Jaeden has taken a big step today. The central line has been removed. Yesssss!!!!! That's one less thing inside him. How exciting!!! He is up to 25 cc's of breastmilk and is now taking his medicine by mouth. He is still cycling on the CPAP and doing very well. It's three hours on and three hours off because the four hours is too much for him and it wears him out. He is doing very very well and we are happy.
Go Jaeden!!!!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Baby Steps
Jaeden is still looking good. He has been taking such big steps forward and so now it is time to take it a bit easy.
His feeds remain the same. They decided not to go up because his tummy is still quite full on the 19 cc's. Maybe he can go up a little tomorrow and then the planning for the removal of the central line will take place. Then it will be time to celebrate. He had to come back a bit on the nasal canula, so he is back to three hours on the canula and three hours on the CPAP. He was getting a little tired with four hours off. But that is fine. We have to take baby steps but we will get to where we need to be. Right, Jae? He hates the CPAP and boy does he let you know.
All in all he is doing great. In addition, although I am very concerned for my son and I want him to get well soon and I want him to be healthy, there are so many babies and families going through so much worse. My heart goes out to them and I am very appreciative. Generally speaking, even though we think we have it bad, there is someone who has it worse. I am encouraged by the other mothers of the babies in the same unit where Jaeden is at. There are mothers going through it and yet they always have a smile on their face, they are strong and their faith is so impressive. I dare not complain, but find that much more strength to move forward, trust in God and know he has blessings in store for not only me, but the other mothers and the babies who also face similar challenges. God bless you all!
His feeds remain the same. They decided not to go up because his tummy is still quite full on the 19 cc's. Maybe he can go up a little tomorrow and then the planning for the removal of the central line will take place. Then it will be time to celebrate. He had to come back a bit on the nasal canula, so he is back to three hours on the canula and three hours on the CPAP. He was getting a little tired with four hours off. But that is fine. We have to take baby steps but we will get to where we need to be. Right, Jae? He hates the CPAP and boy does he let you know.
All in all he is doing great. In addition, although I am very concerned for my son and I want him to get well soon and I want him to be healthy, there are so many babies and families going through so much worse. My heart goes out to them and I am very appreciative. Generally speaking, even though we think we have it bad, there is someone who has it worse. I am encouraged by the other mothers of the babies in the same unit where Jaeden is at. There are mothers going through it and yet they always have a smile on their face, they are strong and their faith is so impressive. I dare not complain, but find that much more strength to move forward, trust in God and know he has blessings in store for not only me, but the other mothers and the babies who also face similar challenges. God bless you all!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
What a Good Boy!
Jaeden is on his best behavior. He keeps taking those steps forward and doing very nicely. Today, he was just the cutest little thing, laying in the fetal position, on his nasal canula and off the photo therapy. So, so, so cute!!!!!
Let's see...he's on 19 cc's, knowing already when it is time to eat. He gets to working those lips and that tongue sucking away. Today he was awake during feeding time, so the nurse put the pacifier in his mouth, so he would associate the sucking with his belly getting full as the milk goes directly to his stomach through the feeding tube. His IV is down to 2. We found out today that full feeds for Jaeden and his size is 25 cc's. So we have 6 more to go.
The cycling is moving along quite well. He is on the nasal canula for 4 hrs and on CPAP for 2 hrs. Great Progress!!!! I held Jaeden today and he was impressive...very quiet, calm and remained stable. There weren't too many tricks or alarms on the monitor. He was a very good boy.
I am continuously prayerful, hopeful and cheering Jaeden on as makes great strides.
Let's see...he's on 19 cc's, knowing already when it is time to eat. He gets to working those lips and that tongue sucking away. Today he was awake during feeding time, so the nurse put the pacifier in his mouth, so he would associate the sucking with his belly getting full as the milk goes directly to his stomach through the feeding tube. His IV is down to 2. We found out today that full feeds for Jaeden and his size is 25 cc's. So we have 6 more to go.
The cycling is moving along quite well. He is on the nasal canula for 4 hrs and on CPAP for 2 hrs. Great Progress!!!! I held Jaeden today and he was impressive...very quiet, calm and remained stable. There weren't too many tricks or alarms on the monitor. He was a very good boy.
I am continuously prayerful, hopeful and cheering Jaeden on as makes great strides.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Movin' On Up
Things continue to move forward. Jaeden is up to 17 cc's, weighing almost 3.2 lbs. The IV is down to 2.5. The cycling is up to 3 hrs. on and 3 hrs. off CPAP and he is doing very well with the transition. I believe we may be saying goodbye to CPAP in the near future. Go Jaeden!!!!! His bilirubin went up a little bit but not enough to go back under the light therapy. He will be tested again on Sunday.
I know this is supposed to be about Jaeden, but I would like to acknowlege his wonderful roommates in the NICU. I also ask that you would pray for them specifically. They are Baby Stokes (sorry I do not know his first name), Tristan, and Annie. They are some little babies fighting a very big fight. They are admirable and quite amazing as they continue to fight and they accomplish so many things as little as they are. God Bless them all. Jaeden has great company. They all will have quite a story to tell.
I know this is supposed to be about Jaeden, but I would like to acknowlege his wonderful roommates in the NICU. I also ask that you would pray for them specifically. They are Baby Stokes (sorry I do not know his first name), Tristan, and Annie. They are some little babies fighting a very big fight. They are admirable and quite amazing as they continue to fight and they accomplish so many things as little as they are. God Bless them all. Jaeden has great company. They all will have quite a story to tell.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Good Times
Oh what a day!!!! Jaeden weighs 3.1 lbs!!!!! Baby boy is getting up there. How great is that. He is up to 15 cc's which translates to close to 4 oz. a day. Woo hoo!!! Jaeden actually fusses when it is time for feeding which is good because he does know he is hungry and that it is time to get something in that little stomach of his. He was off the light therapy. His cycling is now 2 hrs off and 4 hrs on CPAP. I was able to hold him for the 2 hrs. he was off. We did much better today than yesterday. From 15 mins to 2 hrs was MARVELOUS!!!!!! He did feel some type of way when he had to go back into his isolette. That's ok little squirm, I will be there tomorrow and we can do a repeat. ;-) Daddy, made it on time to see him out the isolette but he was not ready to hold him. Still too scared to hold him because he's small.
Jaeden remains comfy cozy and happy. He continues to take steps forward and making wonderful progress. He's happy, the nurses are happy and we're happy!!!!!
Hasta Manana, Papito!!!!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Miracles are Great!!!
First and foremost, I must give thanks to Almighty God, for what he has done!!!! He is amazing and truly awesome. There is no one better than him.
Today, I went to see my lil man. OMG!!!! What it took to get there, was something else. It was my first time since April 1st, that I walked to the train to commute to the city. Good Lord, can I just say that the devil is busy and he was truly trying to steal my joy. But I remained focused on the prize. I have not seen Jaeden since Sunday and I promised that I would go and see him today. Mommy was following through on her word, baby! Since the c-section, I have not attempted to take the train at all, so I did not know what to expect. Man it was hot out there today. Kiara and I embarked on the mission. Well, let me tell you....my first train took about 15 mins to come because I had just missed the train as I was walking down the steps. We stood in the heat waiting and we were very happy to get on the air conditioned train when it did arrive. When we got out at the WTC, coming off the PATH, the walk to exit out the station was ridiculous, and due to all the construction, it was a journey and a half to get to the subway. We get there and now there are delays because of a smoke condition and the trains stopped running. The train came and we made it to 77th St. As I'm walking now my knee starts to hurt to the point where I feel I almost cannot walk. I prayed and ask God to please get me to the NICU because I knew once I got there I could sit and I would be ok when I saw Jaeden's little face. I mustered every bit of strength and energy within me to push myself and make it to the hospital with my knee killing me.
OH HOW IT WAS ALL SOOOO WORTH IT!!!!!
Kiara and I made it to the NICU. Yessss!!!
Now Jaeden....is doing phenomenally well. This little guy is blowing my mind. Thank you Father. Thank you everyone for your prayers, thoughts and well wishes. God is listening, and he is working out a miracle through Jaeden. This baby is progressing amazingly well. He looks FANTASTIC. He is weighing in at 2 lbs 15 oz. My man is a pound shy of 3. Do you have any idea how great that is? That is a milestone. He is eating 13 cc's every three hours and tolerating the milk well. His IV has been decreased since his feeds are going so good. Possibly, tomorrow, he will go up to 15 cc's. To be at full feeds, he will need to be up to 20 cc's. Yes, we are almost there. He is still under phototherapy. It's normal and his bilirubin has gone down. Since there is the constant back and forth with the phototherapy, they decided they would keep him under the lights and wait for it to go down some more. The head ultrasound was done today and formally read by the radiologist. The IVH remains at a Grade II. No change at all, which is good news because that means it is not getting any worse. There is nothing interfering with his spinal fluid, and that is great news. They said it as he gets bigger, the blood may be absorbed and resolve itself. It takes patience as they continue to monitor him and follow-up on the bleed. So we will continue to take it one day at a time.
The time has come, where they have begun cycling him off the CPAP. He is given one hour off the CPAP and then put on the nasal canula. Then he is put back on the CPAP for 4-5 hours. We're taking baby steps but all of this is amazing. JAEDEN IS DOING THIS BIG!!!!!!!
Now, get a load of this!!!! TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS GIVEN THE CHANCE TO HOLD MY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have not been able to fully put into words just how it felt. I was so thankful. I was proud. I was happy. I did not cry then, but I am fighting back the tears now as I type. Today, was the very first time I held my son. God is good!!!! It was extremely exciting. I believe Jaeden was excited also. For me to hold him, they took him off the CPAP at his scheduled time, of course, and put him on the nasal canula. When the nurse placed him in my arms, I was overcome with joy. I talked to Jaeden and told him how proud I am of him and how much of a soldier he is. He opened up his eyes and looked directly at me and he smiled and coo'd. It was truly the best thing to experience. I got to hold my baby for about 15 minutes and it was the best 15 minutes ever. I am ever so grateful for them.
So, I close this post, saying the train ride was so worth it!!!! And I will be doing it again tomorrow so I can get another 15 minutes. Jaeden I love you!!! Until tomorrow, God willing!!!!
Look at God!!!!! ;-)
Today, I went to see my lil man. OMG!!!! What it took to get there, was something else. It was my first time since April 1st, that I walked to the train to commute to the city. Good Lord, can I just say that the devil is busy and he was truly trying to steal my joy. But I remained focused on the prize. I have not seen Jaeden since Sunday and I promised that I would go and see him today. Mommy was following through on her word, baby! Since the c-section, I have not attempted to take the train at all, so I did not know what to expect. Man it was hot out there today. Kiara and I embarked on the mission. Well, let me tell you....my first train took about 15 mins to come because I had just missed the train as I was walking down the steps. We stood in the heat waiting and we were very happy to get on the air conditioned train when it did arrive. When we got out at the WTC, coming off the PATH, the walk to exit out the station was ridiculous, and due to all the construction, it was a journey and a half to get to the subway. We get there and now there are delays because of a smoke condition and the trains stopped running. The train came and we made it to 77th St. As I'm walking now my knee starts to hurt to the point where I feel I almost cannot walk. I prayed and ask God to please get me to the NICU because I knew once I got there I could sit and I would be ok when I saw Jaeden's little face. I mustered every bit of strength and energy within me to push myself and make it to the hospital with my knee killing me.
OH HOW IT WAS ALL SOOOO WORTH IT!!!!!
Kiara and I made it to the NICU. Yessss!!!
Now Jaeden....is doing phenomenally well. This little guy is blowing my mind. Thank you Father. Thank you everyone for your prayers, thoughts and well wishes. God is listening, and he is working out a miracle through Jaeden. This baby is progressing amazingly well. He looks FANTASTIC. He is weighing in at 2 lbs 15 oz. My man is a pound shy of 3. Do you have any idea how great that is? That is a milestone. He is eating 13 cc's every three hours and tolerating the milk well. His IV has been decreased since his feeds are going so good. Possibly, tomorrow, he will go up to 15 cc's. To be at full feeds, he will need to be up to 20 cc's. Yes, we are almost there. He is still under phototherapy. It's normal and his bilirubin has gone down. Since there is the constant back and forth with the phototherapy, they decided they would keep him under the lights and wait for it to go down some more. The head ultrasound was done today and formally read by the radiologist. The IVH remains at a Grade II. No change at all, which is good news because that means it is not getting any worse. There is nothing interfering with his spinal fluid, and that is great news. They said it as he gets bigger, the blood may be absorbed and resolve itself. It takes patience as they continue to monitor him and follow-up on the bleed. So we will continue to take it one day at a time.
The time has come, where they have begun cycling him off the CPAP. He is given one hour off the CPAP and then put on the nasal canula. Then he is put back on the CPAP for 4-5 hours. We're taking baby steps but all of this is amazing. JAEDEN IS DOING THIS BIG!!!!!!!
Now, get a load of this!!!! TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS GIVEN THE CHANCE TO HOLD MY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have not been able to fully put into words just how it felt. I was so thankful. I was proud. I was happy. I did not cry then, but I am fighting back the tears now as I type. Today, was the very first time I held my son. God is good!!!! It was extremely exciting. I believe Jaeden was excited also. For me to hold him, they took him off the CPAP at his scheduled time, of course, and put him on the nasal canula. When the nurse placed him in my arms, I was overcome with joy. I talked to Jaeden and told him how proud I am of him and how much of a soldier he is. He opened up his eyes and looked directly at me and he smiled and coo'd. It was truly the best thing to experience. I got to hold my baby for about 15 minutes and it was the best 15 minutes ever. I am ever so grateful for them.
So, I close this post, saying the train ride was so worth it!!!! And I will be doing it again tomorrow so I can get another 15 minutes. Jaeden I love you!!! Until tomorrow, God willing!!!!
Look at God!!!!! ;-)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A Mother's Prayer
Dear Father,
I humbly come before you, Lord, with a sincere heart to give Thanks. Thank you for waking me up this morning. Thank you for allowing Jaeden to see another day. Thank you for being you. Thank you for my family and the love of friends and family.
Father, please give me the strength to deal with this most challenging time. God, I love Jaeden so much and I want him to be well. This is so difficult for me. It is hard for me to be strong and to appear to be strong on a regular basis. I find myself blaming myself for what has happened to my son. I feel like there has to be something that I was supposed to do or should have been doing to avoid all this. I don't know what it is, but I feel like this is all my fault. Lord God, I do not know what to do. Please forgive me...I really don't know where I went wrong. I ask that my son will forgive me for doing this to him.
This is so, so, so, hard for me to handle and I do not know what to do. I have to be strong for Jaeden. I understand that, so why is this so hard. Why does this hurt so much. Father, I have faith that things are going to turn out well, I believe that you will make things better, I believe in you so much, so why am I in so much pain. I have so many ups and downs. The mood swings are ridiculous. I need order in my life. I feel so lost. I don't know which way to turn.
Lord God, I pray for my husband, who is also hurting. He is going through it as well. I know he is deeply affected by all that is going on also. I know he has a lot to do and he cannot necessarily do what he wants when he wants. I know he would like to be with Jaeden more often but can't due to the fact that he must work. I know he does the best he can to juggle everything and still have some semblance of normalcy. Please give him strength and it is my hope that he will not break down. I pray for our sanity.
Father, I leave all this in your hands, trusting in you. May your will take place.
Please continue to watch over Jaeden. I'm looking forward to the day that I can bring home a happy, healthy, Jaeden home.
I ask all these things, in the name of Jesus.
AMEN!!!!!!!!
I humbly come before you, Lord, with a sincere heart to give Thanks. Thank you for waking me up this morning. Thank you for allowing Jaeden to see another day. Thank you for being you. Thank you for my family and the love of friends and family.
Father, please give me the strength to deal with this most challenging time. God, I love Jaeden so much and I want him to be well. This is so difficult for me. It is hard for me to be strong and to appear to be strong on a regular basis. I find myself blaming myself for what has happened to my son. I feel like there has to be something that I was supposed to do or should have been doing to avoid all this. I don't know what it is, but I feel like this is all my fault. Lord God, I do not know what to do. Please forgive me...I really don't know where I went wrong. I ask that my son will forgive me for doing this to him.
This is so, so, so, hard for me to handle and I do not know what to do. I have to be strong for Jaeden. I understand that, so why is this so hard. Why does this hurt so much. Father, I have faith that things are going to turn out well, I believe that you will make things better, I believe in you so much, so why am I in so much pain. I have so many ups and downs. The mood swings are ridiculous. I need order in my life. I feel so lost. I don't know which way to turn.
Lord God, I pray for my husband, who is also hurting. He is going through it as well. I know he is deeply affected by all that is going on also. I know he has a lot to do and he cannot necessarily do what he wants when he wants. I know he would like to be with Jaeden more often but can't due to the fact that he must work. I know he does the best he can to juggle everything and still have some semblance of normalcy. Please give him strength and it is my hope that he will not break down. I pray for our sanity.
Father, I leave all this in your hands, trusting in you. May your will take place.
Please continue to watch over Jaeden. I'm looking forward to the day that I can bring home a happy, healthy, Jaeden home.
I ask all these things, in the name of Jesus.
AMEN!!!!!!!!
Jaeden's Update
Unfortunately, I cannot make it to the hospital today. I called today and spoke to Dr. Ellington for an update on Jaeden's progress. Fortunately, it was good news. Oh how I wish, this continues.
Jaeden is recovering from his staph infection rather well. The culture was repeated on 6/19 and it was determined the infection came out of the central line. The culture was run again on 6/22 and came back negative. Yay, for Jaeden...What a Fighter!!!!! He is stable on the CPAP! Having him weaned off the CPAP is in the near future, if he continues to progress. He is advancing on his feeds. We're up to 11 cc's. Awesome!!!! Provided he continues to do well with his feeds, the increases will continue and God willing, by the weekend, Mr. Man will be at full feeds. Did you read that right? YES!!!! FULL FEEDS!!!!! That means, the doctors will then start talking about taking out his central line. Is that phenomenal or what? God is Good!!!!! Man oh Man!!!! His blood count is stable and as long as that remains as is, he won't need another transfusion. We are at three and really would like to avoid four. He is still on Epogen to help him build his blood on his own. His bilirubin has gone up a little bit so they had to put him back under the light therapy. It's normal, though, for babies his size to go back and forth with the light therapy. The brain ultrasound has been ordered for tomorrow to follow-up on the IVH. So we wait until tomorrow to get more information on the ultrasound.
Jaeden, I miss you!! Daddy is visiting with you today and Mommy will be there tomorrow!!!!
Jaeden is recovering from his staph infection rather well. The culture was repeated on 6/19 and it was determined the infection came out of the central line. The culture was run again on 6/22 and came back negative. Yay, for Jaeden...What a Fighter!!!!! He is stable on the CPAP! Having him weaned off the CPAP is in the near future, if he continues to progress. He is advancing on his feeds. We're up to 11 cc's. Awesome!!!! Provided he continues to do well with his feeds, the increases will continue and God willing, by the weekend, Mr. Man will be at full feeds. Did you read that right? YES!!!! FULL FEEDS!!!!! That means, the doctors will then start talking about taking out his central line. Is that phenomenal or what? God is Good!!!!! Man oh Man!!!! His blood count is stable and as long as that remains as is, he won't need another transfusion. We are at three and really would like to avoid four. He is still on Epogen to help him build his blood on his own. His bilirubin has gone up a little bit so they had to put him back under the light therapy. It's normal, though, for babies his size to go back and forth with the light therapy. The brain ultrasound has been ordered for tomorrow to follow-up on the IVH. So we wait until tomorrow to get more information on the ultrasound.
Jaeden, I miss you!! Daddy is visiting with you today and Mommy will be there tomorrow!!!!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Making Progress
Jaeden is doing well. He is up to 9 cc's every three hours. He is going to be moved from his warmer to an isolette. The nurses said he has graduated. That's always good news. Lil man has been behaving and we pray it continues.
I, of course, am going through it. Today I was unable to get to the hospital to see him. The weekend was very busy and I have to relax and recover from this wicked c-section. Feelings of guilt often overcome me no matter how much I try to fight it. I just hope that Jaeden knows it is because I am physically unable to do so, not because I don't want to. I want so much to be there every single day. I'm sorry honey. I love you soooo much and I miss you even more!!!!! I will be there soon, I promise!!!!
I, of course, am going through it. Today I was unable to get to the hospital to see him. The weekend was very busy and I have to relax and recover from this wicked c-section. Feelings of guilt often overcome me no matter how much I try to fight it. I just hope that Jaeden knows it is because I am physically unable to do so, not because I don't want to. I want so much to be there every single day. I'm sorry honey. I love you soooo much and I miss you even more!!!!! I will be there soon, I promise!!!!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Getting Better and Better
Jaeden continues to look great. He was off the lights today, resting well and happy as a clam. He is getting bigger. His feeds are up to 7 cc's. That's what I'm talking about. What a cutie petutie. Jaeden is fighting off the staph infection rather well.
Today, Jaeden would only open his eyes for Daddy. I think he wanted to play peek-a-boo because when I came back he would close his eyes. It was the funniest thing.
Kiara touched him for the first time. She has been hesitant all this time. Looking at him was good enough for her. I think she was very happy to finally touch him.
He continues to rest, behave, eat and do all things as he should. Rest up Jaeden!!! We are patiently waiting for you. Take your time. We love you and miss you dearly. We all are anxious for you to come home but we want you to be healthy and well. Smooches, baby boy!!!!!
Today, Jaeden would only open his eyes for Daddy. I think he wanted to play peek-a-boo because when I came back he would close his eyes. It was the funniest thing.
Kiara touched him for the first time. She has been hesitant all this time. Looking at him was good enough for her. I think she was very happy to finally touch him.
He continues to rest, behave, eat and do all things as he should. Rest up Jaeden!!! We are patiently waiting for you. Take your time. We love you and miss you dearly. We all are anxious for you to come home but we want you to be healthy and well. Smooches, baby boy!!!!!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Go Jaeden!!!!
OK I am going to try my best to put this into words. Today was simply phenomenal. Jaeden made our day. He was on his best behavior. He did all the things he is supposed to do. He was laying on his stomach and he looked so peaceful and comfortable, just like a little angel. It looks like that might be his favorite position.
Kathy was his nurse today. She asked me if I ever held Jaeden, which of course, the answer was No. With him on the CPAP it makes it difficult for that to happen. But I am patiently waiting for the day that get to hold my lil man. I did, however, get to place my hand beneathe his head and cup his legs close to him. His reaction was nothing like I could have ever imagined. He opened up both his eyes, looked directly at me and it appeared like he actually smiled. OMG, my heart melted right on the spot. I told him he was amazing and God is definitely watching over him. HE LOOKS GREAT!!!!!!
Jaeden is fighting off the staph infection, which was confirmed today. The other two antibiotics were taken off and now he is only on one. He will be on it for about 7-10 days, so we hope that it will clear by this coming Wednesday. He is doing really well with the antibiotics thus far. Stay tuned!
His feeds are up to 5 cc's every three hours. His weight is up to 2 lbs. 12 oz. We're getting close to 3 lbs. Daddy fed him for the first time and it was truly touching to see. Jaeden knows his Daddy's voice and reacts in a way that takes your breath away. They made the eye contact and it was awesome. He made Daddy's day!!!! ;-)
Kathy was his nurse today. She asked me if I ever held Jaeden, which of course, the answer was No. With him on the CPAP it makes it difficult for that to happen. But I am patiently waiting for the day that get to hold my lil man. I did, however, get to place my hand beneathe his head and cup his legs close to him. His reaction was nothing like I could have ever imagined. He opened up both his eyes, looked directly at me and it appeared like he actually smiled. OMG, my heart melted right on the spot. I told him he was amazing and God is definitely watching over him. HE LOOKS GREAT!!!!!!
Jaeden is fighting off the staph infection, which was confirmed today. The other two antibiotics were taken off and now he is only on one. He will be on it for about 7-10 days, so we hope that it will clear by this coming Wednesday. He is doing really well with the antibiotics thus far. Stay tuned!
His feeds are up to 5 cc's every three hours. His weight is up to 2 lbs. 12 oz. We're getting close to 3 lbs. Daddy fed him for the first time and it was truly touching to see. Jaeden knows his Daddy's voice and reacts in a way that takes your breath away. They made the eye contact and it was awesome. He made Daddy's day!!!! ;-)
Today was an exciting day and left us both on Cloud 9. We are grateful for today and give praise to God. He is awesome and is working wonders with our little guy. Thank you Father!!!!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Looking Good
I'm so happy to say that today Jaeden looked great. He was moving around, stretching, had his eyes open...correction, one eye open. ;-) Overall, he is amazing and working towards getting better, getting strong and a day closer to coming home.
He did have another blood transfusion because his hematocrit (red blood cell count) was low and it needed to come up some. He did well with the transfusion and it shows. His bilirubin is lower but he is still under the light. When we visited him today, they allowed him off the lights for a little while. That is how we got to see him with his eyes open until he felt enough was enough and then he went back to resting. I imagine getting a blood transfusion can be tiring for a little guy. Jaeden did gain a couple ounces from his birth weight. I knew I wasn't crazy when I said my baby looks like he was a little bigger. They put him back on the breastmilk, starting him back on 2 cc's and by tonight they will get him up to 4 cc's, every three hours. As long as he continues to do well with his feedings, he will fatten up and we are in business.
Tomorrow, the results should come in making a definite identification as to what kind of infection he has. The nurse practitioner said her guess is a staph infection, which is common due to his size and due to the central line. If that is the case, they will treat him with antibiotics and he should fight it off fairly quickly. He continues to be on BiPap and doing well. No apnea episodes. I guess he is following through on our agreement that he is not to scare Mommy too much. So far so good.
It was great to see him doing well and looking great!!! Keep up the great work Jaeden!!!!!
Tomorrow, the results should come in making a definite identification as to what kind of infection he has. The nurse practitioner said her guess is a staph infection, which is common due to his size and due to the central line. If that is the case, they will treat him with antibiotics and he should fight it off fairly quickly. He continues to be on BiPap and doing well. No apnea episodes. I guess he is following through on our agreement that he is not to scare Mommy too much. So far so good.
It was great to see him doing well and looking great!!! Keep up the great work Jaeden!!!!!
Happy 2 weeks, Jaeden!!
The saying holds true: time flies!! It doesn't seem like it's been 2 whole weeks since the Lord blessed our family with Jaeden Kai. I got a chance to see my godson today, although I didn't get to spend too much time with him. As usual, he was his little active, squirmy self. He kept giving us the one-eyed look and falling asleep. I played with his little toes and rubbed his arms. This was only the second time I've done that. I was too nervous before, but I finally did it. You can't resist for too long. I love watching him stretch and kick. For a baby so small, he moves around a lot!!
Over the past 2 weeks, he has been poked with more needles and had to endure more tests than the average adult does in 2 years. That's what makes him and all the other preemies so special. They go through so much so quickly, more than their little bodies can handle. Hence the good days and not-so-good days that Carmen mentioned before. Today Jaeden was having a good day!!
I pray for that little man all the time. I want him to get healthier, bigger and stronger so his Mom and Dad can take him home. I know this isn't easy for them but their faith and belief in God is carrying them through. When that day finally does come, let the celebrations begin!! 6 weeks and counting!!
I'm grateful to be a part of Jaeden's blog and look forward to sharing more stories about his journey.
Over the past 2 weeks, he has been poked with more needles and had to endure more tests than the average adult does in 2 years. That's what makes him and all the other preemies so special. They go through so much so quickly, more than their little bodies can handle. Hence the good days and not-so-good days that Carmen mentioned before. Today Jaeden was having a good day!!
I pray for that little man all the time. I want him to get healthier, bigger and stronger so his Mom and Dad can take him home. I know this isn't easy for them but their faith and belief in God is carrying them through. When that day finally does come, let the celebrations begin!! 6 weeks and counting!!
I'm grateful to be a part of Jaeden's blog and look forward to sharing more stories about his journey.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Some days are good; some are not so good
Well, the nurses did say there will be "not so good" days. Yesterday, was a true testimony to that. Jaeden, did so well from birth, but yesterday was his first "not so good" day. His apnea was acting up. He had a few episodes. Dr. Ellington, the neonatologist, said it could be due to an infection. My poor baby had to endure a spinal tap, more blood work and a urine culture. He was put back on three sets of antibiotics. Depending on what comes back from the cultures, Jaeden may be on the antibiotics for three days or seven days. We await the results of the tests and see what comes back.
Jaeden's head ultrasound to monitor his Intraventricular Hemmoraghe (IVH) has not been formally read, however, Dr. Ellington did mention that there has not been any significant change from the first ultrasound. That is a good thing. There is no enlargement of the ventricles. There is no edema. He remains at a grade II, with the left ventrical being greater than the right. There is definitely no PVL, which is a great thing. They will have to continue to monitor him and he will be tested on a weekly basis. We remain, extremely prayerful!!!!!!
To see him today, was very difficult. He seemed somewhat lethargic and rightfully so. He had a rough day. The antibiotics were already started and he was responding well to them. He was taken off the breastmilk, which by the way, we were up to 7 cc's every three hours and today he was supposed to go up to 9 cc's. Once he gets better, they will resume the feedings. For right now, it will take up a lot of his energy and we need him to use that to get better and fight off whatever infection it is that he may have. Today, Grandma and Kiara saw him. When Daddy came in to see him, he had a little more movement going on and he looked a little better. Guess those antibiotics are doing him right.
Today, he has taken a step in the right direction. He is officially 30 weeks, gestational age, today. Yayyy for Mr. Jaeden. His spinal tap came back normal. His blood, however, did show something positive. It has not been determined what exactly, but there is something there that we need to get rid of. Once it is known exactly what it is that's growing, then he can be given the antibiotic specific to the infection and he may be removed from the other two. It's all about precaution. His blood count is low, therefore, he will have to get another blood transfusion today. He was put on the bipap at 22% to give a little more pressure to assist him to breathe. His bilirubin is down from yesterday, but not enough to remove the phototherapy. The good news is that he is doing better than yesterday. His apnea is not acting up and he is not lethargic. The nurse said he was chewing away at the tube in his mouth. That's a good sign.
Daddy went to see him today, after work, along with a couple visitors. Auntie Patricia and Jose visited with Jaeden for the first time. Jaeden was behaving. He moved a lot and opened his eyes. He told Daddy to tell Mommy, he is fine and we have six more weeks.
Jaeden's head ultrasound to monitor his Intraventricular Hemmoraghe (IVH) has not been formally read, however, Dr. Ellington did mention that there has not been any significant change from the first ultrasound. That is a good thing. There is no enlargement of the ventricles. There is no edema. He remains at a grade II, with the left ventrical being greater than the right. There is definitely no PVL, which is a great thing. They will have to continue to monitor him and he will be tested on a weekly basis. We remain, extremely prayerful!!!!!!
To see him today, was very difficult. He seemed somewhat lethargic and rightfully so. He had a rough day. The antibiotics were already started and he was responding well to them. He was taken off the breastmilk, which by the way, we were up to 7 cc's every three hours and today he was supposed to go up to 9 cc's. Once he gets better, they will resume the feedings. For right now, it will take up a lot of his energy and we need him to use that to get better and fight off whatever infection it is that he may have. Today, Grandma and Kiara saw him. When Daddy came in to see him, he had a little more movement going on and he looked a little better. Guess those antibiotics are doing him right.
Today, he has taken a step in the right direction. He is officially 30 weeks, gestational age, today. Yayyy for Mr. Jaeden. His spinal tap came back normal. His blood, however, did show something positive. It has not been determined what exactly, but there is something there that we need to get rid of. Once it is known exactly what it is that's growing, then he can be given the antibiotic specific to the infection and he may be removed from the other two. It's all about precaution. His blood count is low, therefore, he will have to get another blood transfusion today. He was put on the bipap at 22% to give a little more pressure to assist him to breathe. His bilirubin is down from yesterday, but not enough to remove the phototherapy. The good news is that he is doing better than yesterday. His apnea is not acting up and he is not lethargic. The nurse said he was chewing away at the tube in his mouth. That's a good sign.
Daddy went to see him today, after work, along with a couple visitors. Auntie Patricia and Jose visited with Jaeden for the first time. Jaeden was behaving. He moved a lot and opened his eyes. He told Daddy to tell Mommy, he is fine and we have six more weeks.
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