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.