Saturday, April 17, 2010

April 17th

Lillian is doing SO wonderful! Today they reduced her morphine a little more- she is now at .03, last saturday she was at .1!! She is up to 30 cc's on her feedings and they give it to her over a 30 min. session, but she seemed to have so many belly aches today that they may be switching it to 45 mins...
She got a bath today, the first one I got to see!! She HATED it, but that is because the nurse was a bit rough... only because the other nurses had been so gentle that they hadnt cleaned her well... she was getting VERY VERY stinky... but I thought it was rude to say that about my own baby!! Once she settled down I dressed her up in a precious shirt that my friend Tara made for her! She got so many compliments, seriously, random parents came over talking about how pretty she was and how cute her outfit was!!
Tonight they are letting the TPN run out (vitamin supplement) and then they can take the PICC line out on monday and the morphine and other medications will have to be given orally..
Im so proud of her! I am still worried about her right eye... it hardly opens ,,, no one else seems to be worried, but I dont want the left eye overcompensating for the right eye! We also have to really start workin on sucking techniques- she is a stubborn little mama! But I talk to her and tell her that when she is ready to come home she has to know how to suck breath and swallow! I practice when Im laying with her, but I hardly know what Im doing!
Other than all that, I am trying to finish school, I was given choices: drop, take the grades I had before I had the baby and use that as my final grade, OR makeup homeworks and turn them in. its about 4 in each class... and thats what I am gonna do! or TRy!
All these need to be done before Tuesday or Thursday! eek! I worked on a few while the nurse did Lillis assessments and she slept. Then Lil and I got a recliner and her soft green blankey and a big blanket for me and layed ourself out and got nice and cozy for several hours! (Til pumping time again)...
Wish Us Luck with Lilli's sucking therapy so she can be free of tubes and just on a bottle!
Then we need her lungs to be pumpin good! and her splean to be okay... they are coming to look at it monday... Ill keep you updated- lord knows this info changes each day!!
God Bless You All for supporting me. We are 2 VERY lucky Ladies
LaUrEn & LiLLiAn

8 comments:

Amanda Hoyt said...

So so proud of both of you!!!
And those recliner naps sound perfect :)
<3 Amanda

Lauren and Lillian said...

tryin to figure out how to post a picture of the day type thing, with each blog

Amanda Hoyt said...

Lauren, just click on the picture icon at the top of each post box and then upload like that (browse...)
Call me when you get to that point and I can walk you through it...
Love

Amanda Hoyt said...

Love Love this pic of Lilli Bug!!! She is sooo beautiful :)
Love

Tara Gates said...

Lauren...I LOVE this picture..Please make me a copy..and I LOVVVVE this shirt on her..it was my favorite one I made for her..Shes looks beautiful in pink...

Diana Lopez said...

wow, thats great to read, and she does look very beautiful with that shirt..Praying for you both...

Kamille said...

What good news updates! And she looks so beautiful all dressed up and sparkly clean!

My son's right eye was almost always shut the entire time we were in the NICU, everyone said not to worry about it, it is pretty common with newborns.

When he was four weeks old we took him to a pediatric ophthalmologist who diagnosed him with mild ptosis (which I had already pretty much diagnosed him with myself!). The concern was if the muscle was strong enough to open sufficiently and by then he was opening it more, but it was still closed more often than open and when open not as open as the left.

Anyway....the plan was to make sure he kept opening it (and if not a patch would have been placed on the left eye - scary, but not invasive!!). Well, we just kept telling him to open his eye and I swear he listened to us (crazy, I know he was teeny!), and now I don't think anyone except my husband, my parents, and I notice it. And most of the time it is not noticeable, just if he is way tired.

So...all that to say, just keep an eye on her, right now it sounds like she has bigger fish to fry, but I would encourage her to open it (verbally) when she is awake. I know that sounds insane, but it worked. Since a squinty eye is normal (per our neo docs) in many newborns, don't worry about it and know we were worried with a plan for surgery at 12 months or so and now no surgery will happen b/c it all worked out. And trust me when I say, my guy has had a lot of tough issues, so maybe this will be one little glitch that resolves on its own for Lillian too.

Thank you for the good thoughts for surgery - we need them.

Good luck with school! You can do it and kisses to your beautiful baby!

Lauren and Lillian said...

Kamille,
Thank you SO much for the info, and encouragment! Its funny how you mention to talk to her because I started that at the very begining, and as the doctors told me the goals for the day or week, I tell her.. and you ARE right, I believe they can hear you, or the little working angel in them can! HAHA (my imagination)
She has done miraculous things so far and I believe its from all the prayers and her knowing what to do if she wants to come home! I tell her about all the fun things she can do when she is out :0)
You guys will be on my mind and I'll keep checking on you...
x0x0