Greetings, All.
We hadn't noticed that Elsa and Jonas had went out on the town and got some professional photographs taken as a Christmas present for us. Jonas also agreed to have his handprints taken in exchange for a slightly higher allowance in 2014.
Elsa had another good day. The doctor indicated that it is good to have 'no news' days for little ladies like Elsa and so we celebrated not having a ton to report. She is gaining a little weight...she is now at 570 grams (1 lb, 4 oz). Her blood test for infection came back clean...we now need to make it 48 hours with no new or recurrences for her to be officially clear.
Jonas is still waiting for his promotion to a new ventilator. The doctors and nurses have been weening him quickly from his vent--but he finally started to put up a fuss and now needs to ween a little slower. Jonas is also gaining weight...he is now at 700 grams (1 lb, 8.5 oz). He is now on a continuous feed line. We hope he continues to grow and grow and grow.
We are becoming very familiar with the routine of visiting the NICU. The first step is the hand wash. Signs everywhere warn of the danger of infection to the newborns in the unit and as such a premium is placed on being ever vigilant with hand washing and hand sanitizing. There are two sinks that greet us as we enter the NICU. Above the sinks is the sign "Wash your hands to your elbows for three minutes". I prefer the one on the left while Mari is a fan of the right one. My sink, as yet unnamed but I have a feeling there might be one coming soon, has some personality. To turn it on you must use the lever at thigh-level. At this point there are two settings, super fast and slight dribble. An additional challenge is that the temperature has two settings, arctic freeze and two degrees warmer than the surface of the sun. We wash up always with our eyes fixed on the second hand of the clock next to the sink. Three minutes is a long time to wait when all we want to do is see Elsa and Jonas. But we also know that three minutes is nothing if it is that extra precaution that will help.
We are so very grateful for the prayers and words of support from all our friends and family.
God Bless,
Dan & Mari & Elsa & Jonas
More small victories, yippeeee! We will continue our prayers.
ReplyDeleteOoohhh... I can't get over how TINY their little hands + feet are! They are SO CUTE! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeletePraise God for "no news" days, and progress! We continue to keep all of you in prayers! We love a GREAT BIG GOD who does miracles in a huge way!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
The Kantola Family
Thanks for your good reports for the good days. Glad to hear that weight is movin' on up. Grandpa Paul is trying to coax and guide GR Grandma Mabel into opening your "blog" whilst in the nursing home with Gr. Morgan. Kind of a fun story, of interest. Mabel is tearing her hair out to see some actual photos on your blog site. So, she is "bribing" any warm body who will open up your blog site, as per Grandpa Paul's instructions. She's getting closer. Maybe tomorrow the "activities director" will accept Mabel's highest bid--cookies?-- or something of that sort. She is getting desperate. I don't blame her. Your photos are wonderful and personal and hopeful. Keep up your enthusiasm and spirit, Dan. We are each sharing with our Lord, our thoughts and prayers for you all. They are intense and heart-felt. And you don't need any reminding that we keep hearing about your weather and that you are all stuck with---kind of a real Minnesota winter. Happy New Year to the four of you, DM&EJ.
ReplyDeleteLove you, Don and Delores