Well, Tess is still taking the NICU by storm. She’s now getting a whole teaspoon of breast milk every 3 hours, and so far so good. We felt a little more with the routine; got here in time to take care of her almost unsupervised (?!) before rounds. Apparently they like the parents to be as hands-on as possible, as there’s so little touching. We’re determined not to miss a second of it, so that’s what our day revolves around! She’s breathing like a champ, and absolutely howls when the blood pressure cuff goes on. Spunky.

The neonatologist sat down with us for an hour and we discussed risk factors, outcomes, and what to expect over the next few weeks. Apparently 90% of the risk for brain bleeds is in the first 3 days, so we missed that bullet. That’s a big hurdle. Prognosis continues to be excellent if she can avoid infection.

We also met another 26-weeker’s adoptive parents! They’re a few weeks ahead of us, so we’re hoping they’ll give us the scoop.

We scoped out the hospital for good corners to work in, and settled on a couple of winners for during the week. Our birth parents, her mom, and a good friend came by – we’re all really happy about her progress! Rockstar pumping is keeping Tess stocked, which is amazing. We’re headed to their house for dinner tonight, so we can all get to know each other a bit more. So nice!

Hopefully tomorrow will be the first day of many boring months of routine, with no unexpected health roller coasters.