bye, bye CPAP!

It's a good day at the hospital for this family of 3!!! Madelyn is OFF the CPAP machine. She is still on 26% oxygen through a nasal cannula for now but it is not being "pushed" in like it was with the CPAP. This morning her respirations per minute were around 55-75 on the CPAP and are now in the 40-50's range since she has been off! PRAISE THE LORD! The doctor said the next step is to "push" room air through the nasal cannula once she is weened off the oxygen but that they are not in a hurry. Her x-rays looked like there was improvement, but they were taken while she was on the CPAP (which pushes open the lungs) so we will get a better idea of how everything looks from tomorrow's x-rays. Luke and I just spent some time with her and she looks great! She is still trying to pull the nasal cannula out, but is a lot happier with it than she was with the CPAP. It is so great to be able to see all of her little face again. The doctor said that I may get to hold her this afternoon and depending on her afternoon blood work results and if she keeps her respirations down she may get to feed through a gavage (basically a tube that is inserted down her throat). Her little legs are really starting to get skinny so we can't wait to get some food in her to get them thickened up! All of this is so great and exciting...Luke and I are celebrating every step she takes, large or small! Did I mention I may get to hold her this afternoon?? Gosh, I feel like even though we weren't at church this beautiful (I can tell because we have great big windows in our hospital room) Sunday morning, we felt His presence in a mighty way. I am confident that our prayers and those of everyone who knows about this little sweetie are heard and that God is being glorified!! We know that she still has a more progress to make, but are so encouraged by the progress she has already made.Madelyn and her #1 man! Does that look like a proud daddy or what?
I love having "family pictures" taken...there will be many more to come, you can count on that!
Telling her how excited I am that I get to hold her this afternoon! She told me she was excited too. Ha!
Her daddy could not help but take lots of pictures of his little girl. Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash.
"Daddy, lay off the flash already!! You have taken 500 pictures of me in the last few days...don't you have enough?" (500 is no exaggeration either folks...if anything it's under estimating)
She is so peaceful and happy now! I love to look at her!
"Hallelujah! I CAN BREATH!" Madelyn is praising the Lord on this Sunday morning too :)

I am sure there will be more updates to come today as we monitor how she responds to the nasal cannula, possible feeding, and getting to be held by her proud parents!!

*Kathryn