Happy New Year!!!

While in the midst of catching up on posts, we could not miss out on wishing you a Happy New Year today!  We are incredibly grateful to God for all that He has done for us through this past year as grace has truly been outpoured on us in ways I never dreamed imaginable.  His ways are truly better than ours, and we are so thankful to see His demonstration of grace in our lives.  This is a time when I cannot help but look back and remember what we were doing only a short twelve months ago.  On this day last year, we experienced a fairly good NICU day in the midst of what would be some of the most difficult and life threatening days we would ever experience with Noelle while in the NICU.  Each day was a long and tedious struggle through those first weeks, but the weeks surrounding Christmas and the early New Year were especially trying; and God both tested and strengthened our faith during those heart wrenching moments of hanging between life and death with our precious girl.  Today, while life is a far cry from those days, it still feels as if we live only steps from the NICU; and I still find myself going through a type of withdrawal, remembering incredibly hard and yet precious times spent in that scary and yet wonderful place.  It was scary because of the situation.  It was wonderful because of the people.  So as we wish every one of you a very happy new year, we again say a special thank you to our dear FMC NICU family who has made it possible for us to take the above family picture today.  God gave us an extra special blessing in you. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Days #16 & 17}

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Day #16 & 17

Topic: Noelle
Title: The Birthday Book & Precious Relationships

{If you are new to this challenge, you can catch up on the details here, and please feel free to join along at any time...}

~Developing the Book Cover~

Day #16: The Birthday Book

We want to say a special thank you to each of those who took the time and love to write a note or letter for Noelle's birthday book.  We are in the process of answering each one of you; but in the meantime, we wanted to attempt an expression of just how much this means to us.  Our desire is for Noelle to one day understand how God's grace has been absolutely lavished on her little life, since the moment of conception.  We know that He has a plan and purpose for her, and this book is yet another snapshot of just that.  Since she will have no memories of all that has taken place through the past year, this book will serve as a piece of tangible evidence to her of God's grace and the love and prayers of so many people.  We are beyond blessed to have had your faithful prayers through these many months, and the submissions for this book are simply an extension of all the thoughts and prayers through this past year.  "Thank you" is hardly enough, but it seems that it is the most we can say at times.  Whether or not you had the time to be a part of this project, if you have spent any time praying or doing an act of kindness for us, we truly appreciate your impact on the life of our family.  Thank you.

~The Book In Progress~

Day #17: Precious Relationships
I could spend days listing individuals whom we have met along this journey and tell stories of all they have done for us, and someday I do hope to be able to individually thank them.  But as I scroll through the memories of person after person who touched our lives, the list seems to grow longer and longer, overwhelming me with God's goodness and the efforts of so many to aid the life of one so very small.  I can truly say that I would not trade this past year if it meant that I would never know these individuals.  Some are doctors and nurses; others belong to the news crew.  Some cleaned the floors and emptied the trash in Noelle's space each day, while yet others wrote us notes and prayed from around the world.  Many we have met face to face, and others we have not.  But all of them have become friends, some even very close.  They have walked with us, cried with us, laughed and shared joy with us, and supported us; and when coupled with the relationships we have already treasured for years ~now grown closer through this trial~ I find that our lives have been abundantly blessed.  God was so gracious to give us not only our sweet baby but also the new friendships and deepening of old friendships which we have received through this experience.

***Bob Buckley with our local FOX 8 news station will be doing another update, airing on Tuesday, November 20th during the 10:00 evening news hour (previous reports may be see here).  If you would like to watch it live and are not local, you may watch the livestream here.  A special report on the FMC NICU will be aired tomorrow night during the 10:00 evening news hour to show some of the results of the fabulous work these people do each day.  Links will be provided after the stories air if you are unable to watch them live.***

Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Day #14}

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Day #14

Topic: Noelle
Title: A Special Letter

{If you are new to this challenge~which is not your typical Thanksgiving challenge, you can catch up on the details here, and please feel free to join along at any time...}

As the submissions for Noelle's birthday book have been arriving in our inbox, it has been humbling for me to once again be reminded of how many people have loved and prayed so earnestly for our little girl.  Some are friends from years past, others for only a short time.  They hail from all corners of the globe; and there are many whom we have never met face to face, but the miracle of Noelle and the bond of Christ have created a connection.  Whether a short note of prayer or a long letter filled with memories, each submission is precious to us as we create this memory book that is so dear to our hearts.  I have realized that this book is not for Noelle alone, not even for our family alone.  These notes and letters, written with careful thought and much love, are a reminder of God's continuing miracles and grace in this life.  So as some have requested, we will be sharing the submissions from time to time so that all may be encouraged by them.  We truly appreciate each and every one and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the time and love you have so graciously poured into this effort.  Tonight, I share one that we received today that immediately transported me back to the moment Noelle was born and the incredible uncertainty mixed with both joy and sorrow that were felt that day.  As I read this, tears filled my eyes and clogged my throat, and I was reminded once again of the amazing grace and miracle that God granted to us.  We are so very blessed...

Birthday Book Submission from Christina Burton, RN (FMC NICU):

~Christie & Christina (Our OR NICU nurses) holding Noelle on Discharge Day~

 

Dear Sweet Noelle,

I was one of the RNs in the OR the day you were born.  I had been updated on your mother’s history and what had been going on during her pregnancy.  What I “assumed” was that you would be delivered and after you were assessed by the NICU team, we would give you to your parents so that they would hold you while you passed away.  Because of your estimated size at birth, I “assumed “  we would not be able to maintain your life with the equipment we had in the NICU. 

Your birthday was yet another day in my life that has taught me that I cannot “assume” anything when God is in charge.  You were so very tiny when the OB surgeon lifted you from your mother’s uterus.  I stood at a distance while Dr. Tatum and other members of the NICU team began working with you.  I would be lying if I said that I thought you would make it out of the OR alive……I truly “assumed” that you were too small.  As the team continued to work on you, I saw you move around and heard you make a very small cry.    Dr. Tatum succeeded in getting you intubated and we took you to your bed spot in NIC1, bed 3.  I will admit that again I did not believe that you would survive much longer once we got you to the NICU.  I didn’t feel like the equipment could sustain your tiny body.  How anyone was ever able to insert an umbilical line in your cord I did not understand at that time.  I must admit that during your admission (done by your admit nurse Amanda Lamm RN) I questioned whether we were doing the right thing.  I knew that your parents had already been told that you would probably not survive in utereo much less survive long outside the womb.  I wondered if it would be easier if you had passed away right after birth rather than get your parents’ hopes up, and then they possibly have to make difficult decisions about what to do.

As the days went by and I got to know you and your wonderful parents, I realized that my “assuming” was wrong.  You got very sick and gave the NICU staff and your family many scares.  But through it all, I grew to love you and pray for you to survive.  I learned more about your story and what a gift from God you really were.  I learned about the love your parents share and the love they had for you, even before you were born….no matter what.  What I had “assumed” after many years of working in the NICU was all proved wrong.  I had lost sight, those many years in the NICU making me somewhat jaded and hardened at times, that miracles do happen every day.  You Noelle, are a true miracle.  A miracle from God, given to two of the most God loving people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. 

I am so glad I was in that OR the day you were born.  I am glad I got to know you and your parents.  I am glad that you survived against all kinds of odds and “assumptions”.  I am glad that God is using you and your parents as a living testament of His love for us all and for the power of prayer. 

Noelle, I am grateful that you and your parents came in to my life.  I feel privileged to have been a part of the beginning of your life.  I know that God is always present in my life, but I am so thankful that you came along to remind me to not “assume” and to remember that ultimately, no matter what, God is in charge!  Funny how a little 12.55oz miracle baby has helped bring so many people to God and open up their hearts to allow Him in.

I look forward to continuing to watch you grow and cannot wait to see what else God has in store for you and all of those around you!

Love,

Christina Burton RN

Forsyth Medical Center

NICU

***There are only 2 days left to submit your entry for the book project for Noelle's birthday.  You can read about the project and the deadline by clicking here .  We are putting the book together and enjoying the submissions we have already received but would love to hear from you, if you are willing to participate.  Thank you so much for helping us make Noelle's first birthday a special time of remembrance!!***

Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Day #1}

Today begins a 30 day challenge of giving thanks {if you missed yesterday's post, you can read it here for the explanation}, but not just your typical "think of something each day for which you are thankful."  I have done that before and think it is great; but this year I wanted to do something different~something that made me put more effort and thought into the season.   So I decided to choose one topic and find 30 different aspects of it for which to be thankful.  Several have said they will take up this challenge with me, and I am excited to see how some are already beginning to be encouraged and to pray for others as we embark upon this endeavor to purposefully give thanks each day of this month.  We still welcome anyone who would like to participate with us and encourage you to share each day as well through this month.  I pray this sets a pattern for my life that will continue far beyond the 30 days of November and this Thanksgiving month, and I hope it does the same for you.

I had originally planned a different type of post for today, but that changed when I saw and read some stories regarding NICU evacuations during Hurricane Sandy and was reminded of something else in Noelle's situation for which I am thankful.  So the original post will just have to wait for another day as this is now on my heart.  Updates on Noelle will continue to be provided throughout the month as well and will be woven into the daily posts when we have new information to share.  So, for what aspect of your topic are you thankful?

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Day #1
Topic: Noelle
Title: Forsyth Medical Center NICU

~Today, I am thankful for the incredible NICU in which Noelle lived for so many months and the protection that God provided while she was there.  As I watched the news today and read reports on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,  I saw and read stories of various preemie babies who had to be transferred through the chaos of the storm in the middle of the night, due to a loss of power.  The pictures and emotions of parents that were described brought back a flood of memories and my own emotions.  We went through one somewhat traumatic transfer (here), but we were with Noelle almost the entire time and never had to worry about power, flooding, carrying our less than 2 pound baby down flights of stairs, bagging her to help her breathe because of loss of power, and the list just continues.  I can only imagine the stress and anxiety these families experienced in this situation, on top of their already difficult NICU experiences; and it made me incredibly thankful, once again, for our NICU family at FMC.  I know there are many misconceptions that NICU nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, and neonatologists simply rock and feed babies all day long, but nothing could be further from the truth.  On the contrary, I believe that the NICU team has one of the most difficult jobs within the medical field.  I know there are other challenging fields, but my point is that while the job is sometimes very rewarding, the path to that reward is often an incredibly long and difficult struggle as these precious people fight to do everything possible to save babies' lives.  Their patients never speak to them to tell them how they are feeling or where it hurts; they must instead closely follow the clinical signs for how to treat them.  They use monitors and lab results, ultrasounds and x-rays; but when it comes down to "the rubber meeting the road," they rely on their knowledge, experience, and instinct to respond to so many situations that happen and then change from one minute to the next.  So when the power goes out, and they are left without technology, they rise to yet another challenge and continue to do their job in providing the very best care for the tiniest and sickest babies that are born into this world.  Respiratory failure, organ failure, heart failure, brain bleeds, bowel perforation, and infection are only a few of the items that they handle on regular basis; and yet they return to each shift with a passion and a love that is unrivaled.  I think that is what amazes me the most~the care and concern and the communication with the parents through the process.  A lot of bad news is delivered to various parents on a daily basis in the NICU; and yet they handle it with honesty and deep compassion.  If I wrote a book on this, I could still never do these incredible people the justice they deserve.  I wish I could adequately explain even one hour in the NICU and give you a true glimpse of what they actually do, but I hope you understand that it is far more than rocking and feeding babies.  I know not every NICU is as incredible as the one with which we were blessed, and I am forever grateful to our FMC NICU family for your faithful service, your incredibly hard work, your tireless efforts, your sweet optimism, your endless hours of answering questions and explaining issues, your gentle honesty, and your undying love for Noelle and our family.  I cannot think of you or speak of you in this way without tears in my eyes and a heart overflowing with gratitude for the impact you have made in our lives.  You will forever be a part of our family.

***Do not forget there are only a couple of weeks left to submit your entry for the book project for Noelle's birthday.  You can read about the project and the deadline by clicking here .  We are enjoying the submissions we have already received but would love to hear from you, if you are willing to participate.  Thank you so much for helping us make Noelle's first birthday a special time of remembrance!!***

Growing On Up

~Incredibly Happy Girl~

While this first, full week home has been a time of adjustment, it has mostly been a time of joy and amazement as our tiny girl seems to be growing right before our eyes.  She weighed 6lbs. 7oz. at her doctor appointment on Monday, and I am excited to see the comparison when we go for her next weight check this coming Tuesday.

~Just so sweet~

~I LOVE to play!!~

Although I would have termed Noelle a happy and content baby before this last hospital stay, there is now a marked difference in her; and the smiles hardly seem to leave her face!  It seems that each day brings more activities, new discoveries, more "talking", and so much growing in both size and development.  It has made us realize how poorly she was probably feeling for quite some time~especially since one of the signs prior to her heart failure was that she was no longer smiling and talking; and she is doing those things so much more now than ever before.

~Aunt Donna dropped by for some snuggles~

Now, the difference is incredible, and many people have remarked how much change they can see in her pictures...imagine the difference we see in person!  This does not mean we are "out of the woods" by any means, but it does demonstrate the effectiveness of her treatment and current medications; and we are very thankful for the close follow-up care she is receiving from our medical team, as well as the continued advice and care from our FMC NICU family, who continues to follow her progress and makes suggestions and voices concerns and thoughts with her care.  It is comforting to have the support and advice from people whom we love and trust and who know our daughter's history even better than ourselves.  Knowing that they have held "mini-rounds" on Noelle with the blog information and multiple texts and phone calls, speaks volumes of their continued love and care for our precious girl.

~Milestone!!  I'm starting to push up consistently!!~

~"I love my new WubbaNub!!"~

Noelle celebrated her first week home by starting to push up (she had done it in the NICU a few times, but only when VERY upset about something being done to her),  getting a WubbaNub (a soothie pacifier with a beanie attached to help her hold it in her mouth--regular pacifiers still choke her), smiling all the time, playing uninterrupted, and sitting up in her Bumbo for the first time! 

~First time in the Bumbo...what a big girl we have now!!~

Bob Buckley with FOX 8 will be doing another update story which is set to air tomorrow night during the 10:00p.m. news.  As always, you can watch it livestream here, or the clip will be available online after the news airs.  We are continually amazed at the relationships that God continues to develop through this situation and are thankful for the wonderful job that Bob and his photographers, Eric and Ferlon, have done through these past months, portraying the story in a way that God receives the glory.  As always, thank you for continuing to pray and for sharing in our joys with our sweet girl.

NICU Days 115 & 116 (March 31st & April 1st)

~Sanding the hutch for Noelle's clothes & baby items~

The last two days have been a bustle of activity as we prepared for Noelle's home coming scheduled for tomorrow.  Thankfully, we had obtained her crib early in the pregnancy but had taken it to a friend's {the Shaws} home to paint it and then ended up storing it there after our first ultrasound revealed initial bad news.  We moved to a new place only a few weeks before that sad day and once we had the first news report, we decided not to put together a room to which we would have to close the door for an amount of time if things went as the doctors said they would.  Things began to change only a few short weeks before Noelle was born; and then once she was here, we practically moved into the NICU and have lived there the past nearly 4 months.

~Alex helping Uncle Tom~

Needless to say, we never did get things painted or her room put together, so we spent Saturday performing prep work on the furniture pieces.  We are moving some things around in our home, painting them, and re-purposing them to work for our needs.  I look forward to the day when we can reveal the final results, but we were excited at how much we were able to accomplish yesterday.

~Sanded and ready for the next step~

After finishing the sanding, we met the oxygen care people at the hospital for our training on Noelle's oxygen support and apnea monitor.  We're hoping she will be free of these things after gaining a couple of more pounds, but we are thankful to have these items for our transition home.  Then came the fun part for which we have waited many days.

~Noelle getting set up on oxygen in the parenting room~

We had the privilege of spending the night in one of the parenting rooms with our little girl.  Ironically, we were assigned the same room in which we had stayed during the week in January when she had become extremely sick with pulmonary hypertension.  Thankfully, we will have more pleasant memories of that room as of last night since Noelle did very well through our trial run; and we are looking forward to our first night at home with her.

~Settling in for the night in the parenting room~

If all goes well, we will be home with her by late tomorrow afternoon and are filled with anticipation and excitement for this new path in our journey.  Simultaneously, we are saddened at the thought of saying "see you later" to our NICU family who has embraced us and taken such wonderful care of us these past many weeks.  We are so grateful to God for not only bringing us through this trial but for the way He has brought us through this trial and for the lifelong relationships we have established along the way.  We will miss everyone tremendously!!

~Amanda: Noelle's Admit Nurse & Discharge Nurse~

~Amanda admitting Noelle on December 8, 2011~

The plan tomorrow is for Amanda to be Noelle's nurse and walk us through the discharge process after morning rounds and the discharge orders are written.  This was special news to us as she was Noelle's admit nurse on the day she was born and has taken wonderful care of her at different points through the past nearly 4 months. What a bittersweet day it will be!!  Thank you so much for your continued prayers.  We know this new path will not be without its own bumps and hurdles, but God has promised to never leave or forsake us, and He will finish the work He has begun in us.  We look forward to continuing to share His goodness and declaring His glory!!

~We will certainly continue to update this blog.  I will probably cut back to once or twice a week {depending on what is happening} but will certainly continue to update everyone on Noelle's progress.  Thank you for praying!!~
~FOX 8 News is running a home coming story tomorrow evening at 10:00p.m.  We will post the link and pertinent information tomorrow evening before it airs~

NICU Day 114 ~ (March 30th)

~Noelle in her very first graduation cap (courtesy of Auntie Em)~

Last night, Noelle celebrated her upcoming home going with a little graduation party hosted by her Auntie Em and a few of her other nurses and NICU staff who have previously taken care of her.  

~Auntie Em & Noelle in their matching headbands (made by Auntie Em)~

She had a wonderfully "boring" day, but it was also bittersweet as we began to say "See you later" to some of our NICU family members who will not be working again before we go home.

~Noelle & her Uncle Jim~

I do not have the words to begin to say "thank you" to these incredible people.  My heart is full, and we will miss them tremendously.  We are excited for the next chapter in our lives, but we will forever be grateful for the time we spent in the Forsyth NICU and for the lifelong relationships we have developed with so many.  Part of me wishes we could slow down the next two days, but I know they will just fly on by and we will soon be home.  We look forward to many future visits as Noelle continues to grow and change.  Thank you, FMC NICU!!  We love you all dearly!!!

NICU Day 113 ~ (March 29th)

~Surprised.  Excited.  Overwhelmed.  Thrilled.  Thankful.~

~Still in her "big girl" crib~

These are some of the words which describe the gamut of emotions today as we heard the new care plan developed by our medical team: NOELLE IS COMING HOME!!!!!  She has basically reached all of the necessary benchmarks, and they have decided that they can do the biopsy as an outpatient procedure in a few weeks after she has put on some more weight.  The current plan is for her to be discharged on Monday if all goes well over the weekend.  The first few weeks will be busy with the adjustment and doctors' appointments, but we are absolutely thrilled to be bringing our baby girl home with us.  Words simply cannot describe the emotions after such a long journey, but we have a new family in the NICU which we will greatly miss and look forward to visiting them as often as possible.  We cannot even begin to communicate the love and gratitude in our hearts for this incredible group of people who have made this day possible for our little family, and we are excited for the day when Noelle will be old enough to begin understanding who these people are and the impact they have made on her life.  God was incredibly gracious to us in placing us where He did throughout this process, and we are so grateful to Him for His incredibly loving care in our lives.  

Noelle still had a busy day today as we began to prepare for her discharge.  She had an MRI on her spinal cord to evaluate her tethered cord {we will receive results later, and it will probably need to be monitored for some time and possibly will require surgery}.  

~Preparing to go downstairs for her MRI with Aunt Donna~

She also received her "2 month" immunizations which made her really cry and broke my heart AND her Aunt Donna's heart.  Donna was her nurse today and even had a different nurse administer the shots so she would not have to be the "big bad meanie!"  

~Daddy enjoying some of the benefits of the open crib~

We still have a few other procedures to complete and some logistical things to sort, but we are on the fast track, and I know this weekend will fly by as we prepare what we can for her to live at home with us.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your persistent, continued prayers before the throne of grace.  We look forward to sharing "the countdown" with you!!!

NICU Day 102 ~ ( March 18th)

~Getting Warm after Bath Time~

Noelle had a pretty uneventful day as she continued her trend of growth.   Last night (after our blog post), we called the hospital to get her weight, and she had gained 20 grams.  Tonight we weighed her before her bath, and she had gained another 20 grams for a grand total of 1, 290 grams / 2 lbs. 13.5oz.  We are very excited that she should reach 3 lbs. this week!!  We are still praying for wisdom for her medical team as they seek how to handle her possible tummy issues.  Our prayer is that when they repeat the x-ray test that they will be able to make a definitive decision and not have to move forward with a biopsy.  She should be big enough for them to re-test in approximately one week to ten days, and we're thankful to be getting closer to decision points on which our home going hinges.  We are thoroughly enjoying our growing baby girl and are amazed at how "big" she is each time we see her.
My favorite parts of today include the following:
~Her Aunt Donna snuggling her while I had to be gone for church
~Bath & Snuggle time
~Her night nurse letting me know that she would snuggle her tonight when she got her out to feed her

~Sleepy, Snuggly Girl~

I'm so incredibly grateful for the nurses and other medical staff (respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, etc...) that take care of our sweet girl.  Words could never begin to express how much these people mean to our family.  We love you, NICU family!!!

NICU Day 84 ~ (February 29th)

Noelle had a good day today, all things considered.  She is up to her full feeding amount again and seems to be tolerating it well so far.  Today was basically a resting/growing day, and we are thankful to have an uneventful day after the events of the past couple of weeks.  A lot of people have wondered what I do all day...if I just sit by her bedside at the hospital, if I have things to keep me busy or if I get bored, and the answer is really none of the above.  Each day is different and often I plan my schedule for the day, only to have it completely changed around depending on what specifically is going on with Noelle; but in this post, I will give a little bit of an idea of what one of my days might look like.

The day mainly revolves around the pumping schedule which is every 2-3 hours, even through the night.  It's important to keep up with this so that we can provide the best nutrition possible for Noelle in order for her to grow.  Many days I am at the hospital around 9:00 or so for morning rounds.  This is when the medical team reviews Noelle's current status and goes over the care plan for the day.  A lot of things are discussed during this time, and it is the best time for us to be updated on everything that concerns her.  We have learned a lot through 3 months of rounds and developed relationships with much of her care team.  Rounds can happen anytime between 9:00 and noon, so I'm usually there for at least a few hours.  Of course the pumping schedule continues there but in between and around that, I am usually spending time with Noelle in the form of helping with her vital signs, changing her diapers, feeding her a bottle or nursing her, or holding her (usually Kanga Care ~ skin to skin).  I try to head home in the early afternoon to take care of things there such as bills, laundry, or cleaning or I run necessary errands.  Often Tom will then pick me up on his way to the hospital after work, and we will spend the evening with her, participating in many of the same things which I did in the morning.  Honestly, that is an "ideal" day, and one of those has not happened in a while.  I had planned a day like that yesterday, but then one thing after another kept happening which prevented me from going home, and so I was at the hospital all the way through the day until we left that night.  A lot of days end up like that especially when something is going on with her and they are running any kind of test.  So honestly, rarely do I get moments to just sit by her bedside and catch up on something.  It happens from time to time, and I do have things with me "just in case" but the majority of the time, I am busy in some way; and the older she has gotten the more I have been able to do with her and for her.  The nurses are really fantastic about involving us parents as much as possible and teaching us how to do so many things for her that it really makes us feel like parents even though we live life in the NICU right now.   Thank you for praying for Noelle and also for us as a family.  It's certainly trying some days as we feel like we are constantly trying to settle into a new "normal" that just will not stay consistent enough in order to really adjust; but we would not trade one moment with our precious little girl for any of that.  FOX 8 ran an update story on her tonight and will follow up again when she finally gets to come home.  Below is the link if you would like to see it.  (One correction to the story....we were originally being seen at Women's Hospital/Moses Cone for our pregnancy, but we switched our care shortly before she was born, and Noelle was born at Forsyth and has been cared for in the NICU there her entire life except for the one week she was at Baptist/Brenner's for her eye surgery.  We cannot say enough about our Forsyth family and are grateful each day that we are there).  I hope we can report another "boring" day tomorrow!!

http://myfox8.com/2012/02/29/buckley-report-baby-noelle-update/

NICU Day 58 ~ (February 3rd)

Noelle had a great day today overall, and she has maintained her weight the last two days (no gain or loss).  She is still experiencing the acid reflux, but they were still able to wean her oxygen flow again today and she handled it well.  She is doing so well that the nurses are already starting to estimate how much longer she will be in NIC 1.  There are two sides to our NICU.  NIC 1 has the more critical babies (where we have been the past 8 weeks), and NIC 2 is babies that are stable and much closer to going home.  The "graduation" to NIC 2 is significant to parents because of everything it represents, and it is exciting and a little scary all at the same time to think that that day is quickly approaching.  All of the nurses rotate both sides, but some nurses can work weeks on one side before working the other side again.  I must admit, that I am a little (okay, VERY MUCH) attached to our little space that we occupy in NIC 1 and the nurses that we have on a consistent basis.  Some weeks, the care changes daily, and other weeks you will get the same nurse for days in a row or nights in a row.  I like that part.  I enjoy getting to know and build relationships with nurses that are consistently taking care of her.  However, that said, we have never had a bad experience with even one of the nurses in the NICU.  We definitely are much closer to certain ones and have gotten to know them really well, but even the ones that we don't know as well have been really good with her.  We have no complaints.  And so, when the time comes to say "good bye" to our little space in NIC 1, it will be exciting and bittersweet all at the same time.  Even I think that is a little strange to say, but when your life is lived in the NICU, nothing is quite "normal."  I know that we will meet more new nurses on the other side and develop relationships with them too, and I hope that some of the nurses we have now will rotate into NIC 2 more often once we are there.  Words just cannot express the thankfulness in our hearts for these precious people ~ people who do not view this as their "job."  It is their passion; and when they care for your baby, it is from their heart.  I could never say enough about them or to them in thankfulness for their service to our family.  And so, we start mentally preparing for the day that we show up to the NICU, and the front desk informs us that we have "graduated."  It will be a giant step closer to coming home.

NICU Day 43 (January 19th)

We are so excited to be reaching new milestones with Noelle.  Today she was extubated and graduated to the CPAP machine!!!  They were not planning on doing it quite this soon (they were going to give her a little more time to grow), but her tube had a leak and needed to be changed so they decided to go ahead and switch her over and see how she does.  So far, she has done extremely well and has already been weaned on her settings twice.  They have warned us that this could be temporary.  She could get tired and worn out from breathing on her own after a period of time and may have to go back on the ventilator and grow some more.  We are trying to mentally prepare ourselves for this, but right now we are just rejoicing at her progress!!  It is so fun to see her tiny little mouth, and now we will be able to hear her tiny little cry.  Whoever thought that a cry would be such sweet music to one's ears?!!  Noelle's other milestone was gaining 10 more grams and more than doubling her birth weight.  They are hoping she will continue a steady gain of approximately 1/2 oz. (or 15 grams) per day.  Tomorrow should present yet another milestone as they plan on removing her PICC line.  We are so excited to see machines being moved away from her bedside and others being turned off.  She had a steady stream of nurses coming by this evening checking out her progress...she has quite the fan club (as they themselves put it), and many of them even call in and check on her during their days off.  We are so incredibly grateful for the care that she is receiving and thank God once again for placing us where He did during this time.  It is also encouraging to us to share with the nurses that so many people are praying for Noelle and have them be excited about that and acknowledge how powerful prayer is.  We're praying that it gives us many opportunities to share Christ with all those we are encountering so thank you for being a part of that testimony and praying for us!!