At Home in the Mountains

t i Maddy is 1 month old today! When I think about the NICU and all the doctor visits it seems like a much longer amount of time. When I think about just her, I can't believe that she has already been here a whole month! She has changed so much already. We had a really relaxing weekend of just hanging out with the baby. Aaron took lots of naps. :) We went to Scottish Rite to get recasted on Friday. That went so much better than the first appointment. We were there an hour max. Maddy got upset about them stretching and casting her, of course, but because the appoitment was brief she did very well and didn't get so worn out. She was a little fussy that evening, probably sore from the new stretch, but nothing like the first casting. She has been gaining weight. It is hard to tell how much she actually weighs with the casts coming off and on all the time but from her weight at Scottish Rite without the casts this week and last week, we figured out that she'd gained 2 oz in betw...

Maddy taking her last real bath for a while. She has to take sponge baths with her casts and she doesn't enjoy those nearly as much. Me opening gifts. All the loot Maddy got. a Sunday, the ladies at Brookhaven Church gave me a shower. It was amazing. I only really knew 2 people there. I had met 2 of them and the rest I had never met til the day of my shower. Despite having never known me, these ladies put together a beautiful shower and were so generous in their gifts to Maddy. It really changed my perspective on my excuse that I use not to go to things sometimes. That is "I don't know them so it doesn't matter if I am there." I have found out it matters. It is wonderful when people you know generously give you something you need. It means even more when someone you have never met takes the time to do something for you and generously give you something that you need. I am so impressed by these ladies and I think they are wonderful. They had a great time passing Ma...

u So we had a good week. Maddy went to her first pediatrician appt. She weighed 6lb 1oz. Then when the home health people came the next day she'd gained another 2 oz, which was encouraging cause I feel like she hasn't been eating just great. My mom who we are calling "Granna" (not sure if that is how she decided to spell it) was here all week. It was so helpful to have her around. She cleaned, did lots of laundry, and enjoyed hanging out with Maddy. We had a great time. Cindy came in last night after a really delayed flight and it is going to be great to have her here for the weekend. Yesterday, we took Maddy to Scottish Rite Hospital for her evaluation. Scottish Rite is a hospital run by Shriners and Masons and all treatment there is free. They do not even take insurance so it is an amazing blessing that we were able to get a referal from the hospital she was born at AND the guy that is on the board of trustees at DBU. We were originally scheduled to go in on May 7th...

It was so great to see Maddy sitting in her carseat,ready to go home on Sunday. Aaron's grandma sent her a cute, girly little easter dress so we dressed her up in that for the day when we got home. She looked so cute. My mom has been here this week and it has been great to have her around while we are getting adjusted to taking care of Maddy 24/7. I will have to get a picture of what I call Maddy's "burpy face" to put up sometime soon. It is so funny that it even makes me laugh when she does it at 2a.m. What a little comedian!

I'll post pictures of the homecoming in her little Easter dress later but wanted to let all of you know that she came home today at 11! We are so excited that she is hear and not in NICU anymore. She has eaten very well (for her) since we've been home. I am hoping that now that she doesn't have docs and nurses coming in constantly to poke and prod her that she will sleep better and eat better because of it. Now I will find out the other side of having a baby when I get up at 2a.m. tonight to feed her. :) This is the best Easter I've ever had.

Helping Dad prepare for biochem. Eating out of the bottle for Daddy. Big step. 1st tub bath! She thought the shampoo was especially relaxing. ************************************************************************************* I came in at 10:30 this morning and Maddy had eaten her whole bottle at 8! Between me and the nurse we got her to do it again at 11! She has been getting more alert the last few days which has really helped. The NP told me yesterday that when she can consistently eat all her food from the bottle she can go home. Hopefully we will get to that point very soon. Her cord fell off on Monday so we gave her her first bath. She actually really liked it. She really liked getting her hair shampooed. She just gets cuter every day. Here are some pictures. I know that's what everyone really wants to see. :)

A Maddy is a week old today! Yesterday she made big steps in eating. At her 8 o'clock feeding she was able to take half her meal from the bottle. She took almost half from a bottle at her 5 o'clock and she nursed three times for a short period of time. I know she ate some but not sure exactly how much she got. This is a huge step for her. She is learning and working hard. On Friday she got some little rolls in her hands to try to begin the process of getting those fists to open up. She looks so cute and I am really excited that we get to start doing something for her so soon. Last night she had her first really fussy time that we've seen. Actually, only I saw it because Aaron wasn't there yet. He had gone to pick up a truck a guy from DBU is generously lending us for a few weeks so that I can have transportation to the hospital. Anyway, she fussed a little for her diaper change like she always does. Then I had to take her outfit off to weigh her. Well she just fell apar...

Here are some more pictures of Maddy. I know everyone is eager for pictures. We got to put her first little outfit on last night. She got out of the incubator bed and into a regular bassinet so she can now wear clothes and have her own blankies and stuff. It is great.

I have more pics than this on the camera, but haven't had a chance to download them yet. These are from right after she was born yesterday. She was 5lb 13.9 oz and born at 1:22. I made it without and epidural and was in labor for a little over 3 hours. What an experience. I don't think I could have made it without my doula and Aaron working as a team to help me get though it, but I am so glad I did it the way that I did. Aaron said he needed an epidural just to watch me go through it. haha. Maddy is doing pretty good. We try to go to touch time at the NICU at least 3 times a day and try to work on feeding and getting sucking and swallowing down. It is hard to work on and slow progress because we don't get to be there to work with her all the time but she is making some progress. She has eaten a little from the bottle and she is really getting sucking on a pacifier down. We just have to be patient and keep trying. After all, she's only been here two days. It is hard to r...