May 30, 2011

My Boys . . . aren't they the cutest? What a happy baby . . .
Blue Eyes . . .

A little perspective . . .

Today was a busy day at the NICU. I spent the bulk of the day with Peter, which means I had to pump while I was there . . . I know this is probably too much information for many of you . . . however, I had no idea how different this process would be with my baby right next to me . . . that's all I will say about that! Both Brad and I changed diapers (he got the pleasure of the poopy diaper). He didn't mind as we had been waiting for this occurrence . . . VICTORY! This morning during rounds, the Nurse Practitioner mentioned that Peter is having some trouble with "residual" food in his tummy. She said we may need to practice some patience during the breastmilk introduction phase. Before Peter is given a new batch of breast milk, the contents of his stomach are suctioned out (this sounds much worse than it actually is . . . he doesn't feel a thing). The goal is for nothing (or a small amount of breastmilk) to come out. For the past two days, Peter has had some yucky residual gunk come out. For this reason, he has not been given quite as much milk. He is tolerating the milk, it just isn't moving through his system as quickly as it should. After the conversation about patience with the NP, Peter had two successful, full feedings with no residual yuck . . . please pray that he will continue to move the breastmilk through his system . . . the motto of the NICU is "you have to eat your way out" . . . so, we want Peter to be able to have full breastmilk with no supplementation as soon as possible.

In other news . . . Peter's "flow" (the room air given to him through the nasal canula) has been reduced to 3% (down from 5% since his ventilator was removed). This is excellent progress and we are hoping he will have no problems with the reduction and can continue to be weaned off air altogether (we are thankful that he hasn't needed oxygen for a while now). We are also now down to 35% humidity in the isolette . . . we will be able to hold our little jelly bean any day now . . . we can't wait.

May 29, 2011

Happy Birthday Peter . . . you are one week old today . . . you've grown so much in this short week . . . and changed our life forever . . . we love you so much . . .

Yesterday was our first day home from the hospital. It was hard to leave Peter there, but we know he is in the absolute best hands. We spent most of the day at the hospital and went back around 9:00 at night to say goodnight to our sweet little boy. It was a long day and we both slept through the night when we got home (for the first time in 10 days).

Peter had a head ultrasound and we were overjoyed to find out that the ultrasound was negative which means there are no "bleeds" in Peter's brain. We also found out that Peter will be off humidity by Tuesday of the coming week. As soon as Peter is off humidity we can start kangaroo care. All preemies of Peter's size have humidity (Starting at 85%) piped into their isolettes for the first ten days. He is down to 50% today and once he is at 30%, the humidity is turned off. We are so excited about this . . . kangaroo care is where the parents hold their little ones skin on skin. This type of interaction is one of the most beneficial things that can be done for a preemie (and I think it might help out mom and dad, too!)

Yesterday, Peter got to meet his Aunt Whitney for the first time. We were certainly happy to have Whitney visit. She held up one of Bennett's diapers to one of Peter's. . . . I'll have to take a picture next time they are here. . . . the difference in size is unreal.
I spent several hours with Peter today. His nurses are getting used to me and some of them let me help complete his assessments. I am becoming a pro at temperature taking (under the armpit is the most accurate - who knew) and diaper changes. Peter likes to be cuddled and we spent alot of time today doing just that. His eyes were wide open and we just gazed at each other for the longest time while I "bounced" him. We put one hand on top of Peter's head. We curl up his legs and put the other hand under his bottom. Once we get him situated, we gently bounce his bottom half up and down. This motion simulates the motion he would feel while I was walking when he was in the womb. It always calms him immediately if he is agitated and he just melts otherwise.
Peter is up to 4ml of breastmilk every 3 hours. He is having a little trouble in the elimination area which is causing him to not digest all the milk. His nurse is fairly certain he has a little natural blockage and that once it "passes" everything will go smoothly. He has been eliminating which means there aren't any problems . . . maybe I should start eating more fiber!

Photo Update

We are finally home and so I am doing one large photo update . . . we'll be able to keep you updated with pictures more easily from this point on . . . Dr Scholtens and his wife (Brad couldn't find a stethoscope so substituted fetal heart and contraction monitors)
Right before we left for the delivery/operating room


Welcome to the world, Peter Bradley

We think he really looks like Uncle Ron in this one :)

The first night in the NICU (on the ventilator, not under the bili lights yet)

Adorable toes, under the lights

Hi Mommy

Daddy knows just how to calm me down

Snug as a Bug

May 28, 2011

First off, some selfish news...I am being discharged from the hospital today. After nine days here, I was sure I would be anxious to leave...however, now that the day has finally arrived, both Brad and I are hesitant to leave...it is so easy to go up and see Peter whenever we want...

Now, for yesterday's exciting news...there's so much...where to start? I guess the first monumental milestone was that Peter pooped...now, all you parents of full term babies may think...why is that so exciting? Well, for us, it means that Peter is processing the food he is getting in an "effective" manner...in addition, Brad and I changed the first of thousands of diapers yesterday...his diapers are soooo small...it is amazing that there is a diaper that fits these little guys, but as Brad says...babies are a billion dollar industry, they have thought of everything. Because of his elimination success, the breastmilk Peter is getting has been increased to 3mls every three hours. Peter's weight is now up to 2 lbs, 12 oz. This is significant progress as most all babies lose at least 10% of their body weight in the first week of life...not our little moose!

As for the PICC line, we are still not having success. Today a surgeon is going to do a cut down (a tiny incision where they pull the vein up to the surface to insert the line) We wished Peter did not have to go through this, but he won't be able to pull this line out. He will hopefully only need the PICC for a little while as it is just for nutrition and soon he will be breast feeding

We did get some encouraging news from both our favorite nurse and Dr Thurin yesterday. They both commented that at this point, Peter is healthy and stable...he just needs to grow. He is in the best scenario a preemie can have for being in the NICU.

May 27, 2011

Good Morning from Covenant Hospital...that's right...I am still "in house"...the doctor's cannot seem to get my blood pressure under control...I am feeling great, so my stay here is beginning to get a little frustrating...we are looking at this time as an excuse to be closer to Peter and that gets me through the day.

Peter had another exciting day yesterday...not only does he no longer require the bili light, but he was extubated as well...that's right...no more ventilator! He is quite happy to no longer have the tube in his throat. Last night when we went up for a visit we finally got to hear the sweetest sound a new mom and dad can hear...Peter crying...up to this point he has been unable to make any noise as the et tube was resting on his vocal chords. We both got a good amount of cuddle time with him and I even got to help re-decorate his nest with new bedding. Peter likes to be snuggled up so we swaddle him snug as a bug.

We are so proud of our feisty little boy. We know there will be as many not so great days as there are good days, like yesterday, but just touching his little head or cuddling his little body make it all worth it.

On a quick note...the nurse practitioner tried to insert a PIC line for Peter again yesterday with no luck...we would appreciate your prayers for a successful insertion today. He gets a tiny dose of anesthesia to calm him before the procedure so he isn't in pain, but we still want him to be past the insertion so he can get all the nutrients he needs. He is still tolerating the breastmilk they are giving him and may be able to start breastfeeding sometime next week. This is an ambitious goal, but one we are confident he can attain.

No More Blue Boy

Just a quick note to say that Peter no longer requires the blue bilirubin light. What a joy it is to always see his face (that's not to say that his bili sunglasses weren't kind of cute)

I got to cuddle him for a while this morning. He is in his isolette, but we can reach in and snuggle him. His skin is so soft!

May 26, 2011

Last night we got to help with Peter's assessment again. He has gained a little bit of weight! This could be a result of some fluid retention, but a gain is significantly better than a loss. Peter's color is starting to even out a bit. He still gets angry red when he is upset, but don't we all?

Peter was supposed to have a PIC line inserted yesterday, but the nurse practitioner couldn't get the line to hold (a larger iv line that is inserted into the main artery). Peter has a bit of trouble maintaining his blood sugars. His doctor wants to use a PIC line so they can infuse a higher volume of glucose into his system. He is getting the maximum he can receive through a standard iv. The PIC line will also reduce the need for any other ivs. This will be beneficial because someone likes to pull on all his wires and tubes... I'm not mentioning any names...

Peter still has the ventilator, but his nurse is hopeful that it will be removed before the week is over. He is still just using the ventilator as a breathing reminder as he is not receiving any additional oxygen therapy.

Oh, I almost forgot... drum roll, please...Peter is officially receiving breastmilk...and more importantly, his system is tolerating it! He is receiving 1cc per hour every three hours. The milk is given through a little temporary feeding tube. I am breaking up every portion of milk into one small bottle (10cc) and the remainder goes in a larger bottle for the freezer.

We are going to work on getting some pictures downloaded this weekend...he's so cute...he has lots of hair and a sweet, squishy little face...he is just our pure love...

We Have Beads!!!!!!!

One of the ways progress is tracked in the NICU is through the use of little beads. Each bead denotes a milestone the baby has reached...up until this morning, Peter didn't have any beads...when we arrived for our visit this morning he had several (most of which he was born qualified for-but we'll still celebrate them).

WAY TO GO LITTLE MAN!!!!!

May 25, 2011

It was a late night here at the hospital last night. One of Peter's nurses clued us in that she would be doing an assessment on him around 11:30. So, we could not miss the chance to spend time with our little pumpkin sans all the tubes, wires and coverings. I got to see our Peter's eyes for the first time. He is just absolutely perfect! He has a ton of hair for being so little and he is super feisty, always trying to pull on or play with one of his wires. He got upset at one point so Brad was able to wrap his hands around him for comfort. That worked immediately and he calmed right down. When Brad tried to pull his hand back, Peter wasn't ready and grabbed him...made us both melt. We have been able to give him some swabs of breastmilk everyday and he really seems to get a great deal of satisfaction from the familiar taste.

In more medical notes...Peter did require to be put back on the ventilator. He required more surfactant for his lungs (as he was working too hard to breathe). The only way to administer the drug is through the vent. At this point, the ventilator is not providing any oxygen, it is just reminding him to breathe. They are giving him 40 breaths per minute, but he is typically taking twice that. The ventilator is being used as a comfort measure at this point and will probably come out today. Peter did have some issues with the medicine he was given to help close his heart vessel. This is not uncommon and they will resume treatment today.

We are hopeful that I will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow afternoon.

May 24, 2011

This morning as I sit in my hospital bed, I am thinking about just how much I want to hold our little guy close and give him all the love and snuggles I can. I cannot wait to just hold his little hand (which looks just like his Daddy's).

It was a rather emotional evening here as our unit (which was empty) is now full of chubby healthy babies and their new parents.

Peter is being constantly monitored by an outstanding medical staff. Yesterday, he had an echocardiogram to check to see that one of his heart vessels was closing on its own. This is a common problem for preemies. The vessel remains wide open, so he started a three day course of medication to encourage closure. This is VERY common. He will have another test today to see if he needs all the medication or just the one dose.

I am finally feeling a little more like myself (my body is very sore, but my head has cleared from all the meds). We spent some time yesterday talking with one of Peter's nurses, Lynn. She patiently explained all the wires, tubes and monitors to us. I feel a little more in the loop about his care now.

For those of you wondering...I will hopefully be discharged from the hospital on Thursday. I will be sleeping at home, but spending as much time with Peter as possible. Brad will be checking in at work regularly, but will also be at the hospital much of the time. He loves to give Peter little swabs of breastmilk (and Peter relishes those moments as well - which is evidenced by his obviously aggressive sucking)

May 22, 2011

Welcome to the World, Peter Bradley Scholtens

Peter was born Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 12:25 pm. He arrived 10 weeks earlier than expected and will be spending several weeks in the very capable hands of his doctor's at Covenant Hospital.

Peter's prognosis is good at this point. He is a tiny little peanut, weighing in at 2 lbs, 9.9 oz. He has already been removed from the ventilator and a breathing tube. The doctor's do have him still using a c-pap breathing apparatus, but with only 22% oxygen. Peter is feisty and all the nurses say he is of good size and looks healthy for his small stature.

I will be in the hospital until at least Thursday and then spending most of of my days here until our little monster comes home.

We appreciate all the support and prayers from our many family and friends and will keep you posted to the best of our ability.

May 19, 2011

This morning we eagerly headed out to our 30 week growth scan in anticipation of some fun new 3d photos of our little one. After several minutes of viewing by the maternal fetal medicine specialist it was decided that the time has come to deliver the baby...which for those of you who do not know the gender is a boy!

Anyway, back to the important stuff...we have been at the hospital in Saginaw (as they have an excellent NICU) since Friday night. Friday and Saturday were spent in a great deal of discomfort as I was given a magnesium sulfate drip (for neural function) and steroid shots for respiratory function. We want this little guy to have as much help as possible.

This morning it has been decided that we will be welcoming the newest Scholtens to the world around noon. We were encouraged to hear that the little monster has flipped over to a head down position. This means delivery will be a little easier and less traumatic for him.

We will try to post pictures as soon as possible...please keep us all in your prayers!

Watseka Baby Shower

Saturday, May 14th . . . the ladies of Watseka, IL (and Chicago and Middleton, WI) held a shower in honor of the upcoming arrival of Muffin.
The theme of the day was "Will it be a boy or a girl?" The ladies were asked to wear bue of pink to cast their vote . . . After we had a lovely brunch of egg casserole, monkey bread (a particular favorite of both Momma and Baby), fruit kebabs and sherbet punch, we cut the cake to reveal the baby's gender (not going to share that here quite yet). We were blessed with many lovely presents. One particularly special present was the quilt made by Grandma Flesher. She started the quilt 35 years ago for me, but wasn't able to finish when I unexpectedly arrived 4 weeks early . . . she added those original squares (plus a few more) and finished the quilt for Muffin. There is a cool little inset picture on the back of her making the quilt. . . . what a treasure . . . After we opened all the gifts, each person designed a special onesie . . . precious!
A truly fun day was had by all. We are so blessed to have wonderful friends to help us celebrate the impending arrival of this little monster.

May 9, 2011

Here are some new pictures of our little muffin . . . more to follow next week . . .