Ava is HOME!!

After a LONG 103 days, miss Ava is home!  She was released on 12/28!  She did have to come home on oxygen and an apnea monitor.  I don't mind the monitor so much as it gives me a chance to sleep and not check on her every 2 seconds.  But the oxygen is a PITA!  Anytime she has a doctors appointment I have to have someone with me.  It's too much to carry by myself (Ava in the carrier, oxygen tank, apnea monitor & diaper bag). 

So far we've been to the pediatrician twice (routine visits) and the eye doctor.  The pediatrician says she looks great for a 23 weeker.  No visible signs of any major problems.  At the last visit she weighed 5lbs 5oz.  The eye doctor wants to see her every 3 weeks, which is normal for a preemie.  So far so good on her eyes, no signs of ROP.  We go the hematologist on the 20th to follow up on tests she had done when she was born.  Since she was so early they just want to follow up.  She goes to the pulmonologist on the 21st, so hopefully they will start weaning her off the oxygen.

She's doing pretty good at home, eating every 3-4 hours.  After her last feeding at night, she usually goes for 5 hours before she wakes up!  Great for Will and I!  Other than that, things are what you expect with a newborn.  Since we have to go by her adjusted age, today she is 8 days old.  But technically today she is 4 months!! 

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY babygirl!!  We love you and are so VERY proud of you!!

Ava is Home!!!

I know it's been a LONG time...I promise when I have more time I will come back and update!!! 

Moved to Transition Pod

November 29
Age: 10w4d
Gestational Age: 34w2d
Weight: 2lbs 13oz

Today they moved Ava to a transitional pod and lowered her oxygen settings to the lowest before either coming off or having to go home on it!!  She's doing great!!  Her new room is more private and has a window!  This is the first that she's seen natural light.  In this pod it seems that they really want you to focus on preparing for her to come home.  It's great but overwhelming at the same time.  Coming from a pod where they train you to take it day to day and even sometimes hour by hour, this is a huge adjustment.  So Will and I are taking some classes in the next few days to help us prepare...Child Seat/CPR (required) and Baby Care.  There are a few more classes that we want to take as well, Development and Infant Massage.  Keep praying that we can bring Babygirl home for Christmas!!!

Started Bottle Feeding & Introduced Breast

November 23
Age: 9w5d
Gestational Age: 33w3d
Weight: 2lbs 10.5 oz
Nurse Kate fed Ava from a bottle today!  Out of 20cc, she took 5! We will slowly feed her more from the bottle since she needs to feed from it at every feeding to be able to go home.

November 24
Age: 9w6d
Gestational Age: 33w4d
Weight: 2lbs 11.5 oz
Today Ava took 15 of 20cc from Nurse Hermine!  She would've taken it all but Hermine didn't want to put the multi-vitamin in the bottle b/c Ava would have been able to taste it.  Some of the nurses also overheard the doctor telling the residents that "this is what a 23-weeker should look like" because she was fiesty and kicking!  They also heard her say Ava "is the best 23-weeker she's had"!!! 

November 25
Age: 10w
Gestational Age: 33w5d
Weight: 2lbs 11oz
We started nuzzling today and when she found the breast she went for it!  Later we actually let her feed from the breast and she did pretty good!  She would go and then stop and then go again!  She did this 3 or 4 times!  Today she "nippled" 4 times which is the max she's allowed right now.

Officially Off the Vent!!

Age: 8 weeks
Gestational Age: 31w5d
Weight: 2lbs 2oz

So today I went to the hospital and I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me!!!  They decided to remove Ava from the ventilator after 1 day on automode!  Her main doctor is on vacation so another doctor actually made the decision.  They placed her on a high-flow nasal cannula.  When I looked at her in the incubator she was smushing her face into her bed!  Finally freedom to move her head anyway she wants; she was enjoying it so much! I was so happy and had a smile from ear to ear!  Finally the day I've been waiting for for 8 weeks now!  Well this day and the day she can come home. 

You can tell Ava was happy cause her oxygen levels were in the mid to upper 90's all day.  The doctor that made the decision did tell me that we have to see how she does for a day...if she doesn't do good then she may have to put on CPAP or maybe even back to the ventilator again.  But so far so good and hopefully this post doesn't jinx it!

We've Reached 2 lbs!! And update

Age: 48 days
Gestational Age: 30w4d
Weight: 2lbs

Today we finally reached the 2lb mark!  She's 918 grams...up 100 grams from 2 nights ago (maybe cause she got blood today). 

Over the weekend we had a scare of NEC, but as of now the doctors are no longer worried about it.  They did stop her feeds to be safe and should restart them late Wed or Thur.  She also had to get more blood today. Since they were getting blood for labs so much over the weekend she was a little low. 

Sunday night she decided to pull her ET tube out (breathing tube).  The nurses decided to leave it out and see how she would handle it.  She did good for about an hour but it was too much work for her. She had such a stressful weekend with the NEC scare, otherwise I think she would have done better. They are still weaning her from the vent and hope that they will get her off of it soon. 

Other than that she's doing good!

Finally!!!

Age: 27 days
Gestational Age: 27w4d
Weight: 1lb 6oz

I finally got to hold my daughter today!!  What a great feeling!  Thursday we can start Kangaroo Care, which is skin to skin!  They originally said it would be a few weeks before we could start K-Care but I guess since she's doing good they decided we could start sooner! 

She's also gained some weight!  She's up to 1lb 6oz!  They are decreasing her IV nutrition and increasing the amount of breastmilk she's getting.  Soon she'll be on breastmilk only and they can take out the IV!!!  They are giving her treatments to help her lungs; they said today they think they are working!  Apparently it works for some but not all.  They've talked about getting her off the ventilator, but I think that's going to take some time.  They say it's like taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back.

I know it's hard to see her in the picture; they wanted to make sure to bundle her up so she stayed warm. 

Friday she will be 1 month old!  I can't believe it!  I hope time keeps flying so I can bring her home!!