Frost Family Faces

Elizabeth had her Surgery on Saturday April 21st, 3 days after she was born.  Now the next step for her was to heal.  That was going to be a long road for this strong little girl, but she amazed me, and all the staff at how well, and how fast she healed.  She's a strong girl. 

This is what she looked like after surgery.  Her eyes are open but that doesn't necessarily mean that she's alert.  She was on a lot of pain meds.  And even if she was in pain, she couldn't cry because of the ventilator in her mouth and lungs helping her remember how to breath.

The next big step for Elizabeth was to get her ventilation tube out.  Until that happened (and a few other things) we couldn't hold her.  On Tuesday April 24th, I went in to PICU and found that she had failed yet another test where they turn off the ventilator and see if she can breathe on her own.  She usually only would last about 20 min before the machine would have to kick back on.  They decided to try again in a few hours and this time I was there to talk to her and tickle her and try to help her remember.  Well...she lasted longer, but I couldn't stand at the foot of her bed all the time and tickle her toe to get her to remember to breath, so the nurses decided to wait another day and let her rest.  It was very disappointing.
The next day, Wednesday we had an interview that morning for a charity telethon that was being broadcast in a couple of months and when we got to Elizabeth's bed she was awake and alert and was going strong on another ventilator test.  After the interviewers left, they had her go for another 15 min.  I had to and pump.  When I came back, they were getting ready to take her off the ventilator!  
That first cry after the ventilator came out was like waiting to hear her cry all over again when she was born.  It was the most amazing sound ever! 

These pictures are a couple of days apart, but once the ventilator was out, she started making a lot more progress.  By Friday she got her pacemaker wires (just in case, but they were never used) out, and an IV that went to her heart (in case they needed to get meds there fast) and then I was able to hold her!








They also told us that they would be moving her up to the recovery floor and out of PICU!  (I loved all the nurses and staff down there...absolutely amazing people!


Check out her incision!  Its healing so well


 
And daddy got to hold her too!



Moving her on up to 'The Floor'!


Getting comfortable after her move upstairs...

My Grandma was able to hold her on her way up to Wyoming for a wedding...

This is Kellee, she was one of my favorite nurses there...

I love her little feet.  The light is from the oxygen saturation sensor...

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Ariana!  She'll be a handful when Elizabeth comes home...

Ethan was so excited to hold her.  He was practically giddy!  I wish I could have gotten how excited he really was on camera!

And Ella got a turn too!

Grandpa Gough...

And Grandma Gough... (who was a complete life saver for three weeks!)

I got this picture to show her weight gain progress...

Uncle Dustin was up for a Soccer tournament and got to hold Elizabeth.

I'm going where!  Then they told us the good news!  Elizabeth was well enough to go home.  We a lot of education on how to care for her.  We had to learn and pass CPR, learn, and actually place her feeding tube, know how to give her meds through her feeding tube and how to care for her incision.  She also had to pass her car seat test which she did...twice (once with oxygen) then she realized she really didn't need the oxygen so they gave her another test without oxygen...

All ready to go home!

Ready to go!

Happy mommy and daddy!

We didn't get home until late Thursday night, So when Ethan came into our room and saw Elizabeth he was so excited!  He wanted her to be home so bad!

and Ella gets to hold her too!

It was a good thing they gave us the feeding tube education because 3 days after we got home, Elizabeth ripped out her tube.  We put it back in, and all was well, and put socks on her hands.  Then a week later, she did it again...yeah, good thing we knew how to do that. 

It's been an interesting experience having this baby home.  I don't get as much sleep as with other newborns becuase I give her her feed, then I have to pump and by the time that's all over, its been 3 hours and I have to feed her again, and then pump again so my naps are for like 30 min. here and there. 

But, we are very grateful to have her home, and doing so well and is so healthy!  She has a home health nurse come about once a week, and then we go the her pediatrician once a week, but every time she gets an exam, she has good oxygen, her heart sounds good and her incision is healing nicely.  We are so grateful for this little package that has given us such huge blessings.  She is a very special little girl and our own miracle baby.  Miracles have followed us continually on this path that she's on and we are so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers prayers, sends comfort and especially sends us angels both in this world and out that lifts us to higher planes and brings us so much peace and inspiration.