I arrived bright and early to find 3 nurses trying to hold Alondra still. They had just gotten orders to cut back on the meds so Alondra knew that meant it was time to wake up. After a half hour of fighting with the baby while the team got everything in order, the tubes came out. She immediately turned over and arched her back with that horse cry trying to get comfortable. But the breathing was great which is the important thing. For about the next hour there was no position that was comfortable. She'd find her thumb for about 5 seconds and then have to roll over again. We got her into my arms as quickly as possible, but I wouldn't call what I was doing holding her. Rather it was catching her as she jockeyed for the next position that was only comfortable for about 5 seconds. Soon Mom arrived and took her turn. We lost an IV in the process, but the backup Lori put in earlier in the week was waiting.
Now Alondra is able to rest. I think she got enough of the drugs out of her system. She still hasn't slept for more than a few minutes at a time. But she is starting to drink clear liquids. At first she was pushing the bottle away - it must've really hurt to swallow. But she's getting more comfortable with it all.
We saw Dr. Soumkh just before lunch. He's very pleased with how clear Alondra's lungs sound. There's still a lot of gunk that she needs to cough out, but her airway is clear and wide. He said all goes well and we should be able to bring her home in a few days. I asked why he kept saying 3 to 6 weeks and he went on and on about how difficult it is to predict how well the kids will do and that he was thinking she'd need the posterior and the anterior graft, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, we're very thankful she's doing so well.
The baby in the next room was extubated soon after Alondra. He's only a few months old and just had a heart procedure. He's doing well too. And somehow the Vikings found a way to beat Carolina. So it's a great day.
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