Our first Christmas with Libby

Our first stop on the Christmas train was Webster Springs WV. We visited Corey's Mamaw and Aunt and Uncle. It was Libby's first trip of any real length, and she did great. She slept both ways without making a peep! She was a little confused at first, but warmed up to everyone eventually.

The next stop was at my parent's house. Both my sisters and my brother and their families were there, so it was a FULL house. Claire (my niece) and Libby had matching outfits and looked absolutely adorable. We had a great time being all together. Christmas morning was spent at Corey's parents house. We had an amazing breakfast and some time together before Corey had to go to work.

Even though it was an exhausting holiday, Libby has kept smiling. She is the most precious gift that we got and we are so thankful. Her smile lights up the room-the photo doesn't do it justice!

Happy Face!

Libby is still in her PJ's, but looking absolutely adorable. Our Christmas season has been wonderful despite the fact that Libby has been a bit under the weather. We are making some Christmas trips this week. Last night we visited the hospital so that all the nurses could ooh and aah over her again. Tomorrow we are heading down to Christmas with the Bozic clan. Then it's back to Morgantown for Christmas with my family. Libby of course is the best Christmas present of all!

Libby's First Christmas Party... but not her last!

This morning (very early) Libby and Corey and I attended the "Holy Huddle" Christmas party. This is Becky's small group-women who have dedicated a lot of time to praying for Libby. So Becky's Christmas present was Libby. None of the women had seen our little miracle in person, so it was quite a day for everyone! I wish we could share her with everyone that prayed, but it would be hard to visit so many. Merry Christmas everyone!

Couch Potatoes

Libby is doing really well. Corey and I are enjoying watching all the new things that she can do. She now bats at toys and she loves music. One of her favorites is sitting up-she can't do it on her own, but she likes to be prpped up. We go to the doctor again December 7-so I will update her weight then. She is getting prettier everyday too-her hair is starting to grow in on top. I think she will be a blonde baby.

Froggy Libby

We went to the doctor today and Libby weighs a whopping 7 pounds 6 ounces. She looks so big now it is incredible. Tonight she had a bath and I wrapped her in her froggy towel-she looked so cute that I had to capture it and share it with everyone. I'm so amazed at the wonderful way that God made Libby-she has a fierce personality that is also sweet. I can't wait to see all the surprises in store.

Libby turns 4 months old!

It's hard to believe that Libby is 4 months old! She is now close to 7 pounds and still as wonderful as ever. She is playing more and sleeping a little better (not 8 hours yet, but sometimes 5). Corey and I are enjoying the fact that she is so alert and that she smiles at us alot. Her physical therapy started on Friday and I think it is already helping. She will stretch out before we know it.

Pappy and his girls

Today was spent with Meme and Pappy-and with Aunt Debbie, Uncle John and Gigi. Aubree and Libby are cousins-and only 2 and a half months apart, but you wouldn't know it. Aubree is getting to be so big, using her leg muscles and sitting up. Libby has started smiling and is recovering really well from her surgery.

Libby loves her Grandpa

Tomorrow is Libby's surgery-it was moved up because of anesthesia. Tonight however she is spending with Grandma and Grandpa. She now weighs 6 pounds 3 ounces and looks wonderful. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as Libby goes under at 12:00 tomorrow!

Getting bigger everyday

Libby is getting so big now... at her last doctor's appointment she was 5 pounds 4 ounces! She is doing great, eating well and staying awake more during the day. Unfortunately, she has a hernia and will have to have surgery on the 24th of this month. It is very common for babies (especially preemies) to have hernias, so Corey and I are not worrying.

Our First Week Home

Although Libby is already 11 weeks old, this is the first week that Corey and I have had the chance to actually parent her 24/7. It is quite a job and we are getting better at it everyday. Libby is a really good baby. She sleeps well at night and is eating great. We went to see Dr. Marcucci on Wednesday and Libby is up to 4 pounds 12 ounces! She also is tape-free and no longer needs correction for either of her legs. She is amazing. She is absolutely amazing. Everything isn't over, but she is doing fantastic. I have lots of doctor's appointments to go to and people to meet with, but it is worth having her in my arms anytime I want. The Lord is GOOD to us.

WELCOME HOME LIBBY!

Two months ago we didn't know if Libby would even survive. The doctors believed that she would have so many problems. Now she is home. Currently we are looking at her sitting in her bouncy chair, and I cannot believe that she is finally here. God has been so good.

Two Months=Big Changes!

This past week has been the most eventful since Libby's first week in the hospital. Not only did she move into a crib and have her tube moved, she was also able to nurse and take a bottle. The bottle actually just happened today. She ate like a champ. Hopefully this will speed up the going home process!! She is still adorable and wonderful and now very content to take a bottle. Yay!

Libby's progress

Moving the tube has gone well so far-and Libby has taken a few other steps as well. She is now sleeping in a crib instead of an isolette. She loves it! It's a whole new world out there and she is enjoying it immensely. She also had the tape removed from one of her legs-the orthopedic doctors said that it was done. The other leg still needs a little time, but I'm so impressed with how straight it looks. Today Libby is taking another step as well-compression feeds. This is the next step before bottles, so if all goes well bottles may be in the picture by the beginning of next week. She has been doing fabulous. Corey and I are so proud of her and her fight to be here. We can't wait to get her home!

LET'S GO MOUNTAINEERS!

Game day came to the hospital on Saturday! Thanks to grandma Candy and cousin Cindy, Libby was decked out in West Virginia gear (all the way down to her socks). She had another good week and last night she hit that magic 1800 grams (right around 4 pounds). So that means that today is the day for her tube to be moved. If all goes well, this is the first step toward bottle feeding and home. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY that this will go well.

7 weeks old

Libby is doing great this week. She has gained another 4 ounces-putting her at 3 pounds 11.5 ounces. By the end of the week she may hit that 4 pound mark. She sleeps wonderfully now-Cindy (our cousin and NICU nurse) has started carrying her around a little bit at night, she says that Libby likes to be social! We are enjoying her so much now, and we are ready to take her home! When she hits that 4 pound mark we need prayer that she can handle the new type of feeds and progress to a bottle. Thanks everyone for sticking with us and lifting us up in prayer. (Make sure to check us out this weekend-Libby got a WVU hat from Cindy too and will definitely be sporting it for the WVU v. Marshall game!)

Our Little Beef Cake

Libby is growing so well. She is up to 1570 grams which is 3 pounds 7 ounces. Not a lot has changed this week because the doctors are waiting until she hits around 4 pounds to try feeding her in her stomach again. Corey and I visit often and can hold her longer. Grandparents are allowed to hold her now too, and I think for my grandma Mae, holding Libby made her year. We still cannot wait for the day that she gets to come home, but God is giving us a lot of patience. It really will be before we know it. (Libby has already become sick and tired of the paparazzi-but darn if that frog outfit isn't cute as can be!)

Finally 3 Pounds!

We hit another milestone this week. Libby has gained a full pound since she was born. She now weighs 3 pounds 2 ounces! She also graduated again. She was moved from the swing area to stepdown. She is doing great. Last week the doctors tried to move her feeding tube into her stomach (right now it is in her small intestine), but it was a bit too much for her right now, so they moved it back. They will try again when she is a little bigger. Moving her tube is the first step to being on the bigger feeds and eventually using a bottle. They also decided this week to allow her to be bundled. Before she was just in her isolette, but now she is wrapped in blankets. She LOVES it! She likes to feel all cuddled in, and she sleeps great.

Fourth Down, __ To Go!

Today is week number 4. Libby is doing fantastic, and we are so pleased with her progress. She now weighs 2lbs 13.6 oz, and breathes all on her own all the time. She is having fewer spells, doing great with her feeds and just getting along splendidly. The only big difference is that her legs are now taped. Orthopedics came in and taped her last week-and she had the only bad night so far. The nurses gave her Tylenol to ease the pain, and since then she has been fine. The orthopedic work is something that can take weeks to do, so we are praying that she continues to stand it.

Growing, growing, growing

I will have more pictures up soon, but here is the weekly update. Not a whole lot has changed-which is a good thing. Libby continues to grow and do well. She now weighs 2 pounds 11 ounces. They are weening her off the oxygen (she's only on 1/32 nd of a liter) and continue to do her exercises for her feet. Corey and I have gotten to bathe and hold her-even change diapers. The next step is bolus feeds-instead of a steady drip, the food will come all at once every three hours. I don't know when they will start this, but I will keep everyone posted. Thank you for your prayers!

Libby is two weeks old

Every week is amazing to us-just the fact that Libby is here is amazing. She is doing really well. She is tolerating her feeds-which they have increased. She is gaining weight-she is up to 2 pounds 7 ounces. The staff has been wonderful, and they are great at keeping us informed about Libby's journey. She still has a long way to go, but everyday, she is closer to being able to go home. And that is something that only God is able to do-He made her life possible. Keep praying!

Continuing growth

This update is just to keep everyone in the know about Libby's progress. She now weighs 1010 grams -roughly 2 pounds 3 ounces (which is 1 ounce over her birth weight). She is now digesting milk and she seems to be pretty content. The only time she fusses is when the doctors mess with her-or when her physical therapist puts the Jesus shoes on her to correct her in-turned feet. She has full range of motion in her hips and knees now, but her little feet like being turned in (a cute feature now, not when she starts walking though).

She has a cozy isolette-a handmade blanket on top thanks to Meme (Becky) and my receiving blanket inside. There is a picture of Corey and I hanging on the outside alongside this verse:
"The Lord your God is with you; the mighty One will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in His love; He will sing and be joyful about you." Zeph 3:17 (NCV)

Our prayer is that she continues to rest in His love-being held by Him since we can hold her so little.

Libby is one week old

On her one week birthday, it was really Corey and I who got the present-our first opportunity to hold our baby girl. She was taken off all breathing devices (no ventilator, no CPAP), and she was stablizing her weight, so the doctors and nurses decided that we could kangaroo. Kangarooing is skin-on-skin contact that has been shown to really help babies (and mommies). So Corey and I got to hold Libby right up against us-feeling her breathe and move around was amazing.

Libby Bozic is BORN!

On July 11, 2006 at 9:09 am, Elizabeth Grace Bozic was born. She weighed 2 pounds 2 ounces and was 13 inches long. The most amazing thing about her is that she cried when she came out-indicating lung development the doctor's did not think she would have.