Day 27, 28 & 29 (weekend) all at 2.14 pounds HUGE changes

                      Protocol vs. Proactive

I've combined these three days together because as it was going, well, let's just say I was getting further and further behind in blogging. I need to catch up so you can have information more up to date, not to mention that these three days were pretty much the same. Perfect opportunity. 

Amazing things happened starting less than 12 hours after Grace arrived at Kadlec. They tested Gracie on many things all at once. She arrived being on oxygen because of coming over the Cascade Mountain Range, so they discontinued that along with many other things. Go Gracie Go! Prove what you can do! You are a very strong little girl with a lot of spunk! Show everyone how incredible you truly are!

                                          Gracie with NO CPAP

Grace loved not having anything on her face so much she
snuggled into her bed roll. Her heart surgery bandage is
gone but the steri-strips are still there.

                            

                  Gracie with NO oxygen

Size comparison picture plus she loves to have a hand over her

 Gracie with NO Nasal Cannula

Gracie all snuggled in a cloth diaper as her "blankie"

                     Gracie at full feeds

Tummy time...aahhhh

                   Gracie with no PIC line

Gracie's arm is finally free of an IV PIC line...after 4 weeks!

Saturday, the nurse was so excited and said, "Come look at Gracie and tell me what is different". So I headed over and immediately I saw the CPAP gone off of her face and the machine was also gone. She graduated!! She had nothing on her face at all. We were told at Swedish, since she had just graduated from the ventilator, she would be on CPAP for quite a while. Wow, that was fast! New hospital, new rules. It is an adjustment. No oxygen, no velcro or stickers at all. No breathing apparatuses. She was also freshly bathed and the nurse even took pictures and printed them out. (I will post those later, the card is at the hospital) How awesome is that? She has wonderful nurses here...just like at Swedish. This alone has made the transfer easier. I think when people go to nursing school, they test their hearts for love...if they score low, they go somewhere else, because all these nurses have huge hearts and celebrate each milestone with Gracie & me.

At the rate she was dropping things, I was waiting for the "1 step back" that all micro-preemie parents are warned of. So far, she hasn't stepped too far back. Later on Saturday, after nearly 14 hours off everything, she was put back on the nasal cannula with only 1.5%-2% air flow to keep her lungs just a little inflated. She only needs oxygen when lying on her back or sides, not when she lies on her tummy, which is her favorite position. 

Another tummy time with her favorite pillow given to her
at Swedish (good thing we brought it, they don't have
them at Kadlec...but now they want to order some)
*smiles for all the babies in the future who will recieve them
due to Gracie bringing hers*

She is doing exceptionally well. She stayed at 2 pounds 14 ounces all three days. She was losing fluids at the same rate as she was gaining. Gosh, I wish I could do that...hehe. She had goopy eyes so they took a culture and started eye drop antibiotics. I was concerned about this at Swedish but they said it was normal eye discharge...mommy feeling like it wasn't. We'll see. Sunday it turned out to be Conjunctivitis, a pink eye type virus. They jumped all over that one. She is in isolation, in her isolette...funny huh? I thought she was in a sort of isolation anyway, isn't that what the isolette is? Well, they wear gloves and robes so not to pass it on to another baby. Good thinking.

Grace's isolation isolation LOL

Smiles are all over the place...on me and especially Grace. We are a happy team. Again, she is my hero...she goes through all sorts of painful or uncomfortable treatments and she still smiles...

Gracie got two great surprises over the weekend, outside of immediate family visiting, she had two very special people come to see her. My best friends' mom, Jan F. (she is like a grandma to my kids) & Susan B. (she is someone I look up to because of her encouragement and love she exemplifies to all the women in our church). What a great time we had visiting.

Cute matching outfits and ooohhhh so soft socks...also the
plush doll in Grace's isolette in the following pictures...
Thanks Jan!

Jumpin' Jan (I bestow upon your head jumpin' energy, you are
in our prayers) We
all *heart* Jan

Sweet Spirit Susan B.

Hey, Gracie...Bunny and dolly want to play...can you pleeezzz wake up so we can? 

Gracie was in clothing on Monday for the first time. Aawww, she was so cute...she actually looked more like a baby. So great to see that. The shirt size was so tiny. Tag said 1-3 pounds. 

   Some more fun pictures...from the weekend...

Sweet baby heads...gotta love them!

Showing some of the fluid retention in her cheeks and
snuggled like she used to be at Swedish. They don't do the
same types of things here so I did it for Gracie.

Teeny fingers searching for her mouth

Every time I would come back after going home at night, something would be different. I am always excited to come back, partially to see what has changed. They always surprise me.