Penelope is 37 days old today

Penelope's gestational age is about 33 1/2 weeks.  It's seems a little unbelievable that she still wouldn't be a full term baby if she had been born today because she has been alive for over a month.  Although it continues to feel weird that we are parents we can't imagine life without her.

Trent and I both got to hold Penelope yesterday and we started making the first steps toward breast feeding.  She had a really good night, too.  She didn't have any brady/desat episodes at all.  She's also gained weight and is now 1410g, which is just over 3 lbs.  This morning, the team and the nurse kept saying how wonderfully she is doing.  This may have gone to her head because she started desatting while she was eating lunch.  This is still normal preemie behavior and she will eventually grow out of it.  I'm just ready for "eventually" to be "now".  When I start to get a little discouraged, though, I look around the NICU at the new preemies and remember how far she has come in such a short time.  And she will go even further over the next month.  This whole process just takes faith that she will continue to improve and patience to get through the minor set backs. 

Thanks for checking in.  I'll post more later.