Weekend update with Nate & Ava's Dad...
Below are a few pictures of Ava in her bouncy seat from today.
Nathan has been great with her, bringing blankets and pacifiers, giving lots of gentle kisses and helping with bottles.
Life with two...We're a lot like racoons these days; primarily nocturnal, dark around the eyes and obsessively washing anything we put in our mouths. Well, all of us except Nate; he's a creature of the day with more energy than
PeeWee Herman on
Red Bull who eats cereal from between the couch cushions. Whatever, it'll take more than a hairy-4-day-old Cheerio to crack the immune system of a 3 year old boy who runs around with worms and salamanders in his pockets.
On to the pics.
Enjoy!
Welcome home Ava!
Our baby girl is
finally home!
Here's a
video of Nate with his new baby sister (5mb) and a few new pics from right here at home.
Almost home!
Things are going pretty well. The doctors are saying that if things continue as they are and she doesn't need to take anymore meals through a tube today/tomorrow, she can come home. Keep your fingers crossed.
Since I left ya hangin' with no pictures last time, here's the goods.
A couple good ones of Nate feeding his baby sister...
And a bonus. My little buddy kicked an ice cream cone's
ASS on the way to the hospital today. Check the Dairy Queen goatee baby!
Thank you Lord for leather interior.
One step forward two back (sorta)
Ava Kate is off of all the hoses and IV now. Her bilirubin is rising again so if she can't knock it down on her own she'll be back under the "bun warmer". The up-side is she gets to wear
REALLY hip shades. Hopefully I won't have an opportunity to get you a picture of that.
Our other challenge right now is getting her to consistently eat on her own. When she does nurse or bottle feed, she's awesome at it and would probably gobble up your finger if you weren't paying attention (
good). However, then she's worn out for the next feeding and ends up eating her next meal from a tube (
not so good).
Babies don't get to come home with a hose in their nose.
Sorry, no pics this time.
Nate loves his baby sister!
Ava is off of the bilirubin light and is looking great! She should be out of the incubator soon too.
She is eating every 3 hours now and Shannon is needed for about 4 of them per day. Since Shan isn't allowed to drive, the logistics of our day-to-day lives are pretty crazy right now. So, just because we don't call or write doesn't mean we don't love you anymore. ;)
The doctor is telling us she can come home in 7-10 more days. Nurses are saying she'll go home Monday or Tuesday. I'm not sure if you use the Pythagorean Theorem to figure out when she'll really come home or what...but since the doctor is the one signing release papers, I'm banking on next weekend.
Brian
Enough of my ramblings, on to the pics:
Ava Kate is getting stronger every day!
Our little angel is off the CPAP and Mom is back home! We'll be platooning between the NICU and home until Ava is released. She's taking bottles, nursing and really abusing a stack of itty-bitty diapers.
Nate is really great with her and has been a trooper thoughout all the changes our family has been through.
Enjoy the pics!
Brian
More on Ava
She's doing great and was taken off of oxygen today, but needed to go back on the cpap to help her get enough air. Mom is feeling much better today and was able to hold her little girl for the first time yesterday. Unfortunately the doctors think she'll be in the hospital for 2-3 weeks.
Welcome Ava Kate Benthin!
Who's the most beautiful-baby girl in the world? Who, after a just a handful of hours on this blue-green rock, already has her Mommy and Daddy wrapped around her perfect-little fingers?
Ava Kate Benthin that's who!
Not one to be fashionably late, Ava arrived about six weeks early today, May 8th at 2:28 A.M. She weighs 5 pounds 1.7 ounces and is 17.5" long.
Mommy and baby Ava are doing great. Ava is breathing really well and her color is a gorgeous pink. We'll likely be in the hospital for a couple weeks.
Daddy and Big-Brother Nate are also doing fine, just a bit punchy from sleep deprivation. ;-)
Enough chatter, on to the pictures!
(more to come soon)
