Finally settling in

Yes, it has been a while since this update but we have a good excuse. Allison is doing great but she does take a lot of our attention, probably since we don't have the nurses to oversee any longer...

Home Sweet Home!

Wow, what a week! It has been so wonderful having Allie home now! She is doing great and loving every minute of being with her family. The transition to home went very smooth. It was hard to say goodbye to our friends at the NICU, but we promised to stay in touch and visit.

We've had a busy week of doctor's appointments, nursing home visits and settling Allie in. Big brother Boomer is curious about Allie and peeks in her crib to check up on her now and then.

Last night we went for our first family walk and Allie enjoyed getting fresh air. She is also quite the night owl (must get that from Papa Shepard!) but enjoys long afternoon naps. Grammy Karen came over yesterday to help out and loved holding Allie for the first time. Mom and Dad appreciated a little break too!

We are so grateful and happy to have her home!

Homecoming!

Today was the day we have dreamed of for so long. After over 100+ days in the NICU, Allison can now go home! We are scheduled to discharge on Sunday and we'll finally get to bring our little munchkin home!
Allie will be coming home on her oxygen canula for probably a few weeks till she gets a little bigger and she'll have a respiratory therapist follow her progress at home.
Allie is now 6lbs 13oz and loving every minute of her meals (thus her cute chubby cheeks!)
Words cannot describe the feeling of relief to know that the end of our journey is near and we can move forward now with our little angel at home.

Bon appétit!

Hello my friends and family,

It is tricky trying to climb out of that crib!!!! I've been a busy girl this week. I finally got to bottle and breastfeed and am doing quite well with it. Right now they let me do it twice daily and will increase it over the next week. I'm still waiting for some Nestle Quik though!

This week I also had my development assessment by the occupational and physical therapists. Everything is on track and my muscle tone is very good. They are pleased with my strength and movement. Hmmm.....must be that new ab roller I got! I also had a follow up appointment with the eye doctor and they noted that my surgery went well and I should be all set.

I am much more awake now and love to cuddle and take baths - they are my favorite. I'm also making a lot more noises. The nurses still like to dress me up and play fashion show...I had to tell them no make-up though.

It is so exciting to hear the doctors discuss me coming home. I just need to take all my feedings via mouth and pretty much that's it. My breathing is progressing too. I'm still on the canula, but at a very low volume of oxygen, probably not too much longer with that! Hopefully over the next two weeks I should be able to come home with Mom and Dad and big brother Boomer!

Thank you for praying for me and keeping me in your thoughts.

Love, Allie

Lots of R & R!

Whew!!! It took a long time for Allison to recover from the anesthesia given on Wednesday for her surgery. She went back on the respirator for breathing support during the surgery and stayed on after during recovery. Allie was pretty groggy for a few days and just took her time relaxing and catching up on some sleep. The doctors told us that each baby reacts differently to being put under, so we just waited and waited. Finally, Friday night she snapped out of it and transitioned back to her usually self....Miss Fiesty!

Things are back on track now, Allie is 6lbs 3oz and on a straight canula now. The next step will be feeding her this week. She likes her pacifier a lot, so hopefully that will go well. She has taken a new liking to her musical, light-up, moving, rainforest crib entertainment center and has decided that she no longer likes the "princess" mobile as she starts crying every time we turn it on! Allie is now responding much more to our voices and smiles like crazy! It is so heartwarming!

We are counting down the days until she can come home, hopefully within a couple of weeks. The nursery is now complete and we're just finishing up a few minor touches...all we now is Allie!

Successful surgery.......

It's been a long day but we're so grateful everything is well with Allison. Allison is regularly seen by a pediatric ophthalmologist to monitor her eye development. One of the complications that preemies sometimes face is retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) which involves issues with the retina and development of blood vessels in the eyes. On Tuesday the doctor noticed that her eyes had taken a negative turn and suggested laser surgery immediately. www.ropard.org gives a full definition.

Fortunately Royal Oak Beaumont is recognized as the top facility in the world to have this type of surgery done - apparently babies are sent here from all over the world for this surgery, so we're very fortunate to have this resource right here.

Allison had a very successful surgery. The procedure took about 2 hours start to finish and only involved lasers. She had to be put under anesthesia, but tolerated it well. The doctor figured this would be the only surgery necessary and it will hopefully take care of the issues. She should have normal vision or perhaps might have to wear glasses for nearsightedness. Thank goodness!

On another great note....Allie is off of her CPAP and is now on a nasal canula 24 hours a day....this is a HUGE step for her as she can now start to bottle/breast feed hopefully in a couple days! We look forward to her progressing even more over the next few weeks and just can't wait to have her home in our arms!

Thank you to all for your continued prayers, e-mails and calls for Allie.

3 months old!

It's hard to believe that Allie turned 3 months yesterday! She's is now 6lbs 4oz and growing! The doctor's have actually cut back her calories since she's now on track for her weight gain. She is progressing well with her breathing. Allie continues to have 6 hour canula sessions twice a day and then alternates CPAP and the canula for the other time. We found out that Allie is also very ticklish and puts on a big smile when you tickle her feet! She is a wonderful baby and we're so happy she's doing well. She's been named the "NICU Queen" as she has been in the NICU longer that any other baby at this time!