"Happy Halloween!"

Well today is a great day for more an one reason. First Ava is healing leaps and bounds! And well second I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday! I went home last night to go to Lexis and Emeline's school conferences. They are doing very well considering all that they have been through in the last 4 weeks. Yes and today is Ava's "4 week mark" of becoming sick. It seems like a thousand years literary. It feels strange to go home because we aren't all there. So I did get some of Ava's favorite things, like her couch and her toys. I think that once she starts feeling like getting up and moving we won't be able to keep her in one spot.

Yesterday they took a picture of her lungs and they look pretty good. Actually the best since being put on the ventilator. Her right lung has fully expanded and her left lung looks fine as well. They still think her right lung does all the work but I beg to differ on this opinion. I'm just overjoyed that she is off the vent and doing well all on her own.

So we can't feed her until they do a swallow study test. This will determine if things are ging down and just where they go and end up at. The goal of course is for them to go from stomach to small to large bowel and then OUT! BUT we may still have problems with her fistulla sealing and healing on it's own. See they are really watching because some times they close on their own but then cause a bowel obstruction. This would not be good. If it does this then we will not be able to feed her until after her final closure/fix her surgery.

The good things that make us think her fistulla closed and is doing fine is that her stomach drain is putting out very minimal drainage. Her tummy has gone down about 2 cm. She has had no fevers! Her numbers are returning to normal, which means her body is healing inside and out. To give you and example, on Tuesday they took her blake (stomach) drain out and today I looked at it, during dressing change, and it has tissue completely covering the bottom part of it. The skin has closed half way around it. I was shocked! A good shock. Another wonderful thing is her pectus is back! I know this sounds strange but I missed it. I love to see things become normal, well her normal.

She decided on Wednesday night that she had enough of the dressing covering her head and so off it came in one swipe. I was sitting right by her bed and was shocked that I couldn't stop her in time. The good news is that it looks really good. Her arm is looking better everyday.

She has been coughing a little more. She has been sounded plugged up last night and this morning. That to me is a good sign. Things are drying out.

I just finished giving her a wash clothe bath. I brought her Aveno from home and boy does she smell nice! Her little head is so adorable. The girls are coming up tomorrow so I can't wait. They will be going to another "Child's Life" class from 10-1. The class will talk about, worrying. Perfect for them at this time.

Ava is down to one antibodic, one antifungal medicine and her lipids and fat drips. Can you believe this? I am amazed at how she has turned around in just a week. She amazes me over and over again.

Please keep the prayers coming. WE know our time here in the PICU is drawing to an end. We love the staff here. I just have to say, Thanks you to Kim, she is so nice and helps me whenever I look confused, which is a lot. Our nurses are so wonderful, caring and very supportive. They are always stopping by to see how Miss Ava is doing. I think next week they will probably move us to the pediatric surgery floor for her to recover the rest of the way. I am very concerned about the germs all over again. I suppose I will have to make some very cute, "Wash your hands" and "No visitors" signs. Oh I think I will go crazy with all she could catch. My dream would be to be discharged from the PICU but that is all it is a dream!

She has come a long way but we still have so much to work on. She needs to be able to walk again and to EAT! Hopefully we won't be her forever. God has been so generous to us and we thank Him for all three of our beautiful daughters.

Here is some pictures of yesterday. The girls are holding Joey and Josh's new puppy, "Patches!" He is adorable!




Now here is a few from yesterday. Thank you Amber and Sienna for the knitted head band and horsie. She looks so cute in the headband.




Now here are a few from today. Yes her costume is not on yet but here is a picture of it. Why I don't have it on her now. I'm waiting until later. The kids are going to come by her window and we want to put it on then.



These are her about an hour ago. She loves her baby. Their heads look the same! So precious, huh?





Okay one last picture for Halloween today. Here is Miss Ava's "Halloween Eyes!"



I also forgot to mention that I did video her extubation so if you want to see it you have to go back to the, "She's extubated" post. It is really neat to watch. She hold up her "Little People" cd so that they can't see her face. She is always a step above them you know.

~Terri