Feeding Tubes, Bonding, and Being Home

First: Before I get into today's post... We're thinking and praying for those affected by Sandy.  I was up all night watching the story unfold and the pictures of babies being evacuated from the hospital (due to power outage) absolutely broke me.  Having just been in the hospital with my baby for 8 days, I can't imagine the scene inside that dark hospital and the weight and worry of every family member involved in that situation.  Thankful for the spirit and bravery of those assisting during this disaster. As more and more devastating reports surface, we are praying for those who have lost so much... 

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Now... onto the regularly scheduled programming...

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Oh blog, how I have missed thee. I’ve been busy being many things… a new mom, an even newer nurse, and a really, really tired gal.

First, life here has been amazing.  Abiella is bonding with us really quickly (it seems) and she LOVES being home. It’s like she just KNEW this was her home… as soon as we put her in her crib again she just kicked and smiled.  

But before I talk about life at home, here are some pics from the hospital I never shared:

Abi is officially obsessed with Sean playing the guitar.  (I can relate.)  Anytime she's really upset, I'll yell to Sean, "Go get the guitar."  9 times out of 10 she calms down immediately. 

This was Abi's favorite part of the day. She loved watching the sun come in through the blinds each morning. 

Abi's FIRST vegetable in America :) Hello, Sweet Potatoes; Abi's a big fan.

Finally, after 8 days in the hospital, we were sent home! 

Soooo now we’re now doing a full healthcare routine at home…  What does that look like?  Well for now, it looks like a big feeding tube hanging from an IV pole above Abi’s crib. 

We hook her into that sucker 3 times a day (and during the night) and pump necessary nutrients into her body.  When she’s not hooked up to the pump, I feed her by mouth 3 times a day too.  It’s fair to say that our entire day is scheduled around getting food into Miss Abiella’s belly… and I’m MORE THAN FINE with that.  I’ve wanted to get this baby healthy and fat since I held her for the first time 11 months ago.  THIS is a blessing…

HOWEVER, this new health care routine comes with a few unfortunate side effects, including the fact that this tube can come out by accident (and did Saturday morning) and we have to replace it (through her nose, down her throat, and into her stomach)... by ourselves. Oh my.

Thankfully we received great training at the hospital and have a nurse and doctor on-call should we need anything... 

Despite the fact that I can not WAIT until this tube is in the history books, we are THANKFUL for the tube because it is HELPING our daughter.  However, we have a doctor’s visit in 2 weeks to discuss the future of “The Tube" and my hope is that the tube's future doesn't exist. 

For now, I'm going to go have another cupcake (thank you Sara!), finish my iced coffee, and make Abiella a snack.  Peas, don't fail me now. This chick's not exactly a huge fun of green veggies... but I can relate... no garlic, no salt, no cheese?? No thank you. 

 

But before I sign off for today, let me thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your prayers, encouraging comments, and sweet emails.  I have read them over and over again during the challenging moments. They've meant so much. 

Blessings, 

mae