Tuesday

A lot of folks in the NICU seem to be enthusiastic about Delaney's progress to date. It's always interesting to be there when the occupational therapist comes in to check on Delaney's physical development. Lots of things to look for like tight muscles in the neck and head conformation. The staff (and us) have to make sure that we reposition her during each care time so that her head stays symmetrical and her muscles develop equally. This morning they increased her feed rate again and she is now given 29 ml of milk every three hours. She gained weight again tonight so she seems to be on the right track. Now that she is a little more stable, we find ourselves holding her for longer periods of time and are convinced that it is making a difference. It is amazing how much she looks like Meredith did when she was first born.

Today one of our favorite nurses took Meredith out for a play date with her grandkids, which allowed us to hang out for a little while. It was a nice break from our busy daily schedule. Meredith and her new friends seem to be hitting it off well, so there are likely more playdates in our future. Although we had originally hoped to get Meredith into a preschool, we ultimately reached the conclusion that it was too risky to have her in school where she is likely to be exposed to lots of bugs. We have to minimize the potential for illness; even if it's just a minor cold it would keep us out of the NICU and away from our baby girl. We've become insane clean freaks, what can we say.