together...

We're doing well having Lily home. It's been quite an adjustment trying to juggle Jude and Lily, but we're slowly becoming accustomed to being a family of 4. Lily is slowly eating better and 'hopefully' gaining more weight. Last Friday, Nov 20, she weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz when we visited the pediatrician. Since then she seems to have improved on her eating coordination (suck, swallow, and breath). She chokes less and her reflux doesn't seem to bother her as much. NICU nurses -- her average feeding today was 78 mls (can you believe it?)!!! Go Lily. We hope this trend continues. Auntie Janet and Uncle Peter have been here for the last 4 days; it has been an amazing blessing to have their help. I love this picture of Papa, Jude, and Lily - it's so fun to be able to take pictures of us 'together'.

Home...On 11/11 after 111 Days...

This last Wednesday, after 111 days in the NICU, Lily was able to come home. She continued to eat well and gain weight, thus the doctor said she could be discharged from the NICU. Hooray! It was a huge blessing and relief that she did not need to have the g-ube surgery and was able to come home to us. We are so very thankful to have her home!

We went to the pediatrician on Friday. She had gained 2 ounces since leaving the hospital - so that was also a relief.

And now? Whew...we have been settling into life at home with two children. Props to all you parents out there with two or more kiddos - it takes a lot of multitasking and effort :) My life for the past 4 days has been full of making bottles, feeding lily, changing lily, washing bottles, taking care of Jude, pumping, sneeking in a bit of food myself when possible, and getting sleep when I can. Daniel and I are both a bit exhausted, but well, ... it's so good to have Lily home.

Thanks to all the NICU nurses who so lovingly took care of Lily for her first 111 days of life! Love to you...

We will see...

Lily has been off of her feeding tube for about a week now. She's been taking all of her feedings from a bottle. Some days have been good this week and some not so good (in terms of eating). She has basically eaten enough to maintain her weight, but not enough to continue growing. Thus, on last friday a surgery was scheduled for her (for this coming friday). During the surgery the doctors will laproscopically put in a small tube from outside her belly into her stomach. This is so that we can take her home and if she doesn't eat enough from a bottle, we can still feed her extra through this g-tube. The tube can be removed when it's no longer needed by a simple office visit.

That being said, we are hoping that this week, Lily might be able to begin taking enough milk from her bottle that the surgery will not be necessary. Yesterday was a fairly good day for her (she gained 20 grams) and today, so far, she has taken all 60 mls for all of her feeds. Please pray this trend continues and that each day will be better for her than the one before. Pray that she'd gain weight. We'd love to have her home -- and, God willing, possibly without her having to have surgery.

2009 Halloween

On Sunday, Nov 1st, Lily started to take all of her feedings! It was truly such a wonderful surprise. We think the prevacid they started to give her on Tuesday finally kicked in (to help her reflux). After a day of eating all of her feedings, she lost 3 oz. It was a lot. Last night it had been 2 days since she started eating and she gained 3 grams (about 30 grams to an oz). So...we continue to hope and pray she'll continue eating all her feedings and start to gain some more weight. If that happens - she'll be able to come home (maybe even later on this week)!

Here are some Halloween shots of our family. The night nurses, Sue and Nicole, made princess Lily a crown and a septor. It was pretty adorable.

We took Jude downtown Old Littleton to go trick or treating. Auntie Jenna, Uncle Mark, Super Boy Rohan, Larry Boy Asher, and princess Saige joined us.