Thursday, May 7, 2009

10 Weeks Today!


Well, as of 5:29 p.m. today, Andrea is celebrating 10 weeks (or 70 days, as they say in NICU) of life! When we began this journey on February 26, I don't think any of us believed we'd be where we are right now. I keep waiting to wake up and find this has all been a dream. We continue to be extremely grateful for the amazing progress Andrea is making.


Andrea's repeat thyroid screen came back fine, meaning that it appears whatever was happening with her thyroid and pituitary glands has resolved itself. The NICU doctors are still going to consult with the endocrinologists, and they may order a repeat next week, just to be sure. We'll have to wait and see (again). Still, this is very good news.


The nurses are continuing to lower the isolette temperature, allowing Andrea to regulate and maintain her own body temperature. She is wearing an undershirt all the time, and gets swaddled in blankets to help her along. She lost some weight since yesterday, which was not unexpected, since she's now working to stay warm.


Feeding is continuing at 27 ml (since she lost weight, the doctors can't increase her milk amounts), and twice a day she gets a bottle feeding. Andrea has inherited the appetite of her parents, and has not had any trouble learning to drink from a bottle. She paces herself well, and stops when she needs a break. Even with the resting, she can get through her whole feeding in less than 15 minutes. (If it took more than 30, she'd have burned more calories eating than she consumed... I'd love to have that problem.)


Andrea is what the nurses sometimes refer to as an "old baby". Even though she's technically 36 weeks gestation, she has been "out" for 10 weeks, and is getting more alert and active, in a way a newborn isn't. She sometimes cries just because she wants someone to come interact with her. Once she reaches 1800 grams, she can be moved to an open crib. At that point, we can give her a mobile, so she'll have something to look at for entertainment.


Rejoice and celebrate with us this milestone. We thank God every day that she is here and doing well. As tiring as it can be to drive to New Brunswick, or pump milk, or even write this blog, I am so ecstatic that Andrea is here, and well, and needs me to visit, and feed her, and share her story with her family and friends. We are so lucky! Thank you for all your support and prayers.


“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
Epicurus quotes

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