You're My Best Friend ...

Today has been a good day. Scott and I had a little day out to ourselves and it felt good. It's easy to lose yourself and your relationship to the situation you are in if you don't take time out to nurture the relationship. It is funny though, the whole time we were out all we could do was imagine what it will be like to do things with Luke when he gets out of the hospital. It seems so far away, almost like it won't get here. Even sitting here now I wonder what it is going to be like when Luke comes home to us and our days don't revolve around hospital rooms and monitors. It almost seems scary to think that he will one day not need those things to survive. If I ever had the instinct to be an overprotective mother before it has surely been amplified one thousand times now. Poor Luke really doesn't know what he's in store for when he does leave the hospital! He will have "apron strings" for a very long time. 

Luke continues to trend in the right direction. He still has a lot of fluid on him from surgery but his swelling is getting better by the day. The nurses are continuing to wean him from his ventilator so that is great news! His tummy tube is starting to run clear (this means his tummy has almost healed from the surgery on the inside) so that's also good news; the earlier that happens the earlier we can start feeding him again! He had another brain scan and the results are a little scary. One ventricle is measuring a grade 3 still but the other is now measuring a grade 4. Still not severe enough for surgery but it's not the news we were hoping for. He is also having difficulty urinating on his own (he has to have a catheter) but the doctors think that has to do with the swelling also. 

So if anyone is praying for specific needs for Luke here are some key things we are concerned with:
- Head activity (we don't want him to need surgery to drain his brain)
- Tummy activity (we want him to be able to start feeding soon)
- Swelling and fluid retention (we want this to continue to reduce so he can get unnecessary pressure off of organs, like his bladder and kidneys)
- Urination to pick up. 

Also just keep praying for his PDA (the ductus in his heart) - it did reopen during this whole ordeal. The cardiologist did say that it was narrower than they anticipated so this is good news, we hope it closes as he grows so he won't need surgery for that. 

Scott and I also had a visit today with Luke's guardian angels. Kayla, Justin and Urijah stopped by to drop off Luke's donations, some Luke cookies and the sweet sign they made for him. It was so nice to talk with them about what we are going through because they know first hand how it feels. It really does mean a lot because not only can you talk to them about your experiences and feelings but you already know them personally as well. Scott and I are so very blessed for the three of them and they will never know how much. Honestly. I could say it until I am blue in the face but every day I live on this Earth with my son I will thank them. And not just for the bake sale and donation, but for the honest support and encouragement from Kayla and Justin. Their sincerity is very rare and hard to come by in friends today so if you are lucky enough to know this precious family then you are already truly blessed just by knowing them. We do love you Kayla and Justin and Urijah, more than you will ever know! And we can't wait for you to meet Luke! 

Today I am thankful for my best friend Mollie. At our age the term "best friend" almost seems juvenile or childish. Like a term you would use when you were very young to describe someone. But in this case "best friend" is the most appropriate term there is to describe my love and my relationship with Mollie. Mollie and are probably more like sisters after all this time. We bicker like an old married couple and defend each other hardcore to anyone who starts any mess. We have been on some pretty crazy rides together and it is hard to believe we have been this close for over 10 years. Time surely flies when you have found the Thelma to your Louise. You learn a lot about friendships when you go through a tough time and Mollie has definitely been through more than one tough time with me. She's the person I can count on through thick and thin and I wouldn't trade her for anyone in the world! And the love I know she has for my Luke makes me so happy. I know that if anything ever happened to me in this life and I couldn't care for him any longer, Mollie would be there without a doubt. Now our friendship had exceeded another level in our lives and I can't wait for more! Mollie you are the best friend anyone could ask for and I am so thankful I am able to call you my "best friend".

Thank you for checking in on us! We appreciate everything from everyone! 

Love, 
Scott, Melissa & Luke Malone :)