Small Miracles

Everyday my daughter amazes me. Tuesday morning I called the NICU as usual to check in with the nurse when I woke up. I was greeted by Yohanna, who I must admit, has been my favorite nurse so far. Yahanna gave me the best news yet, that they had taken Ruby off of her CPAP and she was now breathing room air! I was over the moon! Not only because she was now breathing all on her own, but because I knew just how uncomfortable it made her and how much she hated it. My heart fluttered in my chest...

Next Yohanna told me that they moved Ruby from the warming bed to an isolette, or as we call it, her baby condo. This too was a step up! And finally, they had put in a pic line and would be removing her umbilicial line. Also a necessary step up! Louis and I were both so excited we headed to the hospital to see her as soon as we could and spent all day holding her and just enoying being able to look at her little face and see how content she seemed to be so "free". We both know that is all she really wants...

The highlight of the day was when Yohanna asked us if we wanted to give her a bath. Of course! Another first for both of us. We had to use gauze to soap, then rinse, then dry each tiny part of her body. It turned into the longest baby bath in history, and Louis recorded every second! Thankfully Ruby was very patient with me, and didn't cry at all =) You have to check out the video, although it's long, she's wide awake and makes some great eye contact with her daddy! I'll upload it today...

Yesterday I went for a blood pressure check at my doctor. Still high. I have to keep taking my medication until next week when I have my follow up appointment and they'll check it again. Hopefully by then it will have come down? We'll see...

After spending the rest of the day running errands, then holding Ruby of course, I called the NICU at about midnight again to check on my little one before laying down for bed. The nurse gave me MORE GOOD NEWS! Ruby, who had been having trouble digesting the 2 ml's of breast milk she'd been getting every few hours, started "rooting" during her last assessment, so they decided to try giving her a bottle. And she drank 5 ml's! She only had a 1.5 ml residual, which means this is the most she's ever eaten! The doctor ordered to have her get a bottle every other feeding now. Then this morning we were told that the doctor tried just letting her eat as much as she wanted, and she took 12 ml! Now she'll get a bottle every feeding, and whatever she doesn't finish will be put in her feeding tube. And wehen we go in today they want me to try breastfeeding! I'm just so proud of my little girl, and everyday my heart swells with love and excitement. I just can't wait for her to come home!