It's been a long time since my last update, so I thought I should write one today.
Last weekend Derrick & I went to Vennard for the final graduation. It was one of those bittersweet moments in life. It was a lot of fun to see all my friends & see some very special people graduate, but knowing that it was the last graduation was hard. I know that God has big plans for this situation, whether it is to reopen the school or if it is to spread the Vennard family to touch lives in other ways. I had a great time down at Vennard, but I was glad to get back to my little guy in Iowa City.
This past week we celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a family instead of just a couple. Dylan is still in the hospital, but Derrick & I spent the morning with him, ate Thanksgiving lunch at the RMH, & then went back to the hospital for the evening. It was a little sad to be away from our extended family, but we knew that we really wanted to celebrate Dylan's first Thanksgiving with him. We have much to be thankful for this year. Dylan could have not been here. I could have not been here. We are thankful to God everyday for taking care of us. How blessed we are!
My mom & step-dad came to visit us on Friday. They brought us Thanksgiving leftovers! Wayne (my step-dad) also brought his Santa suit & dressed up so we could take Dylan's picture with Santa. Even if Dylan is home before Christmas, we aren't supposed to take him out into crowds because it is cold & flu season & he can get RSV if he catches a cold. It could land him right back in the hospital & we don't want that. So, back to Santa. We don't really know if we are going to do Santa because I don't want to lie to my kids about it, even if it is for the magic of the season. I have no problem with other people doing Santa, but I don't know that I want to. But my mom thought it would be nice to have Dylan's picture taken with Santa, so we volunteered Wayne. It was a lot of fun. Wayne had never held Dylan before, so it was really cute! Wayne just kept saying. “I'm not moving, not moving.” Too funny! We got some really good ones & I will be posting them soon. We also took family pictures.
After we took pictures, my mom, Santa Wayne & I went up to my friend Julie's daughter's room in the NICU. Julie has triplets who were born at the same gestational age as Dylan, but a few weeks earlier. They are getting ready to go home, but there is one here at the hospital. The other 2 were already discharged & stay here at the RMH with Julie. They go back every day to visit though. They also have a 6 year old brother. So Santa Wayne told Julie's son that his sled had broken down, so he thought he'd come in & visit for a while. It was so cute. So Julie's son told Santa Wayne what he wanted for Christmas & then we took pictures of Santa Wayne holding the triplets! That was too funny! He did great though.
On Saturday, some of Derrick's family came to visit. His mom & 2 sisters came up, & brought our niece & nephew. It was nice to see them. We went dinner with them (& finally found the Pizza Hut we have been looking for here in Iowa City.) They are a lot of fun. My little nephew is almost 9 & he made me a card. It was so cute. He said something like – "Thank you for letting me have a new cousin. I hope you get to have him at home with you soon." It was so precious! He is our first nephew & he was born on my birthday, so he has always been special to me.
Today it snowed. We did not go to church because we didn't want to drive to Cedar Rapids in the snow & because I am fighting a cold & needed some rest. Derrick is at the hospital with Dylan now, but he'll come back & get me this afternoon. We'll probably eat some dinner & then go back to the hospital. I'm feeling better now, but I will still have to wear a mask in the NICU.
Dylan is doing well. He is 4 lbs. 2 oz. He is getting to be a big guy! His breathing is getting better & he is doing good with his feeds, so hopefully we'll be able to try bottle feeding soon. He is also working on getting into a crib. He has to be over 1800 grams (which he is) & he has to be continually gaining weight. That is where the trouble is. He'll gain one night, then lose the next, then gain, then lose. In the long run he is still gaining, but it is not very consistent.
It has been interesting with the holiday because we have not had our normal nurses, but we made it through. Hopefully we get one of the regulars tomorrow. We are missing the nurses who know Dylan & don't panic about everything. Plus, a lot of the nurses we have had recently are older ladies & I don't relate to them as well as I do to the younger nurses. We have 3 nurses that we really like & they are all around mine or Derrick's age & they are just really energetic. They are a lot of fun & they don't panic about everything. It makes us feel more comfortable & less like we are intruding on their space. Some of the nurses (whether they mean to or not) make me feel like my being there is an inconvenience to them. They all take wonderful care of Dylan though. In the almost 8 weeks he has been in the hospital, we have had 2 nurses that I didn't care for. That's pretty good!
Anyway, I just wanted to give you all an update. Things are going well. They are not moving as quickly as I want them to, but God is in control. I'm glad He is because I trust Him more than anyone else. He is taking great care of us.
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Thank you for all your love & support!!!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Baby Dylan and Vennard Update
So I am sitting here wanting to write an update, but I am struggling with the words to say. I have all around had a rough week. Last Monday I knew that it was going to be a long week. I received word this week that Vennard, the college that I spent 4 of the best years of my life at was closing. I know that I need to deal with the situation, but I just don't feel like I can at the moment. The problem is that I don't have time to wait to deal with it. So I am still trying to work through & process that information.
Dylan also had a hard week. Mid-week last week he started having some breathing problems & was having a lot of residuals (food left over in his belly before the next feeding). Unfortunately, those are 2 signs of infections in babies. Dylan had a bunch of tests done, had his feedings stopped, & had IV's inserted to give him his nutrition & antibiotics. The docs have not been able to confirm an infection, but Dylan still has to have the antibiotics for 7 days. I believe today is day 5. They have restarted his feeds, but he is not tolerating them well, so it is going a lot slower than we thought it would be. He was up to 24 cc's every 3 hrs., but since they've restarted, he has been getting 10 cc's every 4 hrs. He is still having some residual problems, but they seem to be getting better.
Dylan also received a blood transfusion this week. The blood really seemed to help him. I am thankful to those people who can donate blood & do so. You never really think that it is going to affect anyone you know, but I know that someone donated the blood that has now helped my son twice. What a blessing that that can be done. He has had no reactions to the blood, so that is good, too. He does have some extra fluid in his body because of the transfusion. When the docs push all that blood in, but don't take any fluid out, sometimes it is hard for the extra fluid to go anywhere. So Dylan received some lasics today. It will make him pee more & get rid of all that extra fluid. The docs also saw some wetness on his lungs on the x-ray this morning, so the lasics should help with that, too.
Dylan is feeling better today. He is breathing a lot better & his residuals are starting to get better. He weighed 3 lbs., 10 oz. today, but it should be going down because he will be losing some of that extra fluid. We want him to be gaining weight, but not in that way. Once he gets off the high flow oxygen & onto the normal nasal canual oxygen we should be able to start bottle feeding. I am very excited about that. It will be one more thing that we will be able to help out with & I think it will make me feel like Dylan is a little bit more mine & less like he belongs to the hospital.
We have an eye exam scheduled for this week. If that comes back good, & if Dylan can get off the high flow oxygen, we may be able to get transferred back to Davenport. I am trying to decide how I feel about that. I would be excited to be able to be home, but I am scared to leave the docs we have had since the beginning. Some of them do work in Davenport, too, but it is still scary. And, while I miss being home, I think I will miss being here at the RMH. I was trying to figure out why that was & then it occurred to me – it's kind of like being in the college dorm. A crazy, mixed up, joyful, sometimes depressing college dorm – so it's pretty much exactly like the dorm, minus the homework. But you're still exhausted. It's just an emotional exhaustion. I have made some good friends here & while I do not know that we will keep in touch, I know that I have appreciated them. Many of them have been here longer than me & I have gained lots of knowledge from them. I feel like I know what to expect better because of them – this place is sounding more like the dorm every minute!
One major blessing this week – my mom & stepdad came to visit on Sunday & brought us a Christmas present. That was really strange because it is November & we see them all the time. It's not like this is the only time we will get together! So I opened the box & inside it was another box. I opened that one & found a set of car keys. My mom & Wayne bought a car from my step-uncle for us. They knew that we had been struggling about what to do once I come back. If Dylan is at the hospital, I didn't want to rely on someone to drive me around all the time. Also, once Dylan comes home, we would have either had to take him out in the cold every morning to take Derrick to work or we would be stuck at home all the time. Neither idea sounded great to us. I am thrilled about the car! It will give us a little more freedom without costing us a fortune. It is a '93, so the registration & plates will be pretty cheap. It is not exactly what I was looking for, but it will work for now & our other car will be paid off in June, so we may start looking for something bigger then. Right now I am just thankful to have a 2nd vehicle!
Here is a special prayer request for today: I met a mom tonight who has a daughter at the hospital. I don't know anything about their story, but the mom told me that her daughter is severely anorexic. I asked how she was doing & her mom said, “Poorly.” She also told me that she's “fighting it.” I don't know if that means that she is fighting the help or fighting the disease. Please pray for her & her family today.
So that's about it for my update. We appreciate all your love & prayers. We know God hears them & is blessing us though you. Dylan is such a precious miracle. I'll leave you will the lyrics of a song that I sing to Dylan. It is by Stellar Kart titled “Sunshine.” It is about Jesus, but somewhat expresses how I feel.
Life is filled with
Circumstances situations
That we can't avoid
And I admit some
Days can steal my happiness
But I still got joy
Hey you are my sunshine
On a rainy day it's gonna be ok
Hey you are my sunshine
It's gonna be alright
I believe in
Something bigger than my troubles
They can't keep me down
This sinking feeling
Starts disappearing on the double
Now that you're around
I am not afraid
To walk into the darkness
Cause I've got the light
I've got my problems
But I know that Jesus loves me
And that's alright
Dylan also had a hard week. Mid-week last week he started having some breathing problems & was having a lot of residuals (food left over in his belly before the next feeding). Unfortunately, those are 2 signs of infections in babies. Dylan had a bunch of tests done, had his feedings stopped, & had IV's inserted to give him his nutrition & antibiotics. The docs have not been able to confirm an infection, but Dylan still has to have the antibiotics for 7 days. I believe today is day 5. They have restarted his feeds, but he is not tolerating them well, so it is going a lot slower than we thought it would be. He was up to 24 cc's every 3 hrs., but since they've restarted, he has been getting 10 cc's every 4 hrs. He is still having some residual problems, but they seem to be getting better.
Dylan also received a blood transfusion this week. The blood really seemed to help him. I am thankful to those people who can donate blood & do so. You never really think that it is going to affect anyone you know, but I know that someone donated the blood that has now helped my son twice. What a blessing that that can be done. He has had no reactions to the blood, so that is good, too. He does have some extra fluid in his body because of the transfusion. When the docs push all that blood in, but don't take any fluid out, sometimes it is hard for the extra fluid to go anywhere. So Dylan received some lasics today. It will make him pee more & get rid of all that extra fluid. The docs also saw some wetness on his lungs on the x-ray this morning, so the lasics should help with that, too.
Dylan is feeling better today. He is breathing a lot better & his residuals are starting to get better. He weighed 3 lbs., 10 oz. today, but it should be going down because he will be losing some of that extra fluid. We want him to be gaining weight, but not in that way. Once he gets off the high flow oxygen & onto the normal nasal canual oxygen we should be able to start bottle feeding. I am very excited about that. It will be one more thing that we will be able to help out with & I think it will make me feel like Dylan is a little bit more mine & less like he belongs to the hospital.
We have an eye exam scheduled for this week. If that comes back good, & if Dylan can get off the high flow oxygen, we may be able to get transferred back to Davenport. I am trying to decide how I feel about that. I would be excited to be able to be home, but I am scared to leave the docs we have had since the beginning. Some of them do work in Davenport, too, but it is still scary. And, while I miss being home, I think I will miss being here at the RMH. I was trying to figure out why that was & then it occurred to me – it's kind of like being in the college dorm. A crazy, mixed up, joyful, sometimes depressing college dorm – so it's pretty much exactly like the dorm, minus the homework. But you're still exhausted. It's just an emotional exhaustion. I have made some good friends here & while I do not know that we will keep in touch, I know that I have appreciated them. Many of them have been here longer than me & I have gained lots of knowledge from them. I feel like I know what to expect better because of them – this place is sounding more like the dorm every minute!
One major blessing this week – my mom & stepdad came to visit on Sunday & brought us a Christmas present. That was really strange because it is November & we see them all the time. It's not like this is the only time we will get together! So I opened the box & inside it was another box. I opened that one & found a set of car keys. My mom & Wayne bought a car from my step-uncle for us. They knew that we had been struggling about what to do once I come back. If Dylan is at the hospital, I didn't want to rely on someone to drive me around all the time. Also, once Dylan comes home, we would have either had to take him out in the cold every morning to take Derrick to work or we would be stuck at home all the time. Neither idea sounded great to us. I am thrilled about the car! It will give us a little more freedom without costing us a fortune. It is a '93, so the registration & plates will be pretty cheap. It is not exactly what I was looking for, but it will work for now & our other car will be paid off in June, so we may start looking for something bigger then. Right now I am just thankful to have a 2nd vehicle!
Here is a special prayer request for today: I met a mom tonight who has a daughter at the hospital. I don't know anything about their story, but the mom told me that her daughter is severely anorexic. I asked how she was doing & her mom said, “Poorly.” She also told me that she's “fighting it.” I don't know if that means that she is fighting the help or fighting the disease. Please pray for her & her family today.
So that's about it for my update. We appreciate all your love & prayers. We know God hears them & is blessing us though you. Dylan is such a precious miracle. I'll leave you will the lyrics of a song that I sing to Dylan. It is by Stellar Kart titled “Sunshine.” It is about Jesus, but somewhat expresses how I feel.
Life is filled with
Circumstances situations
That we can't avoid
And I admit some
Days can steal my happiness
But I still got joy
Hey you are my sunshine
On a rainy day it's gonna be ok
Hey you are my sunshine
It's gonna be alright
I believe in
Something bigger than my troubles
They can't keep me down
This sinking feeling
Starts disappearing on the double
Now that you're around
I am not afraid
To walk into the darkness
Cause I've got the light
I've got my problems
But I know that Jesus loves me
And that's alright
Friday, November 14, 2008
November 14, 2008 Update
Hi all,
Just wanted to give a short update. Dylan is having a rough week. The doctors think he might have an infection, so they started antibiodics yesterday. He is also getting a blood transfusion to help with his hemogloban (or something) count. That is pretty routine for preemies, but pretty scary for their mamas...
Derrick & I are supposed to be taking some teens to DM to a Bible quiz tomorrow, & while I know that Dylan is in good hands here, I don't know if I should go if he is still feeling yucky. There are things that Derrick & I do that the nurses don't (like stand & hold his paci for hours). I am a little torn about what to do.
So pray for us today. Please pray that Dylan is better tonight & I can leave without worries & pray that if he is still not feeling good, I can have wisdom about what to do.
Thank you all - Love you all lots!!!
Just wanted to give a short update. Dylan is having a rough week. The doctors think he might have an infection, so they started antibiodics yesterday. He is also getting a blood transfusion to help with his hemogloban (or something) count. That is pretty routine for preemies, but pretty scary for their mamas...
Derrick & I are supposed to be taking some teens to DM to a Bible quiz tomorrow, & while I know that Dylan is in good hands here, I don't know if I should go if he is still feeling yucky. There are things that Derrick & I do that the nurses don't (like stand & hold his paci for hours). I am a little torn about what to do.
So pray for us today. Please pray that Dylan is better tonight & I can leave without worries & pray that if he is still not feeling good, I can have wisdom about what to do.
Thank you all - Love you all lots!!!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Ways to Know You Are a Preemie Parent
This was given to me by one of the social workers here at the U of I NICU when I was really down one day. The first 10 were written by Jane Simone & the rest I am not sure. But I enjoyed it & thought some of you might, too (especially if you have ever had a little one in the NICU). I hope you enjoy it!
1. Going to a hospital makes you homesick
2. You have to fight the steering wheel to keep the vehicle from driving itself to the hospital
3. Every time you run the blender on “pulse” your milk lets down
4. You don’t know how to care for an umbilical cord
5. You hold your Yorkie puppy & it reminds you of kangarooing your child (except the puppy is bigger!)
6. None of the “What to Expect…” books REALLY told you what to expect
7. Your friends think you have an obsessive compulsive disorder because you are constantly washing your hands
8. You become excited when you can carry your baby from room to room (with no attachments)
9. You have the NICU’s phone number in memory speed dial or 3 months after your child comes home, you go to call a friend & call the NICU by accident
10. They have to call in heavy equipment to transport your child’s medical chart
Additional suggestions for knowing you have a baby in the Children’s Newborn ICU
11. A pregnant NICU nurse has her baby, is home on maternity leave, & returns to work during your baby’s hospitalization
12. You look for a “prox card” to open a door at home or wave it in front of a car door
13. Term babies look absolutely HUGE to you when others are commenting on how little they are
14. Kangaroo, wallaby, & giraffe are no longer just animal names
15. Your sense of time’s passage starts to focus on the 3 week doctor rotations rather than which month it is
16. When watching the “financial reports” station on TV, the graphs look like vital signs on a bedside monitor
17. The woman in the grocery store line asks if you are a physician after she hears you giving your husband a baby update on your cell phone
18. You find it easier to describe your child’s weight with a 2 lb. bag of M&M’s
19. You challenge yourself to find a piece of Disney trivia not known by Dr. Jirka
20. The cafeteria has no more surprises for you
21. You question whether you should feel guilty or grateful that you are sleeping through the night (if not pumping, of course)
22. You hope your baby isn’t teething by the time you get to breastfeed
23. As frightening as the monitor looked when you first saw it, you have some uncertainty about giving it up at discharge
24. You & your baby need caffeine in the morning
25. The seasons (& your wardrobe) have changed 2 to 3 times while your baby has been in the hospital
26. When you look at the weights of food items in the grocery store, you compare whether it is more or less that what your baby weighs
27. You can see your toes at your “due date”
28. You walk away from the sink at home expecting the water to turn off by itself. (We won’t talk about the self-flushing toilets!)
29. You can critique the accuracy of medical language on TV shows
30. Your dog at home looks at you as if you are a stranger
31. Carnival roller coasters no longer have any appeal to you after being on the NICU emotional roller coaster that doesn’t seem to stop!
1. Going to a hospital makes you homesick
2. You have to fight the steering wheel to keep the vehicle from driving itself to the hospital
3. Every time you run the blender on “pulse” your milk lets down
4. You don’t know how to care for an umbilical cord
5. You hold your Yorkie puppy & it reminds you of kangarooing your child (except the puppy is bigger!)
6. None of the “What to Expect…” books REALLY told you what to expect
7. Your friends think you have an obsessive compulsive disorder because you are constantly washing your hands
8. You become excited when you can carry your baby from room to room (with no attachments)
9. You have the NICU’s phone number in memory speed dial or 3 months after your child comes home, you go to call a friend & call the NICU by accident
10. They have to call in heavy equipment to transport your child’s medical chart
Additional suggestions for knowing you have a baby in the Children’s Newborn ICU
11. A pregnant NICU nurse has her baby, is home on maternity leave, & returns to work during your baby’s hospitalization
12. You look for a “prox card” to open a door at home or wave it in front of a car door
13. Term babies look absolutely HUGE to you when others are commenting on how little they are
14. Kangaroo, wallaby, & giraffe are no longer just animal names
15. Your sense of time’s passage starts to focus on the 3 week doctor rotations rather than which month it is
16. When watching the “financial reports” station on TV, the graphs look like vital signs on a bedside monitor
17. The woman in the grocery store line asks if you are a physician after she hears you giving your husband a baby update on your cell phone
18. You find it easier to describe your child’s weight with a 2 lb. bag of M&M’s
19. You challenge yourself to find a piece of Disney trivia not known by Dr. Jirka
20. The cafeteria has no more surprises for you
21. You question whether you should feel guilty or grateful that you are sleeping through the night (if not pumping, of course)
22. You hope your baby isn’t teething by the time you get to breastfeed
23. As frightening as the monitor looked when you first saw it, you have some uncertainty about giving it up at discharge
24. You & your baby need caffeine in the morning
25. The seasons (& your wardrobe) have changed 2 to 3 times while your baby has been in the hospital
26. When you look at the weights of food items in the grocery store, you compare whether it is more or less that what your baby weighs
27. You can see your toes at your “due date”
28. You walk away from the sink at home expecting the water to turn off by itself. (We won’t talk about the self-flushing toilets!)
29. You can critique the accuracy of medical language on TV shows
30. Your dog at home looks at you as if you are a stranger
31. Carnival roller coasters no longer have any appeal to you after being on the NICU emotional roller coaster that doesn’t seem to stop!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
One Month Old!
Thanks for all the comments on Dylan’s costume – we’re glad you all found it as cute as we did!
Here is an update for this week:
Dylan is doing great. Last Friday the drs. decided that he was well enough to be taken off the vent & put on the CPAP machine. They told me that they would know within 48 hrs. if he would need to go back on the vent or not. I was preparing myself for him to go back on it because of the problems he had been having with tolerating changes in his vent. Dylan surprised me – he did better on the CPAP than he had been doing on the vent!
Friday was a big day for Dylan. Not only did they put him on the CPAP, they were able to move him over to Bay 3. I talked to one of his bay 1 drs. the other day & she called bay 3 “the big boy side.” It was too funny. But age wise, he is starting to be one of the big boys. He had been in Bay 1 for 3 weeks & 5 days!
Sunday the drs. were able to remove Dylan’s picc line – no more IV’s!!! He is tolerating his feeds very well (well, as well as any 4 week old does – there is some spitting up that is going on). He is still on the feeding tube, but they are now giving him 24 cc’s every 3 hrs. I am excited to see how he handles that.
They also put Dylan in an isolet (sp?) on Sunday. It seems like a step backwards after he has been in the warmer bed that is all open, but the nurses explained that since he is more stable, they are able to put him in the isolet b/c they aren’t worried about having to get to him too quickly. I almost cried when they put him in it b/c it seems so different, but he is doing well in it.
So back to the CPAP – I told you that he had been doing well on it. He had been doing so well that they were able to wean him from 30 “breaths” per minute to 10 between Friday & Wednesday. The nurses told us last night that the drs. were hoping to put Dylan on the high flow oxygen “within the next few days.” That is a big step from being the kid who didn’t want to breathe on his own just a couple weeks ago!
Today is Dylan’s 1 month birthday – I feel like we should throw a party because we didn’t really know if he would make it or not. I walked into the hospital room today to a great surprise – the drs. had decided that Dylan was ready to put on the high flow oxygen today! As of 9:15 this morning, he is no longer using the CPAP. When I left the hospital at 1:30 he was still doing great!
We also were able to reach the milestone that I had set for Dylan’s 1 month birthday – I wanted him to be 3 lbs. by a month old. When we helped the nurse weigh Dylan last night he was 1373 grams. That comes out to 3 lbs., 0.43 oz.! He got there (but just barely).
It has been a very good week. Will they all be this way? I doubt it. I would love it if they were, but I know that there will most likely be some setbacks. Right now though, I am praising God that he has taken a baby who was not supposed to be here for another 12 weeks from when he arrived & has been helping him grow & develop. We are so blessed to have him here with us.
I was looking at him the other day & started to think about all the babies his size who don’t make it. Some just because they are too sick & others because of the choices their parents make. It occurred to me that babies at Dylan’s gestational age are aborted every day. Many people try to convince everyone that that baby is not a “baby” until it is born. As far as I am concerned, my little Dylan was a baby at 6:04 pm on October 6 while he was still inside me as much as he was at 6:05 pm when the drs. pulled him out.
So, as I end today, I ask that you continue to pray for Dylan – he still has a long way to go. I also ask for prayer for the other children in the NICU & their parents. It is a draining thing being around the hospital all the time & I know those parents would appreciate your prayers. Also, please pray for those who are in a situation involving an unplanned pregnancy – pray that they see that abortion is not the best option for anyone involved.
Thank you all for your love & support! I truly believe that your prayers are helping Dylan. I will continue to update you as time goes on! Love you all!!!
~Renee, Derrick & Dylan
Here is an update for this week:
Dylan is doing great. Last Friday the drs. decided that he was well enough to be taken off the vent & put on the CPAP machine. They told me that they would know within 48 hrs. if he would need to go back on the vent or not. I was preparing myself for him to go back on it because of the problems he had been having with tolerating changes in his vent. Dylan surprised me – he did better on the CPAP than he had been doing on the vent!
Friday was a big day for Dylan. Not only did they put him on the CPAP, they were able to move him over to Bay 3. I talked to one of his bay 1 drs. the other day & she called bay 3 “the big boy side.” It was too funny. But age wise, he is starting to be one of the big boys. He had been in Bay 1 for 3 weeks & 5 days!
Sunday the drs. were able to remove Dylan’s picc line – no more IV’s!!! He is tolerating his feeds very well (well, as well as any 4 week old does – there is some spitting up that is going on). He is still on the feeding tube, but they are now giving him 24 cc’s every 3 hrs. I am excited to see how he handles that.
They also put Dylan in an isolet (sp?) on Sunday. It seems like a step backwards after he has been in the warmer bed that is all open, but the nurses explained that since he is more stable, they are able to put him in the isolet b/c they aren’t worried about having to get to him too quickly. I almost cried when they put him in it b/c it seems so different, but he is doing well in it.
So back to the CPAP – I told you that he had been doing well on it. He had been doing so well that they were able to wean him from 30 “breaths” per minute to 10 between Friday & Wednesday. The nurses told us last night that the drs. were hoping to put Dylan on the high flow oxygen “within the next few days.” That is a big step from being the kid who didn’t want to breathe on his own just a couple weeks ago!
Today is Dylan’s 1 month birthday – I feel like we should throw a party because we didn’t really know if he would make it or not. I walked into the hospital room today to a great surprise – the drs. had decided that Dylan was ready to put on the high flow oxygen today! As of 9:15 this morning, he is no longer using the CPAP. When I left the hospital at 1:30 he was still doing great!
We also were able to reach the milestone that I had set for Dylan’s 1 month birthday – I wanted him to be 3 lbs. by a month old. When we helped the nurse weigh Dylan last night he was 1373 grams. That comes out to 3 lbs., 0.43 oz.! He got there (but just barely).
It has been a very good week. Will they all be this way? I doubt it. I would love it if they were, but I know that there will most likely be some setbacks. Right now though, I am praising God that he has taken a baby who was not supposed to be here for another 12 weeks from when he arrived & has been helping him grow & develop. We are so blessed to have him here with us.
I was looking at him the other day & started to think about all the babies his size who don’t make it. Some just because they are too sick & others because of the choices their parents make. It occurred to me that babies at Dylan’s gestational age are aborted every day. Many people try to convince everyone that that baby is not a “baby” until it is born. As far as I am concerned, my little Dylan was a baby at 6:04 pm on October 6 while he was still inside me as much as he was at 6:05 pm when the drs. pulled him out.
So, as I end today, I ask that you continue to pray for Dylan – he still has a long way to go. I also ask for prayer for the other children in the NICU & their parents. It is a draining thing being around the hospital all the time & I know those parents would appreciate your prayers. Also, please pray for those who are in a situation involving an unplanned pregnancy – pray that they see that abortion is not the best option for anyone involved.
Thank you all for your love & support! I truly believe that your prayers are helping Dylan. I will continue to update you as time goes on! Love you all!!!
~Renee, Derrick & Dylan
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