We love you Skylar Jean!

Skylar made it to 3 pounds last night!!!

It has been while since we have updated this blog, so sorry. Skylar has done pretty well the last week or two. We did have a little scare with her the day before Christmas Eve. She had a fever most of the day and she could not get comfortable. They ran a bunch of tests, bloodwork and cultures. Everything came back normal, but her xray did show that she obtained a little more fluid in her lungs. The doctors started her back on lasix to help with the fluid in the lungs and they started her on some antibiotics because of her fever. They are giving her a very mild sedative to help her relax and rest because she has become more aware of her breathing tube and she wants it out! Skylar has managed to get her tube out a few times and reintubating is a lot of stress on her. Fortunatly, the last day or so she has been more relaxed and she is catching up on some most needed zzzzs! Skylar is so adorable, I have to admit her weight gain has made her look more and more like a baby with the rounded head and a tiny bit of fat around the arms and belly! Oh she is sooo cute! Ryan and I continue to pray for our little one that she will soon be strong enough to come off the ventalater and be home in Feb! Skylar has amazed us all, she truly is our little fighter and she continues to fight for her life everyday in the NICU..... Heavenly Father has given us a miracle and we couldn't be more blessed to have her here with us.

2 pounds 7 ounces!

Skylar has finally made it to 2 pounds!!!

Skylar weighed 2 lbs 3 ounces last night, what a triumph! The more she gains and grows the better it will be for her lungs. Unfortunatly she is struggling with her lungs, the right side is not expanded very much and there is a lot of scar tissue from the ventalater. The doctors watch her closely and they just make adjustments as needed to help support her lungs and help her breathe. Ryan and I hope that she will graduate off of the ventalater, but it may take some more time. Her lungs are her biggest struggle and sadly they are still so immature. Luckily, she is still fighting away and continues to have a little attitude, that I love. She is our fiesty girl and we are so proud of her. She continues to keep the nurses busy with poopy diapers, that must be changed right away, or she will have a lot to say about it! A few times a week we take turns holding her at night which is the most rewarding thing we do with her. Ryan and I look forward to spending Christmas with her next week and we continue to pray that we will be able to bring her home soon!

Skylars Nursing staff

To Skylar's wonderful nursing staff...Thank you! You truly hold a special place in our hearts for being so good with our little girl. It really makes us feel comfortable when we know you're there with her when we can't be.

(To be continued...we don't have photos of all of her nurses yet :)

More Kangaroo Care photos/ Daddy's turn!

Skylar is 30 weeks today and Friday 4 weeks old!

The last few days Skylar has really been doing well. The doctors took her iv fluids away, (her milk shake and gatorade) and is dependent 100 percent on my milk. Her feedings are up to 16 mls every 3 hours and she has become quit the little pooper!! She is still very small and the doctors are hoping she can gain some more weight and maintain it. She goes up and down, but is staying between the 1lb 13 or 14 ounce range, just shy of 2 pounds!! Skylar has also discovered that laying on her belly is very comfortable, she loves it! She looks so cute too! Last night Ryan was able to hold his little girl for the first time and it was an awesome experience. She did so well and seems to be a daddy's girl!! She loves him. He was able to hold her for about 2 hours and he loved every minute of it! Holding our little girl has been amazing, it is truly an instant bond for all 3 of us. To feel her move on us and to smell her hair is the best. We definetly look forward to holding her and hope to do it almost every night. Skylar is such an amazing little person, she is so strong and we look forward to celebrating her one month birthday with her this Friday!

Day 23

Tonight was unbelievable...so surreal to finally be able to hold our little girl Skylar! Ill let Jourdan explain in another post...but as a brand new Dad, I felt GREAT  just watching the nurses lay Skylar carefully on Jourdan. It was the best feeling in the world having her out of her isolette, kissing her and watching her sleep on her Mommy. I just stared in amazement the entire time. You can definitely see the special bond between mom and daughter. Wow! We posted some pictures of Mom and Skylar tonight for everyone to enjoy. Some are blurry and dark but it was important to keep the lights low and the flash off during her first kangaroo care.

Happy 3 week Birthday, Skylar!!!!

Our little baby girl is 3 weeks old today and we are so excited! She has beaten so many odds already and she continues to do well. The last few days have been pretty good, there hasn't been too many big set backs, so we are very happy. Her stats are staying within norm for her premie body and she is tolerating the new ventalater very well. She just started taking Albuterol which will open up her airways. At first she was irritated by it and moving around all over the place, unable to just sleep, but she is getting used to it and finding some rest. When her diaper is dirty or her breathing tube needs to be suctioned she tells her nurses by dropping her oxygen or raising her heart rate. It makes me nervous when she does this, but it is her way of letting the nurses know she is uncomfortable. I love that she demands a clean diaper at all times.....who wouldn't??? Everytime we are with her we learn a little more about her personality. Skylar continues to have a fiesty attitude, which we love, and she is so adorable to look at. She doesn't like too much noise or light. The darker and quieter it is the better she is. She doesn't like to be messed with too much, but she will let us hold her toes or hands. Ryan and I both just love letting her grip our finger, it is always very hard to leave her when she has a good grip. Spending time with her is the best time of the day for Ryan and I. The NICU has just become another area in our home, so to speak. Thankfully we are able to go and be with her all day all night if we want. The staff is great and we love knowing someone is there when we aren't.
We look forward to the days to come and we pray she will continue to grow and develop normally. Her lungs are her biggest battle, but she is so strong and we know our baby girl is going to hang in there. It is hard watching her start out life this way, but we are just so happy that she has made it and we look forward to the day when we can take her home!

December 1st 2009

It's a new month for our precious little girl and just 3 days away from her 3 week birthday. She is our precious little angel but we are often told by the Nicu staff that she is fiesty and stubborn. Having an attitude is what gives her the will to live and all the love she has around her, of course! Tomorrow will be a big day for her because the doctors are removing her chest tube. Ryan and I are keeping our fingers crossed, being that this is the second time they removed the tube and the first time it had to go right back in because the hole re opened in just an hour. On a less scary note, she is growing fast and is just short of 2 pounds. She started sucking her thumb a little today and it was adorable!!!. Oh and she has had some big poos. Only mom and dad could be so proud of such big poos. Her feedings are every 3 hours at 6 mls. So tomorrow is another day and we look forward to watching Skylar grow. She is truly our little miracle and we couldn't be happier.