month two, week nine

Weekly update time.  Pepper hit two months old and 34 weeks on Monday, 07.25, and 9 weeks old on Wednesday, 07.27.  She has been hovering around the 3 and 1/2 pound mark, finally getting over the hump Wednesday night at 3lbs 9.7ozs.  The bigger news is (a.) Pepper is no longer on any assisted oxygen or air flow (as of Monday), (b.) Pepper has started to bottle feed once a day and (c.) Pepper is now at room air inside her isolette and awaiting an open crib.

These are each kind of a big deal.  Real big. 

So on Sunday the docs decided to take Pepper off of air support.  It seemed like a big step, but she was only on .5 L of flow and we had been told that that amount is just nothing, so we were anxious for her to make the jump as well as to see her face with one less tube.  She did great for five hours and then had a bad brady that required stimulation and oxygen.  One strike, and she was back on the tube.  Monday rolls around and her doctor says we're trying it again.  "Yesterday was a fluke," she says "and I know she can do it."  Well, she was right.  Seventy two hours later and she's still breathing like a champ.  Thank you, God.

Monday was also the first bottle feeding attempt.  She's been showing interest in pacifiers and has actually had an occupational therapist coming in to work with her on this and other tasks, so it was finally time to give it a try.  She was getting 30 ml of milk per 3 hrs and she drank 17 out of a bottle.  Half isn't so bad for a first go!  Her feedings have been upped to 33 ml over 30 min. with a 2.5 hr break.  With the exception of a few hiccups here and there Pepper has been sailing right through all of the feeding increases and has had no stomach or intestinal issues.  For this we are very thankful.

The isolette couldn't be in a colder corner.  In fact, only babies in isolettes can be in this corner because the A/C is on full blast and the maintenance guys don't know how to stop it.  Pepper's isolette temp has been being knocked down little by little, one tenth of a degree at a time, until she is now at room temp (or what should be room temp) inside the isolette.  We have been told that she will be moved to an open crib once a less drafty space opens up. 

All of this to say, she's requiring less and less help to do things her body will have to do on it's own.  She's growing, and we couldn't be happier about it.

Camera phone pics.  Not the best, but they'll do.

day 61 - 07.24: only one tube to go.

day 61 - 07.24: mom + daughter time.

day 61 - 07.24: we came in Sunday night to find her in her "do not disturb" position.  we did anyway.

day 61 - 07.24: you woke me up for this?

day 62 - 07.25: two months old.  waking from her celebratory nap.

day 62 - 07.25: first time to the bottle.  you two are going to be good friends...