Okay...here's the latest!!

I've been told that I need to keep everyone updated a little better...so here goes on a lot of praises!!

• NO MORE SPINAL TAPS!! They decided not to do a final spinal tap this week because her last one was so clear. They mainly extended the antibiotics a week just as a precaution...if we had been ready to go home they wouldn't have done it, but since we aren't leaving yet they thought it was a good idea.
• We are DONE with anitbiotics as of tomorrow, Sunday morning. This is great for a couple of reasons...first of all being that the initial infection is GONE. Also, this means that as soon as we are ready (and eating on our own) we can LEAVE!! Also, Ella will finally not have any more IV leads in her arms and feet...they had one in her right arm and moved it to her right foot...and I think she's ready to be free of them all.
• WE ARE EATING FROM A BOTTLE!! Okay, first of all let me explain her previous/current eating routine. She takes 65 cc/ml (a little over 2 ounces) 8 times a day...so 520 cc/ml per day. On Wednesday morning she took 20 cc/ml from a bottle and the same thing on Thursday...THEN yesterday, Friday, she took 36 cc/ml when I finally got to give her the bottle. Last night Joe and I fed her again and she took another 35 cc/ml. We have to be 100% on the bottle before we can go home so that she's still getting all 520 cc/ml, but it's looking really good.
• Her body is adjusting to the seizure meds and starting to dilute them. After talking to the neurologist yesterday he says that it's fine as long as her seizures don't return. They are still looking at sending her home on the meds for 3 months, which is a blessing because they usually have children on them for at least 2 years after a seizure.
• Her left wrist (and the weird bump) came back looking fine according to the x-ray. They think it is some kind of build-up under the skin and over the next several months her body will just absorb it and the nodule (as it is now) will just go away...they will continue to monitor it in out-patient care.
• She now has her tumb loops on both hands...I'll take pictures of this so you know what I'm talking about. Or, you can ask a physical or occupational therapist as they usually know what they are all about.
• Our little pumpkin is gaining weight!! She was born at 6 lb 12 oz and on Thursday before her bath she was 7 lb 2 oz and yesterday was already at 7 lb 4 oz!! This is great, it means she's growing as she should be. They also added some calories to the breast milk she's getting to help her with weight gain.

We are very encouraged with all of the progress and the doctors and nurses seem to be very impressed with how much she has managed to come out of in the past 3 weeks. She is a fighter and God has protected us through so much. He gave her a determined spirit and we are so excited to see what plans He has for her over her lifetime. Thank you for taking this journey with us and for lifting us up in your prayers. Prayer is an amazingly powerful thing. I knew that before, but not with the conviction that I do now. Ella is an example to even her parents of what God can do when you have the faith and the trust that He will do it. We may not have enjoyed this lesson, but it's made our family stronger for having gone through the trials. Please continue to pray as Ella learns to feed and that we can soon head home where we belong. We love each of you and can't wait until you can all meet this little angel.

God bless,

Joe and Andrea

PICTURES!!