Adalyn Update! (Long) And Pics! 5/17

DrRx · May 2012

Adalyn has been home now for 3 weeks and it's just been super busy! Like a NB, the schedule has been "Eat, sleep, poop. Repeat". She was sent home on oxygen, an apnea monitor, and a pulse ox. For the first 2 weeks, DH and I just took shifts and let her stay in the living room (since that's where the big oxygen tank is). However, the last week or so, she's been sleeping longer stretches of time, and not needing oxygen all the time, so we moved her to the bedroom when we sleep and have the portable tank available.

She's had a few pedi appointments already (always gaining weight) and has an opthamologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, and another pedi appointment in the next 10 days!

She also had her EI (Early Intervention) appointment last week and as expected she is "delayed" in many areas since they have to compare her to 3-month old babies who are born at full-term. For example, she isn't "oohing" and "aahing" or putting her hands on the bottle when she feeds. However, she did score really well in the Cognitive section--just as well as 3-month olds-- since she is tracking objects and recognizes different people's faces and voices. So, she is in essence "ahead" in this since because of her adjusted age at being born so early she should be doing things that NBs do.

At that appointment last week she was up to 6 pounds 14 ounces, and I'm SURE that she's over 7 pounds already. She is still in NB clothes, but will soon outgrow them! Her official due date was last week.

We still have some problems with feeding her as far as her bradying down and desatting, but it's gotten better. She doesn't need as much oxygen when she eats, and she doesn't have these "episodes" every time either. Our pedi told us to put some rice cereal in her formula to thicken it since he thought that part of the problem was reflux during her feed and it being thin would cause her to choke. Also, she would want to eat more than her max allowed, and the rice cereal helps her feel full. Also, it has iron, and since she is anemic, it helps. (She can't have over a certain amount of fluid because of her lung issue). So far adding the little bit of rice cereal has REALLY helped a lot, and as long as she keeps gaining weight, we're just chugging along.

She loves tummy time and has no problem turning her head from side to side. She also kicks her legs back and forth, like she wants to crawl. DH thinks that she will start crawling next week, but I tell him that it's more likely to happen in about 6 months! She doesn't wake up when the dogs bark or the TV is blaring--I guess 1 good thing from all the monitors in the NICU was that she is used to noise. She loves it when we go for walks outside, especially when I wear her in the moby wrap. You wouldn't believe it, but it is possible to wear her with all the wires. Smile

I go back to work in 3 weeks, but I'm only working 5 days in a 2 week period (still considered FT). That will leave me with a lot of time with Adalyn, and when DH goes back in July, we'll still have 1 day off each week as a family together. The other days one of us will stay home with Adalyn.

I'm almost done with the nursery. All the furniture is assembled and all that is left is for me to put up the wall art. I'll post an update on the nursery later this week or next once it's done.

Here are some pics of Adalyn. That girl has rarely worn the same outfit twice. She has lots of people who LOVE to dress her up, and I have yet to purchase a single outfit!

babydawson · May 2012

She is so precious. Did you ever think you would be so knowledgeable about all this medical stuff? You are going to be able to tell her some great stories when she is older!

blueshamrock7 · May 2012

It sounds like she is doing really well!!! I love the pictures... that close up of her with her cute little chubby cheeks is awesome!! It is hard to believe she is 3 months old. She is a little miracle.