Four days old!

Zoë is four days old today!  It is funny to see her in her incubator, because compared to the baby in the incubator next to hers she is TINY!  But I can't imagine her any bigger, yet...she's just our perfect little preemie.

Dad taking her temperature (she's no longer under the lights...this was yesterday)

Goals for range of motion for Zoë, posted on the wall by her incubator.   I totally appreciate these, as a teacher.  :)

Tonight she was super alert, holding Dad's finger and watching him the whole time she had her care check by nurse Barb.

Sucking on a pacifier is another important goal for Zoë, although she won't learn to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time until about 34 weeks.

Alert!

She is up to 8ml of food per care time (every three hours).  My brother-in-law, Jed, is appalled at how little food that actually is, but you have to keep in mind that she's only 2 lbs 8 oz (lost a little weight since delivery, totally normal).  She had a bit of a spit-up incident this evening while we were visiting that sent her oxygen levels crashing and her respiratory heartbeat skyrocketing.  It was a good reminder of how fragile she is and that even as something as simple as a spit-up causes her distress because her body can't regulate itself back into "normal" very easily yet.

Chris was going to get a chance to hold her for the first time tonight for some skin-to-skin contact with daddy, but because of the spit-up incident it was probably best to hold off until the morning.  I have had a chance to hold her three times, now, which has been great for bonding time and helping with the pumping (ugh).

Dad and nurse Barb during care time.