August 14, 2007

Amelia's Mommy here. Good news! Thank you for your prayers, they are working! Her eyes have cleared up amazingly well in the last 36 hours since the antibiotic IV. Everyone involved in her care keeps commenting on how well she is doing and how fast she's progressed since her admission to the NICU. Her doctor said today that she is "thrilled" with how well she has done, and how she is beginning to look like a brand new baby! She even got a bit teary. She said her eyes are very sensitive right now as this process continues, making her more susceptible to infection but after the process is over, chances of future infections are just like any other newborn. The IV was placed in her head, a common place for babies so they don't bang it around and knock it loose. It looks so sad...so her favorite nurse made her a crown to cover it. Silly, but it brought a smile and made it less traumatic for me at least. :)
Amelia is doing such great work, the membrane is "sloughing" off around her mouth, eyes, (she was batting her eyelashes today...beautiful) ears, and in all of her creases. The skin underneath is beautiful. The doctor thinks the antibiotics may even be helping her cracked red creases...a nice side effect. Also, she was weighed again tonight. She is up to 8 lbs 12 oz. Piggy!! A nice increase considering she got down to 7 lbs 14 oz from 8 lb 10 oz a few days after birth. She has surpassed her birth weight!! She is so strong and healthy and we are so grateful for that. She is by far the biggest baby in the NICU! Best of all, we got to have our twice a day snuggle time again today. What an amazing and incredible feeling...we cherish every second.

Correction from the last blog: today Amelia is one week old, not yesterday, her original due date is today. This mistake is testament to how this whole thing feels like one long day...I have lost track of time completely. Ford and I slept at home last night for the first time since she was born. It was very, very hard not to bring her home with us, but we were with her for her midnight feeding and got to tuck her in. Ford was up at 5:30 am to run my milk to the hospital and feed her at 6:00 am. She eats every 3 hours like clockwork and we are with her everyday for every feeding except the 3:00 am. Ford hates to leave her side, and today she had him really working while I went home for a rest...on top of the normal regime including her Aquafor massage, temperature check and feeding...she had three poops right in a row...all for Dad.

Thank you to everyone here in Nashville who have provided food for us these last few days. We truly appreciate the generosity. And thank you to everyone near and far for your continued e-mails, comments, calls, support and especially prayers...so powerful. It gives us great comfort to know how much she is loved by so many already and to know so many are praying for her and for us. And so we continue, one day at a time, one minute at at time. We trust God with each day...period.
Please continue to pray specifically for her complete and total healing.
We love you all.
Kim, Ford and Amelia