Well, we have had a much better evening. Zach and Meredith came up with Isabelle and Ava and as soon as Elijah saw them his eyes lit up. He started trying to say some words and wanted to interact with them and play a little. It was just the medicine he needed. So thanks to you guys for making his day!!! Alivia came up too and mom and dad were so happy to see her. Since then Elijah has started to answer all of our questions with a nod, and also tries to say a few words here and there. The best thing is that we were able to get a little smile out of him. It's sooooo much better to see him this way. I'm going to try and put picture on here of him smiling. Also, his blow-by oxygen fell away a few times while the girls were here and he was keeping his sats up, so for right now the nurses said we could put it aside and see how he does. His O2 sats are hovering in the low 90's and if they drop below 90 they would want to put it back on, so we'll see how he does. They are also talking more about moving him downstairs tomorrow to the oncology floor, which would be a step in the right direction. Our care has been so great that we will miss the staff, but we are always happy to take the next step. We have had the most incredible doctor the last several days, we just can't say enough nice things about him. Today when I asked him if he was really going to release Elijah to the oncology floor he said, " yea, I think that would be okay, we just think he is so cute and like you guys so much that we were just trying to hang on for a few more days. But, I guess I have to cut the umbilical cord sometime." We really couldn't have asked for a better doctor (really all the staff) during this very scary time for us. It's so clear that all of the doctors and nurses do this because they love the kids, and it's not just a job for them. We will be forever grateful for all they have done for us, most of all for saving our sweet baby boy's life.
Elijah's hemoglobin also jumped up to 11.4 this afternoon from 10.7 at 04:00 without any extra blood. This has also made a difference I think in his energy level and spunk. The sedation medication is now officially off since 16:00 this afternoon. He is still getting the methadone, but they have also decreased the dosage and frequency of that and will continue to until it's gone. I know we will have some good days and some not so good days, but it sure is nice to see him responding and a little happier. We sure love our squirt and will love him through his good days and love him even more through his not so good days. Thanks for all your continued love, support and prayers. Things are getting better, but we sure could still use some extra prayers until we're out of this acute critical stage. We love you all!!!