February 20, 2010

Spent most of the day with my little sweetie. We were able to start kangaroo care this week. It's been so great (for both of us) and Avery does so well with it. As you can see from the picture, the nurse takes her out of the isolette and places her right in my shirt and buttons it up. Then they place warm blankets over her and put a hat on her head to keep her nice and toasty. Avery usually spends the first few minutes wiggling around and getting cozy, but once she gets settled in she falls fast asleep. We snuggled for over two hours today and she tolerated it very well.

We also got some great news about Avery being weaned off the ventilator. They have been able to drop her settings so low the past few days that they are now preparing her to be extubated (removing the ventilator tube from her)! They gave her a big dose of caffeine today to get her ready and will give her smaller doses going forward. The caffeine helps her remember to breathe in case she forgets. The nurses and doctors keep reminding me that she may have to be re-intubated after a couple of days if she can't handle breathing on her own, but they won't know until they try. Knowing my little girl and seeing how often she tries to pull that tube out of her mouth I think she's ready!

Weigh in day is Monday and we're hoping for a few ounce gain. Her feed has been increased and so have the amount of calories she receives. I will keep everyone updated! Keep those prayers for Avery coming...