Monday, June 26th

While I love Riley and all that they've done for us and our little man so far,... I'm so ready to blow this popsicle stand. It's been the biggest emotional roller coaster and, just when I start to think we're in the clear, something else comes along. Holden's recovery from surgery has gone really well (minus the failed extubation, obviously). His breathing has been great since his second extubation, feedings have been great, he's been super alert... Everything's been going so well these past few days that Jose and I may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves in thinking these next couple of days would be the last of this trip.

The doctors did their usual rounds this morning and, while they didn't exactly deliver any bad news, there are a few more things they need to do before we leave and it's now looking like we'll be here for another week. The Plastics doctor said he should be done turning Holden's distracters on Thursday, but that if we get discharged before then by the speech team, that we'd be able to finish the turning ourselves, at home. This got us excited because he did so well drinking from a bottle last Friday and through the weekend that we were expecting the speech team to do a swallow study either today or tomorrow and then we'd possibly be discharged after that. However, when his NICU team doctors came in they said the swallow study likely wouldn't be until after he's been fully distracted, which would be Friday at the earliest. Let down #1. There was also hope that we'd eventually get moved to another floor (one with less rules and it's own bathroom), but they don't see the need to do that unless they need his bed for a new patient. Let down #2. But then they also mentioned doing an ultrasound on his kidneys, as his blood pressure's been a little high, so that put this mama's mind into full worry mode, once again.

I can take the being stuck here longer than expected, but when there's a possibility that something else could be wrong with our little man, the anxiety and worry take over and I'm sick to my stomach until we're back in the clear again. So, continued prayers are appreciated my friends.