September 4, 2011

Thank you for all the prayers and positive vibes that have been coming my way. The past five days have been rough, but, I am still fighting. One of the lung cultures came back positive, so hopefully the round of antibiotics will help. We have slowly been able to come down on the oxygen, but it has been a slow course. Today, my tummy isn't feeling too good. The x-ray shows that there appears to be some air in it, and I am having a hard time getting comfortable. Overall, I am doing a little better... but still have a long journey ahead of me. On Thursday, my sister was able to come into the NICU and meet me for the first time. It was nice to know that everyone is pulling for me. Keep the prayers and love coming... thank you so much!!!  

September 1, 2011

Things here are not going well. After the weekend, the CO2 in Alexander's blood went way up. The doctors were unable to get it back down on the conventional vent... so they placed him back on the oscillator and started another round of steroids. Unfortunatly, Alexander has not responded the way we all hoped. He is currently on very high vent settings and 100% oxygen. The doctor says there is a small chance it could be an infection and has started antibiotics in case... but he believes that his lungs may be starting to fail. Time is the only thing that will tell. Alexander needs all the help he can get to pull through right now.

August 28, 2011

Tomorrow I will be four months old! Over the past week I have lived through an earthquake and a huricane. Neither of which cause any problems for me... and thankfully, my parents. However, I have had a rough week breathing. I had to be put back on the ventilator to help me breath. They are not sure why I keep slipping back and needing so much more support, but the CO2 in my blood is too high. They have tried many different medications, yet none of them seem to be working. Yesterday, they looked at my blood and found that the chloride is too low, and they are saying this could cause my CO2 to be too high. They adjusted the sodium chloride supplement that I receive and increased it quite a bit. It will take two or three days to get all of that leveled out in my body to see if that is the problem, and then hopefully the CO2 will come down. In the meantime, I am sleeping well and trying to grow new lung tissues!
After the hurricane, many trees were knocked down. A huge tree fell across the road right in front of my parents house... but mom says that she went outside to check on my tree (the baby maple tree planted for me as a gift from Betty and Tom) and that baby tree looks great. It must be a sign that things are going to be ok!

August 23, 2011

As the summer comes to an end... I have to say thank you to some amazing people. The Praxair Cancer Center ladies are more amazing than I could imagine! Last week, they held a "grandma" shower for my grandma! I am sure she was very suprised, but she has told me that there are beautiful gifts and thoughts waiting for me in Connecticut. Thank you so much for thinking of me so often and helping me to make it through the first months of my life!!! You are amazing ladies whom I can not wait to have the honor of meeting!

This is the amazing diaper cake that is waiting for me from my grandma shower!

August 20, 2011

Yesterday was my sixteen week birthday. As my grandpa says... I am now actually two weeks old (based on my due date). Again, the NICU has proven to be a roller coaster for me and I am currently back on the CPAP for my breathing. I was on the nasal canuale for two weeks... which is longer than the first time. Hopefully this will be a short break and I can get back to the canuale soon. The postive thing is that in this time, I have grown quite a bit. I am now 4 pounds 8.4 ounces! It is hard to think that sixteen weeks ago, I was only 1 pound 6 ounces... fighting daily for my life. I don't feel that I am fighting for my life any longer... now it is a fight to get home to my family. So many people have stepped up and supported my parents and me throughout the past few months. My mom goes back to work in a week, and I know that is going to be really hard. Just think... next summer I will be home, visiting all my family and friends... hopefully taking a trip to CT and meeting all those who have shown such amazing love to me! I look foward to it!

August 14, 2011

I know that it has been a while since this has been updated... but things have been very busy for me!  I am still in my big boy crib and am doing fine regualting my own temperature. I am also eating two bottles a day now, and doing a good job with them. In addition, I am four pounds... and today they are trying me on the low flow nasal canuale. If I am going to come home on oxygen, this is the type of canuale that it would be... so far I am doing really well on it! I hope to be home with mom and dad soon. I will try and keep everyone posted a little better... and will post some new pictures this week!!!

August 3, 2011

Greetings from the NICU. Things have been going very well for me. In the past week I have been able to come back off the vent... AND... was put back on the nasal canuale on Monday. I am much happier to have the small prongs instead of the large ones from the CPAP machine. Since I have been feeling pretty good, I have had many visitors to the NICU. Mom and dad hold me many times a day, and even visitors are able to hold me too. Today, they moved me into the big crib bed. No more isolate. As long as I can maintain my body temperature I will be able to stay in the crib and be much more social. Overall... things are going well!