Maebry Updates - Week 5...oh me, oh my!

Well, this post will keep with the weight gaining 2009 theme. Maebry Lucille Kraatz has been gaining weight all week long. We were given new measurements this past Sunday and Maebry was measuring in at 15 and 7/8 inches. She weighed 3 pounds & 15 ounces. Then on Monday little miss Mae decided to cross over the threshold to 4 whole pounds. Way to go Mae.

All week long we got some great shots of her to show all of you guys. Please notice her growing cheeks.

Also notice her new clothes thanks to the nurses who put them on her every day or so. Sometimes it depends on the nurse on what she wears but we too love putting in her preemie (baby born early) clothes.

Please enjoy all this week's photos.

This is a cute picture of a sheet that nurses make to update us and others about what Maebry needs week-to-week. This sheet shows us that she is 31+ weeks and needs to be wrapped snugly, turned slowly and more needs quite time because she is still growing. They write cute notes and give us updates about her developments, positions and stress cues. We just love being able to read these each week and study our daughter who is ever so changing.

We are so excited to have a family portrait of all three of us. Because sometimes Dusty and I both take turns taking photos and we have a few where we try to stretch out our arms and get us all in there but they sometimes don't come out right. So, a sweet nurse in our NICU name Tracy took this lovely photo for us. Maebry complied as best she could. You can see that she was comfortable being in her Daddy's arms, however; she liked to show everyone how high she can lift her arms. Too CUTE!

This picture was taken by Dusty using his iPhone. Dusty pushed his little iPhone inside her isolete and captured her sleeping. We just had her out and about. More than likely we were swaddling her or doing more Kangaroo Care. Anyhow, Dusty took this picture and I think it speaks loud enough by telling everyone that she is completely exhausted and would like to get some more sleep. We like to think she is thanking us for doing such a great job getting her sleepy. Yeah us!
Here is one more showing Maebry finding her thumb and yes, she is sucking on it. We love watching her root her hand around just to find her fingers and put it or them in her mouth. This picture was taken right before we left one night and she was looking up at her cute isolete cover that her Grandmomma made her, thank you Cindy!

Well, we decided to upload more photos to out Photobucket account and have them ready for all your viewing pleasure. So thanks for being so patience for this week updates. For some reason we find ourselves busier. And we wonder why...well, not really...we have the pictures to prove it.

Link to Photobucket -
http://s664.photobucket.com/albums/vv7/clkraatz/Maebry%20Week%205%20Photos/

Love to all!!
Dusty, Christa and Maebry

Maebry Updates - Week 4

Howdy all! Just wanted to update everyone on our main sweetie Maebry.

She is still growing and really making Dusty and I re-evaluate our lives. It amazing how we can spend 3 hours with her and time just flies by for us. We loving being with her and having our heart stop but our clocks move forwards.

This week let us do some thing new with our daughter. We are getting to dress Maebry up in cute clothes that all of our friends and family bought for us. Thanks to all of you we are changing her clothes and so are the nurses.

Here are some more photos from this week. We hope you enjoy our daughter new pictures and her wardrobe changes.

Love to all!

Here is Maebry in her cute "Bunny" outfit given to us by the NICU to wear.

You can see Dusty trying to button her snaps back after changing her diaper.

Way to go Daddy!





This picture does not show her outfit but we just love showing our daughter suckling on her pacifier.

The paci is almost as big as her little face...too CUTE!






Now here she is with another outfit on but I wanted to show you all that Maebry is trying to take out her nasal cannula.

She really, really does not like things constricting her mouth or nose. But the nurses do not give her a choice, because well of course she needs them.

Anyhow, I hope we can have her wear this outfit again...it's too cute.


I just can't resist a picture of our cute daughter with her paci.
But this picture shows her adorably exhausted.
Can't you just see her dreaming about her pacifier and cuter clothes. Just kidding!













We uploaded a slideshow showing more photos of our cute daughter and all her cute preemie clothes.

Viva la clothes!!!

And, here is a link to my photobucket account just in case you need to see them closer:
http://s664.photobucket.com/albums/vv7/clkraatz/Maebry-%20Wardrobe/?albumview=slideshow

Maebry Updates - Week 3 in the Life of Mae!

Weight gaining in the USA!! Weight gaining the USA...or in the St. David's NICU. Maebry Kraatz has been gaining weight all week long. She might lose a gram here or there but every day she makes it up and then put some more ounces in her little diapers. And no, I don't mean she is going poopie. Which by the way she is.

Dusty and I had a great week with Maebry this week. Maebry was moved from Bay 2 to Bay 7 with more babies and more nurses. The nursing staff and her Nurse Practitioner told us Maebry is making the great progress. They all keep saying that this bay is the pit stop before she gets to move in with the big kids. Yes, we know it might take a few more weeks and maybe a little to get her in with the big kids but we are sooooo proud and happy, too.

As of Sunday morning, Maebry is weighing at 3 lbs and 8 ounces. She has officially gained a pound since her birth.

Also, thanks to Grandmomma K (aka Cindy Kraatz) and Poppa (Alvie Kraatz) Maebry has some really cute clothes to wear during her week 3 in the NICU. Please note Dusty and I have all the clothes that Maebry was given as gifts at home. They are awaiting and a wash & a dry, which brings up why more clothes we will be with her soon. We haven't got our new dryer yet. It will be here by next Thursday. Yeah for new dryers!!

I hope you enjoy this weeks photos.


We love you all and thank you one and all for your love and support!

Here we see the daily hand off to momma! Maebry really LOVES being in her mommy's arms. We have been swaddling her more often so she can keep herself nice and toasty...more kangaroo care to come though!









Just a fun little family pic while Christa holds Mae. Everyone say cheese!!











There are few things better to Maebry than having mommy hold her paci in place while she goes night night. Plus...you'll notice Mae is returning the favor and helping out by holding Christa's hand too =)








Here is a wide view of where Maebry spent most of week two/half of week three. For a little while she had her own little mini-suite, which was nice!









This is one of our collective FAVORITE pics so far that we have. Looks like she is reaching for the camera...ready to come on out! Sweet little girl!