So much to report!

I know this Molly update is long overdue!  First I want to say THANK YOU! to everyone who has prayed for Molly Alice, asked how we're all doing, hugged and encouraged us, given me rides to the hospital, brought us delicious food, run errands for us, done housework for us, and sent us love across the miles through the mail.  You have really made these past 3 weeks much easier on us, and allowed us to focus our energy and time on our precious Molly Alice.  We are so grateful to have you in our lives, and so is Molly. :) 

All bundled up after bath time

I have a lot of happy news to share!  Molly is doing beautifully.  She has changed so much over these 3 weeks, and we're seeing more of her adorable little personality every day.  It's amazing how content she is, despite all the pin pricks, lines and tubes, loud noises and beeping alarms, and other crying babies.  Nothing much seems to bother her!  She's tremendously satisfied being held and gazing at us, "reading" her books, and looking at her mobile.  She is making steady progress, which is just what we've prayed for; it seems like each day she conquers a new milestone, and she makes it look easy!  She really is an amazing little fighter.  

Snoozing in her cute hat made by Aunt Susan

The primary focus right now is feeding.  Molly has progressed from getting 1 ml/hr of milk to 19 ml/hr of milk through her NG tube (a tube that runs through her nose down into her stomach).  She's been fed continuously since birth, always keeping her belly somewhat full and gradually stretching it out.  We've gone very slowly since her stomach is in her omphalocele; her digestive tract has a different layout from ours, so we are careful not to overwhelm her with feedings.  Now that she's at a nice large volume, the doctors will start moving to bolus feeding, which means she will get her continuous feed turned off for an hour so that her stomach can empty, giving her time to feel hunger for the first time.  Then it will be turned back on, giving her a full sensation.  Gradually the time off will be lengthened and the time on shortened, until it mimics the natural newborn feeding routine of eating a lot of milk at once every few hours.   This is a fragile process, so please pray for her to tolerate this transition well and without setbacks.  

Perhaps the most exciting news we have is that Molly has been given the go-ahead to attempt oral feeding from a bottle, and she gets to try two tiny bottles a day!!!  So far, she's taking her time.  She is figuring out how to suck, swallow, and breathe (which is a rather complicated process, you know!), and stay awake at the same time (which might be the most difficult part).  She's also been given permission to try to latch for breastfeeding (hallelujah!), and we hope to move to breastfeeding once she's conquered the bottle (where the drs can closely monitor the amount she's eating)!  

Alert after a dressing change.  Look at those wide eyes!

Molly's omphalocele is healing well and the surgeon is pleased.  (The surgeon handles all things omphalocele until she has her closure surgery in a few years.)  The membrane is thickening and skin is slowly growing.  He thinks it will take about 9 months to a year for the skin to fully cover it.  The dressing change responsibility has been passed on to us now, so we do her dressing change nightly.  There is still a large thin spot in the membrane that is very fragile, so please pray for this spot to thicken and heal so that she will be at less risk for harm to her omphalocele.  Amazingly, our sweet girl doesn't seem to mind her dressing changes nearly as much as having her diaper changed, and many evenings she falls asleep while we are wrapping her in gauze. :)

One more exciting piece of news: Molly got her PICC line taken out yesterday!  That was the last remaining invasive line (like an IV into the heart), through which she had been receiving additional nutrition and medication if needed.  SO the only thing left besides her breathing, heart rate, and oxygen monitors is her feeding tube!  Yay!  Without all those lines, she can wear many more of her cute outfits, like onesies with sleeves!

Being held by Gram & Pop for the first time!

Little fashionista in her Cupcake onesie and legwarmers!