Rounding Third and Heading for Home

Hey everybody!! Sorry I have not blogged for a couple of days. There have been some HUGE developments since the last post. So, since they gave me that suppository to get the "flow"going it's been much easier for me to....you know.... go. Daddy says that if I am as regular as mommy, he is really going to have to stock up on the diapers. But he always tells me, "Better out than in!" I agree with him there.

The doctors are really impressed with how well I have developed this week. They say that I have taken off like a rocket. I am now eating a full feed for a girl my size (32-37mLs per feed). Man that's a lot of food. I am taking all of my food from the bottle and the nurses love my "man burps". All this eating is also helping with the whole "chubby baby" dreams my mommy and daddy have. I weigh 4lbs8oz and daddy says that he loves both of my chins.

Since I am taking all my food from the bottle, the nurses disconnected my IV fluids and said they most likely remove my PICC line (IV) this weekend. Daddy was soo excited to here about how well I am doing and then the doctors dropped the "bomb" on him. They said, "Since Lily is doing so great, we are going to discharge her either Monday or Tuesday next week." Daddy about fainted. So, I am coming home!!

But there is a some stuff we have to do first. Like tonight, I am having a slumber party with Daddy and Mimi McHugh. They get to come to the hospital where there is a special room (kinda like a hotel room) and the nurses take me off all those stinkin' monitors and I stay in the room with Daddy and Mimi. I can't wait!! I think Daddy is planning for an all-nighter. The reason we are doing this is to get Daddy used to me not having any monitors (it's really easy to focus on those when you are in the NICU). I also have to get some vaccination stuff done and the doctors want to watch me through the weekend. Not to mention, Daddy has got some stuff to get in order at home.

Daddy and Uncle Josh came by last night and hung out with me. They spent the afternoon cleaning out the car and installing my seat. I can not wait for my first car ride!! I can not wait to meet Tucker. Most of all, I can not wait to be with Daddy.

The doctors have given Daddy some strict orders for when I come home. Since it's March and I am still very young, I won't be able to have many visitors for a month or so. There is something called RSV (a respiratory virus) that is very dangerous for babies like me. And it is still flu season too. They said that it's a little different with babies who make it all the way to their due date and that Daddy has to take special care of who comes to see me because I am a preemie. So, it would probably be best to call first before stopping by to see if you can or if it's even a good time. Hey, I sleep a lot and that can't be very exciting. Even though Daddy loves to watch me sleep. Weirdo...

So that is the big news. I am soooo close to coming home I can't stand it. I will miss all my nurses and doctors but they can come see me at home if they want. That's where I belong. Stay tuned and a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has been praying for Daddy and me. And thank you God for answering them. You all ROCK!!

Love You, Lily

The Scoop

Sorry I missed my blog entry for yesterday. There just wasn't too much to say so I decided to wait until today. You are probably wanting the "poop scoop" (that's what Mimi McHugh calls it). Our prayers were answered! It took some time but I finally poo'd today!! And let me tell you, I am not sure anyone has ever been soo excited over something so stinky! Daddy said it's probably the most celebrated poo in history. The doctors did help me a little bit with a suppository but the nurse said that she thinks my tummy just needed a jump start. Hopefully I will be more "regular" in the future and my dirty diapers won't be cause for such celebration and just an everyday thing. But it sure feels good to get things going again.

Today has been super eventful! It all started with Daddy coming in the morning to hold and love on me before work. After he left, a doctor came to give me my eye exam. They turned the lights down rreeaalllyyy low so that it is very dark by my bed. Then they put these drops in my eyes. Daddy says they call it "dialation" and they do this so that they can see all of my eye. The doctor looked at my eyes and said that they look good. So...yeah! The eye exam really tired me out so I decided to take a long nap after the doctor left.

Mimi Cameron came in the afternoon to hang for a bit. She fed me and we talked. Then Daddy came from work and did my 6 o'clock feed. I am up to 25mLs per feed now. So I am finally getting some serious practice at the bottle. The nurses all say that I take the bottle like a champ and I can burp with the best of 'em. It only takes a couple pats on my back and I usually let out a belch that would make any trucker look like an amateur(no offense to any truckers who may be reading this). Oh yea, Aunt Juli came to see me and got to hold me for a bit. That was fun!

Then Daddy, Mimi McHugh, Mimi Cameron, Poppy, Aunt Sandy and Uncle John all took the infant massage class. That's right, all these people took a class to learn how to give ME a massage from head to toe. I can't wait to start my spa treatments. Haha. Actually, the massages will help my brain development, help me digest my formula, gain weight and most importantly bond with Daddy and who ever else is working with me.

The class took almost the whole night so I didn't get to hang out with Daddy very long. Mimi McHugh and Mimi Cameron stayed a bit later and read me my goodnight story. They are the best.

Today's weight report is 4lbs 7oz. When I first got here I was one of the small babies but now I am one of the larger kids in the unit. It has been almost 7 weeks since I got here and Daddy loves to tell me how quickly I am growing and "filling out".

So, all-in-all, I have had a good couple of days and hope to continue on this path. We just got to keep on producing that stinky product. Thanks for EVERYTHING!!

Love you guys and gals, Lily

Happy Monday

Happy Monday!! I am really getting the hang of this bottle thing. They are feeding me 14mLs each feed now and it takes me about 2 minutes to suck it all down. Well, maybe not all of it. Some of it ends up on Daddy's hand or in his lap but I make sure to drink as much of it as I can. A girl's gotta breathe you know and when I stop to do that some formula is gonna get lost. Daddy can't believe how fast I am growing. I weighed in today at 4lbs3.8oz. He says it's like the Biggest Loser in reverse.

My physical therapist came by today and gave me a little workout. I bet you didn't know that even 35 week old babies pump-it-up. She helps me stretch and bends my joints to make sure they have a good range of motion. I get to do this a couple times a week and am getting better at it every time.

My Mimi Cameron came by early in the day and visited for a little while. I took a nap and then Mimi McHugh stopped in. And then my Florida Papau stopped by with a teddy-bear that has a shirt on with my name on it. Then Poppy and Mamau came and stayed for a little while. I might be setting a record for the most visited baby in the NICU. Oh yea, Daddy came by after work and stayed for a really long time. He fed and burped me and then we got to Kangaroo for 2 hours which totally rocks!!

The doctors and nurses are waiting anxiously for me to poop since I haven't done that since they started feeding me. They said it could take some time to do that but hope to see it soon. So, please keep your fingers crossed -or even pray- that I am able to produce the much valued product soon. This is very important to me being able to go home with Daddy and Tucker. I can't believe I just asked so many people to pray for my pooping. Kinda embarrassing.

Well, that's all I have for now. I will keep you updated on any new developments.

Love You,

Lily

I Love Weekends

So I think that my doctors and nurses have been reading the blog because today they moved my feeds from the 4mL teaser amount to 9mLs of the good stuff. It is still kind of a tease but least now it takes me more than two sips to get through my feed. I can not wait until I get to eat a whole bottle but the doctors say I have to have bowel movements (nice way of saying poop)before they increase my amounts. Since I haven't been eating for a week, they said it could take a day or two for my tummy to produce some "product".

Oh yea, I got my big girl bed back since I am doing so much better. And they even put a mobile on it for me. It plays music and spins around. It has all sorts of colors on it too.

Today was another big day. Daddy and Mimi came to see me in the morning and Daddy stayed all day. He fed me a couple of times, read to me from a couple of books and talked to me about how proud he is of me for doing so well. Then Uncle John and Aunt Sandy came by and Sandy held me for a while. We had a great time together. I love weekends because Daddy gets to come and stay for a long time.

So I keep gaining weight. I weigh 4lbs 2oz now and am filling out quite nicely. 5lbs, look out here I come!!

Stay tuned!! Love you all, Lily

Mmm, Mmm Good

Hey Y'All! If you couldn't tell by the title of my blog entry OR by the photo above of me and Daddy, the doctors and nurses decided to take the hints I have been giving them (actually, I was getting down right fussy) and allow me to eat today. How awesome is that?! They didn't give me much at first (only 4mLs) because they want to make sure that my tummy doesn't act up again. I guess I can understand that but 4mLs is a bit of a tease. I did sooo great with the bottle today but just when I start getting the hang of this eating thing, I am out of food. Oh yea, and I burp like a champ. When I was done with my bottle and Daddy went to burp me, it only took two taps on my back until I let one loose. It felt great! So, please say an extra prayer that my tummy tolerates the formula well so that the doctors and nurses decide to increase how much I can have. I enjoy practicing my eating almost as much as I enjoy practicing my napping.

So, if the fact that my getting to eat today wasn't awesome enough, I cracked the 4lbs mark today. Yippee!! My actual weight is 4lbs 0.6oz. I'll just have to prove to the doctors that I can handle eating again so that I can start gettin real chunky. Mommy always wanted a chubby baby and I think that is something I can make happen if I can just get my hands on some more food.

I had all kinds of visitors today. First, Papua came by and held me for a little bit. I think my being so itty bitty made him nervous but I loved getting to be held by him and I felt very safe in his arms. When daddy got to the NICU we kangaroo'd for like 2-3 hours . I get the best naps ever when I get to kangaroo with dad. Then, mommy's best friend Alison came by and hung out with us for a little bit. Of course, I was asleep and snoring the whole time but daddy told me that I helped put a big smile on her face. My Florida papau also stopped by for a little bit to say "Hi". And then Mimi McHugh and Mamau and Poppy stopped by for a bit. And to close out the night, Uncle Ian and MJ stopped in before they took Daddy to dinner.

So, what's next? My plan is to keep getting bigger and stronger. If I can do that, I will be home before you know it. Daddy, are you ready??

Love, Lily

Good Things

Today was AWESOME!! Daddy came over in the morning, held me and read me a story before he went into work. He told me that I am the most popular 35 weeker he knows. Well...I don't think he knows any other 35 weekers but he did tell me of all the people who have been following the blog. It's really cool knowing that there are so many people who care about how well I am doing.

After daddy left for work, my nurses removed my replogle tube. You are probably saying replog..what?? Replogle (RE-POLE-GLE) tube is doctor speak for drainage tube. They used it to drain the icky stuff from my belly. Since I seem to be doing better, they pulled it out today. Gosh, it feels great to have that big tube out of my face. Hopefully, I never have the need for another replogle.

Since they pulled the tube, I am more free to be held by my daddy, Poppy, Mimis and Mamau. Daddy and I even got to Kangaroo today!! It has been waayyy too long since we have done that. Daddy said that there isn't a better place in the world to be than in a Kangaroo chair with his baby girl. That's ME!! I love it too. In fact, they placed me on Daddy's chest and I zonked out almost instantly and slept fantastically until the nurse put me back in bed.

Daddy snapped a photo of me (above) and forgot to turn off the flash. It startled me so bad that it gave me the hiccups. Thanks Dad. But he made it all better when he gave me my goodnight kisses. He even sings me a song that he and Mommy learned at Camp Boggy Creek. It goes a little something like this..."Gooood, goood night to you. The whhooolle niiiight through. May you dream of peace, looovve and hope. And may allll your dreams come true!!" Actually, that's the only verse he can remember but I like when he sings it to me.

The doctors continue to be happy with my progress. Just a few more days of antibiotics and IV fluids until they start feeding me again. I can not wait. Today's weight was 3lbs13oz so even without the good stuff, I am growing. Yeaahh!! And my nurse tonight even snuggled with me for a bit. Gosh, I am one lucky girl.

Well, gotta go to bed. Good, Good Night to You! Love Always, Lily

Check Me Out

Happy Wednesday everybody!! I hope you had a good day. I did. The doctors came by this morning and were talking about how pleased they were to see me doing soo much better. How much better you ask. Well, the pneumatosis is no longer there which is really good. Then they ran a blood test called a CRP (stands for C-Reactive Protein). Anyway, the test is to show the doctors if there is any inflamation going on in my body. My levels on Friday were 4.9 and today they were around 2.2. This means that the medicine is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing. So I have to keep taking my medicine for a few more days and the nurses will continue to give me fluids through an IV for another 5 days or so. After that, they will slowly start feeding me milk again. I can't wait. I really miss that stuff and have been laying not-so-subtle hints to daddy that I am wanting to try feeding from a bottle (ie I am suckling a lot). Thank you all for your prayers. I can feel them working!!

On top of having like the best nurses EVER, I have people come visit me all the time. Like yesterday, Poppy came and spent a couple hours with me. One thing we have in common is our love for naps. So we took a nap together. Now, you really are not supposed to take naps with me while you are holding me but the nurses said that they were watching us closely and it was too cute to interupt. I guess both Poppy and I had our mouths completely open, perfectly content. Poppy says I have some serious nap potential which I guess is a good thing.

Both my mimis (McHugh and Cameron) come by everyday. And daddy, well he comes by twice a day. Once early in the morning and then again right after work. He brought me a present the other day. His name is Ribbit and he is a stuffed frog from a place called Build-A-Bear. Ribbit was the first gift he ever gave mommy and daddy says she hardly ever slept with him. I love Ribbit soo much and can't wait to sleep with him when I get older.

You probably are wondering how big I am. Well, even though they aren't feeding me milk, I weighed 3lbs 11oz tonight. Once they start feeding me the good stuff, I plan on smashing right past the 4lb mark. Daddy says we just need to keep heading in this direction and that I am not allowed to scare him like that anymore....Ha! Like it was my fault.

Anyway, thank you for following my blog and please keep up with the prayers. You all are AWESOME!! I am gonna go practice my napping. Love you all, Lily

Moving In the Right Direction

What's up everyone? Today has been a pretty good day. I am looking and feeling much better. Daddy says it's because Mommy is watching over me and giving me strength. The antibiotics don't hurt either. The doctors made me use a breathing tube for the last couple nights because I was having a hard time breathing. It was very uncomfortable and made my throat scratchy so I pulled it out when they weren't looking. Haha. They talked about putting the tube back in but I showed them that I could breathe on my own without any help. I had a couple of brief periods when I dipped a little but nothing too serious. like when the nurses wrap me up in a swaddle

Daddy and Mimi came and spent the morning with me. I rested all day because that is how I am going to get better. Mimi stayed until Mamau came and then came back a little later in the evening. I have the best grandmas ever!! Then Poppy came and hung out with me in the evening.

The doctors and nurses are happy with my progress but I am not "out of the woods" yet. They are still watching me very closely. I will be on the antibiotics for 7-10 days so that the infection goes away. In the meantime, they will keep giving me my food through the IV which stinks. I miss my milk. But the time off of feeding gives my belly the rest it needs for the pneumatosis to go away. When it is gone, the nurses will start feeding me again very slowly.

Daddy says there are a lot of people praying for me. You guys ROCK!! Please keep praying that I keep getting better and get healed. The sooner I get better, the sooner I get to have milk and the sooner I get to go home to Daddy and Tucker.

Oh yeah, big news. Daddy and Uncle MJ went home after seeing me tonight and put together my crib. Daddy says the nursery is looking really good since Mamau and Aunt Cyndi painted it. It has monkeys and vines and hearts. I can't wait to see it.

You guys are probably wondering how big I am getting. Well, with the my food coming from the IV, I am not really gaining much weight. I weigh 3lbs 10.6oz and am 16 inches long. Once I get back on real baby food(milk) I promise to plump up. Mommy wants a chubby baby so I will aim to please.

Well, back to resting. Keep on praying. Thanks for everything. I love you all, Lily

Under The Weather

Hey everybody. Thank you to those of you that went to mommy's "life celebration" service. I heard the place was packed with people that my mommy had loved and that also loved my mommy. Daddy said it was the perfect way to honor mommy's life.
I have been a little under the weather the past couple of days. The doctors say that I have pneumatosis. Gas bubbles stuck in the wall of my intestine for us normal people. Don't Google it. Daddy said it almost made him mess his pants. The doctors stopped feeding me ( I get my food from IV now) and are giving me a bunch of antibiotics. Hopefully they start working and the doctors don't have to do anything more invasive. Unfortunately, that is all we know. The docs say that I am looking better but we still have to wait and see how we progress. Daddy says we need to ask for everybody to pray. So, please pray that I get better fast and that the doctors are given the wisdom to choose the the right plan of care. There isn't a photo today because daddy forgot the camera. Thanks for loving and praying for me and daddy. Love, Lily

I Have A Guardian Angel

Daddy came to see me yesterday and shared with me that mommy has gone to heaven. Not because she wanted to but because God said He needed her. I am going to miss my mommy so very much but daddy says we can talk to her whenever we want because she is watching over me. She is like air. You can't see it. Sometimes you can't even feel it. But like air, she will always be here. I am going to miss her holding me and falling asleep to the rythm of her heartbeat. She calls me her angel, but really mommy is mine.

I continue to grow and make great strides to coming home. Today I weighed in at 3lbs8oz and last night I ate almost all my dinner from the bottle. My nurses have been showering me with love. They hold me and talk to me. And let's not forget, they feed me and clean up my poopy diapers. Now, that's love.

Daddy read to me today when he visited with Mamau, Poppy and Mimi. I have such a great family and my daddy tells me there are many more great people in the family that I have yet to meet. I can not wait for that.

Thank you all for your prayers. I hope I grow up to touch as many lives as my mommy has. Love you all, Lily

Big Moves

What's up everyone?!Mommy and Daddy can not believe I had my 4 week birthday this past Sunday. Since my last blog I have been busy doing all the things a 33weeker is supposed to be doing. I have started cueing and hinting to my nurses and parents that I am ready to start eating like a big girl. So today, they let me try to eat out of a bottle. Yummy!! But what a workout! I ate 13mL of my 28mL lunch and got so tired I decided to stop and let Christa(my nurse) put the rest of my food in my tube. Christa says that I am still very young to be eating by bottle but she will let me feed once a day through the bottle. So 13mL is pretty darn good for my first time.

I am doing a good job with the chores mommy and daddy gave me. I am eating all my dinner, pooping on my own, and growing. I have gained a little weight and now weigh 3lbs 6oz and am filling out quite nicely. Oh, and I am getting taller. I am 15 and 1/2 inches long. That's a whole inch taller than I was born.

So, things continue to go great for me. I have the best team of people caring for me and praying for me. I can not wait to come home with mommy and daddy but I will miss all my nurses here at the NICU.

I haven't got to see mom since Saturday because she had to go back to the hospital to get rid of the fluid that is stuck in her tummy. Daddy says the doctors think once the fluid is gone, it will be easier for mom to get around. They also said that they don't think she will be there too long. I miss her a lot but know that she is doing what she has to do to get better so that I can come home to her. Daddy tells me that my mommy is doing well, that the treatment to get rid of the fluid seems to be working and we are praying her stay there is a short one. He also says that mommy is one of the strongest people he knows and that I am one lucky girl to have such a wonderful mommy. But I already knew that.

My Mimi McHugh came and stayed with me all day today and held me for hours. I love that!! I have the best Mimi's/Grandmas in the whole world. They shower me with kisses and love. Check out the pic of the outfit I got with stripes and the silly bug on it. With such great grandparents and family, I am gonna have a sweet wardrobe!! I'll have some serious style, check out me and mom in our beanie caps. I hope I am as pretty as mom when I grow up.

Well, I am gonna go for now. I have to get my rest so that I can continue to grow. I love you all. -Lily

I Am A Big Girl Now

Hello every body!! I hope everything is going as well for you as things are going for me. I have been really busy this week. For starters, they took away my isolette/incubator and hooked me up with a big girl crib. I love being out in the open air and it makes it much easier for mom and dad to lean over and give me kisses.

I am also gaining bunches of weight and am now over 3 pounds (3lbs 1oz to be exact). That stuff that they add to mommy's milk is really working. Mom and dad say my only job is to eat, sleep, poop and get fat. So, I will continue working on that.

The nurses also stopped my caffeine treatments and I have been doing really good on my own. I have had a few dips, but nothing to be too concerned about. They say that I should be growing out of them in the next week or so. After all, I am 33 weeks on Friday. Yeah!!

I spend a lot of my time awake and looking around my area. I have a bulletin board with pictures and cards that people have sent me. Thanks! There are a lot of horns and interesting sounds that come from other kids' areas. Mom and Dad tell me that home is really quiet and that I am going to love how peaceful it is there. They say that Tucker barks every once in a while but it is only to protect us.

It should not be too much longer and I will be moving in with my parents. Next week I am supposed to start using a bottle and practicing coordinating my suck, swallow and breathing. Once I get that down, it won't be too much longer before I can nurse.

Well, that's about it for now. Blog with you soon.

Three Weeks and Poppin' the Top

Hey Everyone!! Long time, no blog!!! Things have been really busy and mommy and daddy haven't had much time to type. So here's the scoop. I am three weeks old today (February 1) and have been really busy growing. I now weigh 2lbs 12oz and the doctors are going to increase the amount of food that I get. Yummy! Thanks mom for working so hard to get my food.

The nurses are great and they just love me. They are so happy with my progress that they decided I was ready for the top of my bed to be popped. You are probably wondering why this is a big deal. Well, a lot of my friends here that are my age have trouble keeping their body temperature in the right range (97-99 degrees) but I seem to do a good job of keeping mine up when I am out of my bed with Mom and Dad. So, we'll see how it goes and if I do a really good job the nurses will move me to a crib in about five days. I need to show the nurses that I can hold my own temperature. If not, they will just put my top on for a little while longer but I am confident that won't happen.

Along with the extra calories in my food, I also get vitamins to help my body grow and my immune system develop. The caffeine treatments have really been helping my dips and I look forward to soon growing out of them so that I don't need the caffeine any longer.

I wanted to thank everyone who has bought books for me. I love when my mommy and daddy read to me. Mom makes funny voices for all the characters in the story. Dad...well, he's working on it but he never leaves me for the night without reading me a bedtime story.

As you can see things with me are going pretty well. My parents say that my only job is to eat, sleep, poop and grow. So, I am going to get back to that. Stay tuned for our next installment.