Illinois Visitors

Lorena has had a busy few days.  Dan and I went to see her on Sunday.  Some friends (Lynn Hennigan and her husband Travis, and daughter Anna), took us out to lunch in Topeka.  Lynn and I got to know each other when we worked for the Kansas Farm Management Association.  We went to HuHot Mongolian Grill.  It was amazing and I highly recommend it.  Dan hadn't seen Lorena for several weeks and couldn't believe how much she had changed (he had been sick and busy with wheat planting).  I will be so glad when wheat drilling season is over.  The farm will have more wheat this year so Dan has been very busy.  Wheat prices are high and farmers are scared of more drought, so wheat seems like a good option at this point.

I went to see Lorena on Monday and spent the night with my Mom and Aunt Becky who had traveled from Illinois.  They saw Lorena on Monday night and Tuesday morning and headed back to Illinois Tuesday afternoon.  Lorena has been making good progress the past few days.  They have increased her feedings from 32 milliliters to 34 milliliters.  She had been receiving each feeding over a 50 minute time span, but the nurses dropped it to 45 minutes, and then to 40 minutes today.  The goal is to "push her" and see if her stomach is ready to digest the feedings at a faster rate.  She did excellent at the 45 minute feeding and she was just starting to get her next feeding (over a 40 minute span) when I left this afternoon.  The nurses also keep adjusting her incubator temperature by lowering the heat.  Lorena has been getting hot more often, so she is requiring less heat.  This means she will soon be in a crib!  They are thinking she probably only has a few more days in the incubator.

She weighed 3 pounds 11 ounces as of Monday night.  She is getting to be such a big girl.  She is about the size of a doll right now.  I also have been changing her diaper while I'm there.  Today, I didn't get the next diaper on in time and she shot poop all over her clothes, bedding, incubator, and mommy.  I didn't really care, I'm just glad her bowels are working properly!

It was good to see Mom and Aunt Becky.  I'm glad they made the trip.  They also brought some gifts for Lorena from Illinois family and friends.  I am looking forward to bringing Lorena home to Illinois to meet all of the people that care about her there.

I'm tired and feeling kind of overwhelmed tonight.  I probably just need to go to bed but I feel like there are so many things to do before Lorena comes home.  I am just hoping/praying for a rain so Dan can build me some shelves for Lorena's closet, put the crib together, and get some things done on his honey do list.  He has me and Lorena to please now, so he better get used to it!

With Daddy

Sweet girl

With Mom and Aunt Becky

Praying hands