July 31st - The First Trach Change

I'm not going to say it's more comfortable than the bed at the Rainbow House, I'm just saying that I have no problem going right to sleep in the reclining rocking chair in Annelise's NICU room.... which is why this update never got written last night!
I can't go back to bed (or chair, for tonight!) without documenting the day of her first trach change!  It happened early in the morning, and was done without any issues.  Now that she's passed that milestone, we can hold her again and start weaning off the sedation meds!
Holding is still tricky because of her chest tube.  The tube continues to drain fluid ☹, and today the output increased above yesterday's so much, that they gave her extra fluids in the evening because she was showing signs that she needed it like a high heart rate.  She responded well to the fluids and looked a lot more cozy after that, but she continues to drain from the tube, which means that the chylothorax is not healing yet.... which leads to remaining without food in her belly, just getting nutrients from an IV.  There is no set amount of time that it takes babies to recover from a chylothorax... we're praying that it resolves soon, so we can get that chest tube out!
I'm excited that Kevin is taking the day off tomorrow.  I'll be sure to get some good photos to document the day tomorrow!  Here are a couple of her snoozing tonight 😊
Her nurse and I decided that she looks like a quite proper baby with her little pinky up like that 🥰🥰🥰