Our Little Princess

The other day, don't ask me which... they all seem to blur together, we came in to the NICU to find Claire in this princess outfit. We thought it was so fitting; we were just disappointed it wasn't our outfit. Our little girl seemed to like the outfit as well, as you can see by that sly little smile. The funniest part... to me... is that when we started taking pictures of her she was in a white hat and Ari took it off to put on the purple and white hat. I knew I was rubbing off on him! The other pictures in the slideshow are an assortment of cute shots we have taken. I especially enjoy the ones in the 80's purple outfit. Ari and I laughed so hard when they put that one on her. We kept singing our favorite 80's songs to Claire all day. What a great era. I have now brought in a basket of Claire's clothes and accessories so hopefully the nurses will start putting her in the cute things we have accumulated for her.

Christmas

Claire definitely had a wonderful Christmas! She was in her big girl bed, got to wear her Christmas outfit again, and got SO MANY gifts. I think she enjoys all the books she got the most because it gives her an opportunity to hear daddy's voice, which she loves. When I am the narrator, I don't get the same gummy grins as daddy. The nurses all say that Claire has the most decorated space of all the NICU babies... well, what else would you expect? Her decorations include a 2 foot tree complete with ornaments, a candy cane garland, a stocking, a Santa Claus name tag, and a menorah. You can only imagine how the nursery will turn out, if her little NICU pod is about 4 ft X 4 ft!

Claire's First Big Girl Bed

A day before Christmas our big girl got herself a big girl bed. That's right, we hit 1500 grams (actually she was 1496) and we were sprung from our isolette. Do you want to know what the best part of the new bed is? Now we can hold her WHENEVER we want... just like real parents! I think mommy, daddy, and Claire are enjoying more cuddle time. This also means we get to dress her. The girl already has more clothes than mommy. I know, that is hard to imagine! ***Note: babies are supposed to always sleep on their backs but preemies keep their airways open better on their tummies and they are on monitors so a little tummy time is okay.

Claire's First Hanukkah

Alright all, I am sorry to subject you to this, but you have to deal with the ramblings and writings for the first time of me, Ari. Things have been going all too well, and Claire is enjoying life... or at least I am enjoying cuddling her, and she has no choice. It has been a big week. Claire got her first MENORAH. Grandma and Grandpa Leib were only too anxious to buy this for our new little one and I have say that we ALL love it. It is quite user friendly and kid safe. Look how excited little Claire looks. I am actually restraining her in this picture. Unfortunately, hanukkah harry was a little bit late (snow storm/cold front out of Alaska and all) and we missed the first day of hanukkah, but what can you do?

Claire still got a present on the first day; she got a book called Mr. Tickle. SHE LOVED IT (especially as narrated by me myself and I)!!! I don't know how many of you are familiar with the "Mr. and Mrs." books but Jen and I loved them as children and they really are funny. There have been countless other presents arriving daily from all around the nation, and a grateful Claire thanks you. This kid is already spoiled rotten and she has not even left the hospital. I will just throw out a blanket "thank you SO much" for the time being to everyone for all their gifts, thoughts, prayers and support.

Lets just say that the month of December is not going to be a cheap one for dear old dad: a.k.a. "the hanukkah man, santa clause, daddy, and birthday-buyer man???" We have a lot to celebrate in this household in December!!! Claire also had her first Christmas tree/holiday bush this year. This poor girl is going to be so confused. There is nothing like living with a Pope, having the last name Leib and lighting the Menorah underneath the Christmas tree. This is why we suggested the wooden Menorah to grandma and grandpa in the hopes that she would not burst into flames. Well, that about sums it up. I am bursting with happiness and already got my holiday gift.... it would be better to have that gift at home, but if it means that the gift is all the better in the long run, I will just have to be patient.

To all you loyal readers out there, we wish you a happy hanukkah, a merry christmas, a joyous kwanzaa, and a most exceptional new year. MUCH LOVE.....ARI, JEN AND CLAIRE

Claire's First Visit with Santa

Last Thursday, our nurse asked if we were coming to the NICU Christmas Party. Christmas Party? I had no idea, despite the signs hanging around, that there was one. Apparently, Ari and I are oblivious to everything except Claire when we are at the hospital. I had just received Claire's preemie Christmas outfit in the mail the day before so I thought I would see if she could where it to meet Santa. Now I know that the babies have to be 1500 grams and in an open crib to wear clothes, but I thought there would surely be no harm in dressing her for five minutes for Santa! The first nurse I asked said, "No problem." She was not Claire's nurse for the party though, so we would have to ask again. When we arrived for the party, one of the more strict nurses said she could only wear her hat... boo, I didn't like that answer. Then Claire's nurse came over and told us that she could absolutely put her outfit on for a minute. Yeah!! Our girl is the over-achiever and rebel of the NICU, you go Claire. Now you tell me, aren't these pictures worth it?!

I'm a Week Old!

This last week as felt more like a month! Our schedule has been turned upside down and we have spent so much time loving and worrying for our new daughter. We have made a lot of progress in the first week and are way ahead of anyone's expectations; we continue to be thankful for all the love, prayers, and gifts that have been sent our way.

Claire did get started on caffeine this week. Preemies brainstems are not mature enough to keep their heart rate and respiratory rate always at a normal level which leads to them having apnea and bradycardia or A's and B's. Most of the time they recover on their own but sometimes they need some stimulation like a pat on the back to remind them to breath. Caffeine can also be given in her feeds twice a day as a stimulant so that she won't have these events. Since her twice daily espresso shot (no, they don't really give her starbucks) Claire has very infrequent self-resolving A's and B's. By the time we take her home she will be off caffeine and has to prove she can do it on her own.

This week has also brought us skin to skin time. This is when the baby is stripped down to her diaper and put right on mommy or daddy's chest. Babies like to hear the heart beat that they were so used to and they actually feed off the mommy's heat to stay warm. Claire and I both enjoy are bonding skin to skin time!

Day 6: My Tube is in My Nose

Sorry it has been so long since the last update... I have been trying to catch up on my sleep and take it a little bit easier... this NICU stay is certainly more of a marathon than a sprint. Day 6 in the NICU brought us an NG (nasogastric tube). While babies are obligate nose breathers, an NG tube helps them to develop their sucking reflexes without that tube in their mouth. Miss Claire doesn't seem to mind the change of position and actually really enjoys sucking on her nuk. She also starts to root around when it is time to eat and she makes the cutest little sucking noises.

Day 5: No More TPN

Since Claire has been tolerating all of her feeds (now 1/2 oz every 2 hours), she doesn't have to be on TPN or lipids anymore... which is nutrition through her vein. They kept her on IV fluids up until last night and her IV should be out this morning! That just means she is connect to one less thing, making her much more cuddleable (that should definitely be a word).

She also gained 20 grams over the day, putting her at about 1310 grams, which is still 100 grams below her birth weight. We are expecting a little weight loss, though, after they stop the IV. Soon though, she will be at her goal volume feeds of 2/3 of an oz and then they will fortify my breastmilk so we can increase the calories without increasing the volume... her little tummy is only so big. After fortification, her weight should really start to increase. She needs to be 1500 grams and holding her body temperature steady to be moved to an open crib (and to wear clothes).

Claire also received her synagis shot yesterday to protect her from RSV. Premature babies are at extreme risk of lung problems if they catch a respiratory virus so she will get this shot once a month through the viral season (usually March).

Day 4: Diaper Changing

It was not unexpected to return to the hospital yesterday to find Miss Claire again under the bili lights... she had looked a bit yellow the night before. So the ski goggles went back on and we had a day of no holding :( Ari and I do, however, keep our hands in the isolette most of the time, resting our hands strategically so as not to block the lights. Ari also got the opportunity to change Claire's diaper yesterday. It is so amazing that the preemie diapers are so big on her. We were excited because she had her first poop, too... not in daddy's diaper though! Then later last night, when Claire's nurse Holly was assessing her, we got to turn off the lights for a minute and uncover Claire's eyes. She was so attentative, just staring at her mommy. All the nurses came over to admire her little face and everyone agreed it was a shame that we had to cover her back up. Hopefully we will be out of the lights tomorrow!

Day 3: Cuddling

On Sunday, we were all shocked to walk in and find Claire without her bili lights... usually it takes more than a day to get the bilirubin down. With the lights off and our little angel doing a great job of keeping her temperature up, it was time to come out of the isolette for some cuddling! We put her hat on and swaddled her and blankets so that I could hold my daughter for the second time. After my cuddle tank was filled (OK half-filled, I can never get enough!), Ari got to hold his daughter for the first time. Their bond is already visible. Claire always relaxes and sometimes spontaneously smiles when she hears Ari's voice. She clearly loves her daddy and he is certainly taken with her. Finally, grandma got a turn and she was overjoyed. I foresee much more cuddling in the future!

Day 2: Bili Lights

Day 2 brought us some bili lights. Many newborn babies and most premature babies have difficulty processing bilirubin because their livers are not mature. Ari and I had a feeling Miss Claire would win herself some lights because on the end of day 1 she already had that glow about her. The unfortunate thing about the lights is that to be effective, the babies need to stay under them as much as possible... i.e. less holding for mom and dad. Check out her shades that she is wearing to protect her little eyes. She didn't like them too much because she is awfully alert and likes to look around. I was just thankful that at the end of the day, I got to hold my little girl for the first time. It is certainly hard to carrying someone around with you for 30 weeks and then feel so separated. Holding her was certainly good for my heart and spirits!

Claire's First Day

After her most exciting entry into the world, Claire got transferred to the University Hospital NICU. She is pictured here with her little nasal cpap in her isolette. To help you follow, if you are not medically inclined, Claire was born 9 1/2 weeks early which puts her at risk for a few things. The most important concern is her lungs, babies don't develop well working lungs with surfactant until 8 weeks before birth. The cpap was used to help keep her lungs expanded. Our little princess never needed any oxygen so there was just room air flowing. Sometimes, babies her age and younger require a breathing tube or even some exogenous surfactant to be given; we were lucky Claire needed neither and she was off her CPAP the night after she was born.

She is in an isolette because it takes lots of energy to maintain your body temperature and Claire needs to use all of her calories to gain weight. She actually is doing most of that by herself, too. They are able to keep her isolette temperature low. Once she starts gaining weight and doing an even better job of controling her temperature, she will be moved to an open crib.

Claire has an IV because she was not able to eat right after birth. Premature babies' tummies are often not ready to digest food so she was given sugar through her vein overnight. They put an OG (oral-gastric) tube to start feeding her the next morning. They start just a little at a time to make sure she is ready. So far she seems to like it.

Claire is Here!

Are you shocked? You couldn't possibly be more shocked than Ari and I! Here is how our little girl made her precipitous entry into the world:

Thursday, December 11, I went to work just like usual. I made morning rounds and was starting to contemplate lunch at 11:30 am when I went to the restroom and had a large contraction. I hadn't had one yet, but was impressed by its strength. What really made me nervous was I lost a little fluid. I called my doctor's office and arranged to be there by 1:30pm. I called Ari, who thankfully had the day off, and he thought that was too late... I started to agree because I had two more contractions that were much milder. I called the office and they told me to get to the hospital. I went to find my chief fellow Christine and she put me right in a wheelchair and wheeled to the parking garage. In my shock, I had been planning to drive myself home but she drove me home (which only takes 5 minutes) and we dropped her off at Children's on the way to the hospital. Ari dropped me off at registration to park the car and when I stood up my water fully broke. They got me right up to L&D where thankfully Dr. Lum was waiting. He thought we would have time to transfer me to a hospital that had a NICU because I was only 30 and 4/7 but wanted to see how far I was. They were pushing antibiotics and steroids in too. Dr. Lum was shocked to check me and find I was 10 cm and 1+. So the transfer was out and the NICU team from Children's came to us. They moved me to the OR for delivery because it was the best place for the NICU team. I was trying to breathe through the contractions to give the steroids as much time as possible to work. Soon, however, Claire just would not have it and she came out with only 1 push. Our fiery little girl came out crying at 1:55 pm and had Apgars of 9 and 9. She weighed in at 3 pounds, 1.7 ounces, and is 15 inches long. She was placed on "prophylactic" CPAP due to her gestational age but has never required any oxygen. She was transferred to the NICU at University Hospital that night just for closer monitoring because our peanut has continued to be on the right end or the bell shaped curve; the docs are calling her an overachiever! More soon...

Jason and Jen's Wedding

The weekend before Thanks-giving, Ari and I were lucky enough to be free of work so that we could celebrate the marriage of Jason and Jen. Jason is a friend of Ari's from Illinois Wesleyan. I have always liked Jason since we met and even learned to overlook his fatal flaw of being a Cubs fan. Early Friday morning we hopped in the car and headed for Rockford, IL. The drive went by relatively quickly and we actually made it to our hotel without getting lost. We then stopped by Jason and Jen's so that Ari could try on his tux before we headed to the rehearsal. After everyone got their parts down at the church, we headed to the Rockton Inn for dinner. The food and the company was wonderful. Addison, Jen and Jason's son, really enjoyed eating Ari's noodles... for such a little person he really packed away the food!

Saturday we got to sleep in... what a treat! I dropped Ari off so he could help Jason with some last minute preparations. I then grabbed some lunch and actually lost track of time and almost didn't get to the church on time. The ceremony was very personal and beautiful. Then it was time to party. We had a wonderful dinner and got to catch up with Ari's other college friends. Two of the other girls are pregnant as well (take a look at the photos where we show off our bellies) but I am the furthest along. Then it was time for the first dance. It started off like a normal slow dance then the music changed and they had choreographed a whole routine. It was so classic Jason! There was lots of dancing and then at about midnight we all turned into pumpkins and headed back to the hotel... we just can't party like we used to! The next morning we all met for breakfast and headed our separate ways. We wish Jen and Jason a lifetime of happiness!