6 weeks home!

Today marks 6 weeks of being out of the NICU!  While these 6 weeks have flown by, it also seems like such a long time ago that we were driving into Hartford twice a day to see Gabriella.  Sometimes I look at her and already forget just how tiny she was.  And then I look at these two photos together...

The first photo is of our wedding rings, on Gabriella's leg.  Gianni's could have been pulled up her thigh.  The second photo is Gabriella's foot today, my ring just able to go around two toes. She has grown!!

Bringing home a NICU baby is exciting yet challenging.  For the first few weeks home, we had to wake her every 3 hours to feed her.  She would take about 1/2 hour to eat her 1 1/2 ounces and then had to be held upright for her reflux for about 20-30 minutes.  When her weight gain became steady enough, we were able to start letting her go 4 hours in between feeds which has been much easier- and it allows her to wake up on her own and be a little less cranky!  She is now eating 3-3 1/2 ounces every 3-5 hours.

We started the Birth to Three program which we are so excited about.  Birth to Three is a program that helps delayed children catch up developmentally to their peers.  We have a physical therapist come to our house every other week to work with Gabriella and us. The visits are unlimited and as time goes on, if she needs other services, like occupational or speech therapy, they are also provided.  At the end of every visit, we are given "homework" to work on.  This week we are working on increasing tummy time, encouraging Gabriella to grasp toys, and working with her on tracking objects and turning to sounds.  We had a very exciting moment the other day when Gabriella held a toy with both hands and brought it up to her mouth!  It may seem little, but for a preemie baby, this is huge.

Some other fun photos...

Have a great weekend!  We are hoping for warmer weather soon... cabin fever is setting in and this baby and I need to get outside and walk!

xo,
Mary