Micaiah NICU Day 9 (11.30)

Weight: 6 lbs 3 oz

Breathing: This morning they tried to take him off the oxygen. He last about an hour before they put him back. At the end of the day, he was on 75cc. This is just like a tiny puff of air. I joked with the respiratory therapist that we should just turn it off & leave his cannula in to trick him. They're going to continue weaning him by 25cc to get him down to nothing.
His nurse said she thought they'd watch him a couple days after he is off all oxygen.

Feedings: He took all of his feeds well today. He nursed twice & did great the last time. He choked once when he took a bottle, but he was eating way too fast.

Wesley stayed home working with his dad & keeping Hannah Kate today. She took an hour to go to sleep at nap time. He had to spank her four times for getting up. Tonight I asked if she had a good nap & she said "lay down! Spankin'" ---At least she knows why she got a spanking!
She is ready to stay home & she's sick. We are afraid she has bronchitis. :(

God has a way of showing you how good you really have it. I was all disappointed with Micaiah's lack of cooperation with his oxygen. There was a new baby admitted to the NICU & just as his mom started feeding him he had a seizure. I'm sure she was scared to death. Praying now for him & that Micaiah would also decide to be a little more cooperative!

Micaiah NICU Day 8 (11.29)

Weight: 2790g~6 lbs 2 oz

Breathing: he was taken off oxygen around 11am. He did pretty well most of the day. Today the monitor/alarms were making me a nervous wreck though. He had a couple of moments when his oxygen saturation dropped (desat), but it was when he was eating or trying to poop. His nurse said they weren't chartable offenses. When I called before bed, I found out that he had a couple of spells in a row where he dropped to the 60s (really not good) & had to be put back on oxygen to recover. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. This means that they probably won't let him go home until Sunday IF everything goes well. His nurse had said today that she thought they'd want to watch him a "few" more days. Wesley is supposed to go back to work Monday.

Feedings: He is still doing great with his bottles & he nursed twice today (he did okay).

Micaiah NICU Day 7 (11.28)

Weight: 2760g~6 lbs 1 oz

Breathing: 0.5 liter flow regular nasal cannula (straight oxygen)
The words of the respiratory therapist were, "He picked the wrong time to be sat-ing in the high 80s...... The doctor was standing right there." His oxygen saturation had been in the low 90s-high 80s (occasionally) & if he hasn't done that when the doctor was at his bed this morning, he probably wouldn't have had to go back on oxygen. Ugh. He had one desat this morning, but after they suctioned him out, he was fine. They're supposed to take him back off of oxygen in the morning.

Feedings: 55mL every three hours
He took all of his bottles great & nursed one time.

He got a good hour of mommy cuddles today which is the longest yet. Right before I got him out, he was wide awake & had terrible hiccups. He calmed down once I got him.

The earliest we can go home will be Friday & that's only if they take him off oxygen in the morning. I'm praying that all will go smoothly so that will happen. Wesley has to go back to work Monday.

My doctor's office called to tell me the pathology report came back & it WAS a 2 vessel cord. There was a debate over that in the OR. At least we didn't spend $1400 at Vanderbilt for nothing!

I'm so thankful for Scarlett, one of Hannah Kate's NICU nurses. She keeps texting to check on Micaiah & offer suggestions if there's something she thinks of. :) We miss our Vanderbilt nurses, but were thankful for the ones here as well. We haven't had any that we really don't like.

Hannah Kate is very much over all of this & she's still sick. :( While Wesley was with Micaiah this morning, she LICKED the kids' table in the waiting room (no wonder she's sick huh?) after I said not to. I gave her a spanking & from then on she'd look at the table, stick out her tongue, & say "table....yummy....mmmmm" (but she didn't lick it again).
We are SO ready to all be home!!!

Micaiah NICU Day 6 (11.27)

Weight: 2730g~6lbs
Breathing: VapoTherm 1 liter, 21%........until 4:30pm, then nothing!!
Feedings: 55mL every three hours
At 11:30am, Micaiah got his first bottle (given by Daddy). We didn't think anything about him taking the whole thing. He took 34mL & the rest went down his feeding tube. At 2:30pm, I looked at him & saw that he'd pulled his feeding tube out. Apparently, he was informing us that he didn't need it. I gave him the bottle. I had told his nurse how Wesley was so good at giving Hannah Kate her bottles that she wouldn't eat for me, etc. Micaiah then proceeded to take all 55mL. His nurse made a big deal about how he ate better for me & we were going to have to be sure Wesley knew, etc. since he had done so well, his nurse took away his feeding tube completely. At 5:30pm, he took the whole bottle again (this time with no oxygen support!)! He did great with his breathing & recovered well from getting choked one time. 2 points for Micaiah & Mommy & 1 point for Micaiah & Daddy! :)

When we arrived this morning, his nurse had fixed his bed up all cute. It made me so happy. I'm pretty sure that's why he had such a good day!

His nurse today said a realistic expectation is going home in 3-5 days. Later, she said she'd see us when she came back Friday & "or maybe not!"

Hannah Kate stayed with Nana this morning, so Wesley & I were both able to be there for the first bottle. She is so over this back & forth. Her runny nose is back & way worse, she didn't get a good nap this afternoon & was way whiney tonight. I hate to take her down there tomorrow. We will see how she is in the morning, but I may just have to stay here with her & let Wesley go.

My phone posts the pictures all out of order :(

Micaiah NICU Day 5 (11.26.12)

Weight: 2660g~5 lbs 14 oz
Length: 49cm
Head circumference: 33.2cm

Breathing: He had a few spells where his oxygen saturation dropped, so he was turned back up to 2 liters pressure on VapoTherm. He stayed at 21% oxygen flow all day (same as room air). He has to be on 1 liter to be able to try to nurse or take a bottle. I think he just wore himself out over the weekend. Hopefully, he will be back on 1 liter soon. He still had spells yesterday, a couple we attributed to reflux. His nurse hoped the doctor would agree to turn him back down because it wasn't making any difference.

Feedings: His volume was increased to 55mL. We were able to talk to his doctor today & he said this will be full feedings (so it won't increase anymore). Since he is now on full feeds, they were able to stop the IV fluids & pull his IV today.
Yesterday, he was having pretty big residuals (what is left in his belly at the next feeding time), but that hadn't happened today.

We went down to the hospital for his 11:30 feeding. Wesley went back with him & I stayed in the waiting room with Hannah Kate. Then, we went to lunch & he took her home for a nap & left me there. After her nap, he brought her (& his parents) back to the hospital for Micaiah's 5:30 feeding & then we came home when the NICU closed at 6:30. Hannah Kate did really well & was really excited that we were with her today (as you can see by the picture of her insisting on holding Wesley's hand to walk around the house !)

I was able to do kangaroo care with him this afternoon (skin to skin).

Mindy & Gracie went home today. We are sooooooo thankful for them staying with Hannah Kate. AND my house is really clean now :)

Micaiah NICU Day 4. (11.25.12)

Weight: 2640g~5 lbs 13 oz
His nurse said he will continue to lose weight until he's on full feeds/no IV fluids.

Breathing: VapoTherm nasal cannula at 1 liter & 21% most of the day. He got worn out in the afternoon (had to spells of shallow breathing & desats) & had to be moved back up to 2 liters.

Feedings: 45mLs every three hours by feeding tube
Today he was able to get his first attempt at nursing since he was at 1 liter pressure. It lasted about five minutes during his tube feeding, but he did well. He can try this as often as he tolerates it & is on 1 liter pressure.
I haven't pumped enough for him to get breast milk only now that his feeds have been increased, so he's getting some formula to make up the difference. His nurse talked with the nurse practitioner about trying to avoid formula, but it was decided that we'd rather get rid of his IV fluids faster. (The other option was to increase his IV fluids to make up the difference.) He's having a hard time keeping an IV, so we want to eliminate the need for one (it's also always a risk for infection to have an IV). Some of our Vanderbilt nurses have been sweet to check on us. Scarlett texted today & said she totally agreed about the formula. That made me feel a bit better about it too.

Random :
He got moved to a big boy bed today & is wearing clothes!!

He also got moved to the "back line" in the NICU which is for less critical babies. He has new neighbors now.

His nurse today won't be back until Thursday & said she thought he'd still be there then.

I was discharged tonight. They have a low census & offered to let me "room in" for the night, but I felt like we needed to get home to Hannah Kate. It's a good thing we did because when we walked in she was hysterically crying. Mindy said she hasn't been like that the whole time we were gone, but she'd been crying & asking for Wesley for the past two hours. She had seen him twice at services, so I think that's what had caused her to start.
Once she saw us, she calmed down for the most part. She's just worn out & ready to be back in a routine with us here. I don't know how we're going to balance being with both of them. I don't feel like we need to leave her tomorrow, so I think we're going to just take her with us & take turns going in to see Micaiah.

I'm ready for us all to be home.

Micaiah NICU Day 3 (11.24)

Weight: 2740g ~ 6 lbs 0.6 oz (same as the day before)

Breathing: he was moved to VapoTherm/nasal cannula this morning, 3 Liters & has been anywhere from about 25-30s% oxygen level today (21% is room air)
When it's down to 1 Liter (I think), he can start oral feedings.

Feedings: increased to 30mL ...... YIKES! 

Since he's off of CPAP, he was able to have the heat on his bed turned off, can be swaddled and..... the best part is that we get to HOLD him! :)  

 He has hats and diapers....I think we're good to go!

 He LOVES his paci!

 This evening, Wesley went home to clean up and have Thanksgiving with everyone.  I stayed here (since I'm a patient) so I could be a mommy and got in some good cuddle time too.

I'm being discharged from the hospital tomorrow.  I am not really sure how we are going to balance everything at home and here, but hopefully we won't have to balance kids in two places for long.

NICU

Yay!!!!

I almost hyperventilated when she told me I was going to hold him. Wesley was in the waiting room with friends & I was like "I need him! & I don't even know where my phone is!" So I ran (practically....which is impressive a few days post c-section) out & was like "get in here!" We got to hold him while he was getting his tube feeding (30 minutes) & then a little longer. Fun times.