Update on Z Doll!!

10-21-13

Zoey is now 40 weeks and 4 days gestation. She is 6 pounds 8 ounces. This is basically an ounce a day which is pretty good for a preemie. 50% of the bottles Zoey takes very well. The other times it takes her about an hour to drink. Ahhhhh....Needles to say we are extremely tired. However, we are very grateful for this sweet little miracle.

Here is a cute little picture of Zo

10-4-13

Dear Baby Zoey

Mommy is so excited she has been crying all day for the thought of you coming home tomorrow. Tonight we (mommy and daddy) are sleeping in the twilight room in the Newborn ICU with you. Yes mommy is still crying but crying for pure joy. Mommy has been waiting for this day for three years and 63 days (Yes I’ve been counting). I can’t express to you the overwhelming love that I have for you. Mommy is so proud of all the progress you have made.

You were born at 29 weeks and 2 days, weighing in at 2 pounds 15 ounces. You were on a ventilator that was breathing for you and also hooked up to every machine possible keeping you alive (just like Mommy, no fun).

Now you are off all oxygen, all machines and you don’t even have a feeding tube. Yay!!!! You are also 5 pounds 10 ounces and are the biggest baby in here, lol I love it! You have the cutest chubby checks and you are even starting to get rolls. You are mommy’s little doll. Did I mention that I love you so much and every time I  see you I want to just eat you,, oohhh you are soo cute.

Tonight for the first time you get to sleep with mommy and daddy. Yes, it’s at the hospital but still Ill take it. It’s about time to feed you a bottle. Instead of mommy getting in the car and driving a half an hour to get to the hospital to feed you mommy gets to walk over to your crib pick you up and give you a bottle. I know this doesn’t seem like anything but to Mommy tears up just over the simplest things that she took for granted when Ely and Jace were babies, Now Mommy appreciates every little thing. Bye for now see you in a few hours. J!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10-3-13

Dear baby Zoey

Happy 2 month birthday Zoey!! You are 5 pounds 9 1/2 ounces. Today marks 61 days that you (and mommy) have been living in the nicu. However, I just called your nurse and they said you might come home SATURDAY!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh trying not to get my hopes up.....hmmm to late.....ahhhhhhhhhhh. Yay!!!!!!

Love Mommy

9-29-13

Dear Baby Zoey

You are now eight weeks old and you are five pounds eight ounces. I call you the heavy weight around here because your roommates are  only three pounds..lol.
We are very grateful that you have been doing so well. So far you don't have any infection and they are not concerned about your eyes. The only major hurtle, yes major hurtle, you have to overcome is to take all your feedings from a bottle. For the last week you didn't want anything to do with your bottle. Then suddenly on Thursday morning (9-26-13) daddy came to feed you for the first time and you drank a WHOLE bottle. yay yay yay!!!! Then slowly but surly you started picking up the pace and started loving your bottles. If you keep this up you will be able to go home in a couple of weeks. I try not to get my hopes up but could you pretty please come home now:)!!!!

Love Mommy

flip book below

9-21-13

9-21-13

Dear Baby Zoey

Mommy is so so proud of you. You have reached a lot of milestones!!
First, you are now my heavy weight. You weigh 5 pounds 2 ounces! Yay!
2-this is huge news....you are off your oxygen completely! They didn't just turn it down or off they took your nasal cannula out...hip hip hooray!! The NP said they could put you back on the oxygen but for right now it's out. Now you just have one tube and that's your feeding tube. Mommy loves it because she can see more of your face without all that tape. You are starting to get my chubby checks, which I kiss and kiss and kiss.
3-Every other feeding I get to give you a bottle. It's 45 ml of breast milk and it takes you a good 25-30 minutes to eat it. I have to pace you. This means you take 3-5 sucks then you breath for a couple of seconds and then we repeat. Mommy loves to see you drinking bottles because as soon as you take every feed by bottle you can......Come Home....yay!!! Of course,when mommy heard this she has to run to baby gap and get you some cute little tiny clothes. Mommy can't wait until she can play dress up with you. Sooo exciting!!!
4- Last but not least....the UTES beat BYU 13-20. Yay!!!! And you were the only baby in the nicu waving (holding) and cheering on the your Utes!!! Pretty awesome!!

Love Mommy

9-20-13 Bitter Sweet

9-20-13

Bitter Sweet

I’m feeling so many emotions today. Three years ago we went to have an ultrasound on our baby (baby Cord). We could not see our baby very well and right away we knew something was wrong. The doctor said that there was very little amniotic fluid and also said, "this is very scary". We had an apt to see the specialist on September 23. For three torturous days we looked up on everything and anything we could possible find to help fix this problem. FYI never read stuff on the Internet (bad idea)! I think I drank my weight in water. I went to Costco and bought and drank two packages of Costco’s water pellets (72) to see if that would help.... it didn't.

We sadly found out that our baby had potters syndrome and that he would not survive outside the womb. To say that we were heart broken and crushed would be an understatement. I cried and cried and then cried some more. Thankfully we were able to go to the temple and find some much needed peace. We received an answer that our little baby's mission in life would not  be an earthly one but a heavenly one.

Now three years later I just called up to the hospital and Zoey weighs 5, yes, 5 pounds!!!! Ahhhh yay yay yay!!! Huge milestone!!!! Now all she has to do is learn how to breath and take a bottle at the same time. Once she learns how to do this she can come home. Yay!!!!! She will be 7 weeks tomorrow and that means I have basically lived there for the past 7 weeks. I'm so grateful for her! She has definitely been our tender mercy!!

9-17-13 Bottles

9-17-13

Dear Baby Zoey

Drum roll...............................................................................................................................................
You are drinking bottles now!! Yay. You drink two 40 ml bottles a day. You still have your feeding tube in but this is huge. However, it takes you 30-40 minutes to drink your bottle because you haven't quite figured out how to drink and breath at the same time so OT has to pace you. But still this is great news!!
You weigh 4 pounds 12 ounces. Yay. So close to five pounds. I know this sounds like nothing but you were as low as 2 pounds 6 ounces. So I'll take the increase anytime:)
We are still on out vaca but Mommy misses you so much and is very home sick for you!!! I can't wait until you can come with us next time.
You still have a little tachycardia (which means your heart rate goes into the 200's) they are not sure why. Your echo came back normal and showed no heart murmur. (YAY). Kimmi has gone to see you a lot while Mommys been gone and so has grandma and grandpa. Everyone loves and prays for you endlessly. You (as well as mommy) are such a miracle and I never want you to forget that!
Hopefully tomorrow mommy will be there to nurse and feed you a bottle!! I'm soo excited I can't stand it!!!

Love Mommy