Back to the Basics

We've made it through almost exactly one week of being home! And some said it couldn't be done - mostly the plastic surgeon. :) All jokes aside, it's been a pretty good week. Abby has been a decent sleeper at night and is reliably awake every three hours. During the day, well, we're still trying to figure her out. Consistency has not been her strong suit during the daylight hours. She is an eating machine and has turned into a bottomless pit, eating about 4 ounces every 2-3 hours and at night she'll top it off with a few more. I won't complain though, because I think it's helping her sleep better at night.

On Monday we went back to Primary's for the rest of the stitches on her back to be removed. It took about a minute total and her incision is looking wonderful! There's hardly any indication of a scar. It just looks like a pencil thin line down her back. I was going to take a picture, but I have yet to do so... The surgeon was very pleased. After he was finished, he said that he would see us the next time we were in the spina bifida clinic. Okay, that's fine, but what about being on her back? I was fully expecting him to say that she was to have strict tummy time until the 6 week mark came. I asked him if we could start putting her on her back and he said, "of course!" No complaints here! We were urged to ease her way into it, as her incision is at about 50% strength. At 6 weeks it will be at 90%. It was hard not to do a happy dance right then and there.

First things first, we started changing her diaper on her back. Still a little tricky, where she loves to pull her legs up to her chest to fight the process, but all in all much better than changing it backwards. I feel like we're trying to learn how to do everything again - but we'll get there! Initially being on her back really freaked her out and she would flail all limbs. She's getting more accustomed to it, though, and may be closer to liking her back time (at least I hope so!). We're keeping her on her tummy to sleep, but we've been able to burp her while she's on a shoulder (so much easier!), lay her on the ground for her to look around (she loves that!), and we've used her swing once. I think she loves the cuddles we can give her now and enjoys being closer to people.

She kept her arms up like that the entire time she was in the swing - still adjusting.

Loving the cuddles!

We saw her pediatrician on Friday and she had nothing but good things to say about her. Abby has gained weight and has gone from 5 pounds 15 ounces to 6 pounds 13 ounces. She's also 3/4 an inch taller. I guess the food she's eating is doing something for her!

 

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment from yesterday and today? Wearing clothes! We're definitely more excited about that than she is, but maybe one day she'll realize it's not so strange.

Only a little unsure...

Here's a good shot of the shunt tubing down to her abdomen. And yes, still unsure of her back time.