Sam Update

Sam is doing great. She is quite a trooper! She has no feeding tube now. Day before yesterday she pulled it out so the doctors went ahead and wrote for her to take all her feedings with the bottle. She hasn't missed a beat. She also had an IV that came out and they decided no need in replacing it, so no IV. And last, but not least, she was being monitored for temperature. They kept her in an isolete that was like 98 degrees, as when they are little they can't maintain their temps on their own. In fact that is the primary deciding factor as to when they can come home is their ability to maintain their own temperature, which putting on weight helps with. Well, yesterday they took her off the heat. She is still enclosed and swaddled most of the day, but with no heat applied and she has been doing great - her temperatures have all been wonderful. She was running some high blood pressure today, but they weren't worried about it at all. The doc said that when you increase feedings as much as she has (she can eat whatever she wants, whenever she wants now) that it just takes a while for your body to adjust, so this is not unusual; she'll even out in a few days. The biggest news is that she is moving to Level II tonight. She has been in the Level III NICU which is where the babies who need meds are or who are having more problems, etc. Level II is for "feeder, growers", which means the babies who are basically just eating and growing until they are big enough to come home. We thought for sure she had done something contrary to get herself kicked out like that, but they swear it is normal procedure for babies doing so well. So, overall, Miss Sam is doing wonderfully. The NICU staff have been great, but as much as we like them, we are ready to rid ourselves of that place...and we are getting there. For all of you who have been praying, a huge thanks from our family to you. It is working, please keep it up!