Home Sweet Home At Last...

Just in Time for Family Day!
It's been 117 days since our little angel's been born, with lots of heartache, tears, joy, and every other possible emotion running through a persons body we got to do what we were starting to feel like would never come and we brought our Sweet Pea home!
Emily, Brayden and the rest of the family had no idea we were coming home. Erica had been off oxygen during the day for a few days now and only on (0.025 L/min "considered just a whiff") at night, but because we hadn't be able to get the oxygen companies out yet to set up our home oxygen we had to take her home on nasal prongs, for safety. Once we arrived at home we decided to call grandma and grandpa over along with Emily and Brayden. They were having supper and uncle Mike and Aunty Cassie were over there as well... So our surprise was not so much a surprise anymore but still a very exciting moment by the entire family.
The look on Emily and Brayden's face was priceless, and Brayden asked "so can we keep baby Erica at home now" :)
Once we settled a bit and feed Erica we got her dressed up again and walked over to Grandma and Grandpa's for some more visiting.
It was a perfect day, we finally had our Family all at home! Our home was now complete!

WELCOME HOME ERICA!!!

Be my Valentine!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

We'll Erica had a great first week back in Regina! She's an angel! She sleeps real well (All night) and we introduced her bottle again! We needed to ask the Dr. as the nurses weren't budging with our plan that was made in Saskatoon. The poor little monkey really missed her bottle. Not sure if she even tasted it! :)
She's been eating full bottles (55 mils) all day long (every feeding) for a while now sometimes as fast as 7 mins. We of course need to try to help her pace herself which is quite adorable to watch her get frustrated because we took the bottle away to help her catch her breath! :) Way to go Sweet Pea, we are so proud of you!
Erica received loads of things for Valentines Day Emily and Brayden colored Erica some pictures, Grandma and Grandpa Aschenbrener got a bunch of heart-shaped pillows along with a stuffed teddy. Uncle Wayne brought a stuffed teddy,  Grandma and Grandpa brought a pink stuffed teddy Mom and Dad bought some clothes which mom found one that had (Hunny Bunny) on it. Dad always calls me his Hunny Bunny! Erica also received a blanket from the hospital and a pink teddy with a bib and a card from an elementary student from a local Regina school!

Back in Sask

We finally arrived back in Sask! Erica was admitted into the PICU in Saskatoon, and when we arrive we were shocked to find that our little miss mouse had the C-PAP on again. Apparently the flight was a little much and so they did an x-ray which showed that she either had a bit of a collapsed lung or a touch of pneumonia. So they treated her with some antibiotics. Within a few days she was back onto nasal prongs. By the following week Erica was transfered into the Children's Ward in the Saskatoon hospital and on February 3rd Dr. Kakadakar came in and told us that we could go home to Regina, for the remainder of her healing. So we decided that we would go back the following day as it was already night and we all figured it was safest to go during the day. Well Saturday came and some how everyones wires got crossed and Regina had no idea we were coming so they needed to make arrangements with the ambulance. Finally on Monday February 6 we headed back to Regina!
Erica arrived safetly in Regina and was admitted to the Ped's (4F). The ladies there are wonderful!
On Feb 7th Erica weighed 3.585 kg's (7 lbs 14 1/2 oz) We were also able to wean her o2 down from 0.1L to 0.05L and her stats would stay at 100%! ( Way to go monkey!!!)
When we left Saskatoon we were to start introducing Erica her bottle on Monday so now that we are in Regina we would talk to the SLP and they told us we would have to wait until Thursday! I most certainly wasn't making Erica wait until Thursday to give her the bottle when we knew she was wanting it so bad (as per watching her suck on her soother and have the soother dips of thicken formula) So When Dr. Essalah can in I asked him if we could slowly start her bottle feedings, and he agreed! So her next bottles we are to give her pedialite in them and tomorrow morning we can start with formula. At first Erica gaged a bit and then started sucking and swallowing like a champ! :)   Way to go Sweet Pea! We are so very proud of you!
Erica had also received another dose of the RSV vaccine today and I mentioned to the nurses that her 4 month immunizations were due soon. She's been kicking and playing up a storm all day!  She even got Measured today and we are now at 49 cm long!
Erica has had many visitors as well. Aunty Jackie and Uncle Paul, Uncle Ron Aunty Sheri and Landin, Aunty Erin and Cole, and of course Emily and Brayden, all of Erica's Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles.