Siena's Update

I'm sorry it has been awhile since we've updated - the days have been a whirlwind.

Siena's virus is working her over in full force.

• The virus has not been confirmed as RSV.
• She has had a slight fever
  
• Her eyes are secreting and junky so the nurses are treating her eyes with warm compresses.
• She is very congested and they are flushing her nasal passage with saline and clearing it with bulb syringe.
• She will occasionally bear down and blow her nose clear independently
  
• Although sometimes shallow, eratic and difficult, Siena continues to breath independently.
  
• She received a shot that is supposed to strengthen infants immunity and protects them from RSV.
  

Like everything else she has faced, Siena continues to battle the forces of nature along with the help of everyone's prayers, especially the kids' prayers (a Catholic school teacher tells me they are the best ), to take claim of her life. She is still in an open air crib. She has been put into an isolation unit to protect the other infants in the NICU. We are not permitted to go see her, especially since Dre is sick and Brody was running a fever on Sunday night. Siena is still eating well and gaining weight every day. As of 9 PM, Feb 11, she weighed 3 lbs. and 7.5 ozs. Her bottom is still irritated and rashy, but she seems to be healing due to the 3x daily medicated ointment treatments.

Monday night Dre and I were talking about how nice it would be to not have to go to the NICU every night . . . as the saying goes, "Careful what you wish for!" We got it and Siena is sick and we can't bring her home, and we can't see her. All we can do is call to get updates. Ugh! I would be lying if I said that this isn't hard emotionally and mentally. When thinking about it rationally, it seems like in comparison to everything else - this is pretty minor.

It's not a setback . . . just a delay. Everything is a drama surrounding this girl . . . I am really dreading the teenage years! ;)

There is a blessing in all of this. We are fortunate because the virus fully incubated while she was at the NICU under the watchful care of the nurses and doctors. It would have been even worse if we brought her home and had to take her back.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers.