First Week Home

I am exhausted, sometimes overwhelmed - sometimes wanting to cry in the middle of the night, but IT HAS BEEN A FABULOUS WEEK!! I love telling Abby "Goodnight", instead of "Good-bye"!! The first night home was virtually sleepless - like that is a surprise - but we think a routine may be starting to form. One would think she would keep her sleep habits from the hospital - ya right!

John stayed home with us for the first two days, but had to go back to work.... Since he has to leave so early in the morning to fit in work and school, I try and do baby duty on my own in the middle of the night. I need a husband who is alert enough to drive to work and not crash... Today he let me take a long nap. He and Abigail had a nice time together. I enjoyed sleeping in my bed again... With the oxygen and monitor, it makes it a little tricky to move around the house. So, we spend most of our time downstairs.

Things are going well so far.... At her pediatrician appointment on Tuesday Abby weighed 7lbs 3oz -- my birth weight.... A funny side note: my cousin and I were born two weeks apart, and have spent our lives doing things together - even when we haven't meant to. To keep this tradition going, we found out we were both pregnant and due the same day - and both discovered it on Father's Day.... We obviously did not have our babies at the same time, but she did have her baby two days before Abby came home. Our little girls left the hospital weighing about the same, and both weighed the same at their pediatrician appointments.... We plan to take pictures of our girls soon....


First Bath at Home: Notice the counter of bottles, an oxygen tank, and the mess on the counter behind -- the pile of papers is things for Abigail and other stuff relating to the hospital and such....It looks like a tornado hit our house, but we are working on getting it back under control. The counter of feeding supplies will be with us for awhile....

Here is the first bear picture and the most recent bear picture:
One week to 14 weeks!! We love you Abigail!!

SURPRISE!!

So, it seemed like a fun a idea to maybe just not tell people when Abby was coming home and surprise everyone.... Well, the hospital kind of did that for us....

Today John and I were walking from the car on the walkway bridge thing from the parking garage to the hospital doors when Abby's nurse called us. I figured she was calling to see how soon we would be there with the milk we said we were bringing - it was getting close to feeding time.... Instead she said that they were discharging Abigail today, and she wanted to know when we would be there.

Umm.... Can we say "Happy Shock" or "Jaw Drop"??? Seriously??!! What??!! Since when was this even talked about?? WOW!! Really??!!

The nurse said she did not even know about it until the social worker (or maybe she has a different title - can't remember, but she helps me with stuff for Abby) came in and said she was going home.... Later the doctor said that tomorrow morning was decided; so they decided why not this afternoon -- or something like that.

The process really did not take that long because of how much of the process I had completed the first time we thought she was coming home.... So we fed Abigail and gave her a bath - and off we went....

One chapter has closed and another one is beginning. Abby will have plenty of doctors' appointments.... This is just amazing, and we are EXCITED, but SCARED!! We are so thankful to have Abigail in our family and now home. So many miracles..... Thank you to so many for all of your love and support.... I can't wait for her to get bigger, stronger, and healthier so I can show her off in person, instead of pictures.... P.S. - When Abby was weighed last night, she weighed 6lbs 15.8oz. So, we basically brought home a seven pound baby.... We are so grateful to so many wonderful doctors, nurses, and other team members who did such a marvelous job!! I won't miss being at the hospital, but I will miss seeing them....


Eating one last bottle at the hospital



Warming up after one last hospital bath--bath time was planned for today earlier this week


Bye, Bye!!

Daddy taking stuff to the car

I came really close to crying as I put her in the car seat.

Someone from the hospital had to be the one carrying Abigail until she was in the car - hospital liability stuff. She was a great sport with my picture taking...





Can't seem to get this picture to flip the right way....

Home at last.... The bags next to her are our regular baggage - oxygen and monitor

Getting ready for her first bottle at home

Taking her first nap at home before it is time to eat again

Happy Valentine's Day

Feeding Tube Taken Out - Try #2

Abigail's feeding tube was taken out Friday evening - on purpose this time. They think she is ready this time--so I hope so. They actually waited for me to give the okay to do it, because they knew I was reluctant after last time. I was hestitant, but I let them do it. I just didn't want poor Abigail to have to go through the process of getting it put back in.... So far she seems to be doing pretty well, but we will see... I hope... She will also probably start receiving formula at times because she has pretty much passed me up with milk supply -- I am about 100cc a day behind her, but sometimes less... The idea was kind of depressing me at first, but I think I am doing better with it. Hopefully, after she comes home I can get more and catch back up to her. I feel blessed to have kept up this long - thought she would have run out awhile ago.

Abby is also free from one more wire. They say she no longer needs the monitor for her blood oxygenation(sp?). It was a thing kept on her foot -- so now her feet are free -- and maybe won't get so smelly between baths....

When we left last night, Abigail was just a couple ounces shy of seven pounds - WOW!!


Modeling a hat that my friend's mom made for her

"Mommy, what are you doing? Can you please stop?"

Modeling (probably one last) preemie outfit - Thanks Grandma Jones

She is so cute when she is sleeping - this picture kind of shows it.... She loves her tummy sleep! She also loves to have her hands out. We try and swaddle them, but she usually gets them back out!

Not a big fan of the scale, but mostly this time because she was left on a little longer so Mommy could snap a picture--other times she is okay on it

Three Months Old - Where does time go?

Here are Abigail's latest measurements:
Weight: 6lbs 7.7 oz Birth: 1lb 14.9oz
Length: 18.1 in Birth: 13.8 in
Head: 13.2 in Birth: 8.8 in
*She is still low from being preterm when compared to term babies, but she is doing well for size in comparison to other preterm babies.

It seems kind of crazy that it has already been three months. She is only there because of eating instability. Today she is going to have a chest x-ray to make sure everything is okay and see if they can figure out why she continues to get so tired eating. With being so early and tiny, she does have lung issues - but she should out grow the problems with age.

It is a little discouraging right now because we want to have her home and some goal dates for home have come and gone. We don't really have a date at this point, except her due date -- February 19th, next week -- which parts of me think may also just come and go.... On the other hand I just feel so grateful that she is even alive with us today. Abby was born so early that her chances of so many things going wrong were VERY high. Countless miracles have been seen in her three months of life. It is very tearing emotions to be feeling so grateful but discouraged at the same time.

People ask what we need -- We have no idea. All that we know is being with her at the hospital. Your thoughts and prayers have been so helpful. Thank you for your support


Happy 13 Weeks little girl

This is a dress from one of my good high school/college friends. I am looking forward to taking pictures with a better camera and background.... You might also notice that her feeding tube is missing -- don't get too excited. It got pulled out on accident by her mommy (unknowingly) when moving her. I feel bad because of the pain it causes her to get put back in... I was sitting there holding her - hoping for her to go to sleep - when I noticed a chord I didn't recognize. Oops!! Sorry Abigail.





Modeling her Daddy's sunglasses

An outfit Daddy picked out back in November


Abby takes some great naps with her Daddy

We think we are getting closer to a date for home. One of Abby's doctors says she thinks we may be able to get her home for Valentine's Day. She still needs to improve with her eating strength, but she is eating more than before. Little Abigail was weighing 6lbs 6.6oz as of yesterday....




Modeling her Christmas gift from Great Grandma and Grandpa Jones.... Thanks!!.... I was going to have it be her "going home" outfit, but she is already out-growing it; so, I had to hurry and let her wear it at the hospital.

Twelve Weeks Already??

Abby is starting to build up more energy for eating. She is now able to eat whenever she gives cues. We decided today to let her non-nutritive nurse at 2:00 and save her energy for 5:00. It worked well, because she only latched onto me for about five minutes before basically going to sleep. At 5:00 she drank the whole bottle. YAY ABBY!! She is also about to weigh six pounds. Some of her outfits are starting to get snug. Crazy! I thought I was going to get more use out of some of them.


Abby wasn't too thrilled about taking pictures.

Isn't she just so cute??!!

Aunt Wendi got this princess hat for Abby. I hope to take better pictures later. Abby did not like having her nap interrupted.

Getting a back and head massage from Daddy after working hard at eating.



Enjoying some tummy time....



I remember when this outfit was too big at Christmas time.

Our little family growing bigger.... in more ways than one.... Momma needs to start exercising again.... Condo friends -- I may be very interested in joining your morning walks soon - if you are still going on them

My New Shoes

How many wives can say that their husbands will go shoe shopping with them?.... I can say it!! Saturday, John and I decided to make it a point to spend the morning together. We slept in (or I went back to bed after pumpings) and went to breakfast at IHOP. I asked him if we could go to Kohl's because I had heard shoes were on sale. (I was in desperate need of black church shoes - mine broke back in August or September. I had just never found any I liked for a price I wanted to pay.).... We also stopped in at Best Buy so John could do some browsing.

John is such a good sport and does willingly go shopping with me once in a while. I am not a great shopper - not always fun for me, but there are a few people who can convince me to buy things.... John helped me pick out two different pairs. I was kind of liking them, but then knew I should buy them when John informed me how much he liked them. John is pretty good at complimenting me, but I really know when he likes something by how specific he is in the comment. So, I knew he liked the shoes.... He received "good training" growing up in a house of a mom and three older sisters.

We also browsed the clearance racks, and John found a VERY cute dress for Abby to wear in a few months. It is black velvet on top and flowy(sp?) pink material in three layers on the bottom with a couple of rose buds. I can already see some great pictures now....

John does not like to go out shopping all of the time, but I am glad he is willing from time to time.... I am one lucky girl!