Black is NOT the new Brown

Right after I was released from the hospital I had my hair done.  I asked my guy to dye me back to my original color . . . dark brown.  Unfortunately he overshot the color and I ended up with BLACK hair.  Awesome.  Every girl loves to be in post baby body with unrecognizable hair.  This pic was taken after hours in the stylist chair getting it fixed.  It was a very minor issue in hindsight, but I'm afraid that I didn't allow the camera near me until it was fixed.  This is our first picture together :)
Anyway Miss Megan has graduated to newborn sized clothes and diapers today.  Her preemie gear is stowed away.  She also just happens to be is recovering from her first cold!

One Month Old

So many changes have happened over her first month.  Megan is eating more, and more often (ugh).  She is staying awake and is generally more active for longer periods during the day. (Yes Michael, she does have eyes).  I think she is starting to look like an Eichler?? 

Home Sweet Home

Megan as been home for two days now.  She already had our first doctor's appt (left pic) and everything was fine.  We (including the kitties) are having a lot of fun getting to know her.  Please come on over, she would love to meet you too!!!

Progress!

Miss Megan is doing amazing right now.  She has moved out of her incubator into an open crib (pic on left).  That means she is maintaining her own body temperature, she is gaining weight, and she has lost her feeding tube (beautiful baby girl pic right)!!  The doctor said that as long as she continues to progress like this she will get to come home Sunday or Monday.  I called the nurses this morning and they were gushing over how much she is ate last night.  She is definitely my child :)

"The small baby who didn't know she was small"

That's what one of the nurses in the NICU is calling Megan.  She is really doing great.  Gaining weight every night (she is back to her birth weight of 3lbs 5 oz) and she has started to bottle feed a little earlier than expected.  That's important because she can't go home until she learns how to do it every time she needs to eat.  The tube coming from her nose is her feeding tube and we hope it will be gone soon.  We have no idea when her baby jail break will be, but our fingers are crossed that it will be in a couple weeks.  She is 34 weeks (gestational age) today.

Long story short

On Monday morning my doctor decided to induce my labor (for various reasons).  I was having contractions for about three hours when Dr. Koh quickly decided that a Cesarean section was necessary.  It only took 30 minutes before she was here.  After a few days she was off her oxygen and her IV's were removed.  She is doing better everyday, we just are hoping that she puts on weight soon since she is only 3 pounds!  I was released from the hospital on Friday we have already been back four times to visit her.  I miss her like crazy and can't wait till she lives at Chez Eichler permanently.

Meet Megan Marshall Eichler.  

(Marshall is mom's middle name too)

Moving on up

On Tuesday I started to have contractions and the baby's heart rate dropped a bit, so we were moved up to the second floor for 24 hour observation.  That was supposed to last for one night, but it has turned out to be an extended stay.  So far the contractions have mostly stopped and her heart rate is stable (the monitors on the left and right of my belly say so).  My doctor seems to think that I will deliver in the next week or two, but Baby E is in charge so we shall see.

This is my daily view :)