Baby, You're a Firework!

Lydia had a terrific weekend and continues to impress her nurses.  She is now off of all IV medications and feeds, and her drainage tubes from surgery have been removed.  Lydia only has her feeding tube for breast milk and her nasal cannula for oxygen.  She is getting minimal oxygen assistance, but we're still working on weaning her off of the last bit.  Her pain medications are being delivered through her feeding tube, but she's only receiving them a few times a day.  It's so wonderful to be able to hold her with only 2 tubes instead of 10 to 12, and it's much easier to change a diaper!  The only hurdle we have left is feeding.  Lydia's Occupational Therapist visited yesterday and gave us some oral stimulation exercises to do with her 5 to 6 times a day.  Once she starts sucking we can move on to better things, like eating.  In the next few days Lydia may be moved out of the ICU to a regular hospital room on the Cardiac floor.