Days 9 & 10

Both days are blurry as they we busy and I'm exhausted.  Shayna returned to us yesterday.  She still doesn't move much, but her mannerisms and reactions are the full Shayna (no more paralytic in her system).  Things got better today as she actually pickup one of her tiny ducks and was happy in a supported sit (you have to treat her head like a newborn's as she has too little stomach muscle connection to hold it up on her own yet).  She gets more interactive with the world each day as her pain diminishes and her belly heals.

I fed her too much too soon on day 8 so she didn't want to eat yesterday since it had hurt her the day before.  I did a lot of coaxing to get 4-1oz feedings during the day (she's on 10ml/hr from 9pm-9am (~4oz total)).  I still had to do coaxing today but it was a lot easier with a total of 7oz in 5 feedings.  Her feeding tube bothers her a bit as is slides up and down a little which irritates the throat making things a little harder.  As she tollerate more food, they'll up her night continuous feeds through the tube.  Once she gets her daytime feedings up to 20oz reliably, they'll pull the feeding tube.  Right now it really helps both of us to have it in for her night feeds since just picking her up with all her tubes, wires, and sliced belly is a 2 person job.  It gives the person on night duty a chance to nap. 

Michael and I are switching night time duty.  I don't know how I would survive without that as she was really fusy last night so kept him up most of the time.  She responds well to him and finds comfort from him, a blessing for all three of us as I get to sleep, Shayna is "happy", and grandpa feels loved by baby.

I almost forgot the biggest news.  We moved from the PICU yesterday to a regular room.  Our nurses attention is now divided among 3 patients insteads of the 1:1 which sucks but we have a lot more freedom (I can eat in the room, there's a floor fridge for food, more than 2 people can be in the room, etc), a bigger room, and our own bathroom.

Medically Shayna continues to do well.  Her liver numbers continue to drop and are nearing normal ranges (T. Bili 3.4 today).  She got some more blood due to low red blood cells and was back on diuretics for the day.  No fevers.

I'm going to eat a little so I can turn in soon since baby is asleep.