Over the last few months, we've taken many trips outside of the house. Bella had all sorts of appointments, during a winter where the flu has made a lot of people sick. And according to the news, it's been one of the worst winters on record. The influenza A strain (specifically) was the big one to worry about.
Thankfully, Arabella has managed to stay healthy. It's quite amazing, actually. Considering all the places we've gone, and the fact that I'm around so many people during the work day, we've been very lucky.
Since November 2017, Belle's received 5 RSV injections (with each shot costing around $1000+). If you don't remember, RSV can be a potentially life-threatening virus, especially for premature infants. The shot is not a vaccine, but rather antibodies that require monthly injections.
A few weeks ago Belle had her final shot of the season. Next year she likely won't be covered for it, but she'll be much stronger, and perhaps she won't need it.
Bella absolutely hated the shot. It's one of the most painful shots a little one can get, but she was a tough girl. She would cry quietly for a minute, and then need a good cuddle.
We're all proud of everything that she had to go through this winter.
That's the life of a preemie. Extra appointments, extra pokes, extra stress for the entire family - but extra love and hugs to balance it all out.
It won't be like this forever, though. Arabella is now cleared of her pulmonary hypertension, so the blood pressure in and around her heart is finally normal.
Her kidneys checked out fine, too. As did her vision and hearing. One by one, Arabella continues to check things off her list, proving to everyone that she really is a miracle baby.
Soon enough, she won't need oxygen support...
Soon she'll be able to wave goodbye to that oxygen cannula on her face.
And on March 19th, Arabella will be going for her g-tube surgery to insert a tube through her abdomen (and have direct access to her stomach). Hopefully she'll be better able to tolerate her food, and mom and dad will be able to increase her calories a lot easier. We'll even be able to feed her slowly (and continuously) through the night! It should help her gain the extra weight she needs.
There are many advantages of the g-tube. Best of all, it will mean that her face will be entirely tube-free.
With the help of many different resources, we're slowly getting Arabella back to normal. For example, physiotherapy will help her get stronger.
This is just one the things we do at her appointments to strengthen her core and upper body...
At almost 10 months corrected, Arabella isn't a fan of tummy time. She's not big on rolling (although she does it once in a while). She's still not crawling, but we're helping her stand with assistance. Everything is a process that requires a bit of extra effort.
We're not concerned, though. We know that she'll get there. There's no rush, and there's no deadline. So in the meantime, why not enjoy the journey?
We're on the right track, and we couldn't be happier.
On top of it all, spring is just around the corner. We're finally at the tail-end of a long, dark and tiring winter. It's time to step out and enjoy the fresh air, and bask in the warm sunshine 😃
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