Breast Exam

Karsie a little milk drunk after feeding

No, not that breast exam.  Karsie passed her third breast feeding test with flying colors.  She latched on extremely well today and stayed on for about 10 minutes straight (which is long for her). At one point Karsie looked up at Michelle with her mouth covered in milk, so we know she was getting a good amount.  No spit up so far today, so as long as she is gaining weight she is looking good.  The nurse today said that they are just now starting the rice, so hopefully it won't be long before we have a little fatty.

Also, Dr. Saenz called us on the way home from the hospital (we just missed him).  He said that he was extremely pleased with the way Pinky is progressing.  He said there is a lot of pink now and that the dark spots are either gone, or not sticking anymore (we forgot which he said, but it was good).  Also, they have been covering the spots that are sticking with adaptic film, which is a film that is slimy on one side so it doesn't dry out and stick to the bandage when dressing changes happen.  It lays directly on the skin as a buffer between the skin and the dressing. Those have been working so well that he is now ordering them to be decreased and cut down because things aren't sticking anymore.  This is good news because that means Pinky has healed enough that her skin is dry, which means it will be even easier to heal as it will get more weathering from the environment.  We have been very happy today with her progress, but are still praying for weight gain. 

Cribs

Not a whole lot to report since last night.  Karsie is weighing around 3.1 kilos which roughly translates to 6 lbs. 13 or 14 oz.  She has stayed that weight for quite a long time - lost a bit but roughly stayed around the same.  When the nurse practitioner rounds on Karsie today she will decide whether or not to put her on rice cereal, but we're pretty sure she will because Laura, Karsie's dietician, recommended it. 

Also, Karsie has a new crib.  This bed, while it looks more fun, has fewer features than her giraffe bed.  She lost a warmer and a built-in scale, but she really doesn't need those anymore. Other babies need them more, so we will oblige.

Finally, there was some bad news given about the hospital visiting policy, but there was also a silver lining involved.  They are getting real close to shutting down the NICU visiting to only parents.  Reva will still be able to go in with Michelle, but only on days that Kevin is not in town.  This means Grandpa will not get to go in anymore, which is very sad as he is very soothing to Karsie.  She will just need to start healing faster for him.  However, Jennifer, our social worker, told us that Kevin's mom could come in one more time before they shut it down. They are not sure when it will be shut down, but it could be real soon with very little notice. We are very excited that Grandma gets to come down one more time since she will now get to hold Karsie.  This way all the grandparents will have gotten to do that.  

In between feedings.  She's a sloppy eater, but real curious about why Dad is doing the feeding now.
Karsie in her new digs.
Mom helps out with the tubes while Karsie dreams of not being in the NICU (we're not sure how she would do this as she has never not been in the NICU).
Karsie's new Big-Girl-Bed.  It can tilt up more to help with reflux.