Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
sweet face
our emmy has been home for three weeks now. i wish i could say it were easy, but it's been very, very hard. my mom was here for the first two weeks and that was so helpful. but alas, she has a life and had to get back to it for awhile. i can't wait until she comes back though! and adam and i are settling into learning how to care for this complex child of ours. we've already had two visits to the emergency room! what keeps us going though, is this sweet face.
her first nap by the pool on a beautiful day
her first nap by the pool on a beautiful day
Thursday, March 31, 2011
home is where the heart is
this swing is our saving grace. emmy likes perpetual motion. so this is where she sleeps each night. thank you rachel for getting this for her!
she's also a big fan of dad. after a long session of crying, she usually ends with a deep sigh and a cute little "rosebud" face like this. dad holding her is usually a good way to get to the successfully soothed rosebud face.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
release me
we have a release date in site! it looks like monday, march 28th will be the magical day we get to bring our emerson home if all goes well. she will be 44 days old.
she has recovered well from her g-tube surgery and we've begun to learn how to use it. it's been a little overwhelming. we kind of feel like we've been given an advanced trigonometry test to complete and we haven't even passed pre-algebra yet. but we're slowing getting over the shock and the unfamiliarity of all of this and the anger of why my baby has to have a tube coming out of her belly. because. . .well we have to!
we met with her team of doctors today and received some good news. they did a sleep study this week to ensure she isn't having any issues with breathing or heart decelerations or anything else unusual we need to worry about when she's home. she had no issues and therefore, we will not have to use any monitors when she comes home. this is a big relief for us. so her only medical equipment will be the feeding tube and a suction machine that will hopefully get minimal usage.
we also met with the home nursing company who will provide our nurses when we get home. it looks like we will not need round the clock nursing. but we will need a nurse about 40 hours a week or so. this will ensure adam and i can both work and will also help supplement our care as emerson will require a bit more energy than your average baby.
so all in all, things are moving ahead. we still have our ups and downs, of course, and are still trying to come to terms with this hand we've been dealt. sometimes i feel totally upbeat about it and other times i feel completely deflated. i'm trying my best to get to a place of acceptance.
to all who continue to pray for us and support us with your sweet messages, thank you. i know we haven't (me in particular) been great about responding. but know that your thoughts and words mean so very much to me. lots of love.
she has recovered well from her g-tube surgery and we've begun to learn how to use it. it's been a little overwhelming. we kind of feel like we've been given an advanced trigonometry test to complete and we haven't even passed pre-algebra yet. but we're slowing getting over the shock and the unfamiliarity of all of this and the anger of why my baby has to have a tube coming out of her belly. because. . .well we have to!
we met with her team of doctors today and received some good news. they did a sleep study this week to ensure she isn't having any issues with breathing or heart decelerations or anything else unusual we need to worry about when she's home. she had no issues and therefore, we will not have to use any monitors when she comes home. this is a big relief for us. so her only medical equipment will be the feeding tube and a suction machine that will hopefully get minimal usage.
we also met with the home nursing company who will provide our nurses when we get home. it looks like we will not need round the clock nursing. but we will need a nurse about 40 hours a week or so. this will ensure adam and i can both work and will also help supplement our care as emerson will require a bit more energy than your average baby.
so all in all, things are moving ahead. we still have our ups and downs, of course, and are still trying to come to terms with this hand we've been dealt. sometimes i feel totally upbeat about it and other times i feel completely deflated. i'm trying my best to get to a place of acceptance.
to all who continue to pray for us and support us with your sweet messages, thank you. i know we haven't (me in particular) been great about responding. but know that your thoughts and words mean so very much to me. lots of love.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
chapter two
well today was a milestone. emmy had her surgery this morning to place the g-tube in her stomach. oddly, adam and i were both excited about this surgery knowing that this was the next step in getting our baby girl home. going back to our holland analogy, this isn't the typical way in which to bring a baby home, but nothing is typical these days. and we're just ready to have her home and begin our lives together.
so we arrived at the hospital bright and early to see her off to her surgery. she was a little grumbly, likely a little hungry. the whole process was quick and only took about an hour. it was a bit nerve wracking, but she came through it just fine. once again proving how strong she is and what a little fighter she is.
so now we get to learn about this g-tube and how it all works. here we thought we'd be learning about breast feeding and bottles and maybe even formula. but our path is different. and we're just happy to have a reliable way to ensure our baby gets the nutrients she needs until she able to eat on her own. and we're confident that day will come.
now for the best part. . .no more tubes or tape on our sweet girls face!
so we arrived at the hospital bright and early to see her off to her surgery. she was a little grumbly, likely a little hungry. the whole process was quick and only took about an hour. it was a bit nerve wracking, but she came through it just fine. once again proving how strong she is and what a little fighter she is.
so now we get to learn about this g-tube and how it all works. here we thought we'd be learning about breast feeding and bottles and maybe even formula. but our path is different. and we're just happy to have a reliable way to ensure our baby gets the nutrients she needs until she able to eat on her own. and we're confident that day will come.
now for the best part. . .no more tubes or tape on our sweet girls face!
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