Holding

I got to hold Curly Q for the first time today. It was a nice surprise. I thought I had to wait until she was less 'connected', but I was able to hold her. She's really small, but I'm so surprised at how big she actually is. When I was pregnant and the doctors told me I would have a small baby, I was preparing myself for a really tiny preemie. I was thrilled that she was 3 1/2 pounds, and shocked that she was 17 inches long. She has really long fingers and toes. It's kind of hard to see her in this picture, just a tiny head poking out of blankets.

She was really relaxed and happy while I held her. She kept trying to open her eyes. One had a bunch of goop on it, so just one would open. You could tell it was so hard for her, she just couldn't keep it open. But she wanted to see her mommy and daddy. I loved watching her sleep. Her little newborn face would react to whatever she must have been dreaming about. She smiled in her sleep, then it would shift to a little whimper. It was so adorable.

The doctors are starting to wean her from the oxygen mask, and she's doing well. Hopefully in the next few days she'll be able to lose her 'elephant nose' (as Morgan calls it). They are still increasing the amount of milk she is taking, and she's almost up to where she should be. Once she's up to the full amount, they can take out the IV from her belly button. It's really amazing how well she is doing. I am so grateful for how blessed we are.