Check Out My Bling

Hey everybody! How are you all doing? I am doing great here at the RCNIC at Childrens. The doctors are still pleased with how I am progressing. They seem to think it may be something called "dismotility" which is fancy doctor speak for "slow to poo". So, what do you do if a baby has dismotility? You give them prune juice and sometimes a suppository. It works like a charm but they would rather me go on my own. Frankly, I would rather go on my own too! We'll get there.

This was a great weekend for me. Daddy came and spent most of the afternoon on Friday with me and we hung out a whole bunch on Saturday. My Mimi Cameron is also in town so we get to hang out a whole bunch. This is especially nice during the week when Daddy has to work. I get to hang out with both my Mimis and daddy gets back to the RCNIC soon after they go home for the day. I am hardly ever alone. I mean, I do get my alone time in the crib but I also get all the lovin' I want and it ROCKS!

On Sunday there was an event downtown for the American Heart Association called the Heart Mini-Marathon. There were 3 events. A 5K run, a 15K run and a 5K walk. The whole family participated in the event at one distance or another in Mommy's memory (they even had special t-shirts). Uncle Ben and Angela ran the 5K, daddy ran the 15K and the rest of the family walked the 5K. Cousin Elisabeth even ran an unofficial length of 7K (nobody told her where to turn around, hehehe). Daddy says the weather was a little cold, rainy and windy but that it couldn't sour the event and everyone had a great time. He said that the event is to raise money for people whose hearts are special. Daddy says mommy's heart was especially special because it was the largest, most loving one that he has ever seen. After Daddy finished his run the people there gave him a medallion for participating. He brought it straight to the hospital to give it to me saying that he thought of me an mommy for every mile of his 9.3 mile run. He also said that next year, he might actually train for the event instead of just going out and doing it. And guess what?!?! He said that I get to do it next year too because we have a special stroller that he can run with. That is going to be a lot of fun.

It was a busy weekend in the RCNIC too. I am up to full feeds again and hopefully they will let me start eating every three hours from the bottle. I am currently on a continuous feed through an NG tube (nose tube). I am continuing to weigh in good at 6lbs 3oz and I measured in at 181/2 inches. The doctors say that I am right where I need to be in terms of maturity, weight and size. But they still don't know when they are going to send me home. They would like me to have my own "bowel" movements and they want to watch me a bit longer because the last couple of infections happened about a week after I got to full feeds. So, prayer request. Please pray that I have no more infections come on and that my belly starts to move my poop without any assistance. If we can do these things, I will be home in short order.

Oh yea, almost forgot. I wanted to thank you guys for praying for my friends here. A couple of the kids in my pod are doing so much better since the last time I asked you all to pray for them. One was even taken off a ventilator. You all really are the best!!

Well, I better get back to bed. I had "Spa" night tonight and am so tired. It's a tough life being me. Snuggle, sleep, get loved on, sleep, Spa night. Love it!! Goodnight everbody. I love you all sooo much!!

Love, Lily

New Do

Hey everybody!! Things are continuing to go pretty good for me. They allowed me to feed out of the bottle 4 times today!! Well, maybe I should clarify. They let me take 5 mLs from a bottle 4 times today. It's not much but it sure tastes good. Daddy thinks it's hilarious because when they started to give me the bottle I acted like I thought it was just another pacifier and didn't show much interest. But when the milk hit my tongue, my eyes got really wide and I went to town on the bottle. It only takes me about 20 seconds to polish off such a small amount but I plan on showing the doctors that I can handle more of the good stuff. Anything to get this PICC out of my hair.

Oh yea, my hair. This is something I was NOT very excited about. The nurses have to change the dressing for my PICC once every week. Well, they tried to be delicate but the tape was pulling out some of my hair. Do you know how bad that feels? I'll tell ya, it doesn't feel good. And then, to top things off, the lady cut my hair. Can you believe that?!?! She cut my hair!! It took me close to nine months to grow that stuff and she just took it right off in less then 10 seconds. Daddy says that it will grow back and that I am still the cutest thing he has ever seen. We even got to keep my hair that was cut. It's on a postcard that says "My First Haircut". While I was less-than-thrilled about my new do, daddy said the nurse did it so I didn't have to have my hair yanked out everytime they have to change the dressing. Besides, it's just the hair around the PICC. It isn't like she shaved my whole head. Daddy also says it's just hair and that he's been cutting his for years and it always seems to grow back. Well, most of it grows back.

The doctors are really happy with my progress. At this rate, I won't be hanging out here at Childrens too long. I told you all that I was going to cruise right past the 6lbs mark and you know what?! I weighed 6pounds 2ounces today!! It's gotta be all the love and prayers I have been getting. The lipids (fat) that they put in my IV probably don't hurt either.

Daddy says that I am blooming right before his eyes. Just like the trees, flowers and bushes outside. He says Spring is when new life springs forth and that he is very thankful that I will be coming home when it's getting warm. That way, we won't be stuck in the house as much. We can get out and go for walks around the neighborhood and take Tucker with us. Daddy says we will have to train Tuck to walk next to a stroller but that it shouldn't be too hard to do on the account that Tucker is so smart. I can't wait.

Tomorrow (March 27) is my actual due date and daddy is going to spend most of the day with me. He has to go into work for a little bit but said he will take a very long lunch and then go back to work for a little while longer to finish up things before the weekend. Daddy says that my Mimi Cameron is coming into town and will be coming to see me tomorrow. I can't wait. I have really missed her. I look forward to some quality snuggling time.

Well, I better get some rest. Thanks for everything. You guys are SWEET!!!

Love Always, Lily

Mmmm, is that milk in my tummy?

Happy Monday folks!! It was a pretty fun weekend after the doctors were done running their tests. On Sunday, Daddy came after church and hung out for a few hours and we read books and cuddled a bunch. He told me that Spring is here and that there are -hopefully- much warmer days on the way and since the weather was so nice, Daddy left for a couple of hours to ride his bike in the afternoon. He says that when I get big enough that there is a trailer he can attach to his bike so that I can go on rides with him. That sounds really cool and he says that he sees a lot of daddies with their babies riding along on the trail by our house!!

I finally started feeding again!! It seems like it's been forever but they had to make sure everything was cool before they introduced anything to my tummy. The doctors said I have to start rreeeaalllyyy slow because my tummy has to get used to having food in it again. Since the feeds are too little for a bottle, I get my food through the tube in my nose. I sure hope this is the last time I have to have one of these tubes in my face. It really itches!! Today I kept sneezing. One sneeze was so big that I blew the tube right out of my nose!! Daddy tells me that the plan is to slowly increase how much food I can have and when the volume gets high enough, I can start practicing on the bottle again. I look forward to that.

I get great treatment here at Children's. I have a physical therapist that comes to see me during the day. Mimi says that she's like the baby whisperer or something because when she gets done with me, I am as limp as a wet noodle. On top of that, I get held all the time and they put a CD player in my crib so that I can listen to lullaby music. Man, does that music zonk you out. Good stuff, great naps.

I had my second eye exam today (Monday) and I passed in with flying colors. Other than that, there is not really anything new to report. I just attend to my one chore...to grow. I weighed 5lbs 12.5ounces tonight! I will be 6 pounds before you know it!! Actually, I'll probably fly right past it at this rate. The plan right now is to keep increasing my feeds -so long as I can process them- until I get to a full feed volume (this is going to take a bit of time). So, same ol', same ol'. But we are moving forward. Yea!!

Thank you for all your prayers!! You guys are the best. If you could, please throw up a prayer for the rest of my friends here. Some of them are pretty sick and their parents are pretty stressed too. And one for the INCREDIBLE staff!

OK, goodnight everyone. A girl has to get her beauty sleep you know!!

Love You All, Lily

Hey! That's Not Milk

Hola everybody!! I hope your Spring is off to a great start. Mine sure is! It's been a few days since I last updated the blog so let's catch up! Since my last test (lower GI) came back negative, the doctors said I had to flush out (nice way of saying poo) all the contrast stuff they put in and then I could do my next test, the upper GI contrast test. It took a little bit of time to get all of it out but yesterday(Friday) they gave me the go-ahead to have the test done today(Saturday). This test was way easier - and much more comfortable- than the first one. Daddy, Mimi and Papau came to see me in the morning and then the nurse, Daddy, Mimi and I went downstairs to the X-Ray room to do the test. Instead of giving me the contrast stuff through a tube, they gave Daddy a bottle of stuff to give me. It was white like milk, but it sure didn't taste like milk!It was really chalky and made me look like I was wearing white lipstick. But when you haven't eaten for two weeks, you suck down whatever they give you.

As I sucked down the doctor's cocktail, Daddy said it was really cool to watch the TV screen and see how it moves through my insides. The doctors then sent us back upstairs with the bottle and instructed me to eat a little bit more before my second X-Ray. You are probably thinking, "Second Xray" Well, the doctors actually took 4 of them (spaced out about 30minutes between each one) so that they could see how my tummy was moving the stuff along. So far, everything looks to be working the way that it should and the doctors are talking about letting me eat real food -well...formula- again!! I can't tell you how excited that makes me. Daddy says that he is super-proud of me for doing so well with the test and not getting fussy at all. That's cuz I am a tough chick like in my book.

Daddy says that they will probably try a different type of formula this time around to see if all my problems were because my tummy just didn't like that other stuff. I hope that is the case and that they find some food that doesn't upset my tummy because if we can do that, that means I will be home really soon. Me and daddy are both growing a bit tired of hospital living. Don't get me wrong, these people here are great, but we apparently have an awesome house and an awesome dog that we get to go home to.

I will be 10weeks old tomorrow and I now weigh 5lbs 9oz. Yea, I am totally getting big!! Daddy calls me his chunky monkey. Even Aunt Cyndi and Uncle Grady stopped by today and when Cyndi was holding me she mentioned how much of a difference she sees. I get held all the time which is totally cool with me. Being held is wwaayy more comfortable than laying in bed by myself. Oh! They also gave me a new pacifier called a Wubbanub. Basically, it's a pacifier with a stuffed animal on the end of it. Mine has a baby Ribbit on the end. He's a frog just like mine and mommy's Ribbit at home.

Well, that's about it. Daddy is hanging out with the kids at church tonight but promised to come back to hang out for a bit and read me some good night stories. I'll blog to you all again soon. Have a great weekend!!

Love You All, Lily

Happy St. Patrick's

Hey everybody! Happy St. Patrick's day! I don't know who this Patrick guy is but Daddy tells me that his holiday is pretty fun. A bunch of the nurses here at Children's were wearing green and some were even wearing goofy things on their heads (dad called them Shamrocks). Daddy says there are other parts of the holiday that I won't be able to partake in for quite some time. But I do like the green!

So, as you can see/read, I am now at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati. I am not sure what I was so afraid of, the nurses and doctors here are great. They remind me of my friends at Good Sam they are so sweet. I will say that the unit is a LOT different than where I was before. There are more lights and Daddy says he doesn't think it is as "homey" feeling but he also says that there is a reason for that. A lot of the babies here have more serious problems than my friends back at Good Sam's NICU. But, the doctors here are EXTRA special and if anybody can do the fixin', they can.

So, you are probably wondering how my first car ride was. Well, I wish I could tell you. Fact is, I slept the entire way from Good Sam. All 1.9 miles of the trip. For the trip over, they put me in this souped-up stretcher. Daddy says it is the same kind of stretcher that they put big people on except that there is an incubator attached. Apparently, it weighs close to 500 lbs and the guy transporting me almost threw his back out getting me into the ambulance. Daddy rode in the ambulance with me and Mimi met us over at our new hospital.

They still aren't feeding me but they did start doing the studies today. Today they did what they call a contrast study. I'll spare you all the gross details but they put some stuff in my intestines that would show up on an X-ray machine and then took all kinds of pictures. It was very uncomfortable and I was NOT a happy camper. The doctor said that I was a good patient and it didn't take very long. It didn't take too long until the results came back either and they were "negative". Daddy says that this is one of those times when "negative" means "good". The doctors were looking for "strictures" in my bowel which -if found- would mean I would need surgery. Well, they didn't find anything. So, we move on to the next test which will most likely be a tube they send down my mouth to take pictures. I don't look forward to that but if that's what we have to do to figure out what is going on, that's what we have to do. The next tests will most likely take place on Thursday. The hurry up and wait game is certainly familiar territory so let's just wait and see.

Other than that, I am doing really well. The nurses just think that I am too cute. Daddy agrees of course. I weigh 5lbs 2.5ounces and am enjoying all the lovin that I am getting. Thanks for everything. Have a great day!!

Love, Lily

Big Girl

Well, it took a while but I DID IT!! I weighed in tonight at 5lbs1.2ounces and they measured me at 18inches. Daddy says I am growing soo fast that he sees changes in me everyday. Now I weigh more than a bag of sugar.

It has been a fun weekend! I've gotten soo spoiled because all the nurses know that I am scheduled to be transferred tomorrow(Monday) and that I won't be coming back. So I got extra snuggle time and even got some going away presents. I am sad that I have to leave but Daddy says that he has everyone's contact information and that he is going to stay in touch with them. When the doctors at Children's figure out what's up with my tummy, fix it and send me home, Daddy says that our new friends (my nurses) are welcome at our house anytime. I sure hope they visit.

I had all kinds of visitors today. First, the Bauman's came in to hang out with me. They were amazed at how much I have grown in the short time since they last saw me. Then Poppy and Mamau came by and Mamau snuggled with me for a little bit. That was awesome because I haven't gotten to see her because she was a little under-the-weather. Now that she is better, I am excited to spend more time with her. Then, Daddy and I Kangaroo'd for 2 whole hours! We both get so comfortable snuggling that I fall right to sleep and Daddy fights hard not to doze off because the nurses might yell at him. Apparently, you aren't supposed to fall asleep while holding a baby. Who could blame him though? Kangarooing is the best place in the world to be. Alison came to hang with us too. She held me and complimented me on my chunky cheeks and two chins. She also told me all about her daughter, Gwynn, and how we are gonna be best friends. I can't wait to meet her!!

Daddy came back later in the evening to hang out and read me my goodnight story. Tonight's story was titled "Tough Chicks". My Aunt Pitter bought me the book because she said it reminded her of me. I love the story of the three tough chicks. The three chicks don't act like "normal" baby chickens are supposed to behave. They get into stuff and really get on Farmer Fred's nerves. But Mama Hen is really proud of her baby chicks and how they are unique. Then one day Farmer Fred loses control of his tractor and who comes to the rescue? That's right! The three chicks. After that, everybody celebrated the chicks and all the things about them that before got on their nerves. Daddy says that the lesson of the book is to be proud of who you are and that I can do anything I set my mind to because I am one tough chick.

Well, that is really all that is going on. This is my last night at the Good Sam NICU and I am really sad to be leaving. But I am excited to meet new friends at Children's and to finally figure out what has been causing my tummy problems. Daddy says that the people who will be taking care of me are very good at what they do. So good, in fact, that babies come in from all over to be treated by them. He says we are so blessed to have such special facilities so close to home.

I will be transfered sometime in the morning and once I get over to Children's, they will decide what tests to run. Please pray that the problem with my tummy is a simple fix. I will blog soon to tell you all what we find out.

Love You, Lily

Hurry Up and Wait

Hello Friends!! I hope all is well with you. As for me, things are going OK. They still haven't fed me. Daddy says once they figure out what is going on with my tummy that they may start feeding me again. But that won't be for another week so I guess I will have to wait. Shucks! But I am still growing even though they are only giving me fluids through my PICC line. Today I weighed 4pounds 13ounces. I'll crack that 5 pound mark pretty soon. That will be pretty cool. Daddy says he gets a laugh everytime he is at the gym and looks at the little 5 pound plate and thinks of how it weighs more than me. But it won't be long before I weigh more than that silly plate and he will have to find something else to laugh at.

The doctors are pretty happy with how I have been doing over the last couple of days. In fact, they pulled out my replogle (drainage tube) today. It is soo much easier to breathe with that thing out of my face!! Not to mention, I am a bit more photogenic. Mimi came and spent the morning with me. We had a great time. Then, Poppy came and spent a couple hours talking to me and Daddy. I am one lucky girl to have such a loving family.

So, yesterday was awesome!! Daddy came in the morning for like 5 hours. He left for about 2 hours in the afternoon but then was back for another 2 hours in the evening. We got to kangaroo for a few hours and then he read me "When Will It Be Spring?". It's a book about a bear cub, Alfie, and his mommy. Daddy says that bears sleep aaallll winter long and that they wake up when the spring comes. Problem with Alfie was that he kept waking up early and his mommy got really annoyed with him waking her up. Finally he woke up and it really was spring. Daddy says that it is almost Spring outside and that everyone can't wait for it to be here. He says that Spring is when lilies bloom and that some day he will bring me lilies. I can't wait.

So the plan is the same for me. The doctors will be running some belly x-rays tomorrow to see if things are getting better. Please pray that they are. My doctors here spoke with those at Children's Hospital and told them to expect me there sometime on Monday. Once I am there, they will run some tests and figure out what's going on. Until then, it's just hurry up and wait.

Well, there isn't much more to report. I am just enjoying my last few days here with my Good Sam nurses. I hope they stay in touch. I love them so much. Well, I will blog to you soon.

Love you all so much, Lily

Just Hangin' Out

Hey Everybody!! It's been a few days since I last posted anything. In the last post I mentioned that I almost came home but then my tummy acted up again. So, the doctors decided to treat me the same as they did the last time this happened. They put me on three different antibiotics to fight any infection that is going on, they place the replogle back in my nose to suck out any nasty stuff in my belly and they stopped feeding me (which totally stinks by-the-way). Instead of the yummy formula, I get my food through the PICC (a fancy IV). Last time they put the PICC in my arm but this time they put it my HEAD!!! Yea, you are probably thinking "whoa, they put in IV in Lily's head?" Well, it doesn't look as bad as you might think. They put it there because they wanted to give my arms and legs a break and because it was the easiest place to place it. It doesn't mess up anything. Daddy still gets to kangaroo with me and my mimis and other visitors still get to hold me.

The whole not eating thing really gets on my nerves and every three hours I let the nurses know it! I kinda get cranky when I have an empty belly. Daddy says he is the same way. The nurses and doctors say that I won't be eating again until they figure out what is going on. This is a major bummer but we can't risk another infection or making this one worse.

The plan is to let my medicine do its job and that will take about 7-10days (this Saturday or Sunday). After that, they will be transferring me to Children's Hospital here in Cincinnati to have a bunch of tests ran on my belly and intestines. Depending on what they find, they will decide whether I just need a different type of diet/formula or if they need to do an operation or procedure. I am hoping for the change in diet, personally. I am told that Children's is a great place to go and that the people there are very nice but I don't think anybody can be any nicer than my friends here at the NICU at Good Sam. They are the bestest!!

I am soo excited for tomorrow. Daddy said that he is taking the day off work tomorrow to relax and that means he will be able to come spend a little more time with me. That is awesome. We can read books, kangaroo, chat and nap. I can't wait!!

Well, that's about it. The last couple of days I have just been resting and spending time with Daddy and my Mimi's. Uncle John and Aunt Sandy stopped by yesterday to say "Hi" so that was nice. Poppy is coming to see me tomorrow and I really look forward to that. You are probably wanting a weight update. I weighed in tonight at 4lbs 10oz. It is very hard to gain any weight when they stop giving you the good stuff. But, once we get things straightened out I will pick up where we left off.

Thanks for all your love and prayers. You rock!

Love You All, Lily

You've Got To Be Kiddin' Me

It happened again! I was hours from getting to come home but then the doctors noticed that my tummy was getting distended (big and firm). So they ran a couple of X-Rays and they saw that there are "loops of bowel" in my tummy that are pretty big and they didn't feel comfortable sending me home like this. It looks like my tummy just cost me a couple of extra days in the NICU which is fine by me, I have the best nurses in the world. Daddy says it's fine by him too because I am not allowed to pull these kinds of shenanigans when I get home.

The nurses and doctors are going to run a few tests to see if this is an infection or if my tummy is just really slow at moving the formula or maybe it is something else. Who knows? They really aren't sure what it is but it looks like they caught it pretty early. I still look and act like a perfectly healthy -albeit gassy- baby girl so lets just pray that it isn't anything too serious.

Tummy issues aside, the last couple of days have been a lot of fun. All the nurses thought I was leaving so they spoiled me like crazy with love. I even got a few gifts. I got some sweet outfits and some really cute books that Daddy gets to read to me. And, I even have a few picture frames with a lot of different pictures of me. Daddy says that they are already on display around the house.

Thursday night was spa night and daddy learned how to give me a bath. Man, I love the warm water but it sure is cold when he picks me up to dry me off. I get a little fussy when he takes me out. I have my own little bathtub that is made by Rubbermaid. I guess people also use these tubs to store stuff. Hey, they make a great bath too. Anyway, Daddy did a really good job washing me and making sure no soap or water got into my eyes. It feels good to be so fresh and clean. I have spa night 2X per week; once on Tuesday and again on Thursday. Daddy says that is so I don't start to stink up the place.

Well, that is about all that I know that is new. We keep thinking that I get to come home and then something happens. But me and Daddy agree that this is God and mommy watching over me and not allowing me to come home when I am really not ready to. So, please keep me in your prayers. I know you will because you all totally ROCK!! And I hope the next time I blog, it will be all good news.

Love you all lots, Lily

So Close

Hey everybody!! Man, I was soo close to getting to come home. I was supposed to come home on Tuesday but after the nurses laid me down after lunch I ended up spitting up some of my formula and it got caught in the back of my throat where I couldn't get it out on my own. Not to worry, the nurses used the suction thingy and I was able to breathe better. What happened was that I was bearing down to, you know...go, and I accidentally pushed the formula the wrong way. The doctors don't think that it is anything to worry about. I just have to be sure to let out a lot of good burps during and after my feeds before I can lay down. I think I can do that. My little spit up cost me a few extra days in the NICU which is fine with me because I really love my nurses. They are the awesomest!! So, Daddy says that I probably can come home Saturday if I can keep my lunch down between here and there.
So, after my little spell Daddy came down to the NICU and spent the WHOLE day with me. We even got to Kangaroo for 2 hours which, as you know, is one of our favorite things to do. Mimi McHugh was also here so that was a lot of fun too.
Today Mimi Cameron and Aunt Libby (aka "Gribby") came to see me for a little bit. Mimi Cameron fed me and changed my diaper. Only thing was, I wasn't done going and I ended up making a real mess. Ooops!! And then Mimi McHugh came and when she was changing my diaper....Yup, you guessed it. I did it again and it got everywhere...Hehe...So, I guess I don't have to tell you that my problem with going isn't so much of a problem at the moment. The nurses think it was my way of saying "I don't really like this outfit. I need a new one". So, everytime I made a mess, they gave me a new, cute outfit. Pretty sweet.
I am eating big amounts of formula. I average 40mLs per feed. All this eating wipes me out. Daddy says it reminds him of Thanksgiving. I wake up, eat a bunch of great food, burp, pass out for a couple hours, wake up and pig out again and then back to sleep for me. Life sure is good for a baby girl.
Daddy came to see me tonight and we hung out for a little while. He read me a great book about Little Nutbrown Hare called "Guess How Much I Love You". I really like this book. It is about a little Hare (Daddy says it's like a bunny rabbit) who wants to impress his daddy with how much he loves him, but his daddy always says he loves him more. Daddy calls Big Nutbrown Hare a "one-upper". Everything that Little Nutbrown Hare says about how much he loves Big Nutbrown Hare, his dad always loves him just a little more. I don't know about that but I do know I really like when daddy reads me my goodnight stories. Daddy tells me all the time about how mommy loved to read to kids and that she made different voices for all the characters. He tries to do it but says he is no where close to as good as mommy was at making goofy voices. Practice makes perfect.
I weighed 4lbs 10oz tonight. Daddy says it's hard to gain a ton of weight when you are as "regular" as I am. Oh well. I am still getting bigger.
Well, that's about it. Stay tuned. You guys are the best.
Love to All, Lily

Gettin Close

Hey everybody!! This weekend totally rocked!! Daddy and Mimi came for our slumber party on Saturday and we had a great time together. Of course, there was no slumber to be had for Daddy. The NICU calls it a "stay-over" because most parents don't sleep much that first night with their new baby. Daddy says it is hard to sleep when there aren't any monitors that will alarm him if I act up. So he only got like 2 hours of sleep. I slept really good and every three hours Daddy or Mimi would wake me up to eat. I would scarf down my food, Daddy would pat my back until I let out a nice burp and then he'd hold me until I fell back asleep. What a life! We spent all night together until 8am Sunday when the nurse came to bring me back to the NICU. Mimi and Daddy said it was good practice for when I come home (which should be any day now) and that hopefully daddy can work on falling right back to sleep after he puts me down.

On Sunday, they took out my PICC (IV) and now all I have to where are those silly heart rate monitor things. Daddy said that all my Aunts and some of Mommy's friends came over to get the house ready for my homecoming. My nursery is all ready to go and the changing station is fully stocked. Daddy says that I have more clothes than you can shake a stick at and that I could where a new outfit every fifteen minutes and still not have to do laundry for a month. We'll see about that.

So, I should be coming home any day now. All I have to do is produce some "product" all on my own (are you noticing a theme here) and then they will release me to go home with Daddy. I can't wait to be home. Daddy is taking off work for a while to hang out with me and I can't wait to spen all my time with him. We will eat, nap, #2, read books and nap some more. But most importantly, we'll just love on eachother.

The doctors said that I can start eating as much as I want and today I took two bottles with 45 mLs in them!! That is way more than the 32 that I was eating. If I keep eating like this, I will be 5 lbs really soon. Today I was 4lbs 10oz.

Oh yeah! I got my picture taken today by a professional photographer. They put me in all kinds of cute poses and one with me resting on Daddy's hand. Not to boast or anything but I look really cute in the photos. I guess when the lady comes to take your picture it means you are on the shorttimers list and almost out of the NICU. Next time you hear from me may be from my new home.

The nurses and doctors at Good Sam are amazing and Daddy says they are answering a special calling everytime they come to work. He says they help dreams come true. He says that even though we could never repay them that they will always be in our thoughts and prayers. So if you work at Good Sam and took care of either me or mommy -or- me and mommy, thank you.

I will blog to you all real soon.

Love you all, Lily