Our First Days in Step Down

Here we are in our cozy step-down room! We got here yesterday around 1pm. Emma Kate is doing great! She is eating ok with the Portagen, considering how gross it smells (and tastes, I'm sure). I think she's just glad to have food in her belly. Dr. Kirshbom said he was going to leave her alone for a few days and monitor her chest tube output. The word is that she will have it in through tomorrow, maybe Monday.

Emma Kate just had an x-ray, which is part of her daily routine. When she has her x-ray, we lay her down on a little table and hold her arms up by her ears. Of course, she cries when we do this. But today I noticed this bulging part of her abdomen, right underneath where her chest tube comes out. The nurse practitioner looked at it when we got back to the room and said she wasn't concerned. It was probably just a muscle that comes out when she cries. They did a lot of moving things around during the surgery, so it is just some part of her body that has to heal. Friends, please pray that this is nothing major. Of course, I am worried, like any mom would be. It is a scary thing to see this part of her body bulge when she is crying. It isn't hard and it only pokes out when she is crying. The doctors don't seem concerned, so I will try not to be.

Everything else is looking good, so far. She was taken off any supplemental oxygen this morning and her sats are where they should be. Other than that, it is just a waiting game. I don't know how long we will be here. I hope we're gone early next week, if all goes well. Again, thank you so, so much for your prayers!