Saturday in ICU

Friday was HARD. It was a day of anxiously waiting for more information, of trying to console a scared and hurting Lucy, of battling with emotions over the diagnoses and the events leading up to it. Everything came to a boiling point Friday evening as we were moved to the ICU. I was snapping at everyone, doctor's included, and was having a hard time controlling my emotions. But people must have been praying, especially after our last e-mail update, because things rapidly improved from this point on.

The guilt was getting the better of me and I was at a terrible low point. The nursing staff changes for the evening at 7:30 and our nurse came in to introduce herself and check Lucy's vital signs. We instantly established a connection with her and began to feel more at ease in our new situation. Nurse Theresa was an incredible blessing to us and an answer to prayer as she helped us mediate between the world of doctors and hospitals and the protective instincts of Mom and Dad. We bonded over our common home-birth experiences (she is 36 weeks pregnant with her fourth child and still working 12 hour shifts!) and she was extremely sensitive to our needs. She arranged to have the standard hospital crib exchanged for a regular bed so I could sleep with Lucy and nurse her easily during the night. This alone made a HUGE difference in our ability to rest.

Friday night passed uneventfully and Lucy's blood oxygen levels remained high - a sign the medicine was working. Things always seem to look better when the sun comes up, and our spirits were renewed today as Lucy seemed to be stable and content. She's charming every nurse and doctor she meets and no one can believe she has anything wrong with her. She loves to look around at the activity and is an avid people watcher, chattering away as we hold her in the doorway to look out at everything going on. The doctors and nurses have been wonderful and compassionate and we are so thankful we can be at such a wonderful hospital where they are taking great care of our little Lucy.

Maryn has been having a BLAST with Grandma Carol and doesn't miss us a bit. She's been making playdough, and mixing pancake batter and baking cookies and soaking up all of the one-on-one attention. I was able to go home for a couple of hours today to take a shower and get a few things done. Maryn seemed to want more to do with Grandma than with me, which is how it always is when Grandma visits.

The GOOD NEWS is that because Lucy's medicine seems to be working and her stats have remained consistantly stable we may be able to GO HOME at some point soon. Hooray!!!