December 9 - After what seems like forever, Amelia came home last weekend. Amazingly, her full-term due date was Nov. 30, so she is home close to her actual delivery date (some preemies her age spend 1-3 months past their original due date in the NICU.) She has gone through a lot the past three months, but over the past few weeks, things seemed to have finally clicked for her. No more wires, no more tubes. She cleared her last eye exam after undergoing laser eye surgery to remove scar tissue caused by the respirator. She is weighing just about 7 1/2 lbs. and growing (she is 19 inches already!). She still has some reflux, and we have routine checkups with pediatricians, opthamologists, home nurses, etc. but she is home for good. Of course, that is actually more literal than many realize. Because of her prematurity, Amelia's immune system is incredibly low, which means even the smallest cold could put her back into the NICU. So for at least the next month, Mia is homebound until the doctors decide her system is sufficient to being exposed to the regular world. Thankfully, she is doing great and everyone is very pleased with her growth and development, so we are hoping to be able to go out for the holidays.
We are so grateful to everyone who prayed for and supported us during this time - thank you all so much! Please continue to pray for Mia, but be encouraged that she is home and doing well! I hope to update pics, video and news in the upcoming weeks.
Decmeber 2 - AMELIA IS HOME!!! |