As Grandma and Poppy make their trek back home to NJ, we are settling in to what promises to be a long few next months. Dealing with the unknown is quite possibly tops on the list. It is unknown how Cora will respond to different therapies, treatments, and developments. It is still unknown what my work schedule will look like and how much $$ we are going to be spending on this whole fiasco (though, worth every penny, when Cora comes home healthy). It is unknown how Stella will respond to all of this (not to mention me & Matt). It is unknown how long we will be dealing with this and what, specifically, we are dealing with for little Miss Cora.
I'm glad that we have the holidays to distract from what I hope will all of my heart will begin to feel like a mundane process. We enjoyed decorating the house for Christmas and that has been a really good thing for Stella B.
Yesterday's visit to see Cora Leigh was a good one, but filled with mixed emotion and more uncertainty. When we arrived, I was told that she had been worrying the nurses more than normal by having a few "Brady" moments/"Desatting." This unusual behavior, coupled with a distended belly prompted 2 x-rays, both of which revealed nothing more than excess gas in her belly. The excess gas is not unusual for preemies who swallow the air flowing through the CPAP. Cora also took the first feeding of my milk fortified with extra calories, which could be the culprit for some of this excess gas. She had one more x-ray yesterday to check on her PICC line, because one of the belly x-rays, taken with her arms up revealed that the interior PICC line was not quite central enough. So, the final x-ray revealed that the PICC line was properly placed - a major relief! But, we also learned that she lost just a little bit of weight, too, though not enough to concern the NICU staff, who say that she is a "giant 25-weeker."
Lots of double-checking (a typical response in the NICU, we understand) that revealed no major concerns is super-relieving. Plus, we continue to hear that, overall, her progress is "great." Yet, no one can feel secure with a child in the NICU.
The best part of our visit was the Kangaroo time. Cora seemed positively relieved, happy, and comforted to be with me. I even felt that she was smiling. This is a true joy.
We also started playing around with Matt's wedding ring as a bangle for Miss Cora!
I'm glad that we have the holidays to distract from what I hope will all of my heart will begin to feel like a mundane process. We enjoyed decorating the house for Christmas and that has been a really good thing for Stella B.
Yesterday's visit to see Cora Leigh was a good one, but filled with mixed emotion and more uncertainty. When we arrived, I was told that she had been worrying the nurses more than normal by having a few "Brady" moments/"Desatting." This unusual behavior, coupled with a distended belly prompted 2 x-rays, both of which revealed nothing more than excess gas in her belly. The excess gas is not unusual for preemies who swallow the air flowing through the CPAP. Cora also took the first feeding of my milk fortified with extra calories, which could be the culprit for some of this excess gas. She had one more x-ray yesterday to check on her PICC line, because one of the belly x-rays, taken with her arms up revealed that the interior PICC line was not quite central enough. So, the final x-ray revealed that the PICC line was properly placed - a major relief! But, we also learned that she lost just a little bit of weight, too, though not enough to concern the NICU staff, who say that she is a "giant 25-weeker."
Lots of double-checking (a typical response in the NICU, we understand) that revealed no major concerns is super-relieving. Plus, we continue to hear that, overall, her progress is "great." Yet, no one can feel secure with a child in the NICU.
The best part of our visit was the Kangaroo time. Cora seemed positively relieved, happy, and comforted to be with me. I even felt that she was smiling. This is a true joy.
Hey, just catching up on your blog and thinking about you all! I'm sure you are up and down from moment to moment but I see the gratitude in your smiles and in your writings, keep that foremost along with your love for each other and Ms. Stella B!! You all are an amazing family and I look forward to the day I will meet Ms. Cora Leigh!!!
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