Saturday AM Update

After an emotional night (to say the least) Madelyn's respiratory rate is finally steadily below 100. We are told that the normal respiratory rate for newborns is between 40-60. Madelyn's was hanging out between 105-117 throughout the evening and she was on anywhere from 35%-42% oxygen. If her rate touched 120 they were going to transfer her to the NICU at TMFHS (which is thankfully right across the street). Her respiratory rate is right around 99 (but we are still celebrating anything that is not 3 digits!!) and she is on 36% oxygen. They have stopped trying to ween her off the oxygen as every time they attempt this her condition seems to worsen rather quickly. She is in great hands. Her day nurse was pretty much a God send. Madelyn is the only one in the special care nursery here, so she got some great one on one attention!! Tonight, her nurse has been just as vigilant. She has allowed Luke and I to change a couple of her diapers...this girl has pooped and peed A LOT! Praise God for dirty diapers, right?

Madelyn must have known we needed a reason to laugh because the first time her daddy tried to change her diaper she gave him a big present to clean up. He opened the diaper and said "goo...what is all that?". It was rather humorous. Apparently none of us warned him about the "tarlike" consistency of newborns first diapers. I laughed so hard as Luke attempted (heavy emphasis on attempted) to change her diaper.

We are confident that Madelyn will be well soon. We know that she is in great hands. We are sure that our God is in control. None of that makes it any easier to watch our little princess struggle to breath under an oxygen hood with wires sticking off of every part of her body.
At moments the urge to just pick her up is overwhelming. It is apparent that she knows our voices. Luke's touch and voice calm her like nobody elses seem to (probably because he spent the last few months talking to her through the "big dark hole" that was my belly button). She is already a daddy's girl.

We will know more in a few hours about whether or not the spot on her lungs is pneumonia. She will have an xray soon that should indicate this a little more one way or the other. Whether it is a collapsed lung or pneumonia, the doctors said her care would not really change at all. It will just be a gradual healing process.

I should be discharged some time today and moved to a "courtesy status" so that we can continue to stay up here with her. Her doctor had previously told us she would be going home on Sunday at the earliest. This was before she was put back on oxygen. We are learning patience as this is something that cannot be rushed.

We are SO thankful for our amazing family and friends. We have been so encouraged by the steady stream of visitors, flowers, phone calls, facebook messages, emails, and love that has been shown to Luke, Madelyn and I. We are blessed to have you in our lives and we thank God for you.

Pray for Madelyn's continued progress. Pray for our patience. We are anxious to hold her in our arms, free from monitors and bandages and IV's (heck...I'd take holding her with all of that on her at this point!!).

*Kathryn