A tough day

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

- Psalm 139: 13-18

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It was another day of amazing parenting from Alex and Julya.  It was also a day of learning experiences, which provided them with lots of opportunities to gently "coo" to Celia.  After several failed attempts to switch the side Celia lays on, we discovered that she has a VERY good reason to favor her right side.  She has been having trouble breathing when situated in any other position.  Please pray for little lungs to handle the pressure of having her intestines back where they need to be.  She has a significant strider ("wheeze") and has to summon the help of all of her accessory muscles to get enough lung power to supply oxygen to her tiny body.  She will most likely have to be on a ventilator after her surgery, but we're hoping this won't be necessary!

    

Celia has begun to figure out ways to soothe herself.  Her petite hands often slowly scan over her face and tubing, and they just discovered how SOFT her hair is!  A good majority of the afternoon she spent with her hand in her hair.  She has three other cousins who have been obsessed with feeling hair, so this may run in the family!  She also has a good grip with those toes, another possible family quirk we find amusing :).

It is very difficult seeing little Celia knocked out on pain medicine lately.  It helps her sleep more soundly, but it breaks our hearts to see her in such a vulnerable state.  Since she has so much personality, we don't like when she's not able to be alert, and we also don't get to see those big beautiful eyes on days where the only rest she gets is that induced by fentanyl or morphine.  However, we are grateful that the staff knows what they are doing and that she can find relief.  The nurses have told us that years ago doctors didn't believe babies could sense pain - so little ones of the past had to go without!

Surgery should be happening in the next few days to close up Celia's abdomen.  Please continue to pray for healthy intestines, liver, and lungs.  Also, take time to praise God that her platelet count is within normal range at 250,000 - one less thing we need to worry about!