Friday Micah update

Micah looks SO much better today.  I convinced his doc to take out his scalp IV yesterday because it hadn't been used in 2 days.  Then they took a line out of his left arm overnight too and gave him a sponge bath overnight.  It's so nice to see his hair without a bunch of tape in it (the nurse taking that out last night was questioning the overkill... I think it was related to the fact that it was so hard to get a line into him on Saturday that everyone was extra protective when they got said line in).

They turned down the rate of his ventilator at 11am and ran bloodwork at noon.  Blood gases look good, so they'll turn the rate down again at 5pm, run labs at 6pm, and then go from there.  If that continues, they will extubate him tomorrow (Saturday).

Micah still doesn't have bowel sounds.  They are hoping that will change after he's extubated and more alert.  They will likely not attempt to put food into his stomach again until they hear bowel movement.  He still has a bunch of extra fluid in him too, but he's peeing well.  Okay, how do you define the word "peeing?"  Does it count if it's simply coming out of your bladder into a foley?  Personally, I think of it as more of an active/intentional verb.  I just asked the nurse.  Officially, he's "making urine," but not "peeing."  Got it.  But I digress.

Some of you have asked how you can help, be it near or far.  If you have small kids who are praying for Micah, you could ask them to draw or paint some fun pictures for me to post on his walls.  If you're local and want to join the meal or babysitting crew, let me know via Facebook or email.

But another way you can serve us is to serve others by you.  It is sooo much easier on us than it is on other families who are here who do not live close to a pediatric hospital.  There are many families over at the Ronald McDonald House for MONTHS at a time.  You could get a small group together and pick a night to cook and serve a meal to families staying there.  We enjoyed those meals tremendously when we stayed at the RMH in Milwaukee 3 times in 2008.

I can't wait to hold my boy!!!