A Walk Outside and Random Updates

This is a CB post.

We finally took our walk outside today! It didn't phase Ella, under her hat & sunglasses. It was definitely more for me, but it's nice to have her finally go outside for the first time... even when it was sticky with 93 percent humidity. We were only allowed to stay outside for 10 minutes, doctors orders. It was a private patio off of the L&D area of the hospital, not far from NICU. It was really nice of the doctors to allow this and the nurses to make it happen. 

Other tidbits...

My friend S came to visit yesterday and brought her good camera. She did Ella's first "unofficial" photo shoot. I'll share some of the pictures in future posts (tonight's picture is not one of them). I'm so happy with how they came out! Thanks S!!

Ella's eyes were checked Friday (they get checked weekly) and her ROP in her right (surgery) eye is gone! Yay!!! Her left eye (no surgery) is continuing to regress and is mostly stage 1 at this point. Yay!

I watched my 4th (weekly) dressing change of her central line, this time I videoed it. The early intervention coordinator suggested videoing anything I need to do at home that I might want to reference. What a great idea!

I expect it to be a busy week, after the holiday. Home Health Care (HHC) is coordinating the equipment and will train with the nurses here because the doctors want things done the hospital way. HHC will train me on the equipment, some time this week? I've not heard from them directly yet. 

I'll be "rooming in" with Ella next weekend at the hospital. They have parent rooms where we will stay and I will do all of her care... the key is needing the equipment & being trained on it by then. This will give me the opportunity to do her "home" nursing care myself while having the nurses close by. 

My parents are planning to come this weekend to stay with the dogs and visit with Ella. 

On Monday Dr R increased her feeds from 18 to 24, which surprised me... I think I covered that in my last post. Thursday he bumped her up to 30cc! A whole ounce!! Again, I was surprised because the other doctors kept talking about leaving her where she was to get her discharged with stable bowel activity. I'm happy with 30 for her. The docs are saying they will keep her at 30, a nice even number. She still let's out a brief cry when her bottle is gone, but after what she's been through I think she will do that with any amount.

Oh, Ella is now rolling from her tummy to her back! And she also rolls to either side from her back!! Today I watched her study her hands, it was too cute!

I think she's adjusting to sleeping on her back, but I'm not here all night. The first night, when I came in the next morning, the word "monster" was used to describe her... And I frequently hear her referred to as a princess. She's had some super fussy nights and some good nights. I'm hoping she's turning the corner. A few times recently I'll set her down awake on her back in her crib so I can do/get something and she does fine. 

Right now she's asleep on my chest.