Baby Joey

I promised fairly frequent updates, so I am trying to hold true to that. Thankfully, there's no drama to report! So, I will share some of the joy we are currently basking in..

For the 3rd day in a row, I've gotten to do Kangaroo Care with my own sweet "joey" tucked away in my shirt. She seems to do better each and every time like the big girl she is. Today she lasted an hour, and truthfully she could have stayed even longer, but I needed to take a break and pump, and we were afraid she had pulled her NG (feeding tube) out as she snuggled into my chest. She hadn't, thankfully! I had the best time just studying her sweet little fingers up close and her head was at just the right spot that I could graze her silky hair with a soft kiss. She slept almost the entire time with only the occassional moment of shifting to a more comfortable position. It was my first time to have her out without the comforting assurance of one of our Primaries (angels/nurses who are sweet enough to commit to Addie for the duration of our stay) nearby. There's just so much comfort in knowing someone who knows me and Addie to watch for signs of trouble when she's out of her bed. We're both big girls now!

Philip held her for the first time night before last and was amazing with her - like we all knew he would be! She loves her daddy! She did so well for him, just like she and I had "talked" about when I kangaroo'd with her earlier in the day. I was so proud of them both! It was and still is so special to see them cuddled in together sharing a moment.

Addie is still doing well with her feedings! She's now on 4.5 ml's per hour and is on track to increase that amount by 0.5 ml's every 12 hours. If she tolerates this, we're on track to have her PIC line removed on Monday when she finishes up her antibiotics!! Our girl would be on "full feedings" with no supplementation from IV fluids or TPN!

Our main ongoing prayer request, other than for her feedings to continue to do well and for her to stay off the ventilator, is for the fluid building on her brain as a result of the bleed she had. We really need for that to start to resolve itself so she won't have to endure more spinal or ventricular taps and certainly so she won't wind up having to get a shunt. This is the last huge obsticle standing between her and simply being a "normal" preemie with "normal" preemie issues / challenges. We would love to "just" worry about her sight, hearing, weight, development, issues due to the injury resulting in her bleed, etc. etc. So, if you would pray for the fluid issue to resolve especially without the progression to a shunt, we would greatly appreciate it!

We are so, so thankful for these good days, and we are absorbing them to the fullest because we know more trying days still lie between us and bringing her home in a few months. There's nothing so sweet as seeing her feeling so well and getting to very cautiously love on her at long last.