Yep, it came as a total surprise…they moved Ella to the NICU 2 today around 3pm!

Actually, they were running out of bed space in the NICU 3 (normally, they do not send babies down while they are still on CPAP). So, it was not quite a graduation, but we know she would not have been moved if they did not think she was ready for it.

Fortunately, I had taken today off work as a vacation day so I was able to assist with the transition and get Ella used to her new space. On another good note, she was placed on a quieter, more private area of the NICU 2 right next to Par. The day consisted of lots of holding, rocking, cuddling and talking to Ella. It was a good time.

Nurse Marla took care of Ella this morning in NICU 3 and mentioned that she saw her do some “retching” about 30 minutes into her feeding (set at 60ccs continous over 1 hour). This might mean that we need to go a bit slower on the feedings to let her tummy expand some more (maybe try 60ccs continous over 1.5 hours).

Also, she was weaned down to a pressure of 3 on the CPAP machine. Steps in the right direction!

Dr. Kays came around this afternoon. We talked for a few minutes and he examined Ella, mostly by talking to her. He let me know that he is very happy with her progress and thinks “she looks great”. That is never a bad thing to hear!

When I left at the NICU at 6:30pm, Ella was fussy. She seemed over-tired. I trusted that the nurse would be able to calm her down. Apparently when shift change occured, Ella was still upset and had her lovely bluish tone to her skin.

Nurse Linda who took over for the night figured it out – – she picked her up out of bed and talked and played with Ella. Then, she calmed down. That was all she wanted.

By the time I brought Daddy back to see her tonight, she had just fallen asleep. She was very comfortable and sleeping hard. Her stats looked great (heart rate around 150, saturations at 100 and breaths per minute around 65).

Seeing her stats look this good was very comforting. We think it means that maybe she will be able to tolerate breathing without CPAP later this week. That maybe she is really getting stronger.

Dr. Kays wants her at a CPAP of 3 through Wednesday. If she can maintain her great stats through the next 3 days, he wants to try the nose cannula on her this week. We feel confident that she will stay strong to take that next step. We just don’t know if she will be able to maintain on just the nose cannulas with oxygen support. We hope so…what a perfect holiday gift.

Par seemed to be doing good today – – just working on his feedings and enjoying his mommy for the majority of the day. On the other hand, Jonathan does not look good. Although I talked to Jasmine this morning and she still seemed hopeful, the tone changed this afternoon. A nurse from NICU 3 came down to the NICU 2 to look for the “comfy” chair since Jasmine was going to get to hold Jonathan for the first time. Normally that would be exciting, but under the circumstances, I am sure it was tough for Jasmine. She is still trying to remain hopeful that Jonathan will defy all odds and that God will provide a miracle. Please pray for her and Chris as they endure this incredibly painful time.

Please pray that Ella will remain strong and be able to reach other milestones this week.

Also, Ella’s great grandma was admitted back into the hospital on Saturday morning. Please pray that she can regain her strength. Finally, Ella’s grandpa Jack has been very sick since the fires in San Diego. He has had trouble breathing from the smoke inhalation. This week, he went to the hospital and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Please pray for the Lord to heal his body and restore his breathing.

We thank the Lord for this time and we trust that He has a plan.