Rock star

Grub time! Here's Daddy "feeding" Nina while Mommy holds her. She's up to 16 cc's of milk per meal, and the doctors think she may only need the central line (through her belly button) for another day.

Nina's little heart slows down sometimes, but usually she recovers on her own in a few seconds. Occasionally, the nurse will need to just gently rub her back and Nina bounces back. The doctors are going to give her slightly more caffeine to help. Doctors and nurses both tell us that this is totally normal. "She's acting her age," they say. Mommy and Daddy are learning not to completely freak out when Nina has these little dips.

"She's still a rock star," the doctor told us at rounds today. "Rock star" is their nickname for her because she's done so well from day one. We know from talking to other NICU parents that this process can be a real roller-coaster, so we're not out of the woods yet. Still, there's no doubt that Nina is off to a strong start.

Here's a video of Nina as she was settling into Mommy's chest for a morning nap. We've got a little routine where Mommy holds her for two hours in the morning, and Daddy holds her for two hours in the afternoon. Oh, the cuteness!