Baby J- Day 70- Slumber Party

Today Baby J weighs 4 lb 9.6oz (she hit 4 1/2 last night).   She is getting so big so fast.  Tomorrow she will be 37 weeks gestational age and 10 weeks old.  Crazy.  It was a very busy day.
Today she got her immunizations.  So she is only a week behind on almost all of them.  One shot she is a little more behind on because they didn't give her the first one when she was born.   She was a champ and only cried while being poked and has done pretty good so far today.   She was a little fussy at one point but after being held went right back to sleep.
Today Baby J met her Great Grandparents.  My dad drove them up so they could see her.   My Grandfather means a whole lot to me so I'm very glad they got to come and see her.   They just kept saying how small she was.  I don't see a tiny baby anymore.   She seems normal sized to me and so big.

 
Baby J has been eating all of her bottles since Thursday night.   She is now on formula only and sucks it down in like 5 minutes.   Tonight they took out her feeding tube.   That waas pretty exciting and a big deal.   That means she is no longer being supported by anything.  She still has monitors which she will have till she leaves, but she is not being supported by anything but herself.   Tomorrow they are going to start ad-lib with food which means she can eat as much or little as she wants at each feeding as long as she meets their minimum during the shift.   She would really like more at most feedings so maybe she can have it.

Tonight we are staying in the family room at the hospital- a slumber party...well without the party and probably without the slumber. (which they have the temp set at 77 and I think I may melt)  The Nurse Practitioner offered it since she knows that I only can come on weekends and that she will most likely be going home this week.   The first feeding though in the room she bradyed really badly and then got sick.  However I think it was from the move and bright lights.  She is now sleeping semi peacefully in her bed while I do this.  

 I am so ready for her to come home and so happy that she is doing well.   All the nurses and doctors are so impressed with her.   However I have one glitch and I know there are such bigger problems out in the world, but to us this is huge.  Baby J's insurance still has not come through.  Yesterday a nurse made me feel worse about that and told me that yes I would get stuck with the bill.  She about gave me a mental breakdown and for the first time since all this started I almost started crying and started really questioning this decision.  I so badly want to keep her, but I can't afford this hospital stay in any way and I made sure that wasn't going to happen before I said yes.  Shoot without the support people have given me, I couldn't have stayed up here with her so much.  I'm a very poor teacher.  :-)   I don't understand why it hasn't been processed since she qualifies automatically because of her birth weight.    Please say a short little extra prayer that it gets here before she is released.  I can't take her to follow up appointments without it and having to deal with all the mess of not having it before the release will land me in a mental hospital.

I did get the apartment in Wichita and hopefully will still get to move in on Friday.   I love my new job by the way and think it will be a great year.    Well I should try to sleep before her next feeding.   Wish us luck.  :-)  Thanks everyone for your support.