I Love a Challenge

Well, I didn't want to wait until Saturday to meet the challenge that the doctor gave me, so I decided I would work on my breathing really hard this week and it paid off. Today, they took me off the ventilator! I am now breathing entirely on my own but I am getting oxygen through a high flow cannula. So far, my oxygen saturation tests are good, so we are praying for that to continue. Mommy is really happy because she got to see me for the first time with no tape on my face. I won't show you that picture because it was a face that only a mother could love. The tape made my face a little wrinkled and funny looking from being on so long (but still cute).

My weight has gone down a little (1lb 14oz) due to the diuretics given to ward off the fluid retention brought on by the steroids, but I am still eating well and will regain the weight in no time. My nurse told us that I also have a hernia that will have to be repaired before I go home. It is something that happens occasionally in babies, and especially preemies because the muscles are not as strong as they need to be. It doesn't seem to be any big deal, so no worries.

Today, I weighed in at 2lbs 2oz, but some of this weight gain may be due to fluid retention from the steroids. Whatever, it still looks good on paper...lol. I have been doing pretty good this week, so my nurse decided that it was time for Mommy to hold me again. We had to be really careful because of the ventilator, but we made it. Gotta love my little hat. Needless to say, it was a good day for us.

Happy Monday!

Monday is usually test day around here, but thanks to all of our veterans - testing is postponed until tomorrow. Happy Memorial Day! I am still holding around 2lbs and eating well. Two exciting things happened on Saturday. I started getting some Human Milk Fortifier added to my meals to give me some extra nutrients and calories. I also started getting my steroid series to help my lungs develop. In the first 48 hours since I started, I have slowly started to wean off the vent. I am doing more of the work, instead of the machine. One of my doctors challenged me to totally wean by Saturday, so that is what I am working toward. My Grandma took some pictures of me today, so I should have some new ones uploaded some time this week.

Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood

We are celebrating my first weight gain milestone today - 2lbs!!! We are thanking the Lord that I am able to tolerate Mommy's milk because it really helps me grow. One of my buddy's here is not having so much luck in this area, so we are really blessed because digestion problems are common at this age. My respiration is another story. Seems that my lungs are not developing as fast as my doctor's would like, so they are going to help me by giving me a series of steroids starting tomorrow. These steroids have been shown to have a few undesirable side effects , but that was studied in longer term use and with much higher doses than what I am going to get. We do believe that the benefits definitely outweigh the risk and I am sure you know that my Mom has done her research and she is cool with it. I am not a fan of the ventilator and long term use can lead to lung damage and dependence. We are prayerful that everything will be fine and I should be breathing on my own within the next 7-10 days. Other than that, everything else is going well.

I have heard from so many of my blog followers and I just want to thank all of you for continuing to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We are true believers in the power of prayer, so please continue to keep us in mind. Thanks again and have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Peace and Quiet

Yay!!! My noisy neighbor is gone, so now I can get some rest. Today, I am 1lb 14oz and taking 7cc of milk every 3 hours. I go up 1cc every 24 hours, so now I am getting almost 2 ounces of milk a day. My doctor is very pleased with my eating and digestion, but she is becoming a little wary of my dependence and hesitance to wean off the ventilator. They are playing with the settings to encourage me to work on my own again and hopefully I will be able to get rid of the vent by early next week (please pray for me). This will make Mommy happy, because she can't hold me when I am on the ventilator. Other than that, things are well.

Getting Bigger

Things are pretty quiet on our end, except for my new neighbor. I really feel sorry for his parents if he cries like this when he gets home. Today, I am up to 1lb 13oz and am feeding 4cc every 3 hours. To put this into perspective, I am basically getting 1 ounce of milk a day. There are 30cc's in an ounce. As long as my digestive system keeps tolerating the milk, I will continue to get more.

Just Chillin'

Today was a pretty restful day. Well, I tried to rest as much as I could with this new hollering baby that came today. "You're in good hands dude, relax." I lost an ounce, but not to worry. I am getting twice the amount of milk now - a whopping 2cc every 3 hours. It won't be long before I am at the big boy table. The weight loss is probably attributable to the diuretic that they gave me after the blood transfusion. I did get another blood transfusion today because some of it leaked out last time.

Take a Break

Today, I gained 2 ounces, so now I am 1lb 11oz! My Mommy's milk is really helping me to grow. After being off my ventilator for 8 days, I need a break. Breathing on my own takes a lot of energy, so my doctor put my back on my ventilator. Don't worry, this is a normal occurrence for little guys like me. In fact, they said they were surprised that I lasted that long. After a couple of days, my lungs will have developed some more and hopefully enough to keep me off the ventilator for good. My nurse wanted to give Mommy some practice, so she let her change my diaper for the first time. I asked her not to take any pictures of this momentous event because I might want to be Mr. Illinois one day and wouldn't want those pictures to hurt my chances...lol.

What is Going On?

Today, I gained 2oz so now I am almost back to my birth weight, 1lb 9oz. My morning didn't start off too well. My lung xray showed that I was not using the full capacity of my lungs and this worries my doctor a little. My hemoglobin was a little low, so I got another blood transfusion. I also am showing signs of slow digestion, so they stopped my milk feedings. Good grief. Nothing major, but I just don't like having days like this. I vowed to fight back and was at least able to get my feeding privileges back by the evening. Now that's more like it.

Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3

I've gained about an ounce over the last 2 days, so now I am 1lb 7oz. I am 1 week old today and that means that I am taking all of my tests again. I also had to take an stomach xray to make sure I am not having any problems digesting the milk. And again, I passed with flying colors. This makes my parents really happy.

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, today I helped my Mommy celebrate her first Mother's Day. I made her a card and put my feet print on it. I know she loved it. I was also able to give her one of the best gifts in the world today. Because of my good behavior, my nurse let Mommy hold me for the first time. We did the Kangaroo Care hold - this is where the baby is placed on Mom or Dad's bare chest. The skin to skin contact has been shown to help infants gain weight faster, have more restful sleep and fewer episodes of apnea. Research has also shown that it also provides the baby with a feeling of protection and comfort and will help increase milk supply in breastfeeding mothers. I also had my PIC line placed today. This is a is a form of IV access that can be used for a prolonged period of time. Regular IV's have to be replaced often and have a higher risk for infection than PIC lines.

Yummy, Yummy for my Tummy

Mommy checked my weight today because people kept asking about my weight gain and she was surprised to find out that I only weighed 1lb 6oz. The doctor explained that this is normal and that all babies lose weight in the first few days. In fact, losing weight is a good indicator that my kidneys are working good to help get rid of some of the extra fluid that babies have at birth. As promised, Doc let me get a taste of Mommy's milk today. I started getting 1cc every 6 hours but progressed to 1cc every 3 hours by the end of the day. My digestive system seems to be tolerating the food, so everyone is happy.

Miss You Mommy

My Mom is going home today - I am going to miss her, but I know she will come see me everyday, so it's ok. Because I did so well on my testing, I am getting ready to move onto bigger and better things. My doctor removed one of my two umbilical catheters today and said if I was good overnight, he would let me have my first meal. Good, because I am starting to get sick of this Gatorade looking IV fluid that I've been getting. You know, it's kinda like hospital food. It's ok at first, but after a few days, you need something different.

School Already?!?!?!?

Boy, oh boy. I thought I didn't have to start school until I was 5, but you wouldn't know that considering all of the tests that I had to take today. I had an ultrasound to check for cerebral bleeding, an EKG to make sure the ticker is working properly, an xray to make sure my lungs are ok and a host of other blood tests. The wonderful thing is that I think I am going to be a rocket scientist like my Mom, because I passed everything with flying colors!!! Go Kyle, it's your birthday.

Like a Vampire

Not too much excitement today, which is a good thing. I got a blood transfusion today because my hemoglobin was low - another "preemie thing".

Easy Does It

Well, I made it through my first 24 hours and things are looking pretty good so far. The steroid injections that my Mom got to help develop my lungs last week are definitely helping. My doctor is taking me off the ventilator and I will be using a CPAP machine and getting oxygen. This is awesome, because I am not really a fan of that ventilator. The first 48-72 hours in a preemie's life are considered the "honeymoon" phase because it is usually the calm before any storms. Kinda like getting married, but what do I know....

Hello World

After 3 weeks of bed rest and a weekend of contractions, I decided that my Mommy had enough. I was ready to make my entrance. At 11:26am, I greeted my Mom and Dad. Because I was only 24 weeks and 3 days old, I only weighed 1lb and 10oz and was 12.5 inches long. Although the parents were happy to finally meet me, they were a little worried about my early arrival. Luckily, I have a wonderful team of doctors and nurses that are doing everything to help me make it through difficult time. I am stable, but I do need a little help with my breathing, so they have me on a ventilator. My small size awards me the right to be called a Micro-Preemie, a baby that is under 1 3/4 pounds and is generally born before 26 weeks gestation. The next couple of months will require a lot of medical intervention, but I am ready for the fight. Some of the many difficulties that a micropreemie experiences are immature lungs, an underdeveloped digestive system, cerebral hemorrhaging, high risk of infection, incomplete feeding reflexes, severe anemia, neurological delays, physical handicaps, and long term health issues. Because of so many problems associated with being a micropreemie, medical intervention to keep micropreemies alive include biliblankets, blood pressure monitors, cardiac monitors, endotracheal tubes, isolettes, intravenous pumps & tubes, nasal CPAPs, nasal gastric tubes, nasal prongs, oxyhoods, oxygen saturation monitors, phototherapy lights, pulse oximeters, respiratory monitors, synthetic surfactant, temperature probes, UACs, ultrasounds, UVCs, and ventilators. Whew, say that 10 times real fast.