12/26/06 sans pics

Nova looks like a different child today. He lost a LITER of fluid in 24 hours. You know how much a liter is when you're talking about a 12 pound baby? He's awake, sort of - still stoned out of his gourd, but he will open his eye in sleepy little slits, and react to our voices or when we touch him. He can't make much noise because of the ventilator tube, but he was trying when we first got there this morning. We'll never know if he was cooing, or crying, but he was definitely trying to make noise. Later on the nurse tried to wash his little face because, well, because it was pretty gooky. I mean, they put eye drops in his eyes, and it was crusty in the corners, and his lips were sort of crusty too... Anyway, he has always hated to have his nose messed with, and she said when she cleaned his nose he tried to fight her and turn his head away.

Now don't misunderstand, he isn't fully "awake" yet, he's weak and slow and still pretty damn sedated, and when I say he moves, it isn't much - but my god what an improvement from when we saw him yesterday!

let's put it this way, the nurse said Dr. Watts came in early this morning, and that he was thriled. Now, you'd have to know Dr. Watts, but he just doesn't do thrilled, and we'll probably never see him act thrilled but if the nurse saw him being that impressed with Nova's progress, then needless to say, we're obviously thrilled - and we DO do thrilled!

So they're pretty sure that they'll be closing his chest on Tuesday morning. They say that when they do that, he'll go through another rough spot where they'll really have to be "vigilant" with his pressures and rates, because closing the sternum changes the pressure on the lungs, heart, and pulmonary artery - so Tuesday will be another scarey day, but obviously, we'll be less concerned than for the actual surgery.

I'd love to show you some pictures, but the camera battery is dead, and I can't. I will, when I get the batteries recharged, and you will be amazed!