Love.

I am in it.  I can just stare and stare at this sweet baby girl who, a week ago, was still growing inside of me.  The week has been so eventful... honestly, it feels like longer than a week.  Thankfully, it's been a great week!  Praise the Lord!

Here is the latest information about our angel:

-Addie has progressed from 1cc of Mommy's milk to 18ccs starting tonight!  She is digesting the milk so well, and I am SO thankful.  One of my first worries was that my milk would not agree with her, but I let God handle that one, and He totally took care of it! :)  18ccs is a normal amount for a baby her size, so we are excited!

-She is down to 3 liters of VapoTherm (these are the two little tubes in her nose that help her remember to breathe).  She started at 6 liters, so getting down to 3 is a big accomplishment!  She is breathing room air---another big deal!  Addie works hard when she is breathing so much on her own, but we are so proud of her! :) She's a little fighter!

-One of the most amazing things that the doctors do for NICU babies is run their IV through their umbilical cords... I mean, really.  How freakin' smart is that?  They don't have to prick the babies to draw blood or feed them or anything.  I think it is awesome that they just do all of that through the umbilical cord!  Anywho, they've been feeding her lipids and other vitamins and minerals through that IV line, but tonight they are planning to remove it!  She will get her nutrition through my milk and some vitamins they add to it.  The vitamins are actually something that NICU babies take for a year after they are born, so we'll add it to her milk once a day after she comes home. :)  I love that sentence... after she comes home.  I can't wait for that day.  I actually have had a dream or two about that day... :)

That's pretty much it for now... aside from being the sweetest baby I have ever seen, she is doing very well.  The prayers are being said for Addie are truly felt and seen each time we look at her sweet face.  God is doing awesome things through her, and I know that He has a great plan for her life.  He is using her tiny little body to do some pretty big things... not only in my life and in Eric's life, but in the lives of some other people who have shared their stories.  I am not one to fish for compliments or messages/comments on my blog or facebook, but these days, hearing from others makes the day a little easier.  I would love to hear from anyone who stops by to check in on Addie, so feel free to leave me a note. :)

As always, thank you so much for your prayers, concern, and support for us through such an emotional, incredible time.  God is so good.

P.S. On a side note, I am also praising God tonight for working out my work situation... I was worried about what would happen since my maternity leave began much, much earlier than I planned.  I am a planner, and this totally stressed me out at a time when more stress was really not healthy. :)  Again, God worked it out and now things are groovy.  I can be out as much as I need to be with Addie and that makes my heart smile. :)