Updates

Riya continues to do well. She's 4 lbs now. She's had no episodes after being weaned completely off her caffeine, which is insanely exciting and promising. Her heart rate is still slightly elevated so she's wearing a Holter monitor to more accurately track her heart rate over a 24 hour period. We'll also do an echo today or tomorrow. I'm expecting nothing to come from either of these except that we'll learn that she's like me and Jaisal whose heart rates just tend to be high.

We'll probably move her into an open crib later this week, but we're in no hurry. The next two weeks are just waiting time. When she's closer to 34 weeks we'll try oral feeding. Once we master that skill, we get to head home. Our little advanced chunky one has to wait until her development catches up to her body.

Jaisal totally adores his sister even though he hasn't met her yet. First there was strep exposure at school and then a cold. Hopefully this weekend he'll finally get to visit. Riya is starting to gain some fat and lose that preemie look. It'll be really fun to see what her "real" face looks like in a few weeks. She still has lighter brown hair, with a bit of blonde, and little brown eye lashes. Eye color is still uncertain and it looks like she might have a dimple in her right cheek.

I'm going back to work on Monday to save some of my leave time for when Riya comes home. Right now I spend anywhere from 4-7 hours with her at the hospital and holding her for a significant portion of that time. I'm pretty devastated at not being able to do that anymore, but I know she'll need me when she gets home. I hate the stupid leave policies we have in this country, and I know I'm luckier than most with the benefits I have through my job, but it's horrible that parents have to make these choices. The hospital rules also prevent anyone else from being with her unless Kirk or I are present, and unlike the children's hospital there are no volunteers for the babies, so going back to work means Riya is alone most of the time. It's heart breaking to think about. I really hope she's a quick learner with feeding so she can come home with us sooner rather than later!