Update On Caris

Hi friends,

I am popping in to give a quick little update on our sweet daughter, Caris.

She is 12 1/2 weeks old already! 38 1/2 weeks gestation. Caris weighs 8 lbs. 7 oz. now! She is 20" long....not quite the itty bitty baby she used to be--she has more than quadrupled her birthweight.

Caris is still in the NICU. We thought we may be settling in at home by now, but taking bottles has been a little bit of a struggle for her. She has been working on them for 4 weeks. She has great technique, but just needs a boost of energy for endurance. She is taking about 50% of her bottles of 70 mL. Whatever she does not drink by mouth, she gets fed through a tube in her nose.

She is still on oxygen, and may go home on it for a while. She developed a cold over the weekend, but is starting to feel better. It is difficult to see her go through these trials, but we sure are developing a strong bond. I love holding her and comforting her. She is such a little sweetheart.

Please keep praying for our little lady. Especially that she develops endurance to drink all of her bottles. She has been working hard and is getting so close! Such a strong little girl. Will you pray her home soon? It sure would be an amazing Christmas present!!!

Our Sweetheart Caris

 

Caris is 8 1/2 weeks old (34 1/2 weeks gestation). She weighs 5 lbs. 3.3 oz.!! She feels so very big to  Colin and me. She is 17" long.

 

Last Saturday, she graduated from her incubator isolette to an open 'crib'. She has done very well with this and is showing that she can regulate her own temperature, and also not get too overstimuated with noise and light.

 

This last Wednesday we started bottle feeding her. She is on 46 mL feedings, and has taken in up to 36 mL at one feeding. Sometimes she is too sleepy, so she is fed the rest of her milk through her feeding tube.

 

Once she takes in the amount of milk she needs for the entire day, they will stop waking her up every 3 hours, and let her give cues that she is hungry. After she masters this and is able to sit up in her carseat for 2 hours without a drop in heartrate or oxygen, she will be ready to come home!!!

 

I am hoping it is within 2-3 weeks! It would be really lovely to have our family all under one roof, as we are currently sleeping under three.

 

Please keep praying for our miracle lady!

 

 

Pictures Of Caris Noelle

 

 

Here are some more pictures of our miracle, Caris.

 

She is getting stronger and bigger each and every day. She hit 3 pounds this week!

 



Caris' 1 Month Update

Our Caris is 1 month old today. God has blessed us so much by giving us our sweet little lady. He has been so gracious to us, providing what we need when we need it. Caris is 2 pounds 8.1 ounces and is just over 15 inches long. She is growing bit by bit every day! She is looking so beautiful and healthy. I would have been pregnant just over 30 weeks today. I am sad for the time lost with her in my belly, and I struggle seeing her defenseless and knowing the strength it takes her to endure pokes from nurses, tests being done, and simple cares. But I am thankful God has given us these extra weeks to love her and hold her. I know He has BIG plans for our love. Some other updates...she is now taking in 22 mL of my milk every 3 hours...hopefully in about 3.5 weeks she will start learning to feed by mouth. I think she will do great, as she is starting to suck on her pacifier. She had to have her third blood transfusion this week due to a low blood count. She is just so silly and tolerates these way better than getting her temperature taken under her armpit! She still has her heart murmur...we are praying hard that her extra valve closes on its own. Her oxygen levels have been improving and her drops in them as well as her heartrates are becoming predictable...usually with tests, cares, or feedings. Our strong little miracle girl is surprising everyone with her progress. Keep the prayers coming, please. We are immensely thankful for them!

Pictures Of Our Sweet Caris

Today, Caris is 2 1/2 weeks old. She weighs 2 lbs. .6 oz. Her doctors say she is doing incredibly well for her gestational age (28 1/2 weeks). Her caregivers are all very positive about her progress and the future. I know it is all of your prayers giving her strength to fight.

 

God has been so good to us. Her health. Love and support. Prayers from around the world. Kind words and generous giving.

 

Our daughter is so precious. She is beautiful and has progressed wonderfully healthwise in her 2 1/2 weeks. She was taken off her IVs this week--a big step. She still has her feeding tube in her mouth and is on oxygen. From time to time, she forgets to breathe and has a brady, with a low heartrate, but usually recovers on her own. Sometimes she needs to be stimulated. But these bouts are becoming fewer and farther between. Please continue to pray for Caris' lungs and strength.

 

Because her IVs were taken out, I was able to start dressing her in clothes this week. She swims in her preemie clothing, but sure looks darling all dressed up!

 

Caris is tolerating her feedings really well. She is up to 18 mL breastmilk every feeding. About 34 weeks gestation is when we may start to work on feeding her by mouth. At 32 weeks, I can start giving her a bath. Some exciting steps coming up!

 

Here are some pictures!

 

My first day of Kangaroo Care (skin-to-skin snuggling)-Day 5:

Caris' 1 week picture:

My beautiful daughter:

Wearing her first piece of clothing- a wintry hat:

Colin's first day of Kangaroo Care:

Caris' 2 week picture:

 Caris' first time in clothes!:

 

October 4th:

 

I love her so much!

 

Please continue to pray for our sweet Caris. Thank you all so much.



Our Baby Girl Is Here!

On September 17th, I went into premature labor at 26 weeks pregnant. I was airlifted to a hospital that has a NICU for preemie babies. At 6:40pm , I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Caris Noelle. She was 1 lb. 13.6 oz. and was 13 inches long. She gave a cry at birth, which was a very healthy sign. She scored 9/9 on her Apgar scores. She was breathing on her own, but was put on a respirator for 3 days. She is now off the respirator, and breathing fine. Sometimes, she forgets to take a breath, but often recovers on her own or when stimulated. She has a heart murmur, but it appears to be clearing up after medicine. Please pray for her lungs and heart. Overall, she continues to surprise us by her strength. She is our little fighter. She has a long road ahead of her, and will be in the NICU for approximately 2-3+ months. Please pray for our sweet Caris.

Weeks 22-24

Weeks:

22-24 (August 21-September 10)

 

Baby's Size:

Baby girl has grown from 8 inches long to about 8 1/2 inches from head to rump, and has gone from 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds in weight.

 

Symptoms:

Growing belly--I received my first stranger comment about my belly during week 24!

A lot of fun kicks!
Baby was breech (head up) at my 20 week ultrasound, but I think she flipped, because I have been feeling most of her movements up high.

Some nights of insomnia.

Ease of round ligament pain--still there, but mild.

 

Cravings:

None.

 

Aversions:

Nothing new.

 

Best Moments:

Colin started seeing and feeling baby's movements during week 23!! It was so exciting for me to have Colin be able to experience baby girl's movements with me.

 

Looking Forward To:

Solidifying a name. I think we've probably got it, but we are trying to not talk about it so we don't let it slip.

Creating a nursery after we move into our first house September 21st!

 

WEEK 22:

 

 WEEK 23:

 

WEEK 24:

 

Ten Months Dreaming

 

We have been on the waitlist to adopt for 10 months last Monday!

 

Our Ethiopian girlie has been on my mind a lot recently. The unknowns and unpredictability of adoption can be daunting, but I am learning to find excitment in it.

 

How old will she be when she joins our family?

Will she have tight corkscrew curls or loose curls?

Will she be sassy? (I've heard Ethiopian kiddos have some sass!) :)

Will she enjoy Ethiopian food?

Will she be ours in 2 years or 4?

 

When we first began the paperwork chase in May of last year, we had thoughts of what the journey might look like. About 2 to 2 1/2 years of being on the waitlist. Her nursery would be our 2nd bedroom in our apartment. And surely, she would be our first child!

 

Now, just over a year later, the wait time has practically doubled. We are moving into our first house. And she has an older sister on the way!!!

 

I love to think about having two girls. Sisters. I never had a sister. I grew up a tomboy, playing with my older brother. My husband has 3 brothers. So, this sister thing? It will be new to all of us!

 

I have so much joy knowing that I AM going to be a mama of two sweet girlies!