Baby Emma Update 10.9.09

Thanks to baby Emma's Mom, Sophie for today's update. Let's all continue to rally friends, family, neighbors, colleagues & prayer circles to pray for baby Emma's miraculous healing & uplift the Crew family.

Day 21. It's 1:45... I believe at this exact time three weeks ago, Tyler and I found ourselves in the Healing Garden here at Children's Hospital, our heads spinning, confused and devastated, with the news that our baby would need to get her skull removed ASAP to relieve pressure to her damaged brain... I still have moments where I wonder if this is all a dream...

Well, yesterday was a big day... our little Emma was taken off of her ventilator! They replaced it with a cannula to assist with her breathing. We got to meet our baby again for the first time. We walked in after the extubation to find a beautiful little baby sucking fiercely on her paci. Her eyes wandering about. Tyler and I was amazed. The nurses had told us that she would most likely not be able to have the suck reflex for a good few weeks. Well our little Emma pulled a trick out of her sleeve from the get go - she proved them wrong! Hoping that this is just the first of many good surprises she has for us. Tyler and I were smiling from ear to ear - we have not had a happy hug in such a long time - it felt so good to hold my husband and feel pure joy radiate from both of us. THANK YOU GOD! He is listening...

They removed the drain and pressure guage from her skull that they had placed in just a few days ago - we never had to drain her CSF so it was taken out. I am keeping my fingers crossed that her left side doesn't fill up again so much that it starts leaking out of her stitches again.

Emma is a like a newborn... we are just getting to know her for the first time again. We are in awe of such the sweet angel that God has saved, and anxious to get to know her, her likes, dislikes... Just like the first time Emma was born, I sit by her bed for hours and admire her, breathe in her scent. In many ways, she is a newborn all over again. She lays quietly and cannot make noise yet, just faint whimpers. Her eyes wander around as she takes in the new sights. Her paci sucking is fierce but weak. She doesn't know her name, or at least can't turn or focus when we call her. She sleeps for very short periods and then is awake again. We have a long road ahead of us, but Ty and I are sure to appreciate every step of it. Many babies don't survive what Emma went through... Emma is a fighter, and she is going to prove to everyone that she can far exceed everyone's expectations. She is strong. She is innocent. She is good.

Right now I am sitting beside Emmy who is whimpering - Ty and I are convinced she is hungry! They won't feed her anything by mouth until the docs can do the 'suck and swallow' test with her, which might not be until Monday at this rate... the paci isn't cutting it. I just want to hold her. Ty and I were both able to do so for a few minutes yesterday - I didn't want to give her up - I missed holding her so much. I will see if our nurse today will let me hold her again...

We had a Healing Touch nurse come to see Emma today - she is great - she said she felt a lot of pressure in Emma's head and that she has a headache. She did her energy 'sweep' and Tyler and I looked at each other in amazement as Emma closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep...

Thank you so much for your continued prayers. We have been overwhelmed with the amount of love, prayers and positive thoughts we have been getting from everyone. Thank you all for keeping our sweet Emma in your prayers.

Love
Sophie and Tyler.