Family meeting

Mondays are always back to business. There's a certain heightened tempo inside the hospital on a weekday. More staff coming and going, more visitors, more procedures going on, more commotion.

In addition to the Monday pandemonium, our room is back at full capacity. It feels so incredibly busy sometimes. It makes us reminisce about our Mount Sinai days, and the private room we used to have.

Currently, a newly admitted micro-preemie can be found in a spot across from Arabella, and another one right next to her. I can't believe the size of some of these tiny miracles. They look just like Arabella did. 

Godspeed little ones.

Belle is the tough kid on the block right now. Don't mess with her, otherwise she'll take your breast milk! 😄

Kiera and I sat down with the doctor this afternoon to go over next steps, and Arabella's future. We've been meaning to have a family meeting like this for a few weeks.

Clearly, it's been a long campaign for all of us, but we still have a long way to go. The great news? The scariest and worst is definitely behind us. 

Arabella's chronic lung disease is her biggest opponent. She's still very pressure-dependent, so our next objective is to get her off the CPAP mask. Once she doesn't require any pressure, she will likely continue on oxygen support. That will be a lot easier on her digestive system, unlike the constant pressure she's getting now. 

Then she can start learning the combination of 'suck, swallow, breathe' required for babies to either nurse or take a bottle. That might be a process on its own, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. 

The doctor spoke of many "if" scenarios. Some good, others not-so-good, but every scenario is a manageable one. Why worry now, I suppose.

Arabella's bone fractures are healing very slowly. She's still very fragile, and will be for a long time to come. We're still waiting for DNA tests to give us more details. Is this just a severe case of prematurity, or something more? 

She's a delicate flower - that's how the doctor described her at one point today. She's basically going to be a child with special needs as she grows up. Extra precautions will need to be taken around her, of course, and she'll continue to be followed by specialists likely for years to come. 

In the next month or so, we might be transferred to a hospital closer to home (which is a wonderful thought) but Arabella's lungs need to get much stronger first.

It's all going to take time, so get comfortable. At the same time, count your blessings because the worst is definitely behind you. 

Arabella (8 days old)

When we feel frustrated or helpless throughout this journey, this is all it takes to help us along. 

Everyday is really a gift, isn't it?