Molly at 81 Hours

I finally feel it's okay to be happy, without reservation. Molly's no longer under the 72 hour shadow and is progressing rapidly. The nurse on duty called her a "spitfire" and predicted we'd be *holding her* tomorrow. Her oxygen and breathing have been normal for 24 hours, and her eyes are now open for extended periods. She's moving a lot, and even crying out a little when the nurse moves her. Her jaundice got a little worse, so they put a Bilirubin light on her to help reverse it, which is normal. Plus it makes for dramatic new pics.

We *touched* her for the first time since right after her birth. She responded vigorously by squeezing our fingers and moving quite a bit. It's incredible to be able to cover her entire chest and belly with my hand. Her toes and fingers are very long. I predict a 5'10" blue-eyed, black-haired beauty. Trouble.

Even 24 hours ago we were not predicting such rapid progress. I'm thinking in terms of weeks in ICU now instead of months.

Very, very good news.