Mother Superior jump the gun

Days 53-56

Weight-  A WHOLE 1 POUND ABOVE MY BIRTH WEIGHT!  2lbs 7oz
Oxygen- 1.25 liters nasal cannula
Disposition- Sunny with a chance of clouds...

Prudence has come so very very far.  Physical therapy started splinting her legs today with a neat contraption that was made out of an armboard, some guaze, tape and some really soft straps.  Several times a day as much as she tolerates, she straps on her little surfboard looking thing to help reposition her legs and train her hips to hold her legs a certain way.  I was fortunate enough to meet the physical therapist and see what she does.  Luckily, Prudence is still really flexible and her joints haven't become rigid.  Therefore, according to her therapist, she should be easy to train back into correct positioning.  This will most likely be something that we have to follow up on outside of the hospital.

Lucy had her two year check up too.....
Absolutely perfect!

They tried to condense her feeds down today.  In order for Prudence to take bottles, she first has to be able to tolerate taking a feed in a shorter amount of time.  Right now, Prudence is having her feeds run continuously around the clock to her stomach because the larger volumes cause her to have horrible reflux.  We tried to run her feeds over two hours today and then off for an hour.  Well she did not tolerate that at all.  She had several reflux related episodes that were very hard for her to recover from.  Think of choking on your own spit up and not being able to figure it out to keep breathing.  Thats what happens.

So we had to back off and also abort the plan to turn down the flow on her nasal cannula just because she was having such a hard time recovering from the episodes.  Sigh.

The bright side though is that the set backs are fewer and less severe than they were just 4 weeks ago.  Its so amazing to think in just 4 weeks we can go from praying that she not go back on the ventilator to now getting frustrated when we can't dial back the flow on her nasal cannula.  My sweetheart has climbed mountains in such a short amount of time.

 So yesterday, I turned 27.  I feel about 50.  Since having Lucy and Prudence, I have grown up so much.  And I observe my peers.  Some are not married, living it up in big cities, doing things like going to bars, concerts, and living life for themselves.  Some are engaged and planning their big days.  Some are newlyweds who take extravagant trips for their first anniversary and make their life seem like an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."  Some are enduring their first sleepless nights as new parents to their first child and smiling through the process.  Very few have walked the road Juan and I are on right now and quite frankly I start to wonder if I am really old enough to be dealing with these things.  Nowadays, people are allowed to stay in a state of suspended  youth.  Be carefree and wild longer.

My idea of a wild night is one where Juan and I manage to stay awake through half of "The Princess Bride" which we bought for $4.75 at Target.  Woohoo.

Home is where my heart is.  My heart is fused with Juan's and together we have two beautiful girls, a cozy home, and dreams of what our family will get to do together one day.  Dreams of being young parents who get to enjoy our children to the fullest and one day, be young enough to enjoy playing with our grandchildren before our hip replacements.  Most important, I am glad that I never fell pray to the glamour of the jetsetter married life.  The extravagant ways of most couples of my generation.  Instead, I have invested all of that into something much more fulfilling and lasting.  I am not condemning you if you are into all that.  But I do urge everyone to never feel pressured by the new norms.

I am doing what I was meant to do.  I was called to motherhood.  And its one call I am glad I answered!

Faith, trust, and pixie dust wishes from micropreemie world!

 (PS I have watched way too much Tinker Bell in the past few months)