Tuesday

Pics of Piper

These pics are the past week of kangrooing, first bottle, and first breast feed successfully! She pulled out her feeding tube last week so they have now taped it across her face! Hopefully we will be getting that out sooner than later!!

My favorite pic is of daddy covered in her blanket kangrooing her! The man who disposed pink is now covered in it.. By choice. We went to the store yesterday to pick up a baby first kit with clippers, thermometer.. Etc.  There was two kits and one was cheaper by five dollars but it was white. The more expensive one was pink. I told Nate let's just get this one.. He said no she's a girl she needs pink!! This is the man who told me not too much pink in her room!! Haha!! 

Daddy already spoils her! He also loves kangroo care so much he asked jokingly so we do this till she is ten right?! 

Our new world..

Since I've had Piper, it's been intense nonstop action. I'm exclusively pumping to feed Piper breast milk (BM) thru her tube which takes so much energy out of me. I'm pumping every two hours.. Learning how to function after bedrest is exhausting enough. Walking the first week was so hard. Learning to drive again.. It's all a lot! 
In addition, we finally are home in our house (piper is still at hospital). We lived at my moms for two weeks as I wasnt capable of stairs yet and needed help getting to the hospital since Nate was working. Now that we are both on summer, we are at the hospital as mich as we can, but coming home was a huge ordeal because we haven't been here in two months. So there are piles of gifts, mail and books for Nates business.. as well as household chores that have been neglected. Literally our living room has exploded, kitchen table is liked high with laundry, bills on the dining room table. But I expect this is normal for new parents except leavibg your baby at the hospital every night. 

We also go to hospital daily which is at least an hour drive each way. It's just exhausting.. We have a to do list a mile long because the two months I was hospitalized Nate was there with me & now were trying get it done prior to Piper coming home as she can't be out and about exposed to germs. The first year is so critical for preemies- she can't get sick. A normal cold could kill her or send her back to the hospital. 

Yet,  We can't complain our dream of a baby has come true.

So on our lil pip Sqeak. She stayed 9 days in NiCU. She was only one day on oxygen (CPAP) and since has been breathing all on her own! She does sometimes DSAT which is where their oxygen levels go down below 80 but she always recovers on her own. She also has occasional Brady's which is where Er heart rate drops below 70. They say it is super typical for preemies and she will outgrow it. So since Piper was doing everything a premise should she was moved to the NSCU floor. Which is considered a typical nursery floor for babies who just need more time to grow! She has now been on this floor for 12 days. At 31 weeks she was able to get her PIC line out so she isn't on any iv fluids and she was able to start wearing clothes (we also moved floors that week). Than at 32 weeks she had her feeds increased. She is now at a full feed of 34 cc every 3 hours!! She is gaining weight and doing great! She was also cleared of any brain bleeds. They say if she hasn't developed them after 14 days we are safe!! She isn't in the clear yet for NEC which is a instestine disease that kills all the gut till 34 weeks but she isn't showing any signs of it! NEC is terrible disease that kills many preemies and docs don't know why or how it starts other than an overgrowth of bacteria. We pray she doesn't ever get this!!


 We are now at 33 weeks and she started bottle feeding. The doctors were very surprised she was rooting for food this early and told us she prolly won't even successfully eat a bottle till 4 tries. The first try Piper ate half The bottle! The next day they gave her one and she ate all of it. So they moved her to two feeds a day by bottle and she did excellent! 

Today since she did so well feed breast milk by the bottle they recommended I also try the breast. She was feed twice on the bottle and once on the breast. She has eight feeds a day and they want her to get to fully eating by breast or bottle before going home. But they increase slowly since its a lot of work for a baby whose suppose to be still in the womb and they don't want them to lose weight in the process! Piper did excellent on the breast and feed for twenty mins! 

In addition Piper is getting moved from her isolate to an open crib soon!! 

The big things to go home are:
1. Breathe room air-check
2. Eat all meals by bottle or breast-in progress
3.maintain body temp and be in open crib-in progress
4. No DSAT or Bradycardia (she has to outgrow this) for 7 days! 


So please pray that Piper remains healthy (no NEC)! Pray she continues to make progress towards going home and for her medical team. Thanks to everyone who prays for her and has supported us on this journey!!