6 1/2 weeks old and doing great!

Esther weighed in at 9 lbs 12 oz on Monday - that's over 1 1/2 pounds since she came home, and 2 pounds above birth weight!  We even passed the test early this morning - she pulled out her feeding tube around 4 am.  I heard her wrestling around in bed and she sounded snuffly, so I looked at her and there was her feeding tube, lying next to her!  With Daryl's help, I got the tube back in - and even in the other nostril that wasn't passable when she was at St Joseph's (I figured I'd give it a try so her cheek could have a break and her nostril should have grown a little - that and I suspect she had some irritation in that nostril from the suctioning that was done at her birth and during the first few days).  Yeah!!!   It was actually pretty easy!

Here's what I call her princess pic - this blanket from her Auntie Lisa is fit for a princess, that's for sure:


Thanks Auntie Lisa for such a nice gift - we'll show off the outfit later! In this photo she's showing off how she fits in a 3 - 6 mo outfit that Sandy gave her (thanks Sandy for all the nice gifts you gave Esther and I!).

She is doing great at taking a bottle too - she;s using a new bottle I found at Target - it mimics breastfeeding - and she's doing good with it.  She's averaging 25 ccs per feeding from the bottle during the day now!

Here she is sporting a Snap-EZ Preemie Newborn Pocket Diaper - I couldn't believe they fit her, but they do so she's been wearing them off and on (most of her stash is smalls):



Today Esther was awake so much - she only took a couple of naps! I think that means that she's doing great - sleepy means working hard just to breath!

During one of her little naps, I had to take this photo - this is my viewpoint when she's cuddled up to me and sleeping....melted my heart!



(notice no tubing or tape on this cheek now (it's hiding on the other side!)

I know many of you are still praying for Esther, and we so appreciate it as she's definitely not out of the woods yet. As we all know, it's flu and cold season and either of those could land Esther right back in the hospital.

We ask for your prayers for protection over Esther that our family won't bring any bugs home to her, and that when she goes to Children's for a cardiology check up on Monday, and to her pediatrician's office on Wednesday, that she won't pick up anything at either place!

And lastly, many of you let me know that Esther's photo of her new dress wasn't showing up. Thanks! I've repaired the link (it was missing a period of all things!), so you'll have to scroll down to see her beautiful dress (which she's been trying to wear every day this week! LOL!).