Day 15- The PICC is OUT!!

Being this cute is really tiring!!

I told you I was tired from being so cute!

Our girl is official!! Very surreal moment for Mom

Good morning everyone! Mama bear here, and excited as you can tell about the progress our girl has made as of late. Sorry this is coming to you a day late, but I did start it yesterday, so that counts right?? I'm just finishing up this morning, but read everything as if it was still yesterday : )

11:30 PM (last night)- I was concerned about how she was doing, so called at 1:30 when up to pump to check on her. She only had .5 residuals and it was pure milk! She also hadn't spit up anymore. I was so happy! Felt enough peace to fall into a deep sleep. For 2 hours. Hubby and I slept great last night, praise the Lord! I know these times will be few and far between when the babe comes home, and even though I'm already getting up every two and half hours to pump, the in between sleepy times are awesome in my own bed. Bowie has been sleeping right next to me, which he wasn't doing before I went into the hospital, so it's nice to have both my boys snuggled up next to me! Now all I need is my baby girl sleeping beside my bed!
8:30 AM- Dad went to this touch time alone b/c Mom had to get ready for her dermatologist appointment. (Sidenote: can we please pray about 2 moles I had removed? They were "suspicious". I've only had one mole removed in the past which turned out fine, but I'm just worried that for some reason, these guys are more serious. I don't think I could handle another surgery on top of taking care of/visiting/worrying about Miss Avery. So if we could pray that the moles hold no cancer whatsoever, I would appreciate it!) Dad said that Avery pooped "cream corn" everywhere when he was there! She also had a great poop at her 5:30 touch time, which made Mom a happy camper : ) She had .5 cc residual and it was yellow and mucous-like, but the nurse practioner wasn't concerned about it. They said it was "normal". (I've lost all concept of that word, by the way. What is "normal"?? I have a feeling my definition has forever changed)
11:30 AM- Mom was there when they got 3 cc's of breastmilk back. It was yellow, however the nurse said that it was definitely the added calories that were the culprit of the color change. They re fed her the milk and upped her feedings to 30 mL + calories!! The doctor came by and said she was doing very well, that the foresaw no problems in continuing to up her feeding amount and that they would be taking her PICC line out at the next touch time!! I am completely overjoyed!! My baby will have 2 free hands and nothing in her body except the feeding tube. God is answering prayers left and right, and He continues to amaze me. The doctor also said that her labs came back good and everything is right where its supposed to be for how old she is. Her jaundice level went from 4.5 to 3.7 I believe, so its still dropping. She is still red, but I can tell when she's resting that there's a pink baby in there that's beginning to show through!
2:30 PM- Little Miss Poopy Pants, as I'm beginning to think she wants her name to be (and I'm totally okay with that!) went again! Way to go, AG! She only had 1.5 residual milk. And since they successfully took the PICC line out (HUGE step for us/the baby!), she was able to get back into a onesie. I put it on her and thought for sure I had broken her neck. She fussed at me, which was 100% warranted, and I gathered that I need a lot more practice dressing the kid before she comes home. I did learn how to correctly swaddle her, so I got to do that and held her for about an hour. This time Thank the Lord she didn't spit up! But I have also come to the conclusion that Baby Girl's head is... well, there's no nice way to say it. It's big. Hello, she is genetically made up from CJ and I, there was no way she was going to make out in this life without a large noggin. Hopefully all the awesome hats she got will fit! The ones the NICU tries to stuff on her don't. They are definitely cute though.
5:30 PM- We stayed at home and rested during this time, but she only had 1 cc of residual milk and no poop.
8:30 PM- Only trace residuals this time! Wooohoooo! She went up about the 30 grams she lost last night, so we're back to almost 3 lbs and 10 oz. I'm so thankful to God that she gained! He is answering prayers, people!! The nurse told us that she is old enough to stop the skin to skin kangarooing (sad face) and go to being swaddled and held every night to gain facial recognition. Also, she needs to be working with sucking her pacifier as much as possible when feeding. As previously stated, that sucker is huge. I worry about her not being able to take it. But lo and behold, Little One surprised us and sucked on that for most of her feeding. And she was LOUD. The nurses were looking over at us! She is such a big girl and this makes me think that when the time comes for her to take a bottle, she won't have any trouble. I'm hoping and praying. Also her blood sugar levels are doing good, which they were worried about would drop once they took her off the sugar water IV. But she is holding her own and we are so proud of her little body! Dad was happy to be able to look at her face for a long time tonight. We could really get used to this holding her and staring at her cuteness routine twice a day! We are so blessed. Afterwards, Mom and Dad came home and resumed their wine and antipasta night that they had to give up when Mom got pregnant with AG. It was really nice and yummy!
11:30 PM- Mom called to check on Avery and they said that she had another poopy diaper (3 in one day!!) and that she gave back about 3 cc's. We will take that and run!

We are so incredibly overjoyed at Avery's progress. Having the PICC line taken out is a huge relief and signifies so much in the course of moving in the right direction. I think yesterday was the first 24 hours that I have breathed easily and relatively without stress. I don't want to jinx us! But I have complete faith that God is working in our little girl and He never stops. He never rests, not even for a second. And that allows me to feel comfort about Avery. The passage that was read yesterday in church really spoke to me. Its 2 Corinthians 12:9 -But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.


Where I am weak (and I clearly have been in the past few days) He is strong and powerful. How awesome is that promise!! The more that I confess to Him that I'm weary and sad, He is that much more powerful. I know that Jesus hears our prayers, that He sees how much we want Avery to be healed and to come home with us. I believe He is faithful to us as we are to Him. This Scripture really sank in yesterday and I give thanks for God's grace yesterday, today and tomorrow. Cuz ya know? It's enough!! It's never lacking!! For you, for me, for Avery, for any situation that we have going on in our lives. Rest easy in this promise.


Can we agree to pray that Avery's progress continues forward? I always talk to God and say, "I know the nurses say that backsliding is to be expected in the NICU, but YOU are in charge here! Not the doctors, not the nurses, YOU. And you work miracles, You've done so every day and we thank you for that. So let's show them that backsliding doesn't have to be the accepted norm." I pray that her progress only goes forward and remains positive. I pray that she continues to be a happy, healthy baby with no health problems other than needing to gain weight. I do pray for that healthy weight gain, every day Lord. I pray that she continues to poop/pee on her own and that she digests every bit of my milk, Father God. We pray for no residuals  and that that milk be blessed to her body, so she can grow and be a fat baby! I banish any infection from her sweet little body. I pray for no more spit up!! 


Thank you Lord for all you're doing in Avery's life. We love you and honor you and praise you every day!


Til Tomorrow.... xox