Today, Dec 9th, Sofia and I worked on our 2nd attempt at breastfeeding. Both times she latched great but she’s having trouble transferring milk. She’s trying her hardest though. She’s also been doing well with the bottle she took 3 full bottles during 3 of her feeds and then kind of stalled out the rest of the day. I took some pic today of her in some silly poses…so today is Silly Sofia day. I guess she’s showing off for her 10 Weekaversary.

Today, Dec 9th, Sofia and I worked on our 2nd attempt at breastfeeding. Both times she latched great but she’s having trouble transferring milk. She’s trying her hardest though. She’s also been doing well with the bottle she took 3 full bottles during 3 of her feeds and then kind of stalled out the rest of the day. I took some pic today of her in some silly poses…so today is Silly Sofia day. I guess she’s showing off for her 10 Weekaversary.

Today, Dec 9th, Sofia and I worked on our 2nd attempt at breastfeeding. Both times she latched great but she’s having trouble transferring milk. She’s trying her hardest though. She’s also been doing well with the bottle she took 3 full bottles during 3 of her feeds and then kind of stalled out the rest of the day. I took some pic today of her in some silly poses…so today is Silly Sofia day. I guess she’s showing off for her 10 Weekaversary.

So it seems the last few weeks have been the hardest on our little journey. Surprising, considering Sofia has been at her strongest “medically”. She is still doing great from a respiratory stand point, she’s gaining weight consistently and her desats are more predictable and less often. She’s still just working at trying to bottle feed which has been a slow and painstaking process.

We’ve been told this is when NICUitis sets in. Now it’s just a waiting gain and only Sofia can tell us when she is ready to go home. We have a checklist that our primary nurse (the nurse who follows her everytime she’s on duty) wrote for us. Things that need to be accomplished to go home. We already have check marks next to holding her temperature, keep gaining weight and begin nipple feeding. We still need checks for losing the NG tube (feeding tube), control over reflux and passing the car seat test. Just waiting and seeing.

It’s been 67 days that we have had to leave Sofia in someone else’s care. It’s been 83 days of hospital time if you count my time on bed rest. It’s 81 days since we SHOULD have completed our move. Its been 2 first holidays with attached to machines with another one approaching. You never imagine your baby’s first Christmas without a picture with Santa. It’s emotionally exhausting. But it would have been 33 days from now till my original due date. It’s been 67 days extra that I’ve gotten to touch my baby and 67 days where I could see her tiny face and tell her I’d love her. It pails in comparison to a Mom I spoke with who was finally leaving after 105 days. It’s been a “boring” 67 days as far A’s the NICU goes and if that’s as much as Santa can give us this Christmas, that’s not too shabby a gift. But Santa, if you’re listening, we’d really love to make it home for Christmas!

So it seems the last few weeks have been the hardest on our little journey. Surprising, considering Sofia has been at her strongest “medically”. She is still doing great from a respiratory stand point, she’s gaining weight consistently and her desats are more predictable and less often. She’s still just working at trying to bottle feed which has been a slow and painstaking process.

We’ve been told this is when NICUitis sets in. Now it’s just a waiting gain and only Sofia can tell us when she is ready to go home. We have a checklist that our primary nurse (the nurse who follows her everytime she’s on duty) wrote for us. Things that need to be accomplished to go home. We already have check marks next to holding her temperature, keep gaining weight and begin nipple feeding. We still need checks for losing the NG tube (feeding tube), control over reflux and passing the car seat test. Just waiting and seeing.

It’s been 67 days that we have had to leave Sofia in someone else’s care. It’s been 83 days of hospital time if you count my time on bed rest. It’s 81 days since we SHOULD have completed our move. Its been 2 first holidays with attached to machines with another one approaching. You never imagine your baby’s first Christmas without a picture with Santa. It’s emotionally exhausting. But it would have been 33 days from now till my original due date. It’s been 67 days extra that I’ve gotten to touch my baby and 67 days where I could see her tiny face and tell her I’d love her. It pails in comparison to a Mom I spoke with who was finally leaving after 105 days. It’s been a “boring” 67 days as far A’s the NICU goes and if that’s as much as Santa can give us this Christmas, that’s not too shabby a gift. But Santa, if you’re listening, we’d really love to make it home for Christmas!

So it seems the last few weeks have been the hardest on our little journey. Surprising, considering Sofia has been at her strongest “medically”. She is still doing great from a respiratory stand point, she’s gaining weight consistently and her desats are more predictable and less often. She’s still just working at trying to bottle feed which has been a slow and painstaking process.

We’ve been told this is when NICUitis sets in. Now it’s just a waiting gain and only Sofia can tell us when she is ready to go home. We have a checklist that our primary nurse (the nurse who follows her everytime she’s on duty) wrote for us. Things that need to be accomplished to go home. We already have check marks next to holding her temperature, keep gaining weight and begin nipple feeding. We still need checks for losing the NG tube (feeding tube), control over reflux and passing the car seat test. Just waiting and seeing.

It’s been 67 days that we have had to leave Sofia in someone else’s care. It’s been 83 days of hospital time if you count my time on bed rest. It’s 81 days since we SHOULD have completed our move. Its been 2 first holidays with attached to machines with another one approaching. You never imagine your baby’s first Christmas without a picture with Santa. It’s emotionally exhausting. But it would have been 33 days from now till my original due date. It’s been 67 days extra that I’ve gotten to touch my baby and 67 days where I could see her tiny face and tell her I’d love her. It pails in comparison to a Mom I spoke with who was finally leaving after 105 days. It’s been a “boring” 67 days as far A’s the NICU goes and if that’s as much as Santa can give us this Christmas, that’s not too shabby a gift. But Santa, if you’re listening, we’d really love to make it home for Christmas!

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Thomas Paine

Today is a very celebratory day for the Farsaci family. Sofia is 2 months old (actual) and 34 weeks and 2 days (adjusted) today. I’ll explain more about the actual and adjusted in a second. It’s amazing to us that she has hit the 2 month mark already and even more amazing, last night she hit 4lbs! This huge marker has moved us to level 2 care, the last level before discharge.

We are hoping and praying that we get this little angel home for Christmas. The last developmental step is eating on her own without Brady’s and desats and Apnea. No more A’s, B’s and D’s…please! Oh yea, and getting the reflux that causes all of the above under control.

Ok back to the actual and adjusted age. In the preemie world they are “aged” with two numbers until their 2nd birthday, their actual age and their adjusted age. Actual age is dated the way you would with a term baby, 2 month since ACTUAL day born, for example. The adjusted age is the baby’s age based on original due date. So right now, if I was still pregnant I would be 34wks and 2 days. This is the calculation used until the 40wk, full term, mark and then it starts counting forward each week or month from my due date. It continues like this until 2 years of age. This is all because of basic development. For example, since she was born almost 4 months early, at Sofia’s 1st birthday she will only be expected to do what an 8 month old can do from a developmental standpoint. All so very complicated, I know.

This has been the Preemie lesson of the day! Brought to you by ::insert baby product here::

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Thomas Paine

Today is a very celebratory day for the Farsaci family. Sofia is 2 months old (actual) and 34 weeks and 2 days (adjusted) today. I’ll explain more about the actual and adjusted in a second. It’s amazing to us that she has hit the 2 month mark already and even more amazing, last night she hit 4lbs! This huge marker has moved us to level 2 care, the last level before discharge.

We are hoping and praying that we get this little angel home for Christmas. The last developmental step is eating on her own without Brady’s and desats and Apnea. No more A’s, B’s and D’s…please! Oh yea, and getting the reflux that causes all of the above under control.

Ok back to the actual and adjusted age. In the preemie world they are “aged” with two numbers until their 2nd birthday, their actual age and their adjusted age. Actual age is dated the way you would with a term baby, 2 month since ACTUAL day born, for example. The adjusted age is the baby’s age based on original due date. So right now, if I was still pregnant I would be 34wks and 2 days. This is the calculation used until the 40wk, full term, mark and then it starts counting forward each week or month from my due date. It continues like this until 2 years of age. This is all because of basic development. For example, since she was born almost 4 months early, at Sofia’s 1st birthday she will only be expected to do what an 8 month old can do from a developmental standpoint. All so very complicated, I know.

This has been the Preemie lesson of the day! Brought to you by ::insert baby product here::

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Thomas Paine

Today is a very celebratory day for the Farsaci family. Sofia is 2 months old (actual) and 34 weeks and 2 days (adjusted) today. I’ll explain more about the actual and adjusted in a second. It’s amazing to us that she has hit the 2 month mark already and even more amazing, last night she hit 4lbs! This huge marker has moved us to level 2 care, the last level before discharge.

We are hoping and praying that we get this little angel home for Christmas. The last developmental step is eating on her own without Brady’s and desats and Apnea. No more A’s, B’s and D’s…please! Oh yea, and getting the reflux that causes all of the above under control.

Ok back to the actual and adjusted age. In the preemie world they are “aged” with two numbers until their 2nd birthday, their actual age and their adjusted age. Actual age is dated the way you would with a term baby, 2 month since ACTUAL day born, for example. The adjusted age is the baby’s age based on original due date. So right now, if I was still pregnant I would be 34wks and 2 days. This is the calculation used until the 40wk, full term, mark and then it starts counting forward each week or month from my due date. It continues like this until 2 years of age. This is all because of basic development. For example, since she was born almost 4 months early, at Sofia’s 1st birthday she will only be expected to do what an 8 month old can do from a developmental standpoint. All so very complicated, I know.

This has been the Preemie lesson of the day! Brought to you by ::insert baby product here::

We always celebrate Thanksgiving withy family on Friday. It’s a tradition that started a few years ago when I was engaged because eating big meals twice in one day is a little overwhelming.

This was the first time Sofia was going to meet her Uncle Brandon so she decided to be a big girl and was taken out of her isolette and into an open air crib. She held her temperature great.

Brandon and Laura came into town and got to meet Sofia for the very first time! She had so much fun with her Uncle Brandon. Then, we had a happy Honeybaked dinner. No stress and quick clean-up. It was a great Holiday.

Later that evening Sofia got moves to the intermediate room. It’s the last room before we are discharged. Such a huge move. FL or bust!