Sunday

Our day is off to a rough start. You can read about preemies, surf the net about preemies, talk to doctors about preemies, or visit with parents that have had preemies, but I promise you nothing will adequately prepare you for this experience. Our time in the NICU is spent talking with the nurses and doctors (sometimes we know the right questions to ask), watching Delaney, and mostly, watching Delaney's monitor. It's hard not to become obsessed with the monitor, as it provides a constant snap-shot of her vital rates. You immediately begin to recognize when she is in distress, and mentally urge her to work it out. When she can't work it out on her own, she requires intervention from the nurses and it is hard to watch. Last night she had a second blood transfusion because her hematocrit levels were too low. Hopefully over the next few days she'll begin to feel the benefits of a few more red blood cells and more oxygen in her body. Send us your good thoughts because we sure need them.