I'm hungry. I'm tired. I just showered for the first time in I dunno how long. I have a big basket of laundry that is not folded behind me, and a massive stack of laundry that needs to be done sitting in the bathroom.
I do have clean bottles, medicine droppers, gavage tubes and baby clothes.
In the hospital, I could always sneak away and do something like... pump. (For those of you who do not know, I am a cow--I pump my milk and then mix it with formula to up the calorie intake and then feed it to the baby that way). Now I have to feed the baby, which takes about 45 minutes including the feeding tube and putting him in bed afterwards. Then I need to pump, which is about 30 minutes, give or take--depends on if he lets me pump or if he wakes up and starts to yell. And that does include cleaning up all the gear. Then I check on the baby, and if all goes well, I get to sleep for 1 hour and 30 minutes....
Ok, he's hollaring. :) I must run away. Just wanted to say this is hard, but it is so worth it!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
First Dr. Appointment? Or...
So today the baby had his first doctor's appointment. Kinda. I know he's seen a lot of doctors in the past, but this time it was a regular "Well-baby" appointment with his pediatrician. She is located in Woodinville and is actually a good friend of his cardiologist. They had been emailing back and forth about the little guy, so she knew all about him.
Finding the office was a challenge. I forgot to bring the address so we stopped at the "Medical Building" and I hoped it was the right one. Yes, it was--yay! I read the board and we went up to the 3rd floor to the office. I didn't read the board correctly... "Woodinville Pediatric Dentistry" was not the same place. So back down to the bottom--it said it was on that floor, down the hall. We walked down the hall. "If you are seeing Dr. Anderson, she is located in suite 205 today." So... back up the hall and back up the elevator to floor 2. We were getting quite the tour. After the appointment, I wasn't sure if we got off on floor "1" or "L" so I chose "1." Turns out it should have been L. *grin* So we saw each floor of the building.
We found out that the baby is in the 47th percentile in weight--he is 8lbs now!! He is in the 54th percentile in height--a whopping 21" now. Head size is 51st coming in at 14 3/4 inches. They made the little dude stip. We found out his goopy eyes are normal, but she did give us eyedrops in case they kept up putting out a lot of goop. His little "foldy" ear should come back down to look like his other one--I don't know if I mentioned one ear is just stuck flat to his head and the other one looks like it was rolled up in the womb! :) It's starting to flatten at the top, but the bottom is still rolled up.
A delicate subject now... as for the snipping. Typically there is a short window to do the circumcision before it is a "surgical" event. As a newborn they do a little numbing and then a "snip." As he gets older it will require more pain medication, so that is why. The clinic we go to perform very little snippings at his age, so it will probably need to wait until he is a year old. Not a biggie at this point, I mean it's not like it's going to require extra cleaning or cause issues in the locker room. And, at the moment, I don't think he needs another poking and injury to take care of!
As a reward for joining Woodinville Peds, we received a small diaper bag, some literature, and a MASSIVE book to read. It weighs more than the baby!
What we did next was... go to Target! Yes, the baby has to learn the joy of Target. Well, either that or we were in some serious need of some diapers. We bought a wipe warmer as well, as part of his anger over the diaper changes have been the cold wipes assaulting the family jewels. I bought some "sensitive skin" wipes because he is quite the sensitive boy. Also I am going to try that lavender bath... I think tonight we'll have our first bath at home! Once I figure out the bathtub. Jill... it's "some assembly required," what's up with that??
Other than that, he is laying in the stroller taking a nap as the bed is all the way upstairs. :)
Finding the office was a challenge. I forgot to bring the address so we stopped at the "Medical Building" and I hoped it was the right one. Yes, it was--yay! I read the board and we went up to the 3rd floor to the office. I didn't read the board correctly... "Woodinville Pediatric Dentistry" was not the same place. So back down to the bottom--it said it was on that floor, down the hall. We walked down the hall. "If you are seeing Dr. Anderson, she is located in suite 205 today." So... back up the hall and back up the elevator to floor 2. We were getting quite the tour. After the appointment, I wasn't sure if we got off on floor "1" or "L" so I chose "1." Turns out it should have been L. *grin* So we saw each floor of the building.
We found out that the baby is in the 47th percentile in weight--he is 8lbs now!! He is in the 54th percentile in height--a whopping 21" now. Head size is 51st coming in at 14 3/4 inches. They made the little dude stip. We found out his goopy eyes are normal, but she did give us eyedrops in case they kept up putting out a lot of goop. His little "foldy" ear should come back down to look like his other one--I don't know if I mentioned one ear is just stuck flat to his head and the other one looks like it was rolled up in the womb! :) It's starting to flatten at the top, but the bottom is still rolled up.
A delicate subject now... as for the snipping. Typically there is a short window to do the circumcision before it is a "surgical" event. As a newborn they do a little numbing and then a "snip." As he gets older it will require more pain medication, so that is why. The clinic we go to perform very little snippings at his age, so it will probably need to wait until he is a year old. Not a biggie at this point, I mean it's not like it's going to require extra cleaning or cause issues in the locker room. And, at the moment, I don't think he needs another poking and injury to take care of!
As a reward for joining Woodinville Peds, we received a small diaper bag, some literature, and a MASSIVE book to read. It weighs more than the baby!
What we did next was... go to Target! Yes, the baby has to learn the joy of Target. Well, either that or we were in some serious need of some diapers. We bought a wipe warmer as well, as part of his anger over the diaper changes have been the cold wipes assaulting the family jewels. I bought some "sensitive skin" wipes because he is quite the sensitive boy. Also I am going to try that lavender bath... I think tonight we'll have our first bath at home! Once I figure out the bathtub. Jill... it's "some assembly required," what's up with that??
Other than that, he is laying in the stroller taking a nap as the bed is all the way upstairs. :)
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Baby baby baby baby baby
So... got to the hospital again late this morning. Late being 8:45am instead of as early as I was hoping. What happened this time?? Freakin' Lake City Way. 520 looked like its usual icky self, so I thought I'd drive around the lake. Lake City Way was a bad idea to begin with, and then I found myself saying, "Is this the turn? Nooo... it's the next turn." No next turn... it leads right on the freeway, so I had to sit on I-5 this morning as well. LOL Crud.
Eventually got to the hospital, hoping that there wasn't anything odd that popped up over night.
Well, something odd popped up, but nothing bad. The baby was taking all 60ccs (2 oz) of the 26 calorie formula with no problem. I mean, all by mouth! So I fed him this morning, and again, he took it all by mouth. :) We were loaded up with many supplies (as my mom said, it looks like we took home the whole hospital) and I'm supposed to get a call from Children's Home Care later today for delivery of more feeding tube stuff--just in case he needs it.
We got home, and I changed two diapers already and fed him (all 60 by mouth!) He is currently sitting upstairs in bed with daddy. And daddy took to heart the reception committee position. He has been cleaning all morning getting ready for the baby to come home... all over the house! hehe Good daddy... it isn't all that pretty since I haven't been home much in the last 22 days.
But now I'm home, I have a baby, and all is OMG HOW COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, about 3:27am I'll be asking for the nurse!! :D
Updates, updates... will come. :)
Eventually got to the hospital, hoping that there wasn't anything odd that popped up over night.
Well, something odd popped up, but nothing bad. The baby was taking all 60ccs (2 oz) of the 26 calorie formula with no problem. I mean, all by mouth! So I fed him this morning, and again, he took it all by mouth. :) We were loaded up with many supplies (as my mom said, it looks like we took home the whole hospital) and I'm supposed to get a call from Children's Home Care later today for delivery of more feeding tube stuff--just in case he needs it.
We got home, and I changed two diapers already and fed him (all 60 by mouth!) He is currently sitting upstairs in bed with daddy. And daddy took to heart the reception committee position. He has been cleaning all morning getting ready for the baby to come home... all over the house! hehe Good daddy... it isn't all that pretty since I haven't been home much in the last 22 days.
But now I'm home, I have a baby, and all is OMG HOW COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, about 3:27am I'll be asking for the nurse!! :D
Updates, updates... will come. :)
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Feeding Tubes, Blood Clots and IVs, Oh my!
This morning I was running a little late, and I admit it was because of my reluctance to go to the hospital. I was up in time to get over the bridge before traffic started, but instead I puttered around the house and went back to bed for a little bit. I think Eric was a little annoyed at this because he likes to have the bed to himself in the morning. :)
In any case, I arrived just before 11. I was walking into the room as the ultrasound tech was walking out. "How is the clot?" I asked. I wasn't going to ask--usually they tell you that "the doctor will look at it and contact you later in the day" but he stopped when he saw me. "That's the funny thing with clots of that size," he said. "They're so tiny and you can't really tell if it's just part of the healing or if it's a clot, and it's there from one angle and then not from another... but I'm sure you want to hear this from a doctor."
Eh? Really? No clot! Presently my little baby was hollaring his head off inside the room, so I went in to see him. The head nurse and her assistant were busy poking and proding the baby. He was busy tossing his head back and screaming, kicking, and turning red with severe anger. Not a happy little bug indeed. They were busy taking him off the heparin and... unplugging him from all the monitors.
"So... does this mean he gets to go home today?"
Bah. Of course the answer was no. They're still disappointed with his feeds. They would like him to be taking more, and he's refusng to take the whole bottles. Why? Well, generally he gets tired (it's very common with "cardiac kids"). They wanted to keep him in the hospital until his feeds were up. Mom wants to take him home. The solution: The NG tube. The feeding tube.
The baby will continue to feed by mouth, but anything that is leftover we will give him via feeding tube. Typically he is taking about 5-25ml by tube out of 60, so not a lot. It's important that he gets all this liquid (which is fortified with extra calories) because he needs more than the average baby his size. He needs a lot of calories just to grow, but he also needs extra to help him heal.
I learned how to insert his feeding tube (oh wow he was yelling at me--but that actually helps you insert the tube), how to check the placement, feed him and flush the tube afterwards. We will get all the supplies for this. Hopefully he will need this for less than a week.
So he does have a feeding tube now. But... but...
THE BABY WILL BE COMING HOME TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric, who has managed to come to the hospital about 5 times, has elected to be on "reception duty." This will include vacuuming the upstairs where the baby's room is and getting anything else ready that we forgot at the last minute. I will be on baby retreval duty, which includes getting up before the fricken crack of dawn in order to sit in rush hour traffic. :)
But, on the way back home... I will not be leaving my little baby behind.
Of course, this all depends on his night... and how peeved I made the head nurse after telling her off yesterday. Please note that is probably why I do not have my baby sitting next to me today... well, I won't comment on that one.
I'll have to update everyone tomorrow.... :D
In any case, I arrived just before 11. I was walking into the room as the ultrasound tech was walking out. "How is the clot?" I asked. I wasn't going to ask--usually they tell you that "the doctor will look at it and contact you later in the day" but he stopped when he saw me. "That's the funny thing with clots of that size," he said. "They're so tiny and you can't really tell if it's just part of the healing or if it's a clot, and it's there from one angle and then not from another... but I'm sure you want to hear this from a doctor."
Eh? Really? No clot! Presently my little baby was hollaring his head off inside the room, so I went in to see him. The head nurse and her assistant were busy poking and proding the baby. He was busy tossing his head back and screaming, kicking, and turning red with severe anger. Not a happy little bug indeed. They were busy taking him off the heparin and... unplugging him from all the monitors.
"So... does this mean he gets to go home today?"
Bah. Of course the answer was no. They're still disappointed with his feeds. They would like him to be taking more, and he's refusng to take the whole bottles. Why? Well, generally he gets tired (it's very common with "cardiac kids"). They wanted to keep him in the hospital until his feeds were up. Mom wants to take him home. The solution: The NG tube. The feeding tube.
The baby will continue to feed by mouth, but anything that is leftover we will give him via feeding tube. Typically he is taking about 5-25ml by tube out of 60, so not a lot. It's important that he gets all this liquid (which is fortified with extra calories) because he needs more than the average baby his size. He needs a lot of calories just to grow, but he also needs extra to help him heal.
I learned how to insert his feeding tube (oh wow he was yelling at me--but that actually helps you insert the tube), how to check the placement, feed him and flush the tube afterwards. We will get all the supplies for this. Hopefully he will need this for less than a week.
So he does have a feeding tube now. But... but...
THE BABY WILL BE COMING HOME TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric, who has managed to come to the hospital about 5 times, has elected to be on "reception duty." This will include vacuuming the upstairs where the baby's room is and getting anything else ready that we forgot at the last minute. I will be on baby retreval duty, which includes getting up before the fricken crack of dawn in order to sit in rush hour traffic. :)
But, on the way back home... I will not be leaving my little baby behind.
Of course, this all depends on his night... and how peeved I made the head nurse after telling her off yesterday. Please note that is probably why I do not have my baby sitting next to me today... well, I won't comment on that one.
I'll have to update everyone tomorrow.... :D
Days on "The Floor"
So the baby moved to the floor, and I was not very happy.
It's loud, noisy, and right when we first moved it took me 20 minutes to run down a nurse. I wasn't very impressed. We had to share another room with a baby, whenever he cried, Caleb cried. Their family was busy watching television--violent tv where there was a lot of gunfire and screaming going on. Not exactly what I wanted my baby exposed to.
Caleb couldn't sleep and generally was pretty miserable. We were in the bed right next to the door. I was very upset--I actually came home and shoved the carseat in the car and was getting ready to bring him home.
Today was a little better. We were moved to the window bed because our neighbor left, and we got in a 5 yr old kid who has been thru many surgeries. He knows the drill. They were watching kid videos, which are much better at least. He's going to have surgery tomorrow, and I'm sure we'll get a new roommate.
Everyone was telling me that the baby was going home tomorrow. He had test after horrible test this morning. It was hard for me to watch during some of the tests.
Well, it was a rough morning, but the afternoon got better. He was eating better, and then the O2 came out of his nose. He was sating fine. Then, a little later, they took him off all the monitors. I had a baby that was attached to: NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went to dinner, pumped, came back to the room and the baby was hooked up to all the monitors and an IV was sitting in his bed. WTF??
Well, one of the tests this morning showed a small clot in his heart. So, they're putting him on drugs to dissolve the clot, and this will delay us coming home from the hospital. :( For a few days.
I didn't take that news all that well, and still am not taking it well. I don't like this new ward, even though it's better than it was yesterday. I just want to bring the baby home. This "one more thing" stuff isn't wearing well on me, and I can't get as much rest as I was getting in the other ward, either. All together, I'm ready to bring my little love home. Ah well... another day--one more day at a time.
It's loud, noisy, and right when we first moved it took me 20 minutes to run down a nurse. I wasn't very impressed. We had to share another room with a baby, whenever he cried, Caleb cried. Their family was busy watching television--violent tv where there was a lot of gunfire and screaming going on. Not exactly what I wanted my baby exposed to.
Caleb couldn't sleep and generally was pretty miserable. We were in the bed right next to the door. I was very upset--I actually came home and shoved the carseat in the car and was getting ready to bring him home.
Today was a little better. We were moved to the window bed because our neighbor left, and we got in a 5 yr old kid who has been thru many surgeries. He knows the drill. They were watching kid videos, which are much better at least. He's going to have surgery tomorrow, and I'm sure we'll get a new roommate.
Everyone was telling me that the baby was going home tomorrow. He had test after horrible test this morning. It was hard for me to watch during some of the tests.
Well, it was a rough morning, but the afternoon got better. He was eating better, and then the O2 came out of his nose. He was sating fine. Then, a little later, they took him off all the monitors. I had a baby that was attached to: NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went to dinner, pumped, came back to the room and the baby was hooked up to all the monitors and an IV was sitting in his bed. WTF??
Well, one of the tests this morning showed a small clot in his heart. So, they're putting him on drugs to dissolve the clot, and this will delay us coming home from the hospital. :( For a few days.
I didn't take that news all that well, and still am not taking it well. I don't like this new ward, even though it's better than it was yesterday. I just want to bring the baby home. This "one more thing" stuff isn't wearing well on me, and I can't get as much rest as I was getting in the other ward, either. All together, I'm ready to bring my little love home. Ah well... another day--one more day at a time.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
We're doing what?!
I arrived today to hear that they were trying to move the baby to the floor (not the actual floor, mind you, but the regular wards). They were trying to find an open bed with enough nursing staff. Well, I panicked like any good mother would. The nurse gave me a packet to ease my fears.
Yeah right. But he didn't move today, although he is scheduled to move to the floor tomorrow. What this means for him: He will have a nurse or a student nurse, and her patient ratio will be 1:3 all the way to 1:6 instead of his current 1:2. However, he will officially be on the road to coming home. He will lose his solo room, and he will not necesarily be paired with an infant--his roommate could be anyone. So you can see my excitement and my worries.
Tomorrow I will see what the deal is.
I got to hold him a lot today! :) He is so sweet and so much looking like his old self. He is wearing clothes now. He got rid of the central line in his crotch and instead has received an IV in his foot. He was taking liquids in it, but they stopped those and decided to put him on breastmilk for his only liquids.
The baby's tummy is still "sleepy" from surgery, though, and he's having some tummy troubles. Big bad nasty #2's that don't feel too good, and the food isn't quite staying down the way that it should. He finished half a bottle today only to show me the same half once again in my lap. The 2nd half went down and stayed down. His system just has to "work it out" although they gave him something to help stop his puking (ironically he puked up the first dose of that with the milk).
If you've ever had surgery, then you might know this feeling. For him, he turns red, cries a little, but is still comforted by touch and a binky. His cry is still small and hoarse from the tubes he had in his throat. For this reason they think that everything is still swollen in there, and that's why he is still on O2 thru the nose.
They tried to take off the O2 thru the nose this morning, but it didn't work. His sats dropped, and he de-sated while trying to eat without that support. Again, he just needs a little time. And, please note--he dropped to the 80s, NOT the 40s!! Mostly the little bug just sits there happily at 100% nowadays. What a change!
Did I get to feed him today? Well, yeah, through a bottle. They are still monitoring his ins/outs very closely, especially with this new habit of puking. So the baby will have to wait to try anything new like breastfeeding. After all, he was having a little bit of issues today. He didn't like any of the nipples they had on site for the bottles, so they actually went down to the U-villiage and bought him a Dr. Brown's... it's a funny looking bottle, but apparently it works wonders, and he did actually eat with it.
He looks so wonderful, so much like himself. I look at him and nearly cry from being so happy (ok, so occasionally I do cry, but I'm a new mom, aren't I supposed to do that??). He actually interrupted my reading again today because he is getting so active and awake. Ooh--I don't know if I mentioned it, but we're currently reading the Chronicals of Narnia. We are done with the 1st book and 1/2 way thru the 2nd. He usually reacts to my reading with: Zzzzzzz. Kids. :)
Yeah right. But he didn't move today, although he is scheduled to move to the floor tomorrow. What this means for him: He will have a nurse or a student nurse, and her patient ratio will be 1:3 all the way to 1:6 instead of his current 1:2. However, he will officially be on the road to coming home. He will lose his solo room, and he will not necesarily be paired with an infant--his roommate could be anyone. So you can see my excitement and my worries.
Tomorrow I will see what the deal is.
I got to hold him a lot today! :) He is so sweet and so much looking like his old self. He is wearing clothes now. He got rid of the central line in his crotch and instead has received an IV in his foot. He was taking liquids in it, but they stopped those and decided to put him on breastmilk for his only liquids.
The baby's tummy is still "sleepy" from surgery, though, and he's having some tummy troubles. Big bad nasty #2's that don't feel too good, and the food isn't quite staying down the way that it should. He finished half a bottle today only to show me the same half once again in my lap. The 2nd half went down and stayed down. His system just has to "work it out" although they gave him something to help stop his puking (ironically he puked up the first dose of that with the milk).
If you've ever had surgery, then you might know this feeling. For him, he turns red, cries a little, but is still comforted by touch and a binky. His cry is still small and hoarse from the tubes he had in his throat. For this reason they think that everything is still swollen in there, and that's why he is still on O2 thru the nose.
They tried to take off the O2 thru the nose this morning, but it didn't work. His sats dropped, and he de-sated while trying to eat without that support. Again, he just needs a little time. And, please note--he dropped to the 80s, NOT the 40s!! Mostly the little bug just sits there happily at 100% nowadays. What a change!
Did I get to feed him today? Well, yeah, through a bottle. They are still monitoring his ins/outs very closely, especially with this new habit of puking. So the baby will have to wait to try anything new like breastfeeding. After all, he was having a little bit of issues today. He didn't like any of the nipples they had on site for the bottles, so they actually went down to the U-villiage and bought him a Dr. Brown's... it's a funny looking bottle, but apparently it works wonders, and he did actually eat with it.
He looks so wonderful, so much like himself. I look at him and nearly cry from being so happy (ok, so occasionally I do cry, but I'm a new mom, aren't I supposed to do that??). He actually interrupted my reading again today because he is getting so active and awake. Ooh--I don't know if I mentioned it, but we're currently reading the Chronicals of Narnia. We are done with the 1st book and 1/2 way thru the 2nd. He usually reacts to my reading with: Zzzzzzz. Kids. :)
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Feeding tube? Bah on your feeding tube!
So... I arrived in the morning to find that my little one was dressed in jammies. Yes, that's right--they gave him clothes again! He was down to three swirling lines on the monitors. The big IV on his arm was gone.
The IV ran away when it couldn't be flushed. The clothes came when the nurse decided that he no longer needed a warmer. Later in the morning a crib showed up and he was installed in a new one--but NOT BEFORE I GOT TO HOLD HIM!!!!
Yes, I got to hold my sweet little baby once again!! I didn't want to let him go...
But I had to go get him some lunch. So I was packing up my gear to go pump, and something the nurse said suddenly struck me funny. He ate 1 oz of milk earlier and 1/2 oz the last time. I looked at the baby. There was no feeding tube. He was taking milk through the bottle!! They decided to skip the feeding tube unless he wasn't going to eat enough. I was shocked. The nurse said that he wouldn't eat too much because he's still on the fats and lipids so he wouldn't be too hungry, but my little one was eating again!
The nurse asked me if I had the chance to nurse him yet. I said no, and she said that we might try that tomorrow depending on how he is doing. Oh my... really?? She said that we're now getting ready to go "to the floor." And you know what that means? We're on our way to bringing the little one home!
He was awake for several hours today, just kind of hanging out and looking around. He's so quiet and watchful. The nurse messed with him several times today and the most he did to her was mess his face up and give her a "Ehhhh." He's feeling so much better--he didn't feel the need to yell at her, even when she took his blood pressure 3xs in a row!
He's looking so much more like himself, and his rash is pretty much gone. He's amazing. I can't wait until tomorrow when I get to hold him again!
The IV ran away when it couldn't be flushed. The clothes came when the nurse decided that he no longer needed a warmer. Later in the morning a crib showed up and he was installed in a new one--but NOT BEFORE I GOT TO HOLD HIM!!!!
Yes, I got to hold my sweet little baby once again!! I didn't want to let him go...
But I had to go get him some lunch. So I was packing up my gear to go pump, and something the nurse said suddenly struck me funny. He ate 1 oz of milk earlier and 1/2 oz the last time. I looked at the baby. There was no feeding tube. He was taking milk through the bottle!! They decided to skip the feeding tube unless he wasn't going to eat enough. I was shocked. The nurse said that he wouldn't eat too much because he's still on the fats and lipids so he wouldn't be too hungry, but my little one was eating again!
The nurse asked me if I had the chance to nurse him yet. I said no, and she said that we might try that tomorrow depending on how he is doing. Oh my... really?? She said that we're now getting ready to go "to the floor." And you know what that means? We're on our way to bringing the little one home!
He was awake for several hours today, just kind of hanging out and looking around. He's so quiet and watchful. The nurse messed with him several times today and the most he did to her was mess his face up and give her a "Ehhhh." He's feeling so much better--he didn't feel the need to yell at her, even when she took his blood pressure 3xs in a row!
He's looking so much more like himself, and his rash is pretty much gone. He's amazing. I can't wait until tomorrow when I get to hold him again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)