Dear Family & Friends,

What a wonderful Sunday we had at the hospital with Lorena. First of all when we called in early this morning to ask about how Lorena's night went it was all good news again. As she drank most of her 54 ml bottles every 3 hours with very little to feed through the NG tube. She also had very little spit ups.

They also removed the bandage from her tummy and Dr. Eccles had left us a little surprise gift. She has put a woman's touch on Lorena and has fashioned the bottom of the scar into a little swirl to resemble a belly button. So Lorena has no belly button but we think the doctor did a good job making it look like she does. How wonderful that this doctor has not only operated her but also put such care in fixing up the scar and even thinking about such details as making it look like she does have a belly button. Wow, what a wonderful surprise gift for Lorena.

Shortly after we came in this morning, Dr Eccles came to talk to us and she was pleased to let us know that Lorena had gained 25 grams again. So Lorena seems to be on an upward trend now for weight gain. She is currently 7 pounds, so today (at 18 days old) she is heavier then her birth weight for the 1st time since she was born. The doctor also decided, since her 3 hour feeds of 54 ml at night is going so well, to now also try to do those same 3 hour feeds throughout the day. So we fed Lorena the 54 ml bottles every 3 hours today and Lorena did amazing. She drank all the bottles empty except 5 ml on 1 bottle and she also did not spit up at all. What a wonderful progress she is making and so fast. It is so much less work not having to feed her through the NG tube as well. So we had a much more relaxing day today. 

The biggest joy however is when the doctor told us that Lorena can go home tomorrow if she does well over night again. We are so overjoyed that she can come home with us. Finally after 3 weeks she will get to see here home and be with us 24 hours a day. We are all overjoyed that we get to bring her home. The kids too are tiered of living at the hospital most of the time. I think it will also be a lot easier to find a nice routine in our family life again and try to get things back to normal a bit more. It has been a long 3 weeks and I know that being in our home environment will do us all a lot of good. We also know that it will be lot of work taking care of Lorena especially with all the extra appointments to keep for her but we are so happy that we have this little sweetheart to take care of. Believe me she is a really sweet baby and all day she has not cried again, it amazes me.

If Lorena keeps drinking her bottles empty then we will have to do very little feeding through the NG tube when we come home. This would be so nice but for now they will send her home with the NG tube just so that we can still feed her what ever portion she will not drink through the bottle. This NG tube needs to be changed once a week when we are home. This past week however it was changed by us 3 days in a row but this was only done because we needed to practice/learn how to do this and I guess they make you use your own child to do this. So it was not necessary to replace this tube 3 days in a row for Lorena but it was only to teach us how. Tomorrow we will also be taught about her oxygen as it looks like she is going home but still needing the oxygen yet.

Someone asked me how you say Lorena's name. Not sure how to explain through email but the last part (rena) sounds the same as my own name but the first part sounds the same as the Lo in the name Lori. So it sounds like Lor-rena. I hope that explains how you say her name.  

My (Rena's) sister is planning to come from Ontario to help take care of things in the household. This help and her visit is so much appreciated and the kids look forward to having their aunt here again. We are so thankful for this help as it will lighten our burden so much.

Today I want to thank all those people who came for a visit this past week and brought us, fruits, snacks, goodies, a salad & deserts, and gifts for mom & baby. We want to thank you all for your kindness shown to us in this way.

We thank you all for your prayers and we know that God has been answering so many prayers in regards to Lorena. We pray things will continue to go well for Lorena and that she may soon be able to shed the NG and oxygen tubes but that may take a few weeks yet. We hope once she is home things will continue to go well as we have already seen 3 patients been dismissed from hospital only to return with problems again. 

Lodewyk, Rena, Janita, Jeremy & Lorena