Our Little Peep's First Easter

Miss Elise has had quite the historic first Easter! It started with her fashionable photo shoot Saturday night (orchestrated by her fabulous night nurse Karrie), which quickly became a series of poses-- one cuter than the next…

Thank you Schneck PICC nurses for my pretty Easter dress!

A-Tiskit, A-Tasket, an Elise in a basket!

WHAT!? Am I being cute again?

Don't forget that I'm TWO MONTHS old today!

I can't work under these conditions-- I'm just gonna bury my head in the basket!

Following a grueling photo session, our little fashionista was laid to rest for the night with her parents taking a trek back to Seymour for church in the morning. Much to our surprise, it appears that our 3 lb 3 oz little caterpillar was ready to emerge from her isolate cocoon and land herself in a big girl crib early Easter morning-- Karrie sent us the photo evidence prior to us turning in for the night. It's hard to go to sleep when you get such good news that makes your heart melt. For us, Easter Eve was much like Christmas Eve with all the excitement of the new changes with our little peep.

After our church's Easter service, we headed back up to see Miss Elise. We are finding ourselves making many back-to-back trips to the NICU, but loving every minute of it. The drive is almost entirely interstate and very easy to handle when it's traveled on non-rush hour times. When we are able to go together and chat about our day with little lady, it isn't as lonely or boring as making the drive alone.

When we arrived this afternoon, Daddy got to feed her at 2:30 and she took a whopping 26 mLs (almost one ounce)! The largest amount she had taken up until today was 11 mLs. Needless to say, after her big adventure with the bottle, she was out like a light for the remainder of the afternoon. Regardless, I couldn't stand for her to go back to her crib and sleep. Daddy passed her to me and I held her for the next 3 hours. A little bunny snuggled on my chest…I couldn't have asked for a better Easter gift!

Whew! I can't believe I ate the WHOLE THING!

The doctor today started the weaning process of the vapotherm. She is now on 2.5 liters; down from 3 liters. They will wean her by half liters until she is around one liter. Then, the doctors will transition her to regular nasal cannula. She will look the same (same contraption), but she will get less flow with the regular nasal cannula verses the vapotherm.

When we returned to the NICU this evening after shift change, we gave her a bath and changed her into a cute preemie outfit…still much too big, but still entirely too precious!

Yes... I am THAT cute!

And now all tucked in for the night...

Boy, it is hard to go home at night after these wonderful days!  We are beginning to feel the 'home stretch' sneaking up on us. Again, everything takes patience. Elise is certainly not ready to be away from oxygen, monitors, nurses, and doctors quite yet; but she is making great strides towards weaning herself. Seeing her grow into a beautiful newborn baby brings tears to our eyes (happy tears, of course). We have been riding an incredible journey of highs and lows since February, but we are starting to realize that God had (and still has) a plan with our journey…and it is possibly to make us an intensely bonded family of three.

He rose for all of us,
G & J & E