Day 25

Tuesday- 5/15

I really need to keep up with this blog… when 5 days go by without a post- A. people wonder what little Izzy is up to and B. There is a lot to update. Let’s see if I can remember all the good stuff.

Isabelle had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend and was very well behaved for Mommy; she grew a little and now sits just over 1,000 grams, she ate all her meals without an incident and kept her incubator clean. Now that she weighs more than 1,000 grams (2.2 lbs) she will transition from all breast milk to a mix of milk and fortified formula with a boost of protein. Designer smoothies if you will. She is still trending on the smaller side and the doctors hope the additional protein will help put weight on a little faster. I’d like her to stay little forever, but maybe not this little.

Susan’s parents came for the weekend and were a huge help at home. Her father helped me change the well pump filter and I was able to take some time and rake the backyard, which was full of small sticks from the last storm. Susan’s Mom brought a ton of goodies, food and even had some special treats for the Nursing staff. A big thanks!

The NICU has a family relations department with three part-time mothers who all had premature babies, they are around if we need to talk and they provide information sessions for things related to Isabelle’s health and our experience in the NICU. For Mother’s Day they held a brunch for all the NICU parents, with the help of another family who donated the food. They gave Susan artwork with Isabelle’s footprints and a plant to take home. Events like these are a nice break from the standard NICU day and we really appreciate the extra level of support Bringham and Women’s provides.

At the brunch we talked to another couple with a son in the NICU, he is a little older than Isabelle and just needs a little more time to grow before he can come home. Their story is a little different than ours because shortly after the mother was admitted to the hospital, in pre-term labor, she was diagnosed with cancer. She is now undergoing treatment for herself while supporting her Son in the NICU.

Throughout this past month, I’ve tried to keep our circumstances in perspective, by reminding myself that everyone goes through patches of adversity and this just happens to be one chance to test our resolve and grow as a couple. Yes, we are going through something we never expected and would never wish to repeat, but if everything goes well, it is only temporary and won’t define Isabelle now or the woman she will eventually become. That brunch was another reminder of how fortunate we are, with friends and family who support and love us, companies who understand our need for time, and most importantly our family is healthy and growing stronger every day.