PS

Did we mention that Fletcher has already pissed on the nursery chair??? Little jackass.

Little Ladybug

A Thing About Soap...

I think Cory mentioned having to "scrub in" every time we want to go into the NICU. The rule is 3 minutes minimum. We stand there and scrub, up to our elbows, several times a day. I think the soap is eating the hair off my arms. I've developed a rash though at least now the swelling has gone down. Stuff is brutal. I don't know how doctors and nurses do it. I never dated a doctor, but I bet their hands are rough and gross.

Kaia was awake and alert at each visit tonight! Her big eyes are so pretty. She has Cory's eyes and mouth for sure, my chin for sure and we think my nose but it's hard to tell when it's so widdle. I had an amazing moment yesterday that I have to share...

Cory talked about her seeming to root around for something to suck... we tried doing the cheek stroking thing, holding her little chin... so far nothing has really produced a reaction. Well, last night, she had started to wake up a little and was making these little faces and opening her mouth. I touched her lip with my pinkie, and instinctively, she opened her mouth really wide and started to suck on it! I instantly gasped, then started crying. I kept thinking that is what she will do when I finally get to breastfeed her.

This afternoon, the nurse put her on her tummy on my chest to nap. It was awesome. She had her little hand out of her blanket and rested it on my chest as she slept. When it was Cory's turn, he held her the same way and she stuck out her little hand and put it on his neck. I think his heart explodes a little every single day.

Speaking of which... I don't expect it to last, but the past week has had my husband, cranky, cynical, skepticyst, saying things like "wow, that's pretty" while driving past a barn in a field, followed merely a few minutes later by "I bet that house up there has a fantastic view..." In my head, I'm wondering what kind of drug he is on, but I just nod and agree because it's not very often that he sees the sunny side of life. I think our little daughter has finally given him some perspective. But I'll let him comment on that if he wants. :)

Moments

I've been wanting to post for almost a week now (hard to believe, tomorrow is her one week birthday!) but after I spent almost an hour carefully crafting the events of her birth and blogger lost it... well, let's just say I've been boycotting the damn thing. But now I am wide awake, at home and have nothing to do except go to sleep, so just for today, I'm choosing something else over sleep. :)

Thanks to everyone who has called, emailed, texted, etc. You guys mean the world to us. Kaia is very lucky to have so many people love her.

I'm doing pretty well. I wasn't expecting to take such a beating and have been really sore (everywhere, not just the obvious). I asked Cory why my stomach was so sore and he reminded me that I had two nurses pushing on my stomach, trying to push at Kaia's feet to get her to exit my hooha. Anyway, the worst thing really is just that I still get exhausted easily and my feet are swelling after only being on them for short periods of time. They didn't even swell this much while I was pregnant! I have so much to do that I thought I had a couple more weeks to do, and now I get too tired to do much of it at one time.

I can't describe to you what it's like to look at Kaia. I look at her, and I see Cory, and I look at Cory and I see her. She is so beautiful, and makes the best faces! To be so small and yet so expressive and curious is amazing to me. The nurses comment on how adorable and alert she is. When she is awake, her eyes just scan the room in wonder. I have never cried so much in my life. I can't believe I ever thought I might not want to do this...


Now if we can just get her home...

Friday Update

Today was good and bad.

First, the good/bad. She had her echocardiogram thing. She does, in fact, have a tiny hole in her heart. This isn't uncommon in premies, we're told. The doctor apparently seems confident the hole will close as the heart grows, but there is also the possibility that the hole could get bigger. We have to make an appointment to see a cardiologist in six to eight weeks. So that'll be good.

She started bottle feeding early in the morning Thursday (by early I mean the NICU nurse called in the middle of the night to see if we wanted to come for her first bottle feeding; we abstained). She's gone from 12cc of formula to 45cc of formula in just 48 hours.

She's also become Jaundiced (liver is having trouble breaking down all the extra red blood cells she had while she was in the womb; makes the baby turn yellow/orange), so they're doing light therapy on her. That means she lies under a blue light with a sleeping mask on and soaks up the rays. For whatever reason, light helps the kid's liver function better.



The downside, apart from turning orange, is her little body is getting fatigued. Pretty much all day when we tried to feed her, she'd fall asleep while eating. Because she did it twice in a row, they had to put the feeding tube back in her. On the plus side, she's eating enough that they've gotten rid of the IV. But on the bad side, she's got a tube running down her nose and into her little belly and is being force fed. She's just too tired to eat on her own.

That said, when it's feeding time, they still try for the bottle first. The nurses keep telling us that this is common and that after a day or so of eating poorly, they get it figured out. So here's hoping.

Another positive, she gained weight today for the first time since she was born. She has to weigh a certain amount before she can come home, so again, good news.

The doc told Steph earlier today (friday) that there's a possibility she'll get to come home on Monday. As much as I want her to come home and have all the leads and tubes off of her, I'd rather she really be ready to do so, so if it's Monday, it's Monday. If it's later, it's later.

We just got back from trying to feed her and giving her a bath. Those kids are slippery sitting in water. She didn't like it for the first couple of minutes, but by the end, she was wide away and calmed down. In fact, that was the most active we'd seen her all day. We're thinking next time she has a bath, we'll bathe her then try to feed her.

I think that's it. I'm working on a post about the arrival day. Some of you haven't heard the whole story, or haven't heard it well because I haven't exactly been in a calm state of mind lately.

Thanks again for all your well wishes.

Day Two Update

(Steph's napping so she asked me to put my blog's update over here for you guys to read. Also, her phone is dead, so if you need to get hold of us, use my number (it's the same as hers, except the last four numbers of mine are 8212).

So... the feeding tube is out of her throat. Steph actually fed Kaia a whole bottle of milk. Kid fell asleep while she was eating, but she ate the whole thing. All that is doing well.

Last night, the doc said she had a little bit of a heart murmur (which is scary), so tomorrow they're doing a scan on her heart. The doc said it's not uncommon for premies to have heart murmurs, but he's going to check her out anyway.

We're still not sure when she's getting out. They're not even speculating, so I'll try not to as well.

Also, in case you guys don't know: 4 pounds, 8.6 oz. at birth. 17 inches long and some change. She's not very big, but the nurses keep calling her "feisty," which is to be expected.

Later.

I warned you...

So, click down and remember what I looked like just two months ago. Oy! They aren't kidding when they say you gain the most weight in your final trimester...

Anyway, I've been threatening to show you the latest protrusion so there you go. Enjoy!

:)

48 Days and Counting

That's assuming she doesn't come early...

It's hard to believe this part is almost over. I know I've whined a lot, but I told Cory yesterday, I'm going to miss her being in there. It's the strangest feeling when she moves. I expected kicks to hurt; they don't (yet). I'm extremely, and I mean extremely, uncomfortable most of the time, but every time I feel her move, it makes me smile.

I do miss working out hard, enjoying food, sleeping and breathing. Yes breathing I miss the most. But there's still something cool about the whole thing. We went to our first parenting class this week, childbirth preparation, and despite reports to the contrary ahead of time, we actually enjoyed the video. We have two more of those classes, then newborn care, breastfeeding and breathing and relaxation.

Tomorrow is Cory's 35th birthday. Wish I could say we'd be swinging from chandeliers in some hotel, but no. Probably not. I hope we have an enjoyable weekend alone though. We don't have many of those left.

I went to my friend's daycare with her today. The people seem nice and we've heard nothing but good reports from everyone who has a child there. It's like $150 a week. A WEEK! People, before you have kids of your own, move to where your parents live or get a job that provides free childcare. Crikey.

I know I keep saying I'll post a new belly pic soon but I mean it this time. I got my hair did last weekend and I feel cute again so I promise to post one.

Right now, I'm going to go eat a bowl of cereal.

I can pee in a cup without spilling a drop!

We had to see a different doctor today, mine is on vacation. He was very nice, but very, very feminine. We assumed gay until he mentioned his wife and child.

Anyway, we’re sitting in the room and look up to notice a “dilation chart.” I think we both saw it at the same time and lost all color in our cheeks. The nurse said they usually hide it better. I’m not looking forward to when they start measuring that! Good gravy.

Had to get a shot today. Apparently, since my blood type is A negative, and we don’t know Cory’s blood type, we have to take precautions so that if Baby Girls blood type is positive, my body doesn’t see her blood as a foreign substance and try to reject her. Or something. Why we are just now getting this injection is kind of perplexing but anyway, it didn’t sound like a big deal. If baby comes out negative, then we do nothing further. If she is positive, then I get another shot. OK. Whatever.

Listening to her heartbeat is the most reassuring sound ever. I know only the moms out there can truly understand this, but I worry constantly that there is something wrong. “Why isn’t she moving today? What did I do? Is she ok? Have I done anything to poison her?” I mean, the list is endless and it borders on the ridiculous. But when we go in and hear her heart beating strong... it makes me breathe a sigh of relief. Cory, too. In fact, he said it in the office today. We look forward to hearing it so we know she’s ok.

Doc said I might have been having a contraction when he first listened. I told him I didn’t feel anything, and that was ok by me. :) I was reading something to Cory the other day about how to know if it’s “real” labor or “fake” labor, and it actually said if I’m not doubled over in pain, unable to speak, it’s fake. Nice. Who wrote that? Jackass.

I’ve gained 34 pounds. My limit was 35. Oops. Oh well. At this point, it’s just so much belly... I like the belly. :)

My baby shower is coming up... the 19th, and even though I didn’t send you dudes invitations, you are more than welcome to come help Cory through the day. :) Cuz yes, he has to be there. So does Bloyd. Ha! Take that!

Stillwater Public Library
12th and Duck
2:00 p.m.
Theme: Children’s Books (bring your favorite)
Registered under Stephanie Brown at Babies R Us and Target.