Saying goodbye...

Here are a few pictures of our last afternoon at the hospital. Kelsey and I "roomed in" on Wednesday night and then Dad was there to bring us home Thursday, February 4. Rooming in is where it's just you and your baby in kind of like a hotel room. The nurses come at the beginning of each shift and check the baby, but all night and most of the next day it was just Kelsey and me hanging out!This was Kelsey's last night in the unit. Mrs. Holly rocked her...she said she was fussy and so they HAD to rock!
Wednesday afternoon we made our way to the "bonding room", Kelsey rode in her little bed.
Thursday, while Jason and I went to eat lunch the nurses played dress up! Above is Miss Carlyn and the tutu is from her...Kelsey's going home present! We loved Miss Carlyn!Getting a little love from Mrs. Judy.
And finally.....getting the final check from Dr. Elrod. These nurses and doctors took care of Kelsey just like she was their baby, or at least that's how they made me feel. That means so much to a Mom!She had to be pushed out by Mrs. Susan, the unit clerk! She was a hoot and we enjoyed her so much! This was the last walk down this hall for me while Kelsey was still "in-patient", well kind of. It was a surreal ride on the elevator and walk for me, it's funny how for 3 1/2 months you get used to something, knowing it will be over but then it really is!

And then, snug in the car. It rained the entire way home!! Such a dreary day but such a sweet homecoming!!

Ok....ok...

I feel like I have completely lost my perseverance to blog regularly in 2010....well, maybe I have just misplaced it! Or maybe it is directed elsewhere these days! Anyway, Kelsey and I have been home now for 3 weeks. We don't really know what to do....well I don't. Kelsey is enjoying napping and being loved on by her big sister! I spend my days being a stay at home mom which is my dream!! I know that April 1 will come before I can turn around and I will have to return to work, but for now nobody say anything and maybe it won't come, right?
From the moment we got home, Julia Kate has been the sweetest big sister....she "loves" on Kelsey and then moves on to whatever is next. She says, "sweet baby, Mama, sweet baby". You can see in these pictures the love she has for her baby sister and Kelsey is just enthralled with JK.

And what better way to initiate Kelsey but to let her play too!! This has only happened once, now we put the babies next to Kelsey to play!

You can just see the excitement!! She gets so excited that she smiles so hard, her eyes close and she just "squeezes" Kelsey! These two are precious!

More pictures to come...I just didn't want the post to go on and on and on and on.....

Two girls....new beds!!

Well, I have been trying to find something that Kelsey can use now and will be the same for her when we go home. Yes, that's right, that is still the plan.....remember perseverance! And we are persevering everyday to arrive home soon! But, back to the original thought, I found this "nap nanny" and Kelsey loves it! The nurses have it in her bed elevated so that she can watch tv, movies in the afternoons. She can also watch her mobile or whatever is going on in the hallway, but as you see sometimes it is just too much and she gives in to sleep.

And, since Kelsey and I are persevering to get home, JK finally has her "big girl bed" and she is so excited. When I was home last Thursday we got it completely set up, she hasn't slept there yet but loves to talk about it. She helped me pick out the bedding and accessories. I can't believe she is in a big girl bed, they are both growing too fast!
Before long I know I will blink my eyes and they will both be in this big girl bed giggling under the covers! I am so thankful for these two and enjoying every day!!

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.....