Sunday, September 21, 2008

And Now For the Good News!!

Okay, okay... so mom and dad had a rough week.... enough with the snivelling from us... I know the real reason anyone reads this blog is for the Avery news :)

Apparently, Avery didn't get the Memo that we were going to have a bad week this week, and ended up having a great one! She has not only done well on the human milk fortifier this time around...she's been doing great! The past week, she's gained anywhere from 1- 2.2 oz per day!! That's a lot for someone who only weighs a few ounces to begin with! As of her weighing last night, she weighs 4 lbs 2.2 oz... which more than doubles her dainty birth-weight of 1 lb. 15 oz.!! Steph attributes the great weight gain to all the skin-to-skin holding time she's been getting in...which I'll totally buy in to. There is nothing more right than the sight of that little girl nuzzled up to Stephanie's chest. We're pretty sure that we can actually watch her put on the grams when she's skin-to-skin! So, I think that I know what sport I am going to enroll her in first...
(this is a picture we took of her the night she hit 4 lbs...)

Another huge step is that she's been moved from an isolet into an open crib. To do that, she had to be able to keep her own body temp. regulated without the isolet...and she passed the little trial period, during which they kept the isolet on hand, just in case. So, she's a big kid now, in a normal open crib like you see in the well-baby nursuries (or what we like to call "fat baby nursuries")!! It's nice, because when we first came into the NICU, all the "older" babies were in open-cribs, and then, they went home. Back then, it seemed so far away...but now, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.


I just saw online that the Emmys were tonight...which totally gave us some perspective- because Steph NEVER misses an awards show! We have been a little caught up with life lately (and we actually don't even have cable in our apartment at all...)Of course, someday, life will come back to some semblance of normal (I know...all of you with kids are itching to correct me when I say things like that ;) ).. but life tends to bring you to points where only one or two things CAN even matter to you... and though it seems even more draining than when you're focusing on the normal hundred things in life... it's nice. So, instead of watching the red-carpet tonight...listening to the reporters ask all the stars "Who are you wearing???"... we got to actually dress our little star up in her first outfit!
("Avery...who are you wearing??? - Carters, of course!)

Another big step is that at her last eye exam, the doctor said that she was in the clear when it comes to worrying about ROP, and that she had mature eyes- her retinas are attached. So, that's awesome. So, her eyes are not only super cute... they are as functional as they would be normally at this point. No worries, though...she still does the cross-eyed thing, which still freaks Steph out!

So... other stats, she's 7 weeks old, as of Friday. She's just about 16.5 inches long. She's completely on room air. She bottle feeds 3 times a day...or she's allowed to anyway. Half the time, she does well...half the time, she takes about 10 ccs, and then falls asleep or starts spitting it out. So...it's a slower go on that front...but that's really her next big hurdle before she can come home.

All in all...we are still so grateful at how blessed we are. She's such a pleasant little sweetheart, and she's doing so well. Despite all the things that keep coming our way outside the NICU...as long as things keep going well in there...it's more than we could ever ask for...





Enjoy this week's slideshow!

24 comments:

Brady and Taryn said...

Wow! She really did have an amazing week! 4 lbs. AND an open crib!!! Way to go Aves! Love her chubby cheeks, and love you guys!

Kylie said...

We are SO glad that she is doing so well! Way to be! Keep it up. She'll be home before you know it!

mandy harline said...

WOW!! Avery lookes FABULOUS!!!! Love the chunkies!

Katie said...

She's amazing guys! Congrats on all the good--GREAT news. :)

Kim said...

Wow, congratulations on 4 lbs! I will always remember how excited I was when our son moved to the crib!

Allie and Fam said...

That was an awesome week for you guys!! Avery gets cuter and cuter every day... we just love going to see what new things will happen day after day in the NICU!

The Wheelers said...

alright! she is doing amazing! hope you have a good week!

Jim and Jess said...

She's looking SO good!! Even has a little bit of chubbiness to her cheeks now. Hooray!! What a darling little girl. I'm SO glad to hear (read) the good report!!

Dukes said...

Congrats to Avery! I'm so glad she is doing so well. That is quite the accomplishment to have already doubled her birth weight! Way to go!

Unknown said...

Is it possible for a 4 pound baby to have cute little chubby cheeks?!! I wouldn't have thought so, but she sure does! She is so cute!

Unknown said...

Man, little Avery is putting on some serious pounds! I can't believe how much she has filled out in the past couple of weeks. So great!

Kathleen said...

She looks SOOOO grown up!! I love to see her in the little outfit..CUTE!

Sus said...

She TOTALLY looks chubby in that last picture. If a 4 pound baby can look chubby, I suddenly feel better for looking chubby. :)

nana and atom said...

she is so precious. i'm so happy for you guys! it's great to be able to keep tabs on you through your blog... i haven't seen you guys in ages! and you both look amazing and avery is darling.

Heather C. said...

Steph,
I cannot believe how big she is getting. I am glad everything is going so well. I miss you. Take care.
Heather

Court said...

man you have people commenting up the wazzoooo on this blog! I love the news the blog, the pictures, everything! Avery is already above 4 pounds, that is so so good ry and steph! She is coming home so soon! I can't believe how time flies by so so fast! Love you guys so so much, don't forget about me

Unknown said...

She's looking GREAT!!! Her little hats just keep fitting better and better and she just looks like this pudgy, cute (she's always been cute) little baby! She'll be joining the family dinners in no time. Woo hoo!

Waggoner Family said...

Avery is so beautiful! I am so glad that she is doing so well! I hope you all have a great week!!
Robyn in Oklahoma
REWDesigns@cox.net

Jenni Hinckley said...

We are so glad everything with Avery is going so well. We love looking at all the cute little pictures of her! Miss you guys!

melbel said...

Hey, this is Melanie (my maiden name is Messick - from high school, although you probably knew my sis Tiff). Anyway, I got word of your story and can't believe you had your sweet baby at 26 weeks!! I had my first little girl, Emily, at 29 weeks and she will turn 4 in December (yet she was due in March - crazy!). Anyway, I know what it's like to faithfully pump (that's when we bought a deep freezer) and visit the hospital daily and not be able to bring your little girl home every night...but hang in there! IT WILL END and you will get to be at-home parents soon enough. People are amazed at Emily being such a premie because she doesn't look or act like it at all! Anyway, you guys are doing a great job at keeping up the optimism...sometimes that's all you can do! (ps My advice: Ask for a couple of the tiny diapers she wore when she was first born - you will WOW people when you show them what she fit in and how small she actually was!)
Sorry so long! melbelmiller at gmail.com

StephNyd said...

Steph, your little one is doing so great. I'm so happy for you. Then this next part is for your hubby Ryan. Hi Ryan, my name is Stephanie. I grew up with Steph in Sandy. Just wanted to let you know that I sent an e-mail out to 30 people asking if they would vote for steph for the baby bump contest and then my aunt forwarded it to another 20 people. So I hope Steph gets a lot of votes and that she wins this contest. She deserves something fun to happen since you guys have been through so much these past 7 weeks. Just thought I would drop a note to you. We are crossing our fingers that she can have her dream nursery for your sweet little girl.
Steph Davis Nydegger

KolyerandCorrie said...

OK so I hope this is not creepy for you guys but I enjoy so much looking at your blog and keeping up on your darling little baby. To let you know kind of who I am... I am Shanes Jacksons sister inlaw, I am married to Kendras brother. Anyway I just had a new baby she is six weeks old today. Shane told me about your story and so I have been hooked on your blog wondering how she is doing. So I hope all continue to goes well she is beautiful and your both so very lucky.

Jen said...

holy 22 (now 23) comments. you guys are SO popular! :) well, we are so excited for you guys! avery is just the cutest little thing EVER and she is doing so well its amazing. what a blessing...a little miracle from an extremely gracious Heavenly Father. we miss you guys a ton and love being able to keep in touch through blogs (even though you never make comments on ours :)) j/k by the way, i will not disagree with you, i think things go back to "normal" a few months after having a kid...never the same but more normal than the previous couple of months. its the new normal! :) love you guys
the browns

Amanda Green Englund said...

Way to go Avery! I'm pretty excited about Steph missing her first awards show too. Both great accomplishments! =)