Quick Update

I feel like there's been no time to update. I'd say I've been busy, but to be honest, it's not busy at all. Just a lot of traveling back and forth to Columbus and hours of sitting in the NICU with our beautiful little girl. Already I'm two weeks into my maternity leave and I feel like every day there is wasted and I'm getting closer to going back to work. I feel like it's seriously cutting into the quality time I'm supposed to have with our new family member.

We've been in the NICU for a little over two weeks now and the only thing we are waiting on is for Callista to consistently eat all of her bottles. She eats for us almost every time. Unfortunately, she does not do so for many of the nurses. Casey and I try to be there as often as we can so we can be the ones to feed her. She has a feeding tube in her nose right now, and my feeling toward this is that it looks way too inviting. Callie is an extremely slow eater. She finishes her bottle, but takes her entire thirty minutes to eat. It takes a lot of patience during feedings and although I'm not there, I suspect that after 10 or 15 minutes, some of the nurses just give up and take the easy (and quick) way and just put it down the tube. And if this continues to happen, we're NEVER getting out of there!

I brought up my concerns today and they came up with the idea that we will spend the night with her tomorrow evening in our own little room. They'll take the tube out and for 24 hours, we will do all of her care and see how she does. If she does well, then we actually have a chance at discharge. I'm glad I voiced my frustration today, otherwise we'd still be stuck in the same situation for lord only knows how much longer.

And just some random info. The blood pockets they saw in her head are still there but haven't expanded or changed, so the neuro isn't concerned. Her shunt looks better each and every day and so far we've avoided the revision that we thought for sure was coming. She'll get one more MRI before we are discharged to check her head pressure and the setting won't be adjusted until she shows symptoms of not being able to stand the pressure. Ortho was worthless in their report so no news there. We are only cathing every 12 hours now instead of every 8 (woo hoo!). And we met with the myelo coordinator a few days ago so that's taken care of as well. All that is left is to get this feeding thing over with and bring baby girl home.

Wish us luck!!!!