22 Days Old

Everyone is saying that I look like I am putting on weight and filling out. . . .I guess that is a good thing. . . . .

I am getting much better at this eating thing. It sure does wear me out though. I will be up to 30cc's at my feeding tonight. That is a large jump from where I started last week at 3 cc's. I have graduated to a bottle too.

I made things very difficult for my parents this weekend. They were getting very discouraged because I would not eat very well for them. Once they passed me on to the nurses, I would finish my milk. It was kind of funny. Daddy was the first one to get me to eat my whole bottle on Sunday evening. Mommy didn't get the hang of it until Monday. But now they are experts, and now I am giving my night nurses a difficult time. This is kind of fun. They try to tell me they are in charge. . .but I am figuring it out that I have some pull around this place. Especially when everyone is telling me how cute and precious I am. I think that I am favored around here. My old nurses even come back and say Hi, because they miss me. They requested I return to the same Giraffe Floor after my second visit to the NICU. I guess a request has never been made before. HeeHee. . . .

I got my first manicure today. My nails were really long. I was scratching my face and mommy. So, she filed down my nails.

My surgeon came and visited me today. He said that I am doing VERY well. I am further along in my feedings then he expected. That is great news. Especially when some of the charge nurses are trying to give me a feeding tube. But my parents and favorite nurse Erin are trying to avoid this at all costs. So now we have some ammunition that I am ahead of the game and they won't be so pushy.

I have started getting a lot of company at the hospital. I sure have a lot of friends. I can't wait to meet all of you.


Take care

XXOO,
Alyssa

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Today is my daddy's birthday and I thought long and hard about what I was going to do for him today. . .

(1) I went poop again!!

(2) I got the tube taken out of my nose.

(3) I am learning how to eat. I have eaten twice so far without a tube. I have eaten 3cc's at each feeding and at my next one, I will move up to 6 cc's. I am going to get this down pack by this evening so when my daddy comes home from work, he can feed me and I won't have any problems.

It was also perfect timing that I received a present in the mail today from my Auntie Kari. She made me a cute hat and a necklace with my name on it. She must have known that I was going to jump so many hurdles today.

I am so loved!

Talk to you later. . .

Love,

Alyssa

Moved Again . . .

Well we are now out of the NICU again and back on the regular floor. Alyssa is still not her regular self, but we are showing improvement.

Alyssa gets to start feeding today!!! I am very excited for that. Hopefully she is able to accept the food. I am sure it will be weird to have food in her tummy since she has never eaten. She will start off being feed through a tube. Once the Occupational Therapist feels she is able to suck properly, we will be able to start bottle feeding. Hopefully that is really soon. Before this episode she was taking the binky and doing well. However, she has not taken it since her seizures, which scares me.

I can't believe that she is 16 days old already. She sure has had an eventful life so far.

Take care,
Kim, Alyssa and NJ

Back in the NICU

Sorry, it has been a few days. We have been very busy . . . .

We ran into some complications on Sunday and Monday that landed us back in the NICU. We are on our way to recovery again, but still need to receive some answers as to why and how we got into her condition. Basically Alyssa was given too many fluids which decreased her sodium levels to a dangerous level. She developed fluid on her lungs which caused her respiratory issues and then on Monday she started to have seizures. Not good things. . . .once we were able to have a nurse few her seizures they acted quickly in getting them under control in the NICU. We now have Alyssa's sodium levels to a normal level. But still have not received answers as to how the doctor's put her in this situation.

More to come. . . .

Onto some goods news. . . .SHE POOPED!!!! We had a small amount of poop, but non the less it was poop. Alyssa's tube was taken off suction and is now on gravity, so this will hopefully cause her bowel to move the bile through her intestines and she will continue to poop. If everything continues to go well, we will be able to start feeding her. It will be a long slow process, but she will finally receive her first feeding.

Take care,
Kim, Alyssa and NJ

Rough Night

We had a rough night becuase of the "big bad nurse". She was very rough with Alyssa and I did not like it one bit. At one point Alyssa was just crying and there was nothing I could do to make her stop. I had never seen her like that before. So, I finally called the nurse in to see if she had any ideas. She started unwrapping her and looked at where she had put one of the sensors and wrapped it. . . .her hand was completely purple. She had obviously wrapped it way too tight. Plus when she was doing her vitals, she kept using this blood pressure cuff that wasn't reading her blood pressure. I told her numerous times that the other nurses were using a different one. After squeezing her three times she finally listed to me and used the other cuff. Well she didn't learn her lesson, becuase the next time she came in, she used "her" cuff and it didn't work. Alyssa hates that portion of the vitals and was squeezed unnecessarily. It was making me so angry that the nurse wouldn't listen to me.

But we are now all tuckered out and fast asleep. . ..

Kim, NJ and Alyssa

Pictures

Update

We are now off the Belli Lights and back in a crib. Which makes things really nice. We can get closer to Alyssa and cuddle a little bit. She likes the crib so much better. She has been sleeping quite a bit and actually through the night last night. Which hopefully means she is healing. We have not gotten any of the signs yet that her bowel has started functioning again. We are eagerly awaiting that first poop! Keep your fingers crossed and pray for POOP! Alyssa got a new tube in her nose today. It is smaller and hopefully is a little more comfortable and will help decrease her heart rate drops and breathing irregularities.

NJ went back to work on Monday and is having a hard time being away from Alyssa. He eagerly awaits Friday's which he has designated as Daddy and Daughter day now that he has Friday's off. I will probably venture home on Friday. This will be my first time home in about 3 weeks. It is going to be weird. Because I haven't driven in about a month and a half.

Take care,

Kim, NJ and Alyssa

We've Been Upgraded

Last night we were upgraded from NICU and are now in a regular hospital room. Alyssa is doing wonderful after her surgery and now we are able to be in the same room with her. Which is great. So, now one of us is with her 24/7. She is developng jaundice, so they started her on the Belli lights. It is pretty neat, because she does not have to be put under the lights and wear the sunglasses. Instead they have a board that she lies on and is swaddled with it. So, we still get to hold her.

We still have a long ways to go for our little girl to make a recovery. So please continue all the positive thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Kim, NJ and Alyssa

Day #2

Alyssa Update. . .

We are now on day two at Children's. Alyssa is doing wonderful. . .and is just beautiful! The nurses are all wanting to hold and cuddle with her.

So, she was transfered to Children's about 4 hours after she was born and had surgery 8 hours after birth. The surgery lasted for 3 hours and her bowel was worse then what we had originally thought. But, the surgeon felt the surgery was techincally great. So, we are being optomistic. She has less bowel then we would like, but the surgeon said that it should stretch out and lengthen. We will not know the long term outcome for quite some time. We should be here at Children's for a minimum of 3 to 4 weeks. It will take about a year to truly see how her bowel will be.

Today, Alyssa received her first bath. NJ and I washed her nice THICK brown hair. She also had her breathing tube taken out and is now off oxygen. All great progression. She is in the process of getting a PIC line as we speak. So keep your fingers crossed that it goes in. It means less poking in the long run and she will be able to increase her fluid (food) intake.

That's the quick update of how we are doing. . . . Once I am able to download some pictures, I will post them.

Love,
NJ, Kim and Alyssa

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Alyssa Zoe Kole Brost
9/2/08
5:01 PM
6 lbs 3 oz
19.7 inches