Two Months Down

Day of Life: 60

Tera is two months old today! To celebrate, I wanted to show how much she has grown in the last two months.

I don't have a full body shot from the actual night she was born, so this picture is from February 24. She was 2 pounds 5 ounces when she was born, but I think she had lost a little bit of that by the time this picture was taken.

This is March 23. She weighed 2 pounds 13 ounces.

And here she is today, April 23. She weighs 4 pounds 13 ounces. Can you believe how chubby she is?!

My day started early so that I could make it to the hospital by 8:30 for her first (and only, for me) meal of the day. The doctors had increased her feeds again to 40cc, and she took them all effortlessly through her bottle. It's still so strange that sometimes she takes it like she's been doing it for years, and other times it seems as if she's never even tried it before. The Speech Therapist assures me that this is normal preemie stuff, and I know that it is. Now that I know that the doctors think she is on track to be well enough to go home in a couple of weeks, it's like I'm trying to make that happen. It's not that I want to rush her or that I want to take a baby home in two weeks that really isn't ready to go home. It's more about her continuing the journey she has taken so far. She made so much quick progress - the Rock Star, if you remember her from the NICU. She's grown faster than I ever expected. She started taking bottles sooner than I thought she would. She's only been really sick once in her whole stay. She's quite an impressive baby. I must have a bit of a competitive side in me, even with Tera. I don't mean to, but I think I want her to be the Exception. You know, what I mean. In the future when the doctors tell parents, "Preemies typically start taking bottles at 34 weeks, but there was this one Rock Star who started at 32." Or "Preemies usually stay until their due date, but sometimes - like with the Rock Star - they go home at 36 weeks."

Again, I'm really not pushing for anything that is not right for Tera. I think I wrote a couple of days ago how odd it is to be led by a two-month-old, but that truly is what I am letting her do. She tells us what she's ready to do and when, and there's not a lot we can do about it. I'm still on board with that philosophy. Sometimes I just want her to be a little bossier. Don't ever tell her I said that!

When she was finished eating, Kyle and Mandy came by to visit us again. They were in Birmingham for a Secret Service. It was a 6-hour church service led by a well-known preacher whose name I can't quite bring to mind right now. Some of our friends in Dothan watched it broadcast at our church. After talking with them, I wish I had known about it. Though six hours sounds extremely tiresome, they all said it was very powerful and worth every second.

I was happy that Kyle and Mandy were able to get up so early to come and see us. After a much too short stay, I left the hospital with them (so that Kyle could carry my Milk Cooler!), then headed to Greenville to pick up Canon. As usual, I had the hardest time leaving Tera, but once I was gone, I couldn't wait to get to Canon.

He had been at an Easter Egg Hunt with Ceil and Amelia all morning. This is one of the pictures I got from that:


He has never hunted Easter eggs before (last year he emptied his Easter bucket then put it on and off his head for about an hour), so I was interested to hear how it would go. I think he had a good time.

When I arrived at MyGoo and Docs, Ann Steiner and her family were there. We ate pizza on the porch and let the kids run around in the front yard. Ann Steiner and Doc took lots of pictures, so I'll have to get some of those from them to post. When I was sure Canon would take a good nap in the car, we headed back to Dothan. It seems I didn't wait long enough . . . Canon never went to sleep.

When we pulled into our driveway, we saw that our neighbors had their blow-up slide set up in the park. It's like one of the big slides people have at birthday parties but on a slightly smaller scale. We took Canon out to play with his old friends, including Colt. Soon, we decided that Canon and Colt were inhibiting the fun of the bigger kids. Canon stood either at the bottom of the slide or the bottom of the ladder (too high-traffic areas) and Colt just stood in the middle of the pool looking at everyone running past him. Barry and Josh took them across the street to play in a more toddler-friendly pool. This is the picture we got back from them:


We finally found a game that Canon and Colt can enjoy together. Colt finally gets to be the bully!

Barry took Canon in after that, and I stayed in the park to hang out with our neighbors. When I came back in, Canon - who has fallen asleep in the bed with us maybe three times in his life - was fast asleep next to Barry.


Barry said that he was watching TV with him, then Canon just rolled over and handed Barry whatever was in his hand (I think Barry's phone) and closed his eyes and went to sleep. Barry was laying there smiling when I came back in.

When he woke up, we all went to Josh and Mary's to eat take-out and have a low key evening. The boys continued to play great together. Colt didn't even seem to mind too much when Canon laid right on top of him while they were watching Shrek. They fed each other Goldfish and there were dozens of times during the evening when I thought about getting out my camera. Then I decided that some moments are not meant to be interrupted, even with something as unobtrusive as a camera.

Of course, I called in to the hospital throughout the day - frequently enough to please me but somewhat sporadic so as not to annoy her nurses. Tera had a good day. She had a new nurse, but I wasn't worried about it a bit. The nurse told me that she was back and forth between 21% and 22% on her oxygen. Tera usually needs a little extra oxygen around the time that she eats, so this was not a surprise. The nurse was still offering her a bottle as Tera seemed to want it, and Tera was still only drinking part of it each time. More normal preemie stuff.

My favorite night nurse from last night was back again tonight, and I was able to talk to her for awhile. She reported many of the same things as the day nurse. She had already weighed Tera tonight, and I learned that Tera had started making her usual weight gains again. Last night, she had gained two grams back (2192) but was still at 4 pounds 13 ounces. Tonight, she gained 43 grams, up another ounce to 4 pounds 14 ounces.

The Cow

Day of Life: 59

Yesterday, I got in a three-hour pattern of feed Tera, hold Tera, pump, do something for an hour. Repeat. Since there is not a whole lot one can do in Birmingham in an hour (it would take that long just to drive somewhere and back, leaving no time to actually do anything), I spent that hour on my computer or going to get a snack in the other building. I didn't realize it until I left this afternoon, but I was at the hospital from 10:00 that morning until 7:30 last night. Today, I decided to go ahead and do some things before I went to the hospital so that I wouldn't get caught in my repeating pattern again.

I woke up earlier than usual, so I went for a run. A very short and very slow run. My expectations for my physical well-being were very high when this process first started. I thought that I would have so much time to exercise and get into better shape than I was, maybe even pre-Canon. It hasn't been quite as easy as I thought it would, and I'm usually pretty proud of myself if I get in two decent work-outs in a week. This was my second for the week (even though I don't think I would count the first one as "decent"). After my run and then a shower, Lydia and I went to the mall to do some Easter shopping. You can ask anybody (except Barry) and they will tell you that I am pretty low-key when it comes to holiday gifts for kids, especially mine. But, I did want to do something for both of my children for this Easter.

Easter might be my favorite holiday. I love the Easter story and the meaning of it all. I love going to a packed out church service. I love eating Cadbury Eggs and potluck lunches. I love seeing everybody in their best clothes. It's such a celebration! I digress. So, Lydia and I went shopping for Easter basket trimmings. Canon was easy - Thomas! I got him a new Percy engine and a couple of track pieces to add to what he got for Christmas. Canon doesn't really like candy, but he has recently started eating Skittles, so I also decided to add those to the mix. For Tera, I wanted to do something, but I knew that it had to be practical. Earlier this week, one of the nurses told me that some preemie moms go to Build-A-Bear to buy clothes for their babies while their in the hospital. They're just the right size, and there's a hole in the back of the pants that you can run all of their cords and wires through. Moms would apparently buy some of these clothes, along with some bunny ears (also at Build-A-Bear) to take Easter pictures. Lydia and I just had to go in and check it out. The nurse was right. There are tons of outfits for these bears! Everything from wedding dresses and tuxedos to sundresses and boardshorts. Denim skirts, bedazzled leggings, a fireman's uniform.

Don't worry, we didn't get this one. I almost bought Tera some scrubs but decided against it. I did buy her a tiny pink ruffled skirt and a sundress. Neither have holes in the butt (which was something I was very glad about). In the end, Tera didn't get anything at the mall, but I've still got some ideas for a cute basket for her.

We made it home in time for lunch, then I was off to the hospital. I don't think I mentioned this yesterday, but when the doctors made Rounds yesterday, the Neonatologist listened to Tera's report then said (without me asking, by the way) that it would be "just a couple of weeks, I think." Yay! Of course, I can't and won't hold him to that, but it's a good feeling to know that Tera is doing so well that she could possibly be completely healthy in just a few more days.

Do you remember that weight loss that I was worried about last night that didn't happen? Well, it happened today, but thankfully, on a very small scale. Tera lost only 6 grams (2190), so she is still at the 4 pounds 13 ounces mark. I was happy, and a little surprised, that it wasn't any more than that. The doctors also increased her feeds to 38cc, so maybe that will help her not to lose any more weight.

I arrived in time to give Tera her 2:30 bottle. She's still a little weary from past days, but she did a good job with it. We've decided to quit trying to give her a bottle every time and just give her one when she is alert or acts interested. It's still a little disheartening when she won't eat the whole thing, but I'm working really hard at being patient about it. It's just like Tera to take a major leap forward, then hang out there to get used to this new place before continuing in that same direction. She'll get it when she gets it.

I still love to get her out and hold her, even if she won't drink the bottle. If you're still not convinced she looks like Barry, maybe these will help.

Even though she is HUGE compared to just a few weeks ago, she is still a Peanut of a baby. It's awkward to cradle her, so I usually either hold her as these pictures show (out in front of me) or against my chest. When I cradle her, I feel as if she might fall right through my arm and crash to the floor, like a cartoon. I looked back at her records and saw that in the last month, she's gained about one pound every two weeks. At this rate, she could be close to 6 pounds by the time we come home!

The nurse told me today that someone from the Nutrition Room had approached her and asked if she could tell me that I need to take some of my milk home. They are running out of room in the freezer. I am both excited and embarrassed at the same time. Proud that I'll have plenty to keep Tera going for the next several weeks, but embarrassed that I didn't think to do this before. Barry has been coming to Birmingham every weekend and could easily have taken a cooler-full home each time. When Tera first got to Birmingham, there was a Pump-Pump-Pump mentality (like a Hip Hop song, really) so that she would have plenty of milk to get her through her stay here. It's been my job really. I spend hours each day and night doing it, and I plan all other events around it. Any soft surface - usually a couch or a bed - acts as my office, and the Nutrition Room is like the wharehouse. I pump, then immediately turn it in to the Nutrition Room because that's just what you do. Even the last time I went home, I took all of the milk that I had from those two days back to Birmingham to give to them so that they could have it on hand. What an idiot! I knew Tera had more than enough milk, but it never occurred to me that they don't want to keep all of it in their freezer. I hope I have learned an important lesson for any future preemie mothers reading this.

Now back to Tera. She has started this thing of falling asleep soon after she eats (or while she eats, if it's going through her tube), then waking up about an hour later and looking around curiously. Tonight, after she ate at 5:30, I put her back in her bed to sleep. Just as I was getting ready to walk out the door, I found this pitiful creature:

I know she's not, but she looks scared to me. Her eyes are opened so wide, and with her hand up to her mouth like that . . . it's like she knows I'm going home tomorrow. I knew I didn't need to stay at the hospital any longer. It was getting dark and I am under strict orders from Barry and both sets of parents that I am not allowed to walk to my car alone after dark. (I've only broken that rule a couple of times, and I called someone to talk to me while I walked both times). But I just couldn't leave her like that. I got her pacifier and gave it to her.

She loved it! Now, if we can just get her to work that hard on her bottles . . .

When I went to tell her nurse that I was leaving, she was giving her report to Tera's night nurse. I was so excited to see that it is one of our favorite nurses, whom I haven't seen in weeks because, since Canon has been here, I haven't been at the hospital at night. I gave her a big hug, and she assured me she would take good care of Tera. When I went back to say one last good-bye to Tera, she was upset because her pacifier had fallen out of her mouth and she couldn't figure out how to get it back. I gave it back to her, then left quickly so I wouldn't have to see her struggle for it again. The nurse would be in there very shortly to get her ready for her 8:30 dinner, so I wasn't too worried about it.

Because I wasn't able to find Tera anything at the mall, I stopped at WalMart to get what I needed for her basket. AAAAHHHHH! WalMart! It's Earth's very own Black Hole. It sucks you in, and when you're finally able to drag yourself out, you look and feel like you've been in a whirlpool for the last three hours, which is how long it takes you to get anything in WalMart. But I toughed it out for my Baby Girl, then went home and enlisted Lydia to help me fill eggs with candy. You'll have to see the basket tomorrow, after I give it to her.

What About Barry and Canon?
Canon spent another eventful day with MyGoo and Doc and a fun night with his cousins, Amelia and Ceil. The only real drama of the day was when Canon got one of his battery-operated trains stuck in his hair. I can only imagined what kind of ruckus that aroused. Doc described it as a "minor meltdown." Barry is busy at home getting everything ready for our visit tomorrow. He is so so excited about Canon and I coming home this weekend. That makes ALL of us!

T is for Tired, or Tuckered Out, or Time to Give Me a Break

Day of Life: 58

I was just the slightest bit worried when I walked into Tera's room this morning. Her bed oxygen was back up to its favorite place - 23%. Apparently, she had stayed on Room Air for most of the night, but after 24 de-sats in 8 hours, the nurse decided to bump her up a little bit to make her more comfortable, with instructions from the NP to wean her back down as soon as Tera would let her.

Anytime her oxygen needs increase, I get a little nervous. Even the slightest little bit makes me worry that she might be getting sick again. How can we have such a great day yesterday, then take a step (no matter how small) back the next. And that's when the light bulb came on. She's completely worn out. Yesterday, she breathed Room Air all day long, and she took 5 1/2 bottles. Not to mention the fact that I woke her up early from one of her naps to bother her with photography. Of course she's tired and doesn't want to do anything today.





The thought had occurred to me last night that maybe I worked her too hard. As usual, I was more interested to know how the work-out effected her weight gain. I never considered her breathing needs. My midnight call to the nurse last night settled my weight worries. Tera gained another ounce, up to 4 pounds 13 ounces (2196 grams). She took two bottles with this nurse in addition to the 3 1/2 that she took with me and her daytime nurse yesterday. When I arrived this morning, she had taken the 8:30 bottle with no trouble as well. We made plans to try another one at 11:30.

The Speech Therapist came in to check on us while she ate. Tera was asleep before I even put the bottle to her mouth. She sucked on and off for a few minutes, de-satting here and there, but I eventually decided that she was just too tired. The Speech Therapist said that I could try to unwrap her if I wanted to, but I decided that would just be forcing an exhausted baby to half-heartedly do something that she needs to practice doing when she's really wanting to. Instead, I held her while the rest of her milk went through her tube. She managed to drink 10cc through the bottle before passing out.

Just before her 2:30 meal, the Music Therapist came by to sing to Tera. I don't think I've mentioned them before, but about once a week (maybe once every two weeks?) a person comes by with a guitar. She records the baby's sats, then opens a door on the isolette and sings to her. After she finishes, she records the baby's sats again to see what effect the music therapy had. I've been in Tera's room during this therapy only three times, but everytime her sats improve. Today, she was actually high-satting when the Music Therapist came in. The nurse arrived soon after to get her bottle ready. When she saw how well Tera was doing, she lowered her bed oxygen back to Room Air! My new theory is that if I could hold Tera while a girl sits next to us with a guitar and sings, Tera would have been home weeks ago. It's amazing how she responds to these non-medicinal techniques.



Her 2:30 bottle went better and worse than the previous one. She was much more alert this time, even opening her mouth and rooting around for it. She took it into her mouth easily and practiced her suck-swallow-breathe very well, but she seemed to gag more than usual and her de-sats were more severe than usual. It took her extra time to come out of them, even with the blow-by, and her lips would turn a pale blue at times. At one point, while she was de-satting, the monitor couldn't read her sats (it showed a question mark instead of a number). This is one of those times when her lips were a little blue, so I held the blow-by right up to her. When the monitor picked back up again, it said that her oxygen saturation was 9! I was very proud of myself for not completely freaking out. A month ago I would have lost all control and started crying on the spot. But today, though I knew it was serious business, I could tell that she was breathing, so I tried to just hold my hand steady on the blow-by. She eventually brought everything back up, and all was right with the world again.

Tera had pulled her tube out just before we got her out of the bed to eat, and I noticed while she ate that it seemed to be slipping in and out of her nose more than usual. I asked the nurse later if that might have effected her eating (why she kept choking and de-satting), and she thought that it might. While preemies don't have a severe gag reflex like adults, I can't help but think that she can still feel it when it slips in and out of place. I know she was completely exhausted today, but I wonder if that tube was causing some of the problems. Of course, we can't pull it out completely while she takes a bottle. If she doesn't finish the bottle (as she has been doing today), and you try to put the tube in after she eats, it will most assuredly cause her to spit up everything she drank from the bottle. After several gags, some spit-up, and too many de-sats, I asked the nurse to give her the rest through her tube. In order to check the position of the tube and re-tape it so that it wouldn't slip out, we put Tera back in the bed to finish her meal.

Though she was fast asleep when we left her to finish her meal, she woke up soon after it was done. When I got up to check on her, I found two big grey/blue eyes staring at me. She wasn't as active as she typically is when she's awake, but she was definitely alert, looking around curiously.

I wasn't completely pleased with my pictures, so I got a video as well. She looks enormous!




She did eventually fall asleep and showed signs (de-sats) of wanting to be on her belly. I think I've got another good sleeper to take home. Canon was the best sleeper I could ever have hoped for. His baby sister seems to be following in those footsteps.



I left the hospital then to go have dinner with a few of my pledge sisters: Whitney, Melanie, Jamie, Katie, and Katie's twin sister, Liza. We ate at a French restaurant - Chez Fon Fon - in 5-Points. I, not surprisingly, cleaned my plate. It was delicious! We talked about all kinds of things besides just the normal "catching up" conversations. It was fun to be slightly unattached for just a couple of hours, but real life is always waiting when dinner is over. It's a sweet dessert!

What About Barry and Canon

MyGoo reported that Canon slept until 9:30 this morning - lucky dog! They had an eventful morning, playing outside and doing other normal kid stuff. When MyGoo and Doc went to a church service tonight, Ann Steiner and Ceil came over to entertain Canon. She sent me this video of them coloring together. Neither of us could believe how quiet they both were.




Barry was making plans to put Weed and Feed in the yard when we talked this afternoon. I'm sure he's making plans to get the house perfect for my visit this weekend! I can't wait to be home, even just for a night.

The Photo Shoot

Day of Life: 57

Canon and I got an earlier start this morning, and I was at the hospital before 10:00. Tera was waiting for me.

She only gained five grams last night, but it was enough to bump her up to the next ounce, 4 pounds 12 ounces. I also remembered to check her length (it was taken Monday night), and she is 44.5 centimeters, which is about 17.5 inches long. She is still on 21% oxygen. The Nurse Practioner came to check on her soon after I arrived. Tera is still de-satting quite a bit, so the NP said it would be a couple of days before she makes it to a crib. Everything else is in place for her to be there. She is holding her temperature, and she's taking most of her meals via a bottle. She took 5 bottles (out of 8 total feeds) yesterday and did great with all of them.

I took a chance this morning and asked the NP if she could possibly offer a prediction as to when Tera might be ready to go home. I know there are still some things that can't be predicted (like how long she will need to stay in the Isolette), but I just had to ask. The NP said it could be as soon as two to three weeks. Mid-May is her official prediction, but of course, no commitments. It's really all about how well she can maintain her oxygen saturation (quit de-satting) and how well she can take all of her meals through a bottle. Once everything has fallen into place, she will go through a five-day countdown. During these five days, she is not allowed to have any bradies or any apnea spells. If she has either, the countdown starts over.

I also talked to the NP about my anxiety about her being in a carseat. Though there is no "carseat test" at UAB, she suggested that I bring the carseat to the hospital at some point during the countdown, and we can do our own test. We'll just strap her in and see how well she holds her sats while sitting in it. One reason I am so worried actually has to do with Canon. When he was an infant (and even now at times) his head always slumped forward or to his shoulder when he fell asleep. It looked really painful, but he didn't seem to mind. With preemies, head position is a huge deal. If Tera's head is tilted too far forward or too far back, it makes it much more difficult for air to flow smoothly to and from her lungs. Any extra work causes her more stress than a full-term baby. Of course, as she gets a little older, she'll be just like them, and this won't be a big deal. But for now, it's my biggest concern. So, before we load up to move back to Dothan, she will have to pass a carseat test for me.

When she left, the nurse got Tera our for a Kangaroo hold. I read from "Praying the Scriptures for Your Children," which I just recently got back out after a couple of weeks packed away in my bag. We read about praying for our children's management of time and money. This chapter actually made me a little emotional. Money is such a big issue, even to young children. Many children tend to, even at very young ages, either hoard their money or spend it frivolously, and it's important that we teach them good management skills. The author told of a five-year-old boy who was working with his Vacation Bible School class to raise money to send some Dominican children to a mission school. By the end of the week, the class had not raised as much money as they needed, so after much consideration, the little boy emptied his piggy bank and gave the whole amount to the cause. The next day, the class learned that they had raised enough money to send twice as many children to the school as they had originally planned. Though it was a difficult decision to get rid of all of his money, the boy was ecstatic about what his contribution had helped accomplish. Later that same day, a neighbor came by to pay the boy for a chore he had done for her several weeks before. She paid him twice the amount that he had just given to the church that morning.

This story reminded me so much of what it means to tithe and how difficult it can be. The lesson behind tithing is that all that you have is a gift from God. You tithe to your church to show gratitude for what God has given you. God finds pleasure when we give in this way, and he rewards us for it. He does not always reward us like he did with this little boy (with double the cash), but he gives back in whatever way is needed to show his love for us. A few years ago, our minister gave a great example of how to teach tithing to our children. He told the story of a father who consistently took food from his son. When he bought his son fries, he would eat a few before giving the rest to his son. The same happened with candy. If he bought the child a bag of M&M's, he took a few out for himself first, then passed the bag on. When Hayes told us this, I was mortified at the man. How horrible to steal your child's favorite things. His point was soon made clear. The father had provided these goods for his child; they never belonged to the little boy. Giving the first helping of his snacks back to his father was a way to show recognition of this very fact. The boy knew that his father loved him and would take care of him, and he was able to show appreciation for this by giving back to him. Hayes tells this story much more eloquently, but hopefully I hit the high points.

Money is one of those things in life that can make life especially wonderful or especially devastating. My prayer is that Barry and I not only teach our children appropriate ways to manage money, but that we teach these lessons through our actions. Our prayer tonight is this: "Don't let Canon and Tera be arrogant or put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but let them put their hope in you. Let them enjoy all that you have provided for them, and cause them to be rich in good deeds, being generous and always willing to share. Let Canon and Tera lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they can take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Nonna and Lydia came by for a visit just as we were getting Tera ready to eat. They got to see her take her bottle.

I have to say that I thought I was doing a really good job of positioning Tera during her bottles, but this picture shows me doing some things wrong. First of all, her head shouldn't be tilted to the side but instead should be inline with her spine. I also like to hold her more on her side, but it seems that I have her laying on her back. It's difficult to tell from this picture, but she is not laying flat on her back. I have her body tilted up, so I did do at least one thing right. Live and learn! Tera only took half of this bottle before falling fast asleep, so the nurse put the rest through her feeding tube.

Nonna has made Tera a beautiful day gown, and she brought it to her today.

The nurse and I had already discussed playing dress-up with Tera today so that I could take some more Easter pictures. It was perfect timing that Nonna brought this dress to us today.

Nonna and Lydia weren't able to stay for the pictures, but MyGoo made it into town for her weekly visit just in time. In order to get the best shots possible, the nurse rolled in an open bed that we would lay Tera on. Several nurses peaked their heads in to check and make sure Tera was ok. Apparently, this bed is used when babies are extremely sick and multiple doctors and nurses need to be able to access them (hence the reason for it being "open" with pop-up sides and no top). We assured them that Tera was better than fine, and that we were just using it for our photo shoot.

Because Tera is holding her oxygen so well (despite the de-sats), the nurse was able to take her completely off her monitors, and she pulled her feeding tube out. For the first time since she was born, I saw my child completely unattached. I wish I had taken a picture of her in just her diaper. Hindsight . . .

These are a few of my favorite pictures.

Yesterday, I took an Easter basket full of candy and cookies for the nurses. It was almost gone this morning. The nurse cleaned out the rest of it and got it ready for Tera to sit in. She has obviously done this before.

And, of course, I had to hold her for a few more minutes before hooking her back up.

Just a little bit longer . . .

MyGoo and I left after this to pick up Canon. He is going to spend the rest of the week with MyGoo and Doc so that I can be more available to feed Tera (and just to have a short break). I will pick him up on my way home on Saturday. I warned MyGoo that Canon had recently had some rough nights with Lydia and me. When I talked to her later tonight to check in on him, she bragged on how wonderful he has been. Nonna and Poppa always say the same when he visits them. Of course! I guess I'd much rather him give me the fits than his grandparents. Otherwise, who would give Barry and me so many amazing breaks!

I went back to the hospital to give Tera one more bottle for the day - she's taken four in a row now. Halfway through this one, she fell asleep again. The nurse suggested that I unwrap her to feed her since she is able to hold her body temperature better. We kept the blanket wrapped around her, but she wasn't so tightly swaddled. After she ate, I held her against my chest for about an hour. I love Kangaroo Care, but sometimes holding her bundled up like that is so much more fulfilling. Today I considered the idea that, when we do make it home, it's going to be so much harder to put her down. I'll be in familiar territory with all of my usual comforts. There will be no dings or distractions from people walking by or other babies crying. Barry's aunt gave me a sling just after I had Canon. I have a feeling I'll be wearing that a lot this summer.

What About Barry

Barry had an extremely busy day at work, and my day was pretty full, too. Needless to say, we didn't talk too much during the day. As I was leaving the hospital, however, we caught up. He likes to tease me about not doing anything up here even though he knows how busy it can be. Life just moves at a different pace in Birmingham. Even on days that I make plans to do something specific, it only occasionally gets done because time just seems to run out.

The Follow-Up

Day of Life: 56 Happy Birthday, Lydia!

Let me first update you on how early I got to bed last night (because I know that's why you're really reading this). When I went up to our room at 9:30, Canon was snoozing soundly. I made it to bed before my 10:30 curfew (yay!) but still didnt' fall asleep until almost midnight (boo!).

I slept a little later than planned this morning but still had Canon up and at school before 9:00. I had made Easter cookies for Tera's nurses, and I just needed to ice them before taking them to the hospital this morning. I made it to the hospital just in time for Tera's 11:30 bottle. When I called in to check on her last night, the nurse reported that she was going to continue our push today and give Tera a bottle every other feed. When I arrived this morning, Tera had taken a bottle at 11:30 last night and 5:30 this morning, and she had taken them both fully. When today's nurse came in to do her 8:30 meal this morning, Tera was so alert that the nurse decided to give her another bottle, which she took expertly. When I arrived at 11:30, Tera still seemed interested so we gave her another. Three bottles in a row! She left 5cc in the bottle I gave her, but she took the other 32cc so perfectly. She needed the blow-by at the beginning just to get herself in the rhythm, but she drank the rest like a professional.

When I first came in, the nurse was also putting drops in Tera's eyes. Uh oh! The follow-up eye exam was scheduled for today, and the drops were to dilate her pupils. I tried not to think about it while I fed her. The Speech Therapist came back to check in on how Tera was eating. She was very impressed with how well she is eating, especially since we have recently moved to a Standard-flow nipple instead of the Slow-flow nipple that we started with. She explained that there is a lot of research supporting the use of a Slow-flow in preemies, but she also thought that Tera was doing great with the Standard while I fed her. It's ultimately up to me which one I want used when she is fed, but it's difficult to know. I want her to learn an efficient sucking pattern with the Slow-flow, but that one also seems to make her feeding time much longer, which translates into more calories burned. I need to talk to my sister-in-law, Michele, for a second opinion. The Speech Therapist suggested that I bring in the bottles that we will be using at home, and let Tera practice using those. Two months ago I was making decisions about educating our children, and today I'm stressed out about nipple flow. Is that strange?

After she ate, Tera was completely pooped. She fell right to sleep, so I snuggled with her for the next hour.

Lydia came by for a visit. It is her 27th birthday, and we have plans for manicures and pedicures later this afternoon.

Just as she was getting ready to leave, the Ophthamologist came in to start the follow-up exam. At her last exam, the blood vessels were still immature, but they were checking for a disease called ROP. This disease develops in a lot of preemies, especially when their oxygen saturation stays too high for too long. Tera passed that test, and my hope is that her blood vessels were mature enough to examine today so that she doesn't have to have another one.

This afternoon brought back the sickening feelings I had a couple of weeks ago when my description of her first eye exam were taken the wrong way. I just have to reiterate (just to make myself feel better, I think) that I in no way think that there is something wrong with the way the eye exam is done. There are so many benefits to it, and I am happy that they do it. This does not, however, change how absolutely terrifying it is. This is why I left the room as soon as the doctor entered. I walked out with Lydia, and we both got a little squeemish when we heard Tera cry from all the way down the hall. I found as many things to do as I could before returning about half an hour later. The doctor hadn't given our nurse any indication of how the exam went, so I'll wait to hear the results of the report.

Speaking of reports, the Cardiologist report came back this morning, and Tera's PDA is still small ("small to moderate" to be exact). I asked the Neonatologist if that means it has grown, but he said no. It's all a matter of how the Cardiologist interprets it. The last one thought "small." This one thought "small to moderate." In other news, Tera continues to gain weight, up to 4 pounds 11 ounces (2150 grams). And the most exciting news of all - why have I not already mentioned this? - her bed oxygen is down to 21%. That's Room Air for those of you new to this whole oxygen thing. In other words, she is breathing air that has the same amount of oxygen as the air we breathe. If she can hang out here for a "few days," which I'm hoping actually means 1 or 2 days, then they'll try her in a crib.

I only stayed for about an hour once I returned after the eye exam. We decided to let Tera take a break during her 2:30 meal and just have it pushed through her NG tube. The nurse, however, wanted to get her out and hold her while she ate. She said that it was because Tera does so well when she's held, but I think it's just because the nurse wanted to hold her. She's so great!

I left them sitting together to join Lydia for our manicures and pedicures. I really should have taken pictures there, but it was just so relaxing that I didn't want to even have to think about getting my camera. I'm always sad to leave Tera at the hospital, and today was no different. But the hour and a half we were there was much needed by both of us. Here are the results of my pedicure:

I only included this foot because the other foot I have already messed up. When I was getting out of Lydia's car, I accidentally scraped my foot along the bottom of the dashboard and scratched some of the paint off my big toe. Oh, well. It was still worth it!

We picked Canon up from OLS next then stopped at Hart & Soul in Homewood to get some desserts for dinner tonight with Anna, Jackson, and Addie. Anna grilled hamburgers and chicken, and we enjoyed our dinner from their back porch. I really don't even want to mention this, especially since I was so hard on Canon's behavior last night, but he was even more terrible tonight. I know it was just because of how exhausted he was, so I'm going to be very forgiving tonight, but it was really bad. He had a very difficult time sharing anything with Jackson. He fell down the ladder on the way up to the slide. (Don't worry, he didn't hurt himself. Just scared him a lot). The real drama came at the very end of the night. I can't be sure of exactly why he got so upset, but I think it has something to do with the TV. Jackson turned on the TV just as we were leaving, and his mother instructed him to turn it off, which he did with no argument. Canon lost it soon after. Through his screams, I could make out "Bye, Bye" something, something, something. I tried having him say Bye Bye to everyone in the house, but it was no use. He could not be consoled. At home, when we need to turn the TV off and don't want Canon to pitch a fit, we have him say "Bye Bye" to whatever character is on TV. My only conclusion for tonight's behavior is that Canon didn't get to see "Bye Bye" to whatever character Jackson was watching for less than five seconds. After a bath (which he cried most of the way through) and a snuggle on the couch with Lydia (while watching a cartoon movie - I think we're getting addicted), he finally felt good enough to go to bed. I love him, but I haven't been this ready for bedtime in a long time.

What About Barry
He's going to hate me for sharing this with the rest of the world, but it's something that I think is worth remembering. (He thinks I'm writing about how much I miss him!) Barry is notorious for giving really strong hugs. I mean, people have been known to lose their breath when he squeezes. Until yesterday, it has all been in good fun. But yesterday, he hugged one of his co-workers just a little too hard, and today she has a bruised rib. I know, I know. Many of you are thinking, why is he hugging his co-workers? Don't read into it that way. This is not an unusual occurence. The focus here is on the bruised rib and, even more, on the fact that now I have proof that his hugs really are too aggressive sometimes. He's always just thought I was a big wimp for whining after one of these Barry Hugs. Now he knows the truth! And while he might think twice before giving a strong hug again, I'm sure he'll find some other outlet for all the love he has stored up inside.

We Don't Want the Funk

The Lord is indeed going before you - he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged! Deuteronomy 31:8

Day of Life: 55

Last night I had high hopes for an early-to-bed scenario. I finished my day's work by 9:30 and, because Canon had been in bed for over an hour, I decided that I could safely enter my room (where he sleeps in his Pack 'N Play) and get myself ready for bed. As soon as I opened the door, Canon jumped up and smiled at me. He didn't fuss, just asked for his juice, which I got for him. After putting him back in his bed, I went about my business for the next half hour or so, hoping that he would go back to sleep. Nope! So, I left him alone again and went downstairs for another hour until he finally fell back to sleep. My hopes last night were that he would be asleep by 8:30 and me by 10:00. Instead, he was asleep by 11:00 and me after midnight.

So you can imagine that today has been a little restless for me. I was determined to have Canon up early so that he would take a good nap at OLS today. Fortunately he woke up on his own, much more alert than I was at 7:45. After dropping him off at OLS, I went straight to the hospital. Tera's room was very dim, so I knew this was going to be a lazy day for both of us. The nurse, of course, got her out for me as soon as I would let her (which was soon!), and I held her for a little while before it was time for her bottle.

I think she looks a lot like Canon in this picture.

She took her bottle very quickly and with only a few de-sats. She never choked, though, and she's actually started breathing while she sucks. Normally, she takes several chugs from the bottle then takes a break (either on her own or forced by me) to breathe. She still did this a lot today, but she also took breaths during her sucks. I never paid much attention to it when I've watched full-term babies drink, but when Tera did it this morning, I realized it's what most babies do. I always like when she does full-term things.

The nurse told me that the doctors had already rounded that morning. They mentioned that they were going to schedule another echo to check on the PDA. No one has heard the murmur in quite some time now, but because Tera is just hanging on to this last little bit of oxygen, they want to make sure the PDA isn't the cause of it. The tech came to Tera's room early this afternoon to do the echo. She's not allowed to say anything about what she saw, but the nurse told me that, because the tech did not express any urgency in the Cardiologist looking at it, that there was a really good chance it was clear, i.e. the PDA is not a problem, maybe even non-existent.

While at lunch, Tera's pediatrician called me to check in. I couldn't get to my phone at the time, but her message explained everything else that had been discussed at Rounds. Tera is slightly anemic, but because she is not showing any symptoms, we're going to ride it out and see if she can cure herself. She hasn't been transfused in awhile (I'm thinking weeks), and they want her body to start producing red blood cells on its own rather than depend on a blood transfusion everytime her hemotacrit is a little low. So for now, we'll keep seeing what Tera is made of. The pediatrician also wanted to make sure I have been to the Discharge Class. She doesn't want anything to hold us up once it's time to go home (music to my ears!).

When I returned from lunch, the nurse and I discussed the appropriateness of "pushing" Tera to be a little stronger. First, with her extra oxygen. The nurse says that some babies will stick with that extra oxygen until it's taken away. The Nurse Practioner has also mentioned this to me before and explained that they take babies completely off oxygen even if their beds are still supplying 23%. She would still need the blow-by from time to time, and she might even go back to the Isolette once or twice before she really can do it all on her own. I wonder when they'll start that push.

The second push is about her bottle feeds. Now that Tera seems to be an expert at drinking from a bottle, the thing that seems to keep her from full bottle feeds is her energy level. We base whether or not we give her a bottle on how alert she is when we change her diaper and get her ready to eat. If she's awake and happy and moving, we try the bottle. If she seems more lathargic, we don't try. We noticed this morning that Tera wasn't completely alert when we got her bottle ready this morning, but the nurse knows how much I love to feed her so she let me try anyway. Tera took the whole thing. So, we thought, maybe we can start trying it a little more often to see what she can handle. Of course, it will be a slow push. She took a bottle at 11:30 this morning, and the nurse was going to try it again at 5:30. Depending on how it goes, the night nurse will decide when to give her the next one. Yet again, the 4 1/2 pound preemie is in charge.

Speaking of weight, Tera gained weight last night! I was so excited to hear that she gained almost two ounces. She weighs 4 pounds 9.9 ounces (I just can't make myself say 10 until it's actually that). So, apparently the extra fortifier is not as needed as I thought yesterday. The Aminophylin needs are yet to be determined. While I was at the hospital today, Tera had at least two episodes where she just couldn't hold her oxygen saturation up. Even with the blow-by, she bounced up and down several times before finally settling in to a healthy range of 85 to 95. From what I can tell, this doesn't mean that she needs increased oxygen (the nurse never even touched that button on her bed). It's just her body getting used to the lack of caffeine in the Aminophylin.

"It's not a setback." I have to keep remembering that. She's still supposed to be floating around in amniotic fluid while I do all of this work for her. The fact that she is already as healthy as she is is truly unbelieveable. I would be 34 weeks pregnant now, still considered a premature delivery. She shouldn't be doing full-term things yet.

Despite knowing all of this, I can't help but be desperate to go home. I know that's a dramatic word, "desperate," but that's how it felt today. I'll blame most of it on my lack of sleep last night and the fact that I am so looking forward to visiting home this weekend, but I was in a funk today. I was tired, cranky, and just didn't feel that great.

When I picked up Canon late this afternoon, I had already decided we would not be doing anything fun. Canon had the same idea. He fussed over the most insignificant things, and I promise I'm not just saying that because I was cranky, too. He cried because he wanted some juice, so I gave him the last of my root beer. He cried when he finished that. Then he cried (like "Help me! I'm in pain" kind of crying) again when he got his thumb stuck in the straw hole. When we finally got home, Lydia turned on a cartoon movie, and I made him a healthy meal of frozen chicken fingers (microwaved, not conventional oven-cooked) and banana slices. Lydia and Christian left for a birthday dinner, and Canon and I didn't talk again until he was finished eating. We both needed that moment of Brain Dead-ness.

Tonight, I got Canon in bed (again) before 8:00 and now, at 9:30, I'm about to sneak stealthily into our shared room and try to be fast asleep within the hour. I'll report back in the morning.

What About Barry

The last time I was home (three weeks ago) I got all of our tax documents out so that Barry could work on filing our tax return. Last week, I asked him to please bring me all of our mail so that I could start paying this month's bills. When I sifted through the mail he brought, I found all of the tax return documents in the stack with the bills. Barry explained that he planned to take care of it today, which is technically the last day to file. After leaving yesterday, he called to tell me that he had left all of the documents at Lydia's house. This was just not the day for this. He called our friend, Sae, to ask if he could file them for us, and of course Sae was happy to do it. After several texts and phone calls from Barry today, asking me "Where is this?" and "How much did we spend on that?" Sae decided to file an extension, and Barry will have to do it himself. Between not having to take care of a wife or any children and having someone to clean our house every other week, I don't know that he'll be able to find the time. (See, I told you I was cranky!).

What She's Made Of

You are my source of strength! I will wait for you! For God is my refuge. Psalm 59:9

Day of Life: 53 & 54

Saturday

I got up early this morning to get to the hospital for Tera's 8:30 bottle. My friends, Allison and Amanda, were meeting me there to see Tera for the first time. Allison was waiting in the lobby when I first arrived. She had a gift for us, a preemie cloth diaper covered in owls! We were Chi-O's together at Birmingham-Southern, and the Owl is our mascot (Hootie Hoot!). As soon as I'm able, I'll be putting this on her for a photo shoot.

Amanda arrived soon after, and they both got to watch me give Tera her bottle. Last night, her nurse used a regular nipple (instead of the Slow Flow that we've been using) and reported that Tera drank from it with no problem. In days past, Tera has had trouble with this size, I think because it was pouring out too quickly for her. I used the regular nipple this time with the same results as last night. Tera drank all 35cc in less than 15 minutes, and even had some energy left to stare around the room for awhile.

I continued to hold her while Allison, Amanda, and I caught up on old times. We were only there an hour before we all had places to be. Both Allison and Amanda had to relieve their husbands from Baby Duty, and I was headed to a baby shower for another Amanda friend. There, I caught up with even more Chi-O's. Many of them have been keeping up with Tera through the blog and have been so impressed with her fight. I have to admit, she truly is amazing! I even met a friend-of-a-friend who knows all about Tera and has been praying for us for weeks. It's a strange thing to be in a crowd of people that I haven't seen in almost a decade, knowing that they know pretty much everything about me but I know next to nothing about what's been going on with them. I tried my darndest to get caught up, but the conversation usually tilted back to Tera. Not sure if it was my doing or not (probably so). To all of my friends reading this now, I really do care about what's happening in your lives, and I hope to hear all about it soon.

After the shower, I went back to Lydia's where I took a much needed nap. Canon had been with our friend, Emily, all morning. She had taken him to play with some children in town (apparently, they have an amazing backyard), so Barry had the morning off to do what he wanted. Among other things, he took my car to get cleaned - inside and out. Emily brought Canon back while I was asleep, so Barry laid him down for a short nap so that I wouldn't be disturbed. When Canon woke up, Barry took him to play in the park so that I could go get a little bit more time with Tera.

One thing I have been meaning to tell you about is her birthmark. At least, we assume it's a birthmark. I noticed it in maybe the second or third week we were here. I'm not a very observant person, so it's highly possible that she's had this mark the whole time, and I just missed it. I'll have to go back and really study her pictures. A few days ago, her nurse tried to get a close look to determine exactly what it is. From a distance, it looks like a scratch or possibly a mole. I've been too scared to touch it on the chance that it is an open wound, and I don't want to unintentionally infect her with germs. The nurse examined it (with gloves on) and reported that it's not raised nor scabbed, so it must be a birthmark.

Tera is still doing amazingly well. She gained another ounce last night (I reported this yesterday actually) and is at 2044 grams, or 4 pounds 8 ounces. Her oxygen needs are still the same at 23%. She did have one bradie today. It happened when I wasn't there, and when the nurse ran in to check on her, she found her curled up at the bottom of her bed. She's such a squirmer, or Scooter, as one of the nurses once referred to her as. It's still too early to tell how she will react to not being on any medication, and to determine if she is able to gain weight without the double fortifier. The docs increased her feeds to 37cc, so that should help.

She looks strong to me.

Barry and Canon came by after playing at the park. One of the things I was really worried about when I was pregnant was how Canon would transition into being a big brother. This is yet another positive outcome from this experience. Canon has been able to slowly fall in love with Tera instead of being forced to love her just because she lives with us. Since she was born, he has gone from just being able to say her name to actually wanting to come see her. He already knows to be careful around her (because we freak out on him anytime he gets close to her bed), and he knows that she is an important person in our family. Over the last two months, we've been able to talk about her and go see her when we want to, but also show him lots of one-on-one attention. I'm hoping that by the time we get home, he'll be so used to her being talked about and visited, that it won't be that big of a deal to have her living in his house.

Now, if we can just get him out of his crib.

Sunday

My midnight call to the nurse last night reminded me that medicine has been assisting Tera in her fight from prematurity to maturity. The nurse reported that she had not gained any weight (but she hasn't lost any either!), and she has been de-satting a lot (but her oxygen is still as low as it has been!). She told me not to be surprised if Tera ends up going back on the Aminophylin. Most babies born as early as Tera do go on and off the medicine at least once before their tiny bodies adjust to doing everything on their own. "It's not a setback," she assured me. She said, though, that Tera really is doing great and that I needn't worry. To be honest, I'm not so much worried as I am just realizing how important these medications really are. I've been leaning on the fact that Tera hasn't been on many heavy-duty machines (only the ventilator for only a week) and hadn't needed any surgeries (like for her PDA), but I had neglected to realize the important role the Aminophylin and the extra calories were playing in her steady progress. We're about to see what she's really made of.

We went to early church with Sae and Leslie this morning, then breakfast/lunch at Cracker Barrel. Canon took a nap almost as soon as we got home (he had a late night after dinner with Barry, myself, Lydia and Christian and didn't get to bed until almost 11:00). Barry and I also rested for awhile before he decided it was time to go. I've been trying to encourage Barry to spend some extra time with Tera when he can. He's always taking care of Canon so that I can visit her, but I'm realizing how important it is that he get to spend plenty of time with her, too. I just want him to be convinced of how great she's doing. He is always reassuring me that he knows how great she is, but I still want him to be there. Luckily, he actually wants to be there. After leaving Canon and I at Lydia's, he spent about an hour at the hospital with Tera before going back to Dothan. He took lots of pictures of her like a good Daddy does.

Once Canon awoke from his nap, we also went to the hospital for a quick visit. It only lasted about thirty minutes, but it was worth it. Canon mostly watched Thomas the Train on my iPhone, but it was enough to keep him occupied so that I could reach in and rub my daughter's head for a few minutes. Her nurse reported that she had had very few de-sats throughout the day and had taken her bottle very well again. Now, if she'll just start being a little more alert during meal time, we can start giving her more than just one bottle per shift. Hopefully, that will begin to happen soon. It all depends on Tera.

When Amanda visited yesterday, she left a gift for Tera. Canon helped me open it, and we found a beautiful pink blanket. Canon grabbed it and ran it over to Tera's bed. He had seen the blankets that I have been putting over her Isolette, and he wanted to replace the one that was there today with this new one.

I think it was a good decision. She'll get plenty of rest under this!

After our much-too-short visit, we took a much needed trip to the grocery store before starting our normal night time routine at Lydia's. Canon's teachers suggested last week that Canon might be sleeping too late in the mornings because he hasn't been good about taking his naps in the afternoon. I have to admit this is all my fault. I kept him up later than usual and, when he didn't wake me up in the mornings, I took an extra hour or so to catch up on some sleep before waking him up as well. But this week, we're going to be back on our regular schedule. He was in bed before 8:00, and my plan is to get there before 10:30. We'll see!

The Bottle Battle

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:2-3

Day of Life: 52

I was wide awake in the wee hours of this morning, so I allowed myself some extra sleep again today. Canon apparently needed it to. He didn't make a sound until I finally went into his room at 9:45. We got ready faster than usual and left for OLS. I have a really bad habit of never watching the news, so I was surprised when the Director of OLS began preparing me for the bad weather that was to come later in the day. They were not planning on closing the school (they actually have a storm room built into their building which makes the daycare safer than most people's houses), but I did anticipate an early pick-up this afternoon. I made it to my parking lot at the hospital just in time for the rain.

At the hospital, I found Tera resting peacefully.

The nurse had saved her morning bottle for me to give at 11:30. I fed her alone for the first ten minutes or so, and the Speech Therapists came in then to see how we were doing. One thing we noticed that Tera is doing increasingly more is straining while she eats. I did not know this before, but apparently the act of sucking sets into motion a wave of internal stimulation that eventually ends in a dirty diaper. In other words, as Tera empties a bottle, she fills up a diaper. For babies with a mature suck-swallow-breathing pattern, the distraction of pooping does not interfere with their ability to continue eating. For Tera, every minor disruption is a major setback for meal time. She'll eventually get to the point where she can do both, but for now, we just have to keep practicing.

I mentioned yesterday that she is officially off of her Aminophylin. I asked the nurse how she was responding to it and was told that it would actually be about three days before we would know how it is effecting her. So far, though, her apnea- and bradie-free streak is still going strong.

Tera gained another ounce last night, now up to 4 pounds 7 ounces (1922 grams). Until sometime this morning, her milk still contained the double fortifier that was helping her to gain weight. If she continues to gain weight over the next two or three days, we'll know that she is responding to the single fortifier (which the doctors ordered yesterday) just as well. The doctors increased her feeds today to 35cc, so that should also help her continue to gain weight.

At her 2:30 meal, Tera had 3cc of residual (the undigested milk in her stomach). That was left from the 11:30 bottle that I gave her. She usually has no residual, so we tossed around a couple of ideas of why she may have had it this time. First, her 11:30 feed was the first time she got 35cc, so it's possible she's just not quite ready to digest so much. A second theory has to do with the length of time it took for her 11:30 feed to go in. She had taken 16cc through the bottle in 30 minutes, and the other half had gone in through her feeding tube over a 20-minute period. My point in reporting this is to say that her feed, which normally takes 30 minutes to go in, actually took almost an hour. It's possible that when her residuals were checked at 2:30, she just had not had adequate time to digest it all. Either way, no one is too worried about it. If she continues to have residuals, the doctors will decide what to do about it then.

After I gave her the bottle, a long-time friend of my parents stopped by to see Tera. My parents have a group of church friends all over the Southeast that they lovingly refer to as the Prayer Warriors. The group regularly emails to share information and make prayer requests. You can imagine that news of Tera has been circulating throughout the group for seven weeks and two days now. Keith is one of the Prayer Warriors, and as he was passing through Birmingham on his way home today, he pulled in to say hello. He joined the masses of "Wow's" when he saw her, reiterating that pictures just don't do this child justice. Even her chubbier ones like the one above. She just looks so much better than a picture can portray. After a beautiful prayer for our family, Keith headed south again.

Lydia came by sometime later and spent the rest of the afternoon with us. We left around 3:00. The weather was not looking pretty, and I still needed to pick up Canon from OLS. We had actually made plans to run a quick errand before going back to the house, but when the rain picked up and the sirens went off, Lydia and I decided to go straight home. We spent the rest of the afternoon eating A LOT of junk food (including, but not limited to Chick-fil-A, Krispy Kreme donuts, M&Ms, popcorn, and baked brie) and watching cartoon movies with Canon.

The storm was hitting my family from all directions - Barry's parents in Winfield, my dad and my sister's family in Greenville, and (soon to come) my mom in North Carolina. My brother-in-law took these pictures from his front porch in Greenville.

Scary and beautiful all at once!

Barry arrived about 5:30. He had driven through some pretty terrible weather to get here, so we were extremely happy to see him walk through the door. We all went to dinner after that (do we ever eat at the house?), then it was bedtime for the Can Man.

While writing this I called in to check on Tera, so I'll go ahead and give part of tomorrow's updates. She continues to gain weight, now at 4 and a half pounds! She hasn't had any residuals since the ones I mentioned earlier today. The nurse had not given her another bottle yet because she still just seemed exhausted. I think this is going to be her next big feat - having the energy to drink all of her meals on her own. I didn't mention this before, but I asked the nurse today if the fact that Tera wasn't taking many bottles would effect how quickly she got into a crib. The nurse said that it's really up to her doctors. Some like for babies to take at least half of their feeds via bottle before getting into a crib, while others don't worry that much about it. The nurse commented that Tera's weight and temperature are so good that, once she is able to get off this last little bit of oxygen, she may not have to stay in the isolette based solely on her feeding tube. Of course, nothing comes wrapped as a commitment, so we'll just see what the doctors order when the time comes.