Another Rough Day

Yesterdays post ended up dated today (the one with the photos)...I guess because I posted after midnight.

Today, Brady had a rough day. He was quite pale this morning so the doctor ordered more blood for him. Brady also had several episodes of apnea today. They did put him on a different oxygen cannula called a high-flow oxygen cannula. He still was having episodes of desaturation (low oxygen in the blood) and apnea. He actually had one incident this evening while Dave and I were there and it scared me so much. The nurse kept patting him and sitting him up to try to get him to bring his heart rate back up. She did this for about a minute (which seemed like forever). I started to panic...it was very difficult. I am not understanding why he is having trouble when he was doing so well. The nurses keep telling me it is just his prematurity and I know they are the experienced ones, but I am scared. Please continue praying for our baby...we are so thankful for you all.
Karissa

29 Weeks (Gestational Age)

Here are some photos from today...



Brady is 29 weeks today. He weighed 2 lbs. 4 oz. I was able to hold Brady for an hour today. He was very content and slept the whole time:) The nurse told us he will remain on continuous feeding of 6ml/hr until he reaches approximately 3 lbs. Then, he will be fed on a schedule every 3 hours. Brady was also taken off all extra meds for blood pressure, etc. He is doing well. So tiny and so precious:)

4 Weeks Old

Today, Brady is 4 weeks old. I can hardly believe a month has gone by since the night he was born. I think back and it is hard for me not to cry because everything happened so quickly and it was very scary. Definitely not how one imagines and plans for the birth of their baby. I feel sad sometimes because I would have had such a close bond with my baby by now like I did with David and Delaney, but the circumstances are too difficult for Brady and I to have that just yet. We will though...we just need some time and patience:) He seems to know my voice and responds to me when he is awake and looking at me. I just want to hold him all day every day:)
Brady weighed 2 lbs. 3 oz. this afternoon. He received his last dose of Tamiflu today and the doctors are confident that none of the babies in the NICU have been infected by the Swine Flu. This evening, Dave and I spoke with Dr. Wimmer (the neonatologist that took care of Brady the first night) and we asked him how he thought Brady was doing. He told us Brady is doing great and he explained a few other things going on with Brady that have been hard for us to understand. We felt a lot better after speaking with him. This is truly a long and difficult road...we still have a very long way to go. Please continue to pray for Brady...we really are grateful to all our family and friends.
Karissa

Brady is doing well. He weighed 2 lbs. 2 oz. again today. It is hard to imagine a baby so small until you hold him. I was holding him today and his entire body fits in my hand with his head resting on my fingertips. I have pretty small hands too. Brady fits more comfortably in one of Dave's hands. It is so amazing to me to see this tiny human being so perfectly formed when he still needed 16 more weeks to grow inside his mommy. I can't help but stare at him. I know other moms can relate.
He had his PICC line removed today. Brady cried and fussed while they were taking the tape off the line that was holding it in place, but didn't make a sound when they actually removed the line. I started talking to him when he was crying. He gripped onto my pinky finger (he is surprisingly strong too) and I gave him his binkie. Then, he was happy:)
Thank you all for continued support and prayers. We are truly blessed!
Karissa

Brady had a good day today. He weighed 2 lbs. 2 oz. He was having some issues with oxygen saturation earlier in the day while I was there, but it improved this evening when Dave and I visited. Brady will have the PICC line removed from his arm tomorrow. It is the IV line that was giving him fluids. He is able to have it removed because he is getting all his nourishment from breast milk now. Soon, he will be put on scheduled feedings via the feeding line. He won't be able to drink from a bottle or breast for a while yet. I continue to pray for his well-being. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Brady.
Karissa

Brady is doing well. He weighed 2 lbs. 1.4 oz. Today, I was able to hold him and change his diapers:) It has been 9 days since I held him last due to my illness. He was more alert today for a longer period of time. I think I spent the entire time staring at his little face. I rocked him for a bit and he seemed to enjoy it:)
We are blessed.
Karissa

Brady had a good day today. He weighed 2 lbs. 1 oz. He was wide awake when I went to see him today. Oh, and he was giving his binkie a workout...again:) It is so funny how much he enjoys that thing. Brady definitely knows when I am there because as soon as I begin talking to him or one of the nurses he perks right up. It is so cute. He doesn't want to miss anything. I love his spunk!
This evening when Dave and I went back to the hospital to see Brady he was resting comfortably...until he heard Dave's voice. Then, he opened his eyes to see his daddy. He finally decided to call it a night and go to sleep around 9:15pm...LOL
We continue to be thankful for all of you and your prayers for Brady.
Karissa

28 Weeks (Gestational Age)

Today, Brady is 28 weeks. He is doing better with the adjustments the doctors made. We pray he continues to respond well to the changes. I spoke with the nurse practitioner regarding the possible reasons for his breathing issues. She said it just has to do with his prematurity. As his food intake goes up, he has to exert more energy to digest it and that takes away energy from his breathing. This is what preemies go through...it makes sense, but still so worrisome.
While I was visiting him this morning, I got to change his diaper again:0) He cried the entire time I was doing it too. It reminded me of Delaney when she was a baby.
We went back to see him this evening and up to that point (Saturday night through Sunday morning) he had only 3 episodes of apnea whereas Friday night through Saturday morning, he had 13. So, he is doing better. I apologize if this is all confusing. It is difficult to explain.

Thank you all so much for continued prayers.
Karissa

Rough Night

Brady had a rough night last night. The nurse practitioner spoke with Dave this morning because Brady had several apnea episodes last night. Apnea is very common in preemies, but he was doing so well that it made them think something wasn't right. They put Brady back on the oxygen cannula, did a chest x-ray to check out his lungs, etc., and took some blood. On the x-ray, the doctor was able to see that his feeding tube had become displaced and was causing some reflux which can cause apnea and he had a little fluid in his lungs which could have been caused by the displaced feeding tube. Also, Brady's blood count was a little low so they needed to give him some blood. I was so worried and upset. It makes it even harder when I can't touch him or hold him. This is very frustrating. Dave & I went to see Brady after they finished making all the adjustments and doing his transfusion. He looked better than he did yesterday. I thought he looked a little pale the day before. His day nurse spoke with the doctor while we were there and was able to get Brady back on breastmilk. I feel better about that at least.

I just spoke with his nighttime nurse a few minutes ago and she said he is doing well. He is almost to his maximum feeding amount before they begin a scheduled feeding regimen:) Brady weighed 2 lbs. today.

We appreciate all the love and support of our friends and family. God Bless!
Karissa

3 Weeks Old

Our precious baby Brady is 3 weeks old today and he broke the 2 pound mark!!! He weighed in at 2 lbs. .01 oz. The nurse did tell us that Brady has a small hernia in his lower abdomen. The doctors are just going to watch it for now since it is small and soft. Brady got the hernia from being so active. I started calling him 'Spiderman' because he literally tries to crawl or squirm his way out of the bed...he is all over the place. He did start to cry today while Dave and I were visiting with him so I began patting him on his bottom until he calmed down. He was looking all around and seemed soothed by the patting motion...my other two children always loved that too:) I had to where a gown and gloves in order to go in the NICU today, but I didn't care; I hadn't seen Brady since Monday. He is doing well and we pray every minute he continues to do well.
The NICU staff are still keeping a close watch over all the babies for any signs of flu symptoms as well as treating them preventatively with Tamiflu.

I was able to be discharged from the hospital today; huge surprise since yesterday they were talking "several more days". Once the antibiotic kicked in (after about 32hours), I began feeling somewhat better. As of this morning, I had gone 48 hours without a fever and was hydrated well enough that the doctors decided I could go home where I would be able to rest much better. This one is going to take a little more time for recovery. I feel wiped out...hoping to be somewhat back to normal by Monday or Tuesday???

I am so thankful to all of you for your continued prayers.

Karissa

Brady is doing great they incresed his feeding to 3.2 ml/hour and are increasing it every day as long as he is digesting it. He continues to gain weight he is up to 870 grams (1 lbs 14.56 oz.). He has been picking up about 1/2 ounce a day for the past 5 days. We also found out this evening that the respiratory therapist tested positive for the N1H1 Virus (Swine Flu), so all the babies are being treated with Tamiflu. None of them have any symptons as of this evening.

Karissa, on the other hand, is not much better. She is still very ill from the C.Diff, constantly in the bathroom. She cannot eat because it makes her sick. She has had very little food or sleep in the past 4 or 5 days. The Dr. said she is going to be in the hospital until she has very few bathroom trips!!

Thank you for all your continued prayers.

Dave

Karissa's test came back this morning and she has C. Diff (Clostridium difficile) which is caused by being on too many antibiotics. They started her on Pro-Biotics this morning at 5:00 am. Should be better in 48 - 72 hours. All blood cultures are negative, so no blood infection.

Brady is doing great, but they are checking him for the same thing Karissa has, so far he is good. Then we were informed at 4:00 pm that all the babies in the NICU have possibly been exposed to the SWINE FLU VIRUS. A respiratory therapist treated a patient at another hospital and found out later that the patient had SWINE FLU. So, the CDC said the NICU docs should go ahead and treat all the babies as well as the staff in the NICU.

Thank you for all your continued prayers.

Dave

Brady had a very good day yesterday and today. They removed the IV from his left arm yesterday. He is up to 2.2 ml of breast milk per hour. The only thing he is on now is nourishment and feeding tube. Dr. Wimmer (neonatologist) said he was ready to retire after that first night with Brady, he said he never expected him to be breathing without assistance so soon.

On another note, Karissa had a fever all last night and is now back in the hospital. They do not know what is wrong, so they took blood etc. and should have results in the next 24 - 48 hours.

Dave

27 Weeks (Gestational Age)

Brady had a great day yesterday and today. At 11:00am yesterday, Brady was taken off the oxygen cannula. He is now breathing on his own and doing well. The photo above was taken yesterday 6/13/09. I was so excited to see him with nothing over his little face or in his tiny little nose. He looks much better and more comfortable. It made me sad thinking about how uncomfortable all those tubes were, but I know he needed them. I pray he continues to do well breathing on his own.
Today, Brady is 27 weeks (gestational age). His nurse told us he has been maintaining good levels for renal function so they have stopped the medication for the Metabolic Acidosis. He will have the IV in his left hand removed in the next couple days...as long as he continues to maintain those levels.
Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Karissa

Brady is 2 weeks old. He was very alert today...just looking at me while I talked to him and held his binky. He loves that binky:) It is amazing to watch him move around and lift his tiny head to turn it toward my voice. It takes him several tries, but he doesn't give up. The nurse came over to change his diaper and just as she finished...he made another dirty diaper...LOL! She asked me if I wanted to change him. I was scared, but I did it and it was the best part of my day. The more contact I have with him, the more I feel we are bonding in spite of the circumstances. It breaks my heart to leave him each day:(
Brady gained an ounce from the day before so he is back up to 1 lb. 13 oz. The doctor also increased his feedings to 1 ml of breastmilk per hour. This, along with the dirty diapers, is good news because it means his digestive system is working well.
We are thankful for all our family and friends who are praying for Brady and sending daily messages letting us know you continue to pray. Thank you! Special thanks to Misty & Rena for coming to help us out with the kids, etc. We are very grateful to all our friends who have been able to help and to those who have offered their help. We couldn't have asked for so much support and so many wonderful friends.
We are truly blessed.
Karissa

Brady had a good day yesterday and today. I apologize if I miss posting a day here or there.
Brady does have a slight issue with his kidney function due to their immaturity. This is to be expected. The doctor called it Metabolic Acidosis. They are giving him a medication to assist his kidney function and it is helping...bringing his numbers back to normal. I pray that all his organs will be able to function normally as he grows and with time.
I was able to hold Brady again today. I do worry about getting him out of his protective bed. I don't want to expose him to unnecessary germs or cause him to use too much of his energy. He needs to focus all his energy on breathing and growing. It is going to be so difficult. I want what is best for Brady, so I will continue following the nurses advice on whether or not to hold him. The staff in the NICU at The Women's Hospital are incredible. They are all so friendly and sensitive to us and to each family and their particular situation. It is very comforting and helpful.

Holding Brady Again:)

I was able to hold Brady again today. He had a good night and day. I rocked him and did a little humming. He seemed quite content and rested peacefully. I was enjoying every moment of it. I think I stared at him in amazement the entire time. It is miraculous to me that something so small can be so perfect. I believe Dave finally has a child that looks like him...LOL! I will post photos tomorrow;)
The doctors did an ultrasound on his brain yesterday to check for 'bleeds'. Brady's results came back today and were normal. Praise God! He will have another scan at one month.

10 Days Old

Brady is 10 days old today. He had a good night last night. Today, he was a bit agitated because they are trying to wean him from the sedation. It was so difficult to hear him cry...but I was able to get him to calm down after a few minutes. The doctor removed his UAC Line today and the doctor told us she is going to advance Brady's nourishment since he is doing well on breast milk. He is able to digest what he is taking in so they will increase the amount he is getting. Also, Brady had a chest X-Ray today. He still has some haziness in his lungs due to immaturity. The doctor said it could take up to a month or more to clear. He is still doing well with his breathing. He has been off the Jet Vent since last Wednesday. I wasn't able to hold him today since they were taking him off the sedation. He was getting agitated too easily. The doctor wanted to keep him warm and out of the light as much as possible so he would relax and not waste his energy getting uptight:) I hope to hold him again tomorrow:)
Thank you to all for your prayers and comments. We truly appreciate all the wonderful support.
Karissa

Holding Our Baby Boy

Brady Ashton is 26 weeks (gestational age). The doctor's and nurses will refer to his age as if he were still in the womb. He weighs 1 lb. 13 oz.
Today, Dave and I were able to hold Brady for 30 minutes each. I can't believe how little he is...his entire bottom fit in my hand and I have small hands. Brady did great the entire time we were holding him. He only became a bit fussy the last 5 minutes Dave was holding him. His little cries aren't loud at all. It is hard to hear them. The nurse put him back in his bed on his side and he was still a bit wound up so Dave put his hand on Brady's head and I put my hand on Brady's bottom and patted with my index finger. He was calm in about 2 or 3 minutes and resting peacefully. So precious.
Daddy made sure he was wrapped in style with his Tarheel Blankie. The nurses made sure his hat matched his blanket...LOL! They are so sweet:)
Brady had a great day today. If he does well overnight, I will be able to hold him again tomorrow:)
We have posted photos below.
Karissa

Brady is doing well. Today, he had a PICC Line put into his arm to keep fluids in him. He was given drops of breast milk throughout the day again today and the doctors are monitoring his digestive system to be sure he is tolerating it ok. They removed one of his UV Lines that runs through the umbilical cord and if they remove the other one tomorrow...I may be able to hold him:) I'm so excited and very nervous at the same time. He is so tiny. It is so funny, but every nurse that has cared for Brady describes him as "fiesty"...LOL! Praise God! We will try to post more photos tomorrow.
Karissa

Bath and Food Today!

Brady had another good day:) He was taken off the bilirubin light again. The doctor was having to sedate him to get him to calm down because he is very strong willed and the bright light makes all preemie babies tense. He gets so mad when the doctors and nurses mess with him. Today, after they took the light away and covered his bed, he was able to soothe himself to sleep. The nurse gave him a sponge bath and cleaned him up a bit. He looks so cute...blonde wavy hair...not sure where that comes from??? He got his first few drops of breast milk too. He looked so content when we left him this evening. It was hard for me to be there today because I am still running a low grade fever and couldn't touch my baby.
My doctor put me on another antibiotic for the next 7 days. I pray this one works!
Thank you all again for your comments and prayers. I know God is listening and He is with my precious Brady--watching over him.
Karissa

June 4, 2009

Sorry no posts yesterday...I wasn't feeling well.
Brady is continuing to do well. He is a fiesty little boy:) They took the CPAP off his nose that was helping him breathe and put him on an oxygen tubing type thing. It looks way more comfortable for him. Dr. Smith also put him back on the bilirubin light because his count went back up, but the doctor said he expected that to happen. Brady had a good day yesterday.
I am a little frustrated because I started running a fever again. So, I have to go see my doctor today. I hope they don't put me back in the hospital. I need to be with my baby and my family.
Thank you all for your continued prayers. We are so blessed.
Karissa

Big Day!!!!

We had a good day today. Karissa was discharged from the hospital this morning. Brady had a brain scan on Tuesday night and we got the results back this morning and everything was normal. Then, we went to see him @ 11:00am, he had been taken off the bilirubin lamp and the Dr. told us he was going to take Brady off the Jet Vent this afternoon. They took him off the Jet (ventilator) around 1:30 and he has maintained his breathing, heart rate and blood pressure on his own.
Karissa was able to touch him today since she has been fever-free for 48 hours. She gave him one of the micro binkies they have for the preemies in the NICU and he is already a fan:)
Brady is 5 days old today.
Thank you all for continuing to pray for our precious baby boy.
Dave

4 Days Old

Dave and I just left the NICU for the evening staff shift change. Brady has had a good day today. In addition to being taken off the blood pressure medicine, they also reduced the ventilator pressure so he can breathe more on his own. It is a very slow process, but his progress today made the respitory therapist confident he could handle it. They will test his blood later this evening to see if all is well.

Baby Steps:)

I just went downstairs to check on Brady before the 7am shift change in the NICU. The nurse that was watching over him last night told me he was able to be taken off of the blood pressure medication. He is maintaining a steady and normal blood pressure on his own...for now. Each day has been so hard because we want to see major improvements and drastic changes for the better, but it just doesn't seem it's going to happen that way; a little step forward and then a couple steps back...
Please keep praying. You are all much appreciated and your thoughts and prayers mean a lot to us.
Karissa

UPDATE: Just after this post we were informed that although Brady's PDA was very small and seemed to be closing on its own, the doctor decided to treat it anyway. So, Brady had his first dose of meds for the PDA this evening.

Brady just had another Echo and his PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) is closing on its own. This means they will not have to treat it with medication to get it to close. Another good sign for our baby boy!!! His Bilirubin count also came down and only has 1 light on him (instead of 3) and soon will have his sunglasses removed!!

Dave

3 DAYS OLD

Hello Everyone!
Thank you all so much for your love, support, and prayers. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. Brady is 3 days old at 6:59pm this evening. I am feeling much better today. I will try to post daily to keep everyone updated on Brady's progress. Please continue to pray for our precious baby boy.
Karissa

Good day and Night for Brady

All things with Brady are remaining very stable. He received another blood transfusion last night. He needs these as his little body is not able to produce blood quite yet. His bone marrow is still too immature. They take out blood for tests and he is just not able to replace it.
He looks so perfect!! Just really very very tiny. He is under bilirubin lights so that is why he has on the blinders lol! The staff in the NICU is amazing.
Karissa is feeling a LOT better today. However, she still had a fever of 102.6 this morning. Once they give her something for the fever it comes right down.
We are hoping for her to be able to come home on Wednesday.
Thanks for all the prayers. They are HELPING!!!
Rena