Its been a tough week.

Ellie's infection seems to be a gram-positive bacteria, probably a staph infection. They've put her on 2 antibiotics, Vancomycin and Gentamicin. They are also weaning her dopamine and melanone. This has brought her blood pressure down quite a bit. They are starting her on another medication for her heart called digoxin. This should slow her heart rate and strengthen her heart. This has some unpleasant side affects however. Her heart rate has been at about 175 - 195 bpm, once they took off the dopamine and melanone it calmed to around 150. It really doesn't matter what her heart rate is, whenever we ask the doctor or nurse about it they say "Oh, that's good" or "that's within a normal range". [sigh] Oh, btw, she currently weighs 5 lbs and 2 oz.

On a happier note, I have pictures! I am mostly motivated to put pictures up here so Tara wont give me a bad time at work on Monday. But I also like to show off my cute little girl.

You can see the arterial line is in her right foot now instead of her left. The pulse in that foot is so weak that they have to do intermittent blood pressure checks with the cuff on her right arm.


Oh, I'm worried for when she grows up.


She likes my finger a lot better than that pacifier.


But she likes the mouth swab better than both of them. (They're mint flavored)


Her little right hand is getting a lot better. You can also see here that she has Teri's wrinkled hands.


Here's the top, the band aid is where they removed the most recent IV.


Here's another cute one. You can see her dark, dark eyes very well. I have been surprised by how dark her eyes are. I thought all babies were supposed to be born with blue eyes. Not mine.