Two Weeks at Home!

I may not have much time to write anymore as a full-time mommy, but I sure do miss it! It has been so wonderful to hear from all our followers. Whether it be family, friends, or even complete strangers that come up to us when we are out and about...Grant and I are reminded how many people follow our journey and how much support everyone continues to provide to our family. Beyond blessed.

Today, while Elise snoozes for an afternoon nap, I thought my TWO hands could type an update. Isn't it funny how mothers become professionals at being one-handed most of the day?? I am certainly not complaining....I absolutely LOVE that I can snuggle with my girl anytime of the day that I feel the need.

Elise's pediatrician is VERY pleased with her weight gain since being home. She has gained an ounce a day in two weeks...yeehaw! That brings her to six pounds, thirteen ounces! We have another appt. on Monday the 11th to adjust feedings if need be and check her weight again. Dr. Kleber would like us to stop into her office at least once a week to check Elise's weight.

It was nice to hear a "plan" mapped out for Elise by Dr. Kleber. During RSV season (fall into winter) Elise will go in once a month for shots :( These shots don't guarantee RSV will stay away, but it provides a very good barrier against it. To be extra cautious, once Daddy gets home from working with the kiddos in the hospital, he will have to change clothes and shower before handling Elise. A healthy baby with developed lungs does not want RSV....we especially don't want it for Elise.

Last week, we had a check up with the eye doctor in Greenwood. He said he sees a teeny tiny amount of ROP (prematurity of the retinas) in one eye. He is confident that when we see him again on June 20th, Elise's eyes will show no more signs of ROP! How encouraging! The eye doctor is not the most comfortable visit for Elise (who actually likes eye drops and metal clamps keeping the eyelids open??) We will be happy for her when we can say goodbye to Dr. Roberts. HA!

During the first week of July, we will travel to Indianapolis and see an at-risk pediatrician who specializes in seeing preemies. He was recommended by the NICU and will receive all of Elise's charts and paper work from her stay at St. Vincent. Around this same time in July, we will repeat another swallow study to determine if Elise's feeds can be modified to a thinner consistency. Right now, we are still at the "honey thick" consistency.

Elise continues to prove she's a great sleeper! We feed her around 11:30 at night and then once around 4:00am. She goes right back to sleep and wakes up around 8:00 ready to eat again. I am THRILLED with this schedule...because I know it could be much, much worse! Dr. Kleber is fine with feeding her every 4-4.5 hours during the night. During the day, we feed her every 3 hours.

As for my health, I had a follow-up with Dr. Fish yesterday. I am still seeing some swelling, but it's slightly better than before. After wearing socks all day, I will take them off and see a small bubble around my ankle (not just your typical sock line). Depending on the day, sometimes my wedding ring slides on, and sometimes it goes right back into the jewelry box. When I updated Dr. Fish, he told me that I am going to have to give it a year. It's a long year, but since my preeclampsia was so severe, my body is going to need close to 12 months to recoup. It's amazing to me that a condition, such as preeclampsia, took less than a month to take over my body, but it will take over a year to leave my body.

It was a bummer to hear this, but having Elise home has helped some of my anxiety, which I'm sure has helped my body. Elise and I have been going on 3-4 mile stroller walks everyday and we had a killer Buggies workout today. Buggies is a class designed for mommies to workout with their children in strollers. Lots of running drills, kickboxing, weights, and ab work! I love that everyone can go at their own pace and still get a great workout.

Before I sign off, I wanted to share a sneak peek of our "newborn" photo shoot that happened on Tuesday. We are absolutely in love with Ashley Bowen Photography...and our precious baby girl. Enjoy!

The tag reads: A Gift from Nana Lisa
This is my favorite picture for many, many reasons.

Until Next Time~ 

G & J & E