"She may be the youngest and the smallest here in the NICU, but she is the most energetic." - Nurse Bing

Aya is truly a fighter. On her first week alone, she was taken off her ventilator (extubated). She was only 794 grams when born and so tiny, but her small cries can be heard from outside the incubator, proof that her lungs are healthy and strong. Hear her roar in this video, taken when she was 4 days old. You can also see her tight grip on her oxygen cannula; it seems she wants to remove it already.

She has been drinking breastmilk really well, too, but still via NGT (nasogastric tube). They started giving her 1ml at first, then gradually increased the amount every 12 hours. She is now feeding 16ml every 3 hours and I expect another rapid increase of milk intake in the next few days. We were blessed to have breastmilk donors who helped Aya with her feedings in her first few days; I was only able to express milk on the 5th day. By the middle of the second week, I am able to express enough breastmilk to meet Aya's daily increasing needs. We still have a few bags of donors' milk, and I am happy to inform you that Aya has shared some of those donors' milk to another preemie family in need (twins, born premature at 36 weeks).

Aya will be two weeks old at exactly 10:15pm tonight, Dec 23, and her milestones already amaze us! Her IV has already been removed and antibiotics stopped. Per her neonatologist, she has a few episodes of apnea (temporary cessation of breathing), but it is within acceptable rates and common for premature babies. She is being given medicine via breastmilk feeds to help treat this condition.

Yesterday, I was able to watch the nurse change her diapers (she cried and I was able to hear her voice again, oh joy!) and then feed her breastmilk. Here she is, content after the nappy change. I look forward to the moment that I am able to bring her home and do the nappy change and breastfeed her myself.

I will provide updates again soon. Thank you for your continuous support and prayers. Merry Christmas and bless your kind hearts!

Love,

Mommy Jeng