NICU Day 46 (January 22nd)

Noelle had another really good day, and it was a day full of new "firsts" and milestones.  She still is doing really well on her cannula, and they were able to remove her PICC line tonight.  Hooray!!!  It is another set of lines that disappears from her bedside, and we love it.   We walked in today and found out our nurse had been quite busy (she is the nurse that Noelle has had the most since being born, and we have become quite attached to her...she takes care of Noelle just as if she were her own little baby!!).  We peeked into her bed, and she was dressed!!  Yes, the outfit swallowed her, but it was so cute; and you can already tell that she is much more comfortable being snuggled up in clothes.  After that, we got to take her out and try feeding her by bottle, and she took it like a champ!!  In fact, when she was done and we put the pacifier back in her mouth, she kept sucking on it really hard looking for more.  She also got her first bath tonight and had mixed emotions on that one, but she settled right down once she was clean and snuggled back in for the night.  It was fun to do normal parenting things with her today.  She did drop some weight again so she's back to about 1 lb. 5 oz. or so, and we're praying that she really starts growing soon and putting on weight.  Her echocardiogram from today showed that her heart function was much improved, but the pulmonary hypertension is still present and could take some time to heal.  Still, it is a huge praise that there has been so much improvement and that she could come off the heart medication.  We are so thankful to God for each milestone that we pass and each bump that we hurdle.  It seems there are so many issues that we still have to watch for that only time will tell, and yet we know that God will see her through those just as He has with those she has already overcome.  We cannot thank you enough for your continued prayers even through these good days.  We need them just as much as before and are so grateful to see God continuing to work in and through our family.