Better day - Sat 4/21

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your posts, note of encouragment and prayers!!!  I wish I could respond to each one of you to let you know how very much your words and prayers mean to me!  Better yet, I'd love to give you a hug!  I feel so very blessed to be a part of the body of Christ - in a way that I have never experienced in my life.  This is a sweet balm to my soul.  I thank God for each one of you - those that post, those that pray, those that have taken an interest in my precious daughter and our family.  Your words of support in having her in our home instead of the hospital are very encouraging.  Your prayers for her - and our family are much appreciated!  I am continually overwhelmed by all of the love we have received over the last 4 months. 

Today has been better for Eliana.  She was smiling, "talking" and even once tried to laugh!  Oh, have I  mentioned how very thankful I am that these are skills that she didn't "lose" and have to relearn! 

This morning, I began giving her meds every 4 hours - alternating tylenol with the stronger med.  The only difficulty is that the tylenol needs to be given orally and I can't do it when she is sleeping.  The other med I give through her feeding tube which is really nice as it definitely all goes in and it doesn't matter if she is awake or not. 

She has only had one bad crying spell today and that was  tonight around 9pm.  I fixed her a bottle of pumped milk.  The consistency is a little thinner than what she has been getting.  She swallowed and began gaggin on it - a lot.  I think it hurt her or seemed like it went down the wrong way and she started crying and crying.  I wanted to give her some "good stuff" to help her system better manage with the narcotics she is taking.  Poor baby!!!  It's hard to comfort her as I feel I have to be careful with how I hold her so as not to cause more pain with any bouncing or moving of her chest/ribs.  I often just cry and pray as I sing to her or speak softly to her.

One of the songs that I've been singing to her a lot this week is one that Joshua (7) made up just last week.  It's sung to the tune of "Rubber Ducky"

Eliana, you're the one!

You make life so much fun.

I love you and you love me.

But, bet of all we're family.

Isn't that sweet?  She seems to like being sung to.

She has also been getting hiccups - something she did even in utero.  They have never seemed to bother her, until now.  Now they hurt her chest.  I can see it in her sweet face.  Thankfully she doesn't seem to keep them for a long time, but there is nothing I know of to do to help stop them!

Please continue to pray for her pain - and for wisdom in how much of her meds to give her.  Please pray that we would hold her in a way that doesn't hurt her.  Please pray that she wouldn't get hiccups for a while.  Please pray that her recovery would be smooth and swift.

I praise God for all of the good He has done in healing my little girl and bringing her home!!!

With love,

Leslie