Done!

Today is my birthday and I got the best news! Our home care nurse weighed Emma Kate today and guess what? She weighs 10 lbs, 2 oz!!! That means she gained 3 oz since Monday and she's been doing more work eating over the past 48 hours than she ever has in her life! I am so thrilled! I called our pediatrician and gave him an update. He said he was fine with us keeping the tube out and as long as she continues to grow and we don't see and signs of her basically stressing herself we should continue to keep it out!

All day I was hoping for this and I am so thankful that we are finally at this point! It feels great to have a baby without a tube hanging out of her nose. It feels so... normal! I am sure that Emma Kate feels better, too. (Can you imagine having that thing in your nose and down your throat?) I am also glad that she has a chance to feel hungry and want to eat. She never really had a chance to feel that normal, healthy sensation of hunger until the past few days.

Emma Kate is doing so awesome and I'm so thankful that she's my little miracle child. The past several days I have been so in awe of her. I keep telling Brooks how I just can't believe she only has half of a heart! It really blows me away that she seems so normal and yet, she is doing so much more work than we are in our bodies. I am truly grateful that God has blessed us with this little being. I feel so blessed to be her mom. I can't wait to teach her all the things that a mommy is supposed to teach her child. I am so glad that I get to teach Anna Brooke how to love another person: little Emma Kate. I am so humbled that I get to teach them about Jesus and how God created both of them just the way that they are, for a specific purpose. I love my little angels! It has been a great birthday and I am so grateful for what I have in life.

We are Tube-less!

... for today, anyway!


Yesterday our OT and nurse came by at the same time (very rare). I got to chat with both of them about feeding Emma Kate. She is gaining weight steadily, weighs 9lbs 15oz, and she's doing good with bottle feeds. She is consistently taking more than half of her feed by mouth each feeding time. One concern I had was that EK is on continuous feeds every night for 8 hours at a rate of 25ml per hour. She doesn't wake up hungry. We feed her around 8:30 or 9 am. I want her to be hungry so she'll eat more from a bottle. The nurse agreed and said that she thought we should just try feeding on demand during the day from now on. This morning I thought, "Lets try without the NG tube!"

So here we are at 1:30 in the afternoon and she's had two feedings today. At 9am she took 42ml my mouth and at 11:45 she took 60ml! She's sound asleep (eating wears her out!) but I am sure that she'll eat again when she wakes up! Pray that Emma Kate does well with her feedings and maybe.... just maybe we'll be done with the NG tube soon!

Lift Up This Family

Kristine and I were pregnant and due around the same time, both of us knowing that our babies would be born with HLHS. Please pray for them during this difficult time. http://k27star.blogspot.com/

She Finished a Bottle!!!

Yay, yay, yay, yay YAY!

Emma Kate just took her first entire bottle by mouth! Woo hoo!!!!!!

I cannot express how excited I am about this. I got a Dr. Brown's bottle thanks to some friendly advice from Jenn, another HLHSer's mom. Emma Kate's feed is 69ml (just over 2 oz) every 3 hours. She took the first 53ml at 9:30am then I gave her an additional 16ml at 10am! She finished every bit!

PRAISE GOD!!

Farewell, Dear Friend

Anna Brooke said good-bye to a very fond friend two nights ago: her pacifier. Her paci has always been there for her in good time and in bad, but the time has come for her to let it go. I had been prepping Anna Brooke for this for a long time, but was unsure of how to handle the permanent separation between her and this comfort object! I had a few ideas, but one I thought she would really respond to was the "Paci Fairy" (sister of the Tooth Fairy). That now that she is a big girl (and a big sister) she will have to let the Paci Fairy take her paci. The idea worked great! It took her a while to fall asleep that first night but she had a surprise waiting for her the next morning that she was looking forward to. Anna Brooke has only asked for the paci once or twice since then, and I reminded her that the Paci Fairy had to take it since she was a big girl. She seems okay with that and has done great without it!

Her final paci.

Putting the paci in an envelope for the Paci Fairy to pick up.

Leaving the envelope outside the front door....

... and opening it the next morning to find her surprise!

All her goodies: A little Einsteins movie, and some "birthday cakes" along with a note from the Paci Fairy.

More Halloween Fun

Brooks took Anna Brooke down to Georgia for Halloween. They had a fun time! I think it was great for them to get out of the house and go do something! :) I wish Emma Kate and I could have joined them! Halloween morning before she left, Anna Brooke & I made cupcakes. Here she is pictured putting on the sprinkles. They look yummy. They tasted only ok.

Trick-or-treating with Aunt Kristy, David Micah (football player) and Aunt Cheyenne.

2 Months Old!

The past month has flown by! Its hard to believe that Emma Kate is over two months old now. She is growing so fast and gaining weight like a champ! I'm so thrilled to see her grow every day. It amazes me so much that she is so normal. I know that might be weird to say, but my child has half of a heart and she does basically everything that a baby would normally do. She's amazing and we are in awe of her every day!

Emma Kate, you continue to be such a precious blessing to us all! As of Thursday, October 30, you weigh 9 lbs, 12 oz. You have the most precious smile. You are very social and love to "converse" with Mommy and Daddy, making the sweetest cooing sounds. Generally you are very happy. You still enjoy your baths and your swing, and since we've introduced you to the playmat, you love that too, just like your big sister did. You also enjoy being carried in the sling. You like to see what is going on in the world around you. Another thing you love is sleeping in your carseat. You hate to be buckled in, but if you are sleeping, that is where you want to be! :)

We are trying more and more to feed you with a bottle, but you aren't quite sure what to make of that. Your big sister loves you so much. She always makes sure you are ok and gives you your paci when you cry! She's very interested in your toys, too. You are still sleeping though the night and taking several naps during the day. You're starting to put yourself on a schedule. We love you sweet girl and we're thankful every day for the precious girl that God has blessed our family with.