Tuesday, January 29, 2013

January 29

Little "Thumbelina" is doing so good this week. She's had lots of visitors. Elsie is up to 10 ml of breast milk every 3 hours. The milk is supplemented with fats, vitamins, and minerals; similar to the "food" that she was previously getting through her IV, only now they add it to the milk instead of giving it through an IV. And she's now back up to her birth weight, which was 570 grams.

Elsie was taken off the oscillator Sunday night and put on a lesser powered ventilator. She can practice breathing on her own, but the ventilator is there to help her if she gets tired or forgets to breathe. Doncha just hate it when you forget to breathe? This is an attempt to help build up her lungs instead of giving her steroids. It is still likely that she will eventually get steroids, but the dr wanted to try this ventilator first.

The stitches from her heart surgery were removed on Sunday, and her wound is healing nicely.

I know there were other things that I wanted to say, but my brain is failing me right now. So I'll post some pictures instead.

Here she is feeling the CO2 monitor, trying to figure out what it is :)

Open eyes!

I love this picture because you can see how tiny she is compared to the nurse's hand.

Thank you all again and again for all of your prayers and support. Our journey would be so much harder to bear if we didn't have all of you.
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10 comments:

  1. SarahJanuary 29, 2013 at 9:27 PM

    You have no idea who I am but my 8 year old son, Kai, came across your blog from Heather Sagers Lichfield (we were friends in HS). He has been praying for Sweet Elsie DAILY and asking me to keep checking on her. He has even been keeping track of the stats you give in a notebook. We just wanted to say how happy we are she is doing so well! You are all in our prayers, especially Elsie. Thank you for sharing her with us!

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    1. Ruth SagersJanuary 29, 2013 at 10:01 PM

      Heather just told me about you and your cute little boy, what a sweetie he must be! I'm so touched! Thanks so much for you support & prayers. Hugs to Kai from us!

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    2. SheleneJanuary 30, 2013 at 8:55 AM

      AND Sarah knows me too!!!

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    3. SarahJanuary 30, 2013 at 8:44 PM

      I do Shelene! One big happy family!!

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  2. Linda WestoverJanuary 29, 2013 at 9:46 PM

    Oh Ruthie, I absolutely love love love the picture of her with her eyes open, and feeling the CO2 monitor, it made me giggle.. I am so glad that she is doing so well. That breathing is some tricky business. I am glad that they are holding off on the steroids for now. What a little fighter! Brenda (on Mom's computer)

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  3. Christine and Barry EvansJanuary 30, 2013 at 6:04 AM

    So can you hold her now!?!?!? Snuggle up with that baby if possible, that is a great day when they take her off that jet ventilator!
    Ask about kangaroo care too, it's where you hold her skin to skin, they will let you borrow one of those lovely hospital gowns and provide a curtain for privacy. I found it a bit awkward (I'm super modest) but it was so comforting and bonding :-)
    Continued blessings for you all! She is doing super awesome!!

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    1. Ruth SagersJanuary 30, 2013 at 10:10 AM

      Ummm . . . if I can hold her now, they haven't told me about it! She's still got a breathing tube. And yeah I've heard about kangaroo care and I can't wait.

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    2. Christine and Barry EvansJanuary 30, 2013 at 1:30 PM

      If she is just on the conventional vent then ya you can totally hold her. Some nurses may not like it because it is a lot of work to move her but if they get the respiratory therapist in there she will be just fine. That is the very first time I could hold Camryn was when they swapped vents. They barely even let me touch her before that.

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  4. Trent and Brooke StarrJanuary 30, 2013 at 9:08 AM

    Love the pictures! She is just so sweet! So glad she is doing so well...what a little miracle! :)

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  5. LesaJanuary 30, 2013 at 11:54 AM

    Ruth, Thanks for the updates. Please know that Baby Elsie is in my thoughts and prayers along with you and Clinton. She is so cute!!!

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