Funny timing regarding the Topic of Healthcare in the Politics, et al section...

[National Acrobat]

My wife and I just welcomed a preemie Sunday, born at 27 weeks. She's tiny, tiny, tiny but in good health and getting excellent care at one of the best NICU's in the world.

My wife actually works for the hospital where she was born, and two close friends of ours actually work in the NICU, so it's like having an extension of the family watching her when we aren't able to be there.

[Purple]

Congratulations!  My oldest child was born at 27 weeks as well.  We had a great NICU for her as well, we were very blessed.  How much did she weigh, how tall...etc.  :)  *lots of congratulatory hugs*

[National Acrobat]

She weighed 2lbs and 1 oz, and I don't know how long. I didn't ask. I was just glad that she was breathing on her own already and is very feisty. I suppose I should ask that.

Thanks for the congrats! It's our third child, and oddly enough, they are all 5 years apart.

[Purple]

Well!  Mine are all two years apart, almost exactly actually.  Their birthdays are in September and October.  The baby has his birthday first, 21 days later is our oldest's birthday and 20 days after that is our middle child's birthday.  It's a fun stretch in there.  :)

Our oldest preemie was 2 lbs. and 2 oz.  She lost down to about 1 lb. and 7 or 8 oz. I think it was.  I was so ill I don't remember about the first week of her life so I'm not real sure.  If she's breathing on her own within 72 hours, as I'm sure the NICU nurses have said, that's an incredibly good sign.  :)  Besides anything they can tell you, if you have any questions, please ask me.  I already knew PT, OT, and some ST for a cousin of mine who is severely disabled and doing those with our daughter really helped to catch her up to her gestational age once she came home from the hospital.

[National Acrobat]

Actually she was breathing on her own, with CPAP within 12 hours. They extubated her less than 12 hours after she was born and she's been breathing by herself since then. She's very active and very loud, making tons of noise and moving a lot. All good signs.

I'm sure I'll have some questions along the way for you, thanks in advance for the help.

[Moondazed]

Congratulations!  Babies are such blessings :)  What's her name?

[National Acrobat]

Her name is Emily.

[Elvi]

Well....such a lickle mite, it's a bag of sugar, I'm really pleased that Emily is fine.

My daughter was born five weeks late and quite small for our family, 9lbs 14ozs, so she could have almost made five of little Emily.....*smiles*

And as no-one else has asked, how is your wife?
I hope she too is well?

*Hugs to all*

[Purple]

Actually she was breathing on her own, with CPAP within 12 hours. They extubated her less than 12 hours after she was born and she's been breathing by herself since then. She's very active and very loud, making tons of noise and moving a lot. All good signs.

That is so amazing!  :)  She's doing just great then.  It took Katelin almost the full 72 hours to get off.  Little girls are stronger than little boys, our son was two months early and couldn't breathe on his own for almost two full months.  After that he was still on oxygen for about six months more.  Thankfully I'd already had a preemie so they trusted him to go home with me.  But lugging his equipment around was a pain!  Worth it though, so worth it.  :)

And Emily is on my short list of names if I ever get to have another baby girl.  :)  Beautiful name.  I'm just so excited for you guys I can't stand it!

[National Acrobat]

Mom is doing great, she's come home. She'd been in the hospital a week, trying to rest to keep Emily in there. She just didn't want to wait to come out. She had her own agenda.

[Elvi]

Well I'm sure they'll be fine, both of them......picked up a bag of sugar this morning.....it's amaizing that the little things have such a will to live, the frightening thing is when, as my friends premature baby did, loose half their body weight.

[alahendra]

Mom is doing great, she's come home. She'd been in the hospital a week, trying to rest to keep Emily in there. She just didn't want to wait to come out. She had her own agenda.

Just wait til she's a teenager... ;)

[Elvi]

Just waite until she's a year/2years/3years/4years.....well you get the idea.
I have been dealing with teenage tantrums from my 11 year old since she was bloody well born!

[National Acrobat]

My 10 year old is already exhibiting the signs of 'teenage-itis' well in advance.