Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Another Solid Weight Gain

Savannah had a very good appointment yesterday with the doctor and she gained a solid 6.5 ounces over the previous two weeks. She now weighs 7 Lb 10 Oz and the doctor is very pleased. The doctor still expressed concern about flu season and keeping her on lock down for a while longer. We hope that once spring time comes and she hits the 10-11 Lb mark we will be allowed some flexibility with who can actually hold her. She is almost four months old and April and I are the only ones that have touched her or held her. Thank you to our parents for being so understanding. This is a short term sacrifice that is very important.

We have also increased her feedings as of yesterday and she is now eating 3 Oz of milk per feeding instead of 2.5 Oz and she seems to be handling the increased amount with no problem. Savannah continues to grow on a daily basis and it is simply amazing how much fun and joy she brings to our lives. It is hard to fathom how someone so small can have such a big impact on us every day.

My cousin Wendy and her husband Ian are expecting the birth of their first child (a daughter) any day now so please keep them in your prayers.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Savannah's Smiling Video

Here is a 2.5 minute video of Savannah smiling and laughing. Enjoy!!

Monday, February 16, 2009

A Letter to Patrick

This past week has been good with Savannah. We have increased the amount of food that she receives at each serving by a small amount and she continues to smile more and more. She has also began to "coo" at us every once in a while. This upcoming Monday will bring another weigh in at the doctor's office and we are looking forward to getting closer to the 8 Lb mark.

April and I were unpacking some boxes over the weekend and we came across a box with Little Patrick's items. In the box was a letter that I had written to him while April was in the hospital before Patrick & Savannah were born. The letter brought tears to my eyes as I read it but we thought that we would share it with you.

The letter was written late at night on November 1, just five days before Patrick and Savannah were born.

Dear Patrick,

Today you are 30 weeks and 2 days old. As I write this, your mom is lying in the hospital and has been for over 9 weeks. This is not because of you, but I want you to know what your pre-birth days have been like.

First off, your mother and I are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished already in your short life. Eight weeks ago, the doctors diagnosed you with a condition called absent end diastolic. This means that you were not getting as much blood and nutrients that you have needed to continue to grow at a proper pace. The doctors wanted to write you off and focus on your sister Savannah but we would not accept that and neither would you. In the past 8 weeks you have stayed so strong and fought so hard. You continue to grow and defy the doctors diagnosis.

Every day you get bigger and every day you get stronger and prepare yourself for the day you are born. Earlier this week, we saw you practicing your breathing and it was awesome. Twice a day, we track your heart beats and every day you do great, just like we know you can.

We are expecting your arrival in the next 2-4 weeks and we can not wait to meet you and shower you with hugs, kisses and love. We are so proud to call you our son and are looking forward to showing you off in the near future. Keep up the great work and keep on fighting like you have been.

We love you,
Mom and Dad

More pictures of Savannah

Click the link below to view some more pictures of Savannah.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17859&id=1300783496&l=9a334

Friday, February 13, 2009

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

Hello All,

On April 25, 2009 Patrick, Savannah and I will be walking in the March of Dimes, March for Babies event in Tampa. We are walking in honor of our angel, little Patrick. Please check out this event and if you are available to walk with us please join our team. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you!!
April

Monday, February 9, 2009

It's Official.....7+ Lbs.

This morning April and Savannah headed to the doctor's office for her normal appointment and weigh in. The doctor confirmed what we expected and Savannah now weighs over 7 Lbs. She gained 7.5 ounces over the past two weeks so her official weight is 7 Lb 3.5 Oz.

Savannah also received an unexpected shot this morning so she has been a little fussy today which can be expected. Tomorrow, April and Savannah will be heading to another doctor's appointment with a specialist that will administer another shot. Every month, Savannah receives a Synagis shot which is a preventative shot in the event that she catches RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus).

RSV can wreck havoc on a premature babies lungs and breathing passages and that is why we are continuing to be so cautious with Savannah. If an adult catches RSV, they show symptoms of a normal cold, however, if a premature baby catches RSV, they can show symptoms of pneumonia or bronchitis and it can lead to Savannah going back into the hospital which is what we are trying to avoid at all costs.

Over the past three months, April and I have been the only two that have held Savannah and only a few others have actually seen her in person. We are looking forward to the day that we can have a true welcome home party for Savannah and show her off to the world. Hopefully, that party will take place sometime in March or April but you can be sure that when it does take place, it will be one heck of a get together.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Hello All,

As promised here are some recent pictures of little miss Savannah, also known as Princess Savannah. These pictures are from 01-21-09 to 02--07-09. Just click on the link below.

Enjoy!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17299&l=14f80&id=1300783496

Smiling Savannah & A New Home!

Hello All,

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy for the Emrich family. April and I have purchased a new house (at least new to us) and we moved in last weekend and have spent the past 10 days getting settled. We still have a long way to go but we at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. Savannah finally has her own room and she seems to be adjusting very nicely to her new surroundings. Nala and Tyson (our cats) also seem to be happy with the added space.

Savannah had a doctor's appointment on January 26 and at that time she weighed 6 Lb 12 Oz so she is right on the door step of 7 Lbs. We have another appointment morning and we hope that she is around 7.5 Lbs but we will not know for sure until tomorrow. The doctor was very pleased with her progress at the last appointment and gave us permission to increase the amount of her feedings. Previously, Savannah was eating 60 ML (2 ounces) per serving, however, over the past two weeks we have increased her servings to 70ML per feeding. She is tolerating the feedings with no problem and we have not seen any change in her behavior.

Over the past week or so Savannah has began to occasionally smile at mom and dad when she sees us. This is an amazing feeling for both April and I and we are looking forward to more of these types of milestones.

Also, Savannah celebrated her 3 month birthday with us on Friday, February 6. This is a very joyous occasion for us, however, it is with a heavy heart that we celebrate these monthly milestones. There is not a day that goes by that we do not think of Little Patrick (doodlebug) and the joy that he brought us. The monthly anniversary of their birth makes it a little more real but we continue to push forward with as much strength as we can muster.

Finally, I have decided to give myself a weekly deadline for posting to this blog. Moving forward, I will update this blog every Monday without fail. This post may be Monday morning at 6:00 AM or it may be Monday evening at 11:58 PM but it will be on Monday. We chose Monday's because that is the day that we have been visiting the doctor's and it just seems like a good day for a recap.

April will now be taking over the picture department of this blog and she is expected to post some three month photo's later this evening or in the morning.

In the upcoming week, we will have photos of our new home as well as some misc photos of Savannah and Patrick. Also, we never had the opportunity to truly explain what caused Patrick's death so I will be explaining the disease/infection that took over his body as well as the events that occurred on the fateful Sunday, November 30, 2009.

Love and Prayers,
Patrick, April and Savannah.