Abigail: Daughter. Sister. Over-achiever.

And then some...grand-daughter. Niece. Cousin. Great grand-daughter. I could go on and on.

Well, here's the latest and greatest. She's 3 pounds 3 ounces! Today she took her entire lunch by the bottle. 27 cc's! I cried. Happy tears of course. She did SO well even the developmental therapist was impressed. Apparently little ones born as early as Abby take a little longer to get the hang of it. It's funny because yesterday she managed to get her feeding tube out of her nose. Maybe that was her way of telling us she didn't need it anymore? Honestly though, they had to put the feeding tube back in. She will get one bottle feed again tomorrow and if she does as well as today, they will increase it to 2 per day, then 3...until she is only taking the bottle. Did I mention it's a long process?

Hugs anyone?

She took the bottle!

Wow. Where to begin, I just don't know. We had another great day in the NICU today. Abby had her second developmental assessment and they decided to try the bottle. You wouldn't believe how much goes into teaching a baby to bottle feed. Ok. Maybe you will believe. Or maybe you already know. But anyways, for those of you who don't, you see...babies in the belly start swallowing their amniotic fluid around 34 weeks. As a preemie, she never had the chance to practice her swallowing. So today was her first time. Can you imagine...she TASTED for the first time today, having never had put anything in her mouth before. And I must say, she seemed to like the milk! It's fascinating what they look for, including whether or not she has her tongue on the roof of her mouth (I can't remember if that is a sign she wants more or a sign she is done, but whatever...I'll learn). Oh, and they teach you where to position your fingers on her back so you can feel if she's breathing or not. Those 'lil preemies sometimes forget to do that! So anyways, they gave her 5cc's from the bottle, stopping after each little gulp to make sure she swallowed it. And sure enough, she did! I was so excited I almost cried! I wanted them to give her more, but they didn't want her to get tired and have it be a frustrating experience for her. "Let's end on a positive note" the therapist said, "so come Monday she will want to take the bottle again."

Like I said earlier...it's a slow process, and they are in no rush, that's for sure.

She also had an eye exam. They were looking for signs of ROP (you can Google it if you want to know what it is). She had to have her eyes dilated and then they put little clamps on there to hold them open while the doc examined them. Ugh. Daddy and I excused ourselves from the room when the doc showed up. There's just something about the eyes and examining them that freaks us out (think Rachel in that episode of Friends where she has to go to the eye doc). When we were called back into the room just minutes later, we got the great news that he didn't see anything suspicious and said she is at very low risk for any problems. They will check her again in 2 weeks to make sure there are no changes. But my little Peanut, you should have seen her eyes, they were all red and puffy. I felt so bad but they insist it didn't hurt her and she certainly won't remember.

So once again, nothing but good news. Oh! They also changed her bed out. She is still in an incubator, but now she's in the Cadillac model, if you will. Before she had the Rolls Royce. It's a good thing though, because the Cadillac is used for the healthier babies. Just another indication of how well she is doing!



Daddy was trying to imitate her pose in this one:

#1 goes down and Happy Birthday Grandpa Larry!

I don't want to make anyone mad or anything...but wow! What a victory for Oregon State!

And that's all I am going to say about THAT subject.

What else? Oh yes...HAPPY BIRTHDAY Grandpa Larry! I bet you thought I forgot. :-)

I wish I had new pictures to post, but I didn't take any today (I know,I know...bad Mommy). I can tell you that Abby is doing awesome. She had her first developmental assessment and impressed everyone with her movement and reactions. She will have another one tomorrow and if it goes as well as today, they may even give her the bottle for the first time. It sounds like the bottle feeding will be quite a chore, but I think she is up to the challenge. She also has an eye exam tomorrow. Word on the NICU street is it's pretty yucky so I think I will have to step out of the room for that one. Maybe Daddy can stay and hold her hand.

If you can believe it she has already outgrown those little onesies Daddy bought online. Luckily she got to wear all of them at least once. We found some adorable (and bigger) preemie outfits yesterday at Babies R Us so I am excited to put her in those. Hmmm...something tells me I see a photo shoot in Abby's future. Stay tuned for the pics...

Do you notice what's different?

She's not naked! And why is she not naked you ask? Because she had her pick line removed!

See the little onesie she's wearing? It's hard to tell just how small it is, but think half the size of a newborn onesie. That's about how small it is. But didn't Daddy do a good job shopping online? He surprised us last week with some micro-preemie clothes. We have just been waiting for that horrible IV to come out of her arm so we could play dress up with her. And today we had fun doing just that. You should have seen the look on her face. She didn't fuss, but looked at us like we were nuts as we oogled over how cute she looked and how fun it was to dress her. I'm guessing SHE could care less whether or not she's dressed.

As for her progress, we had such a great day in the NICU yesterday. Abby hit 3 big milestones. Her pick line was removed. She is up to 3 pounds. And she had outstanding results on a routine head ultrasound. We just couldn't have asked for more.

Thank you

I am humbled. I am humbled by the fact that more than 100 of you look at my blog each day. And what is most humbling is that I am sure I don’t know the majority of you. I know 100 is not many, at least not compared to some of the blogs I read, but it is a lot to me.

I originally started this blog simply to keep my close family and friends updated on my pregnancy, because it seemed like the easiest way. Little did I know that it would open up this entire new world for me…the blogging world. I’ve found friends and even family that I hadn’t spoken to in years. I’ve read fascinating stories of other families and their struggles and realized that in the grand scheme of things, I don't have it so bad.

And what is most amazing to me is that there are complete strangers…many of you…who check in on my blog daily just to see the updates. It’s not like my blog is all that exciting or creative or fun to read for that matter. It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles the other blogs have. I don’t have any fascinating revelations to share. All I do is talk about my daughter. My tiny, beautiful daughter and her life in the NICU.

So, from the bottom of my heart I thank each and every one of you who check in to see how we are doing. For every ounce of support you provide; be it through reading, commenting (and I do love the comments), prayer, whatever…me and my family say "thanks".

It's Bath Time!

Abigail had her first bath today. Good thing because she was a little stinky yesterday (and I say that only with the deepest mother's love.) Actually, it was her bag that was stinky (think poopie diaper), but Nurse Mandy changed that today too. The little stinker weighs a whopping 2 pounds 15 ounces and is up to 15cc's of milk every 3 hours. They add fortifier to give her more calories and she is tolerating it well. In 3 days she will be on full feeds and then comes bottle-feeding! Can you believe it? She will also have her pick line removed when she is on full feeds, so no more invasive IV! The bottle-feeding will be a slow process, starting with 1 feeding a day, but hopefully she will pick it up quickly so we can break her out of there and bring her home. I am already thinking about Halloween costumes (Planters Peanut anyone?), although they can't promise she'll be home by then. How can I resist dressing her up, no matter where she is???

So, last night I was talking to her cousin Hannah on the phone. She's 5. She asked me where the baby was and I told her "in the hospital". She said "Will she be home in time to come to my birthday party? I really want her to be there." Is that the sweetest thing ever? By the way her birthday isn't until November 20th...plenty of time to get the Peanut big enough to come home. :-)

Well, it was such a treat to see her today during bath time because she was disconnected from all of her wires and leads. Such a treat that I went a little crazy taking pictures. Let me apologize in advance for how many I posted, but I just can't pick a favorite.

Happy Birthday Grandma Jean!

Just wanted to wish Grandma Jean (Brian's Mom) a big Happy Birthday! Posting a couple of pictures from today...just for you Grandma.

Shhhh...she's sleeping

We stared at her today. For an hour and a half we just sat and stared. And took lots of pictures, trying hard not to disturb her. She never once woke, but yawned and stretched and changed positions every once in a while. No bradys. No de-sats. Just peaceful sleep.

She graduated!

Abigail has been moved to the "healthy baby" room! They had a new admission last night into room 207 so that little one needed Abby's spot and Abby got moved to room 210. At first I was sad about it because she would have to get used to new surroundings, but then I saw the room and was very pleased. It seems less hectic and apparently it is where the "feeders and growers" hang out. Our little peanut is a feeder and grower...not a sick baby anymore. I just love that. And as of today her feedings were increased to 10cc's! She is half-way to full feeds and when she gets there, she'll start bottle feeding. This is all assuming she continues to tolerate the big meals of course, but we have no reason to think she wouldn't. Geez, before we know it she'll be off to college!

I also want to say a quick Happy Birthday to cousin Hope. HOPEfully she is doing something fun to celebrate.

My Houston BFF is STILL without power (thanks Ike). I've had a text message or two from her and she says they are "hanging in there"...I guess that's all one can do given the circumstances. Here's hoping they get that electricity fixed asap.

My first outing

Yesterday I mustered up enough energy to get out of the house for a bit, so we went to the Angels game (they won in the bottom of the 9th...yay!). It was 80 degrees and absolutely beautiful, and so nice to get some fresh air. I came home pooped, but it was SO worth it. Nowadays I keep my camera on hand ALL THE TIME, so I was able to document my big day out...



After the game we went to the hospital. Abby had just been fed and she was sound asleep so we decided not to hold her. She was doing so well that we just didn't want to disturb her (even if it did break my heart). She is up to 2 pounds 10 ounces and they have increased her feeds to 7cc's every 3 hours. She is digesting well, but has been having more brady episodes and desats. It is probably because of the feeds. They think she may be having some reflux issues. I would have reflux too if I ate laying down! The bradys and desats should get better with time and as she gets used to digesting. It's the same old story..."it's a preemie thing" (or so they say). Hard to believe it's been 3 weeks already...

She's a BIG girl!

Our little Abigail...she is such a little trooper. She started her feeds on Wednesday and so far is digesting and tolerating them well. She eats every 3 hours (through the feeding tube in her nose) and is doing so well that they even increased the amount they give her, to a whopping 1.4cc's. As she continues to gain weight they will continue to increase the amount. Last night she weighed 2 pounds 9 ounces! She is getting strong too. When she's on her back and stretches out her arms and legs, she can actually lift her little torso right up off the bed to stretch out her back. I'll try to get a picture of that. When she has tummy time, she sometimes picks up her head a bit to face the other direction, but she gets stuck about half way. She will be 32 weeks on Monday and they are going to start lowering the humidity in her "condo" until they wean her of it completely. It's hard to believe that she's only 5 weeks away from what they consider "full term". Here are some pictures from last night. She spent some quality time getting to know Daddy, and as you can see she was very happy to see him. She just stared at him with wide eyes...it was the sweetest thing.








In other news, I am still on the mend. I have good days and bad. We spend way too much time going from one appointment to another...yesterday it was 7 hours of doctors, hospitals, tests, etc. They say it will be another couple of weeks before I start feeling like myself again. I have a hard time staying hydrated and get tired very quickly. I weigh 30 pounds less than I did 3 days after I had the babies, and it's been hard to eat and drink, but I'm trying. I get frustrated because I want my life back and want to feel normal again. I can't wait to have my strength back. I can't even remember the last time I drove a car. There's so many things I want to do. Since I got pregnant I haven't even been able to go to Babies R Us! I would love to go grocery shopping. Or maybe to the mall. Even a movie would be nice. Blah Blah Blah. I know what you are thinking...shut up and be thankful for what you have. You are right. So I'm done now with my pity party.

I know Ike came barreling through Houston last night, so I hope my BFF and all of my new Texas blogging friends weathered the storm ok. I haven't seen any updates on the blogs so I am assuming most of you don't have power, but know that we are thinking of you all.

The Sundevils play UNLV tonight. Go DEVILS!

Baby steps

Abigail turned 2 weeks old yesterday and she is continuing to do well. She gains and loses weight all the time. She burns her calories so quickly that just a visit from us can make her lose 10 grams or so if she starts to cry. She needs to have minimal stimulation so she doesn't burn the little bit of calories she gets. They will begin feeding her on Wednesday. It will be 3 weeks before she is up to full feeds, assuming she tolerates everything ok. Since she was born she has only had IV nutrients so we are excited to see her get some food. She really needs to pack on the pounds. Today she was almost back to her birth weight of 2.4 pounds. We kept our visit brief today, but she did get a chance to sleep on me for a little while. Here's some pics...

Just another day in the Corny life...

A summary of today's events:

9am - phone rings. Doc says be at the hospital at 10:30 for an ultrasound

10:30am - ultrasound tech gives results to radiologist. Doc calls ultrasound room and tells me I need to have a D&C...TODAY.

11:30am - appointment with Infectious disease doc to consult about D&C

12:30pm - left ID doc and went to OB doc's office to discuss D&C. We need to check into the hospital at 2:30pm.

1:00pm - need to go to pharmacy to pick up a pill before surgery.

1:30pm - arrive at outpatient treatment center for IV infusion of antibiotics (we do this every day for the next 10 days). They gave me the option of an IM injection (in the rear) instead of IV which takes an hour. I went for the injection...much easier!

2:30pm - admitted to Hoag yet again for another surgery under general anesthesia. Having a D&C to clean out the uterus and hopefully get rid of any infection. Hopefully no complications so I can go home.

5:00pm-ish - taken to OR.

7:00pm-ish - in recovery. They didn't find much in the uterus but a couple of blood clots. Hopefully they got any placenta that may have been left over from c-section.

9:00pm - Brian can finally bring me home. Stop for a happy meal on the way.

9:30pm - Just got an update on Abigail. She gained 20 grams today! Still off the nasal cannula and has not had any de-sats or bradys today. Missing her terribly and I'm brokenhearted that we couldn't see her today. Need to get a good night's rest now so we can go there first thing in the morning. Can't stop missing her and feeling terrible for not seeing her.

Just another day in the life...hopefully I am now finally on the mend. Will take lots of pics tomorrow. I think Grandpa Larry is coming to visit.

I'm pooped.

Photo opportunity

Wow, what a week! First an update...Abigail is still doing awesome. Notice she doesn't have any wires on her face, at least not until she starts her feeding tube. We have 6 more days of wire free photo opportunities before they do that.

As for my recovery, it's not going as smoothly as we hoped. I have been in a lot of pain and have had a fever every night since being discharged, so last night we decided to go back to the ER. It turns out some fluid has collected behind my uterus, which they think is what is causing all the pain and fevers. They have put me on IV antibiotics, but luckily I can have them administered once a day as an outpatient. They will do another CT scan next week to see if the antibiotics are working. If not, I will have to have another surgery to remove the fluid, so we are praying that the antibiotics do the trick. Please keep your fingers crossed for us.

Here's some photos from today's visit, including our first family photo! I know, I know...I look like crap...but who cares!?!? Is she adorable or what???



Kangaroo care with Daddy...


Mommy and Abigail...


Nurse Mandy...

Look Ma...no wires!

Nurse Mandy sent us this picture last night from her cellphone. Abigail is making such progress that they were able to remove the suction line from her mouth and she is breathing room air! No more nasal cannula! Will post more later...on our way to see her now.

Kangaroo Care with Mommy and Daddy

We held our baby! Daddy let me go first. Abigail was crying when they handed her to me and as soon as she put her head on my chest, it was like the whole world just stopped. She fell quietly asleep and for the first time in what seems like an eternity, my world was perfectly complete. Every ounce of pain I was feeling was gone. The heartache and frustrations of the last 6 months vanished. It was the first time Abigail had ever been cuddled and she fell fast asleep in my arms, as though she'd been there a thousand times before.



Here's Daddy holding her too. Fatherhood suits him to a tee. He even changed his first diaper the other night.



Auntie Erin asked me how tiny her diapers are. I brought one home for our scrapbook. Here is it next to my cellphone, just to give you an idea of it's size. Not sure if the picture really does it justice or not, but...you get the idea.



We are heading back over to the hospital soon, but the update we got this morning was all good. Her central line was removed last night and replaced with a pick line. It looks much better and will be better for the long term to keep her fed and healthy. It looks more like an IV and looks much less invasive than that central line that was going into her neck. She is also being wiened off of the cannula. She is down to a half-liter and if she does well today she could be completely done with it. Yay for strong, healthy lungs! We are so proud of her progress. She keeps surprising everyone with her strength and determination. More updates soon...thank you all for your continued prayers.

One week old

We visited Abigail last night and she happened to be out from under the tanning bed for a bit. Yesterday they took her off the ventilator (yay!) and put her back on the nasal cannula. It's the first time I have really had a good look at her face, since she's always had either the ventilator and/or goggles on. Here's a picture of her posing for Daddy.



She also got to meet Uncle Jeff and Auntie Susan last night. Unfortunately it was a quick visit because I wasn't feeling so hot. Before I left though, I was able to change her diaper for the first time. As you can clearly see by the look on her face, she didn't like it one bit!