Before I share today’s update, I also wanted to mention what a special gift yesterday was. Ellie and David got to meet their baby sister for the first time, and Nana was there helping us every step of the way while also getting to meet her precious granddaughter. Watching them together filled our hearts with so much joy and gratitude. Seeing our three children together is a memory we’ll treasure forever. Even in the midst of monitors, tubes, and a hospital room, it was a beautiful reminder that we are a family of five, and Dolores is so deeply loved by her big brother and big sister!

Today was a really wonderful day.

This morning, I got to spend some beautiful time with Dolores. I sat with her, prayed over her, read Scripture to her, and then got to enjoy some precious skin-to-skin time. It usually takes two or three nurses working together to safely move her from her bed to my arms while I’m sitting in the chair. Every single time, they are more than happy to make it happen for us. Those quiet moments holding our sweet girl are becoming some of the greatest gifts of these days.

Later in the day, Patrick got his own skin-to-skin time with Dolores, and he was in absolute heaven. Toward the end of their time together, he excitedly told me that Dolores had started doing what looked like little push-ups on his chest! He couldn’t believe how strong she was. Her neck, head, and little arms were working so hard. This girl is strong!

The rest of the day was filled with steady progress.

Right now, she has some tubes and a few medications helping support her little body as she continues to recover and adjust.

She has an IV through her umbilical cord that allows her team to give medications and monitor her closely. She is still intubated to help with her breathing, though her lungs are doing well overall.

She also has a feeding tube. Yesterday they began introducing small amounts of my breast milk, not directly into her stomach yet, but into her small intestine. This gently exposes her GI tract to my milk and helps prepare her body for feedings to go to her stomach when she’s ready.

She is receiving a blood thinner to help keep the stent placed during her procedure open. She’s also on a medication that keeps her PDA (a blood vessel all babies have before birth) open. Normally, this vessel closes shortly after birth, but babies with HLHS need it to remain open until there is a secure pathway for oxygen-rich blood to reach the rest of her body. This is a standard part of caring for babies with HLHS.

One encouraging update is that twice a day the team has been doing short “sprints” with her lungs. During these trials, they temporarily reduce the breathing support from the ventilator so Dolores has the opportunity to do more of the work herself. These help strengthen her lungs while also allowing the team to see how she responds. She has been doing really well, and her most recent sprint was her best one yet. My little athlete!! While her lungs aren’t the same as those of a typical newborn, there may be strategies available to help them continue growing stronger over time. Overall, really good news!

Tomorrow is an important day. The team of specialists caring for Dolores will meet together to review all of her testing, discuss how she’s doing, and determine the next steps in her care. That plan could include another procedure or surgery, though we won’t know until after they’ve had the opportunity to carefully consider all the new data and details from the week. We would especially appreciate your prayers for wisdom for her doctors and for peace as we wait to hear what comes next.

As Patrick and I reflected on the day together, we agreed that our hearts are filled with gratitude. We are so thankful for every moment we get with Dolores and for the incredible care we’ve received at this hospital. Every nurse, doctor, therapist, and staff member has cared for our family with such generosity and compassion. From the lactation team, to the pumping supplies and bottles they provide, to a room for me to stay close to Dolores, we’ve experienced countless acts of kindness that have made this journey just a little lighter. We don’t take any of it for granted.

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring or what next week will look like, but we do have today. Today we got to pray with our daughter, read Scripture over her, hold her close, watch Patrick fall even more in love with his little girl, and simply be her mom and dad.

We are choosing to receive each moment as a gift from the Lord and to be fully present in it. Thank you for continuing to pray for our sweet Dolores, for her medical team, and for our family. Your prayers truly sustain us, and we are deeply grateful for each one.