Kaitlyn's First Thanksgiving

11/24/05

These pictures are from the past few days....we think she's getting so cute and really looking like a baby, I guess we are "typical" parents, we can't stop taking pictures....but the nurses tell me they all keep stopping by to look at her, as she looks so different and has so much hair.

I took this picture a few days ago. She really is looking like a baby.

Kangaroo with mom

Kangaroo with her hat on. (I moved her blanket so that you could see her in the picture), but normally she is cuddled in warm blankets as she still can't maintain her body temperature. Being against my skin helps keep her warm, and it sure helps mom's spirits! This is another tiny hat that the Hospital Volunteer knit for preemies. It's so cute (and it's Christmas colors too!)

I took these pictures "Self portrait" style, this is the view that I see when I kangaroo Kaitlyn.

Self-portrait from the other side, Kaitlyn turned her head on her own.

OK, this is the first time that Kaitlyn actually sucked on her pacificer for any length of time. The nurses try to get them to suck the pacifier while they are being fed through the gavage tube, so they start understanding that by sucking they get a full stomach. Kaitlyn can't keep her's in, she usually is like the Simpson's baby, where the pacifier goes in and out of her mouth (usually out). This time, the nurse put Kaitlyn's hand to hold her own pacifier. She was so cute.

This is a "preemie" diaper on Kaitlyn. Before this she was wearing "micro-preemie" diapers. She was switched to the bigger diaper becuase her stools were blowing out of the smaller ones. But, as you can see, these are still huge on her!

Kaitlyn doing some counting on her fingers!

The "drama queen!" Kaitlyn is always putting her hands up on her head in funny gestures. Look at those now chubby cheecks!!

Thanksgiving!!

Am I ever thankful for my beautiful little girl!

Kaitlyn’s first Thanksgiving wasn’t very eventful, but at this point, that’s good news. Every time I see her she looks better and better. When I’m not at the hospital I miss her and can’t wait to see her. It seems her hair gets a bit blonder every day, as if she’s been out in the sun – which of course isn’t the case. And she gets a bit bigger too. But she’s still not up to 3 pounds yet.

She had another eye test this week, it also showed that her eyes were immature. I guess that’s good still, but I spoke to the doctor and he said it’s around 34-35 weeks when ROP would show up (she’s just 34 this week), so she’ll be having another eye test shortly.

I forgot to mention (people have asked) that she’s been off morphine since she got off the ventilator. If she was still sedated, she might forget to breathe. Instead, she’s been on caffeine which helps keep her breathing.

The docs have changed her feeding schedule and she’s now up to 26 cc’s! That’s only 4 cc’s short of a full ounce. She’ now eating every 3 hours instead of 2 and she continues digesting almost all of her food every time they check. Maybe (hopefully) next week she might get to try to either breast feed or nipple from a bottle for one feeding. It is likely that she won’t be able to get too much before she tires (as it’s a lot of effort to breathe and swallow at the same time).

Brian worked today, so Thanksgiving was fairly quiet for me, I spent the afternoon with my daughter though so I feel I finally have a lot to be thankful for.

We are still planning on Kaitlyn coming home on or around her due date, which is January 4, 2006. Sitting in the hospital today after holding Kaitlyn I kept thinking about when she comes home and how happy that made me feel. I used to think “if” she comes home – now I know she’s coming home. What a joyous feeling. And keep thinking of next Thanksgiving when our duaghter will be home with us and a little over one year old.

Some wonderful friends and co-workers are throwing me baby showers! It feels strange to finally feel celebratory for my pregnancy. I guess that’s a good thing, as we really aren’t prepared to have a baby at home. It was very strange going to Babies’ R Us to register for baby items along with very pregnant women, as I obviously don’t look pregnant. The scale this morning showed I weighed a bit less that before I was pregnant – I guess it’s all that breast pumping.

And, another piece of good news, I went to my doc this week and my incision is about sealed up. It’s still oozing a bit (a tiny bit) and as soon as that stops, I’ll be able to be bandage free. At this point, I clean and bandage it myself, as it’s really just a tiny little spot. It was strange giving her a hug to say “good-bye” as I’ve seen her every week since the girls were born and more often than that while I was in the hospital. My brother Gary is coming to visit his niece tomorrow for the first time. He’s flying in from Seattle.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and thank you for continuing to support us. I read all the comments here every day.

Thanksgiving Pictures:

I took this picture while holding Kaitlyn today, once again the drama queen is at it again, or is she just trying to pull out her feeding tube? Her eyes are open a tiny bit.

Back in her isolette in a new outfit (it's more like a robe), the nurses like it, as it's easy on and off. Although she looks "big" in this picture, look at the next picture for comparison. She's still a bit awake after getting my milk, but rapidly falling asleep.

Here is Kaitlyn posed with her Lizard Beanie Baby. Yes, that's a tiny little Beanie Baby.

My friend Keri made this beautiful little fleece blanket that is exactly Kaitlyn size. The nurses always comment on how cute the blanket is. The blanket is a bit bigger than a shoe-box. She's fast asleep after her Thanksgiving dinner.....and mom gets to go home.

Looking at these pictures now, I want to drive right back to San Francisco to be with her!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Be sure to hug your loved ones and be thankful for all that life gives us and to send prayers to all the little angels looking down on us.