On the very first day of the New Year, baby Katea went down to 2 liters of oxygen! That is a HUGE step and if she didn't have the NJ tube, she'd get to start breastfeeding now! Since she has to have the NJ tube for at least two weeks, and it's already been one week.....one more week is the next big step!!
I'm so glad that they figured out that the acid reflux she was experiencing was what was slowing down her respiratory progress. From what I understand, they were pumping her food into her stomach....because of the acid reflux she had, she was gagging it back up and then she would cough and gag to try and avoid throwing up....and when she would swallow, she would aspirate some into her lungs. The NJ tube has given her a break from all the acid reflux, and because of it, they've been able to wein her oxygen needs a lot quicker. That is AWESOME news!
She still acts like she's starving most of the time. With the food passing her stomach, she doesn't ever get that 'full' feeling. Even though her intestines are full and she's getting all the calories and nutrition she needs, she doesn't feel it. It's a little funny and a little sad to see how angry she gets because of how hungry she is. She never actually got to taste any of that sucrose(sugar water) that was ordered for her.....Meredith said it didn't make sense to give it to her.....what would make more sense is to give her some breastmilk, since that's what she'll be eating when she's done with the NJ tube. Another example of why we LOVE our primary nurses. They got the go-ahead from the Dr's to give her anywhere from 1ml-3ml of breastmilk whenever she acts crazy starving. They just put it in a little syringe and squirt it in her mouth as she's sucking on her binki....that way she's practicing swallowing...tasting the food she's actually going to be getting.....and she knows she has to do it while sucking and breathing. Very smart! She does sometimes de-sat....and even brady if she gets too much to swallow, but overall she's doing great....she loves it....and it's satisfying her craving to fill her stomach for a few hours! One more week baby and then you'll get to eat....hang in there! :-)
She is awake and alert and wanting to socialize a lot more often now....and mostly during the day. My schedule before consisted of me spending a lot of the night at the hospital....so now I have to figure out how to change my schedule. The nurses have her on a pretty good schedule where she sleeps pretty much through the night. She's actually been doing that for a while now, and if she's sound asleep....they don't wake her up to change her diaper....they just hook up her feeding and let her sleep. Now that she has continuous feedings, they don't bother her at all during the night unless she wakes up and demands attention. That is awesome that they're already helping her learn to sleep through the night for me....only problem is that we don't sleep through the night :-/ Ova working graves has all our schedules so jacked up. I find myself and all my 3 older kids watching t.v. or playing on the computer at like 4am....and that's normal.....and then we don't wake up until like noon. Not good! Makai was always good about going to bed and waking up early for school....but him being off track the whole month of December has gotten him on our schedule....and that is NOT good! That will be my next big thing to tackle this week....getting all of us on a more normal sleeping schedule, even if Ova isn't here at night and he sleeps during the day when we're all awake. Wish me luck! :-) I'm trying all over again to figure out how to divide my time between everything I have to do. I NEED to be at the hospital more during the day now......especially since baby Katea is awake so long.....so I'll have to just switch it up and go there during the day and spend time with my older kids at night. Hopefully this craziness will only last a few more weeks, and then we'll all be home together. That will be nice!
Today when I got to the hospital, she was wide awake, content....laying in her bed. I went up to her and kissed her and said hi....she smiled. I took her out and we played for a while. I read her some books, and she's so funny...whenever I turn the page, her eyes get so big and she starts flailing her arms in excitement. I love that she's more awake and alert.....and that I get to spend so much quality time with her! The developmental specialist came in and showed me how to do some exercises with her that will help strengthen her arms and legs. She also talked about how important tummy time is in helping her little neck muscles to develop. She kept saying "she's 3 months old now, she should be doing...." I just think it's so crazy how internally we have to be so patient with their growth and progress, but developmentally we want them to act their age. We sure do ask a lot of these little preemies. And it's amazing that they are able to do it! They made sure I was aware that she probably would be developmentally slower than her age group, because she was born so early.....but that I should try as much as I can to help her catch up. 2 years old is usually the age where they are completely caught up. It'll be interesting to see where she falls on that wide spectrum.
She's growing so much! Tonight she weighed 3025 grams....that translates into 6lbs.10 1/2oz. She's gonna be 7lbs before we know it! It's crazy to think of how small she was....and how much she has grown! Here's just an example of how much she has grown....the small handprint was taken when she was 1 week old....the bigger one, when she was 2 months old.....I'll have to get another set when she's almost ready to go home so we can see her growth...but this simply amazes me!
I'm so glad that they figured out that the acid reflux she was experiencing was what was slowing down her respiratory progress. From what I understand, they were pumping her food into her stomach....because of the acid reflux she had, she was gagging it back up and then she would cough and gag to try and avoid throwing up....and when she would swallow, she would aspirate some into her lungs. The NJ tube has given her a break from all the acid reflux, and because of it, they've been able to wein her oxygen needs a lot quicker. That is AWESOME news!
She still acts like she's starving most of the time. With the food passing her stomach, she doesn't ever get that 'full' feeling. Even though her intestines are full and she's getting all the calories and nutrition she needs, she doesn't feel it. It's a little funny and a little sad to see how angry she gets because of how hungry she is. She never actually got to taste any of that sucrose(sugar water) that was ordered for her.....Meredith said it didn't make sense to give it to her.....what would make more sense is to give her some breastmilk, since that's what she'll be eating when she's done with the NJ tube. Another example of why we LOVE our primary nurses. They got the go-ahead from the Dr's to give her anywhere from 1ml-3ml of breastmilk whenever she acts crazy starving. They just put it in a little syringe and squirt it in her mouth as she's sucking on her binki....that way she's practicing swallowing...tasting the food she's actually going to be getting.....and she knows she has to do it while sucking and breathing. Very smart! She does sometimes de-sat....and even brady if she gets too much to swallow, but overall she's doing great....she loves it....and it's satisfying her craving to fill her stomach for a few hours! One more week baby and then you'll get to eat....hang in there! :-)
She is awake and alert and wanting to socialize a lot more often now....and mostly during the day. My schedule before consisted of me spending a lot of the night at the hospital....so now I have to figure out how to change my schedule. The nurses have her on a pretty good schedule where she sleeps pretty much through the night. She's actually been doing that for a while now, and if she's sound asleep....they don't wake her up to change her diaper....they just hook up her feeding and let her sleep. Now that she has continuous feedings, they don't bother her at all during the night unless she wakes up and demands attention. That is awesome that they're already helping her learn to sleep through the night for me....only problem is that we don't sleep through the night :-/ Ova working graves has all our schedules so jacked up. I find myself and all my 3 older kids watching t.v. or playing on the computer at like 4am....and that's normal.....and then we don't wake up until like noon. Not good! Makai was always good about going to bed and waking up early for school....but him being off track the whole month of December has gotten him on our schedule....and that is NOT good! That will be my next big thing to tackle this week....getting all of us on a more normal sleeping schedule, even if Ova isn't here at night and he sleeps during the day when we're all awake. Wish me luck! :-) I'm trying all over again to figure out how to divide my time between everything I have to do. I NEED to be at the hospital more during the day now......especially since baby Katea is awake so long.....so I'll have to just switch it up and go there during the day and spend time with my older kids at night. Hopefully this craziness will only last a few more weeks, and then we'll all be home together. That will be nice!
Today when I got to the hospital, she was wide awake, content....laying in her bed. I went up to her and kissed her and said hi....she smiled. I took her out and we played for a while. I read her some books, and she's so funny...whenever I turn the page, her eyes get so big and she starts flailing her arms in excitement. I love that she's more awake and alert.....and that I get to spend so much quality time with her! The developmental specialist came in and showed me how to do some exercises with her that will help strengthen her arms and legs. She also talked about how important tummy time is in helping her little neck muscles to develop. She kept saying "she's 3 months old now, she should be doing...." I just think it's so crazy how internally we have to be so patient with their growth and progress, but developmentally we want them to act their age. We sure do ask a lot of these little preemies. And it's amazing that they are able to do it! They made sure I was aware that she probably would be developmentally slower than her age group, because she was born so early.....but that I should try as much as I can to help her catch up. 2 years old is usually the age where they are completely caught up. It'll be interesting to see where she falls on that wide spectrum.
She's growing so much! Tonight she weighed 3025 grams....that translates into 6lbs.10 1/2oz. She's gonna be 7lbs before we know it! It's crazy to think of how small she was....and how much she has grown! Here's just an example of how much she has grown....the small handprint was taken when she was 1 week old....the bigger one, when she was 2 months old.....I'll have to get another set when she's almost ready to go home so we can see her growth...but this simply amazes me!
Just for perspective, I put a quarter by the prints. Her 1 week old handprint palm was smaller than the quarter....the 2 month print, a lot bigger! You can see that not only did her hand grow in length, but you can see the chubbiness on her fingers now....that she did not have at 1 week old.
Growth.Progress.Blessed!
3 comments:
so excited for you guys Monica!!! :) I want to see her so bad!!! ugh! But I'm glad to hear she's doing well!! :)I lalalalooooove reading your blog about baby Katea!!! love you Monica!!!
xoxo
Wow that is great news! What a neat perspective with the quarter next to the hand print. So tiny!
She is amazing, and so are you Monica! I read all your other posts, and you are super Mom! Hope Lautala and Mone are feeling better. Happy New Year to your beautiful family!
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