NICU Journey Update

**my notes from the NICU

Friday 11/28

Calvin got put on a nasal cannula through the night and is receiving free flowing air to make him more comfortable and keep his lungs open. We got moved to a private room 4-141

I was discharged.

Lindsay and AJ Stedford brought us dinner and visited for a bit!

Saturday 11/29

 Calvin is being fed through his feeding tube and is receiving free flowing air through his nasal canula- He is in an isolate

Kerry came in the morning with eggs and sausage for breakfast

Nana, Papa and Auntie Kyla brought Christian over around 10:30 to visit- C opened his present from Kyla which was a big brother shirt and a Sarge car. He asked over and over what Calvin was doing, what he was dreaming  about and kept wanting to peek inside the isolate.

Calvin was taken off the nasal canula- they think his congestion is from small nasal passages and being smushed inside my uterus- he sneezes a bit

I got to do kangaroo care with Calvin during his 12:00 feeding and then he was put under the bilirubin lights

Kerry brought Christian over after naptime to have pizza for dinner and watch Alvin and the Chipmunks

During his 9:30 feeding I got to hold Calvin again and try to nurse- he took one suck and fell asleep J  Calvin weighed 4 lbs tonight

First Visit

I was able to go up yesterday evening to see Calvin for the first time since the operating room that morning. I was so thankful that I felt well enough to be wheel chaired up to his room because I had been so sick after having Christian. We got up there and was able to look and touch but not hold him quiet yet. Robin, Tom and Jen brought Christian over to meet his brother, see Mommy and Daddy and say "hi".  Tracy and Sheryl also came and visited Calvin that evening. My visit was brief as my nurse called me down and ordered me straight back to bed :)

Calvin's Birth Story- First Few Hours

My first thought when I saw Calvin was that he looked so incredibly small! And I was so thankful to hear him cry. After delivery, Calvin was taken immediately to the NICU and Kerry went with him. Unfortunately, we knew this drill! But I am so glad we did because we already had it set in place that my mom would stay with me in the OR while Kerry said with Calvin. He had low blood sugars at 16 so was started on IV. Throughout the day they continued to improve from 16 to 39 to well into the 40s which was a great sign. I am so thankful for the two doses of steroid shots that I got which helped develop his lungs. Kerry would call and text to keep me updated as I recovered in my room. My dad came around 9:45 so we had the "Original Four" as we like to call ourselves all together- My mom, dad, sister and I. I had the best support team. :) My blood pressure was maintaining fairly well so I didn't have to go on magnesium. I was so glad about this because it made me so sick with Christian. I was able to try pumping around 11:30 before getting wheeled up to see Calvin for the first time since the delivery room.

I am so thankful for how I see God's hand in his protection of Calvin. I was admitted to the hospital for high blood pressure and now am so thankful I was so that they were able to monitor and see that he was having heart decelerations. We were exactly where we needed to be to have my son's life be protected. And while a premature baby was not in our hopes or plans for this pregnancy, we have done this before and survived and we know the ropes of the NICU. There are familiar faces in the nurses and we know these halls. We have peace in knowing that God is good and in control and with us each step of the way as he has been this entire pregnancy. 

Calvin's Birth Story- A Surprising Turn

I already have posted about the events leading up to me being in the hospital here.

So there I sat all alone in my hospital room while they continued to check my blood pressure every 15 minutes and monitor Calvin's heart rate. I was blessed by the most amazing nurse named Tiffany who was just what I needed. She was the perfect balance of being super attentive, sassy, funny and really took the time to know us. (We lucked out and got her for three days in a row!) My mom soon came and met me there and I was so thankful to have her with me, especially while Kerry was getting Christian all settled. Kerry then came and we hung out while I was continually being monitored. That evening, after being on rest all day, my blood pressure actually lowered! My doctor came in and he said that they would keep me overnight but it was looking like I might be going home on bed rest to try and see if I could make it one more week. Since it looked like I would be discharged, Kerry decided to go home with Christian for the night and would come back in the morning. I got my second steroid shot that evening to help mature Calvin's lungs.

Throughout the night, things took a scary turn. Calvin's heart rate kept decelerating and coming back up. Around 2:30am, in a foggy light sleep, I was fully awakened to 5 nurses rushing into my room, ordering me to move side to side, then to all fours and was given an oxygen mask. Calvin's heart rate was not coming back up. I was all alone, without Kerry, as the stretcher was brought in. Just as they were about to take me back to the OR, Calvin's heart rate came back up. I immediately was not he phone with Kerry, telling him to get to the hospital right away! My Dad came and watched Christian and my mom and kerry booked it to the hospital. The rest of the night, there were a few more episodes but none so serious as the 2:30 event. My doctor came in at 8:30 and said he best course of action was to go ahead with the C section later that morning. I was exactly 34 weeks.

At 8:40, Kerry went down to grab a cup of coffee and my mom and sister stepped out while they prepped me for the C section. As soon as my bed was reclined, Calvin's heart rate could not be found. Again I found my self along, on all fours, breathing into an oxygen mask. My nurse, Tiffany, grabbed my phone and told me to get Kerry. We were going back. Frantically I dialed and got out the words, "Get up here now!!!!" (Later I would find out he got the call as he was paying for his coffee and basically dropped his cup and ran to our room.) I was told to immediately get on the stretcher. My mom and sister were in the hall and saw a light flashing above a room and several nurses running. She turned to my sister and said, "Oh! Someone is having their baby!" but soon realized it was ME when Kerry went running in. I was wheeled back, running down the halls to the OR. All I can remember thinking is  that I had just been reading in Isaiah that morning that even when I pass through the waters or walk through the fire, God is with me. He was in control. I experienced a peace that I know could only come from Him.

Dr. Morell thankfully was still close by and made it to the room. He was more tense then I have ever seen him and everything was a mad dash to save my sweet little baby.  RIght as we got to the OR, they found Calvin's heart rate so I did not have to be put under. The anesthesiologist had a very hard time with my spinal and took 4 times to get it in. I was so thankful to have my mom and Kerry right with me. The room was full of multiple doctors, nurses and a full NICU team. At 9:05am Calvin Michael Day was born weighing albs 3 oz and was 16 1/2" long. He cried right away, a high pitched squeal that made us all laugh. His Apgar score was 8/9 and his O2 was in the mid 90's.

My sweet baby boy was here!

Calvin's Birth Story- The Days Before

From the beginning of this pregnancy I wondered how Calvin's labor would go. After Christian's surprise early arrival and all the issues with preeclampsia, I was praying for a more calm and uneventful labor this go around. You are most likely to have preeclampsia with your first and are not at a higher risk of having it with your second. If you do happen to get it, most patients will develop it later than they did during the previous pregnancy. (I would soon find out I would break the norm!) Each doctor's visit as they would check my blood pressure, I would say a quiet prayer and hold my breath until I heard, "Blood pressure looks great!". Then I could breath out, thankful that we made it through one more month, one more week without any blood pressure issues. We prepared for out attempt at a VBAC, attended birth class and things were looking really great.

On November 16 and 17 we went on our baby moon to Whidbey Island where we stayed at the Inn at Langley. I was able to put my glucose meter aside and enjoy an awesome and memorable dinner and just relax with Kerry. The day after we got back I started to just feel off. The best I can describe it is that my body felt heavy and very tired like I was getting sick. By the 19th, my mama instinct kicked in and I just knew I had to get my blood pressure checked. So I packed Christian up and we headed to Safeway to use their monitor. The reading was 134/88 which is higher than it should be, consider pre hypertension. So I called my doctor and they had me go to the local fire station to get a more accurate reading. So once again, I loaded C into the car and headed to the fire station. He thought this was awesome! They took my blood pressure and now it read 140/100. Not good. But Christian got a tour of the fire truck and a goodie bag out of it! My doctor determined that I needed to go right in for blood work and be seen the next day (20th).

When I got to the doctor, my blood pressure was still high and the added result of having +3 protein meant it had happened again… I had preeclampsia. :( I was just 33 weeks. I was shocked because I had just been in the week before and everything was normal and I didn't have any swelling like I had with Christian. They had me get a blood pressure monitor and the plan was to check my bloom pressure at home everyday, rest as much as possible and I would go back on Tuesday the 25th for a recheck. Over the next few days I rested, (sat calmly though my baby shower :) ) and monitored my blood pressure. It seemed to stay pretty steady around 138/90s.

I went in Tuesday the 25th at 33 weeks and 6 days expecting to maybe be put on bed rest but that was not the case! Kerry and Christian joined me at my appointment. Again my blood pressure was even higher and now my protein was +4. My doctor came in and said that he could not let me go home with these reading and I needed to be admitted. We would do blood work to see if my organs were being affected and an ultrasound to check on baby and then I would make my way to my hospital room. We went back to the ultrasound where they discovered that Calvin had IUGR and one of my umbilical arteries was not functioning. This all made for a not so great place for baby to be. He was getting the nutrients he needed and wasn't growing. Kerry took C home to drop him off with my sister Kyla and get us some things for the hospital and I checked into my room. As I walked back and put on my gown all by myself I could not believe we were walking this path again and even earlier this time around. I was in shock! I was hooked up, plugged in and started getting monitored…

Church Baby Shower

My sweet friends from church help a beautiful baby shower brunch for me. Lindsay hosted in her home and their was a delicious assortment of brunch food. They were so thoughtful to be sure that I had lots of choices to eat, which wasn't an easy task being gluten free and having gestational diabetes. :) Guests wrote notes to me on diapers which will provide much entertainment during those late night diaper changes! So thankful for my friends and their thoughtfulness.