10/27/09

Today was a good day for Rachel. She is over 5 lbs now and growing every day. They did remove the feeding tube for a little over a day last week, but she got tuckered out so now she gets a bottle every other feeding unless she is up and moving around they will try to give it to her.

They had to loosen her cannula a little bit because her cheeks are geting so chubby....that's not a bad thing though! She was also moved down to 1/8 from 1/4 liter on the O2. Next step is room air if she handles the 1/8 well. So far so good. Fingers are crossed.

Love Jenny

Weekend Pictures

After getting weighed on Friday night Rachel is now 5 lbs 1oz. She'll get weighed again tonight so here's to more ounces! She's taking 27 calories at her feedings, and they put her feeding tube back in to help her intake without having to work so hard with a bottle all the time. Head scan and hearing test this week were all normal, only thing left to pass is the eye test which comes again this week.

Enjoy this pics, we'll post more tomorrow!

Rob

10-23-09

10-24-2009

10/19/09

Here are some new pic of Rachel. She is now up to 41cc's per feeding and is back down to 27 calories.....she is gaining enough at a good rate so they pulled back on the calorie. She is back on caffeine because she was having events so they decided that she still needed the extra boost.

She also had her second head scan and it was normal so no more of those. Still a waiting game on when she can come home, but she is growing and doing well...Still the diva of the NICU Special Care Nursery though! Just the way she likes it.

Enjoy the pics.

Love Jenny and Rob

10-19-2009

Happy Birthday to Rob!

Here are some pictures from last night at the hospital, Rachel celebrating my birthday and taking another bottle....this time she had about 7mL of the 37mL bottle. She was 1976 grams when they weighed her overnight (10/15), which is 4.3lbs, she's definitely getting big with her chubby cheeks and double chins. We'll ask how many inches long she is tonight, but she almost fills out one of the hospital's preemie outfits that she was in! We'll have more pictures to post later tonight from the feeding, here are last night's.

Love
Rob

10-16-2009

Weekend Pics

I got to hold Rachel on Friday night and then on Sunday they let me try bottle feeding for the first time. After some quick instructions we were off! It was so nice, she is up to 35ml on her feedings and she took 5ml through the bottle which they said was really good for the first time. Even though it was only 5 it felt like 30 because I held her for at least 20 minutes. I had to keep her at a 45 degree angle to feed and your arm tires out fast! She still has her feeding tube in her nose so after they put her back down they gave her the rest through that. But she was awake for the feeding, opened both her eyes and was looking all around at the sights. We got to use the boppy pillow from the shower to help balance her, so that came in handy! After her weigh in on Saturday night they said she is 3 lbs 14oz, so almost to 4lbs!

And the other good news is...she is out of her incubator! They temperature in her incubator was at 27 degrees C for a few days, which is pretty close to room temperature so the doctor said let's try her in an open crib and see how she does. If she can maintain her temp and still gain weight then she will stay out for good!

Jenny will write more later, enjoy the pics!

Love
Rob

10-9-09

10-11-2009

10/8/09

Rachel is doing well....the doctor took her off diuretics and sodium . Yea!! She is no longer retaining fluid or getting fluid in her lungs! she is still breathing on her own - her canula level is now 1/4 liter and 100% O2.....usually this is what babies are on when they go home if they have to go home on O2. So she is ahead of the game there!

She is now up to an ounce, well actually 31cc's at each feeding! And she is 3 pounds 7 ounces....shes gaining!

Yeah Rachel!!!

10/4/09

Here are some pictures from today....it was bath night and I was able to give it. It was just a sponge bath because she is still in her incubator, but it was still awesome!! She is not a big fan of them....or maybe it's just cause it was my first time. She is has been on nasel canula since 9am this morning and has been doing fantastic!! Very high stats on her oxygen level, 95%+. Her feeding tube is now down her nose as well.....makes it harder to pull out, which she did often and makes it easier to suck her paci.

10-4-2009

This link is from Friday...Daddy time.

10-2-09

Here's to a great night and more weight gain!!!

Love Jenny and Rob