Welcome Baby Abigail Grace.

Your last week inside your mommy and the two weeks since you’ve been born have been way too interesting! Dire diagnoses (bilateral pleural effusions, severe hydrops, chylothorax) and even worse prognoses (70-90% chance of imminent death), a high risk delivery at Albany Medical Center (with more than a dozen people scrubbed and waiting in the OR just for you), over a week in the AMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, then a ride in a fixed wing plane outfitted specifically for you that flew all the way to Philadelphia (plus ambulances rides to and from the airports, equipped with ventilators, and nurses, and nurse practitioners, and respiratory therapists). Now you are at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia(CHOP), being seen by the theirchylothorax/lymphmatic team. We are hoping and praying that a trip to the imaging center on Monday 8/13/18 will fix you up ‘good as new’.

Frankly my dear, we cannot wait for you to become a nice, boring, unremarkable baby that has nothing better to do than nurse, snuggle, poop, and nurse some more. And then grow up to be a toddler that chases her big brother around the yard.

Welcome, Abby. We are so glad you are here.  Let’s get on when the nice, boring work of being a baby. Ok?

Michelle
May all babies be born into loving hands

PS: Please check out the LCM Blog for updates and information on Baby Abby and her family.
Loving thoughts and prayers appreciated!

7/28 Big Brother Jack and Abby in her mommy (two days before her birthday)

 

7/30/18 Abby on her birthday leaving the delivery/Operating room and heading to the NICU

 

7/30/18 Abby on her birthday (look at those tiny, perfect feet!)

 

8/1/18 Abby in the AMC NICU with her dad John attentive at the bedside 

 

8/1/18 Abby at two days old in AMC NICU

 

8/1/18 Abby in the AMC NICU. (And her perfect hand)

 

8/4/18 Abby opened her eyes! (A bunch of Lasix helped her get rid of fluid and open her eyes. But then she had too much trouble with blood pressure and other stuff, and got swollen again…)


8/8/18 Mom Leslie with Abby at AMC NICU

 

8/8/18 Abby says that mom is the best medicine!

 

8/8/18 Midwife K. Michelle Doyle gets her finger held by Abby

 

8/10/18 Abby at CHOP NICU, eyes open (lost 400 gm/14 oz of extra fluid in one day)