Little, by little...

Click on the above picture to view the entire Day 7 album.

Today I had a good day. My mommy and daddy came to visit early and later my Aunt Melissa and Grammy and Pap came too. One of mommy's friends even stopped by. I like to look at all of the faces when I'm not sleeping... but I'm really sleeping a lot. I must have been through something really big because boy am I tired.

I'm still breathing fast but the doctors keep telling my mommy and daddy that I'm not working to breathe. All signs point toward recovery... it may just take a little more time than expected. I'm still breathing in that gas that lowers my lung pressures and tomorrow they may turn it off. My mommy worries about this because she doesn't want me to struggle to breath. She was holding me today and chanting over some strange beads when the doctor came in and told her to relax and enjoy me and to stop worrying about something that will fix itself in due time. I hope she listens to him... he seems smart.

My Aunt Melissa says that I have my mommy's eyes.... I don't think so because hers are all swollen and puffy and my swelling went away a few days ago. I definitely have my daddy's hair and skin tone and long arms and legs.... the nurses say that I already have the ladies in my back pocket... not sure what that means... I haven't even had any clothes on yet.

Today I turned 1 week old. At 4:57 my mommy and daddy sang Happy Birthday to me. It made me go to sleep. I watched my first Steeler game with my dad... he said it was good bonding time. I'm not sure what all the fuss was about.... men ran around on the grass and he cheered... I just slept :)

I'm drinking so much milk that my mommy can't keep up with my caloric needs so they are supplementing my diet with formula.... I'm going to grow to be big and strong. My dad predicts I'll be 6'5''. Maybe I'll play basketball.... have you seen the size of my hands? The doctors took out my chest tube today and another one of my IVs. I"m down to just one more.

Well - I'm going back to sleep now.... I need to get ready for tomorrow. I might come off the funny breathing gas and the Milrinone drip. The doctor even told mommy that there's a chance I may be transferred out of the ICU tomorrow ...this makes my mommy even more nervous and she told me that she will stay with me 24 hours a day. I'd like that. Daddy is going back to work tomorrow so that he can be on vacation when I come home. I'll miss him though... I like how he talks to me. Wish me luck!