Two steps forward - one step back

Jeremy here. Well no pics today (forgot the camera) but we visited the hospital this morning. The doctor also called and spoke with Jess this morning and gave her an update while we were on our way in actually.

So apparently last night she wasn't tolerating her feedings very well (needs to maintain a lower respiratory rate for the most part) so they inserted a feeding tube. No more bottle feedings for now... She also needs to remain on antibiotics for the next 2-3 days as a precaution. I thought the doc had told Jess another 7 days, but he said 7 days total. He said that she could be transferred back to Reston Hospital if we would like her to be closer to home -- so he is checking with Reston to see availability. The earliest she would move back to Reston would be tomorrow if there was space. We are actually liking this idea since the Reston facilities are smaller and the nurses are nicer. We've found that the nurses and docs rotate so often at Fairfax that right when we establish a relationship with one of them, they are gone the next day. There are 26 neonatologists in the Fairfax NICU with many many more nurses. They have 6+ rooms on 2 floors vs. 1 room at Reston. We appreciated the round-the-clock access to the cardiologist but if her latest echo is the same as Friday she will be fine to return to Reston.

They have also upped her fluids to get her ready to remove the main lines in her umbilical cord. They won't let us pick her up or hold her until this happens. We pray that she continues to tolerate her feedings as they raise the volume through her feeding tube over the next two days to get her ready to go off the IVs. They will need to make a decision later this week whether to put a pick line in or not. We are hoping she is hydrated enough to not need a more permanent IV and can get by for a couple days while they ramp up her milk intake. A pick line would also require another series of x-rays and mean that holding her and breast feeding would be delayed until the end of the week at the earliest.

Thanks again for keeping our family in your prayers...

Jeremy