MackenzieCarden.com

Yeah, Mackenzie just got home, but it’s already time for the first trip to the doctor. She weighed in at 3lbs 9oz.

Mackenzie came home today! The day was filled with the busy work of getting ready to leave the wonderful care of Grandma Donna and the other staff at the Meriter Special Needs Nursery. There were checklists, a last minute feeding, pictures, hugs and goodbyes. It took two nurses to wrestle the seat belt into the right locked position for the car seat.

Because Dad got called in from work, there were two cars to deal with. Grandma claimed she couldn’t drive a stick, so she had to drive the RAV with Mackenzie and Cheri. The trip home ended up as a small parade to celebrate Mackenzie coming home.

Shortly after settling in, Mackenzie was introduced to Bindi. It went very well, with Dad keeping a hand ready just in case. Bindi was initially curious, but quickly was distracted by her desire to play, just like any other day.

This rocking chair won’t be sitting empty much longer. Cheri just called from the hospital. Mackenzie is coming home this afternoon!

Mackenzie now weighs 3lbs 8.3oz (1596 grams) and is holding her body temperature well in the open crib. Things are looking good for her to come home very soon!

Mackenzie is sleeping in an open crib tonight!

Last night she spent an hour in the car seat wearing a blood oxgen monitor. The “car seat test” is done to prove that she can sit up in the seat without losing her ability to properly breathe. Unfortunately her body temperature after was a bit low, so they put her back in the Isolette.

This morning the Isolette was turned down to that target of 27 degrees Celsius. Mackenzie was able to maintain a good body temp in there throughout the day.

After tonight’s 6pm feeding, the nurse replaced the Isolette with an open air crib. This is the final hurdle toward convincing the doctors to let Mackenzie come home. Click on the picture to see more of her and the bunny in the crib. Of course there’s also a small gallery.

It’s bath night for Mackenzie and Cheri is up to bat. A clean baby is a good thing. The two of them put on quite a show. Check out the gallery.

Temperature is very important for Mackenzie. Before she can come home, she must demonstrate the ablity to regulate her body temperature. The nurses have slowly been lowering the air temp in the Isolette. Once she can maintain the proper body temperature at 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit). Tonight she’s just a few tiny steps from that target mark.

The other biggie is gaining weight. Mackenzie is eating well and certainly enjoys “Mommy Juice” more than formula. She topped her birth weight on Thursday evening and is now gaining about an ounce each day. She’s currently almost 3.5 lbs. Every ounce counts.

Cheri is home now. We picked up Papa Murphy’s pizza on the way home. Hopefully Mackenzie will be home early next week.

 It’s been an awesome but hectic few days. Mackenzie came into the world, Dad got the first feeding, Pop was the first grandparent to hold her, then Memom got her turn, followed by Grandma and finally Mommy.

Mackenzie Diane Carden came into the world this morning at 6:02am weighing 3lbs 2.9oz and measuring 16.5 inches long. Mackenzie is doing very well in the special care nursery and Cheri is recovering from the section back on the 6th floor. Dad was grinning as he wiped a few tears of joy and grandparents were beaming. Photos and more will be coming as time permits.

Mackenzie scored a 9-9 on her APGAR. She’s a beautiful little girl.