Rory got to start eating again today!
Her first feeding was at 4:30 this evening and so far so good. We are starting at 5ml again and will see if she can tolerate it and then hopefully move forward. Please pray that she can tolerate the milk!!! This time around she is actively taking the bottle which is huge progress since a few days ago. She has been acting very hungry lately so it is really great news that she can beginning eating again! It will make her cramp and be uncomfortable for a while until her system really figures out how to process so please pray for her on that issue as well.
Overall we are so pleased with her progress and we are just trying to be patient. Thank you for your prayers!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Saturday
Today was pretty mellow over all.
We are still taking a break from feedings and letting Rory rest, hopefully we can start back up tomorrow. She had a good day and did not throw up at all which is a good sign she might be ready to eat. She is definitely acting hungry and she is now taking her binkie which will help when we get to start feeding her again.
Thank you for your prayers!
We are still taking a break from feedings and letting Rory rest, hopefully we can start back up tomorrow. She had a good day and did not throw up at all which is a good sign she might be ready to eat. She is definitely acting hungry and she is now taking her binkie which will help when we get to start feeding her again.
Thank you for your prayers!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday
Rory is taking a break from eating for about 3 days and then we will try again. Since she got so sick last night the doctors (and I) don't want to push her too hard too fast. We will give her a few days and then try again. Until then we are trying to get her to learn to suck on her binkie so she can do better with the bottle when she starts feeding again.The doctors ran some tests on her kidneys today because things looked a little off but so far the tests are coming up okay. They will continue to watch for red flags just to be sure.
Other than that it was a pretty mellow day. She cramps up quite a bit since things are moving through her system so we spend most of the day rocking her and keeping a hot pack on her little tummy.
Thank you for your prayers!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thursday Update
Today was a good and bad day.
Rory started eating today, starting at 5ml of breast milk every 3 hours. She took 3 feeds and did well and on the 4th feed she threw up to the point of choking on her own vomit. I felt so bad for her but she seemed much more comfortable afterwards. We will let her determine her feeding schedule through the night and re-evaluate in the morning.
Also she really struggled with knowing how to feed...she would not suck so we had to let the milk drip into her mouth and then she would swallow it. Each feeding was such a small amount that we just measured out 5ml with a syringe and then put in into a bottle nipple (no bottle attached). Please pray that she can figure out the technique soon so she can move forward with her feedings...we really don't want to have to use a feeding tube!
Another positive thing that happened today is that she graduated up to a "big girl bed" :-)...there are a few pictures below.
If you could also please pray for the other families here at the NICU I would appreciate it. Today was a bit of a rough day up here...a baby died today in the pod next to ours. Also we are now sharing a pod with another gastroschisis baby that has been here for over 3 months. Thank you again for your prayers, we need them and appreciate them!!!
Rory started eating today, starting at 5ml of breast milk every 3 hours. She took 3 feeds and did well and on the 4th feed she threw up to the point of choking on her own vomit. I felt so bad for her but she seemed much more comfortable afterwards. We will let her determine her feeding schedule through the night and re-evaluate in the morning.
Also she really struggled with knowing how to feed...she would not suck so we had to let the milk drip into her mouth and then she would swallow it. Each feeding was such a small amount that we just measured out 5ml with a syringe and then put in into a bottle nipple (no bottle attached). Please pray that she can figure out the technique soon so she can move forward with her feedings...we really don't want to have to use a feeding tube!
Another positive thing that happened today is that she graduated up to a "big girl bed" :-)...there are a few pictures below.
If you could also please pray for the other families here at the NICU I would appreciate it. Today was a bit of a rough day up here...a baby died today in the pod next to ours. Also we are now sharing a pod with another gastroschisis baby that has been here for over 3 months. Thank you again for your prayers, we need them and appreciate them!!!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Prayer request...
Rory might get to start eating tomorrow so if you could please pray that she can tolerate the feeds I would REALLY appreciate it!!! (When she does finally get to start eating we will most likely start with about 5ml and go from there.)
I will keep you posted!
I will keep you posted!
Photo therapy & other news...
Rory had to start photo therapy for jaundice on Tuesday. Hopefully she will respond well to the treatment and her levels will drop quickly so she can come off the lights. She doesn't seem to mind too much but it makes it difficult to hold her.
The great news from yesterday is that they removed the tube from her nose that was draining her stomach. The tube was so large that she was constantly gagging and extremely uncomfortable. As soon as it came out we saw a major drop in her resting heart rate which was nice to see. She did throw up small amounts twice yesterday after the tube was removed but overall she seems to be handling it well.
Her PIC line (the line that goes through her arm to her heart) was beginning to come out a bit so they had to redo the entry location dressing. They had to put her arm in a little wrist restraint and she was not a happy camper but they got the line securely placed which is a good thing.
As of now her main discomfort is due to hunger pains and gas/tummy pains. We can help her with her tummy pains by putting a little heating pack on her stomach but I am VERY anxious to be able to finally feed her so she won't be in so much discomfort from being hungry. It is so hard to know your baby is hungry and not be able to feed her!
Thank you for your prayers!!!
The great news from yesterday is that they removed the tube from her nose that was draining her stomach. The tube was so large that she was constantly gagging and extremely uncomfortable. As soon as it came out we saw a major drop in her resting heart rate which was nice to see. She did throw up small amounts twice yesterday after the tube was removed but overall she seems to be handling it well.
Her PIC line (the line that goes through her arm to her heart) was beginning to come out a bit so they had to redo the entry location dressing. They had to put her arm in a little wrist restraint and she was not a happy camper but they got the line securely placed which is a good thing.
As of now her main discomfort is due to hunger pains and gas/tummy pains. We can help her with her tummy pains by putting a little heating pack on her stomach but I am VERY anxious to be able to finally feed her so she won't be in so much discomfort from being hungry. It is so hard to know your baby is hungry and not be able to feed her!
Thank you for your prayers!!!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Pictures!
Holding on to her binkie :)
The whole family!
Her cheeks are so red from the tubes being taped to her face and then being removed so many times.
Rory's first echo
Cuddling up to Dad
Davis cruising around the hospital!(He is saying "cheese" for the camera)
Day of life 6...
I have to apologize for the delay in my update, things have been a bit hectic around here! The Ronald McDonald house was full when I was discharged from the hospital so Brian and I finally got checked into the house last night so now I have a place to get on my computer again :)
Anyway here are the latest updates on Rory...
(pictures will come later tonight, I forgot my camera up at the NICU!)
* Her bladder is working great so the catheter is gone! Yay!
* She had SEVERAL poopy diapers so that is a huge step in the right direction!
* The tube that goes down to drain her stomach is still pulling out a decent amount of stuff so the nurse had to put in a larger tube. This is making her pretty uncomfortable and making her gag quite a bit. Both her and I will be happy when it comes out!!!
* They are hearing tummy sounds which is a great sign but it also means she is getting uncomfortable because things are starting to work. We have been putting heating pads on her tummy to help with the discomfort.
* She is getting hungry but we can't feed her yet...this is one of the toughest things for me to deal with right now. It is even difficult for me to hold her right now because she gets frustrated.
* The surgeons removed her surgery bandage and her belly looks good. She was not a happy camper when the bandage came off though.
* She has not had any more breathing troubles since the one scare.
* Her swelling is finally going down!
* She had her echo and her heart looks great! The doctors were checking to make sure I didn't pass on my heart defects to her.
* Davis is very excited about "Baby Ree-Ree" and likes to blow her kisses when he comes to visit her :)
* Now we are just waiting and trying to be patient, the average length of stay for gastroschisis babies is about 6 weeks or longer.
I will try to be better about updates now that we are settled at the house. If you could please pray for Rory to be able to rest comfortably I would really appreciate it, it is hard for a mom to watch her child hurt and not be able to help! Thank you again for all your prayers and support, we truly appreciate it!!!
Anyway here are the latest updates on Rory...
(pictures will come later tonight, I forgot my camera up at the NICU!)
* Her bladder is working great so the catheter is gone! Yay!
* She had SEVERAL poopy diapers so that is a huge step in the right direction!
* The tube that goes down to drain her stomach is still pulling out a decent amount of stuff so the nurse had to put in a larger tube. This is making her pretty uncomfortable and making her gag quite a bit. Both her and I will be happy when it comes out!!!
* They are hearing tummy sounds which is a great sign but it also means she is getting uncomfortable because things are starting to work. We have been putting heating pads on her tummy to help with the discomfort.
* She is getting hungry but we can't feed her yet...this is one of the toughest things for me to deal with right now. It is even difficult for me to hold her right now because she gets frustrated.
* The surgeons removed her surgery bandage and her belly looks good. She was not a happy camper when the bandage came off though.
* She has not had any more breathing troubles since the one scare.
* Her swelling is finally going down!
* She had her echo and her heart looks great! The doctors were checking to make sure I didn't pass on my heart defects to her.
* Davis is very excited about "Baby Ree-Ree" and likes to blow her kisses when he comes to visit her :)
* Now we are just waiting and trying to be patient, the average length of stay for gastroschisis babies is about 6 weeks or longer.
I will try to be better about updates now that we are settled at the house. If you could please pray for Rory to be able to rest comfortably I would really appreciate it, it is hard for a mom to watch her child hurt and not be able to help! Thank you again for all your prayers and support, we truly appreciate it!!!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Life in the NICU- Day 1
Rory's first full day of life had good moments and few not so good ones too. Here are a few updates on her condition:
* Surgery went very well and everything fit back in with minimal swelling...she finished surgery at 12:30am.
* The ventilator came out in the morning.
* When Brian and I were with her in the early afternoon she stopped breathing and turned purple. She would not respond or cry when the nurse tried to get her going again and finally they used the oxygen bag. It was hard to watch but it made me thankful for such wonderful nurses. The doctors think this was a side effect from her surgery anesthesia and possibly pain level. They watched her closely and had her on oxygen (through her nose) as well. We also started her on a regular dose of Tylenol to relieve some discomfort.
* Her bladder does not seem to be working so they put in a catheter to relieve the extra pressure. The hope is that her bladder starts working after pressure and swelling from her intestines goes down...it is a lot of adjusting for just a tiny body!
* In the middle of the night she ripped our her oxygen tubes. Since she has been breathing well we left the tubes out. The nurse said she is "feisty" :-)
* The nurse had to give her Morphine at around 4am this morning because she seemed uncomfortable. She responded well and is resting and breathing good.
* Because she cannot process/pass anything yet she might become jaundice so they will continue to check her blood. Please pray that she wont have to be put under the lights because then she cannot be swaddled which is something that helps keep her comfortable.
That pretty much wraps up her first full day in the NICU. She is doing well but we have a long road ahead of us. Thank you so much for your prayers for little Rory!
I will post pictures later today :-)
PS- I'm doing well and will be discharged from the hospital later today. The plan is to begin our stay at the Ronald McDonald house if there is a room available for us.
* Surgery went very well and everything fit back in with minimal swelling...she finished surgery at 12:30am.
* The ventilator came out in the morning.
* When Brian and I were with her in the early afternoon she stopped breathing and turned purple. She would not respond or cry when the nurse tried to get her going again and finally they used the oxygen bag. It was hard to watch but it made me thankful for such wonderful nurses. The doctors think this was a side effect from her surgery anesthesia and possibly pain level. They watched her closely and had her on oxygen (through her nose) as well. We also started her on a regular dose of Tylenol to relieve some discomfort.
* We moved her drainage tube out of her mouth to her nose. I asked them to do this to help her breath easier if there is any swelling from the ventilator. She seems MUCH more comfortable.
* Brian was able to hold her for the first time last night!
* Once the surgery meds began to wear off she open her eyes and looked around for the first time last night...It was nice to see her do that.
* Her bladder does not seem to be working so they put in a catheter to relieve the extra pressure. The hope is that her bladder starts working after pressure and swelling from her intestines goes down...it is a lot of adjusting for just a tiny body!
* In the middle of the night she ripped our her oxygen tubes. Since she has been breathing well we left the tubes out. The nurse said she is "feisty" :-)
* The nurse had to give her Morphine at around 4am this morning because she seemed uncomfortable. She responded well and is resting and breathing good.
* Because she cannot process/pass anything yet she might become jaundice so they will continue to check her blood. Please pray that she wont have to be put under the lights because then she cannot be swaddled which is something that helps keep her comfortable.
That pretty much wraps up her first full day in the NICU. She is doing well but we have a long road ahead of us. Thank you so much for your prayers for little Rory!
I will post pictures later today :-)
PS- I'm doing well and will be discharged from the hospital later today. The plan is to begin our stay at the Ronald McDonald house if there is a room available for us.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Meet Miss Rory
Good morning,
I'm so sorry I didn't get the chance to post last night! Rory Elizabeth Glaser arrived at 6:16pm on Wednesday, July 20th! She weighed in at 5lbs. 9oz. and everything went beautifully with her delivery! Because all the doctors and nurses knew us this time around they even let me hold her before they took her to the operating room!!!
She finally started surgery at 10:30pm and we received the call from the surgeon at 12:30am that everything went perfect! Her intestines fit easily back into her body so they were able to complete a primary closure. The surgeon said that because things went smoothly she shouldn't have too much of a difficult time breathing from the new added pressure in her body from her intestines.
We went to see her first thing this morning now that she is settled back in the NICU and her nurse informed us that she had a good night. She has remained stable and her abdomen does not appear to be very swollen. They even mentioned the possibility that the ventilator may come out TODAY!!! Once it comes out we can hold her :-)
Thank you SO much for all your prayers! We are so thrilled to have our little girl finally her and now we can start the process to get her healthy and home!
I will continue to post new information as we get it and of course I will post pictures as well :-)
Getting to hold her right after she was born!
(She was wrapped in a plastic sack up to her armpits to keep her intestines safe, warm and to keep them from drying out before she has her surgery. She is also wrapped in several heated blankets to keep her little body warm.)
Holding Dad's hand while she is prepped for surgery!
Davis and Dad excited about meeting Rory! Davis even danced :-)
Our first family photo as Baby "Ree-Ree" is wheeled away to the operating room.
After Surgery in the NICU
Resting comfortably after a busy night. Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Progressing...
I'm having contractions about 2 minutes a part, so we are making progress :-)
(@10:45am)
Getting ready for Rory...
At midnight doctors switched my medication over to a low dose of pitocin through my IV. At 6:30 this morning they upped my dosage to get things really going to plan for Rory to arrive this afternoon. They will increase the dose every 30 minutes.
Thanks for your prayers!
Thanks for your prayers!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Update
Right now it is 2pm on Tuesday and I was given medication to induce labor at about noon. The plan is to take things slow and have Rory arrive tomorrow in the early afternoon sometime. They would like her to arrive during the day time due to all of the doctors involved in our situation.
Thank you for your prayers, I will continue to keep updating the blog as much as possible :)
Thank you for your prayers, I will continue to keep updating the blog as much as possible :)
Getting started...
We are at OHSU hooked up and waiting for things to get started. I will keep everyone as updated as I can today!
Thank you for your prayers!
Thank you for your prayers!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday!
We are set to meet Rory on Tuesday, July 19th! I will take the laptop with us and plan to keep everyone updated as much as I can.
Thank you for your prayers!!!
Thank you for your prayers!!!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Almost there!
I'm sorry I have not being good about posting lately, that is one of the side effects of having a busy toddler!
So here is where we are at with Rory....
Things have remained the same so we are preparing to set a date for the induction sometime next week. We will set the official date at this Thursday's appointment so as soon as I know I will get that information posted...we need all the prayer we can get!!! I have been going in for testing twice a week so we are keeping a close eye on her.
I will try to be better about posting information now that we are in the home stretch and I will continue to post once she arrives so you can follow her progress :-)
Thank you for your prayers for our family, we really appreciate all your support!!!
So here is where we are at with Rory....
Things have remained the same so we are preparing to set a date for the induction sometime next week. We will set the official date at this Thursday's appointment so as soon as I know I will get that information posted...we need all the prayer we can get!!! I have been going in for testing twice a week so we are keeping a close eye on her.
I will try to be better about posting information now that we are in the home stretch and I will continue to post once she arrives so you can follow her progress :-)
Thank you for your prayers for our family, we really appreciate all your support!!!
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