Apple of Our Eyes! Thurs. 10/20/11 @ 5:39pm

Hi, everyone! We are back in Maine, now til Monday (daddy anyway)... and I think expeting Ross to visit tomorrow.  That'll be nice.

Gracie is doing well.. weighing in still at 4lbs. 2 oz. but up 20grams (1.88kilograms); so she's steadily gaining weight daily.. definitely a plus!

Here she is greeting Mommy & Daddy when we arrived at 8:30 this morning.  We were up at 4:30, and didn't leave Fairhaven til about 5:30 (1st customers at D&D, and they messed up our order..HATE THAT!!)

I dressed Miss Gracie up today, in an outfit that her friend next door, Will's grandmom made..here she is & Will..(with his mom, Kelley's permission of course):

Doesn't she look cute?? I think she might be a headband girlie.. :)

those are apples on her outfit..
she is the "apple of our eye!"



And here is Will (on right!) with the same material.. Thanks Will's grandmom.. (hope she's getting on to making more..we will make a mint selling them on ebay :). 

Although, Gracie's nurse today, Susan.. told me my blog is great reading & I should think about publishing it..or writing a book about NICU.. I'm on it!! I've already started, trust me!!  Thanks, Susan!!

Miss Gracie taking some formula off the binky.  Our experiment to help with oral stimulation.  She did great today. (She's being held by her OT, Marisa)

Soo, you're waiting for the surgeon update.. here it is, we spoke in lengths to a pediatrician surgeon regarding Gracie's Hernia in her belly.  We asked alot of ?'s, I had 13 of my own (thanks to peeps who helped me put them together) & all were answered to my satisfaction.  Gary had some of his own too.  The plan is to wait about 2 weeks to see how Gracie does & to give her some time to gain some weight.  And then we will schedule a date for the hernia to be repaired (she also has a groin hernia & they will be able to do that at the same time, so that's great!!).  The stomach hernia gets repaired by being pulled back down into place (it currently 'slides' into the chest cavity, and back), and then sewed at top.  She will also have a "nissin  fundoplication" done at same time; that is to help with the reflux and prevent the hernia from returning.  (do a google search & read all about it).  She will hopefully soar after the surgery, and be able to feed from a NG tube (maybe an NJ while she's recovering some), but the goal is better feeds with an NG (to the belly) & to take a bottle.  So, in two weeks (unless they have to do it sooner, because she is throwing up too much or having too many d-sats), we will have a date on when they will do it.  If she, afterward, is feeding from the NG tube, she can be transferred to St. Luke's in NB, to continue feedings.. that would be our ultimate goal!  Soo, Gracie.. GROW, GROW, GROW!! :).   Soo..it's suspected that alot of these reflux episodes that she's having is due to the Hernia!  So, it would be a relief to get it repaired.. with minimal chance of coming back. 


So, keep us in your prayers.. I know that's continued.. and we Thank you for that!!

Going down for dinner & then I think bed early tonight..we are both very tired!


Love,
pattie & gary, gracie & our guardian angel, Maxwell!!