Lily gained 50 grams! Update: PDA is closed and lily is having BREASTMILK!!!

Quick update before we head out to the NICU- lily gained 50 grams yesterday! Vitals are still in range! There's a certain margin of error in the weigh-ins, since lily has to be weighed with her repirator being held- and each nurse will hold it a little differently. In any case, directionally it is still s good indicator that Lily gained a little weight yesterday. Great!!

Sara and I had a hard time believing the news- lily isn't eating yet, after all- but the nurses said the electrolytes can help her gain, since they're full of nutrition and proteins.

So- five days behind us, in the sixth, and a week tomorrow. Things really are looking up! Sara and I are getting cautiously - very cautiously - optimistic. The docs remind us we have a long road ahead, and there will be setbacks, but we're keeping our heads held high; positivity and hope are our daily themes.

I did a back of the envelope calculation of the medical costs, if lily is in the NICU for three months. 1.3 MILLION dollars. $15k/day. Thank God for insurance... We are fortunate enough to have excellent insurance through Pfizer, Sara's employer. We're looking at $250 out of pocket for the ambulance, labor/delivery, recovery, and NICU stay. There other things adding up... gas, parking, breast pump... are peanuts compared to the direct medical costs. I'm also thankful we both have great jobs, both of which are being flexible and understanding about the situation. I'm going to try to go back to work next monday- Sara will probably be out until at least the end of the year.

Off to the NICU!

(I'll update this post as soon as I know whether if PDA is closed - probably later this afternoon)

Update:
PDA IS CLOSED & LILY IS ON BREASTMILK!! Hallelujah!!!! Her blood gas came back "great", and they've been able to dial bock oxygen content to 25%, just 4% above room air. Blood is slightly acidotic, but meauring only -4 as opposed to -7 (less negative numbers are better).

I just took Lily's temperature, and Sara and I talked to a few other nicu parents for about a half an hour. Is nice to meet someone else who's been down this path.

So far, today has been a good day. 4100 views- thank you for the prayers, and for following Lily's story!