Sorry for the delay!

We've had some problems with the internet at the Ronald McDonald House and I haven't been able to update the blog for the last 48 hours.  I am currently sitting in a McDonald's down the road in order to send out this update - that's commitment!

Hope is doing very well and the medical staff continually comment on how impressive she's been after surgery.  We are feeling so blessed by the progress Hope has been making since her surgery.  She has now been weaned off a couple of her medications, they've turned down her pain medicines and are talking about the potential of extubating her tomorrow!  We are trying not to get too excited about this just in case, but we would absolutely love to see her adorable face again.

Yesterday, the surgeon came back and closed Hope's chest. This was a great sign, as it means they don't see any sign that Hope will need the heart/lung machine.  Once they pull out the line that runs to Hope's atrium that measures the pressure, she'll be cleared to transfer back to the NICU, when a bed becomes available.  They planned to pull the line today but weren't able to after an IV in her hand failed and they didn't have enough lines to give all her different medications.  That's hard to believe when you see how many lines they have coming out of her right now!

We would be thrilled if they removed her breathing tube, her atrium pressure line and lowered her morphine consumption again.  Hope is currently not on any heart medications, as they took her off her last one today.  This was a big step for her and we were thrilled.  The doctor told us that if Hope is extubated tomorrow, it will be the earliest HLHS post operative extubation he has ever seen.  That is proof of the power of prayer right there!!

Hope, being so stable currently, makes me feel more relaxed and allowed me to leave this afternoon and go home with Sadie to take a nap.  It was a great feeling to get some extra rest and to have Sadie back too!  She was so excited to see her baby sister again and seems to understand that Hope is her sister.  Hope still has a lot of openings on her torso from the chest drainage tube, her PD catheter and her LAP line.  We look forward to all of these being removed as it will greatly lower the risk of infection and make it safer for us to bring people into the hospital to meet her.  While she is still exposed, we feel like it's not wise to introduce new germs into her world.