No More O's

I have been hesitant/dreading/trying not to jinx us, by putting off writing this post.  Having Ellie off of oxygen support is what we have been pouring all of our wishes, prayers, and hopes into because we know that when she is it is the final home stretch of her NICU stay.  I know I say it all of the time but we are truly, completely, really, REALLY ready to take her home.

Now, we need a drumroll.....because Ellie is off of her oxygen support!  And it looks like we won't be going back. The majority of premies that get to room air with no oxygen support and can sustain it for 48 hours rarely have to be put back on.  As of right now, Ellie has been off for 72.  We have been told to start thinking of this week as the week that we start preparing to bring her home.  Today, Ellie got her first Hepatitis B vaccine.  We have brought up her car seat and it is ready and waiting for Ellie's car seat test that she will have some time this week.  To pass, she will have to sit in it for 90 minutes hooked up to her monitors and have no drops in her heart rate or oxygen levels.

The last and greatest test she has to pass is having no drops in her oxygen levels for 5 days straight.  Statistically speaking, if premies can go 5 days without a drop in their oxygen levels, then their oxygen levels are not going to drop anymore.  We did have an episode last night while I was holding her and this morning while the nurse was feeding her at 7:30.  While the doctor's rounded we heard them say: "It make take her a little bit of time to adjust since she just came off her O's, but she is coming along and headed in the right direction."

Grow Ellie grow!