Thursday, August 7, 2008

Crib, Scrapbook, Prayers for a friend



I can't keep waiting this long to update lol b/c i'm afraid i might miss something.

Well as of Wednesday Amaya' was 3 lbs 8.9oz (1610grams) this means that within the next two days my angel is scheduled to be in a big girl crib where she can get some fresh air. I am praying and asking all to pray that she will be able to keep her temp up as well as her heartrate and breathing so that she can come home! I am growing more in love with her daily and can't wait for her to come home. Her smiles, her small cries, her fiesty attitude and her big beaty eyes. Thursday I spent time with her alone at the hospital. It was the first time we were alone since i left the hospital. It was the best 4 hours of my week.


UPDATE: As of Friday night Amaya is weighing in at 3lbs 11.6oz!! I cant express how proud I am of her and how grateful I am to God b/c i know it's only through him these blessings flow! ALL praises to HIM! When i called to check on her they also informed me that her isolette had broken and was overheating her so they moved her to an open crib Friday morning at 6am. I know that was a work of God (or Maybe Amaya' lol she is my child) when He is ready, it will be done! so far so good she has been keeping her temp up. So please keep her in your prayers as always!



This past Tuesday I decided since Amaya is stable and leaving soon (prayerfully!!) i could focus on some mommy activities that the March of Dimes puts on at the hospital, so i went to scrapbooking!! I had a BLAST, seeing all of the stuff they provide (including the book) I almost lost my mind. Those of you who know me know i love to craft in every form and fashion. I also really enjoyed talking to the moms who were anxious to meet their little ones but still needing to bake them a while longer. Some already had angels and it was nice to discuss life in the NICU/CCN. Hearing some of their stories and seeing their positive outlook it was just another manifestation of God's works and what He is still able to do!



I am on a message board of mothers in Memphis. I love this group which is why i have moved away but not left the group. One of the children on their has recentlly been diagnosed at the age of 3. They are giving her a positive outlook but this must be hard on any family. If you don't mind please keep her (Emma) in your prayers as well as her family. May God bless them with a full recovery and give them peace and comfort. I know that He is able and I am a believer in prayer and servant of The Master.

Friday, August 1, 2008

32, 35, 40, 45....



My mom and I took this picture when we were putting her back up the other day and i just thought it was so cute and funny lol


Well it's been a while since i've updated. I usually try to wait a while so that I can have a lot of good news in one post lol! Let me first start off by saying God is still in the blessing business so i must once again give him all the praises He deserves! Here's what's been going on since i last updated on Sunday: Sunday when i logged off we went to visit Amaya' the nurse informed us that they were letting her eat as much as she wanted and she had been averaging 32cc's. The nurse also told us that she had developed thrush which most likely came from her antibiotics she was taking for the bump on her head. They were treating it with some medicine that must've tasted very nasty because Amaya' made the ugliest (but cute lol) face Rudolph or I had ever seen. she is really beginning to get a little personality which is so cute. She is becoming such a ham and developing a personality. She will close her eyes when she sees my camera lol and is a feisty little thing lol it's so cute. I love to see her eyes light up and I love it when she smiles at us. When I inquired on the 29th about her weight she was at 2 pounds 15 ounces! One more pound to go! I just can't say it enough I am so proud of my little girl! She weighed 2 pounds 15.5ounces and had increased her feedings to 40 and 45cc's on July 31st.(depending on which feeding she was getting). I'm can't wait to call the hospital tonight to see what her stats are as far as feeding amounts and weight. Lord i pray she is over 3 pounds or atleast at 3 pounds. I think I am going to be screaming lol. A couple of nights ago her heart rate was high. I'm not sure how high but high enough for the doctors to draw blood and run tests to make sure she wasn't getting sick. So far all of the results have come back good and it hasn't been that high since then. When we visited her Wednesday(July 30th) her heart rate went up to 234 and we noticed it happened when we held her towards her neighbor who had been crying for more than 30 minutes. I'm thinking that is why it was up so high. I pray all is well with my baby girl! I can't wait until tomorrow! I am going to get to stay at the hospital for atleast 7 hours with my little punkin!


it is now Saturday morning lol and i realized I forgot to post this. Well last night she was 3 pounds 1.4 ounces!!! I have never loved the number 3 so much!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Big Smiles, Family, New Beginnings and Old Friends

Well since the last posting our little bundle of joy continues to do very well. Everyone in every nursery says she's fiesty but hey like they said that's a good thing. That means she has fight in her otherwise known as God! She is now eating 26, yeah 26 cc's lol GO AMAYA' GO LOL and as of last night she is weighing 2 pounds 11.4 ounces and is maintaining her temp well. They are just waiting for her to get a little bigger before they move her to a crib. I pray that God will send her home healthy as can be real soon!! I can't believe she is now 3 weeks old, wow time really does fly fast! I can't wait for her to come home, i think it's going to be sooner than anyone thinks! This week I got to see her everyday from Wednesday-Sunday so I am very thankful to God for those opportunities. I love spending time with her. She is turning into quite the little ham and developing a personality. Smiling big for her grandparents, observing her surroundings, hiding from the camera and looking around for her daddy while she's eating. Speaking of eating i'm on my weight loss journey but this time it's different, i can feel it!! I'm not dieting nor starving myself but i'm making a lifestyle change. I started one day this week (can't remember if it was Thursday or Friday) but right now i'm not eating pork or beef which is fine i can do without that for a while! Plus I love fish and chicken. I'm also trying to incorporate more water and most importantly praying and asking God to take this journey with me and giving me with will to succeed!! Well this friday will be August 1st. My brother's birthdays are coming up. I can't believe they will be 20 and 21. I have really enjoyed having them home this summer. I got to spend time with each of them alone before they got jobs but even with jobs we still spend time together talking and of course laughing. I was thinking last night that i'll be sad when they go back to school but i'm proud of them and know i'll see them during the semester. Speaking of school i'm so proud of my husband, he's going to start school this semester for Nursing. He's very motivated and i know he will do great! Everyone may not finish school the first time they start but when it's your time to go you will definately know and have so much motivation such as blah jobs that pay blah lol. This saturday while in Birmingham my 2 bestest friends from college came to visit Amaya and spend time with Rudy and I. We had so much fun and my girl Kim looked like a natural holding Amaya'. Amaya' loves having visitors and couldn't eat for being nosey (like her momma lol) I also met me a new 1/2 friend- Lil Ms. Kai she is so pretty and so funny! Rudolph and I both had a blast. Photos coming soon of course. There's nothing in this world like big smiles from your child God blessed you with, making positive changes in your life, family you love being around and old friends that are truly that....true friends.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Weekend Update




This is the first time she smiled at Rudy and I


Well i haven't updated in a while and i have some good updates! We stayed with the inlaws this weekend so that we would be closer to the hospital b/c we all know gas is high. Well friday we got there and got to hold her and love on her, she is so adorable and so alert always looking at us with the big brown eyes. Her weight was up to 2 pounds 6.4ounces. Saturday we stayed there for 4 1/2 hours which means since she eats every 3 hours we got to feed her twice!! In the morning when i fed her she was getting 8 cc's in her bottle and then we daddy fed her she had been moved up to 12cc's!! And little Amaya' doesn't play about her food lol we tried to take the bottle out of her mouth to check how much was left but she locked her jaws and wasn't having that. We got to talk to her nurse Michelle so we could know her better and she is so sweet and caring as well as creative. She made the cutest sign for Amaya's isolette. It has her footprints, handprints, birthweight and length as well as current weight and length. I was so appreciative especially i didn't get a footprint at birth. A lot of preemies are born without lines on their feet. Saturday night her weight was up to 2 pounds 8 ounces! She had a couple of heartrate drops when she ate but the nurses assured me that is normal b/c she is so little and has to manage sucking, breathing and swallowing at the same time. The good things is she brought it back up on her own. We love her so much and are so very proud of her, we tell her this and hope she grows up to feel it. Sunday morning I rested b/c i didn't sleep well Friday night but I went to visit her with my parents, brothers and Rev. Turner (who is like my grandfather) after a church program we went to at my uncle Chris' church. (it was a great spirit filled program! It was their annual choir day and they asked my dad preach. It was a great sermon about what a wonderful God we serve and how we should make a joyful noise unto him!! He told the story of Amaya's birth and i could do nothing but smile b/c God is sooooo good to us! Thank you Lord for everything!)I love seeing other family members with Amaya' she is so alert and responsive. When anyone picks her up she immediately opens her mouth lol I told yall she was greedy. I love the way she looks just like Rudolph but seems to have a little independent personality like me lol. Is that good or bad? Let's just say we'll pray about it lol. Well when i called Sunday evening she was up to 2 pounds 9ounces, and when we were there we were informed that she was up to 14cc's. I am so thankful to how far God has truly brought her and that is with my family daily. I give Him all the glory and praise for he is truly worthy!!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Worry vs Prayer


Above is a picture of my momma talking to Amaya'. I love how Amaya' is looking at her, it's like they have a special bond. If you look close enough Amaya' is smiling at her. This is the first time we have a smile on camera!



As of last night she is weighing 2 pounds 7 ounces!! Keep up the good work baby girl! We got to see her last night for about 1/2 an hour before we went to our discharge class. While we were in class she spent time with her granddaddy and uncle dantrell. The discharge class was suprisingly interesting we learned alot of useful information from CPR to milk storage and car seat safety. After the class the nursery was closed for shift change but i was okay with that b/c i knew i'd see her tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. She looks so good everytime we see her. She is really aware and alert. I don't like that she's peeling but i guess every baby does that.
They had stopped her feedings due to her being constipated and the nurse said that Amaya' made sure that everyone knew she wasn't happy with that decision lol. Guess taking candy from a baby isn't easy. Well since they gave her the glycerin and she had good stools i wanted to make sure she wasn't without food to long. So this morning when i called they still weren't feeding her but when i called back this afternoon she was eating again and it was FROM A BOTTLE!!! It was 5cc's but i'm sure they'll take it back up quickly b/c Amaya' will let them know she's not having that lol. I pray she continues taking the bottle! That is one of the things she has to do to come home.



Today a lady on one of my message boards emailed me and let me know that she appreciated a response i posted to her post. I had told her that I went through the same thing with pre-eclampsia as well as the story about Amaya' coming early. She said that my response reminded her to keep the faith in God. Knowing that my response and story could help someone potentially going through the same thing means alot to me. Rudolph and I have definately been through alot this last year and i know that it was only by the grace of God that we're so blessed now. Amaya' is definately the light at the end of the tunnel! I love my baby girl and thank God for her and all that he has done.

Monday, July 14, 2008




Safe in mommies arms! I miss my pretty girl!


I'm so proud of my little girl! She is now weighing 2lbs 6.6ounces and is eating 20cc's every 3 hours!



Well since i've come home from the hospital i've been doing pretty well emotionally. Well this afternoon i cried. I cried b/c although i know i am blessed beyond my wildest dreams I miss my baby girl. I don't know what made me so sad; i think it is a combination of putting some of the items i received at my shower this past weekend mixed with the nurse practiciner wanting us to come to the CCN discharge class this week [which doesn't neccessarily mean she's coming home soon- which is the part that made me sad b/c i let myself get my hopes up] I don't want God or anyone else to think for a minute that i'm not grateful for what He has been doing for us and the progress my pretty girl has been making. I'm just anxious for the day I can hold her daily as much as I want and dress her up in all of her clothes. I'm ready to be a full time mommy. Lord please be with me and give me patience not to rush her growth/development. I know she will come home in your time!

Blessings beyond measure

Today on facebook i was responding to a post someone sent me and I began to think. My family and I are truly blessed more than we could've ever imagined but you know what we shouldn't be surprised because that's the kind of God we serve. He isn't a small God. I am just more thankful to Him that I can ever express. Like The Bible says if I had 10,000 tounges that still wouldn't be enough. However even though i will never be able to thank him enough that doesn't mean i'm not going to praise him at all b/c "never will a rock cry out in my place... He's worthy of all my praise!"



It was just one year ago this same month that we were mourning the loss of our twins. Even though I was only 2 months pregnant it was a hard thing to go through. But see God does everything for a reason and Amaya' coming early wasn't an accident. Thank you Lord for everything. When i think about his goodness I just smile and get all warm and fuzzy inside. What a mighty God we serve!!