The Zero party

We finally reached the big day! Monday the 21st was Eva's due date, so we celebrated her turning zero (and then 3 days later, celebrated her turning 3 months old :). We've now stopped counting down to her due date and are counting up from it.

it is almost like having two birthdays, especially for the next couple of years. Though her date of birth is October 24, her development in these last 3 months was counted according to what she would have been doing in the womb. All of the important developmental milestones--when we should anticipate that she'll sit up, crawl, talk, walk, etc... will be calculated from her "adjusted age," i.e., her age taken from her due date. So...today she is both 4 days old and 3 months old.

Our friends Amanda and Nina had us over for dinner (and provided the glittery pink zero candle), my mom brought the chocolate cake, and our friend Kristen brought the cheesecake--fitting that a girl with 2 birthdays should have 2 cakes!

Mamma

Getting sleepy

Mamma's favorite face

Eva at home

Mamma, Babbo, and baby

We've had Eva home for about 3 1/2 weeks now and already its becoming difficult to remember that she was ever anywhere else. She's doing great--eating well, sleeping well (especially during the day! :) and we're all starting to get adjusted to the new rhythm of being a family. My mom was here for 2 weeks helping us to make that adjustment and, as an experienced mom, answering the hundreds of questions that I had every day as a new and inexperienced mom.

New Years Morning...

It was our most memorable and first new years celebration as a family. We were expecting to stay up late either way and ring in the new year, this simply extended how long we actually did. Our friend Amanda who has been taking extra care of us these past few days with meals, and errands and such celebrated the night with us. The pics of the night turned out ruddy, so here's a pic of the morning after. There was no mystery if Eva was breathing or not, as she grunted and squeeked her way through the night the few hours she actually slept. We of course were paralyzed sleeping next to her watching every movement, and worrying about rolling onto her...sound familiar parents?

She went home weighing 2130 grams=somewhere over 4.5 lbs...and continues to eat to exhaustion. We are proud parents of our little Mangione.

Heroines!

These women are true heroins, and are some of whom to thank for caring and sustaining Eva's life through her hospital stay. It was a very joyful and emotional not only for us but some of them as well. Eva had become beloved by many of them, and they shared in our celebration as we made the rounds thanking those who were working that shift.

It is impossible to thank them enough. All we can do is receive in love everything they have done. We are so grateful...

Ready for Launch...

Se tutta Confezionata...

All signs were great on Sunday, so Monday we had a feeling this might be it. In true Italian fashion we were notified around noon of Eva being dismissed that very afternoon anytime after 2. This also happened to be New Years Eve..

The snappy pink suit was what we set her up to go home in..As Michela (very tall nurse) stated, 'Se tutta confezionata..' Essentialy gift wrapped.

Babbo

The beginning of the end

Sunday, December 30. The possibility of Eva coming home seems immanent again. The last visit of the occulist showed that her eye condition, called Retinopathy of prematurity (we read that it affects 85% of preemies born before 28 weeks) was actually better, not just stable. Her eating is getting better and better, she continues to gain weight, so it comes down again to waiting for her to stop desaturating.

Her doctor told us, with a cautious wave of her hand indicating that this is nowhere near a guarantee, that she maybe, maybe could come home tomorrow or the next day.

Preparing for that possibility, we started taking pictures of Eva with the nurses who have been caring for her these last weeks and months. This picture is with Elena, one of the team of all-stars in the intensive care unit (incidentally, also one of the nurses who let my mom in to see Eva).

Holding on to mom

Conversations...

The day after Christmas found Eva seemingly in quiet conversation with one of her friends..

Still Christmas day...even babies in the hospital can undergo many changes of clothes in the same day. Note in this outfit the festive Christmas socks sent specially for the day by Nonna A.

Also note in this picture how chubby Eva's cheeks are becoming. She's in what seems to be a common stage of growth among preemies--where all the weight added goes straight to the cheeks!

Mamma

Buon Natale!

Christmas was a big day--the day the mask finally came down and Eva saw my whole face for the first time (surely relieved to find that it wasn't really green!)

Mamma

Buon Natale from Firenze!

Christmas Dinner

Christmas day clear, crisp, and bathed in a brilliant sun. We spent the afternoon in the hospital as a family, though the nurses weren't quite so festive. A bit grumpy actually, no doubt from having to work on Christmas. Christmas dinner for Eva was the usual...

The Feast was exceptional, even with readjusted expectations for Eva coming home. We celebrated Midnight Mass at the Monastic fraternity of Jerusalem. It was infused with Byzantine elements, making one of the most beautiful services I've ever experienced...not just because it was Christmas Eve as the form is the same for every mass. Loads of incense, everything chanted, all in a beautifully frescoed sanctuary...I would highly recommend attending should you be in Florence. Breakfast was a feast complete with eggnog and gourmet everything, compliments of Amanda:) Christmas dinner was exceptional, again thanks to Amanda as well as Heidi and Kevin.(The newlyweds came down from Rome to celebrate)

Our Advent continues...

Christmas Eve

Alas, Eva was still desaturating a bit when she would begin feeding preventing a Christmas homecoming...We still had a lot of fun in the ward as everyone was quite festive. The nurses appreciated the Christmas outfit probably more than we did...(Notice the bearded Italian look...A very practical thing here in Italy. I've also been accused of growing a 'Dad beard')

Babbo

Waiting...

All it takes to make both Babbo and baby happy... This is one of my favorite views of the two of them.

Mamma