January 15

Not much to update today; both Clayton and I have come down with horrible colds, courtesy of Evje, and so we were unable to visit Elsie today. I did call the hospital and spoke to both her doctor and her nurse. The nurse, whom we LOVE, was quick to reassure me that Elsie was doing great and that we were doing the right thing by staying home when we are sick. No need to pass these yucky germs around, especially in the NBICU.

The doctor informed us that they are looking to perform Elsie's PDA ligation on Thursday or Friday. That means surgery to close the vein that is causing the heart murmur. We knew it was coming eventually, but didn't know it would be happening so soon. The surgery is not invasive, and the risks are few, but it's still scary. The heart surgeons from Primary Children's will be coming to the U to perform the surgery on Elsie and one other baby in the NBICU. The hope is that with her heart murmur fixed, she will gain strength and be able to heal in other areas of her body.

We are hoping that Clayton will have recovered enough from his cold to give Elsie a priesthood blessing before her surgery. Please pray for him. Please pray for my tiny baby, that she will have the strength she needs to go through this surgery.

Our family has generously set up a fund to help cover medical and traveling costs. Donations can be made at any Zions Bank location under the name Ruth Sagers or by calling 1-800-840-4999. The last four digits of the account are 2412, in case the bank has trouble finding the account. We have already been amazed and overwhelmed by your generosity in so many different ways. Thank you for helping our little family during this difficult time.

This is Daddy about to take Elsie's temperature.