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.