September 1, 2013 – I never would have imagined starting last month’s blog with pictures from the baby shower and this month’s blog with pictures of the baby who wasn’t due until mid-October! But, here she is – all 3 pounds 0 ounces and 11 inches of Emma Grace Hoffmeister sleeping in her incubator. Mother, daughter and Dad are all doing well – as are the grandparents (us) and her big sister, Vanessa.
Emma Grace – One Day Old
September 2, 2013 – We took Vanessa to see her sister at “hands-on time” 1:00 this afternoon. When the babies are in neo-natal ICU, one of the parents must accompany visitors at all times and there is only a total of three allowed in at the same time. 7:00, 10:00, 1:00, 4:00, 7:00 and 10:00 are designated “hands-on time.” This is the only time that the parents and visitors are allowed to touch the baby. Yesterday, when Vanessa visited, the baby was sleeping. She got to touch her, but didn’t really get to have any interaction. Today, she went in with her father and grandfather while I visited with Kellie in her hospital room. Emma Grace held Vanessa’s finger and the nurse let “V” hold up the feeding tube to feed her sister. Yesterday, they started Kellie “kangarooing” with the baby. This is a term they use for skin-to-skin contact between mother and daughter. Kellie was able to hold Emma on her chest for over an hour in the early afternoon, late last night and again at 7:00 this morning. They also let her hold the baby “like a normal person” as Kellie put it.
JP said that the nurse told them this afternoon that they should be taking the IV and the feeding tube out of Emma within the next few days.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013 – Rick and I went to the hospital just after 11 this morning to help bring Kellie and her “stuff” home. Emma has developed some jaundice and so they have her under a special light. The doctor assures us all that this is not a big problem, but it does mean that they have to limit the holding time to once a day. Now that she is under the light, they have removed all of her swaddling. She was lying on her stomach and looks even tinier – but perfect. Rick and I left the hospital around 1:00 with the suitcase full and 4 bouquets of flowers. JP and Kellie stayed to visit with the baby some more and take care of some other business and returned home mid-afternoon. They went back to the hospital for the 10 pm “hands-on” time. She is back up to within 5 grams of her birth weight.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 – JP and Kellie went to the hospital at noon and returned to the house around 3:30. Since they were going to be home until 8:45, Rick and I went to the Yacht Club to hear Steve Fredrick’s presentation on their 2013 sailing adventure to Trinidad. It was great to see so many of our friends and we enjoyed the presentation even though we had to leave before Steve was finished in order for JP and Kellie to get to the hospital by 10:00.
Thursday, September 5, 2013 – We met Bill and Ruth for lunch but made sure to be home by 2:00, so the house would not be empty when Vanessa came in from school. The baby is doing well. But, Kellie is having a real problem with a stiff neck. Even though she is allowed to drive, she cannot turn her head, so it would be dangerous. Their routine, since they’ve been home from the hospital is to go for the 1:00 “hands-on” time; come home around 3:30 and then return for the 10:00 “hands-on” time. Emma took some milk out of a bottle today.
Friday, September 6, 2013 – JP took Kellie to see her chiropractor this morning about her stiff neck and then they went to the hospital. They reported this afternoon that the IV has been removed from Emma and her jaundice has improved enough for the special light to be removed. She has also gained a little bit of weight. She weighed 1355 grams (3 pounds) when she was born; lost down to 1290 grams and is now back up to 1385 grams. The hospital staff has started putting her in a “onesie” outfit which, even though it is sized for premature babies, is still too large. At 1:00, Kellie got to feed the baby from a bottle. There was 25 milliliters of breast milk in the bottle and Emma drank 20 before she fell asleep, they fed her the additional 5 through the feeding tube. Even though she will be one week old tomorrow, the NICU staff still refer to her developmental stage, so today Kellie would have started her 34th week of pregnancy.
Saturday, September 7, 2013 through Friday, September 13, 2013 – We all had the opportunity to visit with the baby on both Saturday and Sunday.
Our new homeowner’s insurance company is requiring us to complete a few projects around the house. That’s a good thing in that it helps to keep busy while JP and Kellie are at the hospital.
Rick and I have enjoyed getting to visit with many of our friends both at the yacht club and going to dinner here and there. Of course, we also seem to “run in to” people we know where ever we go.
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On Wednesday, we all went to the Palmetto vs. Manatee High Freshman football game. Vanessa looked really cute cheering and the score remained tied through the first half, but Manatee scored all the points in the second half. JP and Kellie had to leave before the game was over to go to the hospital so, Rick and I got to bring home a disappointed cheerleader.
On Thursday Kellie and Vanessa went out shopping and bought a very cute dress for the homecoming dance.
On Friday, Kellie and JP went to a luncheon where she was honored for having completed 15 years of service working for the Manatee County Tax Collector. From there, they went to the hospital to visit with Emma, who starts her 35th week of development today. She weighs 3 pounds and 7 ounces and her feeding tube has been removed. She is now on an “eat-on-demand” schedule, but “touch time” is still limited. About the only test remaining to be passed is “maintaining body temperature”. She must maintain a temperature of 98.6. Currently, she stays over 96, but apparently she needs a little more weight to help her maintain the correct temperature. We are all hopeful that Emma will be released from the hospital sooner rather than later.
Saturday, September 14, 2013 through Wednesday, September 18, 2013 – Vanessa spent the day with a friend on Saturday while Rick and I went with Kellie and JP to see the baby. Later we went to the club to swim and watch the FSU/Nevada football game. On Sunday, Vanessa seemed to have a sore throat so she stayed in the waiting room while Rick and I had a chance to visit with the baby. The three of us returned home while Kellie and JP fed the baby. On Monday, JP called and said that they were going to stay at the hospital with the baby over night, but would come home first and return at 7:45. We got Vanessa off to school before 7 am on Tuesday and then went for an ultrasound on Rick’s neck at 8 am. On the way back to the house, we picked up medicine for me. Just as we were pulling in to the neighborhood, JP called and asked where we were. Rick told him almost home and he told us that they were at home with the baby!
Rick and I visited with them for a few minutes and then went to SAMS to buy ribs and chicken for the BYC Power Fleet cruise to Palm Island this coming weekend. When we returned we packed and left JP and Kellie to settle in the new baby. We went to visit my father in the Ocala Forrest and Rick’s mother and brother in Ormond Beach with a plan to return to Palmetto on Thursday in time to attend the Palmetto High School JV football game and see Vanessa cheer.
Thursday, September 19, 2013 through Monday, September 30, 2013– We returned to Palmetto on Thursday afternoon, did some last minute shopping and attended the JV game to see Vanessa cheer. Palmetto beat Lakewood Ranch.
We had a great weekend with the Bradenton Yacht Club’s Power Fleet at the Palm Island Marina. We rode with Ken and Jackie Sosville in their boat, Snowman, arriving there in just two and a half hours. It was great to see so many friends and make some new one’s too. Sunday afternoon we returned home. Rick had a stuffy head so, he didn’t get close to the baby. Rebecca and Greyson (Emma’s Godparents) were visiting, so I stayed downstairs until about 4:30. After that, I went upstairs and got to hold the baby for the first time.
We had a nice dinner and visit with our friends Steve and Joy Fredrick on Tuesday evening and while JP and Kellie took Emma to Sarasota for an eye appointment Wednesday, we took Vanessa to cheer practice and picked her up and then the three of us went to supper. Today was JP and Kellie’s third anniversary. They ate supper at Café 1700 in the hospital.
On Thursday, the 24th, we left Palmetto in the morning and went to Ocala for a short visit with my Dad. We had invited Dad to come over to Compass Cay to spend Thanksgiving with us and he surprised us and said that he wanted to go back with us now. So, he has applied for an expedited passport. We talked about everything he needed to do to get ready and what he would and wouldn’t be able to do over there. We are looking forward to his extended visit. In the afternoon, we went to Ormond Beach to visit with Rick’s mother and brother. I felt like I was coming down with the cold Rick had last week, so I took a nap. When I awoke and went in to the main house, I was surprised to see our nephew Mat and Rick’s sister, Eileen. I knew Eileen before I met Rick and we have been friends as well as sisters-in-law for over 40 years. Mat flew out to Utah and drove his mother down to Florida to visit with her mother. We were excited to have Thursday, Friday and Saturday to visit with both of them. On Sunday, Rick’s brother and mother left with Mat and Eileen to take Mat back to Knoxville and work. We are house sitting until they return mid-week.
Pictured above are Rick’s brother, nephew, sister and mother with him.
Our journey has been inspired by Joy and Steve Fredrick. You can see more of their story at