August 10th

Sweet Layla is doing so well. Early this morning I finally went to see her again. She was very busy yesterday. She has increased her feedings to every 3 hours.  She is getting only breast milk now ( yeah!!). She is still off of the photo therapy. She is maintaining her weight. She should start to gain some weight soon. The great news is that she has been taken off the ventilator and put on a Sipap machine. This is a oxygen mask that fits over her nose and shoots puffs of air through her nose. It is attached to a tube that is held in place by a very funny looking hat. Her nose is all pushed up like a little piggy. She is still moving around more than necessary so she still gets sedated to keep her calm. We really don't want her to use up any energy she may need to grow. We are waiting for the next head scan to see if the bleeding has slowed down or stopped all together. With all the movements she is making it is hard to imagine she may have some motor delays. I am very hopeful that the brain will heal itself. If she continues to breath on her own and have little stress doing so, we may be able to hold her soon, even if only for a few minutes, because she will not be able to maintain her body temperature. We are looking forward to that day when we can hold her so close to our hearts and she can just feel all the love we have been waiting to spoil her with. I can't believe how wonderful God has been to us. She is pulling herself along with all the difficulties and she shows no signs of weakness. The strength she has can only come from God. I feel so at peace when I am with her. I really miss her when we are apart. Even though I have six other children to love and take care of, I feel like a huge part of my heart is missing. I pray for her every night and know she will endure this battle. I know the time will go by fast. I thank God for my family who just pour love onto us all the time. It will be a good day today.

Love and prayer for my sweet Layla
Kathleen