Closer to Home

I thought I would have time before now to update but it just hasn't happened. It will happen eventually, I'm just enjoying time with our little girl! I wasn't sure I would ever get to say that so I'm soaking it all up.

The good news is that Hannah Kate was transferred to Ithaca today!!!!  I'd say that is a pretty big two week birthday present :). We started hearing rumors last week that Hannah might be transferred to Ithaca once she reached 1500 grams. This was exciting and stressful at the same time because she would be going from a highly regarded level 4 NICU to a community hospital with a level 2 NICU. We went and saw the NICU yesterday and met with the Neonatologist and felt a lot better. It is very small, but the doctor gave us a very good feeling about their abilities. Well, today she rode on an ambulance with a nurse and a respiratory therapist all the way from Syracuse! We couldn't go with her, but we were able to see her when she got to the hospital. She was wide awake and looking around. They told us that she is now 3 lbs 6 oz (1540 grams) and that they are going to increase her feeding today to 16 ml.

 Trying to suck on her fingers/IV board. 

A shot from above. She is starting to figure out her binky, so hopefully it will make learning the suck/swallow/breathe pattern easier when she starts to feed. We are ready to get rid of  her IV.

We still have a long road ahead. She needs to learn to eat (rather than a feeding tube), maintain her temperature, things like that. We've heard it could be anywhere from her due date (8 more weeks) to around 36 weeks before she can come home. It all depends on how well she does. Regardless, we are happy she is in a good place and that we will get to see her for longer periods of time.

Now that she is in Ithaca we will get to see her after dinner and I can't wait! I can start driving on Monday and then they will get sick of seeing my face :).

Quick Update

Since this is also our family journal, I think I'm going to start posting regular NICU updates, and post-dating the ones that are for earlier days. I will eventually post Hannah's birth story but it will be long. It involves hospitalization, an ambulance ride to a bigger city, preeclampsia, placental abruption, emergent C-section with Daddy on the way, a seizure and a long NICU stay.  To say this has been a crazy and sometimes deja vu experience would be true. The good news is Hannah Kate was born breathing on her own and hasn't had breathing issues so far. She has lots to learn in other areas, but you have to be thankful for the blessings. Here's a picture from yesterday. It was a stressful one mostly because I'm exhausted and hormonal :). But, this little girl melts my heart and I cherish the time she can be out of the isolette.

She's here!!!!!

Hannah Katherine is here!

Her arrival was early (30 weeks) and very eventful. Right now she is doing well and we are so thankful. Details to come...