Ventilator is OUT!

The doctors decided that Thursday was the day....another extubation attempt!  They preceeded this attempt with 3 days of Lasix (a diuretic to get the fluid out of Annelise's lungs) and 2 days of steroids.  It worked!  She got extubated yesterday at 10:30 am and went right to CPAP.  Her nose mask covers that cute little face of hers.  And the "cap" that keeps all of the tubes in place makes her look like an old-time football player....you know, the leatherheads.  She's a cutie still!

So now, we get to hear her cry.  She can finally communicate verbally with us!  Yesterday her cries were weak, as her throat was still a little sore from the tubes that were down it for almost 4 weeks.  Today, she's got her voice!  I knew she would be a vocal girl, but wow!  She got her voice very quickly.  Love hearing her cry though, it means that she's closer to coming home. 

Now that she's on CPAP, Matt & I can pick her up whenever we want.  It's less of a process to get her out of bed.  So we held her for awhile yesterday....just because we could.

Here's my little stinker right after extubation and the CPAP was placed on her.

She looks pissed, doesn't she?  However, as the day wore on, she was much happier then when the ventilator was in.

In feeding news, Annelise is now up to her full feeds by tube.  She's had some reflux, but nothing too too bad.  She's gotten a lot of air in her belly though, which makes her uncomfortable.  The doctors are keeping an eye on it.

Our checklist of "To-Do before we can go home" is as follows:
-Get off CPAP and onto nasal cannula only/or nothing
-Feed by mouth full feeds (only after off of CPAP)

That's it!  Seems like not a lot, right?  We're about half-way through our NICU journey I would say.......Can't wait to bring her home!