Day One - May 29 - What a Memorial Day!

Her name is Olivia Nichole Avery and her official numbers are that she was born on May 29, 2006 at 3:11 a.m. weighing in at 1 pound 8.4 ounces and is 13 inches long. She arrived at 23.5 weeks gestation (17 weeks early).

I didn't get to see Olivia but Ben (Lu's hubby) took my camera back and got a couple of pics for me. Things looked much better this evening than they did earlier today. She is still on the ventilator but it is set at 22% oxygen (which is pretty awesome considering we breathe an average of 20% oxygen) and they will do several more treatments to cause her lungs to start creating there own surfactant (so they will inflate properly and not stick together). Obviously, Olivia is in a new/improved incubator so that she can "grow" some more. I told Lurenda to just think of it as an early start in the tanning bed industry - I can see the scrapbook page already - "Olivia's First Electric Beach". She is sooooo little and soooooo early that her eyes are still fused closed. But her kidneys have started functioning and she is tee-teeing so they've put a little (itty bitty) diaper on her. She is literally the size of a Barbie doll.

Lurenda looked good considering what kind of weekend she has had, but continue to pray for her and Ben and baby Olivia. Miracles happen every day! Ben is hanging in there and is much more at peace tonight then this time last night but they both need some sleep.

I will keep you up to date as things progress.