Cousins

We are lucky to have 2 cousins who live close by. We know Brooklyn is going to have lots of fun playing with them when she gets older.

Logan & Brooklyn
(Logan is 3 weeks older than Little B.)

Allie & Brooklyn
(Brooklyn is about 3 weeks older than Allie.)

One Month Old

It's hard to believe Brooklyn is already one month old! We're so glad she's part of our family.

Welcome Home!

She's home and we are loving it! It was nice to wake up today and know there would be no driving to the hospital. We had a good first night at home, and I didn't mind the waking up because it meant that Brooklyn was home!

But, before we went home we actually had our first outing. We had to make a stop at my parents' house for my nephew's blessing. It was a good night and we're glad we were able to make it over for the blessing.  

Going home!

Making a quick stop.

Logan meets Brooklyn.

Glad we were able to make it for Logan's blessing!

We couldn't be happier!! She's home and no more wires or
cords attached. :)

Logan and Brooklyn

Ready for our first night at home!
She's so cuddly!

March 13, 2011

March 13th was the day Brooklyn was actually due. But now March 13th means even more....it's the day that Brooklyn gets to come home! (She was a champion eater and impressed the doctors so they're sending her home!!)

We're so excited! It will be so nice to be able to walk around with her and not have to worry about getting her tangled up in all the lines that have been attached to her for the last 3 1/2 weeks.

Welcome Home Brooklyn!!

Update & More Pics

Brooklyn started eating a few days ago and is doing great. They were going to start her on a minimum of 1/2 oz. and work her way up to full feedings, but if she was hungrier then they would feed her more. Well, let's just say in her first day of eating she ate about 2 oz. at almost every feeding and now she's getting up to 3 and 4 ounces. They are taking out her IV today which has been giving her the nutritional fluid. Then Brooklyn just needs to average a certain amount of food in a 12 hour period for the next 24-48 hours and she can come home!!

Love those little feet!

Mom & Daughter time-love this! (And do you see her curled
hair on top-the nurses did that. Love those nurses.)

I never get tired of this.

Aunt Brittany & Uncle Abell meeting B.

Counting My Blessings

Today when I went in to see Brooklyn I found that we had a new roommate, a very tiny preemie who was born only a week ago and is in one of those incubators. As I sat there and held my sweet Brooklyn I couldn't help but think, "It could be worse." And I thought of this song: 

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

As exhausting as it is to go back and forth to the hospital, I am so blessed to be able to go in and cuddle with my baby. We have been blessed, and Brooklyn has been blessed to not have any serious complications that are going to keep her in NICU for much longer. I am blessed because I have had numerous people tell me if I didn't have a c-section my sweet Brooklyn wouldn't B here, or would've had serious complications. I love this little blessing....all 12 pounds of her!!

Brooklyn is doing so well and we hope to have her home in about a week and a half. She gets to start eating again on Wednesday.  They will start small and work their way back up to full feedings so we don't overwhelm her system and have to go through all of this again.

Brooklyn & Lauren

Brooklyn & Uncle Josh

We love visitors!

Brooklyn & Aunt Crystal (We can't wait for our cousin to get here any day!!)

Brooklyn & Ricki

Brooklyn & Tara

We love getting visitors. So many friendly faces. :)

Cherish the Moments

I'll admit, when I found out our Little B had an infection and was going to be in the hospital longer than expected, I was a little bitter. I can't be with her all day long, I can't hug and kiss her any time I want, etc.  But since then, I have found a lot to be grateful for. 

* We are grateful for the nurses and doctors that are taking good care of Brooklyn and can answer all of our questions. 

* We are grateful that Brooklyn doesn't have any serious health issues that can't be taken care of while she's in the hospital.

* We are grateful that Brooklyn came when she did and not the first time I was admitted to the hospital, 3 weeks earlier.

* We are grateful that Little Miss B won't be in the NICU for as long as other preemies.

* We are grateful this infection was caught while she was still in the NICU. 
  

How can we not be grateful for this little girl? Everyday when I go in to see her I can't help but smile. I get to be her mom and I am so excited! I love you Brooklyn!!

Our Little B is sick

Just when we were starting to think we were in the clear.....

Little Miss B is on antibiotics for the next 7 days. She has an inflammation in her bowels and they can see little gas bubbles in the lining. They have also been doing X-rays on her lower right abdomen and have seen the bubbles in there as well. (There is an actual name for this, but I don't remember what it's called at the moment.) This area is starting to look better, once it is completely cleared up they will be able to start her feedings again after 7 days (give or take a day or two) of that being cleared up. They put a PICC line back in today to give her nutritional IV feedings.

The good news is, Little Miss B is handling this all really well. It looks like they caught the infection early and she isn't having any respiratory problems or having to be on oxygen. (Kenyan and I were joking that maybe she just wanted to come home closer to her actual due date.)

It's hard to believe it was already 2 weeks ago today that she came into this world. It's been physically and emotionally exhausting to have her in the NICU, but we are so grateful for the great care she has received and we love her more and more everyday. And she just gets cuter and cuter everyday. She is truly a gift from God and we are so grateful that He has blessed our lives with her.

My 2 Favorite People

I love these two! And I am one lucky girl to have them both in my life.

Update on Brooklyn: 

We had a little set back yesterday. Brooklyn has come down with some kind of infection. She was throwing up yesterday morning. When the nurse practitioner came to talk to us yesterday she said from her lab results it didn't look like anything serious, just some kind of infection that they've got her started on antibiotics for. They've stopped all her feedings and put her back on an IV with sugar water in it. 

As hard as it his to have her there for a few more days and to delay working on her eating, I'm glad she's able to get treated for this while she's still there. (I know she loves her mom and dad, but maybe she really likes those nurses too-they've been really good to her, we couldn't have asked for better. Maybe I'll just have to take pictures in of her bedroom so she knows what's waiting for her at home.)