Car Seat Test

Mattie just finished with her 30-minute car seat test, which basically assures the hospital that she's breathing well as such an angle.

Look at that sweet little hand. Her hands are so pretty, having such long fingers and deep fingernail beds.

This picture was taken Thursday. I don't have many pictures of me actually holding her, so this one is a treasure.

Where are we at now? We are anxiously awaiting clearance to leave tomorrow. If we don't get clearance, I will be greatly disappointed. Last night nursing was a challenge...not so much because she isn't a great nurser. Quite the opposite. She's starving, and I don't have the milk supply that matches what NICU was feeding her all week long. She got frantic last night, so we opted for a supplementer. It's a little tube that she keeps in her mouth feeding milk to her as she nurses. It's great, because we are able to avoid bottles right now, although she has had a few bottles and did well. Up to this point, we were using donor breastmilk, but since we are on a "trial" if you will in our family room as we try to nurse her as if we were home, we have to opt for formula if we want to supplement, just in case she reacts differently to it. I think that's fair. Last night she lost less than an ounce (.7), and I chose to supplement her one feeding. NICU won't release us if she loses an ounce. So, Hugh and I agreed that we gotta keep the main thing, the main thing here and that's to get discharged from NICU and get home. Once we're home, I'll have to continue ways to increase my milk supply to where she's satisfied. We are supplementing every feeding today, so that no weight is lost over today and we can get the thumbs up tomorrow morning. But nursing is going well and it's on its way.

As for me, I'm taking my iron supplements and feeling a little better each day. I still have some tenderness on the lower left side of my abdomen, so I'm trying not to worry about that. My mind tends to drift to my c-section scar and the what-ifs that go along with having a c-section scar and a VBAC. I'm praying it's nothing, giving it over to the Lord, and asking for peace. I told Hugh if I get to feeling 100% again, Mattie gets a clean bill of health, and we are reunited with Laney as a family of four, I will be the happiest Mama ever. That's all I'm asking for is that we all get a clean bill of health. Everything else, like sleep deprivation, waiting on milk supply to come in pales in comparison. It's amazing how your perspective changes depending on your experience and circumstances. Also, with having my second child, I seem to be a little more easy going.

Well, I better get back to sweet Mattie, or as Hugh is lovingly refers to her as" Mattie-Cakes." LOL. We love making up sweet names for our girls. Laquita and Paul will be visiting us here shortly. So thankful for Grandparents and all their help. My parents bent over backwards for us this week, and I cannot thank them enough. Knowing Laney was so happy to be with them and was well-taken care of by them, made my days easier here at the hospital. Love you all!