Homecoming and Sophia's Second Week

Here are some pictures of Sophia's last two days in the NICU:

WEDNESDAY

29 September 10

So comfy in Daddy's arms:

Sophia loves being held by Daddy!

(Note the crib in the background that was Sophia's home for a few days.)

THE CAR SEAT CHALLENGE
In order to be discharged from the hospital, Sophia had to be able to sit in her car seat for two hours

while maintaining her heart rate, breathing rate, and oxygen saturation.

As you can see,

Sophia has room to grow into this car seat:

(A big thank you to Gram-gram Bokovoy for getting us this car seat!)

She passed the challenge with flying colors on her very first try!

Mommy feeding Sophia

Sometimes she needs a little persuasion to finish her bottle

Tickle, tickle!

Me want food!

A little more persuasion...

In the video below, Sophia demonstrates what we like to call

Crazy Eyes:

THURSDAY

30 September 2010

(One week from when she was born)

Mommy changing Sophia into clothes to go home in

I wonder what home is like ...

Sophia in the outfit that Grandma Saxton bought for her:

(It's "preemie" size, but still a little big)

What a sweet little cupcake

No more monitor wires!

She weighed 4 pounds 0.7 ounces at discharge

So, after we fed her, we bundled her into her car seat

and took her out of the hospital for the very first time.

6:45 pm Thursday evening, exactly one week from when she was born.

Here is Daddy, freaking out that he's driving our little girl home!

Sophia's first night at home:

(kind of dark, sorry.)

I took the next pic with the flash:

Bundled up to maintain body temprature

Getting ready for first diaper change at home:

FRIDAY

1 October 2010

Daddy thought he might be getting sick, so he wore a mask to protect Sophia:

SATURDAY

2 October 2010

She doesn't like the flash of the camera.

SUNDAY

3 October 2010

Sophia's first official visitors:

My Sister-in-law Melissa, nephew Parker, brother Dan, and nephew Hunter

Hunter loves Sophia!

Daddy burping Sophia

She loves her binky!

MONDAY

4 October 2010

Sophia's first Doctor's Appointment:

This was after the appointment was over.

We didn't take any pictures while she was being examined,

but we did find out that she weighs 4 pounds 6.7 ounces.

That means that she gained 6 ounces in four days!

TUESDAY

5 October 2010

This is the day that Sophia would have been 37 weeks in utero.

She's doing much better on the outside.

Daddy burping Sophia again

WEDNESDAY

6 October 2010

I think she looks a little like a prisoner in this striped outfit ...

but she's a cute prisoner!

Working on a double-chin

Here are a few videos (no sound);

we tried to get a video of her smiling.

She's Home!!

At 6:45 last night ... exactly one week (to the minute) from the time Sophia was born ... we took her out of the St. Mark's NICU.

It was a stressful 50 minute drive home, but Sophia did great and slept the whole way.

We are so happy and thankful to have her home already.  Thank you to all of our family, friends, and family-friends for your prayers and well-wishes on our behalf.

Sophia is doing very well at home.  She's eating better than she did in the NICU, and we have her on the same feeding schedule - every three hours.  Many preemies have to be woken up to feed that often, but not our little So-So.  She knows when it's time to eat!

We've established our own little NICU in our basement apartment.  We limit visitors and enforce strict handwashing policies.  Hopefully after a few months when she's bigger and stronger we'll be able to invite people over to see her and hold her.  But for now, we have to limit even how much we hold her because even being held is stimulation for a preemie.  And if she's getting stimulation, then she can't grow as quickly.

However, I promise to post pictures and video as often as I can, so check back periodically!