The Story of Nicholas' Early Arrival: Big Day!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Big Day!

Nicholas did not like his breathing treatment at all!

Sucking on his paci.

No Nasal IMV!

Nicholas had a big day today. They decided to try him on Vapotherm. This gives him a high flow of oxygen through his nose but he isn't getting any breaths. So he is doing all the breathing himself just getting a big flow of air coming in. They have the IMV at his bedside still just in case he needs to go back on that.

He is up to 13.5ml an hour of milk which is full feeds! They discontinued his IV fluids so he is getting only milk. They weaned his hydrocortizone a little again. He also had a pacifier that he was sucking away on.

Mommy got to do Kangaroo Care for the first time today. He slobbered all over the tape holding his feeding tube in place so it came out and I got milk all over my chest. That's ok, they just put it back in and he was good to go. He was cold so I didn't get to kangaroo for long.

It was a very big day for him. He is on a better breathing machine and he is at full feeds. Please pray that he continues to move forward.

3 comments:

MOJanuary 23, 2009 at 8:29 PM
Patrick enjoyed seeing his buddy Nicholas tonight! Go Nick! We love seeing your awesome progress!!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Mouland FamilyJanuary 24, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Corinne,
We are part of the same expecting club on ivillage and I recently saw your update post and have been following your blog the last few days. I am so inspired by the strength of your family. We are awaiting the arrival of our third babe, 38 weeks along now, and I am struggling mentally. Our second was stillborn on Feb 5/08 due to a chromosomal condition...I had been coping really well until the last week or so & Nicholas helps me to remember that even when the odds are against us we can make it through. This baby is healthy, to the best of our knowledge, but I can't help but worry - your story and Nicholas' determination give me strength. Thank you for sharing...
ReplyDelete
Replies
Uncle JimJanuary 24, 2009 at 10:23 AM
I have realized that you guys are being an inspiration to others by being loving parents. When it comes down to it, nothing says more or means more than simply loving a child whose whole world is dependent upon you. You both have been thrust into a situation that would appear overwhelming to most. But both of you have pushed forward, remained strong and committed, and ultimately, have shown that simply being loving parents can help heal anything.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Preemie Experience

The Preemie Experience
The preemie experience is the shattering of all your dreams
For a normal, healthy delivery,
Of the ability to carry home a beautiful squirming bundle
After a short stay in the hospital.
It is lying there in your hospital room listening to
The happy sounds of whole families joined
Together by the birth of a grandchild, cousin, niece,
or nephew, and knowing that your
Child is miles away and may not survive long enough
For you to see or simply touch.
It is that first glimpse of a skinny, scrawny, not much bigger
Than a Barbie doll child
And feeling, fear, awe, and joy for such a fragile soul.
It is sitting by your baby’s “bedside” day after day,
Week after week, month after month,
Alternating between the emotional high of “Look, his eyes are open,” or “he’s crying!”
And the lows of “I’m sorry, something has shown up in the ultrasound,”
Or even “There is nothing we can do…”
It is hearing the alarms go off for the twentieth time in less
Than fifteen minutes because your
Child’s heart rate keeps hitting zero.
It is watching children dying around you, wondering if
Your child will be next.
It is hearing your child’s cry of distress as the nurses
Insert yet another IV and do another
Round of daily blood tests.
It is meeting other parents of children who are doing far better
And wondering, “Why me?”
And meeting parents of children who have just died,
And praising God for His mercy
To your child and feeling guilty because your child is alive
And someone else is grieving for theirs.
It is days of nightmarish testing and coping with less
Than positive results to the tests.
It is days of joy at seeing the first eyelash appear,
The child gain a whole ounce in one day,
And two bright shiny eyes look at you and into your soul,
And knowing that your child now recognizes you as Mama or Dada;
Or perhaps looks at you and does not see you at all…
It is that final hurdle before coming home!
It is the sorrow of waiting for the monitor company Representative to show you what to do
If the alarm sounds when your child is choking,
Gasping for breath, or simply dying.
It is the joy of just being away from all those nurses
And tubes and wires and beeps, and
Walking into the nursery you hastily prepared because,
after all,
The child wasn’t due for another four months!
It is thinking the nightmare is over…only to realize it still Continues in the form of
Such acronyms as PVL, RSV, BPD, CP and numerous others.
It is the final realization that those developmental delays
Have to be dealt with,
That reflux is a normal and unfortunate
occurrence in most preemies,
That the constant fight to gain weight is in direct proportion
To a preemie’s ability to do so.
It is watching a child struggle to pick up his or her head, sit, Crawl, or walk.
It is witnessing only silence when the child should be babbling,
Because the child cannot hear.
It is the mental images of a child running and playing
And communicating with others in a
Perfectly normal manner that are marred when you face years of therapy
In order to simply get the child to eat by himself or herself,
To talk or walk and then run.

The preemie experience is a journey…A journey through your soul in order to find the faith and strength to cope,
A journey of the mind when you face the emotional weariness,
A journey of the heart…to accept that, no matter what,

This child is yours,
And you will love this child no matter what.

The Story of Nicholas' Early Arrival

Friday, January 23, 2009

Big Day!

3 comments:

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

Welcome

Blog Archive

Followers

About Me

Helpful Links

Preemie Experience

Counter