Tub Bath and so Much More

Emma Claire is such a happy baby and loves we when get there in the afternoons. She wakes up when she hears us talking and is wide awake for our entire visit. Emma Claire now weighs 5 lbs 1 3/4 ounces and is getting bigger each and every day. It has been a while since I blogged so what out for picture overload on this one.

She is no longer getting fortified breast milk and still continues to gain weight, PRAISE GOD! She now gets 45 cc every three hours and I was able to breast feed her yesterday. She took to the breast like a champ! Lacation was very impressed by her and how well she did. Since she has to get so much per feeding, I should be able to breast feed at least 2 a day and then follow by a bottle and let her take as much of the bottle as she wants to. This ensures she is getting the appropriate amounts of breast milk she needs.

Having some snuggle time with Daddy. She loves to snuggle and especially with her Daddy!

Barbie and EC. Emma Claire is going to miss everyone in the NICU when we go home, but I know she has a soft spot in her heart for her special care takers and you know who you are! We have made some life long friends and cannot wait for them to see her grow up big and strong. We just need to get a picture with Emma Claire and her crazy Stacy!!! HaHa

Don't I look cute in my favorite hat! This girl is going to be dolled up all of the time with all of her cute hats and accessories! She loves to sport a hat.

This one is for Nana. Her Nana loves some big bows and big hats. I think she is just preparing her for a trip to the Kentucky Derby one day!

Sweet sleeping baby. A lady my mom works with, Ann, made her this precious hat. It is hard to get a good pic of it and we will try better this week. She has another one, we have not tried on her yet, but it is just as precious!

Love time!

My first tub bath. Last Sunday, we decided she needed a tub bath and she loved it for the most part. There is a video at the end of the post with her taking a bath. Hopefully, we can post more videos since Emma Claire is definitely more active now.

We continue to THANK everyone for you continued prayers and support for us. We are getting close to going home and we feel we are ready and prepared for it when the time comes. We are excited to finally prepare for this day and we will be overjoyed to have her home. There are such a range of emotions we have been through with this journey and how wonderful it will be to spend my first mother's day with my sweet baby girl! She is truly a blessing from GOD and he continues to grow her healthy and strong. We could not be any happier with her progress and how much she has had to overcome. I look back at her first pictures and I am just AMAZED and SPEECHLESS (that is a first for me, if you know me) to see what she has become and what GOD holds for her future!

PRAYER REQUEST: A dear friend of our family is going through another round of cancer. This is the 4th time she has fought this and we know GOD's healing hand is upon her. We love Judith and Michael dearly and we would like all of our prayer warriors to keep them in your prayers. She is one of the strongest women I know and she has been such a rock for us during this time. Ever since Emma Claire decided to come early she sends us little scriptures about encouragement and faith and those have been such a blessing to receive in the mail especially on the days when Emma Claire was not having a good day or going through her own battles. I would come home and read those and they were truly a blessing to me. I know her and Michael covet our prayers. Please pray for complete restoration of her body, comfort and peace as they are going for additional tests out of state and for GOD to give them what they need each and every day. You can link to her blog from mine, by going to the list of 'Blogs I Follow'. Judith's blog is called Sweet Pea Reflections.

We are not guaranteed tomorrow and I have heard that saying so much. It seems to have more meaning since Emma Claire has been born. We face so many trials and tribulations in our lives and we can PRAISE GOD for seeing us through.

Oh Oh Oh...by the way, guess who is now home....COHEN!! We had dinner with them and Stacy on Tuesday night and I believed we laughed off 2000 calories. What sweet friends they have become to us and we cannot wait to get these sweet babies together. I tell Emma Claire how much Cohen misses her and she just smiles! She loves her Cohen.