My baby is growing up too fast, One month old already! She has gained some weight she is now about 8 pounds and has grown 1/2cm! I am ok that she hasn't grown too much because I want her to still be small when she finally comes home! She has been doing really well still off all her medications other than Zantac and Prevacid to help with her Reflux. Her Scar from ECMO is healing well too, you can barely see it now, mostly because her chubby cheeks hide it!
This picture was right before they took out her stitches. She was still bruised but has healed up well since then. The biggest thing that we are working on right now is feeding. She has improved a little each day but she really didn't want anything in her mouth after having tubes down her throat for 2 weeks. She is now sucking on her Binky really well but the bottle is a little harder for her to get used to.
Gabi has also been alot more awake lately. She looks around and will follow your voice when you talk to her, which I love because I know she can hear! I feel like I can read her thoughts sometimes by her facial expressions and her personality comes out a little more everyday
Gabi is a gagger! Part of the reason I think she doesn't like to eat is because she gags on the feeding tube going down her throat. When she gags her whole body starts to dry heave and she starts puking, this is no baby spit up, its full on vomiting. Its so sad because you can feel how uncomfortable she feels. I have never seen a baby vomit like that and as her Mom of course I worry. We hold her up when she eats so if she gags or vomits she doesn't choke on it, but when we aren't there she is just laying in bed. I get nervous that she will swallow it and choke or swallow it back into her lungs which could cause more infection. I talked to the doctor and apparently this is very common and there is nothing to worry about... I of course feel other wise but I'm just the mom right!
The last few days she has done better with the vomit thank goodness. They say she has reflux and that its very common for babies with downs to have it, which may be true but I don't think that is entirely the issue. I feel like her disability has become an excuse for everything and I think that it will be something we will have to fight the rest of her life. I understand that there are common things that can occur but what I don't like is the assumption that because she is downs she has automatically has something or she will be slower. She will decide that, not a statistic. 
Sometimes Gabi looks so dang fat! She really is tiny but in her pictures she looks like a giant! 
The plan right now for her is to work on her feeding by mouth, They are giving her until the 26th and will then evaluate her progress. If she hasn't changed they have discussed the options of sending her home on a feeding tube. We can do the nasal feeding tube that she has now or a gastric tube that is surgically put into her stomach. Both options suck! I don't like the nasal one for the fact that I would have to shove it down her nose and into her stomach, hoping I put it in the right place. Plus she hates it and trys to pull it out multiple times a day! The G tube is ok other than it is surgically put into her side and she is fed that way. Its not a major surgery but its still surgery. I think for Gabi it would be a better option though because she wouldn't have anything going down her throat to gag her!
She has the chubbiest little legs! I just want to munch on them!
As much as I don't want to bring her home with the feeding tube, I also don't want her to stay at the hospital much longer. I am getting burnt out! The traveling back and forth is exhausting! I can't wait to have my lazy days with her like we had planned when she was first born! Taking naps together and not leaving the house! I am sooo looking forward to that! Gabi gets cuter and cuter every time I see her and it's so hard only spending a few hours a day with her. I am so grateful that she will be with us forever! I can't imagine life without her! 
This was Grandpa Hreinsons Birthday present! He loves BYU... Gio is not a big fan so this was a little bit of a sacrifice! But she looks dang cute in it! 
What's Up Man!
Hopefully she will be home with us SOON! Im ready to be a full time mom! I feel like parents have insticts with there children that no one else does, and I honestly think Gabi will do better in a more consitant enviroment. It's amazing what parenthood does to you as a person. I feel like I have changed so much in such a small amount of time. I have so many people to thank for that. I would not be who I am without all my family and friends, You have all been so great! I never imagined that having Gabi would bring me closer to people. I feel guilty sometimes having so many people loving me and my family because I don't feel I always deserve it. So many people have helped us and prayed for us that it is incomprehendable at times. I can never thank you all enough. I guess it is times like these that we have to swallow our pride accept the charity of others and when the time comes give back to someone else in need. and that is exactly what I intend to do! I love you all and Thank you again!
August 2012
14 years ago
7 comments:
oh my gosh she is just the cutest lil thing. and she has the cutest outfits!! -Carly (friend of Brittany's)
Gabi is DARLING!!! Never down play your instincts, you're MOM and you DO know best! We're just getting Porter off his reflux meds, we're down from 3 to 1. It's frustrating, but it's painful for him as well and we didn't want him associating food with pain.
I just wanted to share with you some of our experience with Porter, but take it for what it's worth. :) Porter has a terrible gag reflex and as a newborn he half heartedly took a bottle, and later just refused. Our pediatrician at the hospital had raised a daughter with DS and helped us focus on breast feeding. P struggled at first to latch so we used a small tube attached to a syringe of formula to encourage his efforts and to make sure he was getting enough nutriment. We also called the lactation specialist every time we fed, she did some massage that helped P latch. Soon he was feeding on his own. I don't know if they've said to you she has a bigger tongue, but that's a lie. People with DS have a smaller bottom jaw bone and a normal sized tongue. This means a smaller crowded space and things hit the back of their mouth causing them to gag. BF is a little less intrusive for Porter. Porter isn't the norm though, so often people can't believe he's able to BF. She'll figure this eating thing out, ether way! There are a lot of factors, you'll know what's best for Gabi. ((sorry if that was an over share, I just know I took ideas from other people's experiences. I also completely disregarded some as well))
Praying for Gabi to come home with you soon! She looks like she's thriving!
i always think about how amazing it is that such a tiny person whom we haven't known for very long, can make us care so much about them, to the point where we don't even know how we lived without them before they were here. Kids are the best part of life, I think. Nothing makes changes you more!
She is so cute I love all her little hair things and her little chubby legs! :)
Hope she can eat well soon, so you can have your lazy days at home together.
Love ya!
She is growing so well! She is a gorgeous little girl, she looks so cute in everything! I hope you guys can take her home soon, its hard to have a baby in the hospital.
Thanks for keeping us all updated. I love to see the pictures. She is beautiful.
Hope you get her home soon.
I loved all the pics, she is so fetchin cute! Don't you love dressing her up in all the cute hair bows? :) I hope the next post will be of her coming home! Take care!
She is so cute!!! We had to use a syringe and tube to feed Alex for a couple weeks too because he was very tongue tied and didn't BF well. Good Luck! I still need to get up to see you! She is seriously adorable.
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