4 days to 2 weeks

That's the current verdict.  I cornered the pediatrician today and he reluctantly said that if Esther really rallies and is able to go off oxygen in the next day or two, that she could go home in 4 or 5 days, but that if she continues to progress as she has been, it will be more like 10 - 14 days yet before she can go home.

Part of me was overwhelmed at considering 2 more weeks here, but the other part of me was happy to at least have some time frame to think about.  Sometimes the unknown is worse than not knowing, if you know what I mean.

For us, we need to be working out things at home and having some idea of what kind of time frame we are looking at helps us to make plans that will help keep things running at home.

Sorry no pictures today, but in order to keep things going at home, our camera had to go home so that Jessica can begin to restock Snap-EZ - I should get it back tomorrow.  I do have the video camera now, so I'm going to try to get something going with that - either that  or try my webcam!  If any of you are experts with a webcam know how to work it (especially video chatting), tell me how!

So, today's prayer needs -

Esther - that she can go off oxygen completely soon (she held her own without oxygen for 10 minutes today - much better than yesterday), and that she'll be able to continue to increase how much she can take from the bottle (she was averaging 24 cc's per feed today, last week her average was around 12 cc's). They want her to be taking at least half her feedings from the bottle if she's allowed to go home using the feeding tube (that would be around 35 cc's).  Also she started to have some unusual watering from her eyes this afternoon so they took a culture to see if it's the beginning of an eye infection, so pray that this was only a temporary eye irritation!

Ruth - keeping ahead of Esther on milk production, good sleep, and finding ways to go home occasionally (we are going to try having me go home again tomorrow afternoon)

Home Front -  That Jessica can continue to keep things running with our business, and doesn't get overwhelmed with all that isn't getting done, that we can get caught up on laundry when I'm home tomorrow (we're going to try to have a laundry party - that's where all the clean laundry is piled on the couches, and a basket it put out for each person, and then everyone starts tossing laundry!).  That we can find places for some of the kids to go from time to time to reduce the stress load on the older kids.  We have been blessed with such awesome friends that at least half the time at least half the kids have been away at friends, and this has helped so much - if you've done this for us, please know that what you have done is soooo appreciated by me and the home team.