Brennan will be 5 months old tomorrow. He's 3 months corrected and has been home for 3 months today. I have been a mom for 5 months already! That's so crazy. One year ago, I had given up hope of becoming pregnant. We went to foster parent orientation, got our finger prints done...and then came Brennan! This is a recurring theme in my life: I try to do something, make something happen, on my own until I finally give up and say, "Fine, God, I can't do this. YOU have to do it, take this over for me. YOU do whatever is best for me, and I'll follow." And lo and behold...it all works out! You'd think I'd learn, but I still go about trying to do things my way! I think it's finally drilled into my head now though. At least I hope so!
Brennan is absolutely perfect. He's just so adorable, I want to eat him up! How such a beautiful baby came out of this mama, I will never know. Must be his daddy's fault! B is finally consistently eating more at a time, usually around 4 ounces. He still wakes up at 2 or 3 to eat though. We're trying to stuff him before he goes to bed, so hopefully soon he'll get the hang of long nights and we can move him to his own room. He's also doing great holding his head up! He gets tired pretty quickly and starts fussing, but now that he can do it, he's determined to! He keeps his head up, bobbing in the air, as long as he possibly can. He's also starting to try and roll over. He's nowhere near actually doing it, but it's fun to watch him wiggle around, figuring out what he can do and how all these limbs work. This weekend he did roll over once, but he had a head start - he was propped up on a slant, so it was mostly gravity. I can't wait until he starts crawling around, but at the same time, I want him to stay little! The past few days I have been going through and organizing his next size clothes, because he's finally outgrowing his 3 month clothes. It makes me sad, because who knows if I will ever get to use clothes that small again! I hope I do.
I am planning on getting a pump soon, getting my A1c down to below 6%, and then thinking about trying again. Maybe we'll just do foster care though, I really don't know. It's driving me nuts, not having a concrete plan, but I am trying to go with the flow. I have an appointment soon with my diabetes educator do pick out a pump and get going on paper work. I have done this so many times so far, but never went through with it, because I either chicken out or (usually) I don't do enough bloodsugars. The pump company requires a month's worth of bloodsugars before you get the pump, and you need to test a minimum of 4 times a day. I just never did it that often! Bad diabetic, I know. When I got pregnant I started testing a lot more, but after B was born I didn't take care of myself - didn't eat much at first, didn't take care of my diabetes, etc. Just went to the hospital every day - that was my life for 2 months. So I got out of the habit again. This Monday, I taped a bloodsugar log to the kitchen cabinet, and taped a sheet of stickers above it. Every day this week that I do 3 b.s., I get a sticker for the day. When I get a week or two of consecutive stickers, I win a prize! So far I have three stickers! Wish me luck!
2.25.2010
2.18.2010
February is Flying By
My little guy is 12 and a half pounds! He's still tiny for his chronological age, but doing very well for a preemie! He's starting to grow out of the 0-3 month clothes now - I had to go out and buy him some new jammies. Not really "had to" - "got to"! I shouldn't be allowed in baby stores unsupervised. It's dangerous to our financial health!
Brennan is doing a little better with his naps - today he even fell asleep in his own bed, which he'd stopped doing last week. But then in the afternoon, he would not sleep! I finally put him in his magic snowsuit and buckled him into his carseat and it still took him 40 minutes to fall asleep! He's been going to bed every night at 8p, but he's still not really on a schedule. I don't really care, because I am with him all day and we can just go with the flow, but I feel like I should have him all scheduled by now! Especially since I am needing babysitters more often now, and I never know what to tell the sitters what to expect from him! Oh well, minor problem! A slightly bigger problem is that his nights are getting worse. He's back to waking up at 2-3am, then again at 6am. At 6am, he doesn't want to go back to sleep! That is just way too early for this mama! Teething has got him all out of sorts. I'm hoping the tooth/teeth will come in soon and he'll feel better! Until the next tooth of course.
B is lifting his head up better too! He can do it really well when he's lying on someone's stomach, so he can cheat with a little incline. But he's doing it better on the floor too. I'm trying to find some more toys that he's interested in. Right now he loves his crinkly book, bouncy seat, and blue monkey! It's so cute since he's figured out how to use his arms to hit stuff. I love to just sit and watch him. He also loves to stand! He figured out how to bounce and it's a hoot. I can't believe my baby is almost 5 months old!
Brennan is doing a little better with his naps - today he even fell asleep in his own bed, which he'd stopped doing last week. But then in the afternoon, he would not sleep! I finally put him in his magic snowsuit and buckled him into his carseat and it still took him 40 minutes to fall asleep! He's been going to bed every night at 8p, but he's still not really on a schedule. I don't really care, because I am with him all day and we can just go with the flow, but I feel like I should have him all scheduled by now! Especially since I am needing babysitters more often now, and I never know what to tell the sitters what to expect from him! Oh well, minor problem! A slightly bigger problem is that his nights are getting worse. He's back to waking up at 2-3am, then again at 6am. At 6am, he doesn't want to go back to sleep! That is just way too early for this mama! Teething has got him all out of sorts. I'm hoping the tooth/teeth will come in soon and he'll feel better! Until the next tooth of course.
B is lifting his head up better too! He can do it really well when he's lying on someone's stomach, so he can cheat with a little incline. But he's doing it better on the floor too. I'm trying to find some more toys that he's interested in. Right now he loves his crinkly book, bouncy seat, and blue monkey! It's so cute since he's figured out how to use his arms to hit stuff. I love to just sit and watch him. He also loves to stand! He figured out how to bounce and it's a hoot. I can't believe my baby is almost 5 months old!
2.11.2010
House of Exhaustion
Brennan has decided to completely disregard his schedule, not sleep when he's tired, and not finish his bottles. I think he might be teething! Whatever it is, we are all just. so. tired. I haven't been sleeping well, with low blood sugars making it worse to boot. Poor Ken usually gets up before 6am to go to work, and often doesn't go to sleep til I go to bed at 11. And Brennan...what a silly baby. He's been so weird the last few days. He was chugging along on a perfect schedule, he'd sleep most of the afternoon which was wonderful. Now he's waking up early and taking a nap early, and in the afternoon instead of sleeping, he just wants to be held. He'll be so tired that he can barely keep his eyes open, but if I put him in his bed, he's suddenly wide awake and crying! He'll finally be so exhausted he'll take a short nap, but by bedtime he's too tired to eat enough, and ends up waking up at 2am for a bottle. Not. Fun. I hope he gets over this soon because we're all tired!
Even when B is awake, he's often sleepy, but he has done a few new things this week! Yesterday he finally started to reach out to his toys! He's got a monkey that he likes - it's holding a teething ring and a ring that makes noise. B kept hitting the ring that made noise! At first I thought it was just accidental, but he kept doing it! He also has a soft book that crinkles. I've been showing it to him for about two weeks now, and making him feel it. Yesterday after the monkey toy I pulled it out and he went to town! Both arms were whapping away on the book, and he was so excited!
This evening we got him to play with a rattle! For awhile, I've been putting toys in his hand so he gets used to holding things, feels different textures, etc. Tonight I got out the rattle and after a few tries, I think he got it! It's hard to tell if he really newe what he was doing, or if there just happened to be something in his hand as he was waving it around. But it really seemed like he was playing with it. Ken was playing with him, and B was really having a blast. Ken would wave B's arm around, and then B would do it back, it was so cute. He was having so much fun with his daddy, he didn't want anything to do with me! He even tried to put the rattle in his mouth a few times, but it didn't quite work out. Just when I start to worry about him reaching a milestone, he gets it, like "See mom? I'm just fine." Still working on lifting his head up though - he did do it while lying on my tummy today, so we'll have to try that more often.
I started back at work this weekend - right now I am every other weekend evening shift. I also picked up a shift on Monday. I love working there, but I was exhausted by the end of those three days! My boss said it was nice to see me back where I belonged. That was nice to hear. It's hard leaving Brennan though, and by the time I get home he's already asleep. He's such a sweet little angel. I think it won't be long before my coworkers are sick of hearing about him, ha. What can I say? He's my whole world!
Even when B is awake, he's often sleepy, but he has done a few new things this week! Yesterday he finally started to reach out to his toys! He's got a monkey that he likes - it's holding a teething ring and a ring that makes noise. B kept hitting the ring that made noise! At first I thought it was just accidental, but he kept doing it! He also has a soft book that crinkles. I've been showing it to him for about two weeks now, and making him feel it. Yesterday after the monkey toy I pulled it out and he went to town! Both arms were whapping away on the book, and he was so excited!
This evening we got him to play with a rattle! For awhile, I've been putting toys in his hand so he gets used to holding things, feels different textures, etc. Tonight I got out the rattle and after a few tries, I think he got it! It's hard to tell if he really newe what he was doing, or if there just happened to be something in his hand as he was waving it around. But it really seemed like he was playing with it. Ken was playing with him, and B was really having a blast. Ken would wave B's arm around, and then B would do it back, it was so cute. He was having so much fun with his daddy, he didn't want anything to do with me! He even tried to put the rattle in his mouth a few times, but it didn't quite work out. Just when I start to worry about him reaching a milestone, he gets it, like "See mom? I'm just fine." Still working on lifting his head up though - he did do it while lying on my tummy today, so we'll have to try that more often.
I started back at work this weekend - right now I am every other weekend evening shift. I also picked up a shift on Monday. I love working there, but I was exhausted by the end of those three days! My boss said it was nice to see me back where I belonged. That was nice to hear. It's hard leaving Brennan though, and by the time I get home he's already asleep. He's such a sweet little angel. I think it won't be long before my coworkers are sick of hearing about him, ha. What can I say? He's my whole world!
2.05.2010
Caringbridge Journal 3
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Brennan is still hanging in there! He had a few days where he was grumpy and didn't do as well with eating. Every time we woke him up, he remembered that he had a tummyache, and he would SCREAM. It was a bit frustrating to have this roller coaster of good days and bad days! But he seems to be getting on track again. On Monday, his hemoglobin was down a little bit to 9. The doctor wanted to try giving him a blood transfusion to see if that would wake him up a little so he'd eat better. It wasn't a necessary treatment though, so Ken and I decided not to do it. It was the first tough decision I had to make for my son, and it wasn't easy! I am glad that we made that choice since he seems to have perked up on his own. He was awake for three and a half hours last night! He also broke his previous breastfeeding record by 10 mls! That was very excited since he struggles with breastfeeding. He can't cheat when he's tired, like he can with a bottle, and I can't pace him like with a bottle, so he doesn't always remember to stop and breathe.
Brennan's little personality is coming out. He's a very good baby! He is a good screamer when he's in pain or uncomfortable, but otherwise he doesn't cry much. He does have a wide array of noises though! One of his primary nurses calls them dolphin noises. It's pretty cute! He's pretty easy to calm down with his pacifier or a good snuggle. He loves to snuggle! He's also starting to be a little stinker when it comes to falling asleep on his own. Last night he was very sleepy after being awake all night, but he wouldn't go to sleep! He started fussing from being in pain (from reflux), so the nurse said she'd snuggle with him so I could go home. I was so happy he'd get some love while I wasn't there. Oh, and he is now 3.1 Kg and 19 3/4 inches! I love my chunky monkey!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I am pretty sure Brennan is the cutest baby ever invented. One of the docs today said he'd put Brennan in a backpack and carry him around all day! He thought we could start training Brennan to be a neonatologist from an early age.
Brennan is taking baby steps towards coming home! All week, we debated giving him a transfusion. His hemoglobin went up to 9.4 on Monday, so now we don't have to worry about it anymore! We did start giving him a little bit of oxygen when he eats. The first time we tried it, he took a whole bottle! It took him an hour, but I was determined to get him to finish. Normally we only would let him go for 15-30 minutes. It was a very intense hour. When he was done, I made him a sign to hang on his crib that says, "I DID IT!". All the nurses were very happy for us! He hasn't taken as much since then, but just knowing he can do it was wonderful. Today we started him back on cue-based feeds, and so far he is doing much better than last time. He needs to take 119 mls by 3p, and he's already taken 100, and most of that was by bottle! We don't use the oxygen on him every feeding, but if he seems too tired or is having trouble we slip it on.
I'm pretty sure Brennan is going to be excellent at throwing temper tantrums! He can really scream. And he is strong! Last night he was lying on a pillow on my lap, and he was starving. He was so mad he actually pushed himself across the pillow with his feet. He certainly lets us know his opinion! Yesterday he had a big diaper blowout and I had to give him a bath. It was his first immersion bath - usually we just give him a sponge bath. I had to wake him up to change him, and that made him mad. (He has a hard time waking up, just like his mama!) He screamed and screamed until I put him in the tub, and then he didn't know what to think. He had a really cute confused expressoin. He didn't cry, but I am not sure he liked it because he kept trying to climb out of the tub! It was pretty funny.
Brennan seems like a giant now - he's somewhere around 7 1/2 lbs! He's twice his birthweight now. He's so big to me, but I suppose that's pretty small for most 7-week-olds. His due date is next Tuesday, so I am really hoping he gets his act together and comes home soon! Hopefully by Thanksgiving if he keeps doing so well!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
My beautiful baby boy is eight weeks old today! He's about 7 lbs 7 oz. He's still doing very well! He is taking almost everything by bottle. The last two days he lost a little weight, a little over an ounce total. Luckily the doctors decided to continue his current feeding plan instead of changing anything. Brennan is back on track gaining weight and doing awesome with eating. Ken, B, and I are staying together in the hospital boarding room now. It's like a hotel room (with strong hospital vibes of course) with a nurse outside. We feed Brennan and take care of him but he is still under nursing care for meds, vitals, tube feedings, etc. He's not quite ready to go home yet, but getting close, so we get to stay with him until he goes! It's wonderful having him in the room with us. It's how it should be! In order for Brennan to come home, he has to: be weaned off the oxygen; eat all feedings by bottle or breast; and continue to gain weight. Right now he is sleeping contentedly on his daddy's chest. They are so precious together :). Hopefully we'll be home SOON!!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Well, we were hoping Brennan would come home tomorrow, which is his due date, but now we will be lucky if he'll get home on Wednesday. He still isn't growing, and that's a huge concern. Today they changed Brennan's feedings to 24-calorie instead of 22, and we're hoping that will make a big difference. They also upped his minimum for how much milk he needs to take, which worries me because he is barely meeting the minimum now. We pretty much have to force feed him! I'm worried we'll have to put his tube back in today to get his required feedings.
Yestereday, for a few hours, Brennan was free of all tubes and wires! It was awesome. We could walk around the room with him. But last night they decided to put him on oxygen all the time instead of just with feedings, so now he's back on the monitors as well as the oxygen tube, and he can barely even reach our bed to snuggle with us. :(
B is getting hungry - I have a few quick prayer requests:
-That Brennan gains the stamina and coordination he needs to get all his feeds in
-that Brennan gains weight the next two days
-that he comes home Wed., or at least Fri.
-that the oxygen helps
-that we don't go crazy in this little room for the next few days!
Ok- get your prayer hats on!
Thank you!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Brennan is home!!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Brennan came home on Wednesday and we are so happy to have him here! He was waking up every two hours to eat for the first couple of nights, but now he'll sleep up to 4 hours - even though he's only supposed to go every 3! He's a little snugglebug who can really scream! Sometimes it can take him quite awhile to go back to sleep because he'd rather be snuggling. Also, his various tummy troubles seem worse at night, and he gets grumpy. Mostly he is a very good baby though! He had a kitchen bath sink last night, and he did great. He had a concerned expression the whole time, it was pretty cute! I underestimated how much work a newborn is! I was cocky from taking care of so many other babies :). Ken is an amazing dad, and I am so thankful for him. He even takes care of B during the night when I need to sleep!
Brennan came home on continuous oxygen to help him with his eating, and he's doing so great we'll probably be weaning him off soon. He's over 8 pounds now and growing like a weed! Yay!
Brennan is still hanging in there! He had a few days where he was grumpy and didn't do as well with eating. Every time we woke him up, he remembered that he had a tummyache, and he would SCREAM. It was a bit frustrating to have this roller coaster of good days and bad days! But he seems to be getting on track again. On Monday, his hemoglobin was down a little bit to 9. The doctor wanted to try giving him a blood transfusion to see if that would wake him up a little so he'd eat better. It wasn't a necessary treatment though, so Ken and I decided not to do it. It was the first tough decision I had to make for my son, and it wasn't easy! I am glad that we made that choice since he seems to have perked up on his own. He was awake for three and a half hours last night! He also broke his previous breastfeeding record by 10 mls! That was very excited since he struggles with breastfeeding. He can't cheat when he's tired, like he can with a bottle, and I can't pace him like with a bottle, so he doesn't always remember to stop and breathe.
Brennan's little personality is coming out. He's a very good baby! He is a good screamer when he's in pain or uncomfortable, but otherwise he doesn't cry much. He does have a wide array of noises though! One of his primary nurses calls them dolphin noises. It's pretty cute! He's pretty easy to calm down with his pacifier or a good snuggle. He loves to snuggle! He's also starting to be a little stinker when it comes to falling asleep on his own. Last night he was very sleepy after being awake all night, but he wouldn't go to sleep! He started fussing from being in pain (from reflux), so the nurse said she'd snuggle with him so I could go home. I was so happy he'd get some love while I wasn't there. Oh, and he is now 3.1 Kg and 19 3/4 inches! I love my chunky monkey!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I am pretty sure Brennan is the cutest baby ever invented. One of the docs today said he'd put Brennan in a backpack and carry him around all day! He thought we could start training Brennan to be a neonatologist from an early age.
Brennan is taking baby steps towards coming home! All week, we debated giving him a transfusion. His hemoglobin went up to 9.4 on Monday, so now we don't have to worry about it anymore! We did start giving him a little bit of oxygen when he eats. The first time we tried it, he took a whole bottle! It took him an hour, but I was determined to get him to finish. Normally we only would let him go for 15-30 minutes. It was a very intense hour. When he was done, I made him a sign to hang on his crib that says, "I DID IT!". All the nurses were very happy for us! He hasn't taken as much since then, but just knowing he can do it was wonderful. Today we started him back on cue-based feeds, and so far he is doing much better than last time. He needs to take 119 mls by 3p, and he's already taken 100, and most of that was by bottle! We don't use the oxygen on him every feeding, but if he seems too tired or is having trouble we slip it on.
I'm pretty sure Brennan is going to be excellent at throwing temper tantrums! He can really scream. And he is strong! Last night he was lying on a pillow on my lap, and he was starving. He was so mad he actually pushed himself across the pillow with his feet. He certainly lets us know his opinion! Yesterday he had a big diaper blowout and I had to give him a bath. It was his first immersion bath - usually we just give him a sponge bath. I had to wake him up to change him, and that made him mad. (He has a hard time waking up, just like his mama!) He screamed and screamed until I put him in the tub, and then he didn't know what to think. He had a really cute confused expressoin. He didn't cry, but I am not sure he liked it because he kept trying to climb out of the tub! It was pretty funny.
Brennan seems like a giant now - he's somewhere around 7 1/2 lbs! He's twice his birthweight now. He's so big to me, but I suppose that's pretty small for most 7-week-olds. His due date is next Tuesday, so I am really hoping he gets his act together and comes home soon! Hopefully by Thanksgiving if he keeps doing so well!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
My beautiful baby boy is eight weeks old today! He's about 7 lbs 7 oz. He's still doing very well! He is taking almost everything by bottle. The last two days he lost a little weight, a little over an ounce total. Luckily the doctors decided to continue his current feeding plan instead of changing anything. Brennan is back on track gaining weight and doing awesome with eating. Ken, B, and I are staying together in the hospital boarding room now. It's like a hotel room (with strong hospital vibes of course) with a nurse outside. We feed Brennan and take care of him but he is still under nursing care for meds, vitals, tube feedings, etc. He's not quite ready to go home yet, but getting close, so we get to stay with him until he goes! It's wonderful having him in the room with us. It's how it should be! In order for Brennan to come home, he has to: be weaned off the oxygen; eat all feedings by bottle or breast; and continue to gain weight. Right now he is sleeping contentedly on his daddy's chest. They are so precious together :). Hopefully we'll be home SOON!!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Well, we were hoping Brennan would come home tomorrow, which is his due date, but now we will be lucky if he'll get home on Wednesday. He still isn't growing, and that's a huge concern. Today they changed Brennan's feedings to 24-calorie instead of 22, and we're hoping that will make a big difference. They also upped his minimum for how much milk he needs to take, which worries me because he is barely meeting the minimum now. We pretty much have to force feed him! I'm worried we'll have to put his tube back in today to get his required feedings.
Yestereday, for a few hours, Brennan was free of all tubes and wires! It was awesome. We could walk around the room with him. But last night they decided to put him on oxygen all the time instead of just with feedings, so now he's back on the monitors as well as the oxygen tube, and he can barely even reach our bed to snuggle with us. :(
B is getting hungry - I have a few quick prayer requests:
-That Brennan gains the stamina and coordination he needs to get all his feeds in
-that Brennan gains weight the next two days
-that he comes home Wed., or at least Fri.
-that the oxygen helps
-that we don't go crazy in this little room for the next few days!
Ok- get your prayer hats on!
Thank you!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Brennan is home!!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Brennan came home on Wednesday and we are so happy to have him here! He was waking up every two hours to eat for the first couple of nights, but now he'll sleep up to 4 hours - even though he's only supposed to go every 3! He's a little snugglebug who can really scream! Sometimes it can take him quite awhile to go back to sleep because he'd rather be snuggling. Also, his various tummy troubles seem worse at night, and he gets grumpy. Mostly he is a very good baby though! He had a kitchen bath sink last night, and he did great. He had a concerned expression the whole time, it was pretty cute! I underestimated how much work a newborn is! I was cocky from taking care of so many other babies :). Ken is an amazing dad, and I am so thankful for him. He even takes care of B during the night when I need to sleep!
Brennan came home on continuous oxygen to help him with his eating, and he's doing so great we'll probably be weaning him off soon. He's over 8 pounds now and growing like a weed! Yay!
Caringbridge Journal 2
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My little man is growing up! He got moved to a crib, so now it's much easier to touch him and pick him up. We also finally started breastfeeding! Brennan knew just what to do, he loves to eat! The nurses are impressed at how great he is doing. We've only done it a few times but he's really doing well. He also ate from a bottle this morning. He gets a little more that way, and I want him to take as much as he can orally so he can come home ASAP! Unfortunately he is still having quite a few 'spells' where he stops breathing. He can't come home until he stops doing that. Brennan is on caffeine to help with the apnea, and they upped his dose, but he's still having several spells a day. I've used my 'mom voice' on him already to tell him to knock it off!! The doctor also started Brennan on Zantac to help him be more comfortable while he eats. They are going to try and feed him more quickly so he no longer takes more than an hour to eat. Hopefully he'll continue doing great with that!
Brennan is also lifting his head up and when I change his diaper, he pushes off the bed and lifts his bottom up in the air. He's my strong little guy!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Not much has changed for Brennan, which is good in the NICU world! He is so darn cute! One of the nurses held him for an hour one night just because she thought he was so cute! That was good to hear - I like to hear he's being well taken care of when we are not there. Brennan is having much fewer spells, so now we just need to work on eating! He's pretty gung-ho about eating, but for a preemie it's so much work that he doesn't actually eat much at a time. He's fed orally 3 times a day and usually only takes 8-12 mls. His whole feedings are 42 mls, so he's got a way to go.
I got to give Brennan a sponge bath yesterday! His hair was so soft and fluffy afterwards. Also, he can roll over onto his side! I am so happy for my strong little man.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Brennan will be a month old tomorrow! I can't believe how fast this is going. He's already over 5 lbs and has a double chin! Brennan hasn't had any apnea spells since the 18th, so the doctors will be weaning him off the caffeine! He still drops his heartrate and oxygen sats sometimes, especially when eating, but they aren't true 'spells' since they are so short and he pulls himself right out of it. It's something he just has to grow out of. He hasn't improved too much with his eating skills, but he's still working hard! An occupational therapist is helping out - they have ideas for different nipples and techniques to help Brennan eat better. The poor little guy is also struggling with motility issues - meaning he gets backed up, and it doesn't feel good! Last night he was screaming because of the pain, which was no fun to watch. They started giving him a little pear juice twice a day, as well as suppositories every 24 hrs - which, sadly, haven't been working too well. But if constipation is our biggest problem, then I can't complain!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Well, Brennan doesn't really want to come home. He hasn't made any progress with eating; in fact, he's a little worse. Because of his reflux, Brennan often drops his heartrate and stops breathing when he eats. When the milk comes back up, he doesn't know what to do, so he doesn't do anything - swallow or breathe. Also, it presses on his vagus nerve, which can lower his heartrate. He needs to be held upright when he eats, and you have to control how many times he sucks, because he won't do it himself. He didn't do very well when they took him off of the Zantac, so now he's on Protonix, which should help reduce the stomach acid and help with Brennan's pain and discomfort. He's not getting the practice sucking that he needs since he's not really taking much orally. He also gets tired very quickly. Poor guy is not having an easy time with this! He just needs to mature a little more. One of the nurses told me that sometimes it's just like a little lightbulb goes off, and suddenly they get it! Hopefully when the medicine kicks in, he'll be able to get a hang of it!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Brennan is getting the hang of things! He's doing much better than last week. The occupational therapist said he looked like a completely different baby - he's now doing all the things that he is supposed too. He's definitely excited about eating! He needs to develop the stamina he needs to get through a bottle. Right now he gets too tired about halfway through, and then he looses the coordination of suck/swallow/breathe. Instead he goes suck/I-don't-know-what's-next-so-I-will-do-nothing. Which means he doesn't breathe! So we have to remind him a little. We also help by pacing him - we let him suck twice and then tip the bottle up in his mouth so he remembers to swallow. We also only keep the nipple half full and hold him upright and on his left side while eating. It requires some coordination! We're also still working on breastfeeding, but I am sure you don't want as much detail on that. :) B is taking between 8-17% of his feedings orally. His hemoglobin is only 9.1 (it should be around 12), and that makes him a lot more tired. It should go up on its own, since he is making his own red blood cells now. If it doesn't go up by Monday (when they retest), and he hasn't perked up, the doctor might give him a transfusion. But he should be fine without it.
Other than that, he's just busy being cute! He still doesn't poop on his own, but as his muscles get stronger, it'll happen. The OT gave us all sorts of exercises to do with Brennan to help him get stronger. He's pretty stong - I am fairly sure at this point he could beat up a hamster, if no biting was allowed. I'll try and remember to take a video of him soon. I am usually too busy enjoying him to remember! All the nurses think he's adorable too. A lot of the nurses know us by now. I told Brennan that means he's been there too long!
My little man is growing up! He got moved to a crib, so now it's much easier to touch him and pick him up. We also finally started breastfeeding! Brennan knew just what to do, he loves to eat! The nurses are impressed at how great he is doing. We've only done it a few times but he's really doing well. He also ate from a bottle this morning. He gets a little more that way, and I want him to take as much as he can orally so he can come home ASAP! Unfortunately he is still having quite a few 'spells' where he stops breathing. He can't come home until he stops doing that. Brennan is on caffeine to help with the apnea, and they upped his dose, but he's still having several spells a day. I've used my 'mom voice' on him already to tell him to knock it off!! The doctor also started Brennan on Zantac to help him be more comfortable while he eats. They are going to try and feed him more quickly so he no longer takes more than an hour to eat. Hopefully he'll continue doing great with that!
Brennan is also lifting his head up and when I change his diaper, he pushes off the bed and lifts his bottom up in the air. He's my strong little guy!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Not much has changed for Brennan, which is good in the NICU world! He is so darn cute! One of the nurses held him for an hour one night just because she thought he was so cute! That was good to hear - I like to hear he's being well taken care of when we are not there. Brennan is having much fewer spells, so now we just need to work on eating! He's pretty gung-ho about eating, but for a preemie it's so much work that he doesn't actually eat much at a time. He's fed orally 3 times a day and usually only takes 8-12 mls. His whole feedings are 42 mls, so he's got a way to go.
I got to give Brennan a sponge bath yesterday! His hair was so soft and fluffy afterwards. Also, he can roll over onto his side! I am so happy for my strong little man.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Brennan will be a month old tomorrow! I can't believe how fast this is going. He's already over 5 lbs and has a double chin! Brennan hasn't had any apnea spells since the 18th, so the doctors will be weaning him off the caffeine! He still drops his heartrate and oxygen sats sometimes, especially when eating, but they aren't true 'spells' since they are so short and he pulls himself right out of it. It's something he just has to grow out of. He hasn't improved too much with his eating skills, but he's still working hard! An occupational therapist is helping out - they have ideas for different nipples and techniques to help Brennan eat better. The poor little guy is also struggling with motility issues - meaning he gets backed up, and it doesn't feel good! Last night he was screaming because of the pain, which was no fun to watch. They started giving him a little pear juice twice a day, as well as suppositories every 24 hrs - which, sadly, haven't been working too well. But if constipation is our biggest problem, then I can't complain!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Well, Brennan doesn't really want to come home. He hasn't made any progress with eating; in fact, he's a little worse. Because of his reflux, Brennan often drops his heartrate and stops breathing when he eats. When the milk comes back up, he doesn't know what to do, so he doesn't do anything - swallow or breathe. Also, it presses on his vagus nerve, which can lower his heartrate. He needs to be held upright when he eats, and you have to control how many times he sucks, because he won't do it himself. He didn't do very well when they took him off of the Zantac, so now he's on Protonix, which should help reduce the stomach acid and help with Brennan's pain and discomfort. He's not getting the practice sucking that he needs since he's not really taking much orally. He also gets tired very quickly. Poor guy is not having an easy time with this! He just needs to mature a little more. One of the nurses told me that sometimes it's just like a little lightbulb goes off, and suddenly they get it! Hopefully when the medicine kicks in, he'll be able to get a hang of it!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Brennan is getting the hang of things! He's doing much better than last week. The occupational therapist said he looked like a completely different baby - he's now doing all the things that he is supposed too. He's definitely excited about eating! He needs to develop the stamina he needs to get through a bottle. Right now he gets too tired about halfway through, and then he looses the coordination of suck/swallow/breathe. Instead he goes suck/I-don't-know-what's-next-so-I-will-do-nothing. Which means he doesn't breathe! So we have to remind him a little. We also help by pacing him - we let him suck twice and then tip the bottle up in his mouth so he remembers to swallow. We also only keep the nipple half full and hold him upright and on his left side while eating. It requires some coordination! We're also still working on breastfeeding, but I am sure you don't want as much detail on that. :) B is taking between 8-17% of his feedings orally. His hemoglobin is only 9.1 (it should be around 12), and that makes him a lot more tired. It should go up on its own, since he is making his own red blood cells now. If it doesn't go up by Monday (when they retest), and he hasn't perked up, the doctor might give him a transfusion. But he should be fine without it.
Other than that, he's just busy being cute! He still doesn't poop on his own, but as his muscles get stronger, it'll happen. The OT gave us all sorts of exercises to do with Brennan to help him get stronger. He's pretty stong - I am fairly sure at this point he could beat up a hamster, if no biting was allowed. I'll try and remember to take a video of him soon. I am usually too busy enjoying him to remember! All the nurses think he's adorable too. A lot of the nurses know us by now. I told Brennan that means he's been there too long!
Caringbridge journal - 1
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
No end to my sleepless nights I suppose...
Rachel's back in the hospital. After coming home yesterday evening, we went to bed and around 1:00 last night, she woke up with a horrible headache. We drove in to the ER and found she had pretty high blood pressure. All tests show that her organs are fine so it's not particularly alarming (as long as she gets proper treatment of course) but it's not fun for her to be back!
Brennan is still doing great -- he's off the CPAP machine and on just a little pressurized air. We'll get to hold him much more often if we ever wake up enough to visit!
-Ken
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I am finally home, hopefully for good this time! My preeclampsia is now under control, but I am pretty weak. It will take a bit to recover. Brennan is doing great! He is breathing completely on his own and no longer needs the bili lights. He had his first xrays the other day. He was throwing up his feeds, and they found out he had a ton of air in his tummy. They stoppped his feeds for the night to give him a break, and now he's doing just fine! Since he doesn't need the bili lights anymore, the nurse put a little outfit on him, and it's just so precious!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Brennan is doing wonderfully! They moved him to another room with other bigger babies, the feeder-growers, who are healthy and just learning to eat and grow. Brennan had his IV removed so now they are trying to get him up to full feeds as soon as possible. He's almost there, but his bowels are still immature and he gets backed up, which makes him spit up his feeds. But he's almost at full feeds now (32 mls/feeding) and will hopefully start gaining weight soon! He's starting to stay awake a little while we hold him, and he makes some really funny faces! If he keeps progressing like he should, they'll start trying to breast/bottle feed in a week or so! One more step towards coming home!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Brennan is now on 33 ml feedings. He has pretty bad reflux and they're really stuffing his tummy so they can keep the IVs out. His bed is tilted up so far he's practically standing in it! The feeds go in really slowly, over an hour. They tried changing it to 45 mins but it made him spit up more. Poor guy! He's also been having more apnea spells, which can be really scary for mama when it takes him awhile to come out of it! I got to kangaroo him todday - that's when I hold him on my chest skin-to-skin. Brennan really seems to like it, much more than being wrapped up in a blanket! Brennan also started pooping on his own (yay!) and today I got to change my first poopy diaper! Ah, the things that make a NICU mom happy!!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Brennan is now over four pounds! He was two weeks old on Saturday. I can't believe I am the mommy of a two week old!! He's becoming more alert when he's awake, and he's much better at focusing his eyes so they're not rolling all over the place. He is also working on sucking his fingers, but it's so hard to figure out how to get them into his mouth! He's getting better at it though.
Brennan now takes an hour and 15 minutes to eat. We're hoping he grows out of the reflux soon. He's still having apnea spells, and a lot of them are related to the reflux. He can't come home until he's gone a whole week without having a spell! I've had several chats with Brennan to explain this to him, but he has a mind of his own! :) This week we should be able to start trying to breast feed. Hopefully he will catch on quickly, because I want my little man to come home!
No end to my sleepless nights I suppose...
Rachel's back in the hospital. After coming home yesterday evening, we went to bed and around 1:00 last night, she woke up with a horrible headache. We drove in to the ER and found she had pretty high blood pressure. All tests show that her organs are fine so it's not particularly alarming (as long as she gets proper treatment of course) but it's not fun for her to be back!
Brennan is still doing great -- he's off the CPAP machine and on just a little pressurized air. We'll get to hold him much more often if we ever wake up enough to visit!
-Ken
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I am finally home, hopefully for good this time! My preeclampsia is now under control, but I am pretty weak. It will take a bit to recover. Brennan is doing great! He is breathing completely on his own and no longer needs the bili lights. He had his first xrays the other day. He was throwing up his feeds, and they found out he had a ton of air in his tummy. They stoppped his feeds for the night to give him a break, and now he's doing just fine! Since he doesn't need the bili lights anymore, the nurse put a little outfit on him, and it's just so precious!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Brennan is doing wonderfully! They moved him to another room with other bigger babies, the feeder-growers, who are healthy and just learning to eat and grow. Brennan had his IV removed so now they are trying to get him up to full feeds as soon as possible. He's almost there, but his bowels are still immature and he gets backed up, which makes him spit up his feeds. But he's almost at full feeds now (32 mls/feeding) and will hopefully start gaining weight soon! He's starting to stay awake a little while we hold him, and he makes some really funny faces! If he keeps progressing like he should, they'll start trying to breast/bottle feed in a week or so! One more step towards coming home!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Brennan is now on 33 ml feedings. He has pretty bad reflux and they're really stuffing his tummy so they can keep the IVs out. His bed is tilted up so far he's practically standing in it! The feeds go in really slowly, over an hour. They tried changing it to 45 mins but it made him spit up more. Poor guy! He's also been having more apnea spells, which can be really scary for mama when it takes him awhile to come out of it! I got to kangaroo him todday - that's when I hold him on my chest skin-to-skin. Brennan really seems to like it, much more than being wrapped up in a blanket! Brennan also started pooping on his own (yay!) and today I got to change my first poopy diaper! Ah, the things that make a NICU mom happy!!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Brennan is now over four pounds! He was two weeks old on Saturday. I can't believe I am the mommy of a two week old!! He's becoming more alert when he's awake, and he's much better at focusing his eyes so they're not rolling all over the place. He is also working on sucking his fingers, but it's so hard to figure out how to get them into his mouth! He's getting better at it though.
Brennan now takes an hour and 15 minutes to eat. We're hoping he grows out of the reflux soon. He's still having apnea spells, and a lot of them are related to the reflux. He can't come home until he's gone a whole week without having a spell! I've had several chats with Brennan to explain this to him, but he has a mind of his own! :) This week we should be able to start trying to breast feed. Hopefully he will catch on quickly, because I want my little man to come home!
4 month update
Stats:
11lbs 14oz - 4% (don't know the corrected but it's 75% or more)
22.5 in - 0%
Brennan is growing so fast, it's so cliche, but it makes me a little sad. ALthough, I do get so happy when I watch him learn something new! I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I often get tears in my eyes! It's so amazing watching this little guy, who I dreamed for and longed for for so long, learn about his world and figure things out.
Two days ago he said a whole 'sentence' of coos. On Tuesday, he figured out that his fists are connected to him and that he can, in fact, control where they go! So he worked very hard at getting them into his mouth, with varying success. He kept punching himself in the eye and opening his mouth hopefully. It was hysterical!
Yesterday I had him in the bouncy seat while I cleaned. Usually he looks around the toys to watch me, but this time he enjoyed his toys! When he hits the toys, a part lights up and it plays music. B figured out that when he moved, this happened, so he would frantically wave all fours limbs around until the lights came on, then stop to watch! It was so amazing to watch him put this all together and learn that he had an affect on his environment. This is a huge step! I'm hoping this means he'll be playing with toys soon so he can entertain himself while I eat breakfast!
B's also sleeping longer at night - last night he went 9:30p-5:30a and then four hours more after that! I am praying this continues because 4 months of sleep deprivation is too much!
I am getting a little worried that he's not holding his head up more while on his tummy. I have seen him do it, and I know he CAN do it - this kid is STRONG - but he just doesn't. He's only 10 wks corrected, so I'm really not too worried. I just don't want him to fall behind, and in the meantime, I don't know any ways to help him do it more. I know he does just like to take his time - it did take him 8 weeks to get out of the NICU, after all :).
11lbs 14oz - 4% (don't know the corrected but it's 75% or more)
22.5 in - 0%
Brennan is growing so fast, it's so cliche, but it makes me a little sad. ALthough, I do get so happy when I watch him learn something new! I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I often get tears in my eyes! It's so amazing watching this little guy, who I dreamed for and longed for for so long, learn about his world and figure things out.
Two days ago he said a whole 'sentence' of coos. On Tuesday, he figured out that his fists are connected to him and that he can, in fact, control where they go! So he worked very hard at getting them into his mouth, with varying success. He kept punching himself in the eye and opening his mouth hopefully. It was hysterical!
Yesterday I had him in the bouncy seat while I cleaned. Usually he looks around the toys to watch me, but this time he enjoyed his toys! When he hits the toys, a part lights up and it plays music. B figured out that when he moved, this happened, so he would frantically wave all fours limbs around until the lights came on, then stop to watch! It was so amazing to watch him put this all together and learn that he had an affect on his environment. This is a huge step! I'm hoping this means he'll be playing with toys soon so he can entertain himself while I eat breakfast!
B's also sleeping longer at night - last night he went 9:30p-5:30a and then four hours more after that! I am praying this continues because 4 months of sleep deprivation is too much!
I am getting a little worried that he's not holding his head up more while on his tummy. I have seen him do it, and I know he CAN do it - this kid is STRONG - but he just doesn't. He's only 10 wks corrected, so I'm really not too worried. I just don't want him to fall behind, and in the meantime, I don't know any ways to help him do it more. I know he does just like to take his time - it did take him 8 weeks to get out of the NICU, after all :).
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