Gracie's First Few Days

As I said earlier, Gracie had a bit of a rough start...

...The first night, I noticed that my new little bundle made a little noise with each breath.  It was positively adorable.  Like a purring kitten or something.  But as time went on, it became a little disconcerting.  It didn't seem quite right.  The nurse was concerned as well so we sent her to the nursery for the peds to watch over her.  She didn't breastfeed at all through the night and her oxygen levels were not quite within the comfortable range.  The doctors became concerned with all these little pieces of the puzzle floating around, therefore they decided to admit her into the Level 2 Nursery and hand her over to the Neonatal care. 

There they did some chest x-rays and heel pokes and diagnosed the problem---  a miniscule pneumothorax (a pocket of air in the lungs) as well as a bit of amniotic fluid in the lungs.  Double whammy.  (But not really a whammy since they were both so minor.)  The two issues combined were causing her some breathing difficulties for sure.  They put her in a little isolette and got some oxygen flowing, gave her an IV (since she wasn't eating very well), and hooked her up to all sorts of monitors.  But that was the most invasive they got.  (Besides the several heel pokes that came over the next few days.)  Both issues usually work themselves out on their own in newborns and we were positive that would be the case with Gracie.  It was.

I was discharged from the hospital on Monday and stayed in Gracie's little special care room that night.  We were very anxious to bring her home the following day.  S&S could not wait for their little sister to become a part of the home!  Come Tuesday, though, Gracie was looking rather jaundiced.  Another heel poke and sure enough... quite jaundiced.  They wanted to keep her another night, just to watch her,and I said, "No way, Jose'!!"  We could not get out of that hospital fast enough!!  (Although, I must interject here that the care was amazing and the nurses- every single one of them- were OUTSTANDING!  For a hospital stay, it could not have been better.)

We agreed to take her in the next day for a follow-up where she endured another heel poke.  We waited on pins and needles through the afternoon to hear if the doctor wanted us to admit her back into the hospital for treatment.  Fingers crossed!  And whew!  We were clear.  The numbers were elevated, but not enough to admit her.  Just enough to have to take her in AGAIN the next day!  At that appt, though, we were told that at this point we can just wait and see what happens.  Today, she is still a little yellowed, but looking much improved.

Speaking of today...
Today, we are all {madly} in love with this little girl.  Today, we cannot get enough of her.  Today, our hearts melted every time she opened her eyes.  Today, we were so proud that she found her thumb and sucked on it.  Today, we thanked Heavenly Father for sending her to us.  (And today she broke out with her newborn rash.)