One Week Old

It is past midnight as I write this so she is officially a week and one day, but this is the 1 week old report from Wednesday...

Today Paige graduated from the repogle tube in her mouth to a smaller, less intrusive NG tube in her nose.  Her sweet nurse knew I would want pictures from the moments between tubes when her face was clean and tubeless so she waited for me to get there.  Here's cute Paige's face... all of it, finally revealed :o) 

Her new tube marks good progress, so I can be happy about it.  The new tube is in preparation for (hopefully) getting her first tiny feeds.  In the coming days she will get pedialyte through her NG tube to see how her body responds.  If she can tolerate it they will move to half breastmilk/half pedialyte and then eventually breastmilk.  Feeding is a huge deal so we are really excited to see how she does and we are hoping she can put on a few ounces with the "feeding" so that she can graduate out of an isolette and into a bassinet.  She has to get back to 4 pounds before she can do that and she is currently about 3 lbs 13oz.  I can't wait to stare at her directly instead of through the plastic isolette... and have a few more pictures turn out because they won't be through the plastic.  Okay, silly reasons, but it also is just because it means progress.  Temperature regulation and moving to a bassinet are more tiny steps towards coming home.  I just can't wait to get this sweet bundle all healthy and HOME.  I miss her every minute I am away.

Today was such a sweet day.  I loved seeing her face and helping clean her little mouth and cheeks.  She's just so precious, I can't get enough of her.  She had her 2 longest alert periods today and all through the tube switching and the time I held her afterward she was alert and looking around.  Then she drifted into the sweetest light sleep and kept having those dreamy little baby smiles.  I don't care if they are involuntary... those smiles melt my heart.  She is so much cuter than pictures capture and I just love staring into her eyes or watching her sleep.  This time is so special and while I do wish she were healthy and home, I also recognize how precious this time is that I get to enjoy this infant in the quiet solitude of the NICU.  I just feel blessed.  No other words describe it.