Skin to Skin Therapy

One of the best therapies for premies in the NICU is skin to skin therapy or "kangaroo care."  They literally open up the front of your shirt and drop your little one down in so that their bare skin is resting right on yours.  Then they put a blanket over top not only for privacy, but more importantly to keep baby's body temperature from dropping.  Cute hats are optional, but highly encouraged.  The one I chose for Ellie came from a small pile that have been donated to our NICU.  

Cute, isn't she!?!

Honestly I think that "kangaroo care" is just as therapeutic to parents as it is for the premies.  While she is growing in the NICU she can't be home with us right now. We can't feed her yet.  We can't peak over into her cradle to check on her whenever we want to see her right now.  So when we can hold her so close we can feel her on us, it becomes the best feeling in the world. They also give you a mirror to hold up, or rest on the arm rest of the chair so that you can see their faces while you are holding them.  My dad told me the other day that he read a study that showed the same center of a women's brain that is excited when she eats chocolate...or even the same part of the brain that gets stimulated after taking heroine is the same part of a women's brain that is stimulated when she smells a baby.  Right now, our best way to bond with Ellie is through touch...although making funny jokes are seeing her smiling in return even with her eyes closed is a close second.

 Not all parents do skin to skin therapy, which, our nurse informed us tonight, is completely ok.  Wesley prefers holding her when she is swaddled nice and tight.  Cute hat still optional, but again highly encouraged.

Today, Ellie's feedings increased steadily by 2mLs every 12 hours. Tonight she is up to 10mLs!  She has also been breathing really well.  She is on room air but they are still using the nasal cannula to ensure that it reaches her lungs.  They began titrating the volume of air down today, going from 3L to 2L.  They are expecting to move her down to 1L tomorrow with the hope that if she is still doing well being able to take off the nasal cannula on Monday.  Our little Ellie is doing so well!  We are so proud at how strong she is and how she continues to improve each day.  Tomorrow we will give you a peak at our bedtime routine!

Little Miss Ellie Marie

Last Saturday, June 14th, 2014 our sweet baby girl was born.  She was fashionably early - as I was only 31 weeks and 4 days along.  I had been admitted to the hospital 5 days before with preeclampsia. That Saturday afternoon, just 20 minutes after my preeclampsia had turned into ecclampsia, she came into the world by emergency c-section.  Preeclampsia runs in my family, but we were not expecting it to manifest so early or so quickly.  We were hoping for a few more weeks, even if I had to be on bed rest, for Ellie to grow more.  We are so thankful for all of the modern technology that exists to help her finish growing so that we can take her home!  For now, she will stay in the NICU until she is as developed as a full term baby.

Ironically, we had recently thought about bringing the blog back to document our last few weeks of pregnancy.  Now we are planning to use it to give updates on Ellie's progress.  We have been so overwhelmed with so much outreach of love and support for us and for Ellie.  Words can't begin to be sufficient to express how grateful we are for each and every well wish, prayer, and cheer for us to get better.

I am home now, after being in the hospital for over a week.  It took a few extra days after delivery to get my blood pressure back to more normal levels.  I will be followed closely by the OB/GYN over the next several weeks. {And of course Wesley and my mom, who have already bought a home blood pressure cuff and are documenting my levels on a Google spreadsheet.}

So far, Ellie is doing really well.  In just 6 days she made it from a ventilator...

... to CPAP ...

...and now finally down to a nasal cannula for respiratory support.

She also has been under a UV light for 48 hours (during which my mom so appropriately coined the phrase "NICU spa" as Ellie looked extremely relaxed as if she was just getting a sun tan.)

Like most preterm babies, she also had a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which they have been treating with indomethacin.  Basically, its an artery that babies need while developing in utero that closes on its own once they are born.  Ellie came so early, hers was still wide open.  Our nurse told us today that they are pretty confident it is closed now.  This also means she is starting to be fed every 3 hours.  Right now she has a line that carries it right down into her tummy.  She hasn't been eating for the past 3 days while she got the indomethacin, but now that it is finished she can eat!!  I have been pumping so it finally feels like all of my efforts are now supporting her too.

Today has been our favorite day as were were FINALLY able to hold her!  We have been waiting for them to get a PICC line in, which is a more stable type of IV line.  It took them trying for several days and last night they finally got one in.

It is so hard to describe how amazing it felt to hold her in our arms.  I didn't want to put her down.  We have to keep telling ourselves it will only be a few more weeks.  It is so hard to be patient.  We do count our blessings everyday that even though this past week was not ideal, and let's face it - enough drama to last us a year - we got through it and we are doing well.  

We will try and be consistent in posting updates.  We love you all so much!!

The Honeycutts

Wesley, Kristen, & Ellie

A Few Thoughts on General Conference

“I know not by what method rare

But this I know, God answers prayer.

I know that he has given his Word

Which tells me prayer is always heard

And will be answered soon or late

And so I pray and calmly wait.

I know not if the blessing sought 

Will come in just the way I thought

But leave my prayers with him alone

Whose will is wiser than my own

Assured that he will grant my quest

Or send some answer far more blessed.” 

― Eliza M. Hickok,   Prayer

General Conference was incredible this fall! This was one of my favorite things President Monson shared during the Relief Society Broadcast last Saturday. I also loved the questions that were raised throughout Conference like What are your priorities? and Do you really know how much your Father in Heaven loves and knows you? And, when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir did their rendition of O Divine Redeemer!! 

I love how all of these inspired messages remind me what is truly important in life, like my family, faith, and knowledge of my divine nature and heritage.  The world doesn't seem so big (or so small) when we can re-focus our priorities to what matters most.

Did you know that all of the sessions are already up?!?  I can't remember them ever being up this fast!

I hope you had a great weekend! 

Inside the Louvre

The Louvre is a wonderful, magical place filled with all kinds of art you can dream of (and more!)  Once a grand palace, walking around the Louvre will show you that it is pretty much a work of art itself.

Wesley and I went on a Friday night after dinner. In Paris. Talk about the perfect date night!!!! Ironically the worst date I have ever been on also happened at an art museum...I can assure you it wasn't with Wesley and it wasn't at the Louvre...but that's another story for another day ;)

The best part about going on a Friday night....Friday nights after 6PM are free for anyone 26 and under that has a photo ID.  Score!  If only we could go every Friday night until we are 27...if only...sigh.  The other thing that made it perfect is that it wasn't packed.  Granted, it's still the Louvre, so there was still a lot of people, but compared to peak times during the day, it was great.

Here were some of the highlights....

 As you enter the Louvre, you descend under the glass pyramid.  Pretty cool, right?!?

 Winged Victory.  One of the most famous pieces of sculpture on the planet. Are you drooling yet?  

You should be...

Virgin of the Rocks, Da Vinci.  Recognize this one?  It played a part in the Da Vinci Code...

 Everyone crowding to see...

 Mona Lisa, Da Vinci.  Fun fact...one of my college essays was about my experience seeing this for the very first time 8 years ago.  Yep, you can even write about art to get into college ;)

 The massive painting that is just opposite the Mona Lisa.  Apparently ^ one person thought it was not very impressive...

"Kristen, look, it's a young Tom Riddle."  Oh Wesley, that's why I love you.

 

I just loved these...

 

 

 This is why the Louvre is almost a work of art itself...

And they had even more art than I could dream of!!

 And when we left, the best art of all:

Two New Favorite Fall Desserts

Pumpkin Streusel Swirled Cream Cheese Pound Cake {recipe here}

Pumpkin Brownies {recipe here}

 I've made both of these in the past few weeks and they are both melt-in-your-mouth-goodness.  The cake takes a little bit of a time commitment, but I promise you is worth every minute.  On the other hand, the brownies take no time at all. So, so delicious.  No, seriously, stop gawking and go make those brownies right now!

Do you have any favorite fall desserts!?!

Linking up with Ashley