Whoa!! Big morning here in the Chuplicate room in the LeBonheur NICU!
PENNY WAS EXTUBATED THIS MORNING!!!!!
AMAZING! What an incredible feeling to be able to see your child's face without this crazy tube contraption sticking out of her mouth. Here... why don't I just show you!
Yah... she's freaking out in this picture but who wouldn't be freaking out if the tube that had been down your throat for a month finally came out. Her poor little raspy cry is warming, heart breaking and empowering all in the same. She'll be on high flow binasal canula for a while, around 3L and 30-21%(room air) O2. She's fighting stronger than ever now that she doesn't have her intubation tube and with her PICC being out due to an infection of the line, we can tell it's all making a difference. The PICC grew gram positive cocci staph epi. which is different than what she had before. She still needs her PICC so she will be getting it back in about a weeks time once she's done with her antibiotics (vancomycin.) She's still getting ursodial for her conjugated bili number, which is decreasing nicely. She's still, as from the pic above, a nice dull yellowish tint which Dr. Krishnan says will go away once her bili numbers get out of the teens and bellow 5. Her feeds were increased just a bit and are still continuous which hopefully she will begin to get switched to more "bolus" feeds.
And of course, is the NICU life, some ups must come with some downs. Last night, the nurse saw an inguinal hernia starting to develop in the upper area of Penny's left groin area. This is a common thing that occurs with preemies and might go away on it's own or if it stays the same size, can be repaired with surgery later on before discharge. If it gets worse, she'll have to go for the surgery sooner to help correct it. Also, we noticed this morning what appeared to be a dimpling or a fold of skin that looked suspicious, low on her back right above her tailbone. The doc said that this might be an indicator for tethered cord (don't look it up... there are LOTS of variables for this and i don't even know how to explain a part of it yet.) and will be further inspected on tomorrow by a spinal ultrasound. The doctor was sure it wasn't serious because the amount of movement she has in her lower limbs is quite active. So yet again our we rely on our Faithful Creator to continue knitting our baby together, whether naturally or by the bestowing of knowledge to those that medically knit.
One last cool thing about tonight! I got to kangaroo Penny for the first time!!! The same overwhelming response that i had the night I held Lydia, I had tonight with Penelope. It's an amazing feeling holding such a small human being in your arms, it truthfully is one of those things that will never happen again in life (or at least plan to happen.) There's an incredible bonding that occurs, with all parents of course, when you hold your child to your chest and feel their body against yours. It's such a strong connection that melts your heart and you can almost feel melded together. I get the baby "high" after I hold the girls, it's definitely something I'll never ever get used to and never ever want to get enough of. So awesome!
Our Lydia, she's continuing down her journey of being a "plain jane" preemie. She's battling reflux, currently, which is a very common preemie thing to deal with but to help with some of the pain she is getting some good ole heart burn meds, prevacid. She's been ordered to take PO feeds every other feed which is a huge deal for the little girl! She's never had to work so hard for food before! Well, we're not working her that hard since she gets whatever she doesn't finish afterwards by tube. She's been faithfully taking about 6cc's by bottle and about that much from mom, naturally. She's learning the key principle suck, swallow, breath much better and best when she's breast feeding. I've been giving her bottle feeds once a shift so it's nice to be able to get some baby bonding time that way. She's being a champ eater and a champ pooper! She has this honed sense of timing that whenever I'm holding her, she knows she's comfortable enough just to give me a big ole stinky poo. Grateful. Seriously, I am. Thankful for a little girl that's alive and well that will poop on me. Love it!
Specific Prayer Requests:
One last cool thing about tonight! I got to kangaroo Penny for the first time!!! The same overwhelming response that i had the night I held Lydia, I had tonight with Penelope. It's an amazing feeling holding such a small human being in your arms, it truthfully is one of those things that will never happen again in life (or at least plan to happen.) There's an incredible bonding that occurs, with all parents of course, when you hold your child to your chest and feel their body against yours. It's such a strong connection that melts your heart and you can almost feel melded together. I get the baby "high" after I hold the girls, it's definitely something I'll never ever get used to and never ever want to get enough of. So awesome!
Our Lydia, she's continuing down her journey of being a "plain jane" preemie. She's battling reflux, currently, which is a very common preemie thing to deal with but to help with some of the pain she is getting some good ole heart burn meds, prevacid. She's been ordered to take PO feeds every other feed which is a huge deal for the little girl! She's never had to work so hard for food before! Well, we're not working her that hard since she gets whatever she doesn't finish afterwards by tube. She's been faithfully taking about 6cc's by bottle and about that much from mom, naturally. She's learning the key principle suck, swallow, breath much better and best when she's breast feeding. I've been giving her bottle feeds once a shift so it's nice to be able to get some baby bonding time that way. She's being a champ eater and a champ pooper! She has this honed sense of timing that whenever I'm holding her, she knows she's comfortable enough just to give me a big ole stinky poo. Grateful. Seriously, I am. Thankful for a little girl that's alive and well that will poop on me. Love it!
Specific Prayer Requests:
- Penny's lungs to continue getting stronger especially now that she's on hi flow canula
- Penny's hernia to either go away on it's own or to stay small and get fixed later.
- Penny's "dimpling" or "tethered cord" whatever it might be, and for it to be not an issue or something easily fixed.
- Penny & Lydia to continue tolerating their feeds and their little stomachs to handle it properly so that they don't have to battle with NEC.
- Lydia to continue figuring out suck, swallow, breath
- Lydia to not have any issues due to her reflux.
- For all the doctors, nurses and specialists that come to see the kiddos, that we may present to them a character of Christ and a posture of love and respect for what they do.
- For our continued sanity as we begin the process of preparing our home to receive these little ones and prepare our minds to have children not in the hospital!
- For us to continually be grateful for the prayers, blessings, food, gifts, and time that people have invested in these little lives and us.
And now... for something completely different.
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| "Oh yea...check me out" |
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| Give her a minute, Little Miss Flower, she'll blow that smile right off your face |
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| Sweet innocent Penny |
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| Penny attempting to take matters into her own hands with this whole extubation debate Lydia's First Outfit Lydia's Bath Tour of Our NICU World |
1 comment:
You know that I'm praying for you two and the twins for a while and I'm not gonna stop. God bless you guys.
Everything will be ok! :D Much love to you and your family.
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