a big girl bed and bili lights for bella

first pics are from yesterday, 3-8-10

bella with the "star trek" finger trick that brandon likes to do

bella three days old

bella three days old

proud big brother ethan and bella

ethan checking out his baby sister; he loved that her eyes were open

mommy taping the ng tube down after inserting it

mommy putting the ng feeding tube back in; melanie is watching closely and very interested

the girls--mommy, melanie, and bella

bella's fan club of boys; daddy, brandon, and ethan

grandma holding bella; melanie helping to put her pacifier back in

bella looking intently at her big sister

melanie loved that bella's eyes were open!

melanie talked and sang to bella for quite a while. so sweet!

the next ones are from today, 3-9-10

from here, view pictures from the last one to the first one to get the correct order which they were taken

so thankful to be snuggled up for a little bit after the bath--but then had to go back under the bili lights.

tucked in

wrapping her as much as we can so she can sleep after her bath

bella awake after her bath

restless

sweet little toes

hmm, maybe this will be more comfortable

stretching her legs out trying to find some "boundaries" to feel secure

trying to get comfy

sweet little hand

the next few pictures (scrolling up) are some of the many positions bella tried to get comfortable while being unswaddled for the bili lights--she was very restless and ended up not digesting the most recent tube feed well

bella under the bili lights

bella in her new 'big girl bed'--no more isolette; pictures of her siblings taped to the side of her bed.

bella's day of life number 2 pics!

bella's room in the ISCN (intermediate special care nursery)

melanie in her new wheelchair

bella cozing and clean and stretched out after her first bath

bella's hair after her first bath

i just love the pic--quite something to think of where melanie was almost seven years ago--now reaching in to offer a loving touch into her baby sister's isolette

mommy holding bella while the nurse switches out the wet blankets from her bath

bella after her bath

the "swaddle bath" that they do. had the heater going above her isolette along with the swaddling, but her little jaw still quivered.

melanie comforting bella as she gets her swaddle bath

stretch! getting ready for a bath

proud big brother!

brandon and bella

so sweet

mommy and bella

loving on their sister

sisters

ethan coloring

brandon and melanie coloring

bella sticking out her tongue--she did this a lot on her ultrasounds!

Isabella Renea

toes!

she has tiny ears. :)

ethan (5) meeting is baby sister, Bella

they just couldn't get enough of her!

loving his sister!

brandon and bella

kisses for bella

bella getting brandon's nose

melanie loving on her baby sister

proud big sister

bella reached up and bopped melanie in the chin; melanie thought it was funny

melanie talking to bella

melanie and bella

me and my four kids--gotta love it

their first look at bella

a little snuggle time while being tube fed

i don't have any good pictures without her hat on, but she had a tiny perfectly-shaped head (not the typical cone-head look of a newborn) a little bit of hair, more in the back than the front

eyes open and holding mommy's finger

sweet baby girl

snuggled up in her isolette

Bella Renea

mommy and bella

ethan riding his bike yesterday

boys getting ready for their bike ride yesterday

melanie and ethan on our walk yesterday

mommy and bella before she got the ng tube

here is a blurry one of her hair

mommy and bella; she is awake and alert for our first time meeting

proud daddy with bella in the neonatal room off the delivery room

bell and her footprints on daddy's arm

there's those eyes!

daddy and bella

just wheeling in to the OR for delivery--notice the time on the clock 12:50; she was officially born at 12:52!