Birth of Annalise Truly Abel

Siobhan underwent scheduled cesection early in the morning and gave birth to a beautiful 5lb 12 oz little girl. She had a healthy cry and color and I was able to hold her for the first few minutes of her life. Unfortunately she began to have difficulties breathing and was sent to the NICU. It has been a long road and she is still requiring intensive care, but good news is she has been progressing a little each day.

Here is a pic of Siobhan all scrubed up with Annalise's life support machines behind her. Far left is the inhaled nitric oxide which helps reduce her pulmonary hypertension. The doctors have been able to come down on it a little but she is still dependant on this gas. The next one to the right is her regular ventilator, followed by her Jet ventilator which has her breathing at 360 breaths per minute. Other small improvements she has made include her being stable with her chest tube clamped which means it will come out tonight and that her pneumothorax is likely healed. She also is no longer requiring pressors for blood pressure support which shows slightly resolving pulmonary hypertension. Slowly but surely she is healing and getting closer each day to comming home with us.