It is finally letting me upload photos again! Here are two for now.
Isn't she just beautiful?
I think Hannah likes her :)
Friday, January 25, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Iowa City Visit and Such
We had our first visit back at Iowa City this past Wednesday. It was strange to be back in Iowa City again even for a short visit. During our visit, they tried Noelle off of her oxygen to see how she would react. She was doing great! Her pulse ox was 99-100 the whole 30 minutes. However, her heartrate began to climb after 30 minutes. She went from 150 bpm to 180 bpm and you could actually see her little chest moving faster. So... we continue the oxygen for now and let her little lungs develop more and get stronger. The nurse practioner thought she probably wouldn't need it much longer; however, we do not go back for another appointment until March so we will have it till at least then. I am hopeful and praying they will tell us she doesn't need it anymore. So the oxygen stays and so do the monitors. The monitors are probably my biggest frustration. It rarely sounds and when it does it is an apnea alarm when she is eating. Typically it is during a part of her feeding when she is getting a lot of milk in a short time. She always brings herself out of her apnea spells. Since our visit in Iowa City, we've only had one alarm. So why is it a hassle if it rarely sounds? It is a hassle, because it limits how easily I can move Noelle around. She has an oxygen cord that is either 25 or 50 feet long (I can't remember which), but I can easily get into any part of the house with her oxygen cord. Her monitor, however, needs to be plugged in a lot. So when I want to move her around I have to unplug her monitors from the wall and then tote the monitor pack on my shoulder while trying to carry her and do whatever it is I'm wanting to do in another room. Needless to say, Noelle stays in the living room most of the day.
Other news from Iowa City, the Dr wants us to continue to give her 1-2 bottles a day of breast milk mixed with the special formula to increase her calorie intake. Although, she is not struggling in the weight department at all. On Wednesday, Noelle weighed 7 lbs 11.8 ozs! She already caught up with the growth curve. She is in the 3rd percentile for a (then) 7 week old. If you correct her age by her due date (3 days old), she would be in the 50th percentile. They told us that it is really good that she has caught up to the growth curve already. We are happy! We just saw the visiting nurse today and Noelle is 8 lbs 3 ozs today! She is gaining like a champ!
Speaking of gaining, the girl LOVES to eat! Yesterday she ate at 4 pm, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 and then I gave her one of her bottles with formula at 9:30! This constant eating at times makes a momma tired! Typically during the day she eats every 2 hours sometimes she stretches it to 3 hours. During the night... Well we talked to the dr about that too. They told us before we discharged that Noelle had to eat every 4 hours or more. I, of course, followed instructions. After four hours at night, I would wake her and try to get her to eat. She wouldn't always want to eat (except for the night she ate 3 hours straight!). She would eat when I woke her then fall back asleep and be up every 1-2 hours after that to eat some more. Daniel suggested I try pushing it to 5 hours one night just to see what would happen, so the rebel in me decided to. I let her sleep 5 hours and she woke up right around then on her own and was hungry! She ate and fell back asleep and woke 3 hours later. A lot better than 1-2 hours later. We discussed this with the Dr and she said I could push it to 5 at night and see how she does and maybe later push it to 6. Well since then Noelle has only been doing about a 4 hour stretch at night sometimes 3, but last night after all that eating she slept for 6 hours!!! I couldn't believe it when I looked at the clock! So nice! I hope she continues to do 5-6 hour stretches at night. One benefit of having to do the formula in 1-2 bottles a day is I give her that bottle right before bed and due to the formula it usually keeps her satisfied a bit longer. Otherwise, feeding her bottles is a bit frustrating for a nursing momma.
Hannah LOVES her little sister and was reading her books this morning. :) Noelle really likes when Hannah comes over and talks to her too. If she is fussy, sometimes she will stop fussing and really stare at Hannah. I have a feeling they will be best friends someday. Hannah keeps telling me she wants to play with Noelle and hold her of course. I tell Hannah that Noelle has to get bigger and then she can play, but that doesn't stop Hannah from trying to share her toys with Noelle. Adorable!
Well, I better get some sleep while I can. Noelle has officially spent more time at home than in the NICU now! That is definitely something to smile about! And life is feeling more and more "normal" each day. I love my life, my girls, my hubby, my home, everything! Even though there are challenging moments and stressful days, I wouldn't change a thing! I am one blessed momma!
*Grrr - I'm trying to upload photos but it won't let me again. I need to figure this out and I will try to soon!*
Well I got some up from my iPod. Will try to get better ones up soon.
Other news from Iowa City, the Dr wants us to continue to give her 1-2 bottles a day of breast milk mixed with the special formula to increase her calorie intake. Although, she is not struggling in the weight department at all. On Wednesday, Noelle weighed 7 lbs 11.8 ozs! She already caught up with the growth curve. She is in the 3rd percentile for a (then) 7 week old. If you correct her age by her due date (3 days old), she would be in the 50th percentile. They told us that it is really good that she has caught up to the growth curve already. We are happy! We just saw the visiting nurse today and Noelle is 8 lbs 3 ozs today! She is gaining like a champ!
Speaking of gaining, the girl LOVES to eat! Yesterday she ate at 4 pm, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 and then I gave her one of her bottles with formula at 9:30! This constant eating at times makes a momma tired! Typically during the day she eats every 2 hours sometimes she stretches it to 3 hours. During the night... Well we talked to the dr about that too. They told us before we discharged that Noelle had to eat every 4 hours or more. I, of course, followed instructions. After four hours at night, I would wake her and try to get her to eat. She wouldn't always want to eat (except for the night she ate 3 hours straight!). She would eat when I woke her then fall back asleep and be up every 1-2 hours after that to eat some more. Daniel suggested I try pushing it to 5 hours one night just to see what would happen, so the rebel in me decided to. I let her sleep 5 hours and she woke up right around then on her own and was hungry! She ate and fell back asleep and woke 3 hours later. A lot better than 1-2 hours later. We discussed this with the Dr and she said I could push it to 5 at night and see how she does and maybe later push it to 6. Well since then Noelle has only been doing about a 4 hour stretch at night sometimes 3, but last night after all that eating she slept for 6 hours!!! I couldn't believe it when I looked at the clock! So nice! I hope she continues to do 5-6 hour stretches at night. One benefit of having to do the formula in 1-2 bottles a day is I give her that bottle right before bed and due to the formula it usually keeps her satisfied a bit longer. Otherwise, feeding her bottles is a bit frustrating for a nursing momma.
Hannah LOVES her little sister and was reading her books this morning. :) Noelle really likes when Hannah comes over and talks to her too. If she is fussy, sometimes she will stop fussing and really stare at Hannah. I have a feeling they will be best friends someday. Hannah keeps telling me she wants to play with Noelle and hold her of course. I tell Hannah that Noelle has to get bigger and then she can play, but that doesn't stop Hannah from trying to share her toys with Noelle. Adorable!
Well, I better get some sleep while I can. Noelle has officially spent more time at home than in the NICU now! That is definitely something to smile about! And life is feeling more and more "normal" each day. I love my life, my girls, my hubby, my home, everything! Even though there are challenging moments and stressful days, I wouldn't change a thing! I am one blessed momma!
*Grrr - I'm trying to upload photos but it won't let me again. I need to figure this out and I will try to soon!*
Well I got some up from my iPod. Will try to get better ones up soon.
Friday, January 11, 2013
We're Still Here
Wow it is hard to update this these days! We are still here and doing great! Noelle is gaining weight like a champ. As of Wednesday (with a somewhat wet diaper on), she weighed 7 lbs 6 ozs! Good job little girl! This mommy is losing weight in the meantime. I was weighed Wednesday too and I only have 7 lbs to go. Yay for me.
Noelle is making up for lost time from all those days when she couldn't be held while she was in the NICU. She wants to be held a lot... and I mean a lot. I'd love to sit and hold her all day, but little miss Hannah would not like that too much. We've tried the swing and sometimes Noelle likes that. Mostly Noelle wants to eat, eat, eat, and did I mention eat? Last night everytime I got done feeding her if I tried to lay her down she'd wake up rooting and crying like I hadn't fed her for days. It was a rough evening, but she finally spaced out one feeding three hours from start to start. I told Daniel last night I was soooo hungry. He was confused since we just had supper not long ago. It seems all this nursing the baby has made me want to eat, eat, and eat too. :) Most of the time Noelle eats every two hours from start to start. At night she sometimes will go four hours. I am really looking forward to the day when they tell me I can stop adding formula to two of her breast milk bottles a day. I really don't like having to pump after I feed her a bottle. Time consuming! Our next appt is next wednesday so I'm hoping they'll discontinue it then. It's not like she isn't gaining weight!
Things are getting back to "normal" around here. I've been able to get things how I like them on days when Daniel is off work. I've been able to cook and try new recipes. We are settling back into somewhat of a routine. I even got to go to church last Sunday!!! It had been four months since I had been there so it was great getting to see everyone! The only rule was that I had to wear a mask to church so I didn't catch anything and bring it home. If you see Daniel and I out and about, even at the grocery store, you will find us in masks. Silly, but worth it. I don't want little miss Noelle getting sick! Especially since her lungs are still growing.
Anyway... I should probably wrap this up. Noelle is wanting to eat yet again and Hannah will be up from her nap soon.
I was going to add pics, but it isn't letting me right now. I will try again later :)
Noelle is making up for lost time from all those days when she couldn't be held while she was in the NICU. She wants to be held a lot... and I mean a lot. I'd love to sit and hold her all day, but little miss Hannah would not like that too much. We've tried the swing and sometimes Noelle likes that. Mostly Noelle wants to eat, eat, eat, and did I mention eat? Last night everytime I got done feeding her if I tried to lay her down she'd wake up rooting and crying like I hadn't fed her for days. It was a rough evening, but she finally spaced out one feeding three hours from start to start. I told Daniel last night I was soooo hungry. He was confused since we just had supper not long ago. It seems all this nursing the baby has made me want to eat, eat, and eat too. :) Most of the time Noelle eats every two hours from start to start. At night she sometimes will go four hours. I am really looking forward to the day when they tell me I can stop adding formula to two of her breast milk bottles a day. I really don't like having to pump after I feed her a bottle. Time consuming! Our next appt is next wednesday so I'm hoping they'll discontinue it then. It's not like she isn't gaining weight!
Things are getting back to "normal" around here. I've been able to get things how I like them on days when Daniel is off work. I've been able to cook and try new recipes. We are settling back into somewhat of a routine. I even got to go to church last Sunday!!! It had been four months since I had been there so it was great getting to see everyone! The only rule was that I had to wear a mask to church so I didn't catch anything and bring it home. If you see Daniel and I out and about, even at the grocery store, you will find us in masks. Silly, but worth it. I don't want little miss Noelle getting sick! Especially since her lungs are still growing.
Anyway... I should probably wrap this up. Noelle is wanting to eat yet again and Hannah will be up from her nap soon.
I was going to add pics, but it isn't letting me right now. I will try again later :)
Friday, January 4, 2013
Gaining, gaining, gaining!
Noelle now weighs 6 lbs and 14 ozs! Good job Noelle! She continues to eat, eat, eat, oh and eat. Sometimes she eats every two hours from start of feeding to start of feeding. And she continues to be very adorable! We love being home!
I'll try to post more later. It's a busy house with two wonderful little girls in it!
I'll try to post more later. It's a busy house with two wonderful little girls in it!
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