9-1-06

Helena opened her eyes today! Helena opened her eyes today! Helena opened her eyes when I visited her before work at about 6:30. It was so cool! We just sat and stared at each other for a half hour. Helena continues to do well and the doctors say that she is breaking all the rules for healing after a Norwood surgery. We are so happy that little Helena is doing so well! On Monday Helena will be extubated, which means they will take her off the ventilator. This can be kind of a dangerous thing because it can take awhile to get readjusted to the world's oxygen. They will also hopefully take out her two chest tubes! Each day she will hopefully have less and less tubes sticking out of her! Tomorrow our plan is to go to the hospital and just stare at Helena's eyes, they are so beautiful! In other news, I started my chaplain work today at Christ hospital! It is a great place to work and I was even able to spend an hour with Helena during lunch. Mary and her sister Lana spent the day visiting with Helena, this was Lana's first time seeing her niece. This is her first niece ever!

Lana is staying with us right now and my sister and brother in law will be arriving tommorow (Anne and Grant). Dorothy flew off to Phoenix to see her mother and will be back tommorow. My own parents, John and Judy left today after having lunch with me at the hospital. We have wonderful family, friends and support from you all! God bless and goodnight!