Late Evening Report

Today was a LONG day. I spent most of it talking to multiple doctors and worrying. The orthopedic surgeon was in and thought that Sarah was just the cutest little baby. He explained that unfortunetly many premature babies get fractures often (see Grandma and Grandpa's comment from lunch for more info). While all of the great staff at the NICU are very careful when handling her, fratures can happen, not by fault of anyone. The fracture Sarah has is just a hairline and shouldn't have any lasting effect in the long run. Nevertheless, I wish I could be there with her 24/7.

The doctors decided to put her legs in a cast to try to minimize her moving around too much and displacing the femur. They estimate she will have the cast on for two weeks. We can still hold her and snuggle her as usual, just instead of kangaroo-ing, we will have the swaddle her and hold her in our arms.

Sarah didn't seem phased by any of it, she is not in pain and it hasn't effected her movements much at all. She is still wiggling all her toes just fine. I think the worst part is, because of the cast, Sarah can not lay on her tummy. While she has the cast on, she won't be wearing any of her adorable clothing, so I am sure when the time comes to take off her cast she will have outgrown most of her Micro-clothes! That thought is so exciting. I can't wait to see how big she gets. Her weigh in's will be a little bit off until the cast comes off since they don't know exaclty how much the cast weighs...another reason to look forward to the cast coming off , an accurate weight after all this.

I have decided that we won't be posting pictures of Sarah in her cast because it looks worse than it really is. We will however, be putting up pictures of her in Daddy's arms today. Yay for Daddy snuggle time!

While we realize that this is serious, in the grand scheme of things, we are greatful that nothing that has happened so far is life threatening. We continue to pray for Sarah's growth and good health.

Happily snuggled in Daddy's arms sucking away on her pacifier

Sarah pulled the pacifier out for this picture

Nothing is better than a Daddy's loving arms

Lunch

Don't worry too much, but we need your prayers again. Sarah has a hairline fracture in her femur. They say its not uncommon in little girls. She's getting a cast put on now. Updates to follow.

Sent from my iPhone

Mid week morning report

So Sarah had several episodes of explosive poo poo yesterday, and one more last night. I still can't wait to get her home, even though Erika will have to get up in the middle of the night to clean up while I go to the other room and fall back asleep. I think that's how it works.

Sarah is still 810 grams, no gain, no loss, no problem. I think we know where all the weight went. Tomorrow is 7 weeks!

Tuesday morning

Sarah reached that 800 gram milestone last night. She is now 810 grams, or 1.78 pounds. She's over a pound and three quarters! Her feedings went up last night to 18 mL every three hours, and she is eating like a champ. Almost nothing left in her tummy at the next feeding.

Everyone in the NICU is so impressed with her, and really, how can you not be impressed with her? You BETTER be impressed, or we're gonna need to have a talk...

Monday Afternoon Update

Sarah is having a good day. Her feedings were bumped up to 16 mL every 3 hours and if all goes well she will be bumped up again to 18 mL tonight. She had a session with the developmental therapist today and that certainly tuckered her out. She is napping comfortably for the rest of the afternoon. That is until Mommy comes over later and swoops her up for a late afternoon kangaroo session.
Fun fact: Panda Bears are born weighing about 3.5 ounces. Sarah's birth weight was 14 ounces. Keep on growth little miss Sarah Bear. You are almost DOUBLE your birth weight! Just another 10 grams to go...Yipee

Monday morning

I hope everyone had a nice, long weekend. It was a chore getting up at 5:00 a.m. this morning after sleeping in for four days.

Sarah gained another 30 grams last night, bringing her weight up to 770 grams, which is about 1 pound, 11 ounces. She was also measured last night, and is longer and has a bigger head. All good news!

She had another transfusion last night, her first in several weeks. She's doing really well and looks fantastic. I'm so proud of her and so is mommy!

Sunday Report

We hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. Sarah is sure having one. She is up to 740 grams (1 pound 10 ounces) and eating 15 mL's every 3 hours, for a total of 4 ounces a day! She is eating 15% of her body weight daily. Imagine if we did that! Ugh.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support and prayers for little Sarah.  This year we have so much to be thankful for and every day that G-d gives us with Sarah is a miracle.  We want to wish you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your families all over the world.  We continue to pray for Sarah's health and growth every day and are so thankful she is doing so well.  G-d bless each and every one of you.

Lovingly,

Erika and Roger

Morning report

After a few days of weight loss, Sarah came back up to 700 grams again, a gain of 20 grams.

Sarah turns six weeks tomorrow, and she continues to amaze us and everyone around her. As you probably noticed, the blogs are getting less frequent now, which really isn't a bad thing. It's just boring to read the same "No change she's doing well" blog over and over again. So, if you don't see a post for a day, even two, don't worry. We just can't think of anything exciting to write.

Tuesday morning report

Well, the daily weight loss continued again last night, but again it was small. She lost another 10 grams and is now 680 grams. It may seem discouraging, but we aren't worried. The weekly weight is more important than the day-to-day, and Sarah has been steadily gaining about 80-100 grams every week. This week shouldn't be any different.

And, we know where the weight went. She had three big #2's last night, and that accounts for a lot of grams.

Sarah is still doing well on 1 liter of pressure. Despite her size, she is now one of the healthiest babies in the NICU. We're so happy! She's now on 2-1 care, meaning she shares her nurse with another baby. And that's great, because it means when she gets home, mom should be able to handle all the care by herself, right?

On a side note, one of the nurses asked me if I knew any Jewish boys for a nice lawyer in New York, for one of her son's friends. I asked her "She can't find a Jewish boy in New York?! Where is she looking?" And it was one of the Korean nurses that was asking! I was very confused...

Monday lunch report

Sarah's having a wonderful day. I went to see her at lunch and she looks so good. Her numbers were a little low, but nothing a changed diaper couldn't fix (the nurse handled it, not me!)....

Here she is sleeping away. Look at all that hair!

Blog format update

We updated the blog format so that only posts from the past seven days will be displayed on the main page. Posts older than seven days will be archived, and can be viewed from selecting the appropriate week on the right hand of the page.

Monday morning

Well, our girl lost a little weight again, but not as much this time. She went from 700 grams down to 690 grams. Hopefully she won't go down too much more and will start gaining steadily again.

She's doing well on 1.0 L of pressure in the nasal prongs, and her O2 is generally between 26-30%. If you know what that means. When she's having trouble, they put her up to the mid-40s and she comes back up.

Sunday morning

Mom and I went to visit Sarah last night at about 9:00 just to pick up some more bottles. Little did we know what we were in for..... Sarah's heart rate was a little low, and Erika recognized the signs of a dirty diaper. So, like any good mom, she took off Sarah's old diaper and had a new one ready. But, before the new one was in place, Sarah let out a little cry, and BAM!, poop everywhere. And I mean, EVERYWHERE. I had never seen projectile poop before last night. It is quite the sight. We were trying to figure out a nickname for Sarah, and I think "Old Faithful" is appropriate now.

Now, the important stuff. Sarah had a pretty good night. She's having a few episodes with her heart rate and breathing dropping a little, but that's just because they are trying to ween her off the oxygen. If it continues, they will have to put her pressure back up to 2.0 (it's down to 1.5).

She weighed in at 700 grams last night, which is a pretty big gain. Don't be surprised to see it go down a little again. She continues to digest all 14 mL they're feeding her. Such a champ!

First extended family photos

And first father-daughter snuggle!!

Sarah, mommy, and me!

Auntie Castine and Sarah and me...look at Sarah open her eyes for the pic!

Grandma Mimi came to see Sarah too!

Post-exam report

Sarah had her eyes checked, and guess what? Her eyes are a little immature. Just like she is. Nothing to worry about, they'll grow as she does.

Also, another little baby in the NICU is very sick. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but it needs prayers too. Think of him (or her)!

Morning!

Sarah has an eye exam scheduled for today. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope she checks out okay!

Despite the increased feedings of 14 mL, she dropped a little more weight last night. She's down to 610 grams. But, with the continued feedings going up and up, she should be packing it on in no time.

This morning I got a little play time with Sarah, which is unusual. She's normally sound asleep at 6:00 a.m.

Morning report - Daddy is back!

It's nice to be back home and able to be with Sarah again. I missed her so much, and so much happened while I was gone. She looks absolutely fantastic, and her progress has everyone, including her doctors and nurses and RTs, amazed!

We knew it would happen, and her weight did drop down again. She's 640 grams. But that's okay, because we know where the weight went. She took three (3!!!!) big poops overnight. Even I don't poo three times a night (most nights! j/k)...

I spoke with Dr. Banks for a few minutes this morning, and he said we are just going to continue to watch her feedings and increase them periodically. That's about all there is to do now, as she just needs food food food to grow grow grow.

Erika will hopefully Kangaroo again today and tomorrow, and then on Saturday I will get my first chance. I'm so excited!

First Family Photo's

Daddy came back from his business trip today and got to see Kangaroo for the first time.
A little more kosher this time.
That is the wave to grandpa for his birthday. Love you gramps! Hi every one else.

Thanks for all your support, love and prayers!

All this growing has me so exhausted! Time for my nap.

Wednesday-Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Sarah weighed in at a WHOPPING 700 grams last night (that is nearly 1 lb 9 ounces). Seems a bit high for an overnight gain, so don't get too excited, she might just need to poop, but we certainly will take it! Nothing else to report since the Doctor has not done rounds yet.

We want to wish Grandpa a very happy birthday today. It is the first of many birthday's as a Grandpa. We look forward to celebrating many more together. We love you Grandpa!

(Picture removed)

Tuesday Night Info

I spent another wonderful day with Sarah laying on me. She slept almost the entire time and this time left drool marks all over my chest:) Her feedings went up to 11 mL's and most importantly, her IV fluids were discontinued and her IV line was taken out. She is only eating milk now. The only things she is connected to are the oxygen hose and her heart rate machines.

Tuesday Update

Sorry for the late morning update, but with Roger out of town for a few days, you will have to bear with me. Sarah had a good night. She weighed in at 630 grams- that is just over 1 pound 6 ounces. She is eating 10 mL's every 3 hours and all is looking good, with nothing left over in the tummy at the next feeding. Not sure if they have plans to increase her eating today, either way, she is doing fantastic.

I am going to sign Roger and I up for the parenting classes that we were supposed to take before she was born. Since that didn't happen, now is the perfect time to learn about Baby Care, The Amazig Newborn, and Infant CPR. I wonder if we will be the only non-pregnant parents in the class. Oh well, circumstances beyond our control. Regardless, I am looking forward to taking the classes over the next few months.

In case anyone was wondering what the next few weeks will hold for Sarah, it seems her only job is to grow. Around week 35 they will start to introduce her to the bottle- so she has about 4 weeks 'til then. Until then she will be eating through her tummy tube. She will also have an eye exam in the next week or so.

Kangaroo, Kangaroo!

Ok, I know I said yesterday was awesome, but today was even more awesomer! It was so awesome that I had to make up the word awesomer! Don't get me wrong, the first time you get to hold your baby is a time you will never forget, but I was so nervous and tense, that I was not able to relax and enjoy it. I didn't know how to hold her and I didn't feel that she enjoyed it much either. But today, today was a totally different story entirely. Today I got to hold Sarah skin to skin. I got to feel her right up on my chest. Today I got to relax for 2 hours with her in my arms. All alone. Sarah was so happy that the nurse left us and as long as her heart rate and oxygen levels were stable, we were basically left alone to snuggle and bond. I got to sing to her and tell her how much Mommy and Daddy love her. She layed on me and slept the entire time. This process is called Kangaroo Care and it is supposed to simulate the womb. The baby hears your voice and heartbeat just like she did in the womb. It's has a calming effect on everyone, including me. I had to prevent myself from falling asleep! Kangaroo's sure do got the right idea. I proclaim every day a Kangaroo day!

Thanks to Grandma Rees for being there to take the pictures. These pictures were taken on a disposable camera, as I had forgotten my good camera at home. I learned my lesson and that won't happen again.

Fun fact: Sarah sneezes just like mom- at least 2-6 times. For all the HAL classmates out there reading this, Mr. Koff would so give her a detention for that, just like he gave mom in 8th grade for being disruptive in class.

Monday morning

Good news, everyone! Sarah reached another milestone last night, and now weighs 610 grams. Her increased feedings are really paying off, and not just in her numbers. She really looks fantastic!

She gave me the most adorable little smile this morning as I watched her eat. I tried to get a picture of it, but the lighting wasn't right. It's okay, though; I'm sure she'll have many more smiles for the camera.

Sarah Celebrates 1 Month Old in Mom's Arms

First off, I must start out by wishing Sarah a very happy 1 month old day! Woohoo - way to go Sarah.

Secondly, Mommy got to hold Sarah today!!!! It lasted about 45 minutes, until it was time to eat again. What a rush. Words can not describe it. She is just so precious. Sarah slept most of the time and didn't cry much at all as I rocked her in the rocking chair. I was very nervous at the begining, but I relaxed more as I settled in. I am sure as time goes on and as Sarah gets bigger I won't be as nervous. After our snugglefest, I changed her diaper and got her ready for her lunchtime nap while Nurse Alice hooked up her lunch. Sarah fell asleep rather quickly in her new outfit provided by Auntie Castine. So cute and she looks so comfy.

I've waited for this day for so long and I am so thankful for all the miracles God performs. Today was truly a miracle sent from above.

Hopefully, in a few days, Daddy will get to experience what I felt today. I am looking forward to that too and so is he.

Sunday morning

Sarah made it through the night without any problems.

Nurse Alice says that they are going to increase her feedings to 7.0 mL every three hours, and if she tolerates that well, Sarah will go up to 8.0 mL.

And, if everything goes well today, we'll have a great surprise to tell everyone about tonight. No guessing!

Saturday Night Update

I am just getting ready to go visit Sarah tonight but wanted to post the update for today.
Weight: 580 grams- an increase of 30 grams from Friday
Feedings: Increased to 5mL every 3 hours, tolerating well with no residuals. Sarah continues to yank out her feeding tube a few times a day, but it shows she has pretty amazing coordination and it is simple to put it right back in.
They removed the derm shmutzy tape from her cheeks. That stuff was there to protect her fragile skin fom the tape that held the respirator in place (in case anyone was wondering what all the discoloration was on her cheeks). She is looking good.
I will update more in the morning, I just wantd to post something up for those of you who check often and have to have your Sarah fix for the day:)

Friday Afternoon Report

I was staring at Sarah today, like I do every day, and I just can't get over this little girls strong will and determination. Watching her accomplishments and milestones, I remind myself often that we are so lucky to be witnessing this. Watching a baby that is supposed to be in my belly grow right before my eyes is something I will cherish forever. Every challenge we give her, she rises to the occasion. Good work Sarah!

She is tolerating her feedings well and they are going to increase to 4 mL's starting with the 8pm feeding tonight. Sarah was a bit fussy and upon some clever detective work we found a poopy diaper to be the culprit. After Sarah got cleaned up she returned to normal sats and went back to sleep. After I washed up, I put my finger up to her little mouth and she began to suck on my finger. The feeling of my little girl sucking on my finger and her little tongue rubbing against my skin was something amazing. It made my heart flutter. I look forward to the day I can hold her and feel her skin against mine.

Week 30 morning report

Sarah got her first pacifier today. She hasn't had a chance to work on her sucking, what with the breathing tube down her throat and all. So she's got some catching up to do. These pics show just how happy she is with her tiny sucker.

Sarah turns 30 weeks (gestational age) today. Happy gestational birthday, baby!

She continues to do well off the ventilator, and is breathing on her own with just a little oxygen help through the nasal prongs. Despite all this success over the past 20 or so hours, Sarah may need to go back on the ventilator at some point. If she does, don't worry too much - it's something that often happens with micro-preemies this small.

Sarah was weighed last night at 550 grams, which, according to google, is 1.21254244 pounds, or 19.4006791 ounces, or, for the benefit of you Pittsburgh Steelers fans, 0.55 kilograms.

Update

More than six hours and she's still off the ventilator. Yahoo! She's breathing with just 30% oxygen through the nose hoses.

Sent from my iPhone

More pics of Sarah

What's over there?!

My hat is so warm!

I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10!

Boo!

Lunch report

They removed Sarah's breathing tube today at 11:40 am, because she was moving around too much and the tube was coming out. Since then, Sarah has been on the nasal breathing apparatus (what's it called??) seen in the picture. Sarah doesn't like it too much, so mom is helping to keep her calm to prevent Sarah from removing this, too. The nurses took some more great pictures, which I'll post as soon as they e-mail them to me.

The Best Picture In The World

Good morning, 4 weeks

Sarah is four weeks old today; Happy birthday, girl!

Sarah is still recovering from her time off the ventilator last night. It was quite the ordeal for her, but she has become stable again and her feedings are increasing. She is now up to 2.0 mL again and hopefully she will be back up to where she was in just a few days.

Erika and I have settled into a routine with Sarah. Beginning this week, I have been getting up early to go see Sarah from 6:00 am to 6:15 am. Then, at lunch, I spend about a half hour with her. Erika comes to the hospital between 2 and 2:30, and stays with Sarah for about three hours. When I get off work, I go back to the hospital for about fifteen minutes to half an hour; then Erika and I come home. Depending on how tired we are, we sometimes go back for another hour after the evening shift change. It's all quite exhausting, but we love every minute we get to spend with her.

Evening Report

I just got back from a fun filled afternoon with my baby girl. She is recovering well from her slighty traumatic night last night. They wanted to give her a rest today, so they reduced her feedings back to 1 mL for today and 2 mL's over tonight (every 3 hours as usual). I got to change her diaper a few times today, and was even surprised with her as she basically pee'd with me watching:) Milestone to report- As Nurse Sharon and I were chit chatting, Sarah picked up her little keppie (yiddish for head) right up off the pillow and turned to face the other direction, even with her tube back in! When she knows what she wants, she is determined to get it her way! And we wouldn't have it any other way. We also got to see the amazing picture of her without her tubes in. The hospital staff have yet to email it to us, but as soon as we have it in the right format we will post it on here. I know you are anxiously awaiting!

Morning report

Sarah was off the ventilator for about two hours last night. As she continues to grow, her breathing tube has more room to more around, and it got to the point that they needed to pull it out and reposition it. They wanted to see how she could breathe on her own, which she managed to do for quite a while. However, at her size, it just takes too much energy to keep the chest rising and falling, and she's not getting enough calories for all the exercise. So, they put her back on the ventilator.

The nurses, thankfully, were able to take some pictures of Sarah without the tube. We'll post them as soon as they process the pictures. I can't wait! We're going to ask them if they can call us next time Sarah's tube is removed, so we can have some time with our baby without any machines, even if it is at 1:30 in the morning.

Nothing to report morning report

She's doing great. Nothing new to report. Her weight dipped a little, down to 480. They attribute the loss to the TWO big poopoos she had yesterday.

Sent from my iPhone

OMG OMG OMG Lunch report

Okay, the bad news. Sarah was not able to breathe without the ventilator.

Now, the good news. They tried to let Sarah breathe without the ventilator! This is absolutely huge, and brings us one step closer to having our little girl home.

Dr. Banks thought Sarah was doing well enough to try taking her off the ventilator and see how she reacted to the nasal CPAP. All of Sarah's ventilator settings were reduced to the minimum, and they put the nasal CPAP on her. Unfortunately, it didn't take and Sarah wasn't able to get off the ventilator. But, Nurse Jane said that Sarah may be able to come off the ventilator completely in as few as two or three days.

Once Sarah is off the ventilator, mommy and I will be able to hold her and begin the Kangaroo care, putting Sarah on our chest so she can feel skin-to-skin contact and hear our heartbeats. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Monday morning report

Sarah lost a little weight over the weekend, which is not unusual for a baby her size. Each nurse weighs her a little differently, and the slightest change affects what the scale reads. She's still over half a kilo, though, and that's not too shabby!

Sarah had an x-ray and her chest and tummy both look good. Everything seems in place, I guess.

She's eating 4.5 mL every three hours, and Sarah is really starting to grow. 4.5 mL is just under one teaspoon, just to give you an idea of how much she is eating. Gestationally, she is now 29 weeks, 3 days, and this is about the time that babies really start to grow (or so I'm told).

And, she made a BIG poo poo last night!

Good night kisses

Erika and I both got to give Sarah her first kisses tonight. Usually we can't lean in to reach her, but tonight we were able to sneak in and plant a kiss on the side of Sarah's head.


Also, the nurse changed her outfit today. Look how cute she is!

Sent from my iPhone

Saturday morning

Sarah was weighed again last night and is now 560 grams. That's 30 grams more than Thursday night. And Sarah made a poo-poo this morning. We'll be heading over to see her around 2:00 and will take some pictures to put up.

Thank You!

Erika, Sarah, and I would like to thank everyone for all your wonderful comments and your endless support. We started this blog to help get information out to everyone. But really, it has turned into something that has helped us more that anyone can know. It makes us so happy to know how much you support Sarah. Even though we don't acknowledge or respond to every comment, we read each one and appreciate it immensely. Keep them coming!

And thank you to everyone that has sent us baby diaries or NICU diaries. If you haven't sent us one yet, please don't! We have enough. And they are so cute!

Milk, It Does a Body Good!

Sarah- You are eating so well and making Mommy and Daddy so proud. Mommy works hard to keep your milk supply going and you do a good job eating it! Keep up the good work. There is plenty more where that came from. I look forward to you emptying this freezer!

Great morning report

After getting a break from the scale for a few days, Sarah was weighed last night. She is now 530 grams (1.17 pounds). She's over half a kilo! Way to go, girl.

Sarah's clothing

And these are very loose fitting on her...

Lunch and football

Here are two pictures of Sarah practicing her touchdown celebration. She's hoping to get to use it many times during this Sunday's Pats/Colts game. I can't wait to see her endzone celebration. Daddy is so proud of his little football fan!

At lunch today, Sarah tried to eat 3.0 mL, but it turned out to be too much. She spit up a little at the end. They'll monitor her to see if she does it again, and if so, they may drop her back down to 2.5 mL. Even the tiniest babies still need to be burped, I guess.

Happy Birthday!

Baby Sarah, happy three week birthday to you. You are so wonderful. Daddy loves you!

Good morning, good morning!

Nurse Sheri is looking after Sarah again today. The night crew didn't want to disturb Sarah, so we didn't get a new weight (she was 460 grams at her last weigh in). And I guess her next weigh in will be a little higher because of the clothes, thanks to mommy!

Only one change to report with her feedings. They had been giving her 2.5 mL over an hour, but changed that to be over ninety minutes, in order to allow her a little more time to digest the food.

Sarah's First Outfit!

Mommy got to dress Sarah in one of her new Micro-Preemie outfits today--a shirt and matching hat. The outfit, a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Rees, was still a little bit big on her but she looked adorable in it and Mommy had so much fun. All of the nurses had to come see what a princess my little Sarah was today. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Sarah looked up at Mommy and gave me the "hang loose" sign for this picture. This blanket Sarah is snuggled in was a gift from the McCollums. The outfit the McCollums gave was still a little big for her.

Mommy had so much fun today Sarah. Keep up the good work!

Lunch report 2.5

She's now up to 2.5 mL per feeding. Great news! We are so happy for you baby girl.

Morning report

This is what Sarah spends most of her time in. They put her in these little snugglies to make her feel secure and confined, just like on the inside. This one just happens to be wet! Sarah wet the bed for the first time yesterday, and I couldn't be more proud (at least in part because I don't have to clean it up!).

Sarah weighs 460 grams, just over a pound again. She's doing very well on her 2.0 mL feedings. After rounds today, her feedings may increase again.

Right now, she's resting comfortably on her left side. Oh, and she pooped again (I know you like the updates, Suzanne!).

Bigger lunch report

She's now eating 2.0 mL every 3 hours. I'm going to need to get her one of those "ME WANT FOOD" t-shirts from 30 Rock if she keeps this up!







Here are pictures of Sarah getting ready to doze off after eating her lunch.

Monday Comments and a Wonderful Poem

A few people had trouble posting comments on the blog on Monday so I decided to post them here. Rees' in Chicago- thanks for all the love and support. We look forward to introducing little Sarah to you in person someday soon:)

From Great Grandma Rees: We're back from our visit to Russ and to Rosemary. A delight to see the blog and update Sarah's progress. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the California Rees Family.

From Great Auntie Gina: Hello Roger and Erika! Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby girl. We are so happy for you, and are praying for the health of your sweet daughter, Sarah. She is a little miracle and she is loved by many, including me! :) Much love from Sarah's "Great" Aunt Gina

And I wanted to put a poem up here that Sarah's cousin, Marlena wrote for her. It's so lovely, I wanted to share it with everyone on the main page:

Title: Came So Quickly
The whistle of a wind chime.
The rustling of leaves.
I can tell a new baby has come into our world.
The shrieks and cries of one so little can break our hearts in two.
The crying has stopped.
The new baby looks and sees such a big smile greeting every inch of her.

The new baby Sarah weighs 12 ounces
And is no bigger than a standard size book!
You can tell that the baby is not a normal baby
But a baby who will one day be loving and sweet!
Sarah has a long way to come in our dark world.
But God made her and she will truly be magnificent!

Quiet Tuesday Morning

I spoke with Sheri, Sarah's nurse for the day and Sarah is doing well today. Sarah had a big poop around midnight and is tollerating her feedings well with almost no residuals left in her tummy at the time of her next feeding. Mommy likes it when Sarah eats all her food:) All is quiet and thats the way we like it! Keep up the good work Sarah.

Big lunch report

Not "big" in the sense that this will be a long post, but "big" in the sense that they've increased Sarah's feeding again. After taking 1.5 mL for the past day or so, they

started feeding her 1.7 mL today. The additional food is really paying off; she looks so healthy and she looks like she is starting to get a little fat. Best news ever!

Here is a picture of her fuzzy little head. Look at that hair!

Monday morning report

Sarah continues to improve and impress. Her weight fluctuated a little over the weekend, but finally settled last night at 440 grams.

She has been stable on her ventilator and her lungs are really developing. They are slowly (very slowly) weening her off the ventilator and letting her lungs do more of the work themselves. But, it's a slow process, because breathing is quite tiring when you're that tiny.

And she's continuing to eat like a champ, taking in 1.5 mL every three hours, with almost no residual milk left in her tummy. Before each feeding, they check her belly to see how much milk is left, to make sure that she is digesting everything. And she is!

Today should be a restful day for Sarah, as there are no procedures scheduled for her. She could use the day off. :)

Have a great Monday!

Sunday Morning Report

Roger and I spent a few hours with Sarah last night. She was wide awake, kicking and moving all around. She was making eye contact with us and very responsive to us talking to her, all wonderful signs. She is trying SO hard to lift up her head. She got another blood tranfusion overnight and is doing well from it. Nurse Teresa reports that they are increasing her eating to 1.5 CC's every 3 hours and trying to lower her resperator settings in order to try ween her off soon. Keep up the good work Sarah. Mommy and Daddy love you!