A day of firsts

Over the past couple of days Mary Cate has still had some problems with her blood counts being off. They are just not normalizing like the doctor had hoped. Yesterday she was given 4 different types of blood products (cryo, FFP, platelets & whole blood). She has a consult scheduled with Hematology and hopefully they will be able to help figure out whats going on with her. They should be by in the next couple of days.

But TODAY was a great day of FIRSTS! Mary Cate had her first poop early this morning, so we were excited about that! I was able to change her diaper for the first time. She is continuing to pee off good amounts of urine. And the biggest news is she is now off her ventilator!!! For the first time she is breathing on her own. I was so excited when Dustin called me and told me that this afternoon, I rushed right over to the hospital to see her. She is now on CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), which is a HUGE improvement for her. She has a funny little bonnet thingy that holds the oxygen on her nose, so it actually looks like she is more sick because her face is all covered up, but she is doing much better as far as lung function is concerned. And the last 'first of the day' was hearing her cry for the first time! It was the most quiet little sound, but at least I could hear her make noise. With the ventilator in, she would cry, but no sound would come out, it was the saddest thing in the world to watch, but now I can hear this faint, weak little cry and I loved it! Slowly we are making progress and continue to hope and pray that she will keep on getting better.

Zack & Court have been such troopers through all of this. They just hop in the car and go where ever it is we take them. Zack I think gets that I had the baby, but has told me several times that my belly still looks like she's in there, thanks buddy! And Court just lives everyday with a smile on her face and Zacky by her side. I don't know what she's going to do when Kindergarten starts here in about 10 days. She'll be lost with out him. My mom has been here all week long shuttling me and the kids around from here to there. She is so loving and giving of her time to me and my family. She is one of the busiest people I know managing the OR, being the RS president back at home and at a moments notice was down here by my side helping us along the way. I could not have made it through this with out her. I love you mom! My sweet mother in law is making yet another trip down here next week to help us get through it as well. I keep telling her its like she lives with us, poor thing has been down here 4 or 5 times since we moved 3 months ago. But we always love having our Gramma Goodrich around, she's wonderful!

Thanks yet again for your continued love, support and prayers. I'm still learning everyday how to cope with this huge life event, somedays I do better than others, but we are getting through it one day at a time.