Thursday, May 14, 2009

Eleven Weeks is a Long Time

As of 5:29 p.m. today, Andrea is celebrating 11 weeks of life. We are beyond thankful that she is here, and doing so well. However, the fact remains that eleven weeks is a long time to do anything, day in and day out, and for some reason it really hit me today. I find I'm completely losing track of what day of the week it is, since every day is exactly like every other. I always know the date, because I have to mark it on the vials of milk, but I usually can't tell you if it's Saturday or Thursday. If I have any clue at all, it's because I have to make sure Kenny has the right stuff for his "specials" at school. We continue to watch new babies come and go from NICU, and we're still holding court in Andrea's corner. Granted, I'm NOT complaining. We are so lucky that Andrea continues to progress. We are just longing for the day when we can have her home, and just visit our dedicated nurses, therapists and doctors once in a while.

Andrea gained more weight; she is now 1690 grams (3 pounds, 11.6 ounces). We're getting closer and closer to an open crib! Unfortunately, her thyroid screen came back abnormal again today, so we're waiting to hear what the endocrinologist recommends. Andrea is also going to be given Lasix, a diuretic, for three days. There is some concern that she still needs oxygen, and the Lasix will help remove fluid from her lungs, if that's what's causing the problem. We know it's also been a long time since Andrea had a transfusion, which may be contributing to her fluctuating oxygen levels. Her bone marrow is making blood cells at a good rate, but they mature very slowly, and she still looses more blood than she makes. The thyroid test alone is 4 ml of blood, and she only got 16 ml at her last transfusion. So, we won't be surprised if it happens sometime soon. However, Andrea will NOT be a happy camper to get blood... she can't be fed for 8 hours if she gets blood, and Andrea loves her food! I guarantee there will be much crying and complaining if she's denied two meals.

You can't see it in this picture, but Andrea is wearing real pajamas. They have feeties and everything. It was very cute to watch her in them. She's not used to having her feet and legs covered, and she kept trying to kick her feet free. I have to say, she's too cute for words in her PJs.

Thank you for getting us to 11 weeks. Ken has been a work horse, going to work (because someone has to pay the bills), doing the lion's share of housework, helping care for the boys, and still getting to the hospital as often as he can. So many people have reached out and helped, often just doing what needs to be done, without waiting to be asked. Our neighbor across the street mowed our lawn! Many of you have been feeding us for weeks, and keeping the boys busy. We are blessed in Andrea's good health, and blessed in our friends and family. Please continue to remember Andrea in your prayers, and pray that her lungs will grow strong and she can get rid of the oxygen.

“No matter how difficult the challenge, when we spread our wings of faith and allow the winds of God's spirit to lift us, no obstacle is too great to overcome.”
Roy Lessin


1 comment:

  1. It's been so wonderful to read all the amazing progress Andrea's been making! The NICU really is such a roller coaster of HIGH's and LOW's! It's awesome to read she's had so many more high's! We love to see the pics of her looking fuller in her cheeks! The bottle feeding is so precious! We can't believe she is taking a bottle that quickly! Being NICU Parents for too many months we can say from experience how really amazing that is! WOW! What a gift! Seriously...
    So glad she is able to wear some PJ's now... Please do share what she can wear as I'm sure we're not the only ones perusing those preemie racks and wonering what's ok to pick up for your precious girl! It's always so dependent on the Unit and on the patient's situation!
    Thanks so much for your consistent updates so we can all be supportive of you guys!
    With much love and prayer,
    Deb & Scott

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