Daily Hope: Thursday, January 8

Hope's foot, plump!!

Hope: day 32

Hope & Grandma!!

Hope: "really Aunt Em? MOOORE pictures?"

Hope: day 32, cute as a ladybug

Hope: day 32, looking nice and plump!!

Hope: Day 32, the pacifier is potentially larger than her entire arm

Hope: Day 32, suck Hope suck!!

Hope: day 32; chomping on that pacifier

Daddy is a bit wore out

Daddy Doctor

Hope: day 32; holding onto mommy's hand

Hope is under there somewhere, really

This diaper change was... well.... interesting

As you can see, Hope had a very photogenic day. All the photo shoots went very well, she is quite the ham at times. Hope didn't have any big changes today, minus the incredible sucking that she showed us. Which is a big milestone and we are all so excited about!!!

Hope's nutrition will be remaining the same for at least another day, but they did add more calories, working on beefing her up!

As you can see, Hope's mommy & daddy are very active in her daily care. Taking temperatures, "burping" via tube, feeding, changing, etc. More ways to make sure Hope is feeling good and is comfortable. Obviously her favorite part of the day is storytime with Aunt Em. Today we read Ten Little Ladybugs. She thoroughly enjoyed it and was very excited that at the end of the book the ladybug made it home. Hope is very excited to go home, but she knows she has a long way to go before she can go home, so she's accepting that and working hard.

Hope gave a shoutout to Grandpa R who is snowed in at "home" in the G-rant. She said she misses you and then made some sort of a "sign language" with her hand that she said he would understand. (must be a Grandpa/Granddaughter thing)

Again, we are thankful today for the good day today. Aunt Em would rate today a solid 7, or a "sucking 7."

Sidebar.... due to popular demand.... Aunt Em is highly considering quitting law school and becoming a professional blogger, but only for Hope. Basically Aunt Em would serve as Hope's publicist and stylist, not to mention her own personal tutor. Mommy & Daddy (and also Grandma) advised that unless Aunt Em has a "rich uncle" to assist, that would probably not be the best idea in the world. Alas... continuing to freelance in "freetime" is what Aunt Em shall do.

Hope SUCKS

Do not be appalled by the title of this entry and this video. This is a great thing!!!!!

This afternoon, right before Hope's 5pm feeding, her nurse, Dawn, was doing some things with Hope and taking care of business, etc, when she proclaimed: "SHE SUCKS!!"

Of course we were taken aback by this, but Hope does suck, as in sucking on a pacifier!! This is fantastic progress!! Yes, Hope still has all the tubes going down through her mouth, but she is still able to get a little suction and suck on a make-shift pacifier. It was pretty exciting stuff in the NICU today.

The video, towards the end, really shows her neck moving and her mouth moving, or at least that's what we saw in person. Extra props to Aunt Em (me) today for busting out the video mode on the digital camera. I believe this would be Hope's first video!!!!

And for those of you who have grown to be dependent upon your daily dose of Hope, no fears, there is plenty more where that comes from and should be posted later this evening with PLENTY of pictures.