Someone should really update this blog...

Time seems to fly when your life consists of sleeping, pumping (for breast milk, that is), driving to a downtown hospital, spending 8 hours at said hospital, driving home, pumping, sleeping, repeat. We've gotten into our routine and driving to and from the hospital is not the pain in the neck I would have expected.  It's actually really nice most nights to be able to talk and process things with Gabe for 30 or 40 minutes. Other than the fact that we are desperately anxious to take our little girl home, it's a very tolerable routine.

I have a new appreciation for "roller-coaster" as a figure of speech. Take tonight, for instance. The Knipps came up from the Springs and took us to lunch at Wahoo's and then followed us to the hospital.  Ellis was wide-eyed and alert for a lot of the visit, which was fun for all of us.  After the Knipps left, Ellis started to get a little frustrated with me and here's why.  On Friday afternoon, with a very distended tummy she decided she couldn't eat.  The docs were a little concerned that she could potentially have an intestinal infection, but hopeful that it was just a really bad case of gas caused by the fortifier {extra calories} that is added to my breastmilk.  So she was x-rayed and taken off food.  Flash forward to today {3 x-rays later, no sign of infections}--the girl hasn't gotten to eat in over 48 hours {was being "fed" through an IV a concoction of nutritious liquid}, then I come along smelling like dinner, she starts showing every cue in the book {opening her mouth, sticking out her tongue, smacking her lips, looking longingly at me with sweet, pleading eyes...}, and I won't feed her.  What kind of mother am I?  I cried four different times and almost opened the milk bar when there were no nurses around.  But I didn't.  So Ellis got fussier and fussier because she could smell who I was and she was trying to suckle from every blanket and knuckle that came near her mouth.  Poor girl. 

Gabe and I had to leave the NICU from 7-8. While we were away I got a little more emotional and we both decided we were going to press for Ellis to get a real meal when we returned.  We put together a strong case and marched back to the NICU.  When we returned we were immediately informed that Ellis was approved for real food again!  Instantaneously our spirits were lifted.  Gabe got to feed her a bottle for the first time (his, not hers), which she WOLFED down, and promptly fell fast asleep. 

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The infection near Ellis's left shoulder seems to be clearing up, though she'll be on antibiotics for another 10-14 days to make certain it's GONE for real this time.

Her belly is soft and smaller than its been in days. These are great signs.

Despite being taken off rood for the last 2+ days, she managed to gain back some weight and is sitting at 3 lbs. 6 oz. now.

She is off of oxygen and breathing like a champ all on her own.

She continues to get cuter everyday.

I'll try to post some new pictures soon.  We've got at least 160 to choose from that are still just sitting on our camera.