Speaking of Miracles...

These are all the wires, cords, IV tubing and monitors needed to keep this little one going.**

She eats 3mL (this amount pictured) every three hours.
She's trying to keep that girlish figure.

Best of all, I got to hold her today!

**Her wires and accessories are NOT usually like this. Her nurses take great care to make sure everything is in the right place and that CA is comfortable. They were trying to position her so that I could hold her yesterday and we snapped a picture so we could remember how much it takes.**

What a weekend it has been! Saturday, Peter and I headed over to the hospital to see our little gal before we headed down to the Washington D.C. LDS Temple. When we had spoken to the nurse that morning, she didn't seem too hopeful that I would be able to hold Charlotte Amalie (I hadn't held her yet so we ask allllllll the time) so we figured it would be another day. When we got to the hospital, the nurse told us that the Nurse Practitioner had given the OK for CA to be held!

After about 40 minutes of moving all her junk (see first picture) and getting it all in the right place, I finally got to pick our little girl up. Just about as I sat down in the chair, the nurse started getting worried and said, "Sorry, she has to go back on the table." CA's heart rate had plummeted and she was a rather ugly shade of grey. The nurses worked their magic and she was back to her pink self in no time, but it was very apparent that Charlotte Amalie just didn't have it in her to be held. We left the hospital, a little bummed out, but resolved to just try again next time.

Today I went in to see her, not even imagining that they would try to let me hold her again today, especially after all the craziness that it entails to get her ready to be held. As I walked in to see CA, her dear, dear nurse explained how she had rigged everything up so that I could hold our little girl. Instead of doing kangaroo care (skin to skin contact--it's very therapeutic for the babies), she wrapped CA up so that all her packaging would come with her and I could hold her just like a regular little baby.

It was rather bulky (I couldn't even feel her body in all the blankets and cords) but her tiny head on my chest was one of the best feelings I have ever, ever, ever experienced.

One month in and I held our baby.