Two Weeks Old

Natalie is two weeks old today.  Seems like she’s come a long way.  She’s up to eating 25 ccs of milk and still increasing every 9 hours.  The nurse told me she woke up at 8 am crying from hunger and gulped it all down.  If she stays at the same rate of increase, I think that means she will be off the TPN in her PCVC line by Friday or Saturday.  Once the PCVC line comes out, they will move her to the Newborn Progressive Care Nursery and continue to help her learn to eat.  She’s had major improvement since she first started on the bottle, though, so hopefully that wouldn’t be too long. 

I tried to nurse her yesterday.  She latched on for a short time then would get frustrated and cry.  I was suppose to have help from lactation today but they weren’t able to come until tomorrow.  So, it was just me and my girl.  She latched on and figured it out!  She wasn’t able to get a full feeding from me but she lasted a good 12 minutes and didn’t even cry.  Can’t describe how hopeful that made me feel.  I gave her the bottle afterwards and she drank almost all of that too.  So, for at least 8 am and 11 am feedings, she didn’t need to use the tube.  Need to call later to see if the afternoon feedings went as well.  Her weight was also up again to 6 lbs 12 oz so guess the milk is filling her up. 

Between nursing and bottle feeding, I tried to burp her sitting up and never seemed to get one.  I’ve been told she’s a ‘quiet’ burper.  I tried with her up on my shoulder and she didn’t seem to like that position.  It felt like she was moving her head to try to get back to laying down to eat.  That’s kindof exciting to me because she is supposed to have low upper body muscle tone and head control would be the first thing she’d probably need help with. 

So, for at least 8 am and 11 am feedings, she didn’t need to use the tube.  Need to call later to see if the afternoon feedings went as well.  Her weight was also up again to 6 lbs 12 oz so guess the milk is filling her up. 

Other stuff:  We’ve got a meeting with the county next Monday to discuss what we want them to work on while she’s in the hospital.  Usually, they work on whatever she needs to be able to go home.  In Natalie’s case, it’s just feeding.  I was also told that the hospital’s physical therapist should be coming by soon to work with her.  If I’m not there when they are, they will leave notes on her crib indicating what they are working on.

Prayer Requests:

• for Zach and Julia to still feel loved by us.  The kids caught me crying today.  Julia’s response was “Zach, come quick, Mommy’s crying.”   I try not to let them see me cry but God sent my babies to find me as I was alone in Natalie’s room. 
• for Natalie’s continued improvement in eating.
• for us to remember Natalie is an individual and only God knows and has plans for what she will be able to do.  It’s so easy to get trapped  by the limitations that everyone tells us about and to hear what she ‘might not’ be able to do as ‘never.’
• my biggest worry has been about her future. I would ask that God would show me and David daily the ‘plans for welfare’ he has for her and that they would ‘give us a future and a hope.’  David talked about Jeremiah 29:11 the other day in his post and it is written on the wall above Natalie’s crib.  Although, I would never have chosen this path for myself, I’m begging God to show me to trust Him that His way is best.

Amy