Day 5 for Miss Grace

Grace is making great strides!!!! Today she got rid of her UV bilirubin lamp! Her bili levels came down low enough that the neonatalogist removed the lamp. This allows her and us several things. 1. She is able to put on blankets and clothing and be bundled. She has been stretched out on top of a warming bed and losing what fetal flexed positioning she had. Now we can bundle and swaddle her, thus mimicing the tight womb space she was supposed to be getting from being in utero. 2. It allows us to hold her. Previously she spent only 30 minutes out of 3 hours out from the isolette and that was generally for feeding trials. She has become quite the snuggle bunny and I'm glad to give Doug more hands on time with her.
She also had her IV removed which is big on so many different levels. 1. Her comfort is improved, she no longer blows veins when they're manipulating her or when she moves, she is getting all her food into her stomach via her naso-gastric tube, and she is clear of any possible infection. YEAH GRACE!
We were also moved from our corner cove in the NICU to a private room! It has a bed for us to rest on, a shower, and is free from the alarms and beeps of other childrens' equipment. Because mommy is spending about 14 hours a day here, and daddy is spending every moment he can when he is not working, this brings a lot more comfort and relief. More importantly, it also means that Grace is stable enough to be away from the more intense medical equipment. While they may move us back to the NICU coves at any time, we are thankful for the reprieve and intimacy of our room.
Grace continues to have bradycardic episodes, which are brief, but significant drops in her heart rate; the good thing is that she quickly resolves them on her own. They have to be "cleaned up" as the doc says before he is comfortable. She also is making gains in strengthening her suck and swallow for feeding, but has a ways to go yet before any changes are made to her nasogastric tube.
Please continue to say prayers for Grace! She is doing well, but must forge on so we can get her home safe and sound. Happy one week birthday tomorrow, little lady!