Denise is back :-)

Today we came down to the NICU and found out that Denise, a good friend of ours was going to be our nurse.  We were very excited to see her.  This was the beginning of very good day in the NICU.

This morning the doctors decided to move Ainsley back up to 5cm on her CPAP from 4.  She had been having a few more brady's since they turned the pressure down so they decided to back it off a bit.  She did very well with the CPAP settings today.  There was probably a synergistic effect due to the fact that they also raised her caffeine levels today.  The caffeine is used to stimulate the area of the brain that helps to regulate breathing.

Food, Ainsley has been moving up really quickly.  She was at 9mL per feeding yesterday and now she is at 12mL.  Her residuals have been looking good all day ( that is what is left in her belly at the next feeding.)  The idea is to get her up to being fed entirely from breast milk and weaned off of her PICC.  So as she has been moving up in milk; her volumes on her IV have been dropping.  She seems to be doing very well with feeding today.  She has continued to have more bowel movements indicating that things are beginning to flow well. 

Mommy got to kangaroo again today, and then I got to kangaroo too!   It was the first time I had held her it was so amazing.  Just sitting there with her on my chest, it was so calming.  It really made me feel more like I was actually her Dad.

One blessing to having a preemie during the summer is that when we go down for lunch we are able to go outside and sit on the grass or at a picnic table and soak up the sun.  It has been so refreshing.

Oh, and I had my first REAL coffee (IKE BOX)  in a week.  Thanks Tiff and Chad!

I know I promised pictures, trust me they are coming.