MY, HAVE YOU GROWN!
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| 2.12 pounds |
Today has been a big day for little Gracie. You hit one month old today. Wow, the time has flown in one sense and in another it seems like you have always been here. My emotions are high today as I think about everything that has happened in the past month plus. At just 25.5 weeks gestation, I remember laying in the hospital for just under two weeks being uncertain each day if that would be the day they would take you. Many days, the contractions got as close at half a minute apart and I became "toxic" to the high levels of Magnesium Sulfate. It was difficult to stop them. Unfortunately, medication couldn't stop them on the 14th of August, even after many high level boluses of Mag. The fight was over. Worry overcame me as I was wheeled to the operating room for an urgent C-Section. Thirteen weeks early was just too early for a comfort level in me. The doctors didn't know what would happen, both with me and you. Accreta was a huge concern of theirs for me and prematurity and lung issues were the concerns for you. Gracie, you let the whole room, which was filled with about 14 people, know you were worth fighting for. Crying immediately filled the room just half an hour after they told me you would needed to be born, at 27.4 weeks gestation, for our safety. You started life out so tiny...just 2 pounds 4 ounces. This started the new journey of smiles and tears, love and God's tender mercies.
First Day
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| 2.4 pounds |
One week
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| 1.14 pounds |
Two weeks
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| 2.0 pounds |
Three weeks
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| 2.8 pounds after heart surgery |
Four weeks
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| 2.14 pounds |
One month birthday
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| After her bath with no leads or tubes...her first "big girl" picture. 2.12 pounds |
Today, the doctors decided to try a human milk fortifier (which is usually milk based and adds 4 calories along with all the vitamins, minerals, sugars, etc. to breastmilk) but the kind they want to try is actually human milk, not cow's milk, and has added vitamins, minerals, glucose, calcium and lots of other yummy things. At first, I was thinking, gross...someone else's milk is going to be in my baby? But then I thought, well...I guess a cow's milk isn't very good for Gracie, seeing she isn't a calf. LOL Gracie is the first baby in this NICU to actually be on this additive to my milk. The reason?? To be more comfortable with avoiding possible problems related to milk allergies like Daddy had. Grace doesn't need any added problems, so we are going to avoid them all together. Sounds great to me. This additive will be shipped overnight so she will start getting it tomorrow, Wednesday. The nurses had a little meeting on how it is to be thawed and added to my milk. So, in a way, Gracie is their guinea pig only in the sense of a new product for this hospital. It has been widely used in other hospitals. They say it doesn't have any problems being digested and thus prevents possible problems with her GI track. Yay!
Gracie is anemic today and instead of doing yet another blood transfusion, they are giving her shots to help her start making her own blood cells. Three times a week she'll get those until she isn't anemic anymore. Her levels are at a 23 but they don't want her to go down any more. At surgery, she was at a 32 and they wanted her to be at a 40, even with a transfusion she didn't make that.
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