I'm 2 months old today!! Monday, 10/3/2011 - 11:24a.m.

Grace Lucia is 2 months old today.. weighing in at 3lbs. 5oz (fluid!!) & 16.1" long.. she is 62 days old (actual) & 36w1day (gestational).

Gracie pulled out her vent tube this morning, so she is back on high flow nasal canular.. her parents couldn't be happier!!  She's a strong girl, she didn't want it anymore, she doesn't need it, so she pulled it out!

Well rested & feeling better!!





The short plan is, they are starting her on a new formula - Neocat.  We'll see how she does with it.  They put the NJ tube in this morning, will get an xray around noon to see if it looks like it's going in the right place.  If not in the right place by 2:00pm, they'll have radiology check it & put it in right place.  The NJ will bypass her belly, so they can put her higher on the feeds, probably going up 1cc's/hour every six hours.  She needs to gain weight, not just fluid weight (like the 4 oz she gained over night).  So, when I check in later, at least I'll be able to update that the NJ is in the right place.

She has 1 working IV in her arm and we need that to not "blow".. because she still has 3 days left on her antibiotics..and we don't want her to have to have a surgicially placed iv.. so let's pray!!  Thanks for all you're prayers up til now..


I'll check in later.. Daddy heads home today.. he'll be home til Friday.. if anyone wants to help feed him dinner, just call him!  He goes to his in-laws on Wed. eve.  We'll miss you, Daddy! But we'll be OK!



Love you,
pattie & gary, gracie & max

Daddy's FIRST diaper change! 10/2/2011-Sun. 10:45pm

Yes, you read correctly, Daddy did his first diaper change today.. and he got a pleasant poop from Gracie!! :)  Daddy did great, he was really gentle. Penny, Gracie's nurse today, was very encouraging & teaching Gary, as I took pictures.  He did good! But needs to keep on doing it, to feel more comfortable.  He was pretty nervous, but I'm sure he'll get it down in no time. 

Daddy's 1st Diaper Change!!



We could tell Gracie was feeling better today.  She was moving around alot today.  They had to put one of her IV's in her arm with a board so she couldn't move around her arm as much.. but she was riding the vent much today, and there's talk to get her off the ventiliator sooner than later.  We would like tomorrow to be the sooner. 

I was able to give Gracie her first sponge bath from Mommy.  Penny, was so helpful & encouraging that I should be able to give her sponge baths every other day as long as she up for it.  Here's a picture (excuse the picture taker, it was daddy, and it's not your eyes, it's Daddy's that was fuzzy)

Mommy giving sponge bath!

And when she was all cleaned up, she opened her eyes at us

"Mommy, I'm all cleaned!! Thanx"
Isnt' she cute!! She does look bigger! But we need her to get bigger.. :)


So, we had a good day with Gracie and tomorrow she'll hopefully feel alot better & I can get working on her with her binky! She was doing so well before she fell ill with this infection.  Let's hope this is her LAST infection!!

Good night everybody!!  Tomorrow Gracie will be 2 mos. old.. WOW :)

Love ya,

pattie & gary, gracie & max





Sunday Afternoon Check-In 3:00pm 10/2

Okay, so she did go up 1 oz today.. 3lbs 1oz.  I had to check & recheck it myself :)

We went to Hannaford's today, so I could get some lunch meat for my sandwiches this week.  Ham & Swiss cheese a couple of days with doritos, and pb & j the rest of the week.  Gary will do a small/cheaper shop at MB when he gets home.

here's Gracie today..she has an IV in her arm, that's why the board is there.. so she doesn't try to move it around too much!  She does look bigger, even though she's only 3lbs. 1oz.  They had put her feeds up to 3cc's/hr at 1:00pm, but she's had a few throw-ups since then, so put it back to 2cc's/hr.  Tomorrow, hoping the vent comes off & the NJ tube gets in by tomorrow or Tuesday.  That'll help her gain weight & she hates the vent, so who knows if she's puking cuz that's in the back of her throat.  Ahh.. the ups & downs of the NICU.

I'll catch up with everyone before we go to bed tonight.  Gary usually calls around 10:00 ish to check on Grace's night. 

Hi to Abby who's coloring a pic for Gracie.

Hi to Godmother Dalila who's watching a sailboat in Newport called "Amazing Grace"

Love to everyone else,

pattie & gary, gracie & max

Rain Again on Sunday 10/2/2011 @ 10:48am

Good morning! A wonderful breakfast was served this morning by the Saco & Biddeford Savings bank employees.. it was delicious.  Homemade coffee rolls, ham & cheese omelets, bacon, coffee, orange juice & pancakes.  Thank you!! It made for a nice morning on another rainy day! :(

We just had rounds with Gracie & she's still on 2cc's/hr of feeds, they tried to go up to 4 last night & she was throwing up alot in the middle of the night & this morning (now remember she also has a tube down her throat, which she hates).. so they dropped it back down to 2cc's, and will try to go to 3 this afternoon.  It's so frustrating because before this 'viral' infection she was at 8.5cc's/hour & doing well with it.  So, this morning's doctor is talking about putting the NJ tube in by radiology sometime early this week & getting an upper GI study while she's down in radiology, to see if there missing something. (why she's throwing up so much) (besides we just think it's the tube down her throat & she was sick).  The antibiotics are working and we are strong advocates for Grace to get her off the ventiliator.  So they're weaning the breaths down on the vent this morning, and hopefully will take her off later tonight or tomorrow. 

The talk of the NJ tube will mean they'll have the NJ tube go straight into the intestines & leave it there for a few weeks to really give her the nutrition she needs to grow.  So .. maybe we'll be home for Christmas! (said sarcastically, I hope thanksgiving!)

I'll update this afternoon & post pictures!!



Love,
pattie & gary, gracie & max

Yawnnn.. Sat. evening 10/1/11 @ 10:34pm

Gary & I went to dinner at Applebee's..gotta try out their 2/$20 meal.. appetizer-spinach & artichoke dip with tortilla chips & we both had cheeseburgers..came to $23 without tip.. good bargain!! :) Glad there's an applebee's close..

We also caught up on "Up all night" tv show..cute!! And Blue bloods, and Private Practice.. it's late now though, so we gotta get to bed.. tomorrow morning we have people from Saco & Biddeford Savings Bank coming to cook us breakfast.. "us" ..people in the RmCd house.. we have scheduled ourselves in for 8:30, soo gotta get up at 8.  Then we'll get to the hospital for rounds & Gracie girl.

We stopped at Jo-Ann Fabrics to check them out & low & behold, my "letters" were on sale at $1.00 off.  We got G-R-A-C-I-E letters for above her crib.. hopefully, Heather will want to paint them pink?? I got everything for you girl!  Here's a picture of the letters:

How do you think they'll stick to the wall?? Or can we put a hook behind them & hang them with pretty ribbon?? I like the latter, but how do we do it??

Grace is doing okay.. poor baby tries to cry with the tube down her mouth..ohh & she can't. :(   She's stable tonight & not crying too much, per her nurse, Angela!  Thanks Angela!

Here she is again in case you forgot how cute she is..

Love you guys,

pattie & gary, gracie & max (forever helping his sister thru all this!)



Still Rainy Saturday 10/1/11 @ 4:26pm

Gary & I went out for a little while.. drove down to Scarborough, ME (about 10 min) & found a super Walmart.  Picked up a few things.. and walked around, ran into Gracie's OT..how funny! And we found a very wet $20.00 bill!! That made my moment.  My husband saw it on the ground when he got out of the car & called me over to his side to look down & pick it up, because he just wanted to make my day! (he didn't plant it there, I asked..lol).  Thank you, Mom (my grandma in heaven) for the twenty bucks, she's telling me things will get better!!

Gracie is doing ok.  She is resting comfortably, no big change from this am other than the feeding starts; and they're talking about going u at 6pm to 4cc's/hour.  Today is her first full day on the antibiotics, so she should start feeling better.  Her color is definitely better than the last few days.

Okay.. we'll check in tomorrow am.


Love you guys,
pattie & gary, gracie & max

Happy October!! Sat., 10/1 @ 12:04pm

Hi, everyone! Happy October!! Wow, can you believe it's October already, where did September go.. but I think I missed the rest of the summer & fall..the way we're going. :(

Another day in the NICU.. ugh! Gracie is doink ok today.  Here's her cute pic from today:

She's still intubated! For the first time, I heard her cry Thursday & Friday & it nearly broke my heart.. now, while she's intubated it's hard for her to cry but she makes the motion.. and I get sad for her!

I know, I know..this is a huge speed bump for her.. her 3rd infection in 8 weeks.. it's depressing!   Sooo many people are praying for her & us daily, and I'm frustrated with God!  Why isn't he listening??  We've been thru enough don't you think?

They just started her back on feedings, trying her out at 2cc's/hour by regular feeding tube.  As she starts to feel better, they'll put her up to 4, then hopefully she'll come off the vent Monday.  She still weighs 3lbs 0oz.

I ordered her a few outfits on preemieproud.com today.  I'm going to have them sent here, so hopefully I'll be able to dress her.  She doesn't have the heating probe on anymore, so I'm going to put an outfit on from Auntie Paula tomorrow.  She should have clothes on too!!

I'll check in later.  Thanks for listening!

Love,

pattie & gary, gracie & max