Weight

I think for little Victoria, the gaining of the weight is not an issue! When Rod and I got to the hospital last night, the nurse told us she weighed Victoria twice because she just didn't think the scale was right. We could tell she hasn't had much exposure to Victoria, because it seems to be a common theme - gaining 10-15 grams one day, and 50-75 grams the next.

That's just what she did. Yesterday's weight gain was 70 grams!!!

5 pounds, 1 ounce!!!!

Finally Daddy can visit!

Rod decided yesterday that he finally felt well enough to head back to the hospital without putting Victoria or any of the other babies at risk of getting sick. I'm sure the visit with Victoria was much overdue for him.

I had a follow-up visit with Dr. Patel this morning - he's the surgeon who took out my appendix and did the repair work on my colon during the surgery. He said everything looks great. The only thing I need to be cautious of is getting a hernia in that spot, as the muscles are always going to be weaker there. Other than that, he's through with me!

Victoria gained 15 grams last night... one step closer - 4-15 now. She is now taking about half of her feedings by mouth - seems like every other one (she gets fed every 3 hours). If she's awake enough, she does great. It just tires her out for a few hours.

Check out the chubby cheeks and double chin!

Almost...

Almost to 5 pounds! Victoria gained another 55 grams last night, putting her at 4-14! Finally all that good nutrition is paying off!

What's missing from this picture?

I know it's a little tough to tell because Victoria still has the tape on her face, but yesterday morning the doctor ordered that she be taken off the Oxygen!!! I did forget to mention they stopped her caffeine Saturday (which was to help produce the surfactant in her lungs) because she should be big enough to produce it on her own now. She still has little dips (desats), but nothing to be concerned about - she has them with or without her O2, and they only last a few seconds.

She gained 50 grams last night... up to 4-12!!! 5 lbs. is just right around the corner. What a long way we've come in the last 6 weeks.

On a side note, in case you all don't know how much I love and appreciate Rod, I'd like to make it known again. He is the most amazing and wonderful man, and I'm thankful for him every day.

Checking In

Hello everyone. This is Rod with a quick note. I must say it was nice to get booted from my blogger duties because that meant my wonderful wife was feeling well enough to take over. It has been a much better new year to date. Victoria continues to improve in every aspect. Kristin is feeling wonderful, and looking wonderful if I might add. We just can't wait for our darling little girl to come home. Once she does finally come home, it will be our duty to ensure that she does not go back to that damned hospital. Yes, I'm sick of that place!!!

Thanks to my good buddy Chad, I have been sick that past few days and have not been able to go see her. Chad didn't think he was sick...cough cough cough...I should have known better. :) Hopefully I will be able to go up there either Monday or Tuesday.

I wanted to say Hi to Joslyn and her family, and Tika and her family, if you happen to be checking the blog. Thanks for the cards and the encouraging notes! Also, thanks to Rich, Cyndi, and Jordyn. They have been over to visit about a half dozen times since the latest incident. Most recently they brought a ton of clothes, shoes, and hats for baby Victoria. Kristin especially loves the pink and gray Nike tennis shoes. I would like everyone to wish/pray (whatever you do) that Rich gets the Essexville/Saginaw station as his next duty assignment. This would mean that we all get to stay closer together and Jordyn and Victoria get to play together for at least a few more years....and it would provide me with a much needed 2 guard for my basketball team!!! Mio Thunderbolts baby!!

Leaving you with a cool pic that Kristin took the other day.

I just wanna hug!

Not too much to report today. Victoria gained 20 grams last night, so she's now 4-11. Busha came for a brief visit Friday, and Grandma Penny is coming to visit today. Gotta love the grandmas!!!

Blowout!

I don't know whether to be proud or scared! One thing's for sure - I think I know part of the reason Victoria had such a big weight gain the day before last!

Yesterday morning when my mom and I got to the NICU, we were promptly told by the nurse that Victoria had the "biggest poop I've ever seen since working up here!!!" Not only did it come out of the diaper and soil her outfit, it soiled the 3-4 layers of blankets under her and the isolette sheet, too! So, she got kind of an impromptu bath and a fresh set of linens and clothes.

After that, I thought for sure we woudn't have a gain yesterday, but we did - 15 grams. Victoria is now up to 4 pounds, 10 ounces - so close to 5 pounds!

I told Suki, one of the midwives at Women's Ob/Gyn, that our philosophy has been and will continue to be that we're not going to worry about something until the doctor tells us we should worry. The nurses sometimes get us worked up over things, and in almost all cases, the Doctor (normally Dr. Chai) reassures us that it's perfectly normal and to be expected.

There is one small exception to this so far with Victoria. Her last eye exam (done by a specialist every two weeks or so) showed a little bit of ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) in her left eye. This is fairly common in premies, and often corrects itself. It could, though, lead to a lazy eye, wandering eye, etc. Most of these can be corrected when caught. Right now, the doctor is just going to check her every two weeks and keep an eye on it (no pun intended). The news didn't totally surprise me, given the Reinhard (my mom's) family history of eye problems. So I'm not too concerned, but thought maybe some prayers could be directed specifically toward that.

Oh- for those of you who were a little concerned by yesterday's picture before you realized what it was, here's a more recent comparison of her chubby little legs. I know it's not the same angle, and it's from three weeks ago, but you can definitely see the change!

Thanks

I want to take the time to thank everyone who has sent cards, gifts, called, or just wished us well in their own way. I truly believe all the positive energy from friends and family are helping both Victoria and me get stronger and stronger every day, and they help Rod stay strong for us.

I had an absolutely wonderful visit with the Morley gang yesterday - I miss you guys! Thanks to all of you for your concern and support. It really means a lot to me.

Now on to the Victoria update...
She gained 70 grams yesterday, so she's now 4-9. I got to nurse her twice yesterday, at 11am, and at 8pm, and we did pretty well. Surprisingly, after nursing, we try to give her a bottle with an estimated amount of what she'd still need, and she wants nothing to do with the bottle! I think mostly this is just a result of her being so tired out from trying to nurse. We'll get the hang of it soon!

Dr. Chai reiterated yesterday that really the only thing we have to focus on is getting Victoria to take all her feedings by mouth. Once that is happening on a regular basis, we're pretty close to going into a crib!

As much as we want to throw a big party to celebrate her homecoming (whenever that may be), we've been advised not to have anybody over until at least summer. It's a long time to wait to celebrate, but well worth it if we can keep Victoria growing strong and healthy!

She's changed so much in 6 weeks! Here's a reminder photo from a few days after she was born.

I know, I know!!!

Boy, oh, boy! I forget one morning to update the blog and I catch heck for it!!!

Not too much has changed around the NICU. Victoria lost a little bit of weight yesterday (20 grams), but we were told that her weight will fluctuate as I start nursing more, as they aren't able to tell how much she's getting when she nurses.

I'm finally allowed to drive! I spent a few hours up in the NICU yesterday during the day, and another few today - trying to get some good quality time in with my baby girl. Now that I can drive again, I'm going to try to get back into the routine of visiting the NICU in the morning while Rod's sleeping, then we'll go back in the afternoon or evening again once he's up and ready. Thank goodness I've got time off work to do that much!

Here's today's picture - I think she looks just like her cousin Faith - must be the cute button nose and chubby cheeks!

First Bottle

After what I would call a successful nursing session yesterday afternoon, we (Rod and I and the nurse) decided that Victoria should still get half of her regular feeding, just to make sure she got enough. So... her ordered amount to get at a feeding when we're not there is 36cc's. The nurse put 15cc's into a bottle, and Rod got to give Victoria her first real bottle feeding. Not only did she down the 15cc's, but another 15 after that! So her appetite is growing!

Since I gave the okay to bottle feed when we're not there, the doctor wrote an order to bottle feed her while she's awake (if she's sleeping, they'll still feed her through the tube). I spoke with her nurse after Victoria's next feeding, and she had been awake and took the entire amount by bottle!

This is a huge step in the right direction for all of us. I think maybe I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Weight gain update: up another 40 grams last night, to 4 lbs, 8 oz!

On a side note...

Congratulations to Dan and Gina on the birth of their little girl, Greer! I don't know any more details than that (I'm sure she already weighs more than Victoria), but heard everyone is doing well, and Gina enjoyed a nice short delivery (hopefully this time you got the drugs, if you wanted them, Gina!). Seems like not that long ago that Rod and I visited you in the hospital when you had Easton.

Just the cutest thing ever!!!

Okay, so we're a little biased, but how dang cute is Victoria in this little outfit???

Things seem to be moving along smoothly now. She gained 35 grams yesterday (putting her at 1990 grams, or 4 lbs, 6 oz). Once she hits 2000 grams, they consider her big enough to get the Hepatitis B shot, and possibly move into a crib. It's kind of a chain reaction thing.

I gave the okay for her to be bottle fed when we're not there. I'm fairly confident that we won't have a problem with nursing, the way things have been going. Plus, if she's bottle fed instead of tube-fed, she'll get a lot more hands-on attention up in the NICU. Once she's taking her meals by mouth and not the tube, she'll be moved to the crib. That's when she'll get the Hep. shot, and they'll monitor her to see if she's doing okay maintaining her body temp.

Then, from what we've observed of other babies up in the NICU, she'll only be in the crib a few days before they send her home! There is the possibility that she could be sent home on a monitor, or even on oxygen, but just to have her home would be amazing. Though, had I gone full term, we'd still have another month to wait!

Aunt Bo (Jody)

Aunt Bo came for a visit yesterday. Victoria and I very much enjoyed her company (Rod, too, of course!). We had a great visit, and an okay dinner (sorry it wasn't as good as it used to be, Bo!).

Victoria gained 10 grams yesterday, so she's still 4 lbs, 5 oz.

Chubbs

Rod and I went to the hospital yesterday morning, to try to catch Victoria when she was awake. We were successful in that endeavor, and a little bit successful with the nursing!

We soon, like many parents with children in the NICU, will be faced with the difficult decision of slowly getting Victoria to breast feed successfully most of the time, or letting the nurses bottle feed her. At first, the choice seems so simple. But for most babies, bottle feeding is easier, they catch on more quickly, and could potentially come home sooner once they get the hang of it.

I didn't think the difficult decisions started until kids got older!!!

As far as Victoria's weight, she gained 75 grams last night (of course, she had two pretty stinky diapers after that!) and officially is up to 4-5; one pound more than when she was born!!!

Not the ideal situation...

But we're going to try to make it work as best we can.

I got to try to nurse Victoria last night. There are some obstacles to overcome, like having all sorts of wires hooked up to her, and the fact that it was later in the afternoon, which meant she was pretty sleepy. I'd say it went as well as I could have hoped for, for a first attempt. We are of course going to continue to try, hopefully we can get over there earlier today and catch her awake.

BTW, no - that's not a nicotine patch on my arm. That's the lovely little estrogen patch I get to wear all the time and change twice a week for the next ? years.

Over the hump

I was beginning to think Victoria would just hang out around 4 lbs. forever, but yesterday she gained another 35 grams, putting her at 4-2! We're keeping our fingers crossed that I'll get to start breast feeding soon!

Getting bigger every day

The only news I have to report from yesterday is that Victoria gained another 35 grams, so she's back up to the 4lb mark! She is now getting 30 cc's of breast milk at each feeding, and she seems to be tolerating the Human Milk Fortifier they add for extra calories.

Grow, baby, grow!!!

No news is good news

We don't have much to update today, not too much has changed. Victoria gained back 40 grams last night. We found out when we were there yesterday that they changed her isolette (the incubator bed she's in), so we think that may have had something to do with the seemingly extreme loss the other night, as the scales are right in the bed. Either way, as long as she continues the upward trend for weight gain, that's what counts the most.

We're getting excited that in the next few days I may get to try nursing Victoria, once the antibiotics are out of my system. I'm not fooling myself and thinking that it's going to go flawlessly, but really can't wait to experience breast feeding and getting to hold Victoria so close.

Every day we all grow stronger!

Kristin's turn to take over (again!)

Well, I'm back on blog duty, hopefully for good. I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Jones today to make sure my incision looked okay. She said everything looks great, and I'm progressing as she had expected. Good news there!

My mom and dad (Jaj and busha) came up to visit Victoria and to have dinner with Rod and me at the house today. It was nice to have a long visit outside a hospital room!

Victoria looked good today, with no major changes to report. It sounds like they might try to wean her off the oxygen within the next day or so, but we'll see how it goes. She did lose 70 grams today, so she's back down to 3-14, but that's okay. Nothing to worry about. Dr. Chai ordered that they start adding a calorie additive to the breast milk she's getting, and that should help her start packing on the pounds soon!

Here's a pic of Victoria, just chillin', suckin' on the pacifier. She's so dang cute!!!

4 Pounds!

Today, Penny, Diane Szabo, Kristin, and I went to NICU to visit Victoria. She was extremely active and her bloated belly had gone down. After spending some time with her and giving her a bath we all went out to lunch. Thanks to Diane for all you have done for us, and thanks to Bob for the cookies! At 8 PM Kristin called the NICU and learned that Victoria had gained another 40 grams and had gone over the 4 pound mark. Hopefully she can continue to grow without any more setbacks.

Kristin's note: BTW, we talked to Dr. Chai this morning, and he explained that the bright green poop is nothing to worry about. Yay!

Fluorescent Green

On Saturday the nurses at NICU noticed Victroia's belly getting bloated again. She also had a poop that was described as being fluorescent green in color. They did a CBC to check for infection, however all of her blood levels appeared fine. At this point, they will just continue to monitor her. I read on the net that green poop can result from iron not being broken down. Sometimes due to infection. Coincidentally, Kristin was sent home on an iron pill each day since the baby was born. Hmmm. She also did not make 4 pounds, but for good reason. They removed the IV, hopefully for good, and she actally lost 10 grams. We are going to try and make it to the NICU in time to see Dr. Chai today to hear his explanation for the green poop. He has a way of making everything seem like small potatoes. Which is always helpful.

Happy B-Day

Today was Victoria's 1 month B-Day! She continues to do well, and she gained another 10 grams. Not quite pushing her over the 4 pound mark. That should happen tomorrow. Kristin has had her best day yet (since the surgery). She if feeling much better and is using the pain medication less and less. As for me, well I got to go play some ball for the first time in a couple weeks. It was a much needed stress reliever....even though I stunk up the court.

3.15 and counting

Well Kristin is home and feeling better everyday. Dr. Jones ordered that she take it easy the next 6 weeks. We are certainly happy to be home. Today we visited Victoria for a while and later picked up our other kids (Olly and Foxy). Much thanks to Steven, Pam, and Faith for watching them. Tonight we found out that Victoria has gained another 40 grams putting her at 3 lbs. 15 oz. It seems that she is growing at a tremendous rate. Hopefully tomorrow she will surpass the 4 pound mark. That will certainly be cause for celebration.

Together Again

Just a quick note and a picture. This is the first time Kristin has held Victoria in over a week. Today we will spend most of the day in the NICU. Dr. Jones will come to the hospital after her office hours to discharge Kristin. She told us yesterday that her partner could discharge Kristin in the morning. However, both Kristin and I feel much more comfortable with Dr. Jones and we told her we would wait until she was available. That will put us home sometime after 6 or 7 PM Eastern Time. Obviously we will continue to visit Victoria everyday until she is able to come home. Hopefully soon!!

Lets Blow this Popsicle Stand

Dr. Jones was just in to check on Kristin. Since Kristin has progressed so quickly, they felt that she could actually go home tonight. We both decided that we would rather wait until tomorrow so we can visit Victoria a little more easily. Kristin did get to go see Victoria today for the first time in over a week. Sometime tomorrow evening, Dr. Jones will come in and give us all the discharge details. This is obviously great news since we did not expect to be leaving anytime before next week. Kristin is feeling tons better but still a little apprehensive about leaving the hospital before she is ready. Once again, Thanks to everyone that has either left an encouraging post, called, or stopped by the hospital to visit. It shows that the two of us have a very strong support structure of friends and family. Kristin would love to have any visitors providing that they have not been sick in the past week or so. After tomorrow, you can all catch us at home or on our cell phones.

"Turn the Page" - Bob Seger

Kristin continues to recover at a steady pace. She had both of the drain traps removed from her abdomen yesterday. Her diet has been advanced and she is eating well. Mr. Vicodin is managing the pain well, however we discovered that it must be taken in order for it to work.....Kristin has been waiting too long between doses. We have increased the number of walks and the length of each. It appears that, if all continues the same, she should be busting out of this joint sometime in the next 2 or 3 days. AWESOME!!!

Victoria is also doing well. She has stayed at 3 lbs. 9 oz. for the past 3 days. They are having problems keeping her IV working in various spots and they have considered placing a PICC line. The NICU sent in samples of Kristin's breast milk from 12-26 and 12-27. Yesterday we learned that the breast milk culture has Staph bacteria. It is possible that Victoria's infection was pass via Kristin's breast milk. So it appears that Kristin's surgery has had some positive effect. If she didn't get so sick the NICU would not have started their preemptive antibiotics and blood cultures. This Staph infection may have gotten out of control if they had waited to see symptoms. Victoria also had a spinal tap yesterday to check for meningitis. This involves removing a small amount of spinal fluid from the base of the spine. Victoria didn't make a peep during the procedure. A few minutes later, Dr. Chai came and told me that the fluid looked good.

It appears that both of my ladies are doing well. I can only hope that this latest trend continues and that I can get them both home soon. I want everyone to know that this is not a JOB to me. I am only doing what Kristin would do for me. My strength comes from her strength. Many of you would be amazed at her ability to tolerate discomfort and have a positive attitude in an overall shitty situation. She is my rock! We are both learning a lot about each other and we know that this event is a springboard to the rest of our lives. Another page. Another chapter. I feel this chapter is nearly over. Now we just have to finish the rest of the novel.

"Today was a good day" - Ice Cube

Lots of changes today and that all appear to be good. Kristin and I both got a little bit of sleep last night, but not much. Early in the morning we learned that Kristin was allowed to start the "post surgical diet". This included a list of soft foods and liquids. She was also able to get the foley catheter removed. After that Kristin took a nice long shower. Feeling like a million bucks we were visited by Dr. Jones who told us that the morphine pump and TPN would also be removed. We also learned that one bag of TPN, which lasts 24 hours, cost $2,500 US. Once again we are laughing all the way to our insurance statement. Later we spoke with Brenda, our RN for the day, who told us we were going to be moved to a different room. Brenda arranged for us to move to a much larger room without a roommate. She told us that she spoke with the charge nurse and requested that we remain by ourselves if at all possible. For this, Brenda earned our FAVORITE NURSE AWARD. With a grand prize of a plate of Penny's no bake cookies. So it appears that tonight we will be able to rest much more comfortably and Kristin continues to feel better each day. Dr. Jones told us that she sees Kristin going back home before next weekend. We are certainly enjoying 2006!

Victoria also had a progressive day. She was returned to small feedings to see if her stomach would tolerate food, which it did. They are still testing Kritin's breast milk to see if it can be used. Hopefully we will have an answer for that question sometime tomorrow. Victoria appears to be doing well and they will do more blood tests in the morning. Last night, shortly after midnight, I went up to the NICU to see and hold my daughter for the first time in 2006. Once I got to her bedside, I noticed a small dark object on her bed near her diaper. I picked it up and quickly discovered that it was her umbilical cord. The picture is her new belly button. Enjoy!

NG Gone

As I stated previously, Kristin had her first BM last night since the surgery. She had a few more today and is feeling good. Today they did a tolerance test to see if Kristin's digestive system was working. The test is to clamp off the suction on her NG tube for 4 hours. Then reattach the suction for 30 minutes. If the suction removed less than 100 CZ of fluid then the stomach and intestine are doing their jobs. Then repeat this test a second time to make sure the first wasn't a fluke. Well, for both tests Kristin produced less than 20 cc of fluid. At 7 PM the NG tube was removed. The RN, Tracie, made a comment about the size of the tube that was used. She stated it was much bigger around than what they would normally use. Once the NG was removed there was a noticeable difference in Kristin's energy level. Now she is still extremely tired, but feeling much better than earlier today.

As for Victoria, she continues to do well. Since Kristin was infected, the doctors in NICU decided to do blood cultures on Victoria and begin her on antibiotics. Last night we learned that the culture had shown a presence of Gram positive Cocci. It appears that this infection has not had any major symptomatic effects on Victoria to date. However, the "big guns" or "gorilla killers" have been deployed to combat this infection. It is not known if this infection was contracted by contact with Kristin. Regardless, we are confident in NICUs ability to return her to forward progress.

Here is a pic of Kristin after our big moment today. Happy New Year! May it be MUCH better than 2005 has been to both sides of our family.

Holy Crap!

I never thought I would be so happy (once again) to see feces. Tonight around 8 PM Kristin had her first BM since the surgery. This is AWESOME news because it means that her colon appears to be working properly. Also after twisting some arms and making threats...Kristin finally received the TPN and it appears to be working already. She has some energy back and I know it will continue to build. I hope you all are as happy about her poop as I am because it means she just took a huge step towards going home.

How to say Thanks

Kristin continues to do well on her long road to recovery. She has been very tired today due to not eating since Monday. TPN has been ordered and will hopefully return some energy as it provides calories and some nutrition via IV. Today she has gone for two short walks and is making good progress.

As the days pass, we begin to realize exactly how serious this infection was. Women's OB in Saginaw is Kristin's OB group practice. So far 4 of the 6 doctors have stopped in to check on Kristin, or just say hello and wish us well. Some of them have come in on their own time (not on call). So, I would like to thank all of the doctors, especially Dr. Ladonna Jones for their professionalism and overall caring for my wife. Bruce normally has wise words for me....one thing he normally tells me is either "Thanks for doing your job" or "Thanks for locking up the bad guys". I must admit that I have stolen these words and used them several times in the past 2 months. Last night Dr. Jones was telling Kristin how lucky she was to be alive. She said, "If we wouldn't have gotten to that infection quickly, it would have killed you." At this point, I made it a point to thank her for saving her life. I said, "Thanks for doing your job." "No problem." she replied. I have realized that being a doctor is a unique profession, but possibly similar to being a cop. Here this lady is responsible for saving my wife's life and all I can do is say thanks. She put herself through years of education and countless hours of practicing her art, all for us. I have directly reaped the benefits of her hard work. Sure the pay is good, but if the job was easy then we would all be doctors. So I encourage anyone reading this to call or write Women's OB and thank their staff on our behalf. I have tried to think of a way to show my appreciation. Like many cops, they don't want to be called a hero. But a smile, a handshake, and a "Thanks for doing your job" goes a long way.

Women's OB
5400 Mackinaw Rd.
Saginaw, MI 48604
(989) 792-3100

http://www.womensob.com/

WTF!

Sorry! As you can probably tell, this is Rod reporting again. I apologize to those that know what the title means...but lately I have been wondering WTF is going on!!?? I'm sure you are all worried and concerned for Kristin, so I will actually give you the whole story...beware, its long.

Since giving life to our wonderful little Victoria, Kristin's recovery had been slow. She recently (Past week to two) had been experiencing low back pain and minor cramping in her stomach area. Since this was our first baby, and due to all the added events, we thought it was "normal". Monday night was my first night working after a nice 4 day Christmas weekend. Before I left for work I noticed that Kristin was a bit warm and we took her temp (100.3). Shortly after I left for work, Kristin began to have much more extreme pain in her stomach. When I got home from work at 7:15 AM, she was in obvious pain and told me that she had not slept at all. Both Kristin and I thought that it was simply the flu again that may have been passed from on of the kids or adults that were visiting over the weekend. So, I laid down and slept for about 3 or 4 hours. When I got up Kristin was still in a lot of pain. Still thinking it was the flu we decided to go get checked out. Since St. Mary's has an emergency care unit near our house we decided to just go there, again thinking it was just the flu. Luckily we received excellent care... they performed a pelvic ultrasound on Kristin. This discovered an area of concern around Kristin's ovaries. The PA described the concern as being a large cyst on her left ovary and medium cyst on her right ovary. He also told us that there appeared to be an area of bleeding around her left ovary. The PA contacted Dr. Jones at Covenant and they arranged for Kristin to be transported to Covenant's ER via ambulance.

Shortly after arriving at Covenant, Dr. Jones came and spoke with us. She told us that she had reviewed the radiology reports and that surgery was necessary to see what was actually going on around Kristin's ovaries. Dr. Jones stated that she believed that it was most likely a large cyst that had ruptured and began to bleed. So, after many questions and signing some paperwork, Kristin was transported back to Covenant Harrison. She went to the 5th floor operating room. Ironically, this is the same floor that the NICU occupies. Kristin was quickly preped for surgery.

At 8:30 PM, Kristin was taken into the operating room for surgery. Dr. Jones told me that if all went well the surgery would last up to 90 minutes. I decided to wait in the NICU to be with Victoria. At approximately 8:55 PM one of Dr. Jones' assistants called me and told me that they did not believe that the ovaries were cancerous. This was obviously great news. About an hour later I received another phone call. This time the assistant told me that Dr. Jones had discovered a "pocket of infection" around the ovaries. She also told me that Dr. Jones had called in two general surgeons to assist her. I was unsure what this all meant, but I knew it wasn't good. At about 10:30 PM Dr. Jones came to speak with me at the NICU. Dr. Jones explained to me what exactly occurred. As we were speaking, Bruce and Karen arrived and I asked Dr. Jones to explain all the details to us. Dr. Jones told me that she observed a devastating infection in and around Kristin's uterus. She stated that she believed the infection began inside her uterus and quickly spread to her ovaries. The infected tissue had spread to Kristin's appendix and her colon. Therefore, in order to save Kristin's life, the doctors removed her uterus, ovaries, tubes, and appendix. The general surgeon, Dr. Patel, cleaned out much of the infected tissue and repaired her colon. Dr. Jones told me that, if left untouched, the infection would have killed Kristin within 24 to 48 hours.

At approximately 1:45 AM I was able to see Kristin in the recovery room. She was stable and did not require ICU. I had the unfortunate burden of explaining the results of the surgery. However, Kristin took the news well. She remembered my advice to her just before she went into surgery, "Victoria needs a mother more than she needs a brother or a sister."

At this point, Kristin is feeling very well. Her spirit is high and she is very positive about the situation. We are so thankful for the skill, dedication, and knowledge of Dr. Jones, Dr. Patel, and everyone that assisted us thus far. Covenant is a great hospital and we are lucky to be here. And I am thankful that my wife, my best friend, my LIFE is still here with me....Smiling!

So now what?? Kristin will remain in the hospital for a week or more to recover. As long as her colon responds normally there will be no more surgery. Unfortunately, Kristin will not be allowed to visit Victoria for a few days due to the infection. NICU has already began preemptive measures to check and combat a possible infection. Anyone wishing to call or visit, please call me or the Balcerski's for details.

This has been a difficult few months....we may never have all the answers to our questions....but at least we have our baby girl.

Just a cool pic!

What's changed in this picture?

It seems like every day we visit the nursery, something has changed - sometimes better, sometimes a little step back. I guess it's a mixed Christmas blessing.

Today, they took Victoria's IV out. Overall, this is a "YAY!" event, though we wish it would just have happened because she had been completely weaned off of it. The IV site in her leg started leaking, and they weren't able to restart the IV in her hand, so the doctor decided that she was getting little enough in the way of the supplemental fluid that she could do without it.

The little step back was that she had to be put on Oxygen via a cannula. In speaking with Dr. Mohsini, we're comfortable with the decision. As she explained it, as we increase the amount of food Victoria takes into her belly, the harder her body has to work to digest that food, which means it's tougher for it to control other functions. Doctor's comment to us was, "I see tons of premies every day, and Victoria is doing as well as she possibly could for a baby her age/size". How reassuring to hear that! We only know our situation, and don't really know what to expect - it's great to hear it from her.

Weight-wise, Victoria's still on an upward trend, which is important. The overall trend seems to be 40 grams gained, 20 lost. That's what happened yesterday. She's now 3-3.

The nursery was a very busy place, as the parents of six of the babies were there celebrating with their little ones. By the time Victoria comes home, she should be able to sleep through anything!

Crazy few days

Sorry we haven't updated this in a few days... It's that time of year when schedules seem to get tight (even if we don't have to work!)

Friday, Rod and I hosted our second annual family Christmas dinner, and were able to take Uncle Jeff and Aunt Marie, and Uncle Steve and Aunt Brena to meet Victoria. Of course, both sets of grandparents were at the hospital for a while visiting as well! Jaj (Grandpa B.) got to hold Victoria for the first time, and I think she enjoyed it (see pic below)!

Also on Friday Victoria got moved to a different nursery in the NICU. There are eight total nurseries - 1-3 are for those babies needing the most attention, and the remainder are for everyone else. We moved from nursery 2 to nursery 5. In many ways, this is a big milestone - it's one step closer to coming home.

Victoria is the second smallest premie in her new nursery, so she's got some catching up to do. But she's working on that part! She's up to 3-4 now, and taking 20cc's of milk at each feeding. The doctor has stopped increasing her feedings for now, as that amount seems to be just about all she can handle.

When I was holding her the other night, I had my pinkie finger in her mouth, and she started sucking on it like crazy! It's exciting to see her slowly having more control over her actions. Now all she's got to work on is the swallow/breathe part. Her nurse told us it takes a while for them to learn to hold their breath when they swallow.

It sounds like around 33 and a half weeks is when they usually start to try to get the babies to nurse or bottle feed. If Victoria's on target, that would be around January 5 or 6, I think, since she's 32 weeks today. I can't wait for that!!!

Well, it's Christmas, and Rod and I are going to be spending most of the day at the hospital with our miracle.

Ta-Daa!

Here she is - our big Christmas star! Grandma Penny bought this outfit the day Victoria was born. It's a preemie outfit and still a little too big for her, but we couldn't resist trying it on!

Not too much has changed since the last update with Victoria. She's still getting her feedings increased every 12 hours by 1cc. The medication they're giving her to help with the reflux really seems to be helping. She's also doing a good job digesting her feedings in time for the next one, with not too many residuals. Victoria's weight did go down 10 grams, but she's still technically at 3-2. All in all, a pretty good day!

New Ticker

I've added a countdown ticker to the top of the blog, as I'm sure you noticed. We don't really know when we'll be able to bring Victoria home, but originally the doctor told us to plan on around her due date, so that's what I did. If it's sooner, it's that much more special for us!

We've become "those people"!!!

What do I mean? We got excited over poop yesterday!! Victoria has been getting daily suppositories to help her move things through... Yesterday, she pooped all on her own!! Funny how such a little thing can seem like such a big milestone. I understand that it doesn't mean she won't need help in the near future, but it's still a step in the right direction.

Also, now that she has been on the medication for a day to help with the reflux, she seems to be keeping her feedings down. With the exception of one little setback, she also seems to be digesting all off her feedings in time for the next one, too.

Victoria gained 40 grams last night, so she's now up to 3-2. She also seems to be getting more and more alert every day - though we've still got a long ways to go.

Photo for today - two hands with no IV! Of course, it's not gone, it's just been moved to her foot.
And our little Christmas Elf :) A group of women made and donated little outfits for all the girls in the NICU.

Just a quick update

Daddy and I are both still trying to catch up on the sleep we lost over the past month... Not too successfully, I might add. Everybody says we should sleep now, before Victoria comes home. But Rod's got to get readjusted to working nights and sleeping days, and I can't sleep much anyhow. We'll get it figured out eventually, I'm sure!

Weight updates: Victoria's weight was up to 3lbs, 1oz last night, and stayed the same tonight.

Her feedings seem to not quite sit so well with her belly today, but it might all just be too much too quickly. They'll get that delicate balance figured out soon, we're sure. I was at the hospital earlier when Dr. Chai made his rounds, and he's just as wonderful as ever. If ever there were a group of doctors who really seem to earn the money they make, it's the neonatologists in the NICU. He really takes the time to make sure we're completely comfortable with everything that's going on, explains why he's doing what he's doing, and at the same time, tries to prepare us for what might be going on when it's time to bring Victoria home.

Today's camera shot:

A Breath of Fresh Air

Just as the doctor suggested yesterday, Victoria's weight won't always go up. The main thing is that there's an upward trend overall. Last night, Victoria's weight went down an ounce, so she's an even three pounds. The good news today? The doctor ordered her feedings to increase by 2cc's every three hours (they were going up by 1cc), so she's already up to getting 12cc's at each feeding! Also, the doctor okayed the cannula to come out of Victoria's nose! We can finally see her face, and she looks like her daddy!

It's Time for Mom to Take Over

I'm back! I figure it's about time you hear from the happy mommy for a change. I'm feeling a little bit better as the days progress, though I think little Victoria is recovering more quickly than I. It seems patience is the key for everything these days. I still can't do much around the house, but at least am feeling up to getting the laptop out to post updates. I'll try to be as consistent as Rod has so wonderfully been the past month. It's been a long month, and he's been an amazing husband and father. I couldn't ask for a more perfect life partner. He is my rock.

3 lbs. 1 oz. and counting

Yesterday we took time to rest and then went to visit Victoria around 8 PM. We were there for the daily weigh in, and she crossed the 3 pound mark again. Victoria is doing very well with only one minor issue. She is getting a sopository pretty much daily to help out with the #2 situation. The nurses say that this is common and really nothing to worry about. Today, Grandma Penny is coming down and going to take Kristin over to the hospital to visit. Once again, thanks to everyone that has been leaving encouraging comments on the blog. We really enjoy reading them and they help us a lot. Now, I must go snowblow the driveway so that mom's Park Avenue can make it up to the house....Fun!!!

1 Week Old Today!!!

Today Victoria became 1 week old. Kristin and I were at the hospital on Thursday around 9 PM and she told me she wanted to stick around until 0402 hours for Victoria's 1 week birthday. Then about 5 minutes later I noticed Kristin closing her eyes in exhaustion. It seems that the long 6 weeks has taken a toll on the both of us. As much as we want to be at the hospital it is also important that we rest. So, off to home we went and Kristin went directly to bed. I am assuming that she is getting some good sleep but, as you can see, I am not. I am writing this at 6:15 AM and I just finished feeding the dogs and putting dinner in the crock pot......As they say, I'll sleep when I'm dead! Till then, Bruce bring me some more "ex"presso.

Test Run

Day 6

Wednesday was another good day. Victoria maintained her previous weight of 2 lbs. 15 oz. They continue to increase the amount of breast milk she is receiving so that should turn into more weight because it has a high fat content. Today we gave her another bath and I was able to do "kangaroo care" for about an hour and a half. It was definitely a good day!

Backed Up Tuesday

Tuesday was yet another good day. They continued to increase the amount of breast milk Victoria is receiving with only one minor setback. At the 11 PM feeding they noticed that her entire feeding from 8 PM was still in her stomach. Then they realized that she had not gone #2 in a while. So, after giving her some medicine, the way no one wants to get medicine, she went #2...And #2 again..And #2 again. I should know, I was the one changing the diaper. It was probably the most fun one could have looking at feces. Either way, I definitely have the lead in the messy diaper contest.

Day 4

Victoria again lost a bit of weight on Day 3. She is now down to 2 lbs. 9 oz. The good news is that they have increased her breast milk intake and will increase it 1 cc every 12 hours. Once she is receiving around an ounce every 3 hours they will be able to remove the IV which provides her with nutrition. The Rn said this could take around 15 days. Day 3 I was lucky enough to hold my daughter for about 45 minutes. She fell into a deep REM like sleep, and I couldn't be more proud! Kristin and I will attempt to spend most of today at the hospital, as we believe that our presence is essential to our little girl's health. And now for 1,000 words...

Home ...Not So Sweet Home

Around 7 PM Sunday, Kristin and I finally left the hospital for home. It was bitter-sweet. Coming home without our little girl hurts, but we know she is in the best hands. Sunday Kristin and I got to be involved in some more firsts. We assisted with Victoria's first bath and we both changed a diaper. It was so FUN!! Kristin also spent some time doing "kangaroo care". If you don't know what this is, well neither did I a few days ago. This is a time of bonding where they place the baby directly on the parent's chest for skin to skin contact. It has all kinds of benefits for the baby and parents. Today Victoria lost a bit more weight, down to 2 lbs. 15 oz., but I am assured that this is not a major concern. It is now 7:30 AM and we are getting ready to go she her, so once again I leave you with a picture. This is one of my favorites to date!

What a difference a day makes

Day 2

Wow, were we tired or what?! Kristin and I both cashed out last night around 8 PM. Sleep has replenished our energy. Kristin is feeling better by the hour, and as soon as the pneumonia clears up, we will be able to go home. Victoria is having a wonderful day of firsts. Her first bit of food in her stomach closely followed by her first poop. Her first time being held by mommy and followed by daddy. Today they removed the Cpap (breathing apparatus that makes her look like a Navy pilot). We were able to hear her cry for the first time (for us) also. Lots of visitors and phone calls has made it a busy day. So again, I will leave you with a picture and a promise to continue the updates as much as possible.

Just Pics

December 9, 2005 Victoria Makes A Grand Entrance

As you may have heard, our beautiful baby girl was born today at 4:02 AM. Kristin had been experiencing increasing contractions for the better part of the day. At about 3:30 AM, I was finally able to talk a RN into checking her. Kristin was almost fully dialated. Fifteen minutes later Kristin's water broke while she was on the toilet. Her immediate comment, "Oh, that can't be good." Seventeen minutes later Victoria made her grand entrance. As she was born she opened her beautiful eyes and looked right at me. It was a nervous time because it was unknown if Victoria would be able to breath on her own. I watched as the medical staff placed a small bag-valve mask on my little girl. After two pumps, I heard the operator say, "Oh. There she goes." Then I was able to see her little chest moving up and down. She was breathing and making little sounds. They quickly rushed her up to NICU. About an hour and a half later I was allowed to go and see my baby girl. They warned me of all the equipment that would be hooked up, but I expected this. What a sight. For some reason, I was not worried. I had complete confidence in the personnel and the situation. I knew that Victoria was born for a reason. Either to protect herself, or to protect mom. A few hours later Kristin was able to go up and see her creation. The moments are simply indescribable. Later in the day we learned that a test taken a few days ago showed that Kristin was infected with the Flu. Of course, she had the flu shot two days before all of the contractions began.......If it was the cause, no one expected it. However, all is well with both mom and baby. She is breathing on her own and everyone speaks highly of her. Victoria weighs a grand 3 pounds 5 ounces and she is 16 and 1/2 inches in length. Well there is simply too much to say, so I will leave you with two photographs. The first face to face meeting between mother and daughter and the proud parents. More to come. Enjoy!

An Apple A Day???? I wish.

Today started out a bit rough. Many contractions and a lot of pain. However it is ending up a bit better. It seems that the Procardia is working again and Kristin has regained some energy. It seems that a good shower should be in the medical books under "How to make someone feel better." Kristin's appetite is getting better each day and her breathing is nearly back to normal. Hopefully only a day or two more on the O2. Bad news is that there is no end in sight. It is becoming more and more evident that Kristin will be here for the remainder of the pregnancy. Luckily Jeff and Marie have agreed to take in Foxy for a while and Brandon (cop buddy) has agreed to take Olly. This is a huge weight of guilt off of my shoulders. Thanks also to Ben for taking care of the dogs last night.

Doctor Roulette

As quickly as Kristin was placed on magnesium sulfate, she was taken off. You have to understand that the doctors work 24 hr shifts and change at noon. So, a lot of quick changes come in the early afternoon. Again, medicine is an art and not everyone can draw a straight line. A few more ultrasounds and we were assured that Victoria has no idea what is going on with mom. As of late, it appears that the contractions are slowing. Kristin's O2 level keeps getting higher and her white count keeps getting lower. All good signs that she is kicking the crap out of the infection. Oh, we also saw the Pulmenology specialist, Dr. Cannon, came in to see Kristin today. (Remember he was the one 95% positive she did NOT have pnoumia) When he asked if Kristin or I had any questions for him...We simply said "No." Guess we are not to sure about getting advice from the guy that was completely wrong in a subject he "specializes" in.

Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

After having the best day in a while, Kristin started contracting again today. At about 2:30 AM Kristin began contracting. Procardia and Breathine had little effect. Therefore, she is back on the magnesium sulfate. Definitely not what we wanted to happen. So it appears that the infection in the lungs may not of been the cause of the contractions. This means we are back to square one, and it appears that Kristin may be here indefinitely. Hopefully by the end of the day I will have some better news to report. Until then...

Phone Calls!

Phone calls at work from my wife always seem to scare me, especially now. 6 AM this morning and my cell phone rings...I have temporarily made a spot for it on my duty belt in case of an emergency call from the hospital...Its Kristin and the thought "Oh Shit!" runs through my head. Kristin says, "Hi. I just wanted to call you and tell you that I feel great!" Ahhhhh, dodged a bullet. So, as you can see, the doctors appear to be doing something right. Today was the best Kristin has felt in about a month. Towards the end of the day she has gotten worn down, but nothing a good nights sleep won't cure. Me, well I have to work tonight and I have traffic court tomorrow. Can you believe this knuckled wants to fight one of MY stop sign tickets...What a joke. Anyway, after court I am off for three. Looking forward to visiting with Rich, Cyndi and Jordyn on Thursday and whoever else decides to stop.

Patient or Felon? You decide!

From this picture....Is this a medical problem or a law enforcement problem? I thought I was witnessing a violation of the controlled substance act, however it turned out to be medicine. Dang! Missed yet another collar. Well, if you can tell by my demeanor, Kristin is feeling much better. Still not good enough to even think about coming home, but making progress. More sleep and more food equals more energy. This weekend we had much help from our families. Thanks to Russ for coming down to support. Thanks to Penny for washing all the baby clothes, cleaning the entire house, and shoveling the porch. Thanks to Bruce and Karen for being here for support and company. Thanks to Scott for taking care of our dogs again and again. Thanks to Jody for visiting and for all the nice gifts! Certainly things would be much more difficult for us if you all didn't pitch in. More to come...Stay tuned.

He said...She said

They say that medicine is an art...Each doctor sees medicine a bit different. Originally, Dr Wagner used the chest x-ray to say that Kristin had pnoumia. Then the Pulmenology specialist came in and said that the x-ray was inconclusive and that he was 95% positive that she did not have pnoumia. Later in the day we saw the infectious disease specialist, Dr Kahn. Dr. Kahn stated he was 100% that she did have pnoumia. He said listed several reasons and was able to convince both Bruce and I. Later in the day Kristin was transported to the Cooper building for a CT of her lungs to check for blood clots. Results showed that she did not have any blood clots and it proved that she did have pnoumia. This was great news since it may be a cause for all the garbage going on. The antibiotics that Kristin is currently on double covers any possible bug that may have caused the infection. Today looks like it will mainly be a day of resting. Kristin and I just returned from the shower....Sounds sexy, but not really! :) She is feeling a lot better as her energy level has increased a bit and she doesn't currently smell.

Doppler, and X-Rays, And Glucose Oh My!

Last night Dr. Wagner pulled out the book and ordered every test imaginable. The goal was to use the process of elimination to try and find a reason for Kristin's condition. He ordered Doppler tests on Kristin's legs to check for blood clots. Results were negative. Next up was a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia. Results....POSITIVE. The x-ray showed signs of pneumonia in both lungs. Now this may sound bad, but it may also be good. The good part, is that it may be the cause of the contractions in a round-about way, and it is treatable. Kristin has received every imaginable antibiotic in hopes of knocking out any infections. She is also getting breathing treatments every 4 hours. The glucose test is to see if Kristin has gestational diabetes. This test involves fasting for 8 hours and then taking a glucose filled drink. The lab then draws blood every hour for three hours to check her sugar level. This test turned out to be a bad idea. Since Kristin had been on a liquid only diet for the past few days, her stomach was completely empty. If there was anything in her stomach, she puked it up last night due to the effects of some of the antibiotics that were given to her. Kristin had to drink the glucose beverage within 5 minutes. Approximately 30 seconds later, the glucose drink was in the basin and I flushed it down the toilet. Needless to say, they are going to have to do that test another day. A few hours later and Kristin has eaten a little food and appears to be feeling better, however she is extremely tired. Today she is supposed to see a breathing specialist regarding the pneumonia.

I would like to thank everyone for all the kind words and help you have been giving us. Thanks to the Packard family for taking care of my other two kids (Foxy and Olly). We are looking forward to visiting with Bruce, Karen, Penny, and Jody on Saturday. Stay tuned...More updates are sure to follow...I seem to have a lot of time on my hands.

As The World Turns...

We had a hectic night. After telling us that Kristin would not receive magnesium sulfate, Doctor Jones changed her mind. It appeared that procardia was not working, and Kristin continued to have contraction after painful contraction. At approximately 1 AM, they started the magnesium sulfate to "clean out her body so the procardia will be able to work." Kristin slept for about 2 hours on her left side until about 3 AM. At this time, Kristin rolled over and described sharp pains on the left side of her body. Kristin's stomach was tensed on the left side for approximately 15 minutes. This was very painful. I alerted the nurse, who alerted Doctor Jones and within a short time they were performing another ultrasound on Kristin. The doctor's were very concerned the placenta was beginning to separate from the uterus. As Doctor Jones stated, "This would be catastrophic." This would cause bleeding which would jeopardize both Kristin and Victoria. Since this was a possibility, they requested that Kristin give permission for an emergency cesarean section if it became necessary. The ultrasound did not show anything unusual. They also did a amniocentesis (basically they jam a needle into the womb and pull out some amniotic fluid). This is done to check for bleeding and infections inside the uterus. This showed no signs of blood or infection and after a short time, along with some pain medication, the pain subsided and Kristin was able to fall asleep. She slept well from about 4:30 AM until about 7:30 AM. If you are wondering about me...Well, I slept from about 6:30 AM till about 8:30 AM. Today, we had another ultrasound performed by the neoperinatologist, Dr. Wechter. He did observed an area where their may have been some bleeding. However he stated that it may have been caused by the amniocentesis. For now, Kristin is feeling better but still not good enough to return home. As the world turns...We get closer and closer to having a healthy Victoria that is ready for the outside world. We can only hope that she holds out another 4 weeks ...Preferably longer.