Ashleigh was breathing to much on the oscillator machine(seen behind the new blue one) and was upgraded to a ventilator that lets her do her own breathing, and only steps in when she stop takes breaths. It’ll give 30 breaths a minute if she stops. Stephanie and I were so excited with this progress.
Today almost felt normal. I was able to pull weeds and turn dirt in a few of the boxes in the garden. I was also able to plant the onions I bought almost two weeks ago. I had put on wool socks, a beanie, gloves, and my rain jacket just to keep warm though. We had a cold front come though yesterday or so and we were in the 40′s today. It feels like winter again.
It also felt half normal as we didn’t make the second trip to the hospital for the day. Stephanie and I just kind of sat on the couch with Zoe and watched a few movies. It felt good to have a bit of normalcy in the house. Though now I feel horrible that I didn’t say goodnight to Ashleigh. This past week we have made a point to go to the hospital twice a day, usually sometime early in the afternoon and then after 8pm. I know that me going up there doesn’t do much good (or does it?), but it just eases my mind knowing she is okay. We have the direct line to the NICU if we wanted to just call and check on her, but doing it in person is much better.
Stephanie and I have both grown to like one of the night nurses, Ashli, and a few of the day nurses. Yesterday we were able to speak to the Neonatologist about the PDA. It got smaller. It’s now 2mm, which is very small, but not good enough. So he started the second round of Indocin treatment. The last dose was given around 8pm tonight. Tomorrow, Ashleigh will begin feedings again. Monday will bring another Echocardiogram to see if the PDA has fully closed. Lets hope it does, as the next step is surgery.
I also found time to crochet a cute little hat for Ashleigh. I’m not sure how long she’ll be able to wear it though. I’m hoping she grows fairly quickly.
This week has been exhausting.
A roller coaster of emotions. Finding out Ashleigh’s left lung collapsed, then it later reopened. Finding out she finally pooped, then learning they took her food away because she has a PDA and the medicine given will take away blood from the gut area.
Two trips to the hospital daily. Sometimes with just a 10/15 minute visit with Ashleigh because we’ve had both sets of grand-parents that also want to see her. We do what we gotta do.
I think next week will be a little bit better. We both will return to work and hopefully we can keep our minds occupied with other things and have some kind of normalcy. Zoe will be back on some kind of routine too.
Right now I’m sitting in the waiting room at Stephanie’s ob/gyn. She is get her post op update today. We’ve been here an hour already and she is getting ansy.
Hang on…
Ok. We finally made it to an exam room.
I’m kind of glad I haven’t been writing on every little thing that happens down in the NICU. There is something new and different every day.
Maybe I’ll write more later.
If you were to ask me a week ago if my pregnant wife was going to give birth yesterday I would have thought you were crazy ans said no. I would have been wrong though.
These past few days have been a whirlwind of a ride. It has only just begun.
Our baby wasn’t due until April 26th. Here is a rundown of last weeks events.
Stephanie originally went to a three week sonogram with her high risk ob/gyn Monday morning. She called me crying and mumbling something about they were sending her to the hospital because they didn’t like what they saw. The amniotic fluid was low and the blood flow in the umbilical cord was not good. When I arrived at the hospital Stephanie and her mom when still sitting in the car grabbing a bite to eat. I spent the day there while they monitored her ‘off the charts’ blood pressure and the baby’s heart beat. She spent the night there as did her mom.
Tuesday was spent waiting around for lots of answers that never came.
Wednesday we finally made progress with another sonogram that morning. He basically stated that we could have a baby in a week or 4 weeks. Nothing had really gotten worse, nor had it gotten better. I went to work the rest of the day, my mind not really there. That afternoon Stephanie calls me saying that Dr. Taylor came in and told her that if she were to deliver Ashleigh there at H.E.B. hospital our baby wouldn’t have a fighting chance and wanted to go ahead and transfer us to Harris Methodist in downtown Fort Worth. I went ahead and finished my last two calls as it was going to be awhile for the ambulance to transport her. I drove from downtown Dallas to downtown Fort Worth and arrived in time to meet the new Obstetrician that had agreed to take on the new patient. He talked to us about certain things and then immediately wanted to do another sonogram to put a fresh pair of eyes on the situation. Luckily for us he got called to do an emergency delivery and his partner came in and did the sonogram instead. Dr. Tabor was his name, and safety for mommy was his game. We both liked this guy even better. He didn’t like what he saw and told us to expect a baby within two weeks.
Two weeks? Really? Dr. Tabor was the first doctor that we’d seen that said the cord was wrapped around the babies neck. He also stated that Stephanie’s organs could also start to shut down and neither one of us were thrilled about that. That night Carol stayed with Stephanie, and I for the first time that week spent the night with Zoe.
I dropped Zoe off at her Poppy’s house Thursday morning and grabbed some doughnuts and received a call from Carol that they were doing another sonogram and to hang close by “just in case”. Luckily with my job I’m never at the same place in the mornings and was able to hang in a parking lot off I30.
Then the call came. Carol weeping she says, “You need to come on, they are taking the baby.”
I arrived 10 minutes later and found Stephanie. The nurses were already starting a different IV and I was told to put these scrubs on. The anesthesiologist came in a told her about the spinal they would give her to numb the lower part of her body. Shortly there after the wheeled her off and I waited. And waited. And waited. I waited for what seemed like an eternity and then finally the nurse came and got me and I saw Steph. Strapped to the OR table. A curtain up, keeping her from seeing anything. It wasn’t but maybe 10 or 15 minutes later and we heard a small moan.
Time of birth: 9:35am.
I tried to peek around the curtain to see what was going on but was unable to. They finally called me over and there she was in all her beauty. Little Ashleigh Ryon.
Close to the Lakewood Theatre on the east side of downtown Dallas.
Gotta love the old school vibe with the ashtray!
The previous post has been saved in my phone for about a week. I had just forgotten about it.
Tonight Stephanie is with her dad doing basketball practice for 3rd and 4th graders at church.
So its me and the kiddo tonight. Well, its just me as she is out cold laying on my shoulder.
So…I get to sit here on the couch, Idol playing in the background, Zoe sawing logs on my shoulder and write the blog entry with my thumbs.
The days slowly are getting longer. The winter blast has gone, at least for now, and the weather is back to normal. Mid 50′s this week. I attempted to pull weeds in the garden when I got home. It was finally pretty enough that I felt in the mood to be outside. Looking at the garden, work stares you right back. I’m already be behind on getting seeds started. I gotta get at least two beds worked becuase onions need to be planted in about two weeks. Mmm, onions.
I have that spring itch.
Two weeks ago I started building a shed. I have the floor completed and one wall framed. I plan on having the other walls framed and up this weekend. We’ll see how it goes.
That’s all for now.
I think the holiday season and the whole month of November has kept me from writing on here like I should have.
New Years eve was spent watching Friends reruns and falling alseep on the couch, waking up in time to see the ball drop. The next morning Stephanie got up and made doughnuts. We’ve decided to make that our yearly tradition instead of blackeyed peas. Niether one of us are to fond of them anyways.
My short crochet run has slowed down dramatically now that my evenings are spent playing with blocks, eating plastic chicken legs and watching Elmo tell jokes. All with Zoe of course.
I made the mistake of googling kittens with Zoe one morning and now everytime I sit down to waste time, she says kitty and wants me to pick her up so I can show her all the kitties.
Zoe is sick. We took her to the doctor and she has strep throat and a double ear infection. Today she went to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor since she has had so many ear infections. He says that their was no real damage in her ears and that we could put tubes in but at around 2 years there is a chance of them falling out and may or may not need them put back in. He thought it best just to wait.
Tonight she hasn’t been feeling good at all. Moaning and not really wanting to take a bottle. She’ll lay with Stephanie for a bit and then moan “Daddy.” She doesn’t really want me, it seems she just want me to fix her not feeling well. Which sucks, as everything I would get her she didn’t want. It makes me feel so sorry for her. On top of that, she threw up a big load about 30 minutes ago. Thankfully it was in the kitchen.
She’s now asleep in our bed, spread out across it, with no room for me or Stephanie, and if we try and put her in her own bed she’ll wake up.
Poor kid.