A Date

We're not trying to get you excited. And we're trying not to get excited ourselves yet. But a conversation was had today about March 4th.

March 4th is Alicia's due date. March 4th is Toby's birthday. February 21st was Toby's due date, but that is irrelevant at this point. Funny, in an ironic sort of way, but irrelevant.

If we are allowed to bring Alicia home while she is still taking some of her feeds through a tube, it could be as soon as March 4th. Today the NNP told Michelle that she might allow that.

The situation as of today: Michelle breastfeeds Alicia for 10-12 hours of the day. She takes 2 bottles of supplemented breast milk during the night and is starting to get the hang of that part. But all of that is still exhausting work for her and makes her have more spells. When she needs a break, she gets supplemented breast milk through a tube that goes through her nostril down into her stomach.

If we are going to bring Alicia home on her due date, we will need to be (1) pretty good at giving her bottles, which is exclusively done by the nurses right now, (2) able to thread the little tube through her nose and down her esophagus far enough but not too far, (3) damn lucky. The list for Alicia is a little longer...she has to pass her carseat test on Thursday, has to continue to gain weight and keep her spells to a minimum. A self-defense class might be helpful when it comes to getting along with her big brother, but she's got enough to worry about as it is.

I, Michelle, do need to tell you that Alicia is taking some deeper breaths now. And it used to be that when I breastfed her, she needed more oxygen, but now she doesn't for most feeds. And she's even getting better at pacing herself while feeding so that I don't have to take her off all the time to catch her breath. AND she's been taken off of pulmicort, her asthma med. They are small but good steps.

So stay tuned and cautiously optimistic.