2 lbs, 9 ounces

Nina was born weighing 2 lbs and 12 ounces. She lost weight for the first few days (which is normal, even for full term babies), and now that she's gaining again, Nina's finally getting back to where she started. Today she's about 2 lbs, 9 ounces.

When Nina's a few pounds bigger and able to regulate her temperature on her own, she'll move from the NICU to a "step down" unit. There, her Mommy and Daddy will provide most of her care, and the nurses will standby in case we need them. The point is to facilitate the transition to going home.

Since Nina has no major health problems (fingers crossed!), her main challenge now is growing. The doctors think that she'll need to be in the hospital for at least another six weeks (including time in the step down unit).

When we came into the NICU this morning, it was strange to see Nina's isolette chamber with no medicine bags hanging nearby. Nina's belly button has a scab where her central line was. She's still hooked up to the computer that monitors her vital stats, but now her only tube is the one through her nose to her stomach. Next, she needs to learn to coordinate swallowing and breathing so that she can be fed orally.

After her meal (23 cc's of Mommy's milk + a tiny shot of caffeine), she wriggled into a comfy spot on Mommy's chest for a good two-hour nap.