Middle of the night

Belle has a lot of cute outfits, and it's all thanks to you guys. She received so many clothes. Kiera and I remember exactly who gave her which ones, too. We never forget! Again, thank you guys so much.

The nurses are absolutely in love with Arabella's wardrobe (or as we all call it, her walk-in closet). We keep all her clothes, blankets, and accessories stored neatly in bins under her crib. 

Lots and lots of bins 😄

We might need a moving truck when we're finally discharged. This girl is treated like royalty.

Princess Arabella...it sounds fitting 😊

We still don't know when we'll be sent home. The staff is busy trying to sort everything out. We might be weeks away, but it's hard to say for sure. 

There are many follow-up tests and scans that need to happen. Everything takes time. 

In the meantime, we'll continue doing what we're doing. We're very focused, but living at the hospital has it's own advantages and disadvantages. 

Kiera and I have a decent schedule in place to ensure that one of us are always watching Arabella closely. We work shifts, and it seems to work for us. It's literally 24 hour surveillance, because the nurses here aren't available like they were in the NICU. 

It's impossible for both of us to sleep at the same time anyway. There's so much going on some nights that we would never be able to sleep through it, even if we tried!

One person always has to be awake.

Belle's alarms go off in the middle of the night. If her heart-rate climbs higher than 180 bpm, or if her oxygen saturation falls too low, the beeps and dings ensue. We're both forced to wake up and check on her. You can't ignore it. Every piece of equipment seems to have a loud tone.

The solution? Ear plugs. 

The person sleeping has to wear them and must concentrate on getting quality rest. In turn, the other person takes care of Belle and is 100% committed. 

Things happen in the middle of the night sometimes. Instead of both of us being woken up, the person sleeping can rest easier knowing that the other is awake and focused on Arabella. It means a sounder, deeper sleep.

"Struggle isn't fun, but it's an opportunity to be brave."

Tonight was a perfect example of why one person always needs to be available. During her 3am feed I noticed a leak in her feeding tube. The tube was damaged, milk was gushing out, and the sheets were soaked. I called the nurses and we got to work.

Tube insertion is always an uncomfortable procedure for any baby. 

Arabella's a trooper. She got over it quickly. She received a fresh feeding tube, I changed her linens, and then it was back to bed for the little lady.

Sweet dreams 💙