2 months old & 4 lbs., 10 oz :)

Ansley is continuing to do amazingly well thanks to your prayers!!! She weighs 4 lbs, 10 oz and is a little over 17 inches long! They moved her to a bigger room and she is considered a "feeder and a grower" She got off of her oxygen about a week ago and they removed her feeding tube last Sunday!! She is taking all 8 of her feeds by mouth and doing well. She tends to get in a hurry and her heartrate decreases (bradycardia or "brady") at the begining of some of her feeds. She has reflux (which is common for most preemies) so they put a wedge in her crib. She also is using a slow flow nipple and that has helped with the brady's. That is pretty much what is keeping her here, as soon as they can get her brady's under control we will be heading back to Fort Smith!! I have the carseat in my car and don't plan on going back to Fort Smith without our little angel :) I hope you enjoy the new pictures!!

Ansley is 7 weeks old & 4 pounds!

Ansley has done very well this past week. She is continuing to gain weight and now weighs 4 pounds!! She is still on oxygen, they have weaned the liter flow from 2.5 liters at 21% to 1/8 of a liter at 100%. So she is getting very little oxygen and her O2 sats haven't dropped below 90% all week :) Her feeding tube got moved from her mouth to her nose because she started feeding orally this past Wednesday. She is doing wonderful and is up to 3 feeds a day by mouth. The most exciting thing that's happened this week is that she gets to wear clothes now!!! She is wearing preemie clothes, and they are still a little too big! (I'm sure she'll grow into them soon though) Also, she got moved to an open crib today! She's getting bigger and stronger each day and will hopefully go home in about 3-4 weeks :) We are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who keep her in their prayers! Thank ya'll very much!!

Ansley is 6 weeks old & 3 lbs. 8 oz.!!

Ansley weighed 1600 grams (3 lbs., 8 oz.) today!! She is gaining weight fast! They want her to gain an ounce a day and she is doing that (sometimes more). She is 16 inches long and still has her oxygen and feeding tube. She has been decreased to 2.5 liters of oxygen and is at 21% (room air) She still has her oralgastric feeding tube, but I am going to start breastfeeding her this week!! Please pray that she does well :) She was really upset this past weekend and wouldn't calm down very easily. The nurse put something called "sweet ease" (sugar water) on the end of her pacifier and I'll never forget her smile! She loved it!! It was the first time she actually tasted something! Also, we had an interesting time putting her handprints and footprints in her baby book! (She is still fiesty) Luckily there were 3 of us to get that acomplished, she didn't care for it, but she made it. Of course, when we put the ink on her hands and were ready to press them on the page she immediately made a fist! By the last print she was done, and it was hilarious! (It's smeared on the page). That's our Ansley though, she does what she wants to when she wants to! We've got our hands full, and are loving every minute of it :)

Ansley is 5 weeks old!!

Ansley is 5 weeks old! She weighs 2lbs., 15oz. and is 15 1/2 inches long. Ansley is doing well and gaining more and more weight each day! She still has her oxygen, and is on 3 liters. She is breathing better and not as fast. I have started kangroo care (where I hold her skin to skin for 3 hours in between her feeds), and she LOVES it. She sure puts up a fight when they have to put her back in the isolete! She started lifting her head from side to side and will occasionally wiggle all around her isolete. She is so strong for her size! The doctor's ordered for her to start non-nutritive sucking tomorrow. Hopefully she will start taking a bottle next week! I am very anxious to see how she does with a bottle, she will have mommy the SLP at her disposal whenever she needs me :) I asked the doctors "When do you think she'll be able to come home" and they responded with "We don't know, but she'll have to be able to eat and breathe on her own with no events (bradycardias or desats) and gain weight while eating and breathing on her own." They estimated 4-6 weeks, but we won't know for sure until it gets closer. We are sure ready for her to be home!!! I will continue to keep you posted on her progress.

Ansley is 1 month old!!

I can't believe that Ansley is 1 month old already!! She is doing great, and weighs 2 lbs., 11 oz! She has gained 1 lb!! She is being weened off of her oxygen, and is on 3 1/2 liters. She got all of her IV's out last Friday. Ansley is now 14 1/2 inches long. She is getting 21 ml's of milk every 3 hours. She has the nurses on their toes at all times, she is known for pulling out her feeding tube and her oxygen canula! I think she's tired of having those on her face and is ready to come home :) Ansley started sucking on a pacifier and loves it (even though it's almost as big as her)! She also LOVES to suck on her thumb/ fingers. They will try to start feeding her orally in a couple of weeks (when she would have been 34 weeks gestation). This week she will also have another brain scan to check for bleeding (she did not have any when she was born, or when she was a week old) and get her eyes checked (for Retinopathy of Premiturity -ROP). We have enjoyed holding her!! It's the best feeling in the world :) She is such a blessing and a wonderful addition to our family. I will continue to keep ya'll posted. Thanks for the continued prayers!

Ansley is 3 weeks old!

Ansley will be 3 weeks old tomorrow!! She is doing very well, she got her ventilator out last Tuesday at noon, and HAS KEPT IT OUT for 6 days! Ansley has an oxygen canula in her nose and is on 4 liters at 31%. She is breathing well on her own, with the help of her O2. They took the ventilator out of her room on Saturday, so that's a good sign that they don't plan on having to put it back in! They have dramatically increased her feeds since I have blogged last week, she is up to 11cc's every 3 hours and is doing awesome. She isn't having many significant residuals (milk left over in her tummy). Ansley now weighs 990grams (2 lbs, 3oz.) She started sucking on a pacifier about 3 days ago and LOVES IT! She also loves to suck on her thumb! On Saturday, June 26th, Jason and I got to hold her!! It was the most amazing feeling in the world! While she was being held, her vital signs were good, she only showed decreased O2 (desaturation) once. The nurse last night said that they would start "kangaroo care" this week! While I'm there I will hold her skin to skin in between her feeds. I am looking foward to bonding with her :) We hope you enjoy the pictures! Thank you again for the continued thoughts and prayers!

Jason's First Father's Day/ Ansley is 2 weeks old!!

Jason and I had a good weekend at UAMS. Ansley is doing well. She had to be put back on the ventilator last week, she was having to breath a little too hard and was wearing herself out. Again, they say that's typical for preemies that small. In the past week they have gradually decreased her vent settings, they were 60 breaths per minute and she's down to 40. Also, she is breathing more normal and not so much over the ventilator. They are going to try and ween her again this week! She is doing well with her feeds, they have increased them from 2 cc's every 6 hours to 6 cc's every 6 hours. Also, she is doing well gaining weight. I called this morning to check on her and she weighs 2 lbs.! She had to have another blood transfusion on Saturday (#4). Because she is so small, they have to draw her blood a lot and she is unable to produce enough blood to replace it. So, they replace it for her.

Jason had a wonderful first Father's Day! Ansley already has him wrapped around his little finger :) He is SO proud to call her his daughter! I surprised him with a picture of her in a frame for his office that had "Daddy's Girl" written on it! That's the truth, she's definitely a Daddy's girl already (AND a Mommy's girl too of course). We pray daily that she continues to grow and improve!!