8 day stay in the NICU
11•2•21 {TUESDAY}
Dr. Lum the pediatric doctor with Peds East came by to visit and said after evaluating Lera she wanted NICU to take another look at her because during her feedings her heart rate dropped to 70-80 each time.
Lera started oxygen on high flow 3 which caused them to put a feeding tube in her. They had to giver her antibiotics as a precautionary measure which caused them to do an IV. IV’s are very tricky for babies that small. They only last a day and trying to find a vein is hard.
Lera is making progress. She is about to get a PICC line so they don’t have to keep sticking her to put an IV in (today they had to stick her 5 times before they were successful and since it will only last one day this will be much better). Her little arms and head are bruised from all the sticks.😢
She had an echocardiogram today because they thought she might have a heart defect but Praise the Lord, Dr. Stamps called and said she has a small hole between the two upper chambers of her heart but he feels like it will close up over the next few weeks and she has high pressure in her lungs which is common in babies with Down Syndrome, however we are going to recheck in a week as he thinks it will be better.🙌🏼
Her oxygen is on a 2 at 21% which dropped from a 3 when she was admitted this morning.🙌🏼
She just got her glucose test changed from every 3 hours to every 12 hours (her little heals couldn’t take that many pricks.)
We just got back from visiting her, and I got to hold her while they changed her bed. They took her little eye shields off and she was wide eyed…she was so adorable!
11•3•21 {WEDNESDAY}
Look at our baby!!!! We just finished physical therapy…we learned how to keep her calm. So sweet! I finally got to change her first diaper too!! My heart is happy!
They lowered her oxygen to a 1 and upped her formula to 5cc’s. We are being discharged today. We met with the NICU doctor and he predicted Baby Lera will probably stay another week.
We walked in to see our girl and were happily surprised to see her with no mask and no bili light! The respiratory doctor measured her blood oxygen level while we were there this afternoon and came back with great news…she took Miss Lera completely off of oxygen! They took her IV out as they are using the PICC line. She took 8 cc’s while we were there! I got to change my second diaper, and it was a poopy diaper! Cody and I were discharged but our girl will stay a little more time. We are emotional leaving without her but trusting God’s plan and staying positive. We know she is in THE BEST care and getting stronger every minute! We are completely smitten with our baby girl and cannot wait for the day we bring her home!
11•4•21 {THURSDAY}
Cody visited her this morning at 4 before he went to work. She loves holding her Daddy’s finger and loves when he sings to her! She is a very calm baby naturally but gets even more calm when he is around. Melts my heart!! The night shift nurse (Bethany) said she had a great night. She had her bath and her oxygen was stable all night. They don’t even have the machine in her little cell (#19).
I snapped this as he was leaving…he said it was hard leaving her!! And I know it was!
11•5•21 {FRIDAY}
Today was a great day! Each Friday my big girls and I celebrate by getting breakfast before school. It was so good to be with them!
Olivia was Lera’s nurse. I loved on her this morning for 3 hours! My heart was so full!
Cody and I visited her tonight. They increased her feedings from 10-15cc’s! She smiled and opened her eyes several times!
11•6•21 {SATURDAY}
Cody and I got to spend 2 hours this morning morning and 3 hours tonight with our baby! We got the sweetest love and snuggles! We even had story time with Lera! Cody, Liv, Lai, and I each read her, her first books! Cody chose I Love My Daddy Because, Liv chose a few nursery rhymes, Lai chose You Are Fantastic, and I chose I Love My Mommy Because. It was pretty precious! Each morning, our nurse gives us an update on how her night went. She said she was very restless. She believes she is constipated. They increased her formula from 15 to 20cc’s. Dr. Hayden is very pleased with her progress. The cardiologist was there evaluating another baby so he came over to do a repeat echocardiogram to check to make certain her heart still looked great and her lung pressure had reduced. And….everything looked PERFECT!!! Praise the Lord!!!
Our evening visit was so special! She kept her eyes open the majority of the time! We held her and fed her and changed her and weighed her and held her some more! The doctor wanted to try a suppository to help L3’s constipation. The nurse was bicycling her legs and pushing on her tummy and Lera was holding onto to Cody’s finger and looking at him the whole time and pushing and breathing. It truly looked like she was in labor…it was so sad but amazing to watch her breath and push and hold onto Cody for support and encouragement…it looked a lot like me Tuesday morning! Ha! I did mention that I became lactose intolerant while pregnant with her and both of my other girls used soy formula. She got a little poop out but she is still restless. Our prayer is that Lera is able to poop big and get some sweet, peaceful sleep tonight.
11•7•21 {SUNDAY}
Last night they asked me if I wanted to do Kangaroo care? I had no idea what that term meant so I said well what is it? They said skin to skin…Cody and I both about came out of our skin! OF COURSE I WOULD WANT TO DO THAT!!!!
We spent three hours with her this morning. They have increased her formula from 20 to 27cc’s and lowered her fluids! They were worried about her possibly being constipated, but she pooped several times last night!🙌🏼
We went home to play with our big girls and had a fun day! When it came time for baths Liv and Lai took turns with me in our big bathtub! Then Cody and I headed to love on Lera. We made it for bath time which was so sweet! She liked the water but didn’t like being cold. I’ll get better at this swaddle bath! We brushed her hair and fed her before we left! We cannot wait to bring her home…the nurses are predicting next Sunday but of course we are praying for sooner!
11•8•21 {MONDAY}
I came to snuggle with my baby…she loves it, and I do too! I could sit here all day long!!!
Our girl looks so beautiful this morning! The Nurse Torrie said she loves to rock! Her warmer has been off since yesterday and her temp is perfect, so she is in a shirt but not her right arm due to the PICC line. The nurse thinks she might get it out today….but said the doctor might want to completely take her off of fluids and then take the line out tomorrow. She is eating like a champ and has started eating whenever she wants which is about every 2 hours!
The doctor came by and said she is doing great and that she won’t come home any sooner than Wednesday…we are so pumped! We are hoping she comes home Wednesday or Thursday instead of Sunday! Speech came by and said she is doing great with her bottle so they took her feeding tube out! PRAISE THE LORD…one step closer!
Tomorrow we are praying for her to be off her fluids and her PICC line to be removed!
11•9•21 {TUESDAY}
Lera is ONE WEEK old today {38 WEEKS GESTATIONAL) She has shown how tough she is in her first week of life..Cody and I and our family and friends are amazed at our strong she is! We are beyond proud of her!
Nurse Torrie pulled her PICC line at 3:00 so hopefully we will go home tomorrow! Speech came by and tried to up her nipple flow, but it was too fast so she is still on a preemie!
11•10•21 {WEDNESDAY}
I arrived at 8:15 and stayed until 12:30 hoping they would discharge our baby girl. As soon as I walked into the house they called and said “Come get your baby!” The day we have been patiently waiting for! Cody immediately came home and we headed to bring our baby home!
11•11•21 {THURSDAY}
It was her first day home from NICU! She did so good she got her first bath at home! Liv & Lai loved rocking her. We are extremely happy to be home.
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