His little butt is in the air!

Now, before any of you start to comment or give me a lecture about the use of such words, I figure butt must be a medical term because that statement was one made to us by Shiloh's doctor today. ;)  She came in and said, "His little butt is in the air!  That's a great sign!  It's like a thermometer in the NICU.  If you feel good enough to put your bottom in the air, you are feeling strong!"

Today was a great day!  After that affirmation of his progress, I had a short conversation with the doctor about the state of things and what is to come.  I asked her about whether or not we are watching to see if he is going back on the vent, and she said no.  She then emphatically told us he won't be going back on the vent.  The nurse then tried to caution her by pointing out his low blood gas numbers and she shushed her by saying, "Yeah but that was taken as a (medical term here that means they were taking the blood from his heel) so it's not as accurate.  Look at him.  He's pink and healthy!"  She then turned to us and said, "Yes, we look at the blood gas, but we look overall at the baby because the baby is going to tell us more.  Like yesterday.  I went to put that arterial line in and he kicked me in the head and started throwing a fit.  He then grabbed his vent tube and pulled it out of his mouth and started crying at me!  I knew right then that he was better than his blood work had been showing.  If you are healthy enough to beat up the doctor, you are doing pretty good."  The reason she was trying to put the peripheral arterial line in anyway was because she suspected the blood collection from the heel was giving inaccurate numbers.  His fit just didn't fit with the numbers they were getting.  He is pink and moving and breathing, and other than needing some oxygen, he is doing fine.

The doctor also told us he would be weaned off of the sedative in the next 24 hours or so.  Lungs sound junky but not bad.  When I asked her about the next brain scan, she said they would do one at 30 days, but she expected he would be HOME by then!  So, according to her timetable, as long as all goes well, she plans on Shiloh being home in the next 18 days.  Before she left she told us she would not wean oxygen today because it was his first 24 hours on just oxygen, but she would begin pushing a rather aggressive weaning tomorrow.  She said she has two boys of her own she pushes (one was a preemie) and she will push him just the same.

Overall, it was a very good day.  We have come home for the night for church and for Carrie to do other final touches at the house, but Carrie will begin spending most of her time there tomorrow.  We aren't sure how yet because the hospital isn't in the best part of town, and the 5th wheel parking is at the very back of the parking lot.  She isn't sure she feels safe staying there alone at night, and I am not that comfortable with it either, but we don't have the $700 she would need to stay in the hospital.  So, we are working on that plan.

Our prayer requests:

1. His advances remain advances
2. His lungs would get better and stronger
3. He would pass all of the milestones he has to in order to leave NICU
4. We could get some rest
5. We could work out what needs to be worked out for Carrie to feel safe

Again, thank you all, and we love you.