Sunday May 30

Oops! We forgot to post our weekly pics. Actually, we spent yesterday out in one of our favorite high country haunts doing some spring exploration. Other than the wind it was a beautiful day and we had a good time. It became a little bit of an ordeal (a story for a different time) with the truck getting stuck and a tire that exploded a little while later...but we survived. It was sure nice to get out of the house as a family unit.

Last week Delaney had her second doctor's appointment since we've been back in Gunnison. She weighed 7 lbs 10.5 oz and we weaned her oxygen down to 1/16 of a liter. She continues to do a really good job, but our main issue continues to be her blood pressure. Brandon had a long talk with the cardiologist in Grand Junction who seemed to think that we should keep an eye on it and focus on the trend over time. If her pressure starts increasing we should look deeper into it, but otherwise try not to get too worried. Apparently blood pressure medications for babies have some significant down sides and they are not prescribed unless absolutely necessary.

We recently learned that family of family is having some issues with their pregnancy that likely will entail a stay in a NICU and emergency surgery. We would like to send them our good thoughts, and can say with some experience that modern day medicine is quite miraculous. It's easy for others to say, but try and hang in there.

Saturday May 22

So what have the Diamond's been up to? Well, Meredith and Brandon finally had a chance to get out and look for moose tracks. Had a nice day and actually saw some moose; it was sure nice to be out in one of our favorite places.

Last week Meredith spent a few days with her Grandparents and went to the theater to see the Wizard of Oz. She had a lot of fun and enjoyed some one on one attention. It was oddly quiet around the house while she was away.

We were very happy that Delaney had gained some weight at last week's nurse visit. She weighed 7 lbs 4.5 oz. We hope that we have our routine figured out now and that Delaney will continue to grow. We have a doctor's appointment on Monday and will likely be discussing Delaney's high blood pressure. She had another high one on Thursday. We need to talk it over, but wonder if we'll have some follow-ups with her cardiologist in Grand Junction.

Over the last several days we've battled water in our crawlspace, went on a picnic by the Gunnison river and Jennifer went to work for the first time. We seem to be in a groove and have our sights on more outdoor activities (our fingers are crossed for good weather this week).

Saturday May 15

On Monday Delaney will be a month old (based on her discharge date from the NICU). We continue to monitor her weight closely, and are doing everything we can to keep her growing in the right direction. There is a lot of trial and error, but the three main things we've done are 1. make sure she stays plenty warm, 2. change the nipple on her bottle so she gets more bang for her buck, and 3. increase the amount of milk we give her whenever it seems prudent. Last week our home health nurse weighed her in at 6lbs 15 oz. The following day Jennifer met with our local lactation specialist who weighed Delaney in at 7 lbs. The visit to the lactation consultant was to try and determine how much milk Delaney drinks when she breast feeds. We need to make sure that she is getting more calories than she burns during her feedings.

Meredith had an opportunity to see her Crested Butte friends last week when her class from Stepping Stones came to visit the Gunnison recycling center. Jennifer also had a nice visit with some of her friends last week at her first Bunco game since we've been back. The weather continues to be schizophrenic around here so we haven't been spending as much time outside as we would like. Oh well, things are pretty close to normal these days.

Saturday May 8

Well today was Delaney's anticipated due date-that makes her 40 weeks old (gestationally).

We're starting to get into a routine around here but it is a whole different world compared to when Meredith was born. We've talked about it before, but bottle feeding adds a layer of complexity to our day that is like a full time job. We are a little tired lately but Delaney is worth it.

Last week we made the trip to Grand Junction to see the eye doctor again. The good news on that front is that Delaney's eyes are now classed as "mature", meaning that she now has very little chance of developing ROP. Our next appointment with the eye doctor is in three months.

The two issues of concern for us are Delaney's weight gain and her high blood pressure. She essentially hasn't gained any weight since we've been home and we have been trying to increase her feeding volume in response to her demands. The blood pressure is something we have been watching for some time and will rely on our medical professionals to keep us headed in the right direction.

That's all for now, we'll keep you posted. Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there!

Saturday, May 1

Hard to believe we've been home for over a week now. We are so happy to be home and are finally starting to settle in. Delaney has been doing good and actually gained a little weight based on our last check up (she was 6 lb 12 oz). We are still having some issues with Delaney's blood pressure being high, and can't help but worry about it. Our home health nurse has not been able to round up the equipment to check Delaney at home, so we now plan to go to the Gunnison hospital one or two times a week to have her checked. This week we also have an eye exam scheduled in Grand Junction so we may try to get an appointment with the cardiologist while we're there.

Brandon plans to go back to work on Monday so you know where to find him. It likely will take him some time to get organized, but it's probably time to get back in the groove. We'd like to send special thoughts to our friends the Zadras, who have been dealt a tough hand recently. Someone once said to me, "good will prevail."