Ian-
Rounds went well this morning. Over the past couple of days Finnegan has been having the A's and B's, aka apneas and bradycardias where he forgets to breath and his heart rate drops. 30-40% of the time he recovers quickly on his own, 40-50% of the time he requires mild stimulation to start breathing again (lightly moving his arm or leg) and about 10-20 % of the time he needs moderate stimulation (a little more forceful touch or flick on the leg or arm). So far he hasn't needed the other two levels of stimulation. He has been receiving oxygen at room level (21%) and at pressure to help keep his lungs open. For about half a day he was off of the forced breaths, but went back on at a rate of 10 to help him through the As and Bs. Christine's doctor told us we could expect this. He was really energetic for the first couple of days and did very well, but then the effects of the magnesium set in and he wore out just a bit. Also, his brain doesn't know that it has to have him breathe all the time yet, it's just not that fully developed. The NEO and the NNP said they are not at all concerned with the amount or frequency of As and Bs Finn is having.
Sometime in the next few days he'll have his PICC line put in and then all of the IV's in the belly button will go away and we'll be able to do Kangaroo time with him! At the same time he'll start receiving nutrition from breast milk. Right now he's getting so small a dose that its only used as a gut primer to get his intestines ready to receive and digest milk. The PICC line is basically an IV that goes up his arm and drops into a larger vessel than could otherwise be accessed through an IV in any other place of his body.
Finnegan's bili levels are now just right and he's off of the bili light, so you won't see new pictures after today in a blue light unless he has to go back underneath it.
Lastly, they still haven't heard the murmur again that made the NEO be watchful for PDA. Except for his As and Bs which are apparently acceptable (he's getting oxygen and support breaths from CPAP), he is doing quite well. Please continue to pray that it goes that way.
I find myself praying more often that I ever have. The monitor in the room where we can see Finn's vitals has a Picture in Picture view of the vitals of the room next door so the nurse who takes care of both babies can see everything when in either room. Across the top it has the 8 room numbers in our neighborhood, Dragonfly. If one of the vitals is warning or alarming, they flash in yellow, red, white. and blue. I think the white means the nurse has silenced the warning, but I'm not sure about the blue yet. Whenever Finnegan's red alarm goes off, or one of the other rooms' red light goes off I stop and say a Hail Mary's and Our Fathers until they go away. That usually leads to some personal prayer time.
Christine-
Today is the day I get to go home. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. I've been staying in the hospital since last Friday, so I've become accustomed to being woken at all hours and measuring everything I eat, drink, and pee. I never thought that would be an adjustment, but apparently hospitals do crazy things to you.
I've got a bet going with myself that it will take at least another week for all the tape adhesive to get off of the various places my skin. I feel like I just get some off and then I find some more!
The prospect of sleeping in my own bed is quite appealing, but it won't feel right when I know that Finn and Ian are about 50 minutes away at the NICU. All the nurses have been really wonderful and asking me how I feel about going home. Apparently, I'm supposed to start balling and feel helpless. They keep telling me I am so strong. I'm not sure if there is any other way for me to be at this point. I have to be strong for my little boy and my husband. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be emotional and cry and feel helpless, but I can't see dwelling on that being something that can help our situation. I mean, yeah, this sucks; but, it's our life right now. And by golly, I'm going to live it and enjoy every minute of it! God wouldn't give us this challenge if we couldn't handle it. And he has provided amazing family to support us along the way.
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| Ian always finds a way to be entertaining! :) |
I spent most of the day reminiscing on my last week in the hospital. I thought about what life would be like when I finally get home. Pretty much, I napped. A lot. It felt good. :) Although, it's about 3pm and I still haven't seen my little man yet today. It feels like a little pull at my heart when I think about not being near him. Ian ran home to meet his parents at the house. Homemade lasagna is in my immediate future for dinner, and I cannot wait! :) Hospital food hasn't been too bad, but there's something about good home-cooking! I'll spend my first night at home tonight with the in-laws. I'm so grateful to not have to spend my first night at home alone, as Ian will stay with Finn at the NICU. I'm excited to get out and go to church tomorrow morning before heading back down to Peoria with my parents. My dad gets to meet his grandson for the first time tomorrow. Not to mention, Finn's great-grandparents will make the trip down as well. It's going to be a busy weekend, but it's full of love for the most amazing little man. I'm off to shower and see what it feels like to put on jeans and gym shoes for the first time in a week. It's the little things, really. :)
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| Get this thing off of my head! |
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| For reals, I said get it off! |
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| I concede defeat in the matter of the face mask. |
The Bruckners came to visit and brought a lasagna! What a way to celebrate Christine's last night as a patient of the hospital. After dinner, we moseyed upstairs to the NICU... Grandma Bruckner got to take his temp (armpit) and
We got to hold him our hands! I don't think I can even describe how good it felt.
Ian-
Around 8:30 it was time to go. We went up to Christine's room to pick up the rest of her stuff and they brought it down to the care while I waited with Christine for her nurse and the transport. That was a bit emotional. After being so close to Finnegan for so long (either in the womb or in a another unit of the same hospital, Christine would be spending her first night away from him at home. She had planned to stay at home with my mom (Dad and Meghan were also going to stay), but I asked if she wanted me with her and she said yes. My parents and Meghan ended up going home so they could give the dogs some loving!
We called and talked to one of the nurses in Finnegan's Dragonfly neighborhood just now (2:00am). He said Finn has had 4 braidycardias, 2 he came back from on his own, and 2 required gentle stimulation. At this point, we acknowledge those will happen and we can't let it bother us even though they probably always will. He's still rockin' it for an almost 26 (gestation) week old.
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