What a Difference a Day Makes

No more air hoses, no more meds, our little Zachary is doing much, much better!  We arrived at the NICU around 11 this morning and got all of the updates on Zach's condition.  He had improved greatly through the night, and had been feeding from the bottle all night as well.

Things are shaping up fairly nicely, his only drawback at this time is his incision along his back from his surgery on his birthday.  It seems the very bottom 1/2 inch or so is pulling slightly apart and not healing quite the way they would like it to.  Dr. Handler was to come by and examine it this afternoon and they started Zach on some antibiotics just to insure the area does not become infected.  So at this point we cannot bring him home until his wound is fully covered over and healed, so we do not have a target date at this time.  In the grand scheme of things this is fairy minor, and we continue to pray for Zach's healing and a trip home soon.

Today was a pretty busy one for us. After arriving and getting his updates, we had three surprise visitors to the NICU.  Wanda, Dave, and Tom all came down to see the little guy and bring some Christmas cheer (and some delicious chocolates!).  Thank You to them for the surprise and for the short time they were able to spend, we love when friends can come and visit.  After a diaper change (Daddy's getting pretty good at avoiding any "troubles" that come about now!) and Zach's first breast feeding since Sunday, we were able to get him to sleep and headed out for a quick lunch.  When we returned Zachary was wide awake, quietly staring at Fiesta the polar bear, and not fussing or crying at all.  It was fun to engage with him and hold him for a short period of time while he was awake. Until this point the only time we saw his eyes for any time was during feeding, or if he was in discomfort.  After Daddy read Zach a few books, he slept for a short time, then awoke for his next feeding. The routine continued; wake, feed, burp, sleep, and Mommy and Daddy headed off to a couple of Christmas Eve dinners, and allowed Zachary to rest and slumber, awaiting the overnight arrival of Jolly Old St. Nick. 

We just got off the phone with the NICU and it seems the incision is going to take at least a week to heal properly, so our journey continues, and Zach's stay in the NICU has been extended yet again.  Please continue to pray for Zach's healing, and keep the wonderful words of support coming, we can't thank you all enough. We wish you all a very blessed and peaceful Christmas, and may God continue to strengthen us all.   - Brian + Kimmie