Visiting with Mia

A lot of you have asked if you could visit or even take turns watching her so we can rest.

NICU rules are:

• Parents and Grandparents can visit whenever they like.
  
• Aunts/Uncles/Cousins/Siblings 14 years and older can only come in to visit when escorted with the baby's parents.
  
• Grandparents cannot escort anybody in at all.
  
• All friends 14 years and older can only be escorted by parents as well.
  
• There can only ever be 3 people at most per bedside - so, 1 person can visit with her at a time if both parents are visiting at the moment. Of course, if there are two people who want to visit, Robert or I will always step out so both can do so.

Whenever you want to come visit, give us a call at my Mom's cell number - 1-408-828-9672. All we ask is that if you or anybody in your family has been sick recently, or any if you feel you're coming down with something, to please refrain from visiting. The last thing we want is for Mia to get sick - or for us to get sick and not be able to visit with her! =)

So, as far as someone coming in to visit with Mia so we can get some rest goes... that just can't be done. Today we are starting a round-the-clock visiting time, so someone will always be here. It's best because she does respond so well when we're here talking to her and touching her. My Mom (Becky) was singing to Mia while I was in the other room pumping and as soon as she started, the breaths she was taking per minute jumped up to 54+!! Before it had only been whatever the machine was giving her (16 bpm). I got my iPod out and put some worship music on and put one of the little earbuds in her incubator and her breathing was steady at around 60 bpm for well over an hour! God is so good... she has improved so much in just a day!!

Thank you so much for praying! If you want to pray more specifically, I'll mention what you can be praying for....

1. Her jaw is extremely stiff and if it remains this way, they say that it'll be almost impossible for her to get any kind of feeding on her own. Pray that it will start to loosen up and that it will normalize.
2. She still hasn't opened her eyes since birth. Pray that she'll be able to have that natural ability to open and close her eyes.
3. Being that she's intibated, it causes there to be more secretions and her lungs are pretty junky sounding. When they asperate it out (basically sticking a tube down her throat) she doesn't gag or fight that horrible feeling or anything. Pray that she will start to respond and not like it!
4. The doctor thinks a main problem is her nervous system. Pray that her brain will start sending all the right signals to the rest of her body - especially so she'll be able to breath fully on her own!

We're still at the hospital now, so when we got home tonight, we'll add pictures from today. =)

Once again, thank you so much for all you prayers, love and support!

Shannon, thank you so much for coming over today and taking us to Costco - and for watching over Mercedes this afternoon. We're so grateful!

Blessings to you all,
Rachael