Day 20

Sorry for the lack of posts. No news is good news.

Briella is still on CPAP. She does have more spells, specifically more Bradycardia. She forgets to breath sometimes or she breathes really shallow. We try to rub her back to stimulate her to make her remember to breath when we see her numbers going low. I keep getting nurses that are not Briella's nurses peeking in on her saying they can't believe that this little thang is doing so well! Yesterday the respiratory therapist said that every now and then the hospital gets these little spit fires that totally surprises them.

Today the doctor came in to talk to me. He knocked on wood 4 different times while talking about her!! He, like all other staff, is impressed with how she is doing.

Yesterday while holding her, I got to hear her cry for the first time!!!! Now you have to understand that my daughter is 19 days old and I have never heard any noise out of her. So this made Mommy cry and very happy. She only would cry when Her binkie would fall out and she couldn't get it back in her mouth herself. I, selfishly, would leave it out for just a little bit so that I could hear that amazing dainty low cry. Aubrey's voice was so high from day 1, everyone said she sounded like Minnie Mouse. But Briella has a deep voice. It is so precious and I have made a promise to her that I will never get mad or frustrated from her crying.

Brie is hovering around the same weight still. She's around 700 grams. Tonight she is 1lb 9oz. She isn't gaining as fast as we would love her to. But I'm sure all this new breathing on her own has her working harder.

Brian and I are blown away at the amount of kind gestures and personal messages and comments from all of you. You just don't understand how it makes us feel to hear from people who we've never met or that we haven't kept in good contact with over the years. I cannot wrap my head around all the people who actually care about the survival of my daughter. It's such an awesome feeling and I feel that because of all of your positive thoughts and prayers that we will make it through each hurdle. I get my strength from you. A special thank you to the anonymous person from Lenexa who sent us a very nice note. We appreciate it so much and it put a big smile on our faces. Again, just amazed at all the support, thanks.

I would like to ask of you tonight that while you say a prayer for Briella to continue to fight and make positive leaps, that you say a prayer for my cousin. Her and I were pregnant together, our due dates were 3 days apart. Alexa is pregnant with twin girls. She is in the hospital until delivery and at the moment going through what I had to, being on magnesium & worrying that your body will fail you and that her beautiful babies will be born too soon. She is 27 weeks now. Please pray that her contractions are stopped.