unbelieveable progress today

When I got to the hospital this morning, Nurse Dee was all smiles! She loves when Charlie has good days! She tried to have me guess what was missing but I was so excited that she was so upbeat that I could not figure it out. They removed his repogle (the tube that has been sucking everything out of his stomach since he was born). He had a poopy diaper - which is a big deal in our world! He is peeing like a champ! All systems are working! His chest tube drainage had slowed considerably and they removed it this afternoon!! When I left at 3 to let Chloe out and meet up with Vince for our evening visit, Dee bathed him, weighed him (just a hair over 9 pounds with the last of the fluid retention and the vent tube and IV lines), and DRESSED him (first clothes ever!). And the biggest news yet... I got to hold him!! It was amazing to hold him close after three weeks of standing next to him and his bed. Dee let us stay through the 7:00 shift change and I held him for almost 2 hours. Vince didn't want to risk upsetting him with another move, so he was content to sit and watch and act like the paparazzi. After we got him back in his bed, Vince was able to change his diaper and got a surprise with another poopy present!! What a day for us and for Charlie!! :-)