Well we thought Brie was doing better with taking her bottles awake, but we are back to refusing. She will allow you to put the bottle in her mouth and will act like she is sucking, but she gets nothing out of the bottle. After about 10 minutes of nothing she gets frustrated and starts screaming and you have to get her to sleep to take the bottle. Hopefully she will start sucking again on the bottle. We have not been very good about her therapy because of the holiday and so many visitors so mommy and daddy are hopeful that once we get back on track with the therapy she will start taking bottles awake again. She has been taking more on a daily basis and is finally gaining some weight. Last night she was 15 lbs 5.5 oz. She is still not doing well on solids either. She does like things that are crunchy like Cheerios and puffs, but there are only so many of those she will take in a sitting.

As far as physical development, Brie is doing wonderful. She "inches" across the floor on her tummy and rolls where ever she wants to go. She is pulling up to stand on everything and is cruising. Standing and walking are her favorite thing right now. She was a little spoiled over the holiday and thinks that she needs constant entertainment, but hopefully that will be short lived.

Brie had a great Christmas. She received visits from Grammie and Poppop Smithgall the day after Christmas and on Christmas Nanna and Pop Green along with Great Nanna and Poppop Miller and Aunt Kristy. She had a great time visiting.

Best Christmas present ever

Well something has changed over the past few days since we went to see Nancy. Brie has started taking her bottles awake! She at times does not take the entire bottle awake, but when she is hungry she lets us know. Additionally she has been taking 5 oz at a time. Previously we were lucky to get 4 oz into her at a time. We are now consistently getting her to take 20
+ oz a day. Hopefully she will start to gain weight. She is even waking up at night wanting to eat. Mommy does not even mind getting up at 3 am to make a bottle when Brie sucks the entire thing down in 10 minutes and goes right back to sleep!

For Christmas we are spending the day at home. We visited with Mommy's family on Saturday and Brie had a good time playing with her cousins. The picture above is Brie held by Cali and Brandon, who is the same age as Brie (adjusted), held by Christian. Yesterday Aunt Shelley came to visit and spent the night. Brie had a great time opening presents and loves her new clothes and toys.

feeding therapy

Today we went to a speech therapist in NJ that specializes in children with feeding difficulties. Nancy spent 2 hours working with Brie to evaluate and figure out new ways to feed her. She feels that a lot of her problems have to do with her suck. She basically does not suck on her bottle. We are going to work on some techniques at home to get her to develop a good sucking pattern so that she can effectively drink her bottle. We are also going to start working on more finger foods because Brie seems to really enjoy chewing on finger foods. Also Nancy suggested that Brie may not like baby foods. They do not have much taste to them and she seems to like things with alot of flavor. Today she ate cheese curls, pretzels, nutrigran bar, rice crispies and some other finger foods. She sat in the high chair for almost an hour letting me put them in her mouth. She also did some drinking from a straw and a cup. We are going to work on these items for the next two weeks. The pretzels and cheese curls are good because Brie actually sucks on them. Hopefully this will train her to suck better. We will see Nancy in another 2 weeks to evaluate her progress. Nancy also has another mother who she is going to contact that has a child with the same problem. Hopefully we can help each other through this rough time and get our little ones eating better. Over all it was a good visit.
Brie has actually been drinking her bottles better the last few days. She has taken on average 23 oz per day for the last 5 days. Today was not a good day for bottles, but she did eat alot of table foods in therapy and missed an entire bottle because of it. Hopefully she will start gaining weight again soon. She is so active that she burns so many calories. I am going to see if Nancy can suggest a pediatric nutritionist to help me with high nutrient foods and to see just how many calories Brie should be getting a day.

Just a quick pic with santa. Of course Brie would not smile, but at least she did not cry.

First tooth

After many days of chewing on everything and lots of drooling, Brie's first tooth broke through yesterday. She has been pretty pleasant through the entire thing and I did not even expect to find anything in there. It seems like she has been teething forever, but she never really complains about her teeth.

Maybe it was a combination of her teething and her cold that made her eat poorly the past week. She has been eating better the last 2 days. Yesterday she took 25 oz, which is great for her. We have increased the calories to 22 per oz, but I am hesitant to go any higher. Looking back at our feeding diary when we went to the 24 cal on the nutramigen that is when the vomiting began again. So far she has not vomited the Elecare. I may call the nutritionist on Monday to see if there is anything else we can add to the formula to make it more calories that is not so rough on her little tummy. We also started adding probiotics to her bottle to see if it helps.

She has also been doing a little better on her solids. Today she had some squash for breakfast and some chicken noodle dinner for supper. She loves to chew on baby toast and puffs. I found some baby dried apples and she loves them. Yesterday she actually took a portion of 3 of her bottles awake. A real accomplishment. Today she took a few sucks awake and then was done. I have been letting her play with her bottle for as long as she wants before every feeding to get her used to it again. Also we have been giving her a pacifier to suck on during the day. She mostly plays with it, but occasionally she will suck on it. Next week we go to the feeding center in NJ. I spoke to the therapist on the phone a few times and she really seems to know what she is doing. She is the first one who has actually been willing to help and not to dismiss us. Both feeding clinics we went to were of no help. St. Josephs kept throwing different medications at us and chop just told us that there must be something medically wrong and we need to find it. This therapist we are seeing on Wednesday wanted to make sure there was nothing medically wrong before we see her and now that Brie has had her endoscopy she is willing to start therapy. I think that the reason she does not eat is that in the beginning she was in pain from the reflux and we were to persistent with her and forced her to eat. That made for a negative experience. Then when we got the reflux under control she was still uncomfortable because of the milk and continued to refuse. Now that she is comfortable it has been so long since she had to eat awake she does not know how. Hopefully with some help from feeding therapy we can get our little peanut eating better again and get her growing. Incidentally her weight yesterday was 15 lbs 1.5 oz so she is back up the where she was before she got sick.

Early intervention evaluation

Gabrielle had her evaluation today and the speech therapist thinks she has a problem with her suck and swallow. They think she does not use her tongue, but just her jaw. She seems to not have feeling on the back of her tongue and so she does not know when food is there and it causes her to choke. The therapist does not think it is behavioral, but that it is coordination thing. They think that it is something that with some work we can make better. We are going to get a therapist that comes to our home a few times per week to help.

With her other skills she is right in target for her age. She is sitting up, crawling and even pulling to a stand. Her speech is also a little delayed, but that goes along with the feeding issue and can all be worked on.

I am also waiting for a speech therapist in NJ to call me back about an evaluation. Hopefully we can see her next week and get things started.

Endoscopy

Well today Brie finally was able to get her endoscopy. Her cold is much better and she has been in good spirits. After a week on the Elecare we have not seen any improvements in her eating so we proceed with the test. She was given general anesthesia and they looked at her esophagus, stomach and small intestine with a camera. Everything looks normal. They also took some biopsies to look for infection, inflammation, milk protein allergy and celiac ds. Those tests will take about a week to come back. Hopefully they will show us something. If all is normal I am not sure what the next step is. Something has to change because we are barely getting 20 oz into her a day and she is no longer growing. We went to the pediatrician yesterday so they could check her prior to the procedure and in one month she has gained no weight. She was 14 lbs 10 oz last month and yesterday she was 14 lbs 12 oz, and that is with her just eating 3 oz in the car on the way to the doctor. So she actually has lost an oz. At her age weight gain does slow down to about a pound a month, but not gaining is not acceptable. The pediatrician yesterday said that normally he would have had us wait another week to have the test done, but with what is going on he felt it was best to proceed even with some residual cold symptoms. We will keep you all updated on her progress.

Well Gabrielle was not able to get her endoscopy yesterday. She started with a cough and wheezing on tuesday night. After a really rough night we talked to the GI doctor and the pediatrician and made some changes in Gabrielle's feeding. We changed her to an elemental amino acid formula that is suppose to be very easy to digest and has no milk protein in it. If she has a milk allergy this should help. She has tolerated it the last 2 days. It actually smells better then the nutramigen formula we were using. The GI also gave us another medication to help with gastic emptying. We are going to give the new formula a chance to work before trying it. Hopefully her feeding will improve and she will not need the endoscopy, but if she does we can do it any wednesday. I would like to see her completely healthy for a week before we proceed with anesthesia.

As for the cold, Brie is doing a little better today. Yesterday she was wheezing after only 2-3 hours with the breathing treatment. Today she is able to go 4 hours and is not coughing nearly as much. She has been in good spirits and is crawling everywhere. She loves to stand up and "walk" everywhere. She is able to pull herself up and stand in her crib and on her exasauser.

Well after a week of no vomiting on the formula, Gabrielle started it back again. At least once a day she will throw up a good portion of one of her bottles. She has taken a few oz awake which is a start, but it is not consistent. Mom and dad were really hoping she would be better so that she would not need the endoscopy. No luck. She is scheduled to have it done Wednesday, Dec 5th. Hopefully it will give us some answers so we can get Brie eating better.

On a positive note, Brie is making forward motion. It is more like an army crawl, but she is getting better at moving forward every day. Of course just in time for the christmas tree. Looks like I am going to have my hands full keeping her away!

Visit at Chop's feeding clinic

Well today we went to chop. After evaluations with the nurse practitioner, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and nutritionist they all agree that there is some medical reason why she is not eating. The think an endoscopy is the way to go. This is a test where they put Brie to sleep and look at her stomach with a camera. They can take biopsies to see if she has an allergy to milk or if there is any inflammation. After talking to the GI doctor on Monday she is scheduled for the test Dec 1st. We also switched her to a hypoallergenic formula. Since we have made the switch she has not vomited and seems pretty happy. I think the taste is quite different then breast milk, but she seems to be getting used to it. Yesterday for the first time in a week she actually took 24 oz. Prior to that we were averaging about 16 oz. I also weighed her last night and she was 14 lbs 10.5 oz so she is back where she was a week ago. Hopefully this new formula does the trick and we can get our little girl feeling better. We are going to progressively make it 24 calories per oz rather then 20 so hopefully that will help with weight gain.

Well after many weeks of slow weight gain, Gabrielle lost weight this week. She was 14 lbs 6.5 oz yesterday. Maybe the doctors will start listening now. Every doctor we see says she is gaining weight so she is doing okay. The last few days have been really bad. She has not been sucking on the bottle at all. She has also been vomiting at least once per day. The vomiting is an entire bottle at time. All day since Wednesday she has been gagging and trying to make herself vomit. It is so frustrating. Otherwise she seems well and is playing with her toys and has completely perfected sitting independently. She loves to sit and pull all of her toys out of the basket.

We did try to give her a new formula, alimentum at the GI doctors suggestion. She would only drink 2 oz at a time and that is when this gagging started. It smelled horrible so I can understand why she did not like it. We abandoned it after one day. On Wednesday we go to CHOP to their feeding clinic. Hopefully they will have some help for us. I am afraid if we keep going like this she is going to get a feeding tube.

Yesterday was the day for doctors. Gabrielle got her second synergist shot which went well. She had to get two because of the amount. She was a little bit fussy yesterday, but it may have been all of the running around to appts. We also went to the GI doctor. Her feeding is no better and it has been getting harder to feed her during the night. She just refuses to suck on the bottle. So the new plan is to switch her to a hypoallergenic formula and see if she is allergic to her milk. The doc said that there are generally 4 reasons babies refuse bottles: pain from reflux, milk allergy, uncoordinated suck, and behavioral. We want to rule out the first 3 before we just try and stop the dream feeding. The GI also suggested that we contact our local early intervention to have a speech therapist come out and evaluate her suck and swallow. She does choke often while drinking so maybe there is something to that.

Today will be the first day of the new formula. Hopefully she will take to it. I am still going to keep pumping for now and freezing my milk in case she does not tolerated it or it doesn't help. I have been getting pretty tired of pumping and would like to transition her to just formula. It is nice to give her the antibodies in breastmilk, but pumping every 3 hours for the last 8 months has gotten old.

At last weigh in on Friday Gabrielle was 14 lbs 9 oz. She is slowly gaining so we are getting enough calories into her. She is gaining in length and her head as well. At the doc yesterday in 6 weeks she grew 6 cm! I did not ask what her measurements were, but i can tell she is getting longer. Her 3-6 month clothes are getting short. Also her head is in the 25% for her actual age.

Gabrielle had a nice weekend. Aunt Shelley and Grandma Bert came for a nice visit. I think everyone had a great time. Daddy even had off on Monday because of the holiday so we got to spend the day together as a family.

RSV

Just thought I would post so info about RSV. Many of our friends and family wonder why we are so careful about bring Brie out in public. Well this is why:

Some facts about RSV and prevention:

The Season: In the northern hemisphere RSV outbreaks begin in November, peak in January or February and end at the end of March but may last through April In the Midwest US, the RSV season tends to last through April
The infection: RSV is highly contagious After RSV infection, many children will have recurrent wheezing which usually diminishes in later years Almost all children are infected at least once by age 2 and re-infected throughout life RSV infection in older children and adults manifests as an upper respiratory tract illness such as the common cold, runny nose, etc In high-risk infants and immunocompromised patients, or elderly in can be a much more serious infection involving the lower respiratory tract
The epidemiology: It is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children worldwide It is the most common cause of hospitalization in the US in children 1 yrs of age Majority of children requiring hospitalization are 6 months of age leading to almost 2,500 deaths per year National hospital costs annually from RSV are $400 million
Risk of infecting others: RSV can persist on environmental surfaces such as furniture for many hours and for a half-hour or longer on hands The incubation period ranges from 2-8 days (so if you caught it and don’t have symptoms yet, you don’t realize you have it, but can still pass it on especially to high-risk infants) Viral shedding may continue for 3-4 weeks especially in young infants and immunocompromised patients
Prevention: Careful hand hygiene, avoiding sick contacts, avoiding crowds, avoiding public places such as grocery stores, limiting visitors and avoiding school aged children are the most effective methods in preventing infection All high-risk infants and ALL CONTACTS should be immunized against influenza (don’t forget to get your flu shots) Synagis does not prevent infection, but it reduces the severity of infection

Gabrielle slept in her crib in her own room for the first time last night, without incident. Previously she slept in the pack-n-play in our room. Gabrielle is also sitting now--10-20 seconds at a time before she topples over. She's especially successful at sitting when watching TV--something we stive to avoid--and she loses balance more easily when manipulating a toy. Jen and I were both home today--a rare occassion. We took the Peanut for a walk in the park.

Well the new medicine is a flop. Gabrielle has a very sensitive tummy it seems. With every dose of the medication she vomits it back up. We tried giving it to her on an empty stomach, on a full stomach and even mixed it in a bottle. After 45 minutes of fighting with her I finally got her to take a bottle tonight and about 5 minutes later she gave the entire thing back to me right down the front of my shirt. So after 3 days of vomiting we are finished with the medication. We did not even get to the recommended dosage!
Brie's weight tonight was 14 lbs 5.5 oz. She is up 3.5 oz from last week. I am actually surprised she gained anything with all of the vomiting. Hopefully now that the medication was stopped she will at least be able to keep her bottles down.

Gabrielle was cute as can be in her little caterpillar costume for Halloween. She met a few of our neighbors when she went trick or treating. Last week we tried to get some professional pictures taken in her costumes and she wanted nothing to do with that. I did take some at home which are pretty cute. They are up on snapfish for all to see.
As for her eating we are doing no better. On tuesday we went back to the feeding clinic. They added another medication, erythromycin, to help with gastric emptying. It is typically used as an antibiotic, but in low doses it causes the stomach to empty. The theory behind it is that her stomach is never empty so she does not get the cue that she is hungry. Hopefully it helps. I do think she gets hungry, but is still afraid of the bottle. We have also started on solids. She seems to like eating with a spoon. So far she has had bananas, squash, avocado and sweet potatoes. Right now our goal is to get her to take enough solids so that we can cut out at least one of her bottles and we are working on a sippy cup.

Finally some good news

Gabrielle finally had a good test result today. She was able to get her hearing screen today. They sedated her for the one hour test and she came out smiling. Her hearing is 100% normal in both ears. Marcus and I were not really worried about it because she responds well to sounds, but it is nice to have the test to confirm it. She is still a bit sleepy from the medication, but hopefully it will wear off soon.

As for her eating, she still refuses to eat while she is awake. I am waiting for the doctor to email me back. They are likely going to start her on a medication that decreases the amount of time food is in her stomach. It is getting more difficult to feed her while she is sleeping. Brie is difficult to get to sleep and now she just stops sucking on the bottle. She did not gain anything this week she is still 13 lbs 2.5 oz. We added the fortifier back to her milk. We were trying a lactose free formula, but she really disliked the taste. We do see the local GI doctor on Friday. I really hope we get this straightened out soon. I hate that the reason she refuses to eat is because she is in pain. I feel so helpless.

Gabrielle has had a busy few weeks. Last weekend Aunt Shelley and Grammie Smithgall came to visit. We all went to a pumkin patch and Brie had a good time on a hayride. She got her first pumpkin picked out by daddy. This weekend Aunt Cindy, Linda and Grandma Bert came to visit. I think everyone had a good time. Brie entertained everyone for many hours.

As for her eating, Brie is doing no better. We went to the feeding clinic last week. They increased her dosage of Prilosec and we got a new prescription of it from a special pharmacy. It cost $170 so hopefully it helps. We also increased her Mylanta to help with any excess gas and breakthrough acid. Thirdly, we changed her formula and I stopped adding formula to the breastmilk. It is less calories now, but the hope is that she will more to make up for the decreased calories. So far we have not seen a change. The doctor wants me to call or email this week to let her know if there is any change. If we see no improvement we are going to try a medicine that increases the emptying time of the stomach and is also an appetite stimulant. At her last weigh in she was 13 lbs 2oz so she is still gaining on the little he is eating, but it has slowed down.

Finally, Gabrielle will be getting synergist shots starting this friday. They are helpful at preventing RSV, which is a virus that can cause serious illness and even death for premature babies. Now that winter is almost here we will be keeping Brie inside alot more in attempts to prevent any illness. She has come so far, we do not want illness to set her back.

Gabrielle saw the GI doctor last week. We changed her reflux medication to prilosec and added mylanta to hopefully help with the pain with bottles. She seems to be doing a little better on it. We also changed to formula we fortify the breast milk with so hopefully the combination will be successful. She also had an upper GI this week which was normal. It was very difficult to get her to drink the barium, but she got enough in to do the test. If she refused to drink it she would have gotten a tube back into her nose. I was pretty against that so I am happy she drank it. This week we go to the feeding clinic in NJ. Hopefully they will be able to help us with her bottle refusing.
After a week of not gaining, Brie is now 12lbs 13.5 oz. Hopefully she will continue to gain.

Today was Gabrielle's 6 month check up at the pediatrician. Dr. Stefurak seems pleased with her growth. She is now actually on the growth chart for her weight and head circumference. Her length is still lagging a little behind, but she has increased in that as well. She is now 23 inches long (-3%), 12 lbs 8 oz (3%) and head is 16 in (10%). These percentiles are for her age of 6 months not for her adjusted age of 4 months. We are so proud of our little girl! She got 4 shots today :( but did pretty well with them. She seems in good spirits so far today.
A big change is happening in our house. I have decided to stay home with Gabrielle. I will finish my time at Shriners Hospital the end of this month. It was a difficult decision, but Marcus and I both feel it is for the best. I will be working a few shifts at the ER to make some money, but will be home most days. With all of what we went through to get pregnant and then Gabrielle coming early I want to spend as much time with her as I can. Our schedules were so crazy and Marcus and I were always exhausted, it was not good for any of us.

A few days ago Brie surpassed the cat in weight. Widget weights 11lbs 14 oz. On Thursday she officially hit 12 lbs! it is amazing to see her grow and develop from that tiny baby no bigger then the beanie baby to this little person. It seems like everyday she does something new. She is getting more vocal and loves to play. We think she is teething because she is constantly drooling and her hands are always in her mouth. Brie sees the pediatrician on Friday and I anticipate she will give us the okay to start cereal. She has been sitting in her highchair during meals and has been watching us eat. I think she is ready.

So things here have been pretty busy. With Marcus working long hours and both of our long commutes it seems like time just slips away. Brie has been keeping us all on our toes. She is still refusing her bottles and only eats well when she is sleepy. It is very frustrating to feed her. We even took her to the GI doctor for a medication change. She has been on Prevacid for almost 2 weeks with no change. The doctor doesn't think it is a problem because she is still gaining weight, but I don't think they realize how difficult it is to get 3 oz in her at a time. She is up to 11 lbs 7.5 oz. so at least she is steadily gaining. We are now adding extra calories to her breast milk to make up for the small amount she is taking. Developmentally she is doing well. A few weeks ago, Brie started rolling from her back to her belly. She now loves to roll over. Also she is starting to take an interest in toys. Of course her hands are her favorite toy. Hopefully the feeding issues will resolve soon and we will all be a little less stressed.

Gabrielle weighs 10 lb 8 oz tonight; she weighed 10 lb 6 oz on Aug 10, when she turned 5 mo old. On Aug 9 her head circumference measured 15 1/2 in. (It was 14 7/8 in on July 9.) On Aug 9 she was 21 3/4 in in length. (19 3/4in on July 9.) Lately she's been talking much more. She makes lots of new noises, and we regularly hold conversations. Recently we've been concerned that she doesn't eat as much as a baby of her weight is supposed to eat. We think the acid reflux is the main problem. Thankfully, she's been eating better yesterday and today after a significant increase in her Zantac dosage and the addition of rice cereal to her milk. Feeding her is still a challenge, however. She usually eats only when she's sleepy enough to quit fussing about it. Last week there was one occasion on which she lost an ounce between bathes--undoubtedly from dehydration. Before our modifications, she regularly took 18-20 oz daily, with a low of 15 oz. We're pleased that she ate over 22 oz both yesterday and today. On another note, her naval hernia is much smaller now, no longer containing bowel.

Gabrielle was so cute in her little white dress this weekend. She even smiled for pastor Hess after he baptised her. She was a very good girl in church and afterwards at brunch. Brie met many new people and was very well behaved. It was a great day!

She also hit another new milestone --- she rolled over on Thursday. At first I thought it was just an accident, but she did it again- twice with an audience on Sunday. We now have to be careful when she is on the changing table.

Sorry we have not written an update in a while, life has been crazy. Brie took her first trip last weekend to Wellsboro. She did really well. She was a little fussy around all of the new people, but overall I think she had a good time. Grammie Smithgall got to spend a few hours alone with Brie while Daddy and I went to the reception.
This weekend we are having Gabrielle baptised. She looks so cute in her little dress. Hopefully she enjoys her first church experience.
We broke 9 lbs since we last updated and in fact Brie is 9lbs 7.5 oz. She is finally in mostly 0-3 month clothing! She still has some problems eating for other people, but she continues to gain weight. We have a second opinion for her umbilical hernia next week. Hopefully this surgeon will just want to watch it. I do think it has been getting smaller.

Gabrielle saw the pediatrician three days ago. As we anticipated, we got prescriptions for a blood test for anemia, a hip ultrasound, and a renal unltrasound. Gabrielle takes iron supplements, like nearly all preemies, since iron stores form in the last trimester. A small ear pit prompted the renal ultrasound, since the ears and kidneys develop roughly simultaneously. We were less prepared for the recommendation for a surgical consultation for Gabrielle's naval hernia, mostly because we were previously told that it would almost certainly resolve on its own. With Jen's connections at Dupont, we had Gabrielle seen by a surgeon and had the two ultrasounds completed today. While both ulrasounds were normal, the surgeon did recommend surgery. The hernia has become more difficult to reduce, having a small opening. It is likely that part of the intestine frequently enters the herniation, where blood flow could become compromised. This would be an emergency, of course. The current situation is not urgent, however, allowing adequate time for consideration and scheduling. After seeking a second opinion, we'll probably have the procedure done at Dupont fairly soon. On another note, Gabrielle weighed 8 lbs 12 oz at last measurement. The pediatrician's growth curve places her between the fifth and tenth percentile by weight for a two month old (her adjusted age.) She is gaining weight rapidly, however, and her head is growing particularly fast. With these findings, the pediatrician predicts that she will soon achieve normal size for her adjusted age. She is now 19 3/4in long, and her head is 14 7/8in in circumference. Although Gabrielle has continued to gain weight steadily, we are concerned that she has not eaten well for Nanna and Mike over the past two days. Hopefully, she will eat well for Pop tomorrow. She can be very fussy about feeding. Thankfully, she ate well for us this evening.

Gabrielle has settled into her new apartment, and so have we. Moving was a blast, as it always is. Help from family and friends helped immeasurably, though. I've commuted to midtown Manhattan for a week without difficulty. Jen also returned to work this week--four days per week. Pop watched the peanut today, and Nanna watched her yesterday. I take a 6:34 train from Trenton tomorrow morning, since I work Saturdays. I'll spend Monday at the Johnson's house watching Christina and Gabrielle as part of our child care sharing arrangement.
Brie's last weight check was 8 lbs 8oz 2 days ago. She goes to the pediatrician on Monday for her four month check up. She will get another set of shots. She did fine with the first set, just a little cranky for the rest of the day. It will be nice to see how much she has grown. Her newborn clothes are getting small. Nanna washed all of Brie's 0-3 month clothes so they are all ready for her.

We stopped using the heart and lung monitor on Friday. No more wires! We'd been using it only at night for the past couple of weeks, without incident, of course. The pediatrician told us Friday that we could send the monitor back as soon as we were comfortable doing so. The other big news is that Gabrielle weighs 8 lbs today!

We've had a busy couple of days. I made a whirlwind trip home to meet with two optometrists in the region and briefly visit with family. After leaving my last appointment, I ran into car trouble. Luckily, I was parked on Main St in Muncy near the auto parts store. I replaced the battery and was on my way back to Glenside. Gabrielle kept Jen busy while I was gone. On Wednesday evening, she spent three hours screaming whenever Jen's bouncing was inadequate. Earlier on Wednesday she saw the audiologist who said that there is still fluid in the right ear. They'll re-examine Gabrielle's hearing in 6wks, by which time the fluid may have resolved. She hears well with her left ear. Last night, after I arrived in Glenside, the baby weighed 7 lbs 13 oz at bath time. This morning we're expecting a visit from Shelley and Brian. They're making a round trip to Phila today to pick up a tool--stopping to see the baby on the way, of course!

The past few days we have spent at the beach with our friends the Johnsons. We had a great time. The weather was not very nice and we did not spent any time on the beach, but it was still nice to get away. A lot of our days were spent relaxing at the house or walking near the beach. This was a good time to go to the beach because it was not very crowded so we were comfortable bringing Gabrielle out.

Today we went to the pediatrician to adjust her dosage of her Zantac. She was 7lbs 3 oz at the peds today. Last night she was 7lbs 0.5 oz on our home scale. We are not sure which is more accurate, but either way our little peanut is over 7 lbs. We actually switched nipples in her bottles to a faster flow and she seems to be eating better. It used to take Gabrielle an hour to eat 2 oz and now she eats 2.5 oz in 20 minutes. She is using less energy and eating more! We are still working on nursing and she is getting better at it. Hopefully soon I can get rid of the pump when we are together.
Yesterday Gabrielle went to the Audiologist again. She still failed the hearing test in her right ear. We now have to go have a more in depth test done. Hopefully it will turn out okay. Her hearing in her left is normal so hopefully the right will turn out to be okay as well.

Today we weigh 6 lb 13.75 oz. Last week we saw the pediatric ophthalmologist for the last time with a report of mature retinas and no retinopathy of prematurity. In two days we see audiology again to retest the right ear. Today is an uneventful day with lots of eating and sleeping as well as a walk to Rita's and a bath this evening. The Baby Bjorn carrier works very well now that we're bigger.

The next couple of weeks are busy, with my four-day training in Texas followed by our week in Cape May at a friend's relative's house. The baby won't go on the beach if it's too busy or too hot, but we'll have a good time hanging around with the Johnson's (tall guy in my wedding). We move to Levittown/Falls Twp, not far from Trenton, on June 29. My residency in Manhattan starts Monday June 2, and Jen is finalizing her plans to return to work at about the same date. Jen's Dad and Nanna will help with childcare, and we may work out a baby swapping deal with the Johnson's to provide another day of care. Of course, we've been instructed not to use group day care for about a year.

Sorry we have not updated the blog in a few days. Things have been pretty busy. I have been attending a conference and Marcus has been babysitting during the day. I think he enjoys it. Gabrielle keeps him on his toes all day. She has been eating every 2-2.5 hours during the day and every 4-5 hours at night. Last night she was quite fussy. She cried for almost an hour straight. Nothing made it better. Eventually she fell asleep and woke up in a better mood. Tonight she has been better. She of course is impatient when it is time to eat, but that is normal for her. Brie continues to grow and gain weight. Tonight she is 6 lbs 9 oz. If you can believe it she is getting chubby cheeks!!

This evening Gabrielle is 6 lbs 5 oz. She and I spent most of the day together while Jen attended a continuing education conference in center city. The baby kept me busy! Although we've been concerned about her hearing, her vocal cords are sound. By the way, her recent hearing test found a normal response in the left ear, but the right ear will require repeated testing. Gabrielle responds to loud noises in a normal way, and we are not overly concerned about the upcoming hearing tests.

Yesterday we went to the audiologist to check Gabrielle's hearing. She passed in the left ear, but still failed in the right. The audiologist said she likely still has some fluid in her ear and that is why she failed. They are going to repeat the screening in 2 weeks. If she fails again she will undergo further testing. Gabrielle startles when we drop things so we are pretty sure she can hear.
Her weight yesterday was 6 lbs 3 oz. She continues to get bigger everyday. Last night she finally slept for 4 hours at a time twice. Today she has been eating all day. Hopefully she will sleep well again tonight. Mommy and Daddy finally felt rested for the first time since she has been home. It is amazing what 3 hours of sleep at a time will do for you.

Today is a big day. We finally reached 6 lbs. She is actually 6 lbs 0.75 oz. today. Also most of her preemie clothes are too small. She is actually wearing newborn clothes now. Gabrielle is getting much more alert. She spends hours at a time looking around and is getting stronger. I frequently find her at the bottom of her bassinet making noises. Brie has also started to eat more. She is taking 3 oz on occasion now.

This morning was bath time, so we weighed Gabrielle on our new scale: 5 lbs, 12.75 oz. The event of the day was professional photos at the Mall. Thankfully, it wasn't too busy and Gabrielle was nicely secluded in her closed stroller when not being photographed. She was even awake for the occasion, frequently expressing her disapproval. We have a family portrait and a close-up of Gabrielle that we'll distribute. In general, we're pleased that the baby is doing all of the things that she should, and none of the things that she shouldn't. She eats, sleeps, fusses, and grows just like a newborn should. Otherwise, this is a fairly busy week culminating in graduation this Sunday at the Kimmel Center in center city.

Gabrielle continues to grow nicely. Her weight yesterday was 5 lbs 11.5 oz. She continues to gain about an oz per day. Her reflux seems to be getting a little worse. She has been spitting up after almost every feeding. If it continues I will soon call the pediatrician. She is on Zantac, but I really don't think it is helping. The NICU doctors told us that she just has to grow out of it and that the medicines do not help much. Hopefully she will grow out of it soon. I hate to see her so uncomfortable after eating.

Road Trip

Yesterday Brie spent a few hours looking at new places for us to live in Morrisville. She did really well. She slept most of the time. Today we are going back to look at a few more places. So far we are not impressed by any of the apartment complexes. Today we are looking at a few single apartments in houses. Hopefully we will find something soon.
Gabrielle had her eye exam today. Her eyes are maturing nicely and we should only need one more visit to the eye doctor in 2 weeks and they should be fully mature. She is scheduled to go to the audiologist next week for a repeat hearing screening. Hopefully that will go much better. She startles with loud noises and seems to look where noises are coming from so we do think she can hear.

Happy Mother's Day

Gabrielle has had a busy weekend. She had visitors from Grammie and Poppop Smithgall, Aunt Shelley and Great Grammie and Poppop Smith. Brie has been spoiled and has not been put down the entire weekend. She loves all of the attention. For mother's day she is wearing a cute little shirt that says I love mommy. It is newborn size and actually is not that big on her. Mommy ordered a baby scale for home. It should be here soon. Then we can update everyone on her weight. She is definitely getting heavier. Mommy's arm gets tired when she holds her for long periods of time.

Today we had an appointment with the lactation consultant. Gabrielle did very well nursing today. She took over an ounce, which is wonderful. She still took a bottle afterwards, but hopefully she will continue to do well and we can get rid of the bottles when we are home. Her weight today was 5 lbs 4.3 oz. The lactation consultant will do weight checks for me so if we are unable to get the visiting nurse to come I will likely go there once a week to make sure she is gaining well.

Our little peanut is continuing to grow. Yesterday she was 5lbs 2 oz when the visiting nurse came to see us. I am hoping that we can get more visits so I can make sure she is gaining. We don't go back to the pediatrician until July so I really want to make sure she is getting bigger. She is defiantly getting longer. Many of her preemie outfits are getting short on her. I think she still has a few more weeks in them though. She has also been very gassy lately. We have been trying to give her mylicon drops, but I don't see much of a change. I have been trying to watch my diet, but no matter what I eat it does not seem make things any better. We originally thought that it was the formula, but she has not had any in a few days and the gas continues. Hopefully she will grow out of this and the reflux. She still arches her back and refluxes milk back up through her nose 1-2 times per day.

Brie continues to get bigger. Today at the doctor she was 5 lbs!!! She has been gaining very well at home. She gained almost an inch in her head circumference in ten days. She is growing quickly. Today she got another shot and an oral vaccine. She did very well with it, although she has been a little fussy today.
We also had alot of visitors today. Aunt Shelley, Aunt Cindy, and Gramma and Grandpa Myers came today. They were very excited to get to hold Brie. I think she really enjoyed the visit. The weather is so beautiful today that we will be going for a walk a little later to get some fresh air.

Gabrielle has nursed very successfully for the first time today. Jen estimates that she got about 20cc on two separate occassions today. This is a big step that could save Jen significant time and energy in the future. Once Gabrielle tires of nursing she usually takes about another 60cc by bottle at this time. Since the weather was so pleasant this evening, we took the baby for a short walk in Jen's wrap-around cloth carrier . Afterward, I gave the baby a bath. Prior to this, I spent a good portion of my day in my car as I always do on Sundays. As well as commuting round trip to my current site in the NYC environs, I stopped in Morrisville PA to look at apartments. Although not overly impressed by any of the numerous apartments in our price range, we'll probably move to this area in June. I'll commute into Manhattan from the Trenton NJ train station, right across the river.

Gabrielle continues to do well. She will not be weighed again until Monday, but she has been eating like a champ. She is taking about 2 oz every 3 hours. When she first came home she was taking that much every 4 hours, but now she is waking up more frequently. Her cries are getting louder and she is making her wishes known. She loves to be held and complains when she is put down. She is finally fitting into her preemie clothes and I am sure will soon outgrow them. Mom and dad are exhausted from all of the frequent feedings, but are delighted to finally have her home.

Jen took Gabrielle to the pediatrician's office today. As well as giving a couple of vaccines, the staff took careful measurements of the baby that help to quantify her progress. Born at 1 lb 12 oz, she is now 4 lb 2 oz (3hrs after a feeding.) Her length has grown from 13 1/3 inches to 16 inches. Her head circumference has increased from 9 in to 12 1/4 in. With the size and frequency of her feedings, she'll continue to grow rapidly. Although she looks big to us, Gabrielle is still a tiny baby, however. Jen's sister Jessie gave birth to baby Brandon last night at approx 9pm at a weight of 6 lb 12 oz. We're glad to hear that Gabrielle's cousin is doing great.

Gabrielle is doing great. She's eating and sleeping well. She loves to be held. In fact, she frequently expresses her desire to be held. Once snuggled on your chest, she settles immediately. When she's fussing, Jen and I have each independently discovered that she responds well to a mobile...even with her eyes closed. That's right, we're pretty certain that she can hear the mobile's musical tune. In other news, the nurse visited this morning and weighed Gabrielle at 4 lb 1.5 oz. Again, this weight is somewhat inflated since she had just taken almost 2 oz of milk. Previously at the NICU, precise weights were taken nude at about 3hrs after eating, immediately after a diaper change. By the time this blog is being written tonight, however, I think it is safe to say that Gabrielle has crossed the 4 lb mark. She'll be weighed again tomorrow at her first visit to the pediatrician.

We survived our first night alone with the baby. Marcus and I even managed to get a few hours of sleep between feedings. Gabrielle got up every 3 and a half hours to eat. She is a little piggy taking 2 oz at a time. Today during the day she took 60 cc and then woke up an hour later and took 25 more. She will be 4 lbs before we know it. The visiting nurse came today and she weighted 3 lbs 15 oz. She had just eaten 2 oz before the nurse weighed her so that likely adds 2 oz to her weight.
Marcus and I basically spent the day resting and taking turns holding the baby. She still likes to fidget when she is not held. The nurses say this is common with preemies. She settles down immediately when she is picked up. Brie is also getting more vocal. She is pretty impatient when she is hungry. Mommy and daddy cannot change her diaper fast enough.
Today we also went for our first walk. It was a gorgeous day. The walk was brief, but nice to be out of the house.

Gabrielle is Home!

At 50 days old, Gabrielle is home at last. She made the short trip in her car seat at about 2pm today. The cat's not sure what to think of her, and she's generally keeping her distance. Gabrielle has a cardiac and respiratory monitor that has not sounded so far. We're expecting plenty of noisy false alarms, as well as the baby's normal grunting and babbling. In other words, we're not expecting too much sleep tonight. So far, however, the afternoon has been very quiet. The baby has adjusted nicely to her new environment. She's eating well and sleeping soundly. When I gave her a bath late last night and helped to weigh her, she was 3 lb 10.6 oz.

Today was a good day for Brie. She doubled her birth weight and is 3 lbs 8.4 oz. She only had one small episode of dropping her heart rate and the nurse said it was for about 10 seconds. So that is definitely an improvement. They also started her on Zantac today. I think it was to humor me, but I felt like we should try something. I hate seeing her arch her back and the milk come back up through her nose. They are also setting us up for a monitor at home. I think I will feel better having it here. Tomorrow I will spend the night with Gabrielle in the parents room. I will get a taste of getting up with her and feeding her with the nurse just down the hall. Hopefully she will be home by the end of the week.

Today is a brighter day (although it's still raining.) Jen's out of the hospital and Gabrielle may join her in a couple of days. Her last weight was 3 lb 7.2 oz, a miserly increase of only 0.2 oz. When weighed again tonight (or in the wee hours of the morning), I suspect she may exceed 3 lb 8oz. When she reaches 3 lb 8 oz, she will have doubled her birth weight. We don't like her episodic drops in heart rate, however. The doctor attributes them to reflux. The vagus nerve is very close to the esophagus, and stomach reflux can stimulate it. Vagal innervation slows the heart rate. This is apparent when the baby occasionally chokes/coughs when eating, as all babies do. Since NICU babies have cardiac and respiratory monitors, we can see Gabrielle's heart rate drop from 145 to 80 when she has difficulty taking food. Episodes during feeding are not so much of a concern, however. About an hour after eating Gabrielle sometimes has similar episodes, though, caused by acid reflux. The doctor assures us that this problem is common and should go away with time. He also says that antacids, while effective in adults, are typically unhelpful in this situation. We'll have a monitor when the baby comes home, even though we're aware that such home monitors are most effective at treating nervous mothers (and fathers). The good news is that the baby is eating like a champ! With that nasty formula removed, Gabrielle devours 45-50 cc's in 10 minutes at about 4-hr intervals. The nurses generally don't wake her at prescribed times as before, but let her wake on her own when she's hungry (within certain time limits, of course.) I held the baby a couple of times today and escorted Jen around...initially tethered to a wheelchair with IV antibiotics, but later free of inpatient annoyances. Although I had considered going to NJ this morning, I wasn't very comfortable leaving with Jen in the hospital. The obnoxious ice and slush this morning made my decision easier. I was happy to spend the day in Glenside, with frequent trips to the NICU.

Almost immediately after yesterday morning's optimistic posting, the weekend turned sour again. After Jen's late night surgery and brief admittance on Friday, she developed a fever Saturday morning. The OB/GYN surgical group physician instructed her to go to the ER. A mere eight hours after arriving at the hospital, Jen got an antibiotic. After being instructed to dump her milk by the anesthesiologist on Fri (but not by other doctors), Jen sided with caution and complied with the more conservative recommendation. Gabrielle did not like the idea, however. She didn't tolerate the mixture of breast milk and formula but responded with sloppy feedings, smaller consumption, restlessness, lack of sleep, constipation, increased reflux, and greater frequency of her episodic drops in heart rate. She gained no weight. To top it off, she failed her hearing screening for the second time yesterday. It seemed the rain had no end in sight...literally! Torential downpours greeted the optometry students gathering at 7am this morning for the board certification practical examination.

My return to the hospital today finds everyone in higher spirits, albeit still soggy from the weather. After switching back to breast milk, the baby is doing well again. Jen is feeling better. Nanna and Pop Green (Dave and Lee) visited, and Dave will be helping Jen at check-out tomorrow. I'll be in NJ, of course. The baby looks very good tonight. She's taking almost 40cc of breast milk every three hours and sleeping soundly between feedings. After yesterday's foray into formula, Gabrielle is back on her accelerated growth track. We expect Jen to come home tomorrow afternoon with the baby to follow in a few days.

Gabrielle is 3 lb 7.0 oz today. She will probably come home Sunday afternoon, after the final session of my board exam. The doctor said this morning that she'll likely have a heart monitor at home since reflux from feeding causes her heart rate to temporarily drop. We are told that this is a common response occuring when the reflux stimulates the vagus nerve resulting in a slower heart rate. As she grows, this condition should resolve without need for medication. Gabrielle will also have a repeat hearing test before coming home. She did not pass the first hearing test, but the doctor says that this doesn't mean anything definitive. Many babies with normal hearing fail the screening. If Gabrielle does not pass the 2nd administration of the NICU's hearing screening, she'll see an audiologist. Additionally, Jen is recovering from minor surgery today, a procedure linked to the initial C-section. We got back from the hospital at about 1:30am last night, but the late time is linked only to poor scheduling (or disorganization on the staff's part) and not to any emergent situation. She's doing very well, of course, and is looking forward to the baby coming home tomorrow.

No More Feeding Tube

Gabrielle pulled out her feeding tube last night, and the doctors decided not to replace it. She's been doing very well with her bottle feedings. In fact, the doctor told Jen this morning that Gabrielle will likely come home this weekend! Our friend Mike Johnson (very tall guy in my wedding) has already been scheduled to install the car seat and instruct Jen on installation. He's certified in this; there's actually a medical course on this topic! The doctor said the smallest baby he's ever sent home was 3.8 oz, so Gabrielle should be atleast 3.8 before going home. With her average daily gain of approximately 1 oz, she'll be ready very soon. We're very happy about that, to say the least. It will be a busy weekend, however. Jen's spending a part of each day at a continuing education conference on Thurs and Fri to maintain her certification. I'm taking a written examination on Friday and a practical examination on Sunday as the last step of the national board. Since Shelley and maybe Jessica are planning to visit this weekend, Jen just might put them to work helping to clean the house/wipe down all surfaces before the baby arrives!

Writing from Fairlawn NJ, I relay Jen's update on Gabrielle. Yesterday was eventful. Bottle feedings increased from every other feeding to 2 of 3 feedings. The amount increased a couple cc's to 30 cc for each feeding. Also, Gabrielle graduated from her isolette to an open air crib after passing a 24hr body temperature test. Although very pleased with these advances, Jen and all of the parents involved were unhappy when the NICU closed our small room because of a nursing staff shortage. Gabrielle spent yesterday afternoon and last night in a different room with eight other babies where the quarters were a little too close for comfort. With the new busier environment, no isolette to filter the noise, and even a draft overhead, it's not surprising that Gabrielle didn't gain any weight yesterday. She's 3 lb 3.4 oz, unchanged from Monday morning. Thankfully, the NICU re-opened our small room this morning, so Gabrielle and Jen are back in their more comfortable, quieter corner. Additionally, the staff gave Jen some literature on car seats and what to buy (diapers, etc) before the baby comes home. It's getting closer!

Don't be alarmed if there's no posting within the next few days. I may or may not have Internet access in NJ, where I'll be using the computer to study for part III of the national board in optometry.

Happy Easter! Today Brie is 3 lbs 2 oz. She is wearing a cute little ducky outfit. We tried to shrink one of her dresses to put on her for a picture, but it was still too big. She has been doing well with her bottles and hopefully soon can have one at every feeding. She has also been weaning down to room temperature in her isollette. She has to do 24 hours at her current setting and then she can come out to an open crib. They like babies to be 3 lbs 5 oz prior to coming out of the isollette, but she is small for her age so they may try her sooner.

Today we hit the big 3 lbs!!! She has a sign above her bed marking the occasion. She was held most of the day. Today she was held by grammie Smithgall for a few hours during her feeding. She has been doing well with her bottle feedings. Today she took 2 from mommy and is allowed to take one every other feeding. She was very awake today and was looking for more food when her bottle was finished.

Today our little peanut took 2 bottles from mommy. She did pass her isolette test and now can officially wear clothes. I think she likes being bundled up. Most of her clothes are too big, but she will grow into them. Her weight today was 2 lbs 15 oz. Hopefully soon she will hit the big 3 lb mark. Yesterday she had her eye exam. They found that her eyes are immature. Go figure she is premature! Now she will have an eye exam every 2 weeks until they are mature. Tomorrow they may allow her to take a bottle every other feeding. She seems to like to eat from the bottle so hopefully she will tolerate it well.

Today is a big day for Brie. She is weening from the skin setting to air setting in her isollette. If she passes the three hour test she will finally be able to wear clothes. Before I left today she was in a pink outfit. It was so nice to see her in clothes. She is a little under the weight limit for air setting, but she has been very warm for the past few days on the air setting. The nurses said because she is small for her age she is ready. She is 2 lbs 13.5 oz today. She also got an increase in her feedings today to 27 cc.

Today Brie is 2 lbs 13 oz. She continues to gain weight steadily. They increased the amount of her feeds today to 26 cc- soon she will be taking an entire oz at a time. She is going to have an eye exam either tonight or tomorrow night. It is routine for the eye doctor to see them at 4 weeks of age to see how her eyes are developing.

Today our little peanut is 2 lbs 10.4 oz. She gained an entire ounce since yesterday. Hopefully she keeps it up. Soon she will be 3 lbs and closer to coming home. She took a bottle last night for the nurse and tonight Marcus is going to try and give her one at her 7:45 feeding. So far I held her most of the day she tried to nurse twice today. Hopefully she gets the hang of it soon.

Gabrielle was 2 lbs 9.4 oz. I do think all of the noise yesterday affected her wt gain. The doctors are not concerned because she has gained 7 oz in the last week so she averages an ounce per day. They did increase her feedings a little today. She is now getting 25 cc every 3 hours. She is almost up to an ounce per feeding. She took and entire bottle for daddy today.

Today has been another good day. Brie was 2 lbs 9.3 oz. She continues to fidget around in her isollette when she is hungry. Today it was very loud in the NICU so she did alot of moving around, hopefully that will not affect her weight gain. Daddy is going to give her a bottle tonight. She is now allowed to have one every 8 hours. I have decided not to give her the bottles myself at the suggestion of the nurses and to just have her try to nurse before each feeding with me. She seems to get frustrated nursing because it is much more difficult then the bottle, but I am hoping that does not stop her.

Today was another good day for Brie, she took and entire bottle from mom and attempted to nurse twice. She was very alert before her feedings. She continues to gain wt and was 2 lbs 8.5 oz today. Hopefully she will keep up the good weight gain and come home soon. The nurses are going to try giving her a bottle once per shift. She seems to really like to eat so hopefully she will not have a problem with that part of the discharge criteria.

Brie continues to do well and gain wt. She is 2 lbs 7.5 oz today. They increased her feedings to 24 cc today. She had a little left in her tummy a few times today before her feedings but she continues to do well with them. She took an entire bottle today for mommy. After that she was very tired and slept most of the day.

2lb 6.1 oz today, not too far from 2 1/2! Gabrielle took a whole bottle today. That's 21cc or more--over 2/3 of an ounce. Her other feedings are by tube, of course. By the way, thanks for all of the useful gifts received at the shower or at other times. Jen has most of the clothes put away already, organized nicely in the old dresser that we recently refinished. I think she's planning on washing all of them soon, however. The baby looks and acts good. Soon she'll be able to start wearing the preemie clothes that she's been given.

Bottle feeding

Gabrielle is 2 lbs 4.4 oz today. Jen held her today for a few hrs or more as she always does. This is the second weekend in a row that I've been unable (or unwilling) to get too close because of a mild cold. The baby digests all of her food with very minimal stomach residuals, and she looks healthy and less frail than before. Jen will feed her breast milk by bottle tonight--Jen's first opportunity to do this. The nurses were surprised when Gabrielle responded favorably to a bottle recently. The doctors want her to feed by bottle only once daily, however, since the extra work means less energy devoted to growing. She'll continue to receive breast milk by the feeding tube in her nose at three hour intervals for some time. Currently, her mouth is too small to nurse properly other than with a bottle. She sleeps most of the time, as she should, but she becomes very alert when feeding time approaches--opening her eyes to look all around, sucking, kicking, and fidgeting. She's very cute!

I finally got a bottle

Over the last few days our little Brie has been waking up looking for food. I had asked when she would start to get a bottle or be able to nurse the nurse told me that they usually start around 33-34 weeks. Well she is 33 weeks today. Last night she was looking all around right before the feeding. The nurse gave her a bottle and she finished her entire feeding that way. Now she is allowed to take one feeding per day from the bottle or the breast. So today I am going to try and nurse her for the first time. I hope things go well. They also started her on iron suppliments today and increased her feedings to 21 cc. They continue to fortify her feedings to give her more calories. Her weight today was 2 lbs 3.4 oz.

Feeding and Growing

Gabrielle is doing well. Her wt today was 2 lbs 2.8 oz. She is up to eating 19 cc every 3 hours and is doing well with it. She wakes up and starts sucking on her thumb and rooting around in her bed about 15 minutes before it is time to eat. They are also fortifying my breast milk, giving it more calories so that she can gain weight faster. She is now at about 160 kcal/kg which is what babies need to grow and gain weight. They will keep increasing the amount of milk she gets as she grows. The doctors said she will increase by about a cc per day. The average wt gain the doctors said to expect is between 0.5 to 1 oz per day. Tomorrow she will be exactly 3 weeks old and will be 33 weeks gestation. The nurse said tonight that she will talk to the doctor about starting to nurse her. She is getting old enough even though she is so tiny.

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. Gabrielle hit the big 2 lb mark yesterday. She was 2 lb 1.5 oz. They increased her feedings to 16 cc every 3 hours. She has been tolerating them well. In the beginning she still had quite a bit in her belly, but they jumped from 12 cc to 16 all at once. Before they were only going up by 1 cc per day. He breathing has slowed down and I think she likes her new room. It is much quieter in there. This room is a continuing care room and there are only 4 babies in there.
Today her weight was down a little. She was 2 lbs 0.8 oz. I just spoke with the doctor and he said it was because she is not at her maximum nutrition. They are going to add some fortifier to her milk to make it have more calories. If she tolerates that then tomorrow they will go up on the volume and increase the fortifier to get her really gaining weight. It is so much better holding her without all of the IVs and other stuff. Now she just has a few skin probes that measure her heart rate and breathing. Those will be on until she is ready to come home.

Well today Gabrielle is moving to a new section of the NICU. She is moving into one of the "feeding and growing" rooms. They took her off of all of her IVs today and she is getting 13 cc of breast milk every 3 hours. I think she really likes to have a full tummy. She wakes up about an hour before each feeding and sticks her little tongue out and cries until she gets her pacifier. They are going to start fortifying her milk to give it more calories so that she gains weight quicker. Her weight today was 1 lb 15 oz. Hopefully tomorrow she will cross the big 2 lb mark.

Our little princess continues to do well. She had a bit of a rough night last night and had some food left in her little tummy at 9 pm. They held her next feeding for an hour and then she did much better. She has had some problems getting her bowels to move so I think she was a little full. She finally made a nice big present for the nurses and she is tolerating her feedings much better. The doctor told me today if she continues to do well tomorrow they will stop her IV nutrition and even take out her IV. He does not think she even needs the caffeine anymore because she has not forgotten to breathe in over a week. Hopefully soon she will be on just breast milk. Her weight today was 1 lb 15.8 oz. She continues to go up daily. Hopefully tomorrow she will hit 2 lbs. The nurses tell me that she is doing well and will hopefully be able to come home before she hits 4 lbs. I guess we better get to work on the nursery. I know we still have a few more weeks, but Marcus has been working hard to get it done.

Gabrielle continues to go up on her feedings today she is at 8 cc every 3 hours. She continues to tolerate them well. Her weight today was 1lb 14 oz. She is moving in the right direction. The doctor did warn me that once she gets to about 13 cc and they stop the IV nutrition she may loose a little weight. Hopefully that will not happen, but if it does then I am prepared. Other that that she is doing well. Her breathing continues to be a little fast, but she does not seem to get too tired from it. Hopefully she will slow her breathing down so she is not using as much energy to breathe and can focus on growing.

Today was another good day for our little girl. Her weight today was 1 lb 13.2 oz. She has been tolerating her feedings well and has gone up to 6 cc tonight. Hopefully by the weekend she will be at her maximum of 16 cc and we can get rid of the IVs. The IV nutrition is not good for her liver so it is wonderful that they are weening it down as they go up on her feedings. I am not sure when they will start giving her a bottle. She loves to suck on her pacifier so hopefully she will learn quickly how to eat. We spent the day relaxing in the recliner. Gabrielle is so much calmer when I am holding her. It makes me sad to have to put her back in her isolette.

Our little peanut continues to do well. Her weight today was 1 lb 12.8 oz. So we are going in the right direction. The doctors increased her feeds today to 3 cc every 3 hours. She is doing well with them. If she continues to digest this small amount they will keep increasing. For her size she needs about 16 cc every 3 hours to gain wt. That is about half of an ounce. They are moving slowly with the feedings so that she does not get her belly all distended again. She had a lot of air from the cpap and that is slowly moving through. Hopefully by the beginning of next week they will have her up to full feeds and get rid of the IV feedings. She is much more alert now and seems to really respond when Marcus and I are there. She is a night owl and loves to wake up at 10 pm. We are hoping the NICU breaks her of that before she comes home.

Today Gabrielle continues to do well. Her weight is down a little she is 1 lb 11.5 oz. She started a small amount of feeds yesterday. They are planning to increase this today to 2 cc every 3 hours today. Not very much, but I am tiny. Hopefully they can keep increasing this daily so I start gaining weight. Gabrielle has been doing well without her nasal cannula and is breathing completely on her own.

Gabrielle Ann Myers

Gabrielle entered the world a little earlier then expected. Her original due date was May 10th. She decided that March was a better month and entered on March 1st. She was born at just 30 weeks gestation weighing 1 lb 12 oz and is 13 1/3 inches long. She came out screaming and has been fighting ever since.