August 28th

Kate was taken off the bilirubin lights.  Now she can be swaddled and she is so much more comfortable this way. 

 (She has a little tiny binky in her mouth.)

Day 5 was a good day for Kate.  Although she had a lot done to her, she was able to hold her stats pretty well.  She did have 3 small Brady's- where her heart rate slows down and beats irregularly.  But she did really good the rest of the day.  Kate had an echocardiogram and the results showed that her PDA valve to her heart was still open.   She was started on Indocin to close the valve.  She will have 3 doses of it and then they will recheck with another echo on Friday.  She has to stop feedings with this medicine, but her stomach was a little distended still so it will give her some relief. 

Kate's right eye kept peeking at me while I was there.  Her left eye is still sealed shut.  I like to think that I saw just a little bit of a smile come out when she was looking at me.  While I was with her last night her stats were the best they'd been all day.  The nurses said babies know when their mamas are around.  I know she can probably hear my voice faintly through the incubator, but I also think that our spirits are still connected through all this and she truly does know when I'm there! 

Kate had a head ultrasound done also and she did not have any brain bleeds!  What a relief so far.  They will recheck it again when she is 10 days old- the doctor said that usually brain bleeds happen within the first ten days.  After that most babies are in the clear. 

The tubes in her umbilical cord have been displaced because of her belly being distended, so they needed to be removed.  She had a pic line placed on her left arm.  It took three tries (2 of them being on her leg) to get it in.  It's like a very small IV.  It will be the tube which she is fed through. 

Kate's jaundice is gone.  They took her off the bilirubin lights and swaddled her.  This is so much better for preemies because they are used to being in a tight little amniotic sac that restricts there movement.  They don't really have control of their body yet, so they are really uncomfortable when their arms and legs are squirming.  Their nerve endings are very, very, sensitive and these small preemie babies get agitated real easy.  It actually hurts them to be touched.  Doctors and nurses only touch them when it's absolutely necessary for care.  Swaddling keeps them comfortable and helps them sleep.  Sleep is what they need most, because that's when they do their best growing. 

Kate was started on a second antibiotic to get rid of an infection in her belly button.  It has been a little red and swollen for a couple days now. 

Her respiratory functions are doing great.  She is able to maintain them most of the time at room air oxygen 21% going through the ventilator.  She is also down on the pressure for the air filling her lungs.  She started at 30 and is at 20 now.  She is getting stronger and stronger every day. 

Kate is back up to birth weight now-750 grams(1.10 lbs.).  She did loose weight and dropped down to 695 grams(1.8 lbs.) at one point. 

I stayed with Kate for almost 3 hrs. last night, it does my heart good to see her do so well.  I love that little girl!  One of the hardest things about this is walking away from the hospital to my car and leaving my baby there.  I'm so grateful to know she's in the hands of miracle workers!