Pip Squeak rocking the house!

All Hail Pip Squeak!

 

She’s up to 30ccs on her feeds (30ccs is 1 ounce). We think they might be starting to try and feed her from a bottle soon. Either this week or next week. The doctor we met with yesterday seemed to think it wouldn’t happen for another week or two so we’ll see. The Pip Squeak is holding her temperatures up and is down to 28.3 degrees Celsius in her isolette. At 28 degrees, she gets moved to a crib. We think that should happen this week maybe by Wednesday or Thursday because she has to be a certain weight (I can’t remember what it is, 1500 grams I believe). She’s getting pretty close though. Speaking of weight, she’s up to 3lb 2.9 ounces.

On the downside, we’re starting to see more bradycardias than we have in the past with Pip Squeak. It is typical of a 32 weeker to have them. The staff drew some blood from her last night to check her blood gases and her caffeine levels. We’re hoping her caffeine levels are a little low and that’s what is causing the bradys. I joked with the SU last night that we should feed Pip Squeak an iced cappuccino *beavis laughing here*.

The Pip Squeak is regularly smiling now when she gets fed and its extremely cute. We’ve tried to catch it in pictures but we haven’t been lucky enough yet. Pip Squeak is pooping on a regular basis, (yay for poop!). I equate her bowel movements to lava flowing slowly out of the side of a volcano (not the explosive stuff, the slow moving lava.) Now that I’ve seared that image into your brain, I’m going to laugh.

We’re playing a waiting game now. Waiting for her grow, gain weight, and learn to eat from a bottle. Once she does all of those things (and doesn’t have anymore brady’s) she’ll be ready to come home. We’re hoping we’ll be able to bring her home by the end of July.

Go baby, go!

I didn’t update over the weekend because I spent it working from home. It’s the end of the quarter and its crunchtime. Thankfully, I was able to get most of everything completed yesterday.

The Pip Squeak is doing awesome right now. They moved her off of cpap and onto nasal canulas at 3/4 of a liter (they tried 1/2 but she didn’t do very well) and she’s not needing any extra oxygen. Her feeds have been upped to 19ccs every three hours and they’ve stopped giving her the fat emulsions. I believe by Thursday she’ll be able to come off of the TPN as well since she should be getting enough calories through her feeds. When that happens, it means she won’t have an IV anymore. Pip Squeak hit the 3lb mark yesterday (newborns typically lose weight right after birth), so she’s gained about 4 ounces in the last 4 days. We think she’s also gotten a little bigger although she’s still so tiny.

The SU reports that the Pip Squeak is coming into her own personality now. The Pip Squeak has gained quite the reputation for having an attitude in the NICU. She fusses and screams when they change her, move her, and almost right on cue when its time for food. The SU says she wakes up just about every three hours and starts to fuss and as soon as she feels the food hitting her tummy she quits fussing. We were also informed yesterday that Pip Squeak is holding her temperature up but that they won’t even consider putting her into a crib until she hits at least 4 pounds.

Looks to us like we’re on the gain, grow, learn to eat from a bottle holding pattern for now.

Guess what I got to do yesterday?

I got to hold the Pip Squeak yesterday! And, she did great! The nurse put her on nasal canulas (think oxygen tubes in your nose) but didn’t give her any extra oxygen, just forced air. Pip Squeak didn’t have any brady’s (apneas) while I was holding her.

It was a relief to finally get to hold her. I never did get to hold the Miracle very much. I think maybe three times was all. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how I would feel but all I can say is that there’s nothing like holding your very own child that you helped create. I was a little sad when they made me put her back into the isolette especially because she started crying when I gave her back to the nurse. I find it a little funny that she cried when I put her back but she didn’t when the SU had to put her back. Pip Squeak also had an apnea when the SU was holding her too. What can I say? It looks like she already favors her daddy.

Pip Squeak is at 9ccs every three hours for her feeds (unless they’ve changed it again today) and we think within a few days she might be off of the TPN (trophamine) and fat emulsions. If she continues to do this well she’ll be one of the babies that just has to “grow and gain” before we can take her home.

I’ve been debating the last few days about writing up tips for parents with children in the NICU for the first time. I remember how overwhelmed and intimidated I felt when we were in there with the Miracle. I’ll mull it over a few more days and see what ideas I can come up with.

I didn’t want that thing in my mouth anyway!

Pip Squeak was finally successful at removing her breathing tube after multiple attempts. Unfortunately, Pip Squeak also ripped some skin off of her cheek where the tube was taped to her face and now she has a nice little scab from that. The nurse was able to remove the rest of tape without damaging any of Pip Squeak’s skin.

We’re back on c-pap for now and on *drum roll please* ROOM AIR! That’s right, no extra oxygen. The doctor ordered some blood work because he thinks Pip Squeak might have an infection and he started another round of antibiotics just to be on the safe side.

Edit: I forgot to add that they upped her feeds to 5ccs every three hours. I am hopeful that Pip Squeak will grow into being a piggy. Pip Squeak also had a bowel movement yesterday for the first time. Currently, she’s under the bili lights because she’s not quite pooping enough just yet. We think that with her feeds going up and with her being able to keep them down that she should be having regular BMs soon. Pip Squeak has lost a little bit of weight and is down to 2lbs 12oz from her birthweight of 3lbs 1oz. The UVA line that had been put in was removed this afternoon and we’re hoping that maybe later on tonight we’ll be able to hold her for a while. Pip Squeak is on some Trophamine and fat emulsions to supplement her nutrition.

Everybody say hello to the Pip Squeak!

The Pip Squeak has arrived. She arrived on Saturday, June 14th at approximately 3:45pm and weighed 3lbs 1oz. The Pip Squeak registered a length of 16 1/3 inches long. She was only 29 weeks and 6 days so that makes her about 10 weeks early.

The SU and I will try to post daily updates here (mainly just for us) so keep coming back to see how she’s doing.

The first couple of days have been a little bit of up and down. Pip Squeak started off great and was just on c-pap and room oxygen but that only lasted a few hours. Our experience has shown us that sometimes the little ones just can’t keep up all by themselves and that they just get tired. The pip squeak eventually needed oxygen and was running at anywhere between 25%-35% oxygen. Eventually, she had to be intubated and placed on the ventilator. The doctor decided that they wanted to give her some surfactant to help her lungs. When they did chest x-rays they found that her lungs were typical of a 29 week baby and still premature. She also still had some fluid in her lungs. Since then, she’s been doing well. Pip Squeak has been breathing over the ventilator settings and on anywhere from 25%-35% oxygen. The staff tells us that this is a good sign because the sicker babies in the NICU will ride the ventilator and let it do the work.

She has an IV in her head currently and at last update she was receiving TPN, some fats, and some antibiotics. They began feeding her this afternoon and so far she has tolerated her food and has had no residuals. (We’re hoping she’s a piggy and eats a lot.) This evening, she was feeling particularly feisty and decided to try to remove her breathing tube. I walked into her room and saw two respiratory therapists, two nurses, and the doctor all huddled around and I got quite excited. Once they explained what was going on I was like, Hell yeah! That’s my girl! It’s not necessarily a good thing for her to rip it out but hey, at least she’s feeling well enough to do SOMETHING. The pip squeak is looking a bit yellow today so I think we’ll probably be seeing her under the bili lights in the next 24-48 hours. She hasn’t had a BM (bowel movement, or poop in layman’s terms) yet. We’re a little concerned about this, but we also realize they just started feeding her this afternoon.

We’d like to see her off of the ventilator (mostly just to make us feel better), but we agree with the doctors that we should let her decide when that happens and that could be within the next couple of days to about a week from now. It all just depends on how she does. Overall, we’re mostly pleased with her progress so far.

This experience so far has been completely different but still challenging and a bit nerve racking. Especially for me because the only experience I have to compare it with is our experience with the Miracle. I don’t quite know what to expect still or what’s “typical” because the last time NOTHING was typical. I have to keep reminding myself that we were at one extreme end of the spectrum last time and at another area of the spectrum this time. Six to eight weeks in the NICU is a very long time so I’ll have to learn to be patient.

We’d like to thank everyone for the kind words, thoughts, emails, phone calls, and prayers offered on our behalf. It means a lot to us.

Made some changes…

You’ll notice on the right hand side that made some minor adjustments and added a twitter feed. (Quick go add cobalt45xy on your twitter!) I’ve also updated the About page and added an FAQ page.

 

I present to you, my dear readers, a haiku in honor of the craptastic weather we’re having in Washington.

 

Cold, wet, gray, no sun.

White snow still on the mountains.

Hurry up summer. 

  

Now playing – Metallica – S&M – Fuel