Go Saints!!!

Sunday afternoon we went over to Warren and Elaine's to watch the game! We bought JK a Saints t-shirt and she was so into it!! She would yell "Go Saints!!", it was too cute! Well, her wearing a Saints t-shirt and hot pink leggings is too cute! Her Uncle Steven captured this video, you can hear us all laughing, she was the highlight of the game. Who knows what she will be doing by Feb. 7??!!

6 days and counting......

Sweet Kelsey is now in her sixth day of no bottles!! Last Tuesday we had a scare with NEC, which is necrotizing enterocolitis(the death of the intestine tissue), usually caused by an infection in her intestine/bowel. So, the doctors stopped her feedings and started antibiotics for 10 days. Thankfully, God continues to bless us and Kelsey did not develop the infection. However, as precaution must continue the antibiotics and no feedings until this Friday!! Poor baby!

This morning the eye doctor cleared her to go home.....if her eyes were the only issue. He said she is healing great from her surgery.

She now only has to resume her feedings and then we can go!!! But, in the mean time she has 4 more days of antibiotics through her IV and no food, she is learning to enjoy new things to pass the time. Her sweet nurses secured her a pediatric bed which is more like a baby bed (in size) and earlier today she was napping in the bouncy seat while Barney played on the tv! She weighs 7 lbs 7 oz and is a perfect baby girl.

Look Y'all...No Oxygen!!!

I absolutely am thrilled to write that Kelsey has now been off of her oxygen for 10 hours!! She is doing great. She is taking every bottle and even had a bath tonight....without any problems! My original due date was January 20, so each day we are getting closer to the full 40 weeks. She is doing remarkably well.

MK and JK arrived this evening and we went to visit. Anna Kate came and she and JK partied in the lobby while MK and I bathed Kelsey. She took her bottle and then we traveled down to the newborn nursery window to see Anna Kate and Julia Kate. It was so sweet.

I am so blessed to have these two precious baby girls.

Eleven Weeks Old!

Yesterday marked Kelsey's eleven week birthday!! She is doing great, now 6 lb 10 oz. The eye doctor saw her yesterday (she has eye exams every Monday) and decided to do laser surgery on her eyes because of Retinopathy of Prematurity. This ROP occurs in preemie babies and the procedure is fairly routine. The doctor performed the surgery at 4 yesterday. Kelsey had to be put to sleep and back on the ventilator. The surgery took about an hour and was successful, her eys will be checked next Monday morning and we will know more then.

She fought the intubation so they had to sedate her twice!! She was completely doped up but it didn't take her long to start moving around. She was wide awake during her bath and able to be taken off the vent during the night. She is now back on her low flow nasal cannula on the settings she was on prior to surgery yesterday.

When I visited this morning this was awake and sucking her pacifier, poor baby hasn't had a bottle since Monday morning at 9! She will get 1/2 bottle now and then hopefully a full bottle this afternoon. For the time she is in an isolette because of the surgery but should be back in her little bed in her "room" by tonight.

When Jason and I went to see her prior to surgery she looked huge! Just like a newborn! She is 39 weeks gestation this week! She is growing like a weed, the nurse practitioner actually said, "weight really isn't our concern anymore!"........thank you God for our sweet baby girl!
Before surgery.Immediately after....After bath.....relaxed Completely tucked in.....

Word of the Year!

For any of you that I have discussed some of the blogs I read, you are familiar with MoJoy. It is written by a sweet lady from West Monroe. When I was reading her blog the other day she introduced me to a "word of the year" idea. It actually came from a blog that she reads! So, I have spent the last few days trying to decide on a word for 2010. You can head over to http://www.mojoy.blogspot.com/ and read the post and the comments, there are some very good ideas!

Anyway, I have choosen PERSERVERANCE as my 2010 word. I looked up the definition and it is defined as: determined continuation with something; steady and continued action or belief usually over a long period and especially despite difficulties or setbacks.

One thing I have learned in the last 10 weeks is that God is at work in so many lives that sometimes, well alot of the time, in our "normal" everyday life we don't get to see! The perseverance I have witnessed by tiny miracles of God and their parents is absolutely overwhelming. The devil is active and throws us curveballs all day long and is just waiting for us to fall flat on our face and not get up.

But, Romans 5:3 reads, "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Then, James 1:12 says "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."


There are so many that have said to me "She is such a fighter", referring to Kelsey. Well, she is persevering each and every day!! Just take a look......

If for no other reason but for my family I have been called to persevere. This is very much a learned trait and every single day God reminds me of who I am and who I am called to be. So, for 2010 I am committing to persevere, to continue despite difficulties or setbacks.

Hop over to MoJoy and choose a word for you this year! It's sure to be lots of fun! I have to say that committing to this blog is going to take a lot of perseverance!!

Nora

A Brand New Year!!

Well, I have not posted anything on this dear ole blog in 6 months! And as many of you know we have had so many things to talk about! So I have resolved to use this as a journal of sorts for our new life with two baby girls.

Ten weeks ago today Josie Claire and Kelsey Elise were born. At 28 weeks I went into premature labor and the girls were born weighing 2 lbs and 2 lbs 5 oz. Josie Claire woke up in Heaven that Monday morning and now Kelsey is 6 lb 4 oz! I was blessed to have carried Josie Claire for a sweet 7 months and now Kelsey continues to bless me everyday. God is working a miracle before my very eyes and I feel even more blessed to be able to share this with my family.

Kelsey and I are currently residing in Shreveport. She is in the NICU at Christus Schumpert's Hospital and we are renting a room in an extended stay hotel. I usually go home one day a week to spend some quality time with Julia Kate, usually playing baby dolls or cooking in her kitchen. She is a fabulous 2 year old that entertains us all!

I had the pleasure of giving Kelsey her bottle tonight. She is now receiving a bottle every other feeding and seems to tolerate well. She is on 48% oxygen on the lowest flow setting (1/8 liter). When they send babies home on oxygen it is at 1/8 liter and 100%......our prayer is that Kelsey comes completely off before heading to Crowville. She is well on her way to that!

I am looking forward with great anticipation for what God has in store for our family in 2010!!

Kelsey ......now 6 lbs 4 oz!!

And....her big sister Julia Kate...future chef!