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Chloe Elizabeth Lewis:  Week 5
(October 14 - 20, 2001)

  Day 29, Chloe experience her first setback since she was born.  The nurses were noticing that she was having a difficult time breathing so the decision was to put her back on the CPAP.  This should not be considered a major set back, but only a bump in the road.

Chloe has not gained any weight since the previous day, but she is doing very well over all.

 

  
  Day 30 (October 16 2001), Cheryl celebrated Chloe's first month birthday, by baking the nurses chocolate cookies, which will probably delay Chloe's release from the hospital more than anything.

Now it is customary on one's birthday to receive gifts but on this occasion Mom and Dad were the ones to get a gift.

For the first time since she was born mom and dad got to hold Chloe. Up till  now we were only allowed to touch her, the Doctors wanted Chloe to put on a few more ounces and be able to breath without the CPAP for a while.  Mom had lots of tears, Chloe had those baby blue eyes (all babies eyes are blue until they are 4-5  months) and Dad was trying to keep a manly composure.

Not being able to hold Chloe is perhaps the hardest part of being a preemie parent of a micro preemie. This was the first day that we got to hold Chloe, thirty days after she was born. I do not know of too many moms or dads that would handle that very well.

The next hardest thing is going home every day without Chloe. It is almost surreal being a parent without a baby to show for it.

Chloe is now over two pounds.  Yes our little daughter is getting out of the micro-preemie stage and is doing very well even though she still has the CPAP.  I was hoping that she needed the CPAP on for a growth spurt it looks like I was right.

This truly was a great day for both Chloe and her parents.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHLOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

  
 

  

(Cheryl hold Chloe for the first time)
 

  
 

Day 31 (October 17, 2001), Cheryl was allowed to hold Chloe for the second time, this time with her CPAP on since Chloe is not quite ready to go on to the next level which is the nasal canula.
Chloe has loss a little weight, she is now under 2 pounds, but we are starting to see real definition in her body. 

Her buttocks is the most noticeable in this growing. This is important to me, because when she was born she only had one set of cheeks now she has two.
 

  
  Day 32 (October 18, 2001), Chloe hit the two pound mark again and it looks like she is heading for a growth spurt.  We both got to see her with a big smile on her face, just after feeding.  That was cool to see and it left us with a good feeling.

Chloe did have two apnea episodes and she did spit up a large portion of her meal.  The Apnea episode really scared the nurse (it was her first time solo in the NICU), but Chloe snapped back on her own and kept on breathing.  Chloe, has not had the apnea episodes like here peers.  Apnea is very common with preemies like Chloe, but it is uncommon for Chloe.  I guess this is why the nurses fight over who gets to watch Chloe (which is mostly the supervisors).
 		  
 


 

  
  Day 33 (October 19, 2001), Chloe is doing very well.  We talked with Doctor Holliday and he says that her next hurdle is learning how to suck and swallow at the same time in a coordinated effort.  Chloe has been taking iron and stuff to get her body to produce her own blood.  Preemies do not produce their own blood, they must have transfusions to replace the blood required for testing.

One thing that she did do, and the nurses were very proud of her.  She turned herself around, apparently this is an advance activity for a preemie of her peers.

 

  
  Day 34 (October 20, 2001), Chloe is now 2 pounds and 2 ounces and it shows.  She has very chubby cheeks (well at least the first set of cheeks ).  She also has been eating more (18 ml of super preemie formula") so that she can grow up to be a healthy preemie. The nurses there try to keep her wrap up so that she stays calm and doesn't work off those precious ounces. Mommy told her now is not the time for a Jane Fonda workout tape and a Slim-fast  shake. Mommy would even donate some of her weight to Chloe , if she could.  What a mommy wouldn't do for her little girl
 		  
 

Day 35 (October 21, 2001), Mom got to hold Chloe for the second time. Mom was very happy. Chloe was stimulated by looking at everything out there, since her view of the world is filtered through her Issolett( baby condo). Where noises are muffled and things are even more blurry. When dad got to hold Chloe , she had the most content look on her little face. She knew that she was safe with daddy and she  fell quickly asleep. This reminded me of how we are with God, that when we place ourselves in his big hands we have nothing to fear.

Unfortunately, during this momentous occasion the batteries were dead and we didn't get a picture; but don't worry there are plenty more photo opportunities to come.

Chloe is now approaching the safe harbor mark of 1,000 grams (she is 955 grams or roughly 2 pound 2 ounces) which means that she has missed  the worse of  possible problems so far. God truly watches over our little girl.

Chloe is also trying to figure out what is a pacifier and how to use it. She sucks on it a little and then spits it out.  She needs to develop this skill for her food needs. The Doctors tell us that most babies don't develop this skill until they are at  34-35 weeks gestationally. We have to remember Chloe never made it that far inside of mommy, so she has to catch up.