Growing Girl, 1/25

I've reached some significant milestones in my short little life! I weigh a very hefty 4 pounds now!!! Mommy says my face and fingers are where you can see the most noticeable change in my weight gain. With the extra padding, my ability to regulate my temperature is all set to go. I'm only staying in the isolette to keep the noise out...there's always something beeping in the nursery, so I'll take staying in the isolette if it means I can get more peaceful sleep. Dad gave me a bath a couple of days ago, and I'm very disappointed that I didn't get a foot massage like I did during one of my previous baths. So Dad, next time I'll Take a double long foot massage to make up for this one! Hehe. One of Mommy's work buddies made me a fabulous little froggy hat and booties. It'll get me in the right frame of mind for when I'm ready to hop on home to be with Mom and Dad all day and night. Ribbit, ribbit! Mom and Dad are still very devoted kangaroos...I get two visits from them every day. Now that Mom is back to work, the two of them alternate snuggling with me. Mommy has also been faithfully pumping milk for me every two or three hours and is on her way to filling up the freezer with her yummy milk. I just can't eat fast enough I guess! With some luck though, I'll soon begin to give breastfeeding a try and Mommy will get a break from being a prisoner of the pump. I've been rooting around but haven't quite gotten then hang of things. Being the big snoozer that I am, sleeping still takes up most of my day and I'm quite content with it being that way! Until next time.

Day at the Spa, 1/19

I'm packin' on the grams everyone! I now weigh 1625g and am gaining roughly 15-30 every day. Mommy's getting to be more involved in my everyday care, so she gave me a bath the other day. Things are pretty fancy here...I get a top of the line Rubbermaid tub! Haha. The lukewarm water was so soothing that I decided I'd take a snooze and let Mommy do the hard work. After my bath I got dressed in an outfit Mommy brought from home. It sure does leave me lots of room to grow!

Bundled up in my isolette












Nice shirt Dad!

















Napping in the tub













Getting a foot massage from Mom













Time to go to bed in my new outfit!

Call me Poopsie

Mommy came to visit me on Wednesday night to find four nurses standing around my isolette. She sure was scared! Turns out they were so impressed with what I did! I had so much poop that it went up to my chest!

1-14-08

Mommy finally stood up to the challege of changing my diaper, since Dad changed the last three. Once she got my first dirty one off I dirtied one right a way for her to change. Hehe

My First Kangaroo Time, 1/11

Even though Mommy still wasn't all better, she was very excited to hold me. She hadn't been able to hold me but for a few seconds after I was born. Mommy hadn't looked this relaxed and peaceful since long before she got to the hospital. She was so content to be sitting with me.

Kangaroo Care, 1/12

I LOVE kangaroo care!!! Mommy and Daddy get to hold me skin to skin, and I just can't get enough of it. It is an excellent way for Mommy and Daddy to give me the extra love I need since I got here so early and have to spend much of my time in the isolette. I get my deepest sleep when I'm nestled in with Mommy and Daddy. The two of them look forward to it every day! The nurses also say it helps me to relax and learn to regulate my own body temperature. To keep me just right, Mommy's body changes temperature depending on whether or not I'm too hot or cold...pretty amazing!
























I love you Mommy!


















Konked out!!!

1470 grams, 1/12

Mommy is walking around the hospital on her own, and as of 2pm yesterday was off the magnesium sulfate that had been giving her such a bad headache. She even told Grandpa T that her 26th birthday just happened to be the worst day of her life. Poor Mommy but at least she'll have a good story to tell about it. Her blood pressure has leveled off and is now steady at normal readings. Who would've thought that I was doing better than Mommy! Now we are both feeling great and doing well. Daddy is super excited to have both of his girls happy and healthy. On to me...the nurses take care of me mostly during two chunks of time during the day. They want to make sure I'm able to rest up as much as possible. I sleep about 22 hours a day, so that doesn't leave much time for socializing. When I do open my eyes, it's a real special treat for Mommy and Daddy. I had lost about an ounce since my birth but have now bounced back up to only 5 grams below my birth weight. They measure me in grams instead of pounds to get a more exact measurement...since I'm such a tiny girl. Mommy's been pumping away, and I've heard through the grapevine that I'll get my first syringe full of Mommy's milk tomorrow morning. Super Mommy! To Daddy's dismay, he noticed yesterday that I inherited one of his not so favorable traits...his FLAT feet! Uhoh. Mommy and Daddy are really getting to know me and my quirks, and I can sense it's getting harder and harder for them to leave me.


















































Look at my beautiful eyes!

Sunbathing, 1/12

I'm already prepping for my days at the cabin! I'll be under the lights for a couple of days to help prevent jaundice. I'm not yet able to break down all the bilirubin in my system, so the lights give me just the jumpstart I need to get going. When my nurses first put the goggles on, I was a fiesty little girl and tore them right off. So, now I have these much cooler ones to protect my little eyes. Also, Mommy is doing worlds better today. She's back to her old self, which is great news! That means more Mommy time for me, and I'm always down for that.

Teeny Weeny Sofie! 1/10

Happy Birthday to me! I was born on January 10, 2008 at 1:11am. I came 2 months early and had my Mommy and Daddy worried sick. Though I only weighed 3lbs, 4oz and was 16.5 inches long, I am thriving in the outside world. I am breathing very well on my own and getting used to my new home for the next month, the level 2 nursery. For now, I'm being tube fed and have lots of monitors to check my vitals. Mommy, Daddy, and all the family are so very relieved that I'm here safe and healthy. Mommy is still pre-eclamptic, so she's being closely monitored and isn't well enough to come see me as often as she'd like to. I do hope she gets well soon so we can snuggle more. And while I can't say that I wanted to meet all my relatives and friends quite so soon, I thank you for all the love and support you've given Mommy, Daddy, and me!



The new fam















Don't snip my belly Daddy!













Resting














Boy, Dad, you sure do look good in scrubs!













I'm tiny!