Another Milestone

Emma Claire resting in her favorite position. She is getting so big!

Matt's hand over Emma Claire at 5 weeks old

I'm 13.5 inches long! Emma Claire has grown a 0.5 inches in 5 weeks!

Just let me say, GOD is GREAT! Sorry I have been away from the blogging world last week, but I just got a little lazy and didn't post. We have so much to be thankful for in the last week. Emma Claire continues to grow and we hit another milestone (at least to me), she is now 2 lbs (920 grams)!!! We serve an AWESOME GOD!


She continues to have poopy and wet diapers and she is now getting 16 cc every 3 hours of 29 calorie breast milk. She has not gotten formula in a while since I am pumping and my milk has definitely increased. They are now freezing my milk since I have more than she needs right now. GOD is so GRACIOUS! I know many of you have asked and her PDA is still open, but the doctors are not going to do anything with that unless it causes her an issue. They believe it will close on its own and we know GOD will close it in his time.


Emma is still on the ventilator, but she is down to a rate of 25 which means they ventilator gives her 25 breaths a minute and she continues to breath on her own over those. They changed her vent settings last week to put her in a different mode called MMV which allows her to do all of the work and the vent would only give her breaths if she needed it. She stayed on that mode for 48 hours and then they put her back on her current mode of PCV to give her a rest/break. They were really happy with how she did in the 48 hour period and it is a good indicator of how she will do without the ventilator.


Emma Claire is no longer on any antibiotics and she is not getting the breathing treatments anymore. She has to be suctioned less and less each day and we praise GOD for that! The RT today said her lungs sounded better and very clear. She is also having less spells which means she drops her O2 sats and heart rate. She typically only has 1 or 2 in a 24 hour period, which is AWESOME in my book.

Since they were not able to do the routine head ultrasound last week because of an IV in her head, they are going to have it done this week and expect everything to be normal. Nothing else scheduled for her at this point, she just continues to grow.

My milk production is definitely picking up and that is an answer to prayer. After talking with lactation, I added another herb called Blessed Thistle and this helps the Fenugreek cause my body to produce more milk. I am now taking 3 capsules of Fenugreek 4 times a day and then 2 capsules of Blessed Thistle 2 times a day. Since I have started this routine, I am notice a jump in my production.

Overall, we are all doing very well. Emma Claire continues to amaze us each and every day and her nurses love her to pieces which just makes my heart melt. Matt and I recorded books and songs for her and they play that for her during the day and she really responds to our voices when we talk to her in the afternoons. Our schedule continue to works for us and I love it!

Thanks for everyone's prayers and kind words. We are truly blessed that God has put so many people in our paths and lives during this time and continues to provide us what we need when we need it. We continue to covet your prayers for Emma Claire as well as us and she continues to grow healthy and strong each and every day.

Psalm 91 ~ 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."