Growing, growing, growing!

I am one proud mommy today! Ann Martin is thriving in my opinion. I will do my best to keep blog updated WITH pictures but I start work back Monday :( and will not see her as often. Very sad. I am doing this because I have no time off and really need to accrue some before she comes home so I can stay home with her a bit. What a happy day that will be!!

Two days ago, I called to check on her late at night. She had already had her bath and her nurse had taken her oxygen to dress her. Her oxygen didn't drop during the whole process. The nurse and respiratory therapist decided to leave it off and see how long she could last. AM went 5 hours with no pressure or oxygen! How awesome is that?? I just called this morning to check on her and she is still on 1L and is currently on 21% oxygen (room air). She fluctuates between 21%-25%.

Are you ready for her weight?? 2 lbs 13oz!!!!!!!!!! Really Ann Martin? Mommy and daddy are beside ourselves with excitement! She is still in premmie clothes and they completely swallow her. You could fit 2 of her in some outfits. Her nurse said to me a few nights ago, "I hope I don't hurt your feelings but she looks just like Rob". Yes, we know this :). Looks just like her daddy and I am ok with that :).

She has had a great Christmas! She didn't need a thing but her family has been very thoughtful and generous to her. Everyone is so ready for her to get home.

We did mckenzie Christmas this weekend. Got some late night sewing done. Finished a project for her that has been sitting in my sewing chair for close to a year. Yes, I have been sewing for this girl long, long before I was even pregnant.

Ill leave you with a couple pictures. We give God all the glory and praises for Ann Martins progress! He gets all the credit and we are so grateful and blessed!

Quick update

I'm in Jackson right now and have been having great visits with her!  She is up to 2 lb 9 oz!  Can you believe it??  Unfortunately, she is off of her diuretics right now so some of that is fluid.  They did up her feeds to 22 ML/3 hr.  They are soon going to try and bring her pressure down to 1/2 L.  She has been on 23%-25% oxygen and 1 L pressure.  Her length is up to 14.2 inches!  She was 11.5 inches at birth.  I can really tell she is getting bigger and one way is she is a lot harder to flip over.  We are constantly turning her from back to side to belly to side... and used to we could just flip her like a pancake and now it is much harder and a little more awkward.

I went up for her bath last night.  They got an admit of twins so the nurses were way occupied.  Her nurse said "you are on your own tonight" (with a smile on her face).  'We' have done the bath by ourselves for a while but don't usually change her bedding or hook her back up to leads and all.  Well last night I would be by myself (without Rob).  Good learning experience for me.  I bathed, held her while I changed bedding and put all new leads back on her and hooked her up.  I felt a new sense of accomplishment.  I told her we were both learning and would get this by the time we went home!

I have to run but wanted to give latest update!  Love you all!

New development!

Ann Martin is showing us she wants to be a big girl. She was getting fussy a couple days ago so her nurse put a sleeper on her and swaddled her and turn the warmth off in her bed. She tolerated well and her temperature remained stable. Well it happened again today. The same nurse put the clothes back on her and turned warmth off. She has been this way all day and tonight. Her nurse told me tonight they were going to leave her like this as long as her temp holds steady. I'm so happy for her! She looks so comfortable and is some normalcy for her too.

I got to hold her today and we read her first book, The Gingerbread Man. I thought it was the most festive of her book collection so far, thanks to her Nana. She watched me and listened contently with no crying so I would say she liked it.

My grandmother and aunt got to come see her again today (my mom came with). They enjoyed their visit and could really tell she has grown. I think they are just as ready for her to come home as me and rob.

We went up tonight for her care time. She continues to tolerate 1.5 L of oxygen and 23-25% oxygen. The whole time we were there tonight she was sating too high and she had the paci in her mouth. This was hard for her a few weeks ago to suck paci and breathe at the same time. Sating too high is when her oxygen saturation is too high and if it persist her oxygen %needs to be turned down. It can damage her eyes if she gets more oxygen than she needs for a longer period of time. Her nurses keep a close watch on her. I really like what the diuretics are doing!!

Time for pictures! Merry Christmas to all! We love you all!

She's getting so big!!

We arrived in Jackson this afternoon for the weekend.  So good to see our baby girl!  I swear she is getting bigger every time we see her again.  Her face is filling out as well as her arms and fingers.  She had the cutest double chin tonight (she won't think it's cute a few years from now), but it reassures us she really is putting on weight.  It might have had something to do with her O2 tubing but who cares :).  She is 2 lb 1 oz right now.  She did drop from 2 lb 3 oz.  Her chest xrays have been looking hazy so they did 4 doses of lasics (sp?) to draw the fluid off and have started her on a maintenance diuretic to keep the fluid off.  I really think it is working because she has dropped her pressure from 2 L to 1.5L and her oxygen has been ranging from 21%-25%.  Improvement from last week.  Also the doctor said that her last chest xray was an improvement from the last.  I am liking the direction we are going here!  The eye doctor came to see her and said that she looked good and would be back in a few weeks.  She remains at 19ML/3hours on her feedings.  We really don't have too much to report other than we are really doing great and are going in the right direction!

We got to do her bath tonight and they get better every time.  Seriously one of the sweetest times with her.  I squeeze in every forehead kiss she can stand (my favorite place to kiss a baby).  She has started opening her eyes more and wider when we talk to her.  I hope that she can make out our face and recognizes us and our voice.  I will share pictures from tonight.  Rob has a sinus flare-up right now and was the photographer.  We continue to thank God for answered prayers with Ann Martin and continue to ask for prayers for her progress.  We love you all!

Getting ready for bath

Love those kisses

Soaping up
Talking to her the whole time

She is so, so cute when she yawns

Loves her back rubbed down
{How can you not love that face?}

Talking to her

Big blue eyes

Those lights are bright mommy!

I hate that oxygen tubing!
Adjusting it so it doesn't indent her face

We left her SO snuggled!  Made me sleepy :)

Still trucking along...

Well, I am sorry I have not been blogging lately.  Being sick and then Friday being in Jackson...long story short- I have not been with my computer much.

She is doing great though!  She gained 40 grams yesterday morning putting her at 2 lbs 3 oz. but she lost 10 grams this morning so she is at 2 lb 2 oz. now.  I am so excited we have hit 2 lbs!!  She definitely looks like she is gaining weight.  She is filling out more in her face and her fingers are more plump :)  We can tell she is growing.  The dietician thought she needed more protein so she changed her fortifier from powder to a liquid.  Doesn't mean much to me but I hope the change will help her continue to make such large weight gains.  Doctor told me this morning that the protein is of course good for many more things.  Like her brain, muscles and much more.  He is very pleased with her progress.

They have been trying to wean her from the 2 L of pressure.  She lasted almost a whole day on 1.5 L.  Last night I called about 2 am during pumping and her nurse told me she thought it was about to go back up because of increased apnea and bradycardia spells.  This morning they had turned her back up to 2 L.  In a couple days they will start to wean her back down again.  She continues to fluctuate between 23-30% oxygen.  This usually depends on how she is laying.  On her back she needs more oxygen and she loves her belly so she tends to need less when she is belly down.

I got to go over on Friday because my AWESOME sister drove to Meridian and got me.  When I arrived Friday her nurse swaddled her and gave her to me.  We sat in that chair and snuggled for THREE hours straight.  Best. medicine. ever.  Literally, made my month, year....everything!  I only gave her back because I needed to pump.  I left the hospital after about 5-6 hours, got a quick and bland bite to eat, and headed back up for her bath.  I love to bathe her.  She got very relaxed during our bath...a little too relaxed.  We will just say she messed up 3 towels.  I would clean her back up, wash her head and she had messed up another towel.  Finally we decided to go on and put a diaper on her and thankful we did! :) Sweet, sweet moments with that girl.

My other AWESOME sister and her boyfriend came to work on the nursery this weekend.  It was a little bigger task than they expected I think.  Not quite finished but will be soon.  Pictures of that to come.

They day I got to hold AM so much was the same day as the CT shooting.  I could not help but stare at her and think of the parents who will never hold their babies again.  My heart completely breaks for them.  I also think of the sisters, brothers, mommies, daddies, and grandparents lost as well.  I try to think of them an pray often.  Lord please be with all those involved.

She was bundled up tight

After holding her

Is she not precious?

"Mom, I'm trying to sleep"

Right after her bath, not quite finished yet but she was.  Worn-out...

Ultrasound

Quick post:
The ultrasound came back clear on am!!! Praise you Jesus! She is 1 lb 15oz. Still the same with her oxygen. She is trucking along. My sweet sister is coming to get me tomorrow and taking me back to Jackson to spend the day with her. Rob will pick me up Saturday on his way back through from Louisiana. Very excited!

My surgery has been post poned because of the at scan. Showed too much inflammation and tiny pulmonary effusions. He is not ok opening me up now. I have an appt in his office Monday. So ready to feel better. This is really for the birds.

Thank you for continued prayer! We love you all!

30 weeks gestation, Happy 4 weeks AM!!

I will apologize in advance for not having pictures this post.  It will be short, to update you all, and provide a little info for mommies to be.

Ann Martin is doing great!  They have had to increase her to 2 liters and have not tried yet to wean her down.  She gets any where from 21%-30% O2.  (When her oxygen levels, O2sats, get too high they have to turn her oxygen down. All day is trying to find her happy medium.  If her sats get too high it could damage her eyes.  That's why they mess with it all day)  She is up to a whopping 1 lb 14 oz.  Can I get an AMEN.  We are 2 oz. from 2 pounds!!!  So excited about this.  She had to get another transfusion one day last week and after that day we were unable to do her bath on Friday night.  She was tired and her mama was not feeling well.  (Will get to that in a minute)  I have been in Jackson until today and I stopped by to tell her by.  She is changing daily I think.  She was wide-eyed and stared at me the whole time.  Love those moments!  Her 30 day head ultrasound is on Thursday.  Please PRAY PRAY PRAY.  We have faith everything will be ok.

Ok, mommies to be.  I was never told about this.  I'm told it is not that common but is also kinda common... :/  On Friday, Rob and I ate lunch and went to the Science Museum between pump breaks.  He had the day off and anyone who knows him knows his love for science.  We were walking on the nature trail and I started having violent, violent stomach pains that shot through to my back.  The pain was right on my under bra line and went through to my shoulder blades.  I have had these attacks before, horribly painful, but they subsided after about an hour.  This one was not going way.  After about 30 minutes we headed to Baptist ER.  I was really trying to not have to do that.  The ER was WAY to crowded and had WAY to many germs (germs=sickness which =I can't see my baby) so I left.  We went up to NICU for Rob to hold her and I slept in a recliner.  Pain kinda went away.  So we went home and later went to sisters to eat dinner.  This girl didn't eat anything but instead had a heating pad on my back.  Pain was coming back.  Fast way forward.  2 Am..I can't sleep, can't get comfortable, medicine is not doing anything.  Called my mom, she said to go ER.  Fast forward..vommiting hit.  It didn't take any pain away.  We went to ER.  We didn't go to Baptist because I was worried about crowd.  We went to the closest one I could find.  MISTAKE.  They were no Baptist.  I was diagnosed with pancreatitis caused by gallstones.  My pancreatic enzymes were 23,000..norm high is 399.  Fast forward..That is Saturday morning 3 am and we left the hospital this afternoon headed back to Meridian.  I go to see surgeon tomorrow and get this gallbladder out ASAP.  I still am so sore from the pain but big improvement from saturday morning.  Lesson here...Preg mommies watch for it.  Probably won't happen to you but it could.  You aren't crazy.

Ok, time to pump.  I hope to have pictures next time but it will be a little while before I see her again.  Tear.. Please pray for the head ultrasound!!  Love you all!

29 weeks!

Sorry for the lack of posting lately.  We got in late last night and were very tired.  We got to see her last night and do her bath.  It was great and our nurse told us what a great job we did.  Love the affirmation!  It had only been three days since we had seen her but I promise I could look at her and tell she was growing.  Yesterday she had gained 30 grams making her 1 lb. 10 oz.  However, this morning, she lost 10 grams but still making her 1 lb. 10 oz.  The grams may sound minimal but they are so big to a baby her size.

Today we timed it right to catch the doctor as he rounded.  We are blessed with the most wonderful doctors we could ever dream of.  This is a different doctor than we started out with but he has told me twice that he and our first doctor will be the ones rotating in Baptist NICU so we should usually have one of them.  They work in a big practice that service multiple hospitals.  I am glad we got the two we have although I have never met any of the other ones.  He told us that she is doing great.  He is goal oriented and likes to tell us what we need to be concerned about and a time frame when it could appear.  Also a time frame when we should not have to worry about it any more.  For example, there is a condition called NEC- what I can tell you about it...it affects her gastrointestinal tract.  She is not showing symptoms of it right now, but there is still a peaked window around day 30-35 where it is prevalent.  He says he has never seen it past day 60.  Today she is 23 days old.  NEC is "bubbles" in the intestines that could cause holes in the tract requiring surgery.  It is common in premmies.  We are thankful she is not showing signs as of now and pray she will continue.  She will also have another head ultrasound around day 30.  This is looking for neurological abnormalities.  She did well on her first scan and we likewise pray the next one will be clear!

Her blood count was low again this morning.  They had to do another transfusion this morning.  Her blood count the first time only went up to 33.  They want it to go up to more like 40.  In the morning if it hasn't come back close to 40, they will do another smaller transfusion.  We did a bath with her last night and I really thought her color looked great.  We got there today and I could really tell that she was a little pale.  After we saw her tonight, she had pinked up again.

Tonight we had a little photo session with her.  Very informal but needed.  I have been nervous to take "formal" pictures of her but tonight was fun and I think we will be doing again soon.  I would like to get a photographer to take some newborn pictures of her.  I will share some of the pictures from tonight and her bath last night.

I feel like I might redeem myself with you sweet, avid blog readers with all of these pictures :)  Love you guys!!  Praise the LORD for this sweet, sweet child of ours!!

This was our first time to hold her like a baby--cradle her

Please ignore me and look at that sweet baby!

Another family picture

Photo session
{Think she has enough hands around her}

It was quite a process
{Mom and dad please stop this non-sense}

{I melt}

We kept covering up the IV in her leg but she really wanted it in the picture
and kept kicking it out
{Mind of her own}

Again...
{I melt}

Awesome basket our wonderful nurse found

This is how we left her
{Snug as a bug}

Happy 3 weeks Ann Martin!

I need to clear something up that I said in an earlier post.  I was talking about her weight gain and not knowing where we were between ounces.  I said she is either 7 or 8 oz and it was supposed to say 1 lb 7oz or 1 lb 8 oz.  She has never gotten under a pound.  Her lowest weight has been 1 lb 4oz.  It was brought to my attention that I was being misunderstood and wanted to clear it up! :)

She is currently at 730 grams or 1 lb 10oz!! Whoop, whoop!  They have increased her feedings to 14 ML/3 hours with fortifier- 3 packs to 50 ML of milk.  I am kinda starting to keep up with her with my pumping.  What an answered prayer!

When I talked to her nurse this morning she told me at times today she has been on 21% air.  This is room air.  However, she fluctuates still between 21-28%.  She gets tired and needs help.  She also had not had an apnea spell today but that was at 10:00 this morning.

I am at home today working on the nursery in between pumps.  It is becoming therapeutic.  We will be returning to Jackson Wednesday and stay through the weekend.

These pictures were after her bath.

Worn out after bath

Getting ready for bed.
They put the rolled up hats between their arms and legs for positioning.

Sleeping beauty as her daddy calls her :)