May 31, 2011

I had an ultrasound of my head done today. Besides the cold goo that they put on my head... the nurse practitioner looked at it and said that any the spot of bleeding that I have had is small and is resolving itself. So there is nothing new with that and, of course, that is very good! Other than that my feedings have continued to go up. I had 11 ccs. today and will increase to 12 ccs. tonight. The doctor said that if I continue to tolerate the increased feedings, then they will probably take out the picc line around Thursday! They decreased my steroids today in order to start getting me off them and in a few days I will be done with them. Hopefully I am able to maintain the good levels that I am at after my steroids.

May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day everyone. I spent most of the holiday sleeping and I have had a very good day. My vent settings are down a little more and I have had some really good blood gases. I am still tolerating my feedings and am up to 9 ccs. The doctor wrote an order to increase the feedings 1 cc. every 12 hours. In addition I now weigh 880 grams! That is about 1 pound 15 1/2 ounces. I hope that everyone else has had as nice of a holiday as I have!!!

May 29, 2011

Happy one month birthday to me! This weekend has been up and down, and according to the doctors and nurses... that is the life of a premee. There is some mucus built up in my lungs and that is causing me to have a few more problems breathing. The nurses turned up the ventilator last night in order to help break up the mucus. However, throughout today my breathing has sounded better and therefore my ventilator settings have come back down. In addition, my feedings are continuing to be increased. I am not getting 7 ccs. and at my 9 o'clock feedings I will be up to 8 ccs! Hopefully this will help me grow faster which the doctors say is the most important thing for me to become healthier. The bigger I am, the better I am going to be able to fight off infection and breath better!

May 27, 2011

Things in the NICU are pretty much the same. My ventilator settings are down a little bit more and I am now up to 5cc. of breast milk! The doctor told mom that it would take 10 cc. for me to be able to maintain hydration without the IV fluids... however, they will probably continue the IV fluids until about 15 cc. feedings. He also said that there is a chance that I could be up to the 10 cc. feedings by early next week. The more I eat the more I grow, and the more I grow the stronger I am. The doctor also told mom that if I get to the 15 cc. feedings, they may take out my picc line. This is a good thing because the more lines I have going into me, the more chance of infections. The doctor also had a talk with the nurse practioner about possibly moving me to the conventional ventilator. They decided to wait a little longer and let me become a little stronger before they do that. The doctors rotate every three weeks, and therefore a new doctor will be starting on Monday. Hopefully he will continue with the same ideas as my current doctor. Today I am four weeks old... I have fought against all the odds and am stronger now than I was. Mom and dad keep saying that I must have been brought here for a reason, and that I teach them each and every day about strength. I may be small, but I have more strength in me then any full grown adult! I hope everyone enjoys their long weekends.

May 25, 2011

The past two days have been going really well for me. The steroids seem to be working well and my oxygen and ventilator settings are continuing to go down. The nurses are saying that they feel I look a lot better and when mom and dad visit me I am more active. They finished the last dose of 2 mg. of the steroids, and today will start six doses of 1 mg. After that they will see how I am doing before making any more decisions. They increased my feedings today from 1 cc. of breast milk to 2 cc. The nurse also was curious as to how much I weigh and so she did a mid-week weighing... I am now 800 grams! (Up 20 grams from Saturday night)



I can see you!!!



May 23, 2011

So... last night the nurses started giving me the steroids. They are going to start with six doses (three days). Since then, my blood gases have come back really good and they have gone down six settings on the ventilator! That is very exciting. We are hoping that the steroids are the right answer and that it helps my lungs enough to move foward and maybe off this ventilator. Mom and dad visit as many times a day as they can and they are keeping their hopes up. So far so good, and its time for me to get some good sleep. Mom said she will try to get some new pictures sometime this week, but it is not really easy always to get pictures in the nicu.

May 22, 2011

I had a pretty difficult night last night, and spent a lot of today trying to remain calm and stable. The not so good news first, my ventilator settings had to be brought up quite a bit last night and the doctor has decided that it is time to start steroids for my chronic lung disease. I will be starting that tonight. Now, there is some better news... I had a bath last night and did really enjoy that. Also, I now weigh 780 grams (1 pound 12 ounces), so I am continuing to gain weight. Mom and dad are asking that the positive thoughts for me continue, as I need them now as I fight through this rough time. Thanks!

May 21, 2011

Today was pretty much the same in my life. I am stable and no changes have been made to my medications or ventilator. As much as mom and dad want to hear that I am progressing, they are happy to know that I am stable too. The nurses said they were going to give me a bath tonight! Mom and dad also got my birth certificate and social security card in the mail, so I am an offical US citizen! I am tolerating the feeding well still so I am  hoping to be able to give news on good progress real soon.

May 20, 2011

I am sorry that I was unable to post yesterday. Mom and dad have been working hard to get my house in shape, and the internet had to be unplugged for a day as new carpet was installed into the den and grandma's room. Now, the internet is back and my house is starting to look much better. Now, as for me... I am doing about the same. I started a new antibiotic for what the doctor thinks may be a lung infection (like pnemonia). It will take a few days to see if that is what I really have, and if the antibiotics are working. Other than that, I am still eating and the doctor says that it seems I am tolerating the feeds well. That is super important because I need to grow so that I can fight off infections easier! When mom and dad have visited me today and yesterday, I have been spending a lot of time sleeping. Happy three week birthday to me! Each week is a little closer to coming home to my mom and dad!

May 18, 2011

This morning, when mom and dad came to visit me, the nurse told them that I had a little bit of a difficult time last night. My CO2 levels were going up again, therefore, the ventilator settings had to be increased. They started another blood transfusion and were they were going to wait and see how I was doing after that. When mom returned in the afternoon, my ventilator settings had gone down one and I the nurse reported that my CO2 levels were back to normal. Hopefully, all I needed was some more blood and mom and dad are hoping that I am back on an upward spiral. Mom went to visit her students at school today. She told them all about me, one of them asked her to come back. She told them that she couldn't be back yet because she needs to be with me. He stated that he would build me a bed that I could stay in and that his mom is a nurse and both her and I could come be with mom all day at school. Mom was glad to know that her students miss her as she misses them! It was also very nice of them to say that I could come to school too1 Think I am ready for fifth grade yet?

19 days old! I am getting bigger and stronger each and every day.

May 17, 2011

Life in the nicu is like always taking two steps foward and one step back. That is what we keep being told. Today I had a rough day. The doctors needed to move my ventilator settings back up because my blood gases were not that great. The good news is that they didn't have to move it up as far as they were last week, so overall there is still some progress. It is very frustrating, but hopefully I can take a day or two break and then come back stronger. The nurses, mom, and dad pretty much let me sleep most of the day, maybe it is just the rain :)

May 16, 2011

Goodbye kisses from my daddy!

Happy Monday to everyone. This morning the doctor came in and told mom and dad that he liked what he was seeing. That is good news! The doctor is always pretty honest and doesn't really say that I am doing well if I am not. My belly is looking better still and the nurses turned down the ventilator last night. I need some time to adjust to the new settings, but I am doing well. I was weighed last night and I am now 730 grams! I also have gained 3 centimeters in length. All is well with me and mom and dad are hoping for this week to continue in this way! Daddy and mommy were able to give me kisses goodbye today and that makes all of us very happy!!!

May 15, 2011

This has been a very quiet weekend. My belly is still bloated, but the color is starting to return to normal. The nurse practitioner told mom that they may consider restarting my feedings tomorrow if things continue to look good. The doctor may have something different to say about that, so we will have to wait and see. My oxygen is still looking good and they pushed the ventilator setting down one more today. They said they won't do anymore changes today, as they want to give me a chance to get used to the new settings. As boring as days like this can be, they make mom and dad happy as it means that I am stable and doing well. :)

May 14, 2011

Today was a quiet day for me. The doctor told mom that I am stable and nothing is really new. They are not going to make changes as I am doing well. They did come down on my ventilator setting this morning, and I was able to handle that well all day. That makes mom and dad really happy because the more I can handle the lower ventilator settings, the closer I am to being moved to the other ventilator. That is important to them because that is when they will be able to hold me! My belly is still tender, but it is starting to look better. It's always something... however, I am happy that the doctor is still saying "stable." It's time now for bed as I was up quite a bit today with mommy. Sweet dreams everyone!

May 13, 2011

Happy Birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday Alexander... Happy birthday to me! I am offically two weeks old. My oxygen is still doing well and when mom and dad left today I was on 21.5% oxygen (That is room air!) The doctors also turned down the ventilator today and I maintained enough oxygen so that is great. I am confusing the doctor a little because my belly is still full and a little discolored. They are not sure what is going on... but they did a baby gram (x-ray) and didn't see anything abnormal. So... there are few theories being tossed around. Maybe I have gas, maybe I was tolerating my feedings (they are continuing to hold the through the weekend), or maybe I am getting another infection. Hopefully this will all settle out quickly and I can keep on moving foward. I got my first kiss from my mommy today. That was very special and made both mommy and me smile!!! Please keep on praying for me... it means so much to my family! Thank you again for the many positive thoughts!!!

May 12, 2011

Today is yet again been a quiet day. I have spent most of the day sleeping and my oxygen levels are down. I did have some issues this afternoon with my blood gas. When they tested my blood this afternoon my CO2 levels were a little high. They have been coming down ever since and my oxygen levels have been good the whole time. The nurse said that usually when the CO2 is high, the oxygen is low and hopefully it was just the position I was laying in and my belly was full. The doctor decided to hold off on my feedings until my CO2 is better... even though it was already getting better throughout the day. Tomorrow I will be two weeks old! Happy early birthday to me!

May 11, 2011

I am so sorry that I didn't update everyone yesterday. Mom has a blood clot and wasn't feeling really great. But... yesterday was quiet for me. It seems that the antibiotic is doing its job as I am feeling better. My oxygen levels are back down and I had a quiet and stable day. As for today, I am still doing really well. Mom and dad brought me a new friend to keep in my bed with me. A monkey friend!

 My oxygen is still down and I am pretty calm today. I had a pick line put into my arm. It is just a basic IV line so that the nurses and can take out the lines from my belly button. I handled that procedure well and am now laying down and sleeping. Now that my infection is clearing up and my oxygen is back under control, the goal is to keep growing and keep the getting the oscillator settings down so that I can be switched to the other ventilator.

May 9, 2011

This infection isn't very nice. When mom and dad came to visit me this morning I was having a real hard time keeping the oxygen levels down. After trying a lot of different things, the nurse told mom and dad to put their hands on my back and head. After doing that for a few minutes, by oxygen levels started to stabalize. They spent a few hours with me and then left for quiet hours. While they were gone, I had my brain ultrasound and was able to keep my oxygen stable the whole time. When they came back, I had to have my heart ECHO done. So many tests in one day. I handled the ECHO well, and as soon as they were able to leave me alone my oxygen levels were great! It made mom so happy to see. She has decided that I simply have test anxiety. The results from the ECHO are not back, but... the ultrasound showed that there is a very small amount of bleeding in one ventricle around the brain. The right side of the brain is completly clear. So... this is good news. And... I was weighed and I gained 20 grams. I know that isn't much... however, most babies lose weight the first week, so it is good that I gained a little. I am hoping for a calm night with no tests and stable oxygen levels. Thank you for the continued prayers.... I know that they are helping me!

Happy Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my mom! There are some firsts that are wonderful, like my first mother's day. Then there are some firsts that are not so great. Like my first infection. Mom and dad had been warned that I would most likely get at least one infection during my time in the NICU. So... today it happened. I'm not feeling that great and my oxygen levels had to be moved back up, but I started antibiotics and will be ok. My vitals are all still stable, I just need to rest. Mom came to visit me this morning, and I had made a card for her, bought her a flower and a beautiful diamond and silver necklace. The card and flower were on top of my incubator, and the necklace was wrapped up and held inside with me. Mom cried when she saw it... just the reaction I wanted to get! The necklace is a diamond so she always remembers my birthstone. I also got to meet Kym... one of my biggest fans! She is a great friend of mom and dad, and has always been really supportive of me. I was excited to meet her and she said I was perfect too! Happy mother's day again to all those wonderful moms out there.

May 7, 2011

Today was what the nurse called an "excellent" day. My oxygen levels were down a lot from yesterday... and... my ventilator settings were way down too! It has been a few days since things have been that low and consistent for so long. My eyes are open longer and both mom and dad were able to see me looking at them. It's hard to tell since it is dark in the room, but mom and dad both think I have brown eyes. Another great thing about today is that the chord that was inside me testing to blood pressure constantly has been removed! They will be testing my blood pressure every 12 hours. The less chords inside of me, the better. Overall it was a great day. Sweet dreams to everyone who has been keeping my in their prayers.

May 6, 2011

Happy one week birthday to me! I opened my eyes for the first time this morning. The nurse had to give me some medicine in my eyes, and I have kept them closed since. Since I sleep so much, I will not be having them open very often. That is good though because they aren't completly ready for the light. Since my eyes are open now though, the room is kept darker and a cover is kept over my bed when I am not being visisted. I am still eating the breast milk with no problems and had a pretty good day. My dad changed my diaper this afternoon. I was having a little hissy fit and therefore my oxygen had to be increased right before mom and dad camto visit. The doctor did a baby gram (x-ray) just to make sure that everything was ok. The baby gram came back all good. :) My Uncle Teddy came to meet me today also! After a good day, I am ready for some sleep and a great weekend. Thank you all for the continued prayers and positive thoughts.

May 5, 2011

Six days old! I know that it may seem unimportant, but everyday is important in my life. My mom and dad are very excited that tomorrow will mark my one week birthday. At 2:30 PM almost one week ago I was born, a very small 1lb. and 6oz. Only being 25 weeks and 5 days gestationally, everyone knew that I had a long road ahead. But... now I am almost a week old and am doing well. I started eating breast milk today and have been handling it well. Mom was able to hold the tube while I ate the second time. I still have the lung tubes in my throat, so my milk goes straight into a tube, down my throat, and into my stomach. Mom was also able to help me a lot today for the first time. She changed my diaper (I have also had bowel movements which is great!), took my temperature, and help move me to my stomach. Since mom and dad are not allowed to hold me, this is the most contact we can have. Dad was there and held my hand.... next time I hope that he will be able to help with the daily activities. I am going to be weighed tonight or tomorrow night. They say I may or may not have gained any weight, but that doesn't mean that I am not doing well.

Wednesday May 4, 2011

     Today I am five days old. The first five days of my life have been up and down and as more time goes on, the stronger I am becoming. I had a test this morning to see if the PDA in my heart has closed up. Mom and dad do not have the results yet, but my doctor did say that the technician reported that it looked like it was closing. That means that they will not be giving me any medicine to force it closed, and therefore, I can start to eat breast milk. We are waiting for the cardiologist to give the final ok after they look at the results. After not eating for five days, I am excited to have my first drops of milk. Other than that, today has been a quiet day for me. I have remained stable in all areas and when mom and dad visited me, they were able to hold my hand.

     Thank you for all of your positive thoughts over the past five days. I am staying strong your thoughts have helped mom, dad, and me through it all.