x-rays

Today was not a fun day for Sophie.  I got there and they were taking xrays of her limbs.  I could hear her all the way over at the scrub sink.  They are going to look at her bones to make sure there is no deterioration, which can be a side effect of the medicine they use to keep her PDA open (an artery that usually closes at birth when the lungs start receiving oxygen).  Anyway, she was wailing pretty good, and in a weird way it was kind of comforting because I hadn't really heard her cry since the first night when I got to see her.

I used what I call "the baby accordion method" to calm her.  The nurse explained it to us yesterday: you put one palm under their feet and the other on the top of their head and that relaxes preemies--reminds them of home, I guess.  At first we were stroking and rubbing her, but that can actually be too much stimulation for them.  Oops.  Unfortunately, a couple of the xrays didn't come out, so the tech had to come back, but this time Sophie was much calmer.

Then it was time for one of her 8 squares a day (upped to 14mLs today), and Stephanie held her.  After all the exertion, it was lights out for an hour or two.  Also, it looks like the diuretic they gave her is working, as she lost 1oz today.  She's now 1oz over her birth weight.  This is good.  Too much fluid and it can build up around her heart and in her lungs, which make them have to work harder.  

So, all in all it was another good day.