Asher Leo Nova: Mommy holds baby for the first time

Today was the most precious and beautiful moment for us as we held our sweet boy for the first time on our chest skin to skin. It is an indescribable feeling to hold him there, to feel him squirm, to hear him cry on top of us. It warms our hearts in a way nothing else ever has, and it refills us with so much hope for his continued growth and good health. Today nurse Alexa also helped us change baby boy's little tiny diaper for the first time, and Julia saw his newborn penis for the first time ;) He's definitely a boy

Asher also doubled his feeding from 1ml of breast milk every 3 hours to 2ml, and he moved onto the nose cannulas for his oxygen and breathing support. We are able to see his handsome face more clearly now and share in his cute little expressions. It's really fun to facetime with friends and family when we are down there with him, so if you're up for meeting him virtually just let us know and we're happy to introduce you to this miracle child. He is also able to take a day away from the phototherapy and hopefully after testing tomorrow he is able to self regulate his billirubin.

Asher loves it when we read books to him and it's incredible to see his little eyes look at us when we talk to him. I don't think he can see much, but we can tell that he feels loved, nurtured, and supported. Julia's milk is still coming in slowly as to be expected, and we are hoping for a good flow to start in the next few days. Fortunately, there is donor breast milk that Asher enjoys to help feed him the food and nutrition that he needs. He is also on an infusion of caffeine and fats/lipids for now to help support his cognitive ability to breathe as well as to fatten up this teeny superhero.

Today was Rachelle's birthday and she and Devan were quite kind to bring some sheets, mittens and blankets to us, so we are going down to the nicu shortly to see how we can use them to decorate Asher's isolette to make it his cozy special home. Julia is recovering really well and is only feeling pain when we miss her pain medicine because we're with the baby :) It looks like she will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, so it will be nice to help her recuperate in a more spacious and relaxing environment surrounded by the people who love and care for her. We are already talking about setting up our plan to come visit our baby boy every day while still making sure that we take care of ourselves and stay happy and healthy along the journey.

Thank you again to everyone who is sharing their stories, their love and their support. Your words go so far, fill us all with energy and protect this baby boy in a bubble of good energy. We are firm believers in the collective power of connection to transform, nourish and heal. It's going to be a long journey, so please stay in touch and expect many calls from us over the next few months especially. We love you all and are so grateful to be sharing this adventure together.