Bringing Emma Home

On August 4th we headed down to the hospital to visit Emma. Upon arriving our nurse asked how long we it had been since she entered the hospital, and we told her that it had been about three months. After consulting with a few other staff members, we were informed that in rounds that morning she was going to suggest that we should take Emma home, on oxygen, the next day.

At rounds our nurse was so amazing, she convinced the doctors, nurses, and other specialists that we could do a great job taking care of her at home, as long as she was still on oxygen. The doctor agreed and they asked us right then and there if we wanted to stay that night in the hospital. When taking home a preemie from the NICU they suggest that you spend twenty-four hours in one of their transition rooms before taking your little one home, to build your confidence, allow you to ask questions, and to make sure that you understand how to work their oxygen.

Earlier that morning Layton and I had both figured it would be a few days or even a week before they would allow us to take her home; this was the best news ever! We decided to do the twenty-four hours the next day so that we could bring our things with us. The next day was so exciting, we got the house cleaned and ready, set up her bed and washed all of her blankets. Finally, we packed our bags and headed out to the hospital, for the last time ever.

The next twenty-four hours were probably the most difficult of my life. Having hospital staff coming in to check on us, two separate oxygen monitors, each of which beeped incessantly, and getting up to feed her every three hours, we didn't sleep at all.

Somehow we made it, and were able to walk out the front doors the next morning, with little Emma. It was so unreal. I kept thinking  that they would run out of the hospital and take her back. They didn't of course, (although it still felt like a kidnapping) and arriving at our own home with our new baby was so wonderful. It has been an adjustment, but we are loving having her with us.

We are so happy to finally be together, all three of us, in one place. What a strange experience it was, being new parents but not having a baby at home to take care of and snuggle and love. Emma is a very wonderful and easy baby, it is so fun to be able to hold her whenever we want.

Thank you to everyone who has kept us in your prayers, sent gifts, and love. We are so grateful for all of  the support, we couldn't have done it without you! 

Today is the day!

Side by side or miles apart sisters will always be connected by the heart.

My very best sister in the whole world comes home today. For the last 18 months she had been serving and LDS mission in Oaxaca Mexico.

I can hardly wait to hug her! 

She truly is the very best sister in the whole world. I think my family will back me up on this. Ruby has the special talent of being able to make anyone laugh, she can converse with everyone. She is a friend to all, she is my hero. 

2 Months

It seems like so much longer than two months, and also shorter is some ways. The days go by quickly waking up early, pumping, going to work, visiting Emma in the NICU, and then pumping some more. The time we get to spend with her is never enough, she is such a sweet girl. She is more awake and alert now, and has been moved from the isolette to an open crib, and we're practicing breastfeeding once a day. Her current weight is 4 lbs 11 oz and she just keeps going up! I love watching her grow and change.

what a cutie:)

"um excuse me, can I go home now?"

The starfish pose

Open crib!

Dad is a pro diaper changer

Bath time is still our favorite, yesterday when we were changing her diaper (just prior to her bath) she was crying and putting up a fuss, but as soon as her toes touched the warm water she calmed right down. She gets super relaxed and I think her favorite part is having her hair washed and combed.

Best day ever

Tender little fingers

She's doing well with taking a bottle as well as with breastfeeding, we love working with the lactation consultant, occupational therapist, and physical therapist. We are surrounded by nurses who are kind and supportive and encourage us in helping Emma learn how to eat.

On Monday I got to spend the whole day with Emma, it was so wonderful to be there for so long. Before I left I changed her diaper, took her temperature and helped the nurse get her feeding started. I held her and snuggled her and she opened her big eyes and just stared at me. When she was placed back in her crib she furrowed her little eyebrows at me as if to say "where do you think you're going?" It just about broke my heart, so I came back over to her crib and put one hand on her head and one on her belly and looked into those beautiful eyes and explained that I had to go and pick up her daddy from work but that her nurse would take care of her until I could come back the next day. Leaving her there is always the hardest part of my day, but coming back to see her is the very best! Being a mother to such a sweet, smart, tender little human is just the best.

This is my favorite face

Sleep tight little miss

Nursing/pumping friendly clothes

After having Emma I began to pump for her. I quickly found that most of my t-shirts didn't work for pumping, or for holding her during kangaroo care. The best options were button downs but sometimes you want to wear something different. I started looking at nursing tops and dresses... oh my. There is very little available and what is available is not very cute or it's very expensive. I think of my self as being a problem solver, so I set out to make some dresses and tops that would be pumping/nursing friendly.
My solution was to put a placket in everything so a lot of the shirts and dresses that I have been making recently have been a tunic or henley style with buttons going only part of the way down the front.

I learned how to put in plackets a long time ago in school. I watched this video here as a refresher. I am also putting together my own tutorial of how do do a placket because the video is long, and sometimes it's easier to just scroll through a page and be able to follow the instructions at your own pace.

Oh and here are some pictures of sweet E because in the first one she looks like she waving, and how can I possibly put up a post devoid of her cuteness!

Little E

This tiny cutie is 6 weeks old, and getting cuter by the minute. This weekend she hit 3 lbs. It seems huge to us, but she still isn't anywhere near as big as a "normal" baby. She is active and tries her very best to pull out all of her tubes and wires, lately she makes the funniest noises, grunting, squeaking, and sometimes hiccuping. 

Worlds biggest yawn

I love this face so serious.

Bath time is everyones favorite, we love being able to be more involved in her care. Layton holds her while i wash her face, neck, tummy, and legs. We do her hair last and I think it's her favorite, it's the only time we've seen her smile. we use a very soft brush and scrub her head she gets so relaxed.

Her second favorite thing to do is sprawl, legs out, arms out, and flailing madly. Her physical therapist told us to hold her arms to her chest and put our hands under her feet so she has something to push against, but some how she always ends up with arms and legs stretched as far as they will go.

I love her tiny hands and have about a million pictures just of those darling fingers. Whenever Layton or I hold her she still works one of her arms out from being swaddled and lays in on our chests.

Lately we've been giving her a pacifier to start practicing sucking, her pacifier is so tiny but it still takes up half of her face, she likes to be in charge and hold the pacifier herself whenever we practice.