10 weeks! (38 weeks)...almost there !

Another week down and we truly thought and hoped Cora would be home with us this week.  This has been an emotional journey but I'm finding these recent days and last weeks are some of the hardest being so close to bringing her home.  At the end of last week the doctors were wanting to see more progress with her bottle feeding or else they might have to pursue a different game plan. Luckily, Cora heard them talking and took a big step forward over the weekend.  So much so, they even removed her feeding tube!  I think this was the second time to see her face without anything on it and I just loved it. Those little features, so perfect, so beautiful.

We saw the doctor during our Sunday visit and she told us if Cora continued to do well, we might be able to take her home on Monday.  Monday! That was tomorrow.  You can imagine our excitement but I know too that it wasn't a done deal and it meant Cora would have to get through all her night feedings, so I didn't want to hold my breath.  It's common for the discharge day to be a moving target and things change from one day to the next.  Early that morning when I looked at the video cam, I noticed the tube was back in so my heart sank.  She was too tired to complete her last two feedings but still did more than 50% of those bottles so overall, huge progress for our little peanut!  We have to remember that while we so badly want to her to get there, she has shown us time and time again that she goes at her own pace (something she will constantly remind us in years to come I'm sure)

Cora had other good news too passing her car seat test (they monitor her while sitting in it for an hour and half to make sure she has no breathing episodes).  And her 3rd eye exam also went well and all is looking good for her gestational age.  Hopefully only one more in a couple weeks.  

So here we are just waiting...hopefully not too much longer! 

{ Day 67 }

6/24/15

{ Day 68 } 

6/25/15

{ Day 69 } 

6/26/15

{ Day 70 }

6/27/15

{ Day 71 } 

6/28/15

No feeding tube!

{ Day 72 } 

6/29/15

the car seat is ready and waiting...

This last weekend we decided to do something fun for Joslin and ventured to a local children's museum, Pretend City...such a cute place complete with a pretend world fit for a kid including grocery shop, garden, beach, library, gas station, dentist/doctor office etc. 

she may not like eating tomatoes but she sure loved picking them

9 weeks! (37 weeks)

Happy 9 weeks to our growing peanut!  Another week has come and gone and no major changes. With each week we get hopeful for Cora's homecoming but it looks like we'll be waiting a bit longer. She got through her shots and all her tests last week with no problem and her focus is to still improve on her bottle feedings.  She hasn't made much progress and while the doctors aren't concerned yet, they'd like to start seeing an improvement in this next week.  In order for us to go home, she has to complete 48 hours of feedings solely on the bottle without having to use her feeding tube.  If the tube is needed, the count starts over.  Right now she will finish or partially finish a few bottles with some breast feeding throughout the day but is not consistent.  We are praying she hits her stride this week!

One thing Cora does excel at is gaining weight and continues to pack on the pounds...she officially reached 7 lbs today!!  It's amazing to look back and see how far she's come in these past 2 months.  It's a weird thought to think about 37 weeks and this being when Joslin was born...we brought her home at just over 5 lbs so Cora is already wanting to one-up her big sister!     

We enjoyed celebrating Father's Day and giving our daddy lots of love.  Joe has certainly been a rock through all this and has worn many hats including playing Mr. Mom when I couldn't.  I am so grateful for his strength and support, Happy Father's Day from all your girls. 

{ Day 59 }

6/16/15

 { Day 60 }

6/17/15

{ Day 61 }

6/18/15

Happy 2 months baby girl!

someone loves bath time 

(note the sign in the background...makes you think twice about your cell phone!)

{ Day 62 } 

6/19/15

Another bed upgrade...I think it's time to go home if they give you a real crib

{ Day 63 } 

6/20/15

{ Day 64 } 

6/21/15

Happy Father's Day to one amazing daddy! 

 

{ Day 65 } 

6/22/15

cheeeeeeeeeeks

{ Day 66 } 

6/23/15

8 weeks! (36 weeks)

Patience is a virtue they say.  Well mine is sure being tested and I'm ready for my baby girl to be home. As the docs say...'we are the tortoise not the hare'....'slow and steady'....'soon'.... and while this may be true, I can't help but get anxious!  Cora is now 8 weeks old - where did the last 2 months go?! It's gone by so fast but yet seems to be dragging in these last few weeks as she works to meet her milestones to go home.  No big changes this past week as Cora just continues to try and master the bottle.  She is still nippling around 50% meaning she'll do about half of her feedings in the bottle and the other times she is a little too tired and they have to use the feeding tube for the remainder.  She is getting more coordinated in her skills but seems to get tuckered out pretty quick.  At only 36 weeks gestation, she is right on target and we have to remember she is doing so much for her young age so we continue to wait..and wait...and wait some more.  I've never been so excited to have sleepless nights but I'm ready to take them on!

In between our daily visits we've had other fun life happenings too, first with the big news I get to be an Auntie to a new baby GIRL...congrats to my sis and her hubby! So excited to have another girl in the family, these cousins are going to be best of friends. Bring on the dresses, drama and dance recitals!  And this past weekend we also celebrated Joe's birthday, Cora made a special card for her daddy, already doing arts and crafts ;)  Happy 34th to my man! 

Up this week:  Eye exam #3 (already complete and everything looked great!), shots (likely to tire her out even more) and a possible follow up head scan (routine).  

Here's to hoping the next update will include a prospective going home date, fingers crossed!
And a sincere thank you for the continued prayers and support, we are so blessed.  

{ Day 51 }

6/8/15 

close up of the cheeks and rolls making an appearance!  

still itty bitty...don't let the cheeks fool you

The hospital has many volunteers who provide blankets and other items and this little knit hat and blanket are just a few we've seen, so sweet.  

{ Day 52 } 

6/9/15

{ Day 53 }

6/10/15

{ Day 54 } 

6/11/15

you will notice this has become a favorite face 

{ Day 55 }

6/12/15

{ Day 56 } 

6/13/15

again with the face...and the cheeks...and the chin...i can't handle all the cuteness

{ Day 57 } 

6/14/15

tiny fingers, tiny toes 

sadly I failed at capturing a good family bday photo but here's Joe and his first little love 

{ Day 58 } 

6/15/15

7 weeks!

Cora is now 35 weeks per her gestational age, it's hard to believe!  This last week in her 34th week, she made some big strides with the start of bottle feedings and being upgraded to new sleeping quarters from the isolate to an open crib!! This same week in utero her central nervous system and lungs would still be maturing...talk about amazing to see all that happen outside the body when she's not even supposed to be breathing oxygen yet.  Cora has also packed on the pounds and is now double her birth weight!  This babe sure doesn't look like a preemie anymore.

I'm excited to see what this week will bring and am hopeful she will be home soon...this mama is getting antsy!

{ Day 42 } 

5/30/15

Lots of action for miss Cora with a visit from big sister, bath time and snuggles!

all clean and giving her best 'blue steel' face

{ Day 43 } 

5/31/15

{ Day 44 } 

6/1/15

I spy a double chin!!  Love watching new rolls appear!

{ Day 46 }

6/3/15

Open crib day, hooray!  

this girl gets the best view! 

{ Day 47 }

6/4/15

so in love with this sweet face! 

{ Day 48 } 

6/5/15

{ Day 49 }

6/6/16

showing off her extra digits...gotta love those strong family genes.

{ Day 50 }

6/7/15

And on the Joss front, well she keeps us busy, distracted and smiling everyday.  She had another big weekend as well with her first haircut (yes, she's almost 3 and mama finally got up the guts to part with a couple centimeters) and her first taste of s'mores as we initiated summer soaking up some California beauty with a beach bonfire.