Blood transfusion and Bath

We have had three great days here with Ann Martin!  I love it when we both get to be here together.  We are able to be here and just focus on her and not be distracted by things at home.

We were warned early on that she would most likely require a blood transfusion or a few transfusions.  We got the call this morning from the nurse practitioner that it was time.  They keep a check on her hematocrit and this morning it was 30.  Normal is 38.  Basically, they take blood from her frequently and she is not able to replenish it near as fast.  This is why she must have them and will likely have another.  We arrived to find her IV in a horrible place, her forhead!  Can you imagine having an IV in your forehead??  Bless her heart.  They tried in her arm and foot but both veins blew..sorry baby, you got your mommy's veins.  They told me that she was the least fussy with the one in her head, go figure.  Also, its pretty common for them to have IVs in their forehead.  She did fine getting the blood.  They had to stop her feedings 4 hours before, 4 hours during and 4 hours after transfusion.  They started fluids back while she isn't being fed.  When they start them back, she will get 4 ML/3 hours and work her way back up to 13 ML/3 hours.  Nurse today said she should be back up by tomorrow afternoon or night.  We can also expect her weight to fluctuate with the fluids and blood.

She was back to 1 lb 8 oz. this morning.  We are still on a roller coaster on the oxygen.  She stays between 21%-30%.  They help her out with more oxygen when she desats and turn it down when she sats to high.  They don't want her going above 95% when she is on oxygen because it can cause her retinas to detach.  Therefore, she fluctuates.

We got to give her a bath tonight.  Love bath nights now!  We went up to bathe her at 8:30 and were turned away because they were getting an admit.  We were half way home and her nurse called and said admit wasn't coming so of course we turned around!  So glad she called!  I asked Rob if he wanted to turn around and he said you don't even have to ask me :)

We thank you for your continued prayers for her.  We are really doing great but understand that we still have a long road to go.  I was in Michaels today getting some stuff to work on her scrapbook (thanks Rachel, Kim, and Courtney!) and a lady was helping me look for something.  She asked had I been scraping long and I told her no and why I was doing it now.  She asked for AM's name and said she would be praying for her.  Then she said, "well why don't we just pray for her now".  So right in the middle of the scrapbooking section she prayed for AM.  What a kind thing to do for a perfect stranger.  She got emotional and said that she had a family member to just lose a baby.  It broke my heart.  I told her I would in turn be praying for her family.  It's funny sometimes how God connects perfect strangers who are going through similar storms.

I am so thankful for this little peanut and we love her to the moon and back!

Daddy trying to calm her down

Our favorite part of bath time
Holding her while her bed gets changed

Bless her heart!
She loves to be held like this
It is one of the few times she will open both eyes and look at us.
Of course I never catch it on camera!