Daddy-Daughter Day 2/9/13
Chris
Today was relatively uneventful and we don't have that much to report. Melissa went to a friend's baby shower today, so Hattie and I spent the afternoon alone (well, as alone as you can get in the NICU). We kangarooed for about four hours and both got in a good afternoon nap. I think the best part was when Melissa got back. She went right to the sleeping Hattie and said hello. Almost immediately, Hattie opened her eyes and I could feel her legs start to kick. She is in love with her mommy and was so excited to see her!
Later this evening our wonderful friends Patti and Brian stopped by to meet Hattie and take us to dinner (thanks guys!). After shift change, Hattie nuzzled with Melissa during her feed and they are peacefully kangarooing as I write this.
What a great day!
Of course, we can't forget to update you on Hattie's stats. She now weighs 1,434 grams (3 lb., 2.5 oz.) and is still at 26 cc of milk every three hours. For context, there are about 30 cc in an ounce. As for her weight, her next big milestone is at around 1,500 grams; that's when we will start weaning her off the heated incubator to prepare her for an open-air crib.
We talk a lot on this blog about how thankful we are. Honestly, a day doesn't go by where we don't mention to each other something we are thankful for.
Our small group often discusses that there are basically only two prayers that you need to ever pray. The first is, "Help me. Help me. Help me." And the second is, "Thank You. Thank You. Thank You." Days like today—and like so many we have experienced these past five weeks—leave us standing before God with an indescribable gratitude, only able to pray that second prayer.
So as you say your prayers today, we humbly ask that you help us thank God for all He has done with little Hattie. Our list of things to be thankful for is long, but here are a few.
We are thankful...
- ...for bringing Hattie into the world right on time and in her own special way.
- ...for Hattie's good health, growth and overall progress so far.
- ...for the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and so many others who have spent countless hours training and preparing to care for Hattie and other babies in the NICU.
- ...for Dr. Alexander, that he happened to be on call the day Hattie was born.
- ...for the advancements in medicine that have brought neonatology to a place where more premature babies live than don't.
- ...for Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies and the foresight that Melissa and I had to select it for Hattie's birth.
- ...for the equipment inventors and manufacturers who created the life-sustaining tools that Hattie relies on.
- ...for the nameless friends and coworkers at Disney who donated their own earned vacation time so that Melissa can spend as much time with Hattie during these critical first months of her life.
- ...for the overwhelming kindness we have witnessed from so many people who read this blog and have offered their prayers, kind thoughts, gifts and encouraging words.
- ...for the fact that our list of things to be thankful for is longer than our list of requests.
- ...for a God who is not limited by our inability to let Him know how thankful we are.
- ...for the absolute honor that God chose us to be Hattie's parents.
