The best news we could have hoped for! Day +123

I was so apprehensive about my first day in a couple of weeks with both Olivia and Peter but it's going so much better than expected.

Peter is starting to sleep a little bit better. He only woke up and cried for about 45 minutes last night and then slept soundly until 7am this morning. When I went to give Olivia her IV medicine this morning I checked for blood return not expecting to see anything after our long boring weekend in the clinic but to my great surprise her port and line seemed to be working PERFECTLY! I was terrified that it was a fluke and I wanted to get to clinic ASAP so that they could draw blood for her labs so we hurried through our morning routine. Unfortunately I don't have a high chair or a booster seat here (we'd already moved that stuff to Durham) so I didn't have anywhere to put Peter to give him breakfast. I improvised and tied him into the chair with bedsheets. Olivia thought it was hilarious but Peter was as happy as a clam. I'll post some pictures later.

We got to clinic and I had the nicest conversation with another mom in the isolated waiting area. Her daughter was just discharged a few weeks ago from 5200. It was so nice to have another person to talk to. I met her when she was on her initial tour of 5200 when Olivia was still in the hospital. Peter peacefully fell asleep in the stroller while we were waiting and slept all the way through the appointment, waking up just as we were leaving. What a good boy! I am so lucky he's such an easygoing, happy guy! Olivia's port worked beautifully for the nurse and they easily drew Olivia's labs. We really did get the best news we could have hoped for...Olivia is eating and drinking normally, she's not having dihereah anymore, her lungs sound great, she has a bit of a cough but no fever and no vomiting so it's most likely just the same cold that I had last week. They are taking Olivia off the IV steroids and putting her back on oral steroids. We have to stay in Durham until Wednesday for her regular long clinic day but we're hoping we'll be able to leave to go to Fayettville after that appointment. I am so glad that they're taking Olivia off of the IV steroids, those high dosage steroids are no joke! It's shocking to me to see how weak they made Olivia's legs and stomach muscles in just a few days! Last week Olivia was easily going up and down stairs by herself, now after just 4 days of the IV steroids Olivia is having a hard time bending over to pick things up from the floor and stairs are impossible.

Our appointment today was short and sweet. Olivia and Peter are really enjoying playing together and I love being able to have both my children in the same place! Now they are peacefully napping and I'm off to try and catch up on a few zzz's myself.