Holding Bennett, Moving Out of Intensive Care and A Prayer Request...

Today they took Bennett's chest tube out as well as the pacing wires that were going to his heart in case he had any arrhythmias(he didn't) and the nasal canula is out as well so Mr. B is a little more comfortable. He's eating great-taking 4 ounces at every feed and could probably take more but they want to take it easy. He still has not had a bowel movement so we (meaning the nurse and I) tried to give him colace by syringe- that was fun! I think he swallowed maybe half and spit out the rest so we'll see if that helps. That seems to be his only real pain right now- constipation which is common after surgery so I think once he gets things moving he'll be a happy camper!

The doctors just came in and said that Bennett is doing so well that he doesn't need to be the intensive care unit and will be stepping down to the cardiac nursery-yay! And it looks like we will be getting a private room again! We were able to get into the Ronald McDonald house which is really nice but with this private room I am able to sleep right next to Bennett so that's been wonderful. God has answered all of our prayers thus far and we couldn't be happier and we're just soooo thankful!!

I want to mention a neat encounter I had yesterday and a prayer request. While I was pregnant I was on the Baby Center website and joined the Down syndrome Pregnancy support group. All the women on there were either in my shoes or had been there and it was a wonderful support for me. I "met" a girl named Kristin on there and it so happened that her son was due just 2 weeks after Bennett and had the same heart defect and would be having his surgery at CHOP with Dr. Spray like us. We didn't think it would be at the same time though but wouldn't you know that it ended up her little Liam had his surgery just 2 days before Bennett and I got to meet Kristin yesterday while waiting for Bennett's surgery to be done! Things like this just don't happen people, they happen for a reason and it was so nice to meet this girl that went through what I went through during pregnancy and then now with surgery. Her son however did not have a successful surgery and had to be taken on and off the by-pass machine several times during surgery and as far as I know may still be on it (called the ecmo machine) She said it was touch and go for the first 2 days but when I spoke to her she thought that he was coming around and was going to be okay. It just breaks my heart because I know that could me Mike and I. I've see many parents just waiting in the wait area, clinging onto hope and prayer that their baby will be okay and it's really very sad and scary. So please pray that Liam will come through and recover from all of this and for peace for his parents. Last night the nurse said that the doctors could not come to see us until later because there was a very sick baby across the hall that they needed to focus on and I'm just hoping that it wasn't Liam and that of course that this baby was okay. I have not seen Kristin since yesterday.

Here are some pics from today...

The nurse propped him up with a boppy and he really seemed to like this.

Holding my boy!

I'm so happy!

Yes, we're exhausted. Hopefully I will get better sleep tonight as long as Bennett is able to rest.

We are getting ready to go to lunch and then packing up to go to the step down unit. Maybe tomorrow we will know more about being discharged!!