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.