Every time I look at her I'm absolutely stunned by how big she's getting. "Where did that tiny thing go?"
I'm probably going to be saying that for a long time 😊. Belle just continues to get bigger and bigger with each passing day.
"We'll wake up one day and she'll be in college," I constantly warn mom.
Unfortunately, Miss Arabella hasn't taken a full bottle in the last 3 days 😕. She was on a roll for a while, but now she's hit a wall.
It's not the end of the world, though. On average, Belle is still taking at least half of the bottle orally. The other half gets topped-up via her feeding tube.
Kiera and I have started to log her oral intake, and we're working like detectives trying to crack a big case.
"Is it the nipple? Maybe she's constipated? Is her reflux getting worse? Could it be the preemie formula?"
All you can do is follow the clues, but it doesn't mean you'll get answers. This feeding business is a strange predicament and we're trying all sorts of things to figure it out.
We felt so disorganized today.
We had our pediatrician appointment this afternoon, so we had to adjust Belle's feeling schedule. It didn't seem to make a difference, though, because by the time we got home we were all hungry and cranky 😄
Speaking of cranky...
Arabella has been more out-spoken lately. Her voice is still a little raspy from her days on the ventilator, but she's getting louder and more boisterous. She's determined to communicate her frustrations, and sometimes I think she's starting to show her true colours. But she's still a very good girl!
She's up to 4.5kg now (almost 10lbs). We're entering double digits!
The pediatrician didn't do very much for us today, other than record Belle's weight and warn us about the looming fall and winter season ahead. "I expect her to get sick", he said, "It's bound to happen. And if she gets sick she won't want to eat. She'll lose weight. Be ready for it. Figure out a plan for emergencies, the nearest good hospital..." and it went on like this for a while. He pretty much said the same thing during our first visit.
Doctors are always telling us about the worst-case scenarios. They want us to be prepared, I suppose.
During cold and flu season, Arabella will get a shot every month or so called Synagis to help prevent against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). The cost of the treatment is steep, over $1000 a month, but luckily we're covered for it since Belle's a prime candidate. Her small birth-weight makes her extra vulnerable.
RSV is a very contagious virus that gives most people a common cold, but to infants it can be more serious. The virus is dangerous because it can lead to a lower body infection (like pneumonia or bronchiolitis), with breathing problems serious enough to require hospitalization. Some babies even need to go on a ventilator while they fight off the virus, and in a few cases (less than 5%) it can be fatal.
It's scary stuff, and it's the main reason that mom's and dad's of preemies get a little nuts from October until April.
Boy, I sure love that smile of hers. All I want is for her to be healthy and happy.
We spent the rest of the day trying to forget our chat with the doctor. We played, napped, cuddled, and read stories. Those are the things that we all enjoy the most 💗
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