Ella did not sleep well last night. Maybe she wanted to wake up to celebrate the new year.

Her heart rate seemed to go lower last night, closer to her baseline. However, she is still not saturating real well and is requiring more oxygen. At this point, we’ve determined that it is probably not fluid. But we are not sure what it could be. I noticed this morning that her nose was extra stuffy but seemed to get better and minimize as the day continued. Also, she does seem to be retching a lot throughout the day.

I think that is the frustrating part. We can tell that she is not great, but cannot determine the culprit. Nothing is real clear, except that we know something is off.

It was a low key day hanging around the house. We tried feeding pears today. She tolerated a few bites and then decided that she was done with her oral workout. We’ll keep trying more.

We are having her sit up more throughout the day. Her endurance has gotten much greater over the past few months. Whether it is sitting in her chair, on our lap, or in her exer-saucer, it is good to have her out of the crib more often. You can tell that she is anxious to get moving one of these days. She wants to roam, but her physical limitations don’t allow her to get there. Maybe 2009 will have the first crawl or step.

We’re hopeful for a good year in 2009. Our heart’s desire is that Ella continues to grow strong and get healthier. We would love to stay away from the hospital this year. The goal is for her to gain weight and get stronger without acquiring any illnesses and that she can outgrow some of her current issues. Above all else, we’re just thankful for where He has us today. Last year on New Year’s Eve, we were still hanging out in the NICU in Florida!

What a difference a year can make. We are looking forward to reflecting next year at this time!

Happy New Year to you and yours from Josh, Tina and Ella Renae “The Bun” West!