How we love to hear.... "negative!"

"Ava can you get any cuter?"



Hey to all out there in web~land. Ava has yet once again astounded us. We started trainer her at about 21 months. She did alright but never got it fully. Well now that her schedule is all messed up and we are still here at the hospital she is all about finally letting me know when she has to go potty. When she pees or poops she hollers and then takes off her diaper. I am shocked. So one of the first things we will do when we get home is set out her potty chair. It wouldn't surprise me if she gets it down fast. She hates the diaper feeling. Now our next problem is trying to find underwear that fit her tiny bum!

Some cute pics of today......

Another bath this morning. "Mommy do you have to take a picture of me naked?"



Lazy girl this morning.




This is her g-tube.



"See my tummy?"




A proud girl and her tummy!






She is still drinking water and blue Gatorade.




We are out taking a walk. She is only hooked up to her g-tube feeds but off the TPN! (But will be hooked back up in 5 hours. She loves the break.




She is still doing Fab! I have not asked the doctors out flat when we are going home but the nurses have said that the date is Monday. (tentatively) For me means...MONDAY! There is absolutely NO reason for her to stay. She has completed what they requested her to do. She is tolerating her feeds of 8 ml's over an hour. (A great start!) And she is pooping. Things are moving through! She only threw up 30 ml's today. (One ounce!!!) Oh it was CLEAR. NO MORE GREEN! I am so happy to see her doing well. I can't wait to go home and sleep in my own bed. I long for sleep. Ava has been sleeping all night long for the last 4 nights. However I can't sleep well when the nurses come in to give her meds. So it will be so nice to get back to our normal.

She was NEGATIVE for C-diff. Did you hear my sigh of relief? That made my afternoon. We really don't need one more thing. The girls both have bad, coughing colds. I know that they will have to wear masks at home and I'm ready for the fight on my hands. They miss their sister so much. We need smooth roads ahead.

Ava is a little fire~cracker. I do feel like I am in prison though...."Barney and Wiggles prison!" She is walking around the room checking things out. She climbs on the couch and chairs. I take her out of her bed first thing in the morning and she only goes back in her bed to sleep. Somewhere along this journey she has become paranoid of falling. It doesn't make things any easier that her bed is so darn high.

She is now down to 19 hours TPN. (Central line feeds) I think tomorrow she will be down to 16 hours, where that is where we will probably be at home as well.

Okay I had to pause and go to her she was pointing at her diaper and hollering. She pooped again. (this is the second time today!! Sorry poop makes me happy. I'm so used to only seeing it every 4-5 days.) This time it was starting to turn more yellow, instead of dark green, and it is starting to form!! (Pausing again to do the "happy poop dance!")

Last but not least....as we were taking our walk tonight I stopped and took a picture of the Iowa Hawkeye's stadium that is right across the street from the hospital. So this is for all you people that will never come to IOWA because you think it is only the "Corn" state. We love Iowa because it is slow paced. One great thing is you never have to wait 2 hours in long lines of traffic. I sure don't miss that about Philly! Brian and I have lived in Iowa our whole lives, with the exception of living in Camden NJ. for Ava's birth and recovery. I do have to say Brian is not a "Hawkeyes fan." (Just for the record.)



Please say extra prayers for Miss Ava that she can get out of here tomorrow! We need to be at home. We know her healing takes off there! She misses playing "Guitar hereo", who would have know? Thanks again for dropping by!

~Terri