Two Steps Forward...

My Dad sent me a new quote today. He feels that "Born unto trouble" is too dark for the new light in our life and that perhaps we are tempting her to live up to it. Turning to poetry he found a line from a poet named James Fenton: "I was born to a kiss and a smile."
I agree. That is a much nicer quote for our Grace. I don't think I will rename the blog, but will try and work it in somewhere to reflect the more upbeat mood. Thanks Dad.
Grace herself is doing well today. She has decreased her oxygen requirement to as low as 30% at times. That is basically equivalent to room air. Mess with her though and she angrily drops her oxygen sats and so she more commonly sits at 40% or so. Much improved from two days ago and we are pleased to consider it two steps forward.
Our one step back comes in the form of a cardiac echo done yesterday that shows a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The ductus arteriosus is not a line from a Harry Potter movie, it is a vessel that links the pulmonary artery to the aorta while the baby is in the womb. It shunts most of the blood away from the lungs during development since Mom supplies all the oxygen to the fetus in the womb. It is supposed to seal itself off after birth, but commonly in preemies it fails to close. It is a fixable problem and may seal itself either with or without medication. Worst case scenario is that Grace would have to have it sealed for her through surgery. We get a repeat echo tomorrow to see if there are any changes.
Deb is doing well. Thrilled to be home and out of the hospital. As we all know, they don't let you get much rest in the hospital. She spent a good part of the day though at Grace's bedside watching her kick and seeing her flutter her eyelids. Thanks again for the continued love and support.