Day 125

Hello, sugar plum!

Wednesday marked 125 days since this wonderful girl stepped into our world. In that time, we've watched her grow and overcome numerous obstacles, but we've faced a lot of set-backs, too. 

It comes with the territory, I suppose. The daily ups and downs are still apart of our lives, but it's something we can't seem to control. There are a lot of things constantly happening here. 

Every day there are highs and lows, and that's probably one of the most tiring things about this experience. 

125 days makes a huge difference to a preemie born at 28 weeks. Arabella went from only 1 pound to a whopping 6 pounds. 

Just like a mustard seed. 

Look how much she's blossomed. 

She's given mom and dad plenty of worries, but for every worry, she's given us 100x more joy. 

Arabella had a few rough moments today, but she bounced back eventually. The staff had made too many changes today, and it affected Belle's breathing and reflux.

Mom had a rough time watching it all unfold. Bella was crying uncontrollably as the staff hurriedly made adjustments to her settings and some of her tubes. 

The staff push her a little too quickly sometimes, and then they're forced to retreat. It's a constant battle.

A little bit of sleep made everything better. 

Arabella's scar from her PDA surgery. I haven't taken a good look at it until today.

We gave her a bath so we took off her little hat and finally got to see some of her hair again. It's a lot thicker and darker now. We're not used to seeing her without her hat these days. 

The nurse helped place these plastic covers on Arabella's cheeks to help ease the tension from the straps. 

She looked like a little boxer!

In the ultra-featherweight division...

It was another day of highs and a few lows, but the highs always prevail. It's hard being a parent in the NICU sometimes, but you do your best to overcome the frustrating or helpless moments. That's all you can do.