:(Discouraged

So I am a little discouraged and jsut plain old frustrated. Sophia has only gained an ounce since last week, and that is concerning. She is 5lb 30z today. The doctor is quite concerned about it and has increased the amoutn of calories I have to add to my milk to hopefully fatten her up. Normal formula or breastmilk has twenty calories per ounce, Sophia is already getting 24calories per ounce, so why isn't she growing?
Sam has his IVIG transfusion tomorrow. That should prove intersteresting, trying to finagle that without mom. My dad also has several appointments tomorrow so please pray for him as well.

Cute pic

My first baby from Grammie Nadeau





Yeah I know I'm cute!!!



We have had a great couple of days. Sam continues to amaze me with his love for his sister. He doesn't seem to be jealous at all. He does like to have his picture taken more often now. Sophia is still not eating well, but each day seems to be a little better. She had to have her bilirubin redrawn on friday as it had gone up on thursday but had come back down on friday. She is still sleeping most of the time, although last night she actually woke up to eat. I am not complaining though. She went two four hour stretches, and then eats closer together during the day.

5lb 2oz

My little peanut is gaining weight. She is 5lb2oz today and is looking good. Still a poky eater, I HATE pumping!!! The breast pump is a miserable creation. But I am thankful that I can give her my milk. She is so cute, and making more faces. Still not awake that much but a little more each day. I am having to wake her at night to feed her, I will probably regret that soon, but for now it is doctors orders so she will get enough calories.

Sam is doing so awesome. He has been sleeping in his big boy bed. This morning he didn't even wake up until almost 8:30am. THe night before he didn't even wake up once.

Sammy's big boy bed

We have decided to try to get Sammy to sleep in a toddler bed now. He has been sleeping in our bed for a part of the night since one of his last hospital admissions. We all don;t sleep very well and now with Sophia it will be nearly impossible for anyone to get any kind of restful sleep if we continue this way. Matt was willing to sleep in his room on the floor last night with Sam and he stayed in there the whole night and Sophia and I had our room. Tonight Matt converted his crib into the toddler bed. Please say some prayers that he sleeps well. Mom came today and took him outside for a long time to the playground so hopefully he is completely exhausted. I can't get over how sweet and gentle he is with the baby. He just wants to kiss her all the time. He did find her binky today which was so funny because you could tell he didn't quite know what to do with it

Miss Sophia is just as mellow as she can possibly be. She hasn't really cried a hole lot. I still have to wake her to get her to eat for the most part. Last night she was up for like an hour in the middle of the night. It was sweet just her and I and she was so alert and looking around. Tomorrow we go to get her blood work repeated.

6 days old

Good news!!! Sophia is 4lb 13 oz today!! She gained two ounces over night. I knew this exhaustion I was feeling from waking up every two hours around the clock to force her to eat was worth it. She is so mellow and quiet, she has yet to wake up for a feeding. I have to wake her and force her to eat. Her bilirubin is the same level as yesterday which is good too. Since tomorrow she will be a week old, and she has gained more weight, her bili level would have to be several points higher in order to need treatment. We will get rechecked on wednesday, but for now we just get to enjoy this beautiful miracle that God has given us. I find myself getting so emotional today as I look at these two beautiful children that God has blessed us with. I can't even begin to put into words the joy and thankfulness that I feel.

Happy Easter

We have so much to be thankful for this Easter. Thank you God for the sacrifice of your son, and for the cross and for the forgiveness you have given us. Thank you for the beautiful family that you have blessed us with. Thank you for the love and support that has surrounded us during these last few months. Thank you God!!! We wish and pray for a Happy Easter for all of you. We left the hospital this morning just in time to go to church for Easter service, I just needed to be there to give thanks for all that God has done for us.

Well I was convinced that we would have to stay another day here in the hospital, but after some pretty strong begging the doctor she allowed us to come home. Sophia was 4lb 11oz today, and her bilirubin had gone up to 10.4. The level wasn't high enough to put her back under the lights. The doctor started us on breast milk fortifier to add calories to my milk, as well as supplementing with high calorie formula. So we will go home today and I will feed her like crazy and pray that tomorrow things are better. Sammy just loves to hold her and kiss her. He came across a thermometer today and knew exactly what to do with it. Can you tell he has been to the hospital a few times?

Jaundice

Well Miss Sophia was still under the bili lights for most of the day today, but this afternoon when they rechecked her levels they had come down significantly. I was praying this morning and asked God for the level to be in the low nines (which wouldn't happen normally) and when they rechecked this afternoon it was 9.4! Thank you God. So she got to come out from under the lights. I loved getting her dressed again. I was discharged myself today. I am glad that I am doing well, but it would have been so nice to be discharged together like normal mom's and babies. Oh well! Weight wise she is still losing weight which is frustrating. She is 4lb 12oz today. I am no longer able to nurse her and have to pump to make sure that she is actually getting enough.

Sunbathing beauty

Here are some pictures from today. Our little lady is jaundiced and has been sunbathing all day. As you can see most of the time she is just enjoying the warmth. She has been eating well all day which is a relief to me. Sammy waved at her and blew her kisses while she was laying in there. And I finally got some pictures with her eyes open:)

Our little princess

Sammy flirting with the staff
Car seat challenge

Meeting Grandpa for the first time

Don't worry, I will protect you little sister.

The loves of my life

We are doing so well. I am so thankful to God for the miracles He has given us. Technically she is two days old and is doing very well. Unfortunately her bilirubin level is slightly elevated and she may have to go under the bililights, but I kind of thought she might anyways as Sammy did, and it is more common in Preemies. She weighed 4lb 14oz today, which is something I am discouraged about as well, I was really hoping to keep her above 5lbs but we will fatten her up. Here are some pictures from today. She had her car seat challenge today as well. For those of you who don't know, a baby who is born less than 37weeks (Sophie is 34) has to have this test. They put the baby on a cardiac monitor as well as an oxygen monitor, and put her in her carseat for an hour. During this time they look for any times her heart beat drops, her oxygen level drops, or long pauses in breathing. She didn't pass the test the first time, but was repositoned and passed the second time.