Living and Loving Life

We're gearing up for our 2nd doctor's appointment in a month and it has been spectacular starting to get back into a routine.  Post Glenn, our routine was shot.  Brian spent most of the first week at home sleep deprived as I went off to the work.  Naps were a thing of the past and Miss Olivia seemed to revert back to the lack of habits like a newborn. 

Now as Brian is getting back to work we are so thankful Livvy is getting back on track.  She is definitely not a morning person (something she inherited from Daddy) and her bottles in the morning are typically small 3-4 oz, but as the day progresses she wants demands 5oz+ bottles.  As you can see in the new picture above, she is putting those ounces to good use.  Digestive issues have seemed to improve (knock on wood).  We do not know if it's because of the revised circulation, increased mobility or now using Gripe Water periodically throughout the day.  Whatever the reason, we can definitely tell that Olivia is much more comfy during and after feedings thus we are happier. 

We've been slowly taking her around adult family members in hopes of trying to get her re-adjusted socially.  So far there has been some success and hopefully we'll have a six week slot of time where we'll be able to let her be around little kids before flu season.  Other than that, not a whole lot to report.  Now that the weather is cooling off a little bit we're looking forward to more family walks after work and cooking dinner together.  Olivia likes to be our little salt and pepper shaker on the island while we work.  On the Disney front she has now seen The Little Mermaid and Dumbo.  Brian wants to try and squeeze in Finding Nemo and The Lion King before he heads back to work.  While I'm thrilled to see Olivia learn to enjoy those movies as much as we did when we were little, I'm not sure I can stand Brian bopping around the house singing Hakuna Matata!

5 Months Worth of Milestones

Today our little girl turned five months old and I spent all of 20 minutes with her while she was awake.  That makes me so sad and happy at the same time.  You see, last night was my first night away from Olivia since she was born (discounting the Ronald McDonald House/Hope situation).  I really had to go to a tradeshow in FL for work and I knew that Olivia and Brian would be fine here at home without me.  I thanked my lucky stars numerous times on this trip that both Brian and I felt comfortable enough with Olivia's current health that there was really no reason for me to not go on the trip.  As for my sleep while I was gone, I won't lie, I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow, but I naturally woke up at 3 for her middle of the night bottle and then really couldn't go back to sleep.  So no dice on getting extra zzz's while I was gone, but Olivia did really well for Daddy and that made both of us happy.

As for other more important milestones that pertain specifically to Olivia, she is now taking 5 oz bottles a few times a day!  At this rate I wouldn't be surprised when we get to our cardio appointment on Friday if they tell us that she's on or near 14 lbs.  I swear she looks bigger to me tonight than she looked when I left yesterday morning.  Her cheeks are really filling out, there's a little bit more on her thighs and she's even got dimples around her wrists.  I would say that her personality is getting back to pre-Glenn, with the exception of mealtime.  That's a big deal these days and if she's ready to eat then we better have a bottle ready like NOW.  We are really looking forward to all of these normal day to day things and just getting into a routine without any imminent disruptions looming over us. 

Happy 5 Months Olivia - know that we celebrate you and our life together every day.  We love you so much

Mommy & Daddy

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

So at 4:00am this morning, the Livster must have known something was up, because she decided to wake up demanding attention. She wasnt just hungry and wet, as soon as I changed her she was wide eyed & bushy tailed smiling at the world. It was weird because she normally doesn't wake up at 4am, but today mommy had to take a 1 day business trip to Florida and had to leave for the airport at 4:30am. So she got to see a smiling Olivia right before she had to leave. Things like that make my morning....they would make it better if it was at 7am but you get the point. Lisa literally just landed within the hour, and even though she would normally be at work, the munch and I miss her so much already. I know it has to be even harder on her, leaving her oh so qute munchkin and her good looking husband back in Chicago, but I assure you mommy....she is in good hands, and will be in bed by 10pm, with no junk food! Poor kid doesn't have any teeth yet so it's not like she is giong to splurge.

For the most part, all is quiet on the western front. Olivia is starting to get into a new routine, but a daily routine none the less. She takes a 2 hour nap from 9ish to 11ish and then a long afternoon nap from 4ish to 7ish. She is getting wise to her antibiotic, and the strawberry flavoring is not masking the chalky nasty taste very well. So unfortunately she has started to purse her lips and stick out her tongue and try to refuse it... but it is doing its job so we have to keep out-smarting her for another week.

Now I have to go take care of the munch because she is crying. Apparently she does not like my cover of Peter, Paul, & Mary's "Leaving on a Jet Plane"....

Post-Op Appointment

Olivia had her post-Glenn follow up at Hope yesterday, while they are typically non-eventful appointments to just get a quick once over regarding the incision, we had a little bit of a hiccup last Friday.  I was at the office on a conference call when I saw Brian calling in.  At first I didn't give it a second thought because I assumed he needed me to pick up something on my way home.  Then an email popped up with the title "Olivia's Chest" and a picture attached, my first thought "Uh oh".  I open up the attachment to find her chest with a red area at the base of her incision like a silver dollar.  I can't tell you the words that ran through my head after that.  The call ended, I squared up things at the office and took off paging Dr. Husayni and Gia to see what they thought we should do. 

In the meantime, Brian was feverishly getting everything around the house together so that we could take off in a minute's notice if necessary.  I get home and still no return calls from my pages - hmm this is unusual.  I called the Heart Institute and was re-routed to one of Dr. Ilbawi's Nurse Practitioners and explained the situation.  I mentioned that we had pictures that we could email and she was ecstatic.  Getting directly to the point - I ended up having to scrub up, remove all of the Steri-Strips and then wash her whole incision with warm soap and water (which she absolutely refused to let us do even a few short days before).  As a precaution they called in an antibiotic to fight off any infection that may have been starting.  Everything else was completely normal, Olivia had been eating like a horse taking 4.5oz every 2.5 hours, no fever and overall pleasant disposition.  So we were lucky no trip to Hope - however the staff was very honest in the event that anything changed over the weekend or leading up to the post-op appointment they may keep admit her for IV antibiotics. 

By Sunday it was clear that the antibiotics were doing their job and all the redness was going away.  Yesterday it was a confirmed infection, but Nurse Carrie said things look great and her sternum has healed wonderfully.  Apparently they see this type of incision infection relatively often.  It was only at the base of her incision which is the end of the disolvable sutures.  They put in a fairly large knot to tie things up and that takes quite a while to disolve and sometimes the body rejects it altogether.  While at the appointment, she was weighed 13 1/2 lbs, length 25 3/4", SATS 94%!!!!  Things are looking wonderful and we could not be happier.  In other heart baby news Jonah and his parents were able to go home on Monday and we are so excited for them.  Hopefully Olivia and Jonah will be able to have a baby date sometime in the near future. 

Stranger Danger - Sort Of

Now that the weather is cooling off a little bit, we have been able to take Olivia out while there's still some sun shining.  Saturday we did a little stroll and brunch in the 'Ville and Sunday we were outside most of the day at a family cookout.  While we still aren't letting anyone do much other than touching her feet for fear of infection or holding her the wrong way it is very clear that the Glenn has really upped Olivia's sensitivity to anyone other than Mommy or Daddy.

If anyone other than either one of us makes direct eye contact within a 3 ft radius of her, the lower lip juts out and it's quickly followed by a wail if the said person within that 3 ft radius doesn't quickly retreat.  It doesn't matter if Brian or I are within line of sight, she really doesn't want anything to do with anyone.  So far the grandmothers have had the best luck breaking past her barrier, but even they are only averaging about 50/50 right now. 

The other personality shift involves her feedings.  She wants to take her bottle in as close to silence as we can get it.  Inside is better than outside and preferably in an empty room.  While I understand the stranger danger perspective, I'm not really sure where this need for silence is coming from when she's hungry. Tomorrow Brian will be taking her in for her post-op check on the incision.  Other than that Daddy Day Care continues and by my best estimates she's having her first bottle of the day and then they'll be on their merry little way for a stroll around the neighborhood.

Blessings

Our lives as of late - well really since Miss Olivia made her debut have been turned topsy turvy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Yes, we have had our share of scares and worries, but Olivia is doing well even though she continues to battle post-Glenn headaches.  I am convinced that she has probably reached an all time decibel record in the last week, but I don't mind.  Brian and I have had disappointments when there are friends and family that just don't quite understand what our new normal entails, but it's so trivial. 

The link that I have here is from another heart mom whose son lost his battle with HLHS shortly after the Norwood.  Both her and her husband have been so eloquent and open with their sadness and joy in the fact that their son has peace, but very clearly acknowlege that there is something missing from their everday life here on earth now that Luke is no longer physically with them.  

When I read these posts from parents who have lost their little ones or of parents who children are truly suffering it always reminds me to count my blessings.  We have so much family and friends (who are close enough to be considered family) and a whole other family that we've found within the heart community.  No matter how our parents and siblings may try to understand what we're saying - these heart families get it without an additional explanation needed.  We give each other suggestions and encouragement in times of need and marvel at all the strides that our heart babies/kids make. 

One of Olivia's newest heart buddies,Jonah,  is getting ready to go to the 2nd floor today and they're talking discharge tomorrow!  That is less than 3 weeks after his Norwood which is just fanstastic.  We actually met his parents the day of Olivia's Glenn while we were in the waiting room and lo & behold they knew who we were from this very blog.  I had a very emotional moment with Stacie as she said that reading our blog helped them look foward to the impending birth of Jonah.  That moment will be forever imprinted in my mind and heart.  My love for Olivia that I try to channel into my entries was able to help bring comfort to another couple about to face the same challenges as we have been facing and those families before us.  Not only was that such a blessing for me but even moreso as a family that we were able to making a positive lasting imprint on another. 

So as my sweet baby may wail away at home today while I'm at the office and stress Brian out...I am blessed to have a wonderful husband, a healthy baby girl and lots of love to and from them both. 

Spoke too soon...

So I am that guy in the car who says "wow, traffic is moving great today"... and then nothing but brake lights. Well I guess I should expect nothing less than that when I talk about the Glenn headaches had all but disappeared. The last 2 days Olivia has gone to bed peacefully and quiet with her lovie (a gift from Hope NICU) and her favorite stuffed animal... Mr. Duck-Frog (he is a duck in a frog costume). Four hours later she wakes up S C R E A M I N G! At first we thought she was just super hungry because after we fed her she went back to bed. That morning same screaming. Today, same exact thing, except this time after I fed her at 6am she kept screaming... you know the "I'm in pain" kind. So I called the all knowing mommy at work who had me feel her soft spot on her head which was just throbbing so we gave her some tylenol and called it a day. She took a morning snooze in her swing...inclined... and she was happy as a clam when she woke up. So now we just have to keep her inclined in bed so the blood doesn't rush to her head and night and give her a headache. The problem is that this little munchkin is like a clock at night and spins around like a record player round round. But if mommy and daddy can't outsmart a 4 month old then we are in trouble.

Her days are getting better. The weather here has been beautiful all week so the Livster has enjoyed a stroll around the neighborhood at least once a day. Her napping is getting back into a routine and today she started to attempt to give high fives to her grandma and uncle. I say attempt because lets be honest she is just sticking her hand out there.... but the important thing is that she is starting to copy people. After her bath, I finished reading the Disney book Aladdin to her and then when mommy went out to a family dinner, we decided to pop in the DVD, make some popcorn and dance to the tunes. But apparently the munch got bored with the simple plot line and decided to take a snooze. Now mommy is home, feeding the munch and we are all exhausted from the last couple of "loud" nights. Hopefully the rest of the week will be much improved, and I won't have to worry about running into any traffic.

Daddy Day Care

No I am not advertising for more children to be dropped off at my doorstep, 1 baby to care for is just plenty thank you very much. Olivia has had a very very interesting first week home from the Glenn. The whole family has been sleep deprived and cranky (mainly Olivia and I towards other people) but the last couple of nights show light at the end of the tunnel as she has started to hit the sack around 10pm instead of 2:30am. It would appear that her glenn-headache has gone away and we only really need to give her tylenol if she hurts her sternum (usually by coughing or sneezing). Needless to say it has taken some time but I think the 3 of us are starting to figure out her new routine, which is much different from her pre-Glenn routine.

Some other quick updates:
-Her eye boogies are gone! No more blocked tear ducts. Her right one went away a couple weeks ago but her left one remained. One day after the surgery she cried so hard and so long because she was in pain and that was the last time we saw the infamous "eye boogies". This is very exciting because those little goobers were getting on everything!
-Livvy is eating more. We are up to 4oz per feeding instead of the pre-glenn 3oz. Very exciting.
-The Livster is weighing in at 13lbs 1oz. She did not loose any weight in the hospital and was eating since they first gave her a bottle 12 hrs post-op. Let me tell you, absolutely nothing gets between this little chicky and her food.
-Her gas got a lot worse. With her chest being so sore, Olivia was not burping well, if at all for the first week. She had so much gas that it was unbearable for her. Mylicon was not working so Lisa did some research and wanted to try Gripe Water (she tells me its like baby ginger ale.... minus the fizz though). Since we started that she has been much more pleasant to be around (thank you!). And the good news is that she has started to burp after feeding now.
-Livvy's doctor's appointments are a lot less frequent now. That is exciting. Going every Friday was getting a little old.
-The munches meds have been tweaked. She is still on Reglan for reflux and digestion. She ditched the Digoxin, but has picked up Enalapril (blood pressure) and Lasix (makes her pee a lot). Her antacid also got changed and now she is on Prevacid for her heartburn. I find it ironic that she is on the same meds as my grandfather, well except for maybe the Lasix but you never know....good good good.

We are still on a month long post-glenn quarantine from crowds and other kids but we have been able to take her to see her grandparents, the local aunts & uncles, and we have a pending skype date with her Aunt Linda this week as well (now that she isn't as crabby Olivia doesn't mind being on camera.... she has to look good don't ya know.)

I am on FMLA until Sept 7th keeping this Daddy Day Care operational and making sure that SportsCenter is still broadcasting every morning. It is...

Sleep - What's That?

So Miss Olivia has now been home for about 36 hours and in that time I am sure that Brian has had no more than 10 hours of sleep.  It wouldn't be so bad if Olivia was just awake, but we're dealing with some trust issues (can't blame her), dealing with headache pain from the new circulation (again can't blame her) and trying to keep her fed enough when she doesn't have a big interest in eating. 

Our first night home was definitely rough, she cried - no really more like screamed for what seemed like forever.  I think ultimately Mommy & Daddy made a mistake by laying her horizontally which caused a headache and then all her subsequent crying had her sucking in lots of air to give her gas as well.  Yesterday we kept her in her bouncy seat virtually all day and night.  She slept more comfortably but we still needed to start giving her Tyelnol alternating with Baby Ibuprofen every 2 hours.  I took a feel of her Fontanelle (soft spot on the top of babies heads) and I could literally feel the pulse of blood there so you know there's a lot of pressure that needs to get re-adjusted. 

The eating department has been no great shakes either, but of course I am not a fan of eating when I don't feel well so I wouldn't expect my baby to feel any differently.  As I left this morning I checked on my little family and they had both been snoozing for about 3 hours which is our PR since we've been home.  The doctors told us to expect a rough period of adjustment for the first couple of weeks home and we're realistic about it.  I think the hardest part for us is trying to guess what's hurting her - her tummy or her head and then doing things to treat either appropriately.  She has developed a really nice high pitched scream that is comparable to nails on a chalkboard but ultimately the most important thing is that she's around to be making those screams for us.  I think Brian and I agree that we would rather be sleep deprived zombies for the near future than the alternative. 

No Place Like Home

WE ARE HOME!  Olivia's hospital stay was 96 hours from the time she left the OR until the time we got in the car to get out of Dodge.  It's simply amazing as to how resilient these little ones are, I can only imagine that were it me having a heart surgery I'd be laid up for at least a couple of weeks and in far worse spirits.  Olivia on the other hand is thriving.  She's eating much better than we expected, she isn't showing signs of being in much pain and her staturations are only improving.  Last night she was anywhere from 90-100%; up from low 70's prior to the Glenn. 

More profound for Brian and I is that we are two thirds of the way there with Olivia's surgeries.  We were so excited when we came home from the Norwood but the excitment only lasted a few weeks before we started talking timetables for the Glenn.  Now we're looking at at least one year of firsts.  1st Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas - you get where I'm going. 

There is no way for us to know so soon if we will need some intervention between the Glenn and Fontan but today's echo was "beautiful" to quote the Cardiologist.  The meds are a little different too - Olivia's now on Enalapril to lower her BP post-op but it should be short term same goes for the Lasix - they'll review in a couple of weeks.  She's still on Prevacid for reflux, Reglan to help with her digestion, Poly-Vitamins & Calcitriol.  Bye bye to Digoxin and Aspirin. 

Tonight Brian and I are exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in our bed again.  More importantly we only have two doctor's appointments in the next month!  We were loving and living life before, but it's definitely going to be a nice change of pace without another surgery looming over us for the foreseeable future.

Peace and Smiles

No, we haven't gone hippy on any of you yet.  Peace is referring to Olivia's current state.  She's off all IV meds, supplemental oxygen and the only pain reliever is by way of Tylenol.  She still has her chest tube in but that's supposed to be removed tomorrow with the idea that we will then be discharged on Monday as the medical staff wants 24 hours of observation after the tube comes out. 

Smiles refer to the first ones that we've seen from Olivia since before she went into the OR.  They really weren't even intended for Brian and I.  This really nice woman was in her room making sure all the supplies were stocked and happened to peer over at the Livster who was just hanging out.  A few minutes of talking to her and the little missy flashed her best smile.  It was so great to see.  Currently Daddy is sitting bedside holding her hand and playing on the IPad that's on loan from Grandma to keep us entertained. 

Things have been nice and quiet in the PICU today and our hope is that it continues throughout tonight. 

Sounds of Alarm

Like I said in this morning's post, I was too nervous to really acknowledge how good things have been going for Olivia.  Take a breath as she is still fine but this has certainly been one of the worst days that I have ever witnessed throughout the two hospital stays that we have weathered with her.  This morning started with the revelation that she has pneumothoraxes (extra air in her chest cavity putting pressure on her lungs) on both sides of her chest; a very common and treatable side effect from surgery.  Nevertheless, it was a setback and further delayed our ability to finally give her some food.  Her nurse was able to give her some Tylenol and Brian and I were comfortable enough to leave her and grab some breakfast. 

When we came back from breakfast to the PICU all hell had broken loose.  One of the little guys that had his heart surgery at virtually the same time as Olivia had coded.  Worse still I had just stopped by his room this morning to talk with his mom and relish in the fact that both of our little ones seemed to be on the right road to recovery.  Brian and I quickly hid out in Olivia's room to check on her and silently prayed for the best down the hall.  It was not to be so, a little while later we could hear his mother screaming for her baby as the medical team did their best to save him.  In a last ditch effort Dr. Ilbawi and his staff put him on ECMO but currently things look grim.  Within the next few hours four more cardiac babies/kids would code.  Some on the floor of the PICU, one in the cath lab, and another in the actual clinic for Norwood babies. 

You can feel the anxiousness of everyone's emotions when you walk onto the floor right now.  I find myself trying to avoid eye contact with any of the family members although they have been sweet to continuously ask about Olivia and offer up their prayers.  I don't know where the road will take any of these little ones that has battled so fiercely today, but I do know that I will be haunted for the near future and never forget the sounds of that mother screaming as she feared for the life of her child.  For all of you who can look at your healthy children at home - no matter the age - please take the opportunity to tell them how much you love them as you never know what the future may hold. 

I will leave you with a little bit of optimism.  Olivia's pneumos have started to go away on their own and we were able to give her 4oz of Pedialyte which she sucked down like she's been in the Sahara.  Her color is looking good and we're going to be able to feed her the next time she wakes up. At this point we'll take stable as a huge moral victory given the situation on the floor. 

So Far So Good

Thus far everything is going better than I expected.  Yes, Olivia is in pain, but it seems to be managed with a combo that's normal for these little ones.  I'm relieved in the sense that she hasn't built up a tolerance to any of these pain meds yet given that she was on them for quite a bit post-Norwood.  Dr. Ilbawi and staff rounded last night and said how great she did throughout surgery - which is always nice to hear.  Her blood pressure was a bit high yesterday post-op so they took her off the Dobutamine and replaced it with Milirinone.  She responded immediately and now its back in the 110/45 range.  Her heart rate is around 105 (sleeping), sats are at 87 and respiratory rate is in the 20's (unless she's awake and in pain then we've seen it as high as 50).

The chest tube isn't putting out much fluid, but it is still bloody, so our night nurse thought it will stay in another day.  After two rounds of Lasix, I'm not sure that Olivia has any more fluid to really give off since she responds so well to them. 

Today they will be rougher than yesterday in the sense that the medical team will not give her as much pain medicine as yesterday.  It's likely that she will be much crankier and we've already passed the 24 hour mark since her last bottle so I'm sure some of it will be hunger pains.  If all looks good and she's alert then we will be able to start feeds slowly today.  Hope all of you are having a good day today...this is definitely a good one for us.

Resting Easier

I'm writing this from Olivia's room-shh don't tell.  She's currently on a regular nasal cannula at a flow rate of 2, sats are anywhere from 77-81 and BP is 107/52.  That's all great news thus far.  Her blood sugar has been a little bit of a concern because it's high but that is a normal body response to the stress of surgery, so it's being managed with a dose of insulin.  Currently Olivia is resting peacefully, it was a little touch and go when we first came in her room.  She had that old lady smoker cry going again and her movements were very jerky as the sedatives were wearing off.  For me, it was pretty difficult because the sight of her in the crib with the chest tube and bandages was so dramatically different than the sight of her from our drive here this morning. 

Looks aside, we've been told that she's doing so well.  Even I see it already the blueness that we were starting to see on the bridge of her nose and in the corner of her eyes is gone.  Her breathing is a nice even pace and I can tell that she's comfortable - and her comfort is what I value above all else.  It's strange, I worried more about this surgery than the Norwood probably because I had more time on my hands and now that it's over, I feel much more relaxed than I did after the Norwood.  I'm trying to keep myself very much in check though and remain cautiously optimistic (my slogan).  Both Brian and I think along the same lines, our goal is that Olivia come home from this surgery - we don't care about the time table. 

I have a few truly amazing stories to tell as well from our experiences today with other heart families, but I'll save them for tomorrow.  Today we are sitting back with amazement at Olivia's resilience and all the wonderful momements we have had getting to this place in our lives.

Closing Time

No not the song, closing time as in Olivia's chest.  The nurse came out and told us that everything went smoothly and we should be able to see her within the hour.  Everything is going smoothly so far and it went much quicker than we expected.  We will keep everyone posted, thank you so much for all your support. 

2nd Update

They just came out and let us know that she's now on the heart/lung machine starting to work on the repair and everything is going as it should be going for now.  We should be getting another update around 1PM CST. 

1st Update

The nurse just came out to give us our first update.  She's under, all lines are in and they're opening up her chest.  Most important at this point is she's as comfortable as can be and they really haven't started the procedure yet.  We'll update when we know more.

Off in a Flash

We woke up this morning somewhat leisurely because we didn't have to be at the hospital until 10.  Around 7:15 the phone rang and it was the hospital asking if we could get there as soon as possible to move up their surgical schedule for the day.  Surrrrrrrre, no problem we'll be out of the house in fifteen.  Sorry Olivia, that last bottle you were looking forward to, yeah not going to happen.  I was in and out of the shower in two minutes and Brian had the car loaded up by the time that I was dressed and Olivia was changed.

Off we went, only to really realize we weren't going to gain much time due to the traffic in Naperville between the hours of 7-9am.  We finally got here around 8:45, they took us up to pre-op where we went through the normal Q & A and waited some more.  To her credit, Olivia was very calm.  Smiles were few and far between but can't say that I blame her.  She definitely knew something was amiss.  The surgical team just wheeled her back a few minutes ago and depending on the amount of time it takes to get lines in and make it through the scar tissue it may be another hour or more before you hear from us.

Thank you all for your contiued well wishes, prayers and love. 

Pre-Surg Appointment

Brian began his FMLA for the Glenn on Friday and has already taken Liv to two doctor's appointments-poor guy! Both of us took her to Hope yesterday for the pre-surgical appointment with a little bit of hesitation as to what sort of fit the little missy would throw.  We were extremely surprised by how laid back she was for the entire process.  It certainly helps that we had two of the best nurses take the bloodwork - they got a vein on the first stick and it was all over within a minute or two.  Any parent who's taken their infant in for bloodwork knows how monumental that is to the whole exam process. We were fortunate that Olivia napped really well throughout the rest of the day and then slept her normal routine at night.

Assuming that all goes well with the bloodwork, we will get a call sometime tomorrow afternoon/early evening to tell us what time to show up on Thursday for the surgery.  The staff is still expecting that we should only be looking at 3-6 day stay or as some parents have referred to it "a drive-through" stay.  It seems totally mind boggling to me that she's going to have this invasive surgery and potentially be home with us a mere 72 hours later.  I'm not so wrapped up by the duration of the stay so long as she ultimately comes home with us because our home is wherever the three of us can be together.