Go home date?

We are working towards Tuesday for Kathryn's go home date - pray that it sticks!!!

She is up to 4 pounds, 5.8 ounces!!

Kelly

Day 130 - Friday, November 30

I am running late getting ready for work, but wanted to do a quick post. Dr. Lasano, the pulmonologist, saw Kathryn yesterday and said she was doing just fine. He agreed with Drs. Mena, Strange, and Dicarlo that Kathryn is ready to go home. So, as you can imagine, I am trying to frantically fit in errands and things where I can and get things at home that we need like formula, diapers, etc. Well imagine our surprise when last night they told us that there is a note on the "discharge board" that says the Ellis' may have been moved up for a discharge date of December 3 through December 6!!!! We haven't heard this from a doctor yet and to me it seems that there is an awful lot of things to be done between now and our discharge, but maybe it can happen. So it may be a week earlier!!! Boy is my work going to be surprised today!

Oh and by the way, I was getting a haircut last night and talking to Christopher, who cuts my hair. We were talking about Kathryn and everything we are experiencing and a lady walked up to me and said she was sorry to overhear, but what was my baby's name. When I told her Kathryn Ellis, she just cried and said that Kathryn has been on her bible study's prayer list and it was so neat to her to meet Kathryn's mom!! It was the neatest experience. My, how one 14 ounce baby has brought so many people together!!

Please pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Day 128 - Wednesday, November 28

Last night I was able to help give Kathryn a bath!! It was so funny to see her tiny little self naked as a jaybird. She is absolutely adorable!! She was so wide awake and loved it!! She was also weighed with us there and she is up to 4 pounds 2.2 ounces - absolutely huge!!! We met with our potential nanny last night and we really liked her. We are talking with some of her previous families, but she has 13 years experience (at least) of child care experience! She was very nice. Hopefully she's a great fit for us, but we'll do some more talking with her first. We were also supposed to meet with the pulmonologist today and he couldn't make it. (I found out after I had waited on him for almost 1 1/2 hours.) Anyway, he should be there tomorrow at 9am so Greg is going to be at the hospital to meet with him and hear his thoughts. We will be following up with him for a while at Children's Hospital so we might as well get to know him now!

Greg had a meeting in Auburn today for a project he has been working on for almost 2 years. It seems that it went fairly well and I'm sure that it is nice to see 2 years of efforts laid on the table!! I have also been talking with my bosses and have been able to discuss some alternate work hours with them for my return to work (after my 8 week FMLA leave). It seems like things are falling into place - relatively speaking!!

I have been trying to finish all my Christmas shopping and errand running that I know I need to do so that I don't need to go anywhere except doctors offices when Kathryn comes home! (and small errands as long as someone else is staying with Kathryn so I don't get her out) As you can imagine, it will probably be a while before Kathryn enters the doors of the great "Target" or any of those other stores we all love so much!!

We are so blessed! Please continue to pray for Kathryn that she may continue to grow big and strong and be ready to come home to her Mommy and Daddy. I miss her and I can't wait to have the four of us together at home!!!! (Won't that be great?)

Kelly

Day 127 - Tuesday, November 27

Ok so here is a little more news - I was excited and tired last night so I posted a small blip. Dr. Mena called for a pulmonologist consult to see about her lungs. It appears that every other part of her is ready to go home except her lungs and since we can't take her home and leave those at Brookwood until they are better, we are trying a different route of treatment. They upped her oxygen to a low flow 100% and they are giving her .5 liters of help (she was on 2 liters of help at 50-60% of oxygen). The new mixture is actually easier on her lungs and is an amount she could go home on. Her consult with the pulmonologist is Wednesday afternoon and provided that he says things look good for home care, she will probably start her countdown to come home. Dr. Mena said last night that when they start this route of treatment, provided no issues arise, the babies are usually home in one to two weeks. He said that he wouldn't send her home over a weekend, but would probably be prepared to do so by the 10th.

They have so much to set up for us with oxygen, monitors, home health care (possibly) and all the normal discharge procedures! We will have to do the car seat test and the video for CPR. Dr. Mena says that if babies go home on oxygen, it is usually for about 6 months to a year at a maximum - but I'll be praying for sooner!!! It all sounds a little daunting to go through, but really all she will have is her little nasal cannula and a portable kit for car rides and an oxygen tank for home!! (And maybe a few medicines - I think right now she is on two!!)

I was shocked yesterday to say the least. I really can't believe that she could be home soon. I had just resolved myself to the fact that it would probably by late December or early January. This is absolutely wonderful news!!

Please pray for Kathryn!

Kelly

Day 126 - Monday, November 26, 2007

It is with great excitement that I write that we may have a come home date for Kathryn!!!!!!!!!!!!! I called this afternoon to check on her and they said that she is doing just fine and that they were trying some new things with her oxygen in preparation for her to go home - excuse me, what!!!?? Anyway, they are working on weening her oxygen to a point that she would come home (with oxygen) very soon - like the earliest would be Monday December 10!!!!! (That's two weeks!!) Do you know that my mind is already reeling at the things I need to do in the next two weeks now. And the preparation we need to do for her homecoming!!

Anyway, today is a wonderful day in this great big roller coaster!! It's like we are riding to the home stretch - but this is one ride that I never want to take again!!

I can NOT believe that my baby girl may be home 2 weeks from tonight!!

Please pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Even better news!!

Kathryn is up to 4 pounds, 1.1 ounces as of last night!!

(And on her 4 month birthday!)

Kelly

Extra picture

We had a picture of Grammie holding Kathryn that we got in an email, so we wanted to add that here.

Thank you!!

I can't believe that I forgot to say thank you to so many of you!! Greg and I both have recevied countless emails and compliments on how well we are handling this experience. This really is an emotional ride, but you guys have supported our family so much!! It's hard some days to keep our frustrations in check, but we know that this is all temporary!! Thanks to some of you who have emailed and said how proud you are that I am handling my emotions so well. We have become very close to some other families in this same experience and they were our rock when we faced our hard times and now we try to be strong and stable for them too!!

Thanks so much for checking in on us and Kathryn!! With all of our prayers, we will bring her home very soon!!

Kelly

Day 125 - Sunday, November 25

Kathryn is 4 months old today!!! Happy Birthday to our little girl!!! After we go to the hospital today, I hope to post more!! We are hopefully meeting with a potential Nanny today. (I know, a Nanny?) I never thought I would be looking into that, but I have to go back to work so this will be a temporary thing to get us through the winter months or possibly the summer when it would be safer for Kathryn to go to a daycare!!

WAR EAGLE!!

Please pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Day 124 - Saturday November 24

Kathryn is up to 3 pounds 13 ounces - almost an full three pounds since birth. She is doing very well, but seems to be hanging on to the oxygen and the cannula. She is taking 35 ccs of feed and she may go to ad lib tomorrow which means that she would get to eat as much as she wants - at least 35 though. She always seems to still be hungry at the end of a feed so that is wonderful to be able to give her more!! Here are some new pictures of family holding her now that she is in the open air crib.

Kathryn and Pawpaw!!Nini, Pawpaw and Kathryn!

Maddie holding Kathryn!
Maddie loves when I make the picture "black and white."
4 generations of women in one family - this doesn't happen very often!! My grandmother is 88, then my mom, then me, and then my two girls!!
Grandad and Kathryn! (We didn't get the camera out until Grandad was holding - we'll have to get a picture of Grammie next time.)
Kathryn's closeup!! (She was wide awake!!)

Kat and mommie!! I love my girls!
Please pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Day 121 - Wednesday, November 21, 2007

OK so I am having a selfish moment!! I have so much to be thankful for and yet I find that as Thanksgiving gets closer I feel a little sad. I want my baby home!! I think that some days I do really well with this, but after 121 days, I am tired, I am emotional, and I am so sick of the hospital some days that I can not stand it!!! I want to hold Kathryn whenever I want to and I want to love on her and change her clothes and watch tv with her on my chest and wake up to her tiny voice and watch Madelyn be a big sister and watch Greg give this tiny wonderful little girl a bottle and hug her like there is nothing better in this world. And I want the four of us together in our home. Anybody who tells you in hindsight that this is easy, is lying through their teeth. I've never done anything harder in my life. I just want to be her mom with no one else around - no audiences, no doctors, no nurses, no other families, just us!! I am just so unbelievable tired and so ready to feel a little back to normal that somedays it all feels like a dream. Sorry for being sappy for a minute, but it is so hard to always pretend like this is easy when it is anything but!

OK, so in light of all these feelings, I want to say what I am thankful for because my selfish moment is now over. I am thankful for my wonderful supportive husband who keeps me strong, I am thankful for my precious daughter Madelyn who reminds me of true innocence, I am thankful for my angel Kathryn who reminds me of God's miracles in our lives, I am thankful for my mom who is also my best friend, I am thankful for my dad who has such a great heart, I am thankful for my stepfather Billy who loves me like I am his own and reminds me that Alabama fans are wonderful people too, I am thankful for my brother Beau who taught me that brothers are wonderful and who is an amazing new father , I am thankful for my sister in law Brittany who is a wonderful new mom, I am thankful for my new nephew Reed who will forever remind me of when Beau was little, I am thankful for my grandmother Nana who is 88 years old and completes our very rare 4 generations of women, I am thankful for my extended families who remind me that we all come in different packages and from different experiences but we are all children of God, I am thankful for my Sunday School class who help me stay strong in my faith, I am thankful for my church family and for their unconditional support in times of plenty and in times of need, I am thankful for our friends who remind us of all phases of our lives and all of the wonderful memories, I am thankful for my job and the opportunities it gives me to support my children, I am thankful for all the wonderful new families we have met through this hospital NICU experience with Kathryn who remind me that no matter what you are experiencing in life someone knows just exactly how you feel and someone else always has it more difficult, I am thankful for the wonderful nurses and doctors that we have met through the hospital who have become a part of our family and helped to raise our little girl, I am thankful for nurse Ginny who has become a wonderful advocate for Kathryn and a fantastic friend to me and has absolutely earned the title of Aunt Ginny to my girls, I am thankful for a loving home to provide to my children, and most of all I am thankful for a loving God who reminds me daily that I am one of his chosen children (And now that I have children of my own, I know exactly how much he loves me!)

Please take time to reflect on what you are thankful for! (And take a minute to be selfish too if you need to!) I am also thankful that Kathryn is now up to 3 pounds, 10 1/2 ounces and on full Enfamil feeds (bye bye Neocate)!!! She received blood yesterday and is now officially out of directed blood donations. If anyone in the local area would like to give for her very soon, please let me know. We will get you set up to head to the hospital!!

Be Thankful!! Please keep Kathryn on your prayer list!! And feel free to comment here on something that you are thankful for!

Kelly

Day 120 - Tuesday, November 20

Well, Kathryn is up to 3 pounds, 8 1/2 ounces now and she loves to eat!!! She is doing well in the crib and continues to enjoy new holding experiences from the nurses, Greg and I, and big sister Madelyn. Madelyn talks to her, rocks her, and sings lullabies and Kathryn sats 96% and loves every second of it!! They did have to turn Kathryn back up to 2 liters on her Nasal Cannula (Fisher Paykel). She was needing more oxygen on the 1.5 liters so they didn't want to stress her out. Moving to a crib and getting all bottles is a big deal so they want to give her lungs some time to adjust. And just like with everything else, she should do better on her oxygen and breathing as she gains weight, so hopefully she will start to outgrow the need for the breathing help!! It seems like that will be her issue to overcome now as it seems like she is hitting some of her other milestones. She is just going to have a tougher time with her lungs (and she was on a ventilator for three months!!). I am going to be so careful with her when she is home. No one with colds can come around and the nurses have advised no smoke around her either!! I can definitely comply - I do not want to go back into the hospital with her (ever)!!!

Kathryn is doing great!!! She has a burp cloth now at her bedside that my mom got for her that says, I am a miracle!! How absolutely true is that!!

Please continue to pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Pictures

The new bed


Daddy's first feed
Mommy's first feed
The family

Maddie with her sister

Maddie looking at Kathryn

Maddie kissing KathrynMy girls

Day 118 - Sunday, November 18

Well, are we excited at our house!! Today they bumped Kathryn to all feeds by bottle - yes that is 8 bottles a day. She is also up to 27 ccs of Enfamil and 5 ccs of Neocate - which means that they increased her total feed to 32 ccs now, plus the 2 ccs of coconut oil!!!


Also, when we went to visit after church, we found out that she had just moved to an open air crib!!! This was huge for her!! This means that now dad and I are not the only ones who can hold - yes, that means that Madelyn got to hold her little sister today for the very first time. She did wonderful and held her for almost 20 minutes. They looked so sweet together!! Check out the pictures in the next post.


This also means that Grandparents can now hold. My mom and stepdad are planning to hold this evening and Greg's parents will get to hold her on Thanksgiving day.


Wow, God is great!! Kathryn is an absolute miracle and now she acts like such a true baby!!!

Please keep praying for Kathryn.

Kelly

Saturday evening

I gave Kathryn a bottle tonight and she did wonderful - 15 minutes and then she fell straight asleep!

She is now up to 24 ccs of Enfamil and 6 of Neocate - almost there - almost through with the British formula. She is also up to bottle feeds at every other feed - 4 a day now!!

Kelly

Day 117 -Saturday November 17

Well last night's weigh in showed Kathryn at 1610 grams which is 3 pounds, 9 ounces!!!! (40 more grams to go until she is eligible for an open air crib!!!) She is up to 22 ccs of Enfamil and 8 of Neocate as of yesterday so hopefully that will swing by 2 more ccs today. In a few days, we may be off of Neocate completely - that would be so great!! She is also still getting 2 ccs of fattener, although it isn't microlipids anymore, it's coconut oil. That's right oil - Kathryn appears to be getting some Crisco in her feeds to help fatten her up and it seems to be finally working!! She is also up to 3 bottle feeds a day as of yesterday, so today we might increase to 4 - who knows?? She absolutely loves the bottle!! She also loves being swaddled now - even in her isolette!

Isn't it funny how this week she hit her due date and now she is doing things that she should be doing like bottles and being swaddled? It's as if she knows that she is now supposed to be here!!All part of God's wonderful plan for her!!

Please pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Day 115 - Thursday, November 15, 2007

Kathryn is up to 20 ccs of Enfamil and 10 ccs of Neocate. She seems to love her two bottles a day - I got to see them both today and they let us give her a bottle tonight!! Since Greg was generous enough to let me be the first one to hold her, I let him be the first to give a bottle. She took it in 20 minutes with Greg and very little spillage!! Great job for dad!! They also dropped her to 1 1/2 liters on her cannula instead of 2 liters. I don't know a lot about that, but it is a ween, so I assume a good step towards doing it by herself!!

Please continue to pray for Kathryn!

Kelly

Day 114 - Wednesday November 14

They upped Kathryn today to two bottles a day - one per shift!!! Wow that was fast. She is also getting 18 ccs of Enfamil and 12 of Neocate now. Watch out world, here comes my baby Kathryn!! I can not wait to see what special things this little lady is going to do in life!! God has certainly pulled her through this and I can only imagine what he has planned for her!!

Please keep praying for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Day 113 - November 13 - Kathryn is due today!!

Today is Kathryn's due date and it was a wonderful day. We finally had weight gain - she is up from 1390 grams to 1500 grams (which means 3 pounds, 5 ounces)!!!!! She is also up to 16 ccs of Enfamil and 14 ccs of Neocate. Wouldn't it be great to kick the Neocate!!

Well, here's another surprise!! On her due date, Kathryn got her first bottle!!!!!!

I am also attaching some pictures - she was so alert and she finished the entire bottle without dropping her sats!!!

Please continue to pray for Kathryn!! Maybe she really can be home for Christmas!!

Kelly

Kathryn's first bottle

First Bottle Picture #2

Ginny feeding Kathryn!

Dad and I help out!

Check out how alert I am for the big burp!

Kathryn and nurse Ginny!!

Boy that bottle wiped me out!

Here's a little smile for you!

Love, Kathryn!! (Thanks for welcoming me to the world today - "officially"!)

Day 111 - Monday, November 11

There are no big changes today, I just had to post since today is 111 days and is the 11th day of the 11th month (let's pretend as if I typed this at 1:11 too).

Kathryn gained 10 grams last night - a small amount but at least it is some forward movement. Hopefully tonight will be a little more!! She is now taking 16 ccs of Neocate and 14 of Enfamil. She is also still doing 2 ccs of microlipids and the munchkin can't seem to gain weight. I on the other hand can look at a piece of fruit and an individual serving of sugar free jello and pack on two pounds. Please pray for the pounds to pack on (well, I'll settle for ounces)!!

No bottle today, she's due tomorrow so maybe then. If not, then Wednesday is a definite!!

Please pray for Kathryn!

Kelly

Day 110 - Sunday, November 11

Well, Kathryn is due in two days. I can't believe that this is how long I would have carried her. How do people carry a baby this long?? (Honestly, I wish I could have found out!!)

Kathryn is doing great. She is doing well breathing on her own with a little support from the cannula. Her issue right now is eating. She can't seem to gain any weight and the doctors are trying all kinds of creative things with her. She is up to 18 ccs of Neocate and 10 of Enfamil 24 calorie plus 2 ccs of microlipids and still staying pretty stagnant. I say give her more food - she may using everything that they are giving her! Anyway, they decide the amount of food based on her weight so that is why they aren't changing the amount yet, because she can't seem to gain. Pray specifically that she can start to pack on some ounces!!

Other news at our house: Madelyn's long time Beta fish friend, Joe, passed away Friday morning. He had been a beloved family member for a little over two years and he was such a good fish. Friday was Madelyn's picture day at school so we didn't tell her that morning, but when she came home Friday afternoon, we told her what had happened. She wanted to bury Joe and tell Jesus to take good care of him, so Friday afternoon at about 4:30, Greg dug a hole in one of our front flower beds and buried him. The three of us gave Joe a proper burial and then headed to Petsmart to bring home a new Beta. Maddie now has Buster the Blue Beta and she has taken to him well.

An update on Kathryn from this afternoon since I started this post this morning. She is now up to 18 ccs of Neocate and 12 of Enfamil and still 2 of the Microlipids. I think they are going with giving her more even though her weight says less. I am all for it!!! Also, they said that the bacteria cultures they did on the 8th are still showing no growth which is great so she may come off of the antibiotics!! Also, Dr. Mena said that Dr. Dicarlo is on for the next two days. Dr. Mena said that if Dr. Dicarlo doesn't try a bottle on Monday or Tuesday, then he will try the first bottle for Kathryn on Wednesday when he is back!! Bottles here we come!!

Please continue to pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

Day 108 - Friday, November 9

Kathryn has had a good several days with her cannula. She seems to really enjoy not having the mask and she is requiring very little extra oxygen. She is also up to 20 ccs of Neocate and 8 ccs of Enfamil.

Let me go backwards a little too - On Sunday night 11/04 late in the night, she had some residual that was brownish in color so the nurse called Dr. Strange. It was determined that she had just started getting the vitamins Poly-Vi-Sol (for the iron) and that they are brownish in color, but just in case, they did some blood cultures on Kathryn to make sure that there was no infection. They went ahead and started her on the Zantac at that point to help her tummy and her fussiness and they discontinued the Poly-Vi-Sol. Fast forward to yesterday 11/8 and they got one of the cultures back and it showed a germ growing which could be bacteria (remember the previous infection?). Anyway, Dr. Strange thinks the culture was contaminated, but to be on the safe side, she drew more cultures yesterday (which we will know about in 3 days). Also, to be on the safe side, she went ahead and started Kathryn on 2 antibiotics in case. We should know something by Sunday sometime as to if the cultures do in fact show an infection or not. The good thing is that she doesn't act sick - she acts like she feels just fine, so hopefully it was a mistake. They have also been having a little trouble with her lately on weight gain. We can't seem to get the right mix to get her over her hump. She had gotten as high as 3 pounds, 3 ounces and then she slid backwards to 2 lbs, 15 ozs. She is now back up to 3 pounds, but has been holding there for about 3 days. To help with that, they have upped the calorie content of her formula to see if that combined with the 1 cc of microlipids (fat) she is getting will help to plump her up!! They have also added in an iron supplement for her since they don't want to go back to the Poly-Vi-Sol.

I had my follow up ultrasound yesterday for the ovarian cyst they saw on one of my ultrsounds from the bacteria infection I was experiencing. The follow up ultrasound looked pretty good from what the technician told me. I should get results from Dr. Kennedy's office soon, but they said it looked like a normal "female" cyst and there shouldn't be any concerns!!

I was on my way to work this morning and I heard the new Point of Grace song, "It's How You Live." I had heard it several times before, but this time I listened to the words and of course, like any postpartum mom with all that we have going on, I cried. I wanted to share it - please try to actually listen to it online or somewhere - the words are wonderful, but the song is amazing. So, here are the words:

Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don't spend your life lookin' back

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
Cuz it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth '
Cause you can't get away
Just face it and you'll be okay

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E'en when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

Remember to Enjoy Life!! We can be such a shining example for God's grace!! Please pray for Kathryn!!

Kelly

First Family Photo

Dad holding Kathryn - a no hat picture!!

Mommy and Kathryn. She was a little fussy because we couldn't find the paci! But she settled right down and made real baby noises for at least 10 minutes!! The hat she is wearing was knitted by one of Kelly's grandmother's friends!

Mommy and the girls. It was the first time I held both of my girls!!

Our first family photo!! Maddie loved being in my lap with Kathryn there too and she loved getting to hold Kathryn's hand!!

Kelly

I can't believe that I forgot

Greg and I got a call on Sunday during Sunday school from Dr. White, the eye doctor. He was doing his weekly check on Kathryn and called to let us know that the ROP in the left eye is almost gone and that the ROP in the right eye is completely gone!!!!! Wow, what a blessing!!!

How could I have forgotten to share?? Can you still claim that the baby is sucking your brains out when she is already born?

Kelly

Day 106 - Wednesday, November 7

Kathryn had a stable night and day so far. She gained a little last night and is up to 3 pounds again. She is also seeming to enjoy the Enfamil. She is taking 26 ccs of Neocate and 4 ccs of Enfamil, plus 1 cc of microlipids to fatten her up!! So for right now, we are officially taking an ounce per feed!!

She seems to like the cannula and is much happier without a tube in her throat or a mask on her face. Other than these things, she is having a smooth ride right now!!

We also had another exciting event at our house last night. Maddie told Greg and I that she wants to save the rest of her nighttime pull-ups for Kathryn. So it was her idea, but she wanted to sleep in big girl panties last night to see if she could do it - and she DID!! So, hopefully, we are saying bye - bye to those things!! She has been needing to switch to panties at night for quite a while, but with everything at the hospital, it just wasn't a battle I wanted to fight yet. Seems to me that she wants Greg and I to know that she is growing up and totally becoming a big girl!! (Which of course makes me cry!!)

Please keep praying for Kathryn!! She is such a miracle!!

Kelly

Day 105 - Another new surprise and what a great one!!

Well, they switched Kathryn to a nasal cannula today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you feel the excitement??

How wonderful, she is breathing on her own and she is now requiring very little oxygen!! What an absolute miracle!!! They also tried her today on 26 ccs Neocate and 2 ccs of Enfamil. So that is an increase up to 28 ccs total (remember 30 ccs is an ounce!!). I think they are giving Enfamil a shot since we kept having issues when she was getting Similac. They don't know if this will help, but it's worth a shot!!

Here's a few pictures from today. Look close and you will see that she is only wearing a cannula!!

Please keep praying for Kathryn!

Kelly

Pictures

Day 104 - Monday November 5

So I think we have figured out why Kathryn has been a little feisty lately. Dr. Mena said that they have found some bleeding in the lining of her stomach which is causing her to have a little irritation. He thinks it is caused by either the steroids or the feeding tube, so they have started her on a baby version of Zantac. He thinks it is fixable, and he doesn't seem worried about her, but getting the Zantac going should help her relax!! We think that is part of the cause of not being able to advance feedings, her stagnant weight gain (she dropped to 2 lbs, 15 ozs last night), etc. Hopefully this can settle her down and get her started back on a great track!

She is back to full Neocate feedings until this settles down.

Today was one of those days where I felt the "Why Me" moments. I cried a lot today and I'm not even sure why, except exhaustion and worry. I keep trying to focus on the quote that God doesn't call the equipped, but he equips the called. I certainly don't feel equipped to do half the things we are going through right now, but I know that God will give us what we need when we need it!

Our support system through all of this has been amazing. Church friends, nurses, and coworkers have been wonderfully supportive. And of course family has been available at all hours to help pitch in, keep Maddie, and provide the strength we need to get through.

Please pray for Kathryn.

Kelly

Day 102 - Saturday, November 3

No big changes - Kathryn has been holding steady at between 3 pounds and 3 pounds, 2 ounces for a while now so they are trying to make some changes in her food. She is still doing well with the Cpap, but she is now evidently a little feisty fit-pitcher!! The unit has been closed most of the day so we haven't been to visit today, but will hopefully go tonight!!

Please pray for Kathryn!

Kelly

Day 100 - Thursday, November 1

We heard Kathryn cry tonight. She is very faint, but still a wonderful sound. She is doing great. Still hovering around 3 pounds, 2 ounces and still at 26 ccs of feed. She was up to 14 of Neocate and 12 of Similac Special Care, but she had a higher blood pressure read last night so they switched her back to full Neocate for a temporary time frame (we hope!!) They also took away the Sipap last night and she is on straight CPap which means that she is getting no additional breaths per minute from her machine. She is breathing completely on her own now with just a little additional pressure and oxygen. What a miracle!!

Maddie had her 4 year check up today and got two shots. She is up to 38 pounds and 41 inches. In both categories she is in the 75th percentile!! She wasn't terribly excited about the shots!!

Please continue to pray for Kathryn.

Kelly