Clothes at Last!

Yesterday Kristell was moved from the NICU to a neonatal high care unit. Now she gets to wear clothes! We looked in several stores in Bloemfontein trying to find clothes for preemies. There's not too much available, but we found a few cute things. This stage should only last a couple months, so she doesn't need much.Please pray that she will master the hard work of nursing. I think the stress of the move set her back a little, but also her sucking reflex hasn't developed yet, so she's still not quite sure what to do to get her nutrition. She has a feeding tube in again just to make sure she doesn't loose weight.

Unhooked

Yesterday was Kristell's first day without radiant heat. She was so snug and contented under the blankets that she didn't want to wake up to eat. She was NOT happy when we took the blankets off!

Today she's completely unhooked. All the IVs, the feeding tube, blood pressure cuff, and everything is off! We are praising the Lord that she is doing so well! The only thing still on is a sensor on her foot that monitors pulse and oxygen saturation of her blood. She had another brain scan yesterday that came back normal. We are so thankful! The pediatrician is very pleased with her progress, too.

Yes, I am proud!
Thank you so much for praying for us!

More Progress

Kristell is doing well and the rest of us have been busy! Sorry that it's been a while since I posted anything here. She's doing fine breathing room air. I didn't ask the nurse for sure, but I think she's off the phenobarbital because she's been much more alert the yesterday and today. Stephanie and I both got to hold her today, and doctor wants Stephanie to start nursing her starting tonight. She took about one swallow and fell fast asleep. (It's a LOT more work than having nice warm milk pumped straight into her stomach.) I'm going to try to post a video here from today. Thank you so much for praying for her and for us!

Pictures

Today was a big day for both Kristell and Kaitlyn. Kristell is off all the breathing assistance, and Kaitlyn finally got to see her baby sister. Kaitlyn was very excited and I think a baby sister is now a reality in her mind.

What color is that hair? It's definitely brown, but it's still a little hard to tell exactly what color since she hasn't had a bath yet.

Here's a little better look at her face. Her cheeks and temples are still red and irritated from the tape that held the breathing tubes and everything, but she looks a little better than when she had on the alien helmet and sun glasses. Her grasping reflex still hasn't developed yet, but once in a while her hand will close over a finger, an IV line or something.

Answer to Prayer

Thank you so much for praying for Kristell and us. This morning they took her off the CPAP machine and she's breathing fine all on her own! This is a big step! She's getting a little more milk now--a teaspoon every 3 hours. I'll try to post some pictures later today.