Still a long way from home

She's doing better these days as she is still maturing, but she just can't seem to gain weight fast enough. I joke that if she really had my genes we'd be on our way home by now because she'd be gaining weight like a champ! She may just turn out to be a very petite girl, but right now she weighs 4 lbs 3 oz. It will take almost 2 more pounds before they will do her stomach surgery to put her intestines back in order. The hospital staff affectionately call it "humpty dumpty surgery" because of the way they are 'put back together.' Once the surgery is completed we're told it should take 2-3 weeks for her to heal up properly & be well enough to go home. This means we are still looking at about 6 more weeks in the NICU if all goes well although we had hoped that we'd get to take her home by my due date of July 20. She's such a brave girl and I wonder what she must think of life. So far hers has been quite the struggle, but we are so proud of how far she has come. It's pretty amazing to see the changes in her features each day. Most days she looks more like Jimmy, but maybe I'll get lucky enough to see myself in her some day.
Despite everything, it seems like she will be a happy baby as she smiles all of the time. It is debatable as to whether or not the smiles are intentional or just reflexes, but either way, we see each one of them as a blessing because it always brightens our day. We are, not so patiently, awaiting the day when we get to bring her home and then we will all smile all of the time!

The Power of Prayer

The past couple weeks were a bit rocky for our sweet Jubes (she has many nicknames but I'll get to that later). She was having trouble with her little tummy which became very large and swollen causing them to stop feeding her my milk. She has already had one surgery on her stomach because her small intestines were perforated due to her extreme prematurity, so she currently has a colostomy bag attached to her belly where her little intestines stick out and produce stool. Once she has gained more weight they will reattach her intestines inside and she won't need the bag, but that probably won't be for another couple of months. Anyhow, the doctors were struggling to determine what exactly the issue was since her x-rays and ultrasounds were not showing any major concern. They were very close to doing another exploratory surgery to try to find out why she was not able to process her food and why her belly was so distended. Then one day she began to produce so much output in her little colostomy bag that she frightened her nurse. The doctors said it must have been the powerful prayers she has been receiving that helped her push through all the matter that was clogging up her intestinal tract and causing the distention. She had also had to be re-intubated a couple of weeks ago to get help breathing because her swollen belly would not allow her lungs to fully expand.
Thanks to all of the loving prayers offered by our amazing family, friends and even some strangers, Jubilee is doing well today. She is now off of the breathing machine and has started her feedings again. In a couple of weeks I should even be able to start trying to nurse her, so I am so excited to experience that amazing bond. It's no secret that prayers can work wonders, but I will admit that it can be challenging to rely solely on prayer in times of distress. We are so blessed with such support though, so thank you so much to everyone who has mentioned our precious daughters name in their prayers!

We Love Neonatal Nurses!

Well since Jimmys been back to work for a few weeks now, our trips to see Jubilee have been reduced to just his days off. At least they're consecutive though, typically Sunday & Monday. So we have gotten into the routine of leaving Saturday as soon as he is out of work and staying through Monday night. My parents have been gracious enough to cover hotel expenses at a Double Tree downtown just a few blocks away from the hospital. The hotel is great to us and gives us a reduced rate due to our circumstances of weekly visits. They have great hospitality too, and we always get their famous chocolate chip cookies to give to Jubilee's nurse as a bit of a bribe in the hopes that they will give her extra attention. Not that it's necessary as most of the nurses that have cared for her have been amazing. The picture below is our favorite nurse Amy. We think Jubilee prefers her too since she seems to behave better when Amy cares for her.

This is Amy giving Jubes her first bath. Although she spends all of her time enclosed in her isolette (incubator thingy), she still sweats and gets a little stinky. It's the cutest stink ever though!

 Being a neonatal nurse takes a real special person. They experience the ups and downs with each family or sometimes alone if no family is present. Of course they have to try not to get too attached to their patients, but they care for them as if they're their own. They work long hours, some overnight like most other nurses. Taking care of babies is hard work and even more so when they are sick babies. Last week was nurses week and we thanked some of Jubilee's nurses with Starbuck's gift cards just as a small token of our appreciation. She has had so many nurses since she arrived a little over a month ago as she doesn't usually get the same nurse everyday. We are so grateful to each of them as they are so patient and understanding, and they always take the time to explain anything that we may have questions about. When we can't be there we usually call at least twice a day to see how her days and nights are going. They often have some sort of comment about Jubilee's feistiness as she has a reputation for being a little wild woman. Since she is so premature, she is very sensitive and doesn't tolerate too much stimulation. Each time the nurses have to draw blood, assess or reposition her she tends to get a little fussy. This is partially why we haven't gotten to hold her but a handful of times. Me, three times and Jimmy, once to be exact! When we are there we mostly just sit there and stare at her. We also talk to her, and every few hours I try to help the nurses change her diaper or take her temperature since they are the few things I can do to feel like I am her mommy.

See how upset she is just to have her temperature taken! To be fair she had already been handled a bit before the nurse took her temp. The tube in her mouth is to feed her my milk but she still makes a squealy little cry if she is not intubated. I am so in love with this fussy girl!! Jimmy says she gets it from her Momma ;)

We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends

It's hard to believe it's already been a month since Jubilee Noa Sanchez came into our lives and changed our whole world, but despite the terrifying nature of it, it has also been the most gratifying month of our lives as well. Our faith has become stronger than ever too as we have witnessed miracles on a near daily basis. We wanted to say "Thank you" to our friends & family that have offered their prayers and support by creating this blog to share our Jubilous Journey with our precious Jubilee Noa. I will update it as much as possible to share some of our personal stories and photos giving you a peek into this private time in our lives. We hope you get a sense for how important you are in this journey as your loving prayers have undoubtedly been a driving force in our ability to get through the darker days of this experience. God bless you and your families & we ask for you continued support until the day we bring her home and beyond!