November Homecoming???

That's the rumor... If all continues to go well, Ava could be home in a couple weeks! Updates from the past week:

Ava passed her 2nd eye test. She has no signs of ROP but still has immature retinas (not a concern). They should continue to get better and she will get another test in a couple weeks to be sure. She is off all her breathing equipment and continuing to do well without it! She has been taking almost all her feedings by bottle but she is still refining her technique. Mom and Dad still get a little freaked when she does an occassional choke, Brady, desat (low oxygen) while feeding. Hopefully these will get better as she continues to learn and mature (and as we get better at feeding too!). Her feeding tube is out most of the time and only goes back in if she is too tired to eat on her own. She has had an occasional Bradycardia but these are very infrequent now and she recovers on her own.

Ava is now only a half ounce under 5 pounds! She is 4 pounds, 15.5 ounces as of tonight. On deck for this Friday are her vaccines. She gets the same 2 month vaccines as term babies plus the ones she should have got when she was born. Common side effects are fevers and other stuff. It will be good to be in the NICU for these where everyone can keep an eye on her. Overall, she is doing great and we are so thankful for this. She is currently (as I type this from the NICU) making all kinds of noise as she tries to work through a bowel movement but even this is music to my ears!!!

Linda is feeling good. She made it through Chemo #7 with no major problems (the same stuff as last time but without the fever) and is enjoying feeling nearly normal until her last Chemo appointment next Thursday. That will certainly be cause for celebration!!!

We're both doing well. The past 8+ weeks have been rewarding yet exhausting. We are looking forward to being home later this month where we can get into a new routine. Ava is on an every 3 hour schedule (feed, change diaper, temp, etc) so it will be a new type of tired for us... but mentally it will feel very nice to have her home! At the same time, we will miss our friends at the NICU. We've bonded EXTREMELY closely with many people there ... we will certainly be seeing these friends after we leave.

Picture time!

Daddy time:

Mommy time:

Bigger Bro' Brian got to hold her recently!

Nurse Monica made her a cool Beaver hat!!! Monica was one of the nurses there when Ava was born at 3:27 AM that September night many weeks ago.

Here she is in her Beaver hat and her Beaver Trick-or-Treat bag:

Look Everyone! I finally fit in my Preemie clothes now and have no feeding tube tonight!!!

Rob.