Holding Hanna

I think it might be time for a "Mommy" post.  First, I really do want to thank you all for the love, support and prayers you are sending our way. I believe it is really working and I am so grateful to all of you! I have been pretty silent the last 10 days. I have received a lot of calls, emails, and texts from friends asking how I am and offering to help in any way. Thank you all for your kindness! This has been very hard but I know we will get through this and I have my eyes on the prize..bringing our girls home.

My multi- talented husband has been great at keeping you all informed and even I learn from reading his posts. While Cary thrives off the doctors rounds and all the names, conditions, medications etc keeping our girls going, I thrive on the moments I get to hold Hanna. I am looking forward to the day I get to do Kangaroo Care with both of my sweet girls.

The girls have staggered care times every 4 hours. Between these care times they should not be disturbed so they can rest and grow and recover from all these stressful procedures.  I  try to participate in these care times when I can. I take their temperature and change the worlds tiniest diapers. Today they adjusted one of Ashlyn's many lines and I helped by putting my hand on her head and bringing her arms into center for comfort. Every day I do Kangaroo Care with Hanna for around an hour. We are skin to skin and it is the sweetest feeling. In the womb a baby gets about 20 hours of deep sleep. In the NICU they get about 2 hours that are made up of short 20 minute snatches here and there. During Kangaroo Care your baby regulates to your heart beat and falls into this much needed deep sleep. Within a minute Hanna is asleep on me. She usually does not stir the whole time we are together. I am glad I can hold Hanna and she is taking more and more of my stock pile of milk.

 Due to Ashlyn's chylothorax she can not tolerate my breast milk. She can not process the fat in my breast milk -it actually will cause the chyle fluid to increase. This makes me feel even more helpless to care for Ashlyn. I have been talking to the Mother's Milk Bank about a process they may be able  to do to my milk to make it Fat Free. ( One skinny latte coming right up Ashlyn!) So I am hoping I can start feeding her.

As hard as this journey has been I am glad my girls are here! I know if I was not living in the hospital being monitored closely and if I did not have Dr Galan and his amazing team making the right decision for my girls, they would not be here. They truly are miracle MoMos and I know they are tough and they give me courage, strength and inspiration. Go Girls! Mommy Loves You!

Ashlyn's Care Time

Holding Hanna