Slowly but progressing

Who doesn't love a girl in blue? It compliments her lightening eyes beautifully. Thank you again, E! She already has that lighter burst in the middle of her iris that Tag and Pebbles also manifested so early.

Little Frieda continues to improve, and I'm daily grateful for modern technology. Her light machine that looks like a futuristic hernia belt continues to help her biliburbin count descend albeit slowly. She was awake for about an hour this morning, her longest awake period since she was born. She's finally waking up on her own to eat, showing how much better she's getting and also showing in the shadows under my eyes. She had put on three ounces as of yesterday, bringing her up to 8 pounds 6 ounces. She took quite a plunge that first week, clocking in at 8 pounds 3 ounces on her sixth day of life, down from 8'11. This poor child... every time we take her in for another blood draw the person doing the draw comments on how many lancings have yet to heal in her poor feet. It'll be nice to overcome this episode so we can ease up on insisting she eat every two hours and quit darkening the doors of the hospital out patient lab. Every time we take her light belt off she looks so tiny and once again feels so light.

Thank heaven my mother is visiting, something Man and I are infinitely grateful for. The kids renewed their adoration of Oma from the very moment they saw her again. I don't know what I would have done, with the every two hour feedings and still a household to run, every other day runs to F's pediatrician in the next city over (yes, this practice is worth driving for), daily hospital visits, and my own healing to tend to.

And yet in and among all of these busy doings we laugh, play, tickle, chat, take meals as a family, Man, kids and Oma have gone to the aquarium, and we just enjoy the heck out of each other. Man needed this break so very badly, and I have needed the help so very badly.

While typing, I got a phone call from the dr on call this weekend who just got her latest lab back. She's almost in the clear, with maybe one more blood draw and no more than two days of the light belt. Woohoo!

bonus pic: This is Pebbles at the same age Frieda is now. Are they sisters or what?