So close to going home

Good morning! I'm happy to share some good news! On what was supposed to be Audrey's birthday (Dec. 19th), she restarted her bottle feeding and did amazing. Last week, she was taking about an hour to finish 30 ml of milk with choking and breathing events. Saturday, Audrey had a full bottle(45ml) in about 15 minutes and was still hungry after. She didn't have any episodes and let out great big burps afterward. She did the same thing Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday night.

This morning I spoke to Audrey's therapist and she said Audrey did an excellent job and they are hoping she'll be bumped up to two bottle feedings per shift. If she keeps up the momentum for about a week, we may be looking at going home next week or the week after.

I'm so happy, but very nervous. I'll be on pins and needles these next two weeks. I can't wait to share news of us going home. I will be sure to keep everyone posted.

P.S. Audrey weighs 5lb 4oz!

A small step back

Good morning! Hope everyone is well and getting ready for Christmas.

Audrey is 4lbs 11oz and 16 1/2 in. long. She recently had a hearing test and passed with flying colors. Her biggest challenge is bottle feedings. She was only allowed to bottle feed once a shift, and finally advanced to twice a shift. Since then, her brady and choking episodes have increased. She was ordered back to one bottle feeding per shift. Her doctor is trying different thickeners and consistencies for her milk so that she can eat without choking. It's a little difficult as this is the last obstacle she needs to overcome before coming home.

I don't think we'll have her home for Christmas, but we want her healthy whenever she's ready.

Audrey is 3 months old today

I'm so proud to say Audrey is exactly 3 months old today! She had a very successful weight gain last night...4lbs 10oz. She's doing excellent in her bottle feedings, too.

These past few months have seemed like an eternity, yet it's amazing how much she has grown. She's so active and alert and loves to smile.

Full Feedings

Good morning! Audrey had a wonderful weekend. She began taking full feedings with very minimal choking and bradys. She's drinking 36 mm per feeding. Audrey currently weighs 4lbs 5oz. Her little preemie onseies are fitting perfect, so I think she may may wear newborn clothes in a couple of weeks. I can't wait!

She was a little under the weather last night as she had a hearing exam, three immunization shots, and a bunch of labs. Poor baby...

Hopefully, this week goes well for her and we can finally get some kind of idea on when she'll be able to come home.

Bottle Feeding

Good morning! Audrey is 4lbs 3oz. She's finally fitting into preemie clothes. Her tiny clothes were still a bit big until recently. The hat in the photo was huge just last month. I'm so proud of her growth.

The big obstacle now is bottle feeding. She's been practicing drinking from a bottle with a speech and occupational therapist. Last week, she had major choking episodes while drinking. Her heart rate would drop and she would begin to turn color. Now, Audrey is taking at least half her feedings with hardly any trouble. She had a mild case of reflux, but with medicine and a milk thickener, she seems to be doing so much better. We will keep practicing with her and hopefully she'll soon take a full feeding with no trouble.

4lbs!!!!!!!

Hello everyone! Audrey reached 4lbs last night. She's gaining wait faster these days and we hope we can finally start to put some clothes on her. We were able to give her a tub bath last night, as opposed to a sponge bath. Her eyes became very wide when I sat her down in the water and she kept looking all around. After her bath, she fell asleep and was too tired to drink from her bottle.

We are hoping the next step is having her sleep in an open crib. She's currently in a warm little incubator.