Carson officially came home on Friday, March 23 and was greeted by his big sis Ella. She was more than excited when we brought him through the door. She peeked at him and said "noises" because he made normal baby noises. She officially claimed him as hers - "my Baby Carson". This possessiveness is an everyday everything occurrence. Everything has an owner and one shouldn't mess with the order in her universe. Mommy can't use Daddy's pillow or Daddy's blanket - both of which are in our great room. At the park, Mommy's slide is on the left and Ella's slide is on the right. She seems to adore Carson, but the newness may quickly wear off. She is very interested in his stuff such as his bed, bouncy seat or activity gym. Of course, she insists on trying them out.
Carson is doing well and we are also doing well - just a bit sleep deprived! Thanks to everyone's emails, phone calls and prayers! We are blessed to have baby Carson home so soon and to have such caring friends and family. We set our alarm every 3 hours around the clock because Carson eats every 3 hours. You also can't feed him while holding him in the crook of your arm - you use something called a sideline hold so you can watch his face for any trouble. We've had good and bad days. Since he's had a few doctor appointments and lots of environmental changes, I would think that's to be expected.
Carson had his first pediatrician visit on Monday and weighed in at 4 lbs, 14 oz. - almost 5 pounds. He had an eye exam on Tuesday and it was less stressful than expected. They dilate his eyes and look at the development of the blood vessels. They have diagnosed him as Level 1 Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and therefore will monitor him more frequently. We have another eye exam in two weeks. In many cases, ROP goes away without treatment; however, ROP can advance and require laser surgery. The nurse warned me to expect him to cry the entire exam - two minutes max. Carson said "wah" three times, but trust me they were pitiful wahs that broke my heart. I'm not looking forward to the follow-up visits, but I know that it's in his best interest.
I will do my best keep this updated, but I'm doing well to keep my eyes open. I appreciate everyone's patience and will post pictures shortly.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
4 Pounds & Ready to Come Home
Monday, March 12
3 lbs. 14.6 oz.
I met the Occupational Therapist (OT), Alison today. She assesses his development such as muscle tone, reflexes and sucking. Everything is looking good and his sucking is improving. Carson will visit with her two weeks after discharge and at 6 months adjusted age. Adjusted age means his expected due date so he will see Alison 6 months from his expected due date. He has lots of specialists looking out for him.
Tuesday, March 13
3 lbs. 14.8 oz.
The OT orders his feeding tube to be removed and to take all of his feedings by bottle. At first, he does well and takes 3 bottles....but, then he tuckered out and they reinserted his feeding tube for the fourth feeding. Carson wasn't quite ready. We are disappointed; however, we also want him to stay home when he comes home and not have to be readmitted.
Wednesday, March 14
4 lbs. .2 oz.
Hurray! Carson reaches 4 pounds. He passes his hearing test and takes some bottles. The nurses are offering the bottle to him when he is awake, alert and rooting.
Thursday, March 15
4 lbs. 1.2 oz.
Carson is now taking 36 cc per feeding. He takes 3 bottles back to back so he's gaining endurance.
Saturday, March 17
4 lbs. 3.6 oz.
Carson meets his big sister, Ella through a window. He was unimpressed and she was a little jealous. Vic stayed with her and I was with Carson. She waved to Baby Carson as she calls him and then said momma, momma.
Monday, March 19
4 lbs. 4.6 oz.
The lightbulb came on and Carson has been taking bottles only since midnight. He is a slow drinker sometimes taking 15+ minutes, but still under their 25 minute limit. He will get the Synagis shot on Tuesday and prepare for discharge sometime after Wednesday as long as he doesn't stop taking his bottles. He has to take his bottle for 48 hours before he's approved for discharge. The good news is that he took one of his feedings from our Dr Brown bottles so hopefully we won't have to invest in new bottles. Uggghhhh - bottle cleaning again!
The nurse requests his carseat so they can do the carseat challenge - he sits in the carseat for one hour monitored by the nurse to ensure he doesn't stop breathing. I also need to bring his first picture outfit so he can have his picture taken when the feeding tube is removed. It seems like it's really going to happen this week.
Tuesday, March 20
4 lbs. 6.4 oz.
Amazing - Carson has almost gained 2 pounds in one month! His formula is definitely high calorie and unfortunately or fortunately, it's not sold in stores. So, we are getting 2 cases to bring home. After he drinks all of that, he'll be switched to a preemie formula, Enfamil Enfacare. I met with the dietitian today to understand the special recipe for his diet; I add more powder than the standard instructions to increase the calories from 22 to 24 calories per ounce. She starts by stating that we shouldn't reduce the calories until after he reaches the 50th percentile. If you know Vic and me, you'll understand why I chuckled at this statement. Ella is lucky to be in the 5th percentile. She revised her expectation to the 10th percentile telling me that boys tend to catch up more quickly than girls - time will tell! Her expectation is that Carson will stay on this formula until he switches to milk. Yeah, too because Carson drinks an entire bottle for me at noon and he is looking to a discharge on Thursday or Friday!
We did have a little scare this morning because the night nurse charted a murmur two times throughout the evening. When the day nurse mentions this to me, I'm more than a little surprised. The good news is that the doctor and all of the other nurses have never heard a murmur. The doctor assured me that if the murmur was not benign, she would have heard it before now. It's most likely not a murmur, but a coincidence. If he took a breath at the same time his heart beat, she may think she heard a murmur. The doctor also said that IF he had a murmur (probably not), it would be a benign murmur that would probably heal on its own. A relief to hear!
3 lbs. 14.6 oz.
I met the Occupational Therapist (OT), Alison today. She assesses his development such as muscle tone, reflexes and sucking. Everything is looking good and his sucking is improving. Carson will visit with her two weeks after discharge and at 6 months adjusted age. Adjusted age means his expected due date so he will see Alison 6 months from his expected due date. He has lots of specialists looking out for him.
Tuesday, March 13
3 lbs. 14.8 oz.
The OT orders his feeding tube to be removed and to take all of his feedings by bottle. At first, he does well and takes 3 bottles....but, then he tuckered out and they reinserted his feeding tube for the fourth feeding. Carson wasn't quite ready. We are disappointed; however, we also want him to stay home when he comes home and not have to be readmitted.
Wednesday, March 14
4 lbs. .2 oz.
Hurray! Carson reaches 4 pounds. He passes his hearing test and takes some bottles. The nurses are offering the bottle to him when he is awake, alert and rooting.
Thursday, March 15
4 lbs. 1.2 oz.
Carson is now taking 36 cc per feeding. He takes 3 bottles back to back so he's gaining endurance.
Saturday, March 17
4 lbs. 3.6 oz.
Carson meets his big sister, Ella through a window. He was unimpressed and she was a little jealous. Vic stayed with her and I was with Carson. She waved to Baby Carson as she calls him and then said momma, momma.
Monday, March 19
4 lbs. 4.6 oz.
The lightbulb came on and Carson has been taking bottles only since midnight. He is a slow drinker sometimes taking 15+ minutes, but still under their 25 minute limit. He will get the Synagis shot on Tuesday and prepare for discharge sometime after Wednesday as long as he doesn't stop taking his bottles. He has to take his bottle for 48 hours before he's approved for discharge. The good news is that he took one of his feedings from our Dr Brown bottles so hopefully we won't have to invest in new bottles. Uggghhhh - bottle cleaning again!
The nurse requests his carseat so they can do the carseat challenge - he sits in the carseat for one hour monitored by the nurse to ensure he doesn't stop breathing. I also need to bring his first picture outfit so he can have his picture taken when the feeding tube is removed. It seems like it's really going to happen this week.
Tuesday, March 20
4 lbs. 6.4 oz.
Amazing - Carson has almost gained 2 pounds in one month! His formula is definitely high calorie and unfortunately or fortunately, it's not sold in stores. So, we are getting 2 cases to bring home. After he drinks all of that, he'll be switched to a preemie formula, Enfamil Enfacare. I met with the dietitian today to understand the special recipe for his diet; I add more powder than the standard instructions to increase the calories from 22 to 24 calories per ounce. She starts by stating that we shouldn't reduce the calories until after he reaches the 50th percentile. If you know Vic and me, you'll understand why I chuckled at this statement. Ella is lucky to be in the 5th percentile. She revised her expectation to the 10th percentile telling me that boys tend to catch up more quickly than girls - time will tell! Her expectation is that Carson will stay on this formula until he switches to milk. Yeah, too because Carson drinks an entire bottle for me at noon and he is looking to a discharge on Thursday or Friday!
We did have a little scare this morning because the night nurse charted a murmur two times throughout the evening. When the day nurse mentions this to me, I'm more than a little surprised. The good news is that the doctor and all of the other nurses have never heard a murmur. The doctor assured me that if the murmur was not benign, she would have heard it before now. It's most likely not a murmur, but a coincidence. If he took a breath at the same time his heart beat, she may think she heard a murmur. The doctor also said that IF he had a murmur (probably not), it would be a benign murmur that would probably heal on its own. A relief to hear!
Monday, March 12, 2007
BIG eyes - all the better to see you with...
Monday, March 5
3 lbs, 6 oz.
Carson's doing better with bottle feeding. He took two of his feedings by bottle today. He is more awake and alert - and of course, cuter than ever. The nurses and doctors have been checking him out during rounds. If he's awake, they all comment on his BIG eyes. His bath days are Tuesdays and Fridays; they are typically given in the evening. His bath tub is basically a small Rubbermaid bin (not much larger than a shoe box) with a mesh sling. He will stay swaddled up during his bath; you expose and wash one body part at a time. Ella screamed during her baths as a newborn so Carson should be interesting. Vic & I will be observing his bath before he leaves the hospital so we have a better idea about how this works.
3 lbs, 6 oz.
Carson's doing better with bottle feeding. He took two of his feedings by bottle today. He is more awake and alert - and of course, cuter than ever. The nurses and doctors have been checking him out during rounds. If he's awake, they all comment on his BIG eyes. His bath days are Tuesdays and Fridays; they are typically given in the evening. His bath tub is basically a small Rubbermaid bin (not much larger than a shoe box) with a mesh sling. He will stay swaddled up during his bath; you expose and wash one body part at a time. Ella screamed during her baths as a newborn so Carson should be interesting. Vic & I will be observing his bath before he leaves the hospital so we have a better idea about how this works.By the way, Carson takes a normal size bottle nipple and pacifier. You can compare the size of his pacifier to his face and get a better understanding of his size.
Tuesday, March 6
3 lbs, 7 oz.
Carson has gained over 1 lb since his birth. He is still slow to take the bottle, but the nurses and occupational therapist continue to work with him. He's taking the easy way out.
Wednesday, March 7
3 lbs, 8.4 oz.
His formula quantity is increased to 30 cc - one whole ounce. This is how much Ella was taking when she came home. He should take his feeding in 20-30 minutes so that he isn't overtired. Nurse Lindsi adds a mobile with music to his crib since he is awake more often. They start a discharge folder for Carson knowing that he's heading in that direction. There are lots of things to do before discharge including shots, hearing tests, videos to watch, learning how to prepare the formula per the dietitian's formula, etc. Due to his birth weight, Carson will also have an eye exam including dilation at 6 weeks of age. Due to his age at birth, he'll receive monthly Synagis shots to protect against RSV. Lots and lots of doctor visits - thank goodness for medical insurance!
Thursday, March 8
3 lbs, 9 oz.
The NICU staff is preparing for Carson's discharge to occur towards the end of next week; however, he must be taking 100% of his feedings by bottle. Currently, he is taking 21% of his feedings by bottle; but, the lightbulb could click on tomorrow and he could start taking all of his bottles. The staff takes lots of pictures today because he is showing off his BIG eyes.
Friday, March 9
3 lbs, 10 oz.
Carson improves with bottle feeding - 30% of feedings by bottle. He tolerated his first bath and didn't raise too much of a fuss. The nurses think he is pretty laid back and he definitely doesn't cry or fuss often. He's probably saving it for us when he comes home... let's hope not.
Saturday, March 10
3 lbs, 11 oz.
Vic & I visit with Carson while we watch the videos required for discharge. He seems sleepier today. He does open his eyes when he hears our voices.
Sunday, March 11
3 lbs, 13 oz.
16.5 inches in length
Carson continues to put on weight and approaches the 4 lb. mark - pretty amazing! We are so fortunate to have such great staff at the NICU, especially Lindsi. She has been feeding him last so that she can hold him for a longer period of time. They change out his feeding tube to a larger size and he does fine with his next feedings. Today, he takes 50% of his feedings by bottle.
Since the warm weather finally visited Cincinnati, Ella went for a wagon ride with Daddy and drove her Jeep. In the evening, we celebrated Ella's second birthday with Vic's family. Her birthday is March 31, but we figured things might be more chaotic when Carson comes home and this would give her one last hurrah without Brother. When we sang happy birthday to her, she looked around and seemed unsure. She successfully blew out the candle and exclaimed "blowed it out." She slowly, ever so slowly, opened her presents. She, of course, wanted to play with each gift before opening another one. Ella had a really terrific time and was tuckered out. She didn't make a peep through the night.
Tuesday, March 6
3 lbs, 7 oz.
Carson has gained over 1 lb since his birth. He is still slow to take the bottle, but the nurses and occupational therapist continue to work with him. He's taking the easy way out.
Wednesday, March 7
3 lbs, 8.4 oz.
His formula quantity is increased to 30 cc - one whole ounce. This is how much Ella was taking when she came home. He should take his feeding in 20-30 minutes so that he isn't overtired. Nurse Lindsi adds a mobile with music to his crib since he is awake more often. They start a discharge folder for Carson knowing that he's heading in that direction. There are lots of things to do before discharge including shots, hearing tests, videos to watch, learning how to prepare the formula per the dietitian's formula, etc. Due to his birth weight, Carson will also have an eye exam including dilation at 6 weeks of age. Due to his age at birth, he'll receive monthly Synagis shots to protect against RSV. Lots and lots of doctor visits - thank goodness for medical insurance!Thursday, March 8
3 lbs, 9 oz.
The NICU staff is preparing for Carson's discharge to occur towards the end of next week; however, he must be taking 100% of his feedings by bottle. Currently, he is taking 21% of his feedings by bottle; but, the lightbulb could click on tomorrow and he could start taking all of his bottles. The staff takes lots of pictures today because he is showing off his BIG eyes.
Friday, March 9
3 lbs, 10 oz.
Carson improves with bottle feeding - 30% of feedings by bottle. He tolerated his first bath and didn't raise too much of a fuss. The nurses think he is pretty laid back and he definitely doesn't cry or fuss often. He's probably saving it for us when he comes home... let's hope not.
Saturday, March 10
3 lbs, 11 oz.
Vic & I visit with Carson while we watch the videos required for discharge. He seems sleepier today. He does open his eyes when he hears our voices.
Sunday, March 11
3 lbs, 13 oz.
16.5 inches in length
Carson continues to put on weight and approaches the 4 lb. mark - pretty amazing! We are so fortunate to have such great staff at the NICU, especially Lindsi. She has been feeding him last so that she can hold him for a longer period of time. They change out his feeding tube to a larger size and he does fine with his next feedings. Today, he takes 50% of his feedings by bottle.
Since the warm weather finally visited Cincinnati, Ella went for a wagon ride with Daddy and drove her Jeep. In the evening, we celebrated Ella's second birthday with Vic's family. Her birthday is March 31, but we figured things might be more chaotic when Carson comes home and this would give her one last hurrah without Brother. When we sang happy birthday to her, she looked around and seemed unsure. She successfully blew out the candle and exclaimed "blowed it out." She slowly, ever so slowly, opened her presents. She, of course, wanted to play with each gift before opening another one. Ella had a really terrific time and was tuckered out. She didn't make a peep through the night.Monday, March 5, 2007
Oh my - Three pounds!
Thursday, March 1
3 lbs, .2 oz
Yippee - Carson made it to 3 lbs and Ella celebrates in her pink boots and jammies! The nurse checked his weight twice because it was such a large increase. Carson's bed temperature was decreased to 28.2 degrees (Celsius) so we are inching our way to a crib. Vic & I learn that Carson may be come home under 4 lbs. Weight is usually irrelevant as long as the babies accomplish 3 tasks: breathing room air, maintaining body temp and taking bottles. All the nurses continue to comment on his small size for his age of 32 weeks so I look the expected weight & length up in a book. At 31 weeks, he should have been approx. 3 lbs and 16" in length. At 32 weeks, he was still under these averages. OK - he was small. Carson continues to show more signs of strength. He kicked off his blankets and stretched out his legs. He took 7 cc of formula from his bottle - not terrific, but good that he is sucking.
Friday, March 2
3 lbs, 1.7 oz.
Yeah - Another large increase in weight! Carson's feedings are increased to 28 cc - almost to 1 whole ounce. When I arrive, Carson is awake and alert. He pays more attention to the lights and shadows on the ceiling then me, but I love seeing his BIG eyes. He spits up a bit, but nothing abnormal.
Saturday, March 3
3 lbs, 3.4 oz.
Carson has been gaining an 1 1/2 ounces per day for the past 3 days. If this continues, he may weigh over 4 lbs when he comes home. They officially turned his bed down to the min temp of 27.5 degrees (Celsius) and expect to move him to a crib in the next few days. The bad news - Ella has an ear infection and we all got very little sleep last night. Ella was not sick until she started preschool but since she started school, she has had 3 ear infections. What do you do - they say it's better for kids to get sick when they are younger , but I'm not sure about this. Oh well - more antibiotics!
Sunday, March 4
3 lbs, 4 oz.
15.75" in length
The weight gain has slowed down but he grew 3/4 of an inch and Carson had two HUGE accomplishments:
3 lbs, .2 oz
Yippee - Carson made it to 3 lbs and Ella celebrates in her pink boots and jammies! The nurse checked his weight twice because it was such a large increase. Carson's bed temperature was decreased to 28.2 degrees (Celsius) so we are inching our way to a crib. Vic & I learn that Carson may be come home under 4 lbs. Weight is usually irrelevant as long as the babies accomplish 3 tasks: breathing room air, maintaining body temp and taking bottles. All the nurses continue to comment on his small size for his age of 32 weeks so I look the expected weight & length up in a book. At 31 weeks, he should have been approx. 3 lbs and 16" in length. At 32 weeks, he was still under these averages. OK - he was small. Carson continues to show more signs of strength. He kicked off his blankets and stretched out his legs. He took 7 cc of formula from his bottle - not terrific, but good that he is sucking.Friday, March 2
3 lbs, 1.7 oz.
Yeah - Another large increase in weight! Carson's feedings are increased to 28 cc - almost to 1 whole ounce. When I arrive, Carson is awake and alert. He pays more attention to the lights and shadows on the ceiling then me, but I love seeing his BIG eyes. He spits up a bit, but nothing abnormal.
Saturday, March 3
3 lbs, 3.4 oz.
Carson has been gaining an 1 1/2 ounces per day for the past 3 days. If this continues, he may weigh over 4 lbs when he comes home. They officially turned his bed down to the min temp of 27.5 degrees (Celsius) and expect to move him to a crib in the next few days. The bad news - Ella has an ear infection and we all got very little sleep last night. Ella was not sick until she started preschool but since she started school, she has had 3 ear infections. What do you do - they say it's better for kids to get sick when they are younger , but I'm not sure about this. Oh well - more antibiotics!Sunday, March 4
3 lbs, 4 oz.
15.75" in length
The weight gain has slowed down but he grew 3/4 of an inch and Carson had two HUGE accomplishments:
- He moved to a crib in the morning
- He took his entire feeding by bottle at 9PM.
So, we have only one more milestone to pass before he is ready to come home - Carson needs to take all of his feedings by bottle instead of by feeding tube.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Go Carson Go!
Monday, February 26
2lbs, 12 oz.
No changes were made to Carson's feedings today because he continued to have a few spit-ups. I changed his diaper today and learned about the rule of pointing south for boys. Changing his diaper is a bit more complicated than normal because he's so tiny. I also did something called "kangaroo care". Basically, while Carson wears only a diaper, he lays on my chest - it's meant to encourage skin to skin contact and has been shown to help preemies recover from the effects of prematurity and gain weight faster.
Tuesday, February 27
2 lbs, 13.6 oz
Carson's feedings were increased to 25 cc every 3 hours. He is still spitting up, but not as much as previous days. When Carson was born, he was placed in an isolette with a temperature setting of 34 degrees (Celsius). Lindsi started weaning him from the warmth; his bed is now set at 31 degrees (Celsius). When the bed is turned down to 27.5 degrees, he can be moved to a crib. This is one of the requirements to coming home.
I also am able to witness "rounds". All of the doctors make rounds each day to each baby. Stats are provided for each baby and the neonatologist points out exceptions and recommendations. During rounds, the docs and nurse on duty discuss changes to make such as feeding quantity, temperature, medications, transitions, etc.
2lbs, 12 oz.
No changes were made to Carson's feedings today because he continued to have a few spit-ups. I changed his diaper today and learned about the rule of pointing south for boys. Changing his diaper is a bit more complicated than normal because he's so tiny. I also did something called "kangaroo care". Basically, while Carson wears only a diaper, he lays on my chest - it's meant to encourage skin to skin contact and has been shown to help preemies recover from the effects of prematurity and gain weight faster.Tuesday, February 27
2 lbs, 13.6 oz
Carson's feedings were increased to 25 cc every 3 hours. He is still spitting up, but not as much as previous days. When Carson was born, he was placed in an isolette with a temperature setting of 34 degrees (Celsius). Lindsi started weaning him from the warmth; his bed is now set at 31 degrees (Celsius). When the bed is turned down to 27.5 degrees, he can be moved to a crib. This is one of the requirements to coming home.Wednesday, February 28
2 lbs, 14.2 oz
Neka, his nurse, noticed signs (rooting, etc.) of Carson being ready for a bottle so at 3PM today, Carson took 12 of his 25 cc by bottle. The occupational therapist (OT) happened to stop by as the nurse was feeding him and the OT actually did his feeding. The OT works with the nurses and provides suggestions to improve his sucking motion. For his first try at bottle feeding, the nurse and OT were satisfied. They saved his bottle for me, too. They even suggested leaving a disposable camera with them for pictures when parents aren't around.
Carson is also doing a better job at maintaining his own body temperature so they have decreased his isolette temp to 28.7 degrees (Celsius). Even at that temp, he is a little on the warm side while wearing just a creeper without a hat. 1.2 more degrees and then he'll be ready for his big boy bed - go Carson go! Babies aren't usually as small as he is when they are moved to a crib so we're waiting to see their plan.
2 lbs, 14.2 oz
Neka, his nurse, noticed signs (rooting, etc.) of Carson being ready for a bottle so at 3PM today, Carson took 12 of his 25 cc by bottle. The occupational therapist (OT) happened to stop by as the nurse was feeding him and the OT actually did his feeding. The OT works with the nurses and provides suggestions to improve his sucking motion. For his first try at bottle feeding, the nurse and OT were satisfied. They saved his bottle for me, too. They even suggested leaving a disposable camera with them for pictures when parents aren't around.
Carson is also doing a better job at maintaining his own body temperature so they have decreased his isolette temp to 28.7 degrees (Celsius). Even at that temp, he is a little on the warm side while wearing just a creeper without a hat. 1.2 more degrees and then he'll be ready for his big boy bed - go Carson go! Babies aren't usually as small as he is when they are moved to a crib so we're waiting to see their plan.
I also am able to witness "rounds". All of the doctors make rounds each day to each baby. Stats are provided for each baby and the neonatologist points out exceptions and recommendations. During rounds, the docs and nurse on duty discuss changes to make such as feeding quantity, temperature, medications, transitions, etc.In one of my previous posts, I had included a picture of Carson with this bear. For comparison, the bear is approx. 4 inches long.
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