I am all about emotions. Most of my days are spent by Baby Z's bedside, amidst the looming monitors. It doesn't bother me as much - it is starting to seem oddly normal. I don't spend much time thinking about my own recovery but I do know I have been sustained by the Lord in all my activities.
And then there is big sister. She is getting the most of out this deal. The Ronald McDonald House has a huge playroom full of toys and huge stuffed animals. She is in heaven. Plus everyone just keeps giving her free stuff. She is a bit nervous every time Mom or Dad or Grandma leaves - she has become super attached to Grandma, we all are - but overall she is handling things very well.
We are tired, a bit stressed, and learning to balance our new life but we are happy to be together as a family and feel amazingly blessed. The sun has come out.
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