Monday 6/11
Good Evening! Big weekend in the rearview and another big week ahead. First, we’ll review and then I can give a little update on what to expect for this week ahead.
On Friday I said we expected Isabelle to hit 4lbs over the weekend and she did not disappoint! Her official weight is 4lbs 2oz and based on how she felt this morning I wouldn’t be surprised if that jumps with the next weigh-in. Her additional weight gives her more strength and the ability to self-regulate her temperature. This means she can spend more time out of the incubator, and that equates to more cuddle time! A few more visitors appreciated that fact. She also has been awake for longer stretches and is more alert and active during those periods.
We had a wonderful week with family and got to enjoy a night out at my cousin’s wedding. It was nice to get out of the hospital for an evening and enjoy a beautiful summer evening with a cold drink. It was hard to get away from Izzy for that long, but honestly, she is a lousy dancer and not much better at cracking a lobster. She could probably use the break from us anyway.
The week ahead has the potential to be an exciting period for Isabelle. Developmentally, a few things can start to happen around 34 weeks and hopefully, she will have a chance to try something new. This comes with a giant caveat which is, none of this might happen! But I figured it would be fun to build the anticipation so you can sit alongside Susan and I as we wait for Isabelle’s next achievement. And hey, if none of this happens don’t get discouraged because she is still adorable and will probably do it next week.
The first change might be to her physical environment. With the exception of when we hold her, Izzy spends all her time in the Isolet. At first, it was heated to body temperature with high humidity and over time the inside temperature has dropped to about 80 degrees. She loves it in there, quiet, cozy and with a 360-degree view. But there comes a time in every baby’s journey when they must leave the relative tranquility of their isolet for an enamel coated, prison bar inspired, baby containment device. A crib. With extra weight and the ability to control her own temperature she no longer needs the support of the isolet so within the week she will probably say goodbye to her bed of the past two months. This is more of a psychological move for her parents, one that will make her look more like a grown baby in a nursery and more accessible for us to change her and pick her up. There is also a theory that the open air crib allows her to hear more of the conversations around her which supposedly helps with language development. Her GDU roommate is Spanish speaking, so maybe one day she will call me papá.
The other big goal for the week is an exciting one. With any luck, Isabelle will bottle feed for the first time! Once again, this might not happen so don’t get too excited but we are optimistic it will happen soon. Now, I’m no speech pathologist, but as I understand it, young babies need to learn how to suck-swallow-breath to be able to bottle feed. When they are too young, they might be able to suck on the bottle, but then forget to swallow before taking a breath and then the milk goes down the wrong tube. As they age they develop the muscles, or whatever, is necessary to perform this series of coordinated movements that we take for granted. In addition to learning how to drink there is another piece of the puzzle that you might not be thinking of but is obvious once you hear it. Isabelle can only eat if she is awake. A lot of the timing on when to try bottle feeding depends on her, if she is awake and active at mealtime then we can give it a try and if she isn’t active enough they will feed her with the feeding tube. We’ve been told feeding can be a real challenge and is one of the last major hurdles before we can take her home. She is a Bard, so eating shouldn’t be a problem but only time will tell. Stay tuned.
Meet Isabelle 