Let's not do ECMO again, okay?

Hooray!! Maximus is OFF ECMO!! HE PULLED THROUGH!!
This is the face of one very sleepy, very cute (very drugged), overwhelmed baby boy!
However, it is also the face of a tough little kid! Max's blood gas numbers and other stats have been doing just great this last week, and his lungs continued to clear out day by day. Yesterday, we had no idea how far or near we were to being off, but then last night the evening nurse tipped us off. When we walked in late this morning, we caught the ECMO team cleaning up the last of the machine and getting Maxi-pants comfortable. Dr. Kays was there, and was in a great mood! He stayed and chatted for a bit, and said everything looked "great" (HUGE statement from him). He feels so confident about Max's stability that he didn't leave the canulas (big huge tube that was in his jugular going down into his heart) in for 24 hrs, the usual test run. That's a precaution in case they have to be re attached to ECMO; the docs don't have to disturb the heart more than once. In our case Dr. Kays was feeling confident about Max's progress.

I asked "What are our steps now, and what are our worries now?". Kays said that Max just has to clear a little more junk out of his lungs; not necessarily all blood, just mucous, etc. That's not a worry though. In three to five days Max should be extubated, so that would be Mon-Wed next week. Cool huh? A "little" two week ECMO detour and we are back on track! After extubation, he'll take a day or two to adjust, then on to feeding. This can take some time, since babies who've had many procedures and tubes can struggle learning to nurse/take a bottle. Also, they can have a real struggle with reflux and other tummy issues. However, that part is very non-threatening, just frustrating for Mommy and baby usually. :) I'll take it! :)

So, HOORAY! Prayers answered. Max just slept all zonked out today...can't blame him. You can see in the picture above how he still likes his head to that side since it was stuck that way for some time! He'll loosen up.

SOOOO...Jordan has been "playing" with his facial hair, just goofing around with different looks, since we are away and boredom can be an issue. He got a little silly because we see so many, um, different walks of life, here. He decided a proper father has a nice hearty mustache. Trust me. I tried fervently to deter this nasty thought, but there was no stopping him. He was even polling the NICU staff AND Dr. Kays (Pediatric Surgeon and Professor at UF, come ON!!? lol) to see if they'd support his idea to shave the beard and just have a (gross) mustache. I tried to explain that he will (and does) look like a sex offender...to no avail. So... here you go.

This is the before...look at him trying to keep a straight face.
Now, I REFUSED to waste money on this project, so I told Jordan he had to buy whatever color was on clearance, halfway hoping that would discourage him also. NOPE.
I think the excited Latin man on the cover only got Jordan more excited. ew.
Here is the color processing...I tried to take a picture but we were both laughing so hard it kept coming out blurry!
I think this picture is so funny actually. If you could only see that his upper lip is all dark and slimy...blehhh! (I hope I'm successfully painting a picture of a mortified wife???)
Finished product, Heaven help us:
You can see the pride in his eyes...while I tried not to look like I was with him at the hospital tonight. I don't know what to do! Shave it off in his sleep? I guarantee our friends and family are not terribly surprised. But, to all my clients reading this...welcome to my weird world, and sorry. ;)

I love Jordan dearly. Laughing together is our glue. :)

Anyways, Max is kicking BOOTY, he's resting well. Let's just keep praying for no hiccups along the way, no infections, quick healing and recover from here forward!!

Thanks, love,
Claire (Now a white-trash-wife by association.)