Better Days

Ellis has been feeling better these past couple of days. The pain of her incision seems to be the thing that sets off upsetting chain reactions, so her medications have been adjusted again to keep it all under control. She is still struggling some with the coordination of swallowing and coughing, which is further complicated by a damaged vocal cord. But each day seems a little easier for her, and we continue to pray this part will resolve itself without surgery. She is resting easier now and has had times of being more alert and playful now and then. We have gotten to hold her more each day, and today I got to give her a bath for the first time! She really didn't fuss that much as long as I kept talking to her.

Here's a picture of the clean and sweet smelling baby after her bath. The adorable monogrammed shirt is from Auntie Carrie!

Ellis has some fantastic nurses watching over her. Her night nurse commented that her attentive eyes and facial expressions make her seem aware of what is going on and what is said to her, which is apparently rare for the babies she is used to taking care of. She observed that the best way to calm her down is to get close to her face and talk to her, which is something Greg and I figured out right after she was born. We think she is taking mental notes and will give us all her critique of the situation as soon as her vocabulary gets a little bigger.