The sun'll come out tomorrow..

Ellie in sunny Florida.

Believe it or not there is talk of us going home tomorrow!!  Yes, tomorrow.  All tubes have been removed, and we are just waiting to see what her electrolytes do over the next 24 hours.  We have been moved down to "floor status" from "PICU status" but are physically in the same room (b/c there are no other rooms to actually physically move us into to.)  Ellie is still pretty weak and having trouble walking, so it will be good to be home while there are 2 adults over the weekend.  Then we'll figure it all out on Monday.  
Ben is hanging out with us in the hospital room (almost said "hotel" room, because I like to pretend...) he was missing us a bit today after a busy busy week of playdates and sibling care.  I remember when Ellie was first diagnosed, how nervous I felt just being in the hospital room by myself with her.  Now I can have 

Thom and Ben searching for shells in sunny Florida.

both kids in the room with me with one on the way.  I am inspired by my friend, Lainie, who has 2 kids, 3 and 5, but never balks at taking on another 5-year-old boy, EVEN when she has already agreed to watch two 6-year-old neighbors.  She just tells me, "What's one more?"  And even yesterday told me she wished there was MORE she could do to help us out, even though she had done us a GREAT service by taking Ben for the morning.  Amazing what you can do that you don't think you can and how your perspective on what is possible can change. 

Right now Ben's eating cream cheese for lunch (he is from Wisconsin, after all, and while that may not be acceptable in other parts of the country, it counts as a lunch here in the dairy state.  But hopefully no nutritionists will stop by to take away that fantasy...)  Thanks again for all of your love and support, playdates, and chocolate (Esther brought me emergency chocolate, the really really good stuff.  Some of you know what I'm talking about...Susan, Ghany, Dan, Sara, Kip, Patrick, Cynthia, mom.... )