Author: MG

20 August, Friday: Today was a relatively slow day, with lots of naps and plenty of eating. GG shattered all previous records by sucking down an amazing 650 ml – approximately twice the volume she consumed just days ago. Gabriella’s weight continues to be a mystery, as today, she again weighed 8 lbs 5 oz. While none of the doctors or nurses believe she could have gained 7 oz in 36 hours, the fact her weight remains at 8 lbs 5 oz for a second day has them scratching their heads.

Regardless, Mom and Dad are both relieved to see her weight finally moving in the right direction. Gabriella did so well on yesterday’s tests that the doctors decided to hold off on the “modified Barium” exam. Ella was especially pleased, as she was not looking forward to drinking the Barium cocktail for the test.

Finally, the doctors have hinted that Gabriella may be discharged tomorrow, if things continue to go well. So we are all saying our prayers for a family reunion this Saturday. That’s all for now.

Thank you for your prayers.

16 August, Monday: Gabriella’s flight path over the last few days has been somewhat erratic. On Saturday, she came close to going over the 400ml (13.3 oz) mark. She fed consistently throughout the day and ended up with a grand total of 395ml – Mom and Dad were both pleased.

On Sunday, Gabriella embraced the “day of rest” philosophy – eating only 250ml (8.3 oz, a two-week low) and sleeping for most of the day. Her listlessness and lack of appetite raised concerns but since she showed no other negative symptoms we just monitored her closely.

On Monday, Gabriella returned to her “normal” eating and sleeping patterns, consuming 350ml (11.6 oz) and napping after each meal. Looking back on the last few days, it seems Sunday was just another example of the “Two steps forward, one step back” progression we are experiencing on this journey.

Although Mom and Dad are both getting better at identifying and coping with these occasional “air-pockets,” we still get “white-knuckles” during the weightless moments of the freefall.

We plan to take Gabriella in to TAMC for a quick weigh-in and check-up on 17 Aug, since her next scheduled appointment is not until 23 Aug – details to follow. Please know how much your words of encouragement in the “Guest Book” and your Emails mean to us.

And as always, thank you for your prayers.

13 August, Friday: This afternoon Lisa took Gabriella to her weigh-in and weekly check-up at TAMC (Tripler Army Medical Center). Once again Gabriella gained some weight – she is back up to her birth weight – 7 pounds 14 ounces.

However, the doctors are still concerned that she is not putting the weight on fast enough. If her numbers don’t improve over the next 10 days, they will likely admit her to the hospital for a few days to try a supplemental nasal feeding tube. Dr Mahnke (cardiologist) also noted an expected increase in Gabriella’s respiration and perspiration. Both symptoms indicate Gabriella’s heart is becoming less efficient due to the normal changes that take place in all newborn’s lungs during the first few months.

While these changes are a positive development, in that they decrease certain risk-factors associated with Gabriella’s surgery, they are still difficult for a parent to observe – as it is plain to see that Gabriella is working harder and harder each day to maintain her status quo. This is all part of the “two steps forward and one step back” type of progress the doctors warned us about at the outset of this journey. Lisa continues to work incredibly hard looking after each of the girls – thankfully her “Mother’s Helper” – Michelle – begins helping out this coming Monday.

Thank you for your prayers.

12 August, Thursday: Gabriella continues to have “up” and “down” days when it comes to eating. Today she ate a bit less than normal – nevertheless we are positive about her overall progress and looking forward to Friday’s weigh-in at Tripler.

Thank you for your prayers.

11 August, Wednesday: — Technology update — Frustrated that you can’t get the hang of “TEXT MESSAGING?”. Click on the following image to see an example of a text message sent by Lucy and Gabriella from their Hotmail account.

Sadly, Lisa received only one text message yesterday. Let’s try to do better today! ***Note: Honorable mention goes to Sylvia (Lisa’s Mum), who called Lisa to let her know that she was thinking about sending Lisa a text message.***

As you can probably guess by now, Gabriella is doing as well as can be exptected. She continues to meet her feeding goals and we are praying we will see a few more ounces on her when she weighs in this Friday. All for now.

Thank you for your prayers.

10 August, Tuesday: The last few days have been pretty hectic as we scrambled to do the last few things before Dad goes back to work. Please remember Lisa in your prayers as she will be flying solo until the 16th of August – when her “helper” Michelle starts work.

Gabriella received top marks today when they did an ultrasound examination of her hip joints…the doctors were concerned that her left hip might be displaced. On the eating/feeding front: Gabriella has both good and bad days. Monday she seemed a bit out of sorts and not overly interested in eating. Today, she was back on track and eating well. We will know more after her next weigh-in this coming Friday.

Please know how much we appreciate the prayers, and kind words and deeds we receive – YOU boost our morale when we are low and that means so very much to us. Please continue to tell Gabriella’s story to others and feel free to pass along the address to this web site – the more prayers the better.

Finally, if you would like to give Lisa a little boost during the day, try sending her a “text message,” it’s easy to do (exactly like an E-mail just a different address), and she’ll receive your words just moments after you send them. To send Lisa a text message just type the following address in the “TO: line of an E-mail: 8082232018@mobile.att.net Then add a few words in the subject line and your short message (MUST be less than 100 words). That’s it! Moments later, Lisa will receive your words on her cell phone. Give it a shot. All for now…time to sleep.

Thank you for your prayers.

05 August, Thursday: Yesterday’s tropical storm has passed, we survived the 24 hours of rain, and the sunny skies have returned to Kailua. Gabriella continues to eat well, so we feel positive about her weigh-in tomorrow. Rumor has it that Grandpa Yates (Lisa’s father) now has a high-speed internet connection… we are looking forward to our first Yahoo Messenger video conference with them in Halifax. All for now.

Thank you for your prayers.

03 August, Tuesday: (click on photos) Yesterday afternoon Gabriella weighed in at 7lbs 10oz, an increase of SIX ounces in 72 hours. Mom, Dad, and the doctors are all quite pleased with her weight gain. However, Dr. Mahnke (Gabriella’s Pediatric Cardiologist) informed us that Gabriella’s weight and her ability to gain will probably be an ongoing issue until she has recovered from her heart surgery. Still, it was wonderful to receive some good news. In an effort to increase the caloric punch, Dr. Mahnke prescribed another additive for Gabriella’s formula.

So our kitchen sort of resembles Starbucks when it comes time to mix up the formula. “Yes, I’d like a full-fat Mama’s Milk Grande latte with formula boost – extra sweet!” When we returned from the hospital we received a lovely present from our cousin Pamela – matching outfits for the girls. Lucy was very pleased with her “proper big-sister dress.” Thank you Pam. Today is another busy day so I will bring this to a close.

Thank you for your prayers.