The NICU

The next two weeks were spent hanging out in the NICU with our new, tiny, little girl and the wonderful nurses. We learned a great deal from each nurse and became more confident in taking care of a preemie. After I was discharged from the hospital (it was very difficult to leave without taking her home with us) we spent the next two weeks traveling back and forth from the hospital and home. I even did a day by myself and realized it was very difficult to be in the NICU by myself. Work was still being done on the sunroom and my parents flew in after I gave birth. We were juggling a lot and wanting to be at the hospital as much as possible. Needless to say we were experiencing a lot: physically, mentally and emotionally. This experience was unexpected and definitely challenging but we somehow survived! I will do my best to document with as many pictures as I can!

This is the first time I was able to see her... early Friday morning. 

Saturday, Aug 13... some of our first pictures with her!

Only 2 days old and just amazing!

Amazing at how tiny she is... and her feet were the biggest part of her body! Imagine that!

5 days old (her IV had been taken out the day before... hers was actually put in her head... pretty crazy)

Hanging out with Grandpa Tom in one of the family rooms (rooms set aside for feedings/spending time together)

This is her isolette (incubator)... she was in it for 9 days.

August 20, at 9 days old she was moved to an open bed!!!! This is big news... she can control her body temperature on her own. PLUS... we started a new feeding schedule... she determines when she wants to eat. This is great!

Athea Vivian is trying to break out of her bed!!!! Yes... by this time we had finally named her! It took us a while to decide! For a long time the nurses were calling her "Nuegue" (their spin off our nickname: little nugget). She even had a name tag made with that nickname! 

Sunday, August 21... our first bath time!

She was still so tiny even in the small tub!

Athea's nurse (JD) made her the bow! She also passed her newborn hearing screening as well as her car seat test (she had to sit in it for two hours and be able to hold her head up to breathe)... this was a humongous day for Athea!