Update from CHOP

Alex is getting her 5:00 p.m. feed right now and watching Mary Poppins with Daddy. I took a break from our hospital room to check my email and update you all. Hope you are enjoying the snow storm! It looks beautiful out there! I was excited for the first snow storm this year...I wanted to put Alex in her snowsuit and boots and introduce her to winter...Make a snowman, catch snowflakes on our tongues...God had other plans it seems like and He knows best. So far Alex has not vomited any of her feeds on this new formula. Alexandria has been fever free since last night and hopefully will remain that way. The ear infection is all gone. The yeast infection looks like it's all gone also. The Mic-Key button still hurts but not nearly as much as it did before (they gave Alex med that coat the tummy and help to heal). Alex's does have an adenoid virus which is simply one of the many cold viruses out there. She only really has a stuffy nose...The doctors here decided not to do the endoscopy (if the new formula does not work) because Alex would have to be under general anesthesia for it and with a cold and an off and on fever it is not all that safe. If things keep on going in the right direction we may be going home on Monday! If not, we can have Christmas another day...I am really not concerned about that...As I am here I am reminded that Alexandria's issues are fixable. There are little kids on this floor who have been diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes...and other life long illnesses...God has been good to us and He uses all things for our good - he didn't say that all things are good...We do live in a fallen world. It's hard to see your baby not feeling well and to not have all the answers. We may never know why her button hurt so much...or why exactly she was not tolerating the other formulas. Or we may...Once we get home we will work with our G.I. to get more answers. The main goal here was to rule out as many things as we could and to get Alex on a formula that she can handle. I am glad that it looks as though we won't have to move the tube in the button (surgically) to Alexandria's small intestine for continual feeds. Some kids who are not able to tolerate their feeds have to get fed that way...So...Just keep on praying. And enjoy this winter wonderland! Be thankful for your health, the health of your loved ones...Your family and friends. And when you go to McDonald's consider dropping your change in a bin designated for supporting the Ronald McDonald House...There are families with kids at CHOP from other states who live there...whose babies have cancer, need organ transplants, etc. I stayed there once and can tell you that it really is a wonderful, caring place for families to stay. I better get back. There is only one place open for dinner around here other then the hospital cafeteria...and they close at 7:00. I have to take over for Steve so that he can get dinner for us and bring it back to the room. Thank you again!