Letting go of reservations

"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: 

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

 to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.  

For He will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; 

he will conceal me in the cover of his tent; 

he will lift me high upon a rock."

-Psalm 27:4-5

While updating Celia's blog every night, Jena and I have a fairly steady routine. We discuss how Celia looked, what mood everyone was in, the good and bad events of the day, and the next steps for progress. On the days we are not able to make it to the hospital, we usually get a quick debrief of everything from Julya. Writing this blog has become such a source of joy because we can see the change in our conversations from the very difficult first reports up until today.

When things began to take a turn for the better - and remain that way -  we were unsure of how to communicate good news. Her initial condition was so grave that we didn't want to lead anyone on into thinking things were better than they actually are. We didn't want to get our own hopes up by being unrealistic in anyway. It's been challenging to decide how to convey the miracles we are witnessing because of our own internal reservations, but perhaps it is time we set aside our fears of the unknown future and simply say PRAISE GOD for the work He is doing today.

PRAISE GOD...

• Celia had several poopy diapers today! They are continuing to get more and more green. “Grass green” is what we're going for, according to her doctor.
• Julya and Alex have been able to hold Celia regularly.
• Celia has been more comfortable. She has had less crying spells, is able to sleep for long periods (even on her tummy!), and her heart rate has gone down to ~140 bpm – the lowest it has been yet!
• Post-surgery swelling in her abdomen has been greatly reduced.
• Julya has informed doctors at Blank Hospital to an alternative, less harmful choice of TPN. Celia's doctor doesn't think she will be on it long enough to see liver damage (yay!), but this new choice of TPN could spare another little one's liver down the road now that doctors are aware of the option. We are very proud of her for this!

Tomorrow morning Celia will go in for an X-ray to see if there is any air in her intestines. If there is, then she can start getting her first taste of food! Please pray for the presence of air so this little one can receive natural nourishment.

As always, thank you all for being an incredible support system to Julya, Alex, Celia, and all of the family!!

"I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.  For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds." 

- Psalm 57: 9-10