Day 91 - Tuesday, October 23 - The first day of clothes!!

Kathryn is now up to 3 pounds, 2 ounces and her feeds are up to 24 ccs (30 ccs is an ounce, so big girl is now sucking down the food!!) Boy were we surprised to find that they removed her PICC line today!!! They waste no time in removing what she doesn't need anymore. And speaking of moving what she doesn't need anymore - I'd like to share a picture with you of the empty space where her jet ventilator used to live!! They left it with her for the last week, but today when we got there, it was gone!! I never knew what this area near her bed looked like because it was always blocked by a huge breathing machine!!

I also held Kathryn today again while they gave her a new condo. The kids get new beds each week, so they figured that if someone needed to hold her, why not mom!! And it was my first solo hold without the machine telling me of her heart rate and sats because they have to disconnect her from the monitor. She was still hooked to the ventilator, but they told me that the only way to know if she was doing ok was to look at her to see if she looked ok and not rely on the beeps and buzzers.

How do you moms do that and not know if they are dropping their sats or having an apnea or a brady?? I am just kidding - but that just gives you a taste of the fact that moms of NICU babies have a whole different set of problems to concern themselves with, over and above the general concerns of having a baby at home!! I think I will be elated when they tell us she can come home and I also think I will be scared to death (and keep in mind that I have already raised one, but this is a lot different). Anyway, here's the picture of me and my girls!!

And last, but not least, they let Kathryn wear clothes for the first time today!! This dress was given to Madelyn by the Northside Hospital NICU ladies guild when Maddie was a 3 pounder!! So I thought it would be fitting that this is Kathryn's first outfit she wears!! Doesn't she look beautiful??

Eat your heart out infant boys!! (Of course, Kathryn already has an older man waiting on her - Maddie and her boyfriend, Alex, have decided that Kathryn and Alex's baby brother, Jacob, can also get married!!) Jacob is only 2 days older than Kathryn - his mom and I were in the hospital together just a few rooms apart. Course, won't that work out wonderful for the holidays - both of the girls will have the same inlaws and Greg and I like them a lot, so it works out great all around!!

Please continue to pray for Kathryn, Dr. Mena, Dr. Dicarlo, and Dr. Strange and all of our fabulous nurses!!! Also, keep in your prayers some friends of ours - the Jowers. They have really faced some tough family struggles with health lately and Greg and I are praying vigilantly for them!! I am sure that they would not mind a few extra prayers!!

Kelly