Happy April Fools day. None of what I am typing below is a joke so not to worry. Zoe's surgery has been rescheduled for the 4th time for April 15th. So as long as she stays healthy these next two weeks, we will be rid of her NG tube and on to her new medicine in 2 weeks. Zoe's has discovered the johnny jump up and LOVES it!! I put her in it a couple weeks ago and she immediatley started jumping like crazy. She got such a good jump going that I had to raise it up a couple links. She is totally content jumping for a good hour or so. She also has a toy saucer that bounces which she also loves. She's getting even better at sitting up on her own and if she is placed obn the floor she has figured out out how to roll over and over to change her position. She is actually able to get her butt in the air and her arms up a bit so she can shove herself forward. I wouldn't call it crawling but it is definetly the beginning of it.
Zoe had another swallow study done on Monday the 30th for the first time since January. She has stopped aspirating entirely and is able to guard her lungs even when she is gagging. So what this means is that we get to start trying to feed her again. We can try giving her breastmilk via the binky trainer or bottle at every feed, as much as she will take and we get to try solid foods three times a day. It is going to be a slow process since she's not used to any of this, but I think she'll take well to it. After she is on the Flolan that should help even more because it will give her more enrgy since her pressures won't be as high. She also got her first high chair on Monday so we can try out this feeding thing and she seems to love it.
Last night, Jason, Zoe and I met up with 4 of the nurses from Legacy Emanuuel here in Seattle. We saw Dona, one of Zoe's primary nurses, Stephanie, Leanna and Casey. They are all going to school up here at the UW. It was so great to see them, very special for us and they were of course thrilled to see how much Zoe had grown and changed. We miss everyone down there in Portland so much.
Zoe is now sleeping through the night- YEAH!! It only took 7 months. We have also been able to cut out another feed, so we only have to feed her 6 times a day and not in the middl of the night,. So much nicer for all three of us. I actually get 6-7 hours of sleep instead of two stretches of 1.5 hours each.
Jason and I are almost done with the studio. The contractors are just finishing up the upstairs and so hopefully by mid next week we will be moving everything in. I can't wait to get Zoe's nursery together and the rest of the place. It has been 8 months since I have lived in my own space. It will be nice to be able to be together the three of us. We have had a great time with my parents and I love that Zoe gets so much time with them, but we're ready. Besides they need to reclaim their house- there is Zoe stuff everywhere. I'm going to miss seeing them every day and watching Zoe with them. They are always happy to babysit. Good thing they just live down the driveway.
We got some updates on some other NICU babies that are having some health issues, so just a request to keep them in your thoughts and prayers along with Zoe. They have all fought so hard to make it this far, they are all amazing beings.
