Morgan Kate

Prematurity Awareness Month Fact #11:

So, what are premature babies fed? Breast milk is an excellent source of nutrition, but premature infants are too immature to feed directly from the breast or bottle until they're 32 to 34 weeks gestational age. Most premature infants have to be fed slowly because of the risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an intestinal infection unique to preemies. Breast milk can be pumped by the mother and fed to the premature baby through a tube that goes from the baby's nose or mouth into the stomach.

Morgan Kate was fed through an OG (orogastric) tube. The tube was inserted through her mouth and directly into her stomach. I was able to pump breast milk for 13 weeks and then she received Neosure, a formula designed for premature and low-birth weight babies. Morgan Kate also came home with the OG tube. Travis and I were taught how to insert it, check for placement and remove it. I think back and still can't believe we were able to do it. I mean it was some serious stuff. But we did it, because it ultimately it meant bringing home our baby girl. She was fed with an OG tube from August until sometime in January. Starting at about 36 weeks or so we attempted bottles. However, because of her oxygen issues, bottles were difficult. Very difficult. But sometime in mid January it all clicked and we never used the OG again. Thank goodness.

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When it rains, it pours. Literally and figuratively speaking. In the literal sense..here in South Carolina, particularly where I live, it has been raining for two days straight. In the figurative sense...my electronics/gadgets. My watch, my camera and my computer to be exact.

I'll begin with my watch. Travis gave me this awesome watch for my birthday. It was a complete and total surprise and I was very, very pleased. Loved it, loved it. A couple of weeks ago the watch endured some "trauma" and stopped working. No movement at all. So, yesterday I packed it up and sent it off for repairs. I feel so naked without it. I have looked down at my wrist probably a thousand times. I am already missing it.

Then my camera. You all know the story about the camera. Well today I gathered all the pieces necessary, took it down to Best Buy, filled out some paperwork and left it with the Geek Squad. It was so very hard to part with my camera. I felt this extreme tugging at my heart when I dropped it off. The only good thing "camera wise" is that I actually have two lens (lenses?), so right before my trip to Best Buy I attached the "good" lens and snapped a few quick pics of Miss MK. Be sure to check back tomorrow for those photos.

Now on to my computer. I call it "my" computer because I am always on the computer. I rarely give Travis any time. I know, it's awful. First, a little background. We purchased our new computer, a MAC, several months before MK was born. During those few months we were on it all of the time. Really. Then MK arrived, very early, and computer time dwindled. The computer only was used when it was time to blog. Fast forward to now, or for the past few months, the computer has been used a lot more. Around the time of MK's first birthday I was busy making a DVD. The night before her party I went to burn it to a disc and the burner would not work. Nothing at all. I was devastated and in quite a "tizzy". Trav took the computer to Best Buy the next morning and they were so very helpful. They were able to burn the DVD to a disc and were also able to tell us that the burner on our computer was shot. Great. Our computer, which was only a year old, was broken. Kind of. Anyway, in the next week or so we have to send it off to be repaired too. In the meantime I am trying to back up everything we have and also trying to figure out what I am going to do without a computer for 2-3 weeks. Seriously. What am I going to do? Don't worry. I will figure something out. I hope.

So, I am now without my watch, my camera and soon to be, my computer. Sad, sad day.

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In other news. MK has really started making all sorts of consonant sounds and noises and possibly a word or two. I am pretty sure she said "bye", maybe "hi" and maybe "good". Maybe. But all sorts of consonant sounds for sure. She has said ds, bs, gs, cs and even a w. Wow. I love it! She is still waving and doing it lots more. She even waved for her speech therapist today.

Oh, and she stood completely unsupported and unassisted for 22 seconds today. She just stood up in the middle of the floor and kept her balance for 22 seconds. Amazing! Our PT timed it. Then she fell flat on her bottom and wouldn't stand for the rest of the day. No fear, we will work on it again tomorrow.