March 12th
Cady weighed 1 lb 12oz today. Her feedings were increased to 15 mL/feeding, which amounts to 1/2 an ounce. She is demanding more food so she can grow faster!
March 13th
Weight: 1 lb 13 oz. The Doctor removed her Caffeine dose today. If she doesn't respond well, and begins having "spells" of not breathing, they will resume.
March 14th
Cady weighed 1 lb 14 oz! At this rate, she should meet her goal of 2 lbs by March 17th!
March 15th
Today, Cadybug is 6 WEEKS OLD! The time has flown by, greatly in part to the fact that she has been mostly issue free up to this point. We are very thankful for this, as we have seen firsthand some of the struggles the other NICU families have to deal with. She weighed 1 lb 15 oz today! Only 2 more ounces to be 2 pounds!!!!! 48 hours without caffeine stimulation, and she is breathing on her own just like she should. She has small spells, but mostly corrects herself before the nurses have to intervene.
Cadynce was moved across the hall today. This is just another sign of progress, as the area she is now in is for less problematic, lower maintenance babies. There is only one more move to make, and that will be the the "Feeder/Grower" area, which is reserved for the babies that are VERY close to going home! (Typically, 3 lbs and above)
March 16th
Mommy, Daddy, and Nana Wilma visited today. Mommy and Daddy gave Cadynce her 2nd bath! She didn't poop in the water or the nurse's hand this time! We gave her some encouragement to gain the last ounce before the next day and meet the goal.
March 17th
SHE DID IT! CADYBUG MET OUR GOAL PLUS SOME! She weighed 2 lbs 1 oz today! We were so happy! The 2 lb mark was a huge milestone for her, according to the nurses and doctors! This definitely brought a huge sigh of relief to us. We can now see the end goal in sight!
March 18th
Cadynce stayed the same weight, her length was up to 14.4 inches long, and her feedings were at 18 mL/feeding. Mommy and Cadynce had one on one time today, but Cadynce began holding her breath so she had to be put back in her crib. Luckily, it was just a small spell, and she soon corrected herself.
March 19th
Cadynce was just showing off today! Her weight was up to 2 lbs 3 oz! This is a HUGE milestone in the Doctor's eye, as this means she is over 1,000 grams! (They only measure in grams. There are 30 grams per 1 ounce, based on their scale.) Her feedings were increased to 19 mL/each.
March 20th
Cadynce got a little ahead of herself yesterday, so she made up for it today. She was 2 lbs 2 oz. This is not surprising, or anything to be concerned with. She is definitely filling out, and beginning to get the typical "baby fat".
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Monday March 4th - Monday March 11th
March 4th
Today several things happened in the world of Cadynce. She had her 2nd brain ultrasound, and the results came back normal. They were looking for any bleeding on the brain, and found none. Her saline levels were dropped to 1 1/2 liters on her high flow nasal cannula. (This means less pressure is applied by the machine, so she is required to work a little harder to breathe on her own.) Also, the doctor switched her to a high calorie/ high protein formula at every feeding, just to help her gain weight faster.
March 5th
No changes were made today, and Cadynce had a very calm day. She was still at 1 lb 9 oz.
March 6th
Today, Mommy and Cadybug had some one-on-one cuddle time. Cadynce's high-flow ventilator was removed, and she was only on basic oxygen. This was a big milestone, as a baby her size isn't expected to be able to breathe so well on their own! She's still our little SUPERSTAR!
March 7th
Cadynce was up to 1 lb 10 oz today! We are so glad that she is beginning to grow, grow, grow!
March 8th
Cadynce had her nasal cannula removed today! This means she is completely breathing on her own! (She still receives a dose of caffeine daily, to help stimulate her.) The Doctor increased her calorie intake, from 24 calories/feeding to 27 calories/feeding. This is done by mixing a 24 calorie formula and a 30 calorie formula in equal parts.
March 9th
Today, Mommy, Daddy, Nana Wilma, and Great Aunt Carolyn came to visit. Mommy held Cadynce and Nana and Great Aunt got to see her outside of her bed for the first time.
March 10th
Today Cadynce was 1 lb 10 oz! We were so happy! We set the goal for Cadynce to be 2 lbs within a week.....Read future posts to see if she met it! :)
March 11th
Today, Cadynce had an eye test performed. They look to see if her eyes are developed as they should be at her age (32 weeks). Everything was fine! They also did blood work, to check her Red Blood Cell count. That also came back fine.
Today several things happened in the world of Cadynce. She had her 2nd brain ultrasound, and the results came back normal. They were looking for any bleeding on the brain, and found none. Her saline levels were dropped to 1 1/2 liters on her high flow nasal cannula. (This means less pressure is applied by the machine, so she is required to work a little harder to breathe on her own.) Also, the doctor switched her to a high calorie/ high protein formula at every feeding, just to help her gain weight faster.
March 5th
No changes were made today, and Cadynce had a very calm day. She was still at 1 lb 9 oz.
March 6th
Today, Mommy and Cadybug had some one-on-one cuddle time. Cadynce's high-flow ventilator was removed, and she was only on basic oxygen. This was a big milestone, as a baby her size isn't expected to be able to breathe so well on their own! She's still our little SUPERSTAR!
March 7th
Cadynce was up to 1 lb 10 oz today! We are so glad that she is beginning to grow, grow, grow!
March 8th
Cadynce had her nasal cannula removed today! This means she is completely breathing on her own! (She still receives a dose of caffeine daily, to help stimulate her.) The Doctor increased her calorie intake, from 24 calories/feeding to 27 calories/feeding. This is done by mixing a 24 calorie formula and a 30 calorie formula in equal parts.
March 9th
Today, Mommy, Daddy, Nana Wilma, and Great Aunt Carolyn came to visit. Mommy held Cadynce and Nana and Great Aunt got to see her outside of her bed for the first time.
March 10th
Today Cadynce was 1 lb 10 oz! We were so happy! We set the goal for Cadynce to be 2 lbs within a week.....Read future posts to see if she met it! :)
March 11th
Today, Cadynce had an eye test performed. They look to see if her eyes are developed as they should be at her age (32 weeks). Everything was fine! They also did blood work, to check her Red Blood Cell count. That also came back fine.
Monday, March 4, 2013
February 26th - March 3rd
Tuesday Feb. 26th
Cadynce lost an ounce overnight, so she is back at 1 lb 7 oz. This is typical, so we were not too concerned. Everything else was good today.
Wednesday Feb. 27th
Cadynce stayed the same weight, and no other changes were made today.
Thursday Feb. 28th
It is hard to believe that 4 WEEKS AGO I was admitted to the hospital! The past weeks have flown by, and Cadynce has been a star in the NICU. We are so happy that everything is going so well with her. No changes in her feedings or weight today.
Friday March 1st
OUR CADYBUG IS 1 MONTH OLD TODAY! It is still unbelievable how fast time has gone by. Mommy kangarooed with her today, and the nurse put up a cupcake decoration with new footprints to celebrate 1 month! The doctor changed her feedings to include 2 high calorie formula feedings a day. This should help her to gain weight a little faster. A brain ultrasound will be done within the next few days to check for any bleeding on the brain. They previously did this at 7 days old, and found minimal (Grade 1 on scale of 1 to 4) hemoraging.
Saturday March 2nd
Cadynce had a good day with no issues. She was just resting up for all of the visitors coming on Sunday! The doctor did increase her formula feedings to every-other feeding. They are really trying to fatten her up!
Sunday March 3rd
Jason and his mom went to visit Cadynce mid-morning. She was up to 1 lb 9 oz! WOO HOO, we finally made it over the birth weight hump!!! There's no looking (or falling, LOL) back now! Shortly after Jason and his mom left, Nannie Cat and Poppa D went to visit. While they were there, great-grandmother, Granny Pat, showed up to see the pretty princess! The doctor increased her feedings to 14 cc's every 3 hours, and she still received the formula every other feeding.
Cadynce lost an ounce overnight, so she is back at 1 lb 7 oz. This is typical, so we were not too concerned. Everything else was good today.
Wednesday Feb. 27th
Cadynce stayed the same weight, and no other changes were made today.
Thursday Feb. 28th
It is hard to believe that 4 WEEKS AGO I was admitted to the hospital! The past weeks have flown by, and Cadynce has been a star in the NICU. We are so happy that everything is going so well with her. No changes in her feedings or weight today.
Friday March 1st
OUR CADYBUG IS 1 MONTH OLD TODAY! It is still unbelievable how fast time has gone by. Mommy kangarooed with her today, and the nurse put up a cupcake decoration with new footprints to celebrate 1 month! The doctor changed her feedings to include 2 high calorie formula feedings a day. This should help her to gain weight a little faster. A brain ultrasound will be done within the next few days to check for any bleeding on the brain. They previously did this at 7 days old, and found minimal (Grade 1 on scale of 1 to 4) hemoraging.
Saturday March 2nd
Cadynce had a good day with no issues. She was just resting up for all of the visitors coming on Sunday! The doctor did increase her formula feedings to every-other feeding. They are really trying to fatten her up!
Sunday March 3rd
Jason and his mom went to visit Cadynce mid-morning. She was up to 1 lb 9 oz! WOO HOO, we finally made it over the birth weight hump!!! There's no looking (or falling, LOL) back now! Shortly after Jason and his mom left, Nannie Cat and Poppa D went to visit. While they were there, great-grandmother, Granny Pat, showed up to see the pretty princess! The doctor increased her feedings to 14 cc's every 3 hours, and she still received the formula every other feeding.
Feb. 19th-25th
Tuesday Feb. 19th
Today, they increased Cadynce's feedings to 11 cc's every 3 hours. They also changed her from the CPAP to a hi-flow nasal cannula. This is going to make her have to do a little more work to breathe on her own. The doctor is confident that she is strong enough to do well on it. Mommy also had some "kangaroo time".
Wednesday Feb. 20th
Cady had a good day today, and so far is doing well on the nasal cannula. She only had 2 spells overnight that required the nurse to stimulate her.
Thursday Feb. 21st
Today was a big day for Cadynce and us! We got to give her her first bath! The nurse assisted us with setting up her little tub and getting her settled in it. She loved the water! We could visibly tell how relaxed she was while we were washing her hair and body. And, always surprising us, she saved the best for last! As Jason and the nurse were getting ready to get her out, she decided to poop in the tub! The nurse quickly picked her up and held her while Jason dried her off. Well....apparently she wasn't done...she filled the nurse's hand up! We laughed so much at her. It was definitely a bath to remember! The kicker to the whole story? The nurse wasn't Cady's scheduled nurse. Her original nurse had been moved to another baby during the shift, so Cady was assigned a new nurse. And the nurse we had was young, and she said it was her first time being pooped on! Cadynce just wanted to make sure that nurse remembered her forever!
Friday Feb. 22nd
Today Cadynce weighed 1 lb 5 oz, so she finally gained an ounce! Her blood work showed that her Red Blood Cell count was low, so they had to give her a half of a blood transfusion. Only 1 feeding was held back due to the transfusion, and she was still at 11 ccs every 3 hours.
Saturday Feb. 23rd
Cadybug gained another ounce overnight! She now weighs 1 lb 6 oz. We are so glad to see her gaining....it only means she's getting closer to coming home!
Sunday Feb. 24th
The doctor increased Cadybug's feedings again to 13 cc's every 3 hours. She is completely digesting all of her feedings, so she can handle more! Mommy held her skin-to-skin again today. Cadynce really likes that! She just slept right through it.
Monday Feb. 25th
Cadynce is up to 1 lb 8 oz!! She is back at her birth weight. Mommy and her had some one-on-one holding time, which is always happy time for both! Jason and I are so glad to see her gaining as well as she is....each day is one day closer to her coming home!
Today, they increased Cadynce's feedings to 11 cc's every 3 hours. They also changed her from the CPAP to a hi-flow nasal cannula. This is going to make her have to do a little more work to breathe on her own. The doctor is confident that she is strong enough to do well on it. Mommy also had some "kangaroo time".
Wednesday Feb. 20th
Cady had a good day today, and so far is doing well on the nasal cannula. She only had 2 spells overnight that required the nurse to stimulate her.
Thursday Feb. 21st
Today was a big day for Cadynce and us! We got to give her her first bath! The nurse assisted us with setting up her little tub and getting her settled in it. She loved the water! We could visibly tell how relaxed she was while we were washing her hair and body. And, always surprising us, she saved the best for last! As Jason and the nurse were getting ready to get her out, she decided to poop in the tub! The nurse quickly picked her up and held her while Jason dried her off. Well....apparently she wasn't done...she filled the nurse's hand up! We laughed so much at her. It was definitely a bath to remember! The kicker to the whole story? The nurse wasn't Cady's scheduled nurse. Her original nurse had been moved to another baby during the shift, so Cady was assigned a new nurse. And the nurse we had was young, and she said it was her first time being pooped on! Cadynce just wanted to make sure that nurse remembered her forever!
Friday Feb. 22nd
Today Cadynce weighed 1 lb 5 oz, so she finally gained an ounce! Her blood work showed that her Red Blood Cell count was low, so they had to give her a half of a blood transfusion. Only 1 feeding was held back due to the transfusion, and she was still at 11 ccs every 3 hours.
Saturday Feb. 23rd
Cadybug gained another ounce overnight! She now weighs 1 lb 6 oz. We are so glad to see her gaining....it only means she's getting closer to coming home!
Sunday Feb. 24th
The doctor increased Cadybug's feedings again to 13 cc's every 3 hours. She is completely digesting all of her feedings, so she can handle more! Mommy held her skin-to-skin again today. Cadynce really likes that! She just slept right through it.
Monday Feb. 25th
Cadynce is up to 1 lb 8 oz!! She is back at her birth weight. Mommy and her had some one-on-one holding time, which is always happy time for both! Jason and I are so glad to see her gaining as well as she is....each day is one day closer to her coming home!
Monday, February 18, 2013
February 16th-18th
Saturday Feb. 16th
Jason and his mom went to visit Cadynce today. When they arrived, they were greeted with good news. Cadynce's feedings had been increased AGAIN to 7 mL every 3 hours. Her IV fluids had been decreased, and she was only receiving proteins through the IV. (She had previously been receiving proteins AND fluids via IV) And, she had the lead (IV access) removed from her right arm. (This only left the PICC line in her left arm). She had also gained 1 ounce, so she was now 1 lb 5 oz.
Sunday Feb. 17th
Cadybug had another big event day! She had the PICC line removed from her left arm, her IV fluids (proteins) were cancelled, and her feedings were bumped up to 9 mL every 3 hours. Our little girl is doing AMAZING! We are so thankful that she has done so well, and continuously improved daily. The doctors and nurses are still bragging on her progress, and that only fuels our hopes of her coming home SOON!!!!
Monday Feb. 18th
Cadynce weighed 1 lb 6 oz today, so that's 2 ounces in 3 days! We're hoping this means she will really start gaining within the next few days and/or weeks. I was told that I will be allowed to give her first bath this week! Cady is a little pink bundle of hope! Her color is perfect, she is opening her eyes more and more each day, and her cries are getting louder! She fussed for a few minutes this morning, but once the nurse changed her position, she calmed right down and snoozed away.
Jason and his mom went to visit Cadynce today. When they arrived, they were greeted with good news. Cadynce's feedings had been increased AGAIN to 7 mL every 3 hours. Her IV fluids had been decreased, and she was only receiving proteins through the IV. (She had previously been receiving proteins AND fluids via IV) And, she had the lead (IV access) removed from her right arm. (This only left the PICC line in her left arm). She had also gained 1 ounce, so she was now 1 lb 5 oz.
Sunday Feb. 17th
Cadybug had another big event day! She had the PICC line removed from her left arm, her IV fluids (proteins) were cancelled, and her feedings were bumped up to 9 mL every 3 hours. Our little girl is doing AMAZING! We are so thankful that she has done so well, and continuously improved daily. The doctors and nurses are still bragging on her progress, and that only fuels our hopes of her coming home SOON!!!!
Monday Feb. 18th
Cadynce weighed 1 lb 6 oz today, so that's 2 ounces in 3 days! We're hoping this means she will really start gaining within the next few days and/or weeks. I was told that I will be allowed to give her first bath this week! Cady is a little pink bundle of hope! Her color is perfect, she is opening her eyes more and more each day, and her cries are getting louder! She fussed for a few minutes this morning, but once the nurse changed her position, she calmed right down and snoozed away.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
February 9th - February 15th
Feb. 9th
I got to hold Cadynce for 45 minutes today! The NICU calls it "Kangaroo Care", which is skin to skin contact for bonding with mother and/or father. It has also been proven to help the development and overall health of baby. Cadynce was tucked down the neck of my shirt to help keep her body temperature regulated. She slept while I held her, and it was very therapeutic for me as well. I could feel her gentle breathing, and her tiny hand laying over my heart. Definitely a moment I will treasure forever! The nurse did find some traces of what appeared to be old (2-3 days old?) blood in her stomach contents. The doctor wasn't too concerned with it, so her feedings were not withheld. The nurse reassured us that it was possible that the blood came from the removal of her IV in her belly button, or from when the breathing tubes were removed from her throat. We were relieved that it didn't seem to be anything major.
Feb. 10th
When we arrived at the hospital today, we were given our first "bad" report from overnight. The nurses had seen more of the old blood in her stomach, so the doctor had withheld her feedings. They ordered blood work and cultures to be drawn so that they could run tests to determine if the cause was an infection. The doctor also went ahead and began antibiotics to get a head start in case it was infection. The blood work test they ran was called a CRP, which checks for inflammation. Those results came back showing no signs of inflammation, so that was another indicator that there was no infection, and that the blood came from some of the procedures they had done in the past few days. The blood cultures were sent to the lab, and results would take 2-3 days to come back.
Feb. 11th
Today, Cadynce had to have a blood transfusion. With all of the blood they had drawn yesterday, her red blood cell count was low. They reassured me that it was completely normal for preemies her size to have to have several transfusions because of all the blood work required. Her feedings were still being held, and the antibiotics were still being given.
Feb. 12th
All of the blood work and tests had come back, and the results showed NO INFECTION! YAY!!! Antibiotics were cancelled, and her feedings were resumed. They started her at 1 mL every 3 hours, but by the end of the day, she was back up to 3 mL every 3 hours, which is where she was when they withheld her feedings on the 10th.
Feb. 13th
The doctor scheduled another ultrasound to check Cady's tummy, kidneys, and other organs. This is very typical and routine for a baby her size. Her feedings were still 3 mL every 3 hours, and she was doing great.
Feb. 14th
Cadybug's 1st Valentine's Day! The best gift I received on Valentine's Day was "Kangaroo Care" (skin-to-skin holding) when Cady placed her hand over my heart! That was the most loving and unforgettable moment ever! The nurse had increased her feedings to 4 mL every 3 hours, and Cadynce was digesting every bit of it! I was so happy to hear this, because the more milk she gets, the less IV fluids are given, and the faster she'll gain weight! She had already rebounded to 1 lb 5 oz. (She had held steady at 1 lb 4 oz for 4-5 days)
Feb. 15th
Today was a hard day for me, as I had too many things to take care of at home, and errands to run. I was unable to go visit Cadynce, but I called and spoke to her nurses. They informed me that they were increasing her feedings again to 6 mL every 3 hours! I was so proud of our little girl! She is obviously ready to start gaining weight! They mentioned that the doctor wanted to keep a close eye on her blood pressure, as it had been running kind of high. The nurses reassured me that it was typical, and that medicine would be a last resort. She said that there were multiple tests and treatments that they would attempt before putting her on any medication.
I got to hold Cadynce for 45 minutes today! The NICU calls it "Kangaroo Care", which is skin to skin contact for bonding with mother and/or father. It has also been proven to help the development and overall health of baby. Cadynce was tucked down the neck of my shirt to help keep her body temperature regulated. She slept while I held her, and it was very therapeutic for me as well. I could feel her gentle breathing, and her tiny hand laying over my heart. Definitely a moment I will treasure forever! The nurse did find some traces of what appeared to be old (2-3 days old?) blood in her stomach contents. The doctor wasn't too concerned with it, so her feedings were not withheld. The nurse reassured us that it was possible that the blood came from the removal of her IV in her belly button, or from when the breathing tubes were removed from her throat. We were relieved that it didn't seem to be anything major.
Feb. 10th
When we arrived at the hospital today, we were given our first "bad" report from overnight. The nurses had seen more of the old blood in her stomach, so the doctor had withheld her feedings. They ordered blood work and cultures to be drawn so that they could run tests to determine if the cause was an infection. The doctor also went ahead and began antibiotics to get a head start in case it was infection. The blood work test they ran was called a CRP, which checks for inflammation. Those results came back showing no signs of inflammation, so that was another indicator that there was no infection, and that the blood came from some of the procedures they had done in the past few days. The blood cultures were sent to the lab, and results would take 2-3 days to come back.
Feb. 11th
Today, Cadynce had to have a blood transfusion. With all of the blood they had drawn yesterday, her red blood cell count was low. They reassured me that it was completely normal for preemies her size to have to have several transfusions because of all the blood work required. Her feedings were still being held, and the antibiotics were still being given.
Feb. 12th
All of the blood work and tests had come back, and the results showed NO INFECTION! YAY!!! Antibiotics were cancelled, and her feedings were resumed. They started her at 1 mL every 3 hours, but by the end of the day, she was back up to 3 mL every 3 hours, which is where she was when they withheld her feedings on the 10th.
Feb. 13th
The doctor scheduled another ultrasound to check Cady's tummy, kidneys, and other organs. This is very typical and routine for a baby her size. Her feedings were still 3 mL every 3 hours, and she was doing great.
Feb. 14th
Cadybug's 1st Valentine's Day! The best gift I received on Valentine's Day was "Kangaroo Care" (skin-to-skin holding) when Cady placed her hand over my heart! That was the most loving and unforgettable moment ever! The nurse had increased her feedings to 4 mL every 3 hours, and Cadynce was digesting every bit of it! I was so happy to hear this, because the more milk she gets, the less IV fluids are given, and the faster she'll gain weight! She had already rebounded to 1 lb 5 oz. (She had held steady at 1 lb 4 oz for 4-5 days)
Feb. 15th
Today was a hard day for me, as I had too many things to take care of at home, and errands to run. I was unable to go visit Cadynce, but I called and spoke to her nurses. They informed me that they were increasing her feedings again to 6 mL every 3 hours! I was so proud of our little girl! She is obviously ready to start gaining weight! They mentioned that the doctor wanted to keep a close eye on her blood pressure, as it had been running kind of high. The nurses reassured me that it was typical, and that medicine would be a last resort. She said that there were multiple tests and treatments that they would attempt before putting her on any medication.
Days 7 & 8- Feb. 7th and 8th
Both of these days were typical, no issue days. Cadynce was sleeping, eating, and behaving as expected. I was allowed to hold her for a few minutes. She was all bundled up in blankets, and it really didn't feel like I was holding anything! She is so small. On Friday the 8th, they ran a brain ultrasound to check for any bleeding. The doctor said they do this at 1 week old and then again at 1 month old. Her results came back fine, and the doctor said there was very minimal bleeding, just what they would expect to find.
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