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.

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!!

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.

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!!

The picture above shows my baby with one eye closed. This is how she and her daddy wakes up in the morning. I love em both.


07/12/08


Today is very hectic but in a good way, we are having a baby shower. Yep even though my baby girl came early we are still having the shower that her grandmother (my mother) has worked so hard to plan!! I'm excited seeing all the pink around the house. (which i swear i didn't like before i found out i was having a girl !!) The festivities started at 3:00pm. We had a great time. So many people came out to support us and show how much they love little Amaya'. My grandma sallie, sister, neice and nephew was able to attend! I am so excited to see them. Amaya' is the first one to make my sister an aunt. My mom really outdid herself. We had personalized napkins, beautiful decor, tasty food and drink as well as fun, interesting games!! I had a blast and Amaya' got so much stuff that I shouldn't have to buy anything else. God is so good! He truly provides all of our wants and needs. As of this afternoon she is weighing 2lbs 2oz



07/13/08


This morning I called to check on Baby Amaya'and her food intake has increased from 11cc's to 18cc's!! She has also increased her weight and is now weighing in at 2lbs 3oz. Keep plumping up little one. I am so excited because today we are going to visit her after church. During church I definately had to thank everyone for their prayers and support b/c it is very much appreciated! At our visit today I can noticably tell that she is gaining weight (keep plumping up little one). She looks so beautiful! I noticed that her other grandparents went to visit her yesterday. That really made me happy, since i can't be with my little girl everyday I am glad that she has other family near her.

The picture shows her in the clothes she got from a church who makes little clothes for the premies. I think it is so cute!!!



07/04- Amaya' moved from the NICU to the Continuing Care Nursery which is a good thing :-) Amaya's stomach was swollen due to her having problems passing her first stool. Until she passes the stool they will hold off on feeding her which would cause more irritation. That night they gave her a suppository and she had a small smear of stool which was good b/c atleast they know she can go and nothing is wrong with her bowels, which confirms what the X-ray showed.

07/05 Last night she passed a huge stool!! yay i'm so proud of my pooper lol. She knocked her arm IV our so her arm was a little swollen. They moved her IV to her foot area. Her stomach is still a little extended but it's going down. I visited her this afternoon and when we got ready to leave i had an emotional release. I want to take her home and just love all on her. i dont like seeing her in pain and I am amazed I love someone so much that i just met. I prayed with her and know she is in God's hands. Later that night I was able to take a couple of drops of colostrum the nurses stated they would mix it with formula and was glad i brought it. At 8:30pm I was able to hold her for the first time!!! I held her for 30 minutes! Rudy also held her. It was so cute when we were holding her because she was working on her sucking reflex and her eyes were wide open. I can tell she is feeling better and she looks better also. I'm glad b/c i didn't like seeing my baby in pain.

07/06/08- This morning the nurse informed me that Amaya' was going to have a follow up X-Ray. The results came back good that there was nothing more wrong with her stomach. They are going to begin feeding her this afternoon. Rudy and I went back to the nursery to watch the first feeding which is going to begin at 2cc's. She is being fed through a feeding tube but the nurse put some on her pacifer and you could see her eyes light up and hear her sucking lol she liked it. The next milestone in addition to increasing food intake is to weight over 1000 g. Currently she is 880g and she was 940 when born. Hopefully now that they are feeding her she will gain weight. 1000g is equal to about 2 pounds 4 oz.

07/07- Well i'm at the hospital alone b/c Rudy had to go home last night for work this week. I was sad at first and cried alot but my mom and dad had me to look at the positive side that I will be able to stay with Amaya' for 2 more days. Today i went to the nursery by myself and stayed for about 3 hours afterwards i understood why God did what he did. By me having to stay 2 extra days due to my spike in temp I was able to bond with Amaya' and get to know her nurses which made it a little more easier for me to leave on Tuesday.

07/08- This morning I was informed that Amaya's feedings were increased from 2cc's to 6cc's so that is a good thing and might ease her fussiness she had yesterday. The nurse even tried to feed her with a bottle since she has been sucking a lot. She said it didn't quite work but she was happy with the taste of milk in her mouth lol. I hsve to leave today but i feel more comfortable b/c i know she is in God's hands and i think he specially picked her nurses whom i love.

07/09 today when Rudy called they told him that they increased her feedings from 6 to 9cc's we're so proud of our little girl!! Before you know it she'll be up to 1 ounce before you know it. (who would've ever thought my little baby would have me relearning math, pounds, ounces, cc's, etc lol) last night when they weighed her she was 1lb 15.9ounces and tonight she was 2lbs .8ounces. She is growing so good. Maybe she is ready to be home with us as much as we are ready for her to be home!!


07/10- My baby is one week old, wow time has really flown. I woke up to a voicemail from the dr of course i was in a panic and immediately called back. They did a lumbar puncture yesterday and started her on some antibiotics due to a sore on her head that had puss in it. They are thinking that it came from the internal monitor they put on her head. I'm praying that's all it is and that the meds will work and it'll go away soon. I so want to go to Birmingham and love on my baby.



07/11- Last night i called and she weighed 2lbs 1 oz which is good. This means she is back at her birth weight and can start going up from here! Her feedings were also increased from 9 cc's to 11 cc's. Every time i hear that she is eating more i get so excited and just thank God. He is truly with her and working a miracle before our eyes! She is tolerating her medicines well. Her heart rate has only dropped once, which they say is normal for preemies. The good thing is she was able to bring it back up on her own!

Catch Up

Well I'm starting this blog on 7/10 so i should probably go back and give you a brief summary of a couple of days so you won't be lost.

We attended a family reunion for my mom's side of the family the weekend of June 20th. Well that Saturday night i started having really bad pains in my stomach, this continued until Sunday. All my older aunts were telling me and my husband that i was about to have the baby. Being that I was only 8 months I wasn't really agreeing with them. When we got back home I made an appointment b/c i hadn't felt the baby move in over 36 hours. Upon arrival they did an ultrasound to make sure all was well. This is when we discovered that i had low amniotic fluid and that she was measuring 5 weeks behind schedule. I was given a follow up appointment for July 10th to go to a more advanced clinic for a comparison ultrasound and was also asked to come back to my regular Dr on June 30th. Well i went in on June 30th and they found protein in my urine and my blood pressure was higher than normal. The Dr said it looked like i was developing pre-eclampsia so he sent me to the hospital up the road for more testing. During the testing the baby's heartbeat was fine but my blood pressure kept rising. This caused the decision to be made for me to be transported via ambulance to UAB where they had a NICU since when the baby would be born he estimated she'd weigh about 1lb 3 oz. Of course through all this my family and I were in intense prayer. I wasn't nervous because i knew God was in control and hadn't brought me this far to just leave me now. Upon arrival at UAB i was put in the labor and delivery room and given an ultrasound. The results were good she had grown since the last June ultrasound and was now measuring around 27 1/2 weeks and weighing 2 pounds. Well due to my high blood pressure and diagnosis of pre-e they decided to go ahead and induce me. Little did i know that meant no more food until the baby came. OMG i hadn't eaten much that day~Well they started me on pitocin as well as gave me an epidural (i was shocked since i hadn't even dilated 1/2 a cm) so that i would be all hooked up in case an emergency c-section had to take place. This was my worst fear; however by day 3 (yes day 3) of labor i didn't care if the chef had to come cut me open i was restless, irritated, hungry and in pain (or as they said feeling pressure). So July 3rd rolls around and i know something is about to happen b/c i just feel different. however i was so tired i tried to play it off, i asked for something to put me to sleep and right after they gave it to me i felt like i needed to go to the bathroom aka the baby was coming. I remember the Dr coming in and i asked her to just knock me out from the waist down b/c the "pressure" was getting to be so much i felt like i was going to faint. She informed me that it was time to push and immediately my room filled with over 30 people. Dr's and nurses for me, pediatricians for the baby as well as specialists due to her small size. My mom, dad and husband Rudolph were also there. All i remember from here is pushing 2 times, someone saying here look at your baby and Rudy saying i did good and sounding so excited. After the 2nd push the meds i has previously asked for had started to work and i immediately blacked out and went to sleep. While sleep i felt them pushing my stomach saying something about a placenta, cleansing (or as i say scalding) me with hot water and soap and that's all. When i woke up i apologized to the nurses b/c my mom told me i was just going off on everyone. I looked at the clock and it was like 2pm or something. My daughter was born at 10:04am... after being fed i was wheeled down to see her and i remember thinking OMG she is so small and so cute. i now knew what every mother on every baby show i watched meant when they said you just somehow love them so much and it's not explainable.

So now that we're up to speed:

Amaya' Denetta Reid

2lbs 1 oz 14.5 inches long

July 3rd, 2008 10:04am