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Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Ethan's 1st Bath
Poor Ethan didn't get a bath for the longest time once he came home. We would clean him with baby wipes, but were waiting to actually give him a bath until the umbilical cord stump fell off. It finally came off when the doctor took it off on Monday. We went in to go and check to make sure that there were no issues as he was already over 3 weeks old. The doctor checked everything and no infection. We also had him check Ethan's lungs as he sounds like he is wheezing sometimes. We are happy to report that his lungs continue to sound great. The "wheezing" sound is coming from his nasal passage as apparently he is just a noisy breather like his daddy. We will continue to monitor him though.
On Saturday night, Eric and I gave Ethan a bath with his wash clothes as we couldn't give him a real bath due to the umbilical cord stub still being on there. Lets just say that Ethan was not amused. Here are a few pictures from this traumatic experience:
He hated this. It was probably a bit cold for him.
This is the after picture.
On Monday night we gave Ethan his first bath. He was really unsure at first, but then was content to be in the bathtub. I love how he smells once he is all clean. Just too cute. Here are some pictures of his first real bath:
I love this picture, because he just kinda had this look like "what is going on??"
Eric had to help him keep his head up (otherwise he would have been drinking the water)
Ethan all snuggled up in his towel after the bath.
Getting a bath was a very tiring experience. You would think he would have slept well. Umm...No. He was up at his usual times in the middle of the night but with a new fun twist-he didn't want to go back to sleep after his 5:30am feeding.
On Saturday night, Eric and I gave Ethan a bath with his wash clothes as we couldn't give him a real bath due to the umbilical cord stub still being on there. Lets just say that Ethan was not amused. Here are a few pictures from this traumatic experience:
He hated this. It was probably a bit cold for him.
This is the after picture.On Monday night we gave Ethan his first bath. He was really unsure at first, but then was content to be in the bathtub. I love how he smells once he is all clean. Just too cute. Here are some pictures of his first real bath:
I love this picture, because he just kinda had this look like "what is going on??"
Eric had to help him keep his head up (otherwise he would have been drinking the water)
Ethan all snuggled up in his towel after the bath.
Getting a bath was a very tiring experience. You would think he would have slept well. Umm...No. He was up at his usual times in the middle of the night but with a new fun twist-he didn't want to go back to sleep after his 5:30am feeding.Saturday, April 23, 2011
Baby Naming
So due to Ethan's extended stay in the NICU, we decided along with his doctors that he needed to be circumcised while in the hospital and not at home by a Moyel. We arranged for my OB to do the circumcision in the NICU and for Eric to be there to say the blessings before and after.
Since we were not able to have a Rabbi there to give Ethan his Hebrew name, we needed to schedule a baby naming for him. Since we currently are not members of a temple, we called our old temple, Brian and Karen's temple and another one in North Tampa. We decided to use the Rabbi at Brian and Karen's temple and will have the naming at our house on May 8th at 12:30pm.
Since we were not able to have a Rabbi there to give Ethan his Hebrew name, we needed to schedule a baby naming for him. Since we currently are not members of a temple, we called our old temple, Brian and Karen's temple and another one in North Tampa. We decided to use the Rabbi at Brian and Karen's temple and will have the naming at our house on May 8th at 12:30pm.
Friday, April 22, 2011
2nd week home
Our 2nd week home brought about some fun times and lots of challenges. Now that Eric is back at work, night feedings have been up to me. This has meant even less sleep than before. Since I have been home by myself this week, I have been trying to find things to do to keep Loryn entertained. At home we have played with play doh, read books, played with puzzles, had lots of tea parties, built blocks and watched some Elmo, Wiggles and Yo Gabba Gabba.
On Monday, I took the kids to the beach. We drove a little over an hour to go to Anna Maria to spend time with my family. Ronnie and Beena took Loryn, Ethan and I out to brunch (this was Ethan's first restaurant). We went to this little cafe and Loryn had a ton of fun while Ethan slept. We then went back to Ronnie and Beena's time share and hung out. Uncle Rick took Loryn out to the beach and then out by the pool while I stayed inside with Aunt Jan and Ethan. Mom and Loryn went into the pool and they had a blast.
Wednesday, my mom came over to help me cook dinner and play with the kids. We made a brisket and it was done right before Eric came home from the airport with James. James came in from Germany to meet Ethan. He had planned his trip to get here right before my due date so that he could be here to meet our newest addition. So happy that James was able to come in and will get some time to play with the kids, hang out with Eric and his other friends, before he has to report back. This is the first time we have gotten to see him since he was stationed out in Germany and it was great to visit with him a few times this week.
Friday we took an adventure up to Lakeland to go and visit Eric at work. We went out to lunch, which was very interesting to juggle both kids needing something. Jamaela and Stephane were able to join us at Crispers and then we went back to Eric's office to show off Ethan to Eric's team. From there we went to Babies R Us, where I needed to get some new bottles for Ethan and then back to the house, where Loryn decided to have a tea party with Ethan. Ethan had fun indulging Loryn by "eating" the cupcakes and tea. (The fake chocolate cupcake was his favorite) Then Loryn decided it was time to play hide and seek in Mommy's room. Both kids ended up in Eric and I's bed. I tried to get a few pictures because it was really cute, but they didn't turn out so great.
Ethan napping at his first restaurant.
Loryn and Gigi at the beach. Loryn loves to play dress up and like putting on the fun glasses.
Loryn loves to sit on the couch and hold Ethan's hands
Loryn being a great big sister and feeding Ethan. She usually looses interest after about a minute.
Uncle James meeting Ethan. I only took 1 picture as I felt bad to take too many after James had been on a plane for over a day.
Loryn and Ethan playing hide and seek under the covers in our bed. (don't worry the covers were never over his head)
On Monday, I took the kids to the beach. We drove a little over an hour to go to Anna Maria to spend time with my family. Ronnie and Beena took Loryn, Ethan and I out to brunch (this was Ethan's first restaurant). We went to this little cafe and Loryn had a ton of fun while Ethan slept. We then went back to Ronnie and Beena's time share and hung out. Uncle Rick took Loryn out to the beach and then out by the pool while I stayed inside with Aunt Jan and Ethan. Mom and Loryn went into the pool and they had a blast.
Wednesday, my mom came over to help me cook dinner and play with the kids. We made a brisket and it was done right before Eric came home from the airport with James. James came in from Germany to meet Ethan. He had planned his trip to get here right before my due date so that he could be here to meet our newest addition. So happy that James was able to come in and will get some time to play with the kids, hang out with Eric and his other friends, before he has to report back. This is the first time we have gotten to see him since he was stationed out in Germany and it was great to visit with him a few times this week.
Friday we took an adventure up to Lakeland to go and visit Eric at work. We went out to lunch, which was very interesting to juggle both kids needing something. Jamaela and Stephane were able to join us at Crispers and then we went back to Eric's office to show off Ethan to Eric's team. From there we went to Babies R Us, where I needed to get some new bottles for Ethan and then back to the house, where Loryn decided to have a tea party with Ethan. Ethan had fun indulging Loryn by "eating" the cupcakes and tea. (The fake chocolate cupcake was his favorite) Then Loryn decided it was time to play hide and seek in Mommy's room. Both kids ended up in Eric and I's bed. I tried to get a few pictures because it was really cute, but they didn't turn out so great.
Ethan napping at his first restaurant.
Loryn and Gigi at the beach. Loryn loves to play dress up and like putting on the fun glasses.
Loryn loves to sit on the couch and hold Ethan's hands
Loryn being a great big sister and feeding Ethan. She usually looses interest after about a minute.
Uncle James meeting Ethan. I only took 1 picture as I felt bad to take too many after James had been on a plane for over a day.
Loryn and Ethan playing hide and seek under the covers in our bed. (don't worry the covers were never over his head)Saturday, April 16, 2011
1st week home
So this week has definitely been a learning experience. I wouldn't say we are in a routine at all, but trying to get there. Ethan changes his eating almost daily, so it is tough to get on a good schedule. The doctor told us to stop waking him up in the middle of the night so his feeding schedule has been off a bit every day. Plus, the baby boy who wouldn't eat in the hospital, is eating CONSTANTLY at home. We struggled with getting him to eat 1 oz in the hospital and now he is up to 3 oz at every feeding.
Loryn is still very jealous, but she does love her brother very much. We just have to work with her a bit more and continue to give her extra attention. With Eric going back to work on Monday, I am trying to figure out fun things to do with Loryn. My goal is to take the kids for a walk every morning before it gets to hot. Also, there are a few mommy and me activities on a weekly basis that I am going to try to get them involved in. This past week, I took Loryn to a music class taught by our friend Karen. Loryn absolutely LOVED it! Plus it gave Loryn and I some time away from the boys at home.
Eric has been really sick all week and finally is starting to feel better. He got a hospital resistant bacterial infection. So he spent the first part of the week sleeping in the guest room and not really able to help me out with the kids. Luckily we got him back into the doctor and they changed his medication.
I am doing alright, just tired and trying to figure everything out. I am happy to have the time off work to spend with my kids. Now I just need them to be on the same nap schedule so I can get a nap in myself.
During our first week home we had a few visitors: Jeff came to visit his God-son the day after we got home, my mom came by with lunch and to bring Loryn a present, Eric's mom came back for a few days to help us out and my aunts, uncle, and cousin came by for a visit and brought us lunch while they are here in Florida for a week's vacation.
Here are some pictures from the past week.
Ethan on his tummy time mat. He doesn't really like it all that much.
Daddy with his 2 munchkins. We have learned that Loryn wants to sit in our laps if Ethan is there. So Daddy got some cuddle time with both the kids.
I love this picture. Big yawn from Ethan
Flower child. We tried to get her to give the peace sign. But it looked like the "okay" sign.
Cousin Ronnie and Beena came by on their way down to Sarasota. Brought lunch and spoiled my 2 kids with presents.
Loryn playing with her new silly bands from Aunt Barbara
Aunt Barbara and Uncle Rick hanging out for a bit. With all the family at the house, we were at a loss for seats. It was so great to have so many members of my family over for a visit. Last time we got to see everyone was in October when we went to Pittsburgh for a visit.
Aunt Jan got to hold Ethan
And so did Uncle Rick
The "Peeps" chap stick that Aunt Jan and Uncle Rick brought was a big hit!
Loryn is still very jealous, but she does love her brother very much. We just have to work with her a bit more and continue to give her extra attention. With Eric going back to work on Monday, I am trying to figure out fun things to do with Loryn. My goal is to take the kids for a walk every morning before it gets to hot. Also, there are a few mommy and me activities on a weekly basis that I am going to try to get them involved in. This past week, I took Loryn to a music class taught by our friend Karen. Loryn absolutely LOVED it! Plus it gave Loryn and I some time away from the boys at home.
Eric has been really sick all week and finally is starting to feel better. He got a hospital resistant bacterial infection. So he spent the first part of the week sleeping in the guest room and not really able to help me out with the kids. Luckily we got him back into the doctor and they changed his medication.
I am doing alright, just tired and trying to figure everything out. I am happy to have the time off work to spend with my kids. Now I just need them to be on the same nap schedule so I can get a nap in myself.
During our first week home we had a few visitors: Jeff came to visit his God-son the day after we got home, my mom came by with lunch and to bring Loryn a present, Eric's mom came back for a few days to help us out and my aunts, uncle, and cousin came by for a visit and brought us lunch while they are here in Florida for a week's vacation.
Here are some pictures from the past week.
Ethan on his tummy time mat. He doesn't really like it all that much.
Daddy with his 2 munchkins. We have learned that Loryn wants to sit in our laps if Ethan is there. So Daddy got some cuddle time with both the kids.
I love this picture. Big yawn from Ethan
Flower child. We tried to get her to give the peace sign. But it looked like the "okay" sign.
Cousin Ronnie and Beena came by on their way down to Sarasota. Brought lunch and spoiled my 2 kids with presents.
Loryn playing with her new silly bands from Aunt Barbara
Aunt Barbara and Uncle Rick hanging out for a bit. With all the family at the house, we were at a loss for seats. It was so great to have so many members of my family over for a visit. Last time we got to see everyone was in October when we went to Pittsburgh for a visit.
Aunt Jan got to hold Ethan
And so did Uncle Rick
The "Peeps" chap stick that Aunt Jan and Uncle Rick brought was a big hit!Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Home and Adjusting
Ethan came home Monday afternoon and this has definitely been an adjustment period for all of us.
Loryn adores her brother and loves him, but she is definitely jealous. She also has been regressing some. She went from doing very well with wearing underwear all the time and not having accidents, to having at least 1 accident a day. She is also acting out and not listening and is having trouble sleeping at night. Last night it took us 2 hours to get her to go to sleep and she woke up several times last night. She has been asking us to cuddle more and for Eric to sing more to her. We continue to try to plan for fun events (like taking her to Music Class on Tuesday-just Loryn and Mommy) and playing with her more during the day, but we aren't sure if this attention is helping.
Ethan is doing well. We wish he would sleep more at night. Hoping in time, he gets his days and nights flipped around. He went to the pediatrician today and got a great report. He has gained 5 ounces since we brought him home and has grown 3/4 of an inch since birth. He is now eating a full 2 ounce bottle and we are thinking he may want 3 ounces. We will probably try a 3 ounce bottle tonight to see how he does with it.
Eric has been sick. He was at the doctor last week while Ethan was in the hospital and then again on Tuesday morning. He is now on his 2nd round of antibiotics.
I am doing alright, just exhausted. I think I am getting around 2-4 hours of sleep each night (and not in a row).
Here are some pictures that we took when we brought Ethan home.
Loryn adores her brother and loves him, but she is definitely jealous. She also has been regressing some. She went from doing very well with wearing underwear all the time and not having accidents, to having at least 1 accident a day. She is also acting out and not listening and is having trouble sleeping at night. Last night it took us 2 hours to get her to go to sleep and she woke up several times last night. She has been asking us to cuddle more and for Eric to sing more to her. We continue to try to plan for fun events (like taking her to Music Class on Tuesday-just Loryn and Mommy) and playing with her more during the day, but we aren't sure if this attention is helping.
Ethan is doing well. We wish he would sleep more at night. Hoping in time, he gets his days and nights flipped around. He went to the pediatrician today and got a great report. He has gained 5 ounces since we brought him home and has grown 3/4 of an inch since birth. He is now eating a full 2 ounce bottle and we are thinking he may want 3 ounces. We will probably try a 3 ounce bottle tonight to see how he does with it.
Eric has been sick. He was at the doctor last week while Ethan was in the hospital and then again on Tuesday morning. He is now on his 2nd round of antibiotics.
I am doing alright, just exhausted. I think I am getting around 2-4 hours of sleep each night (and not in a row).
Here are some pictures that we took when we brought Ethan home.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Ethan's Update - Day 11
Howdy folks...
Well today was the day we had been waiting for with our little guy. It was the day that we were supposed to be able to bring him home. All of this was dependent on him though. He had to show the doctors that he could eat regularly, and that he could maintain his weight. Last night was a rough one on Jayme. She was so excited that she hardly slept at all. At 3am she called to check on him and she was told that he had in fact gained four grams. This was very exciting.
This morning at around 10am the anticipation was killing her. She called over again, and was told the doctors had not yet done their rounds with him. We had to wait until rounds to get an answer. About 40 minutes later the phone rang with the good news. Ethan was given his release orders. We could come pick him up, and bring him home. This put things into high gear for us. We finished getting things ready around the house, and we grabbed some lunch with Loryn. Then it was off to the hospital to get our little man. It took a bit of time, but Jayme got all of the paperwork filled out, and we were sent on our way.
Loryn finally had the chance to meet him, and she was so enamored by him. On the ride home, she spent the whole time watching him intently. She really seems to be very excited by all of this. As soon as we walked in the house, she asked me "can Ethan play now?" I had to tell her that right now he was sleeping, but he would be able to start to play soon. We went and put Ethan down in his bassinet in our room, and then put Loryn down for a nap. She fought it the whole time, wanting to hang around Ethan instead. We told her he would still be here when she woke up, but I don't think she believes us.
Thank you all for your continued support through all of this. Now that this piece of drama has closed, a new chapter opens in our lives. Time to figure out a new routine as a family of four rather than a family of three. We know that there will be some sleepless night coming soon, but for just this moment, we could not be any happier. Thanks again everyone.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
PS. If anyone is in town and wants to stop by to say hi, or see the baby, just give us a call. We are not going to be doing too much this week, as we try to establish a new routine.
Well today was the day we had been waiting for with our little guy. It was the day that we were supposed to be able to bring him home. All of this was dependent on him though. He had to show the doctors that he could eat regularly, and that he could maintain his weight. Last night was a rough one on Jayme. She was so excited that she hardly slept at all. At 3am she called to check on him and she was told that he had in fact gained four grams. This was very exciting.
This morning at around 10am the anticipation was killing her. She called over again, and was told the doctors had not yet done their rounds with him. We had to wait until rounds to get an answer. About 40 minutes later the phone rang with the good news. Ethan was given his release orders. We could come pick him up, and bring him home. This put things into high gear for us. We finished getting things ready around the house, and we grabbed some lunch with Loryn. Then it was off to the hospital to get our little man. It took a bit of time, but Jayme got all of the paperwork filled out, and we were sent on our way.
Loryn finally had the chance to meet him, and she was so enamored by him. On the ride home, she spent the whole time watching him intently. She really seems to be very excited by all of this. As soon as we walked in the house, she asked me "can Ethan play now?" I had to tell her that right now he was sleeping, but he would be able to start to play soon. We went and put Ethan down in his bassinet in our room, and then put Loryn down for a nap. She fought it the whole time, wanting to hang around Ethan instead. We told her he would still be here when she woke up, but I don't think she believes us.
Thank you all for your continued support through all of this. Now that this piece of drama has closed, a new chapter opens in our lives. Time to figure out a new routine as a family of four rather than a family of three. We know that there will be some sleepless night coming soon, but for just this moment, we could not be any happier. Thanks again everyone.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
PS. If anyone is in town and wants to stop by to say hi, or see the baby, just give us a call. We are not going to be doing too much this week, as we try to establish a new routine.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Ethan's Day 10 Update
Well, day 10 and our little guy is still in the NICU. Yesterday I spent a good deal of time on the phone trying to coordinate Ethan's circumcision. We wanted him to have a bris, but due to everything that has gone on, we thought the safest place for him to have his circumcision was in the hospital. This morning Eric left for the hospital to be there at 10am, as we were told Ethan would be circumcised between 10 and 11am. Eric was able to go back with Ethan and be there for the entire event and Rabbi Simon gave us the blessings for Eric to say before and after. The doctor that did the circumcision is also the doctor that delivered Loryn. She was wonderful and Ethan only cried when they numbed him. The type of procedure they did with him was a plastibel. This type of procedure is meant to be maintenance free and should heal within 8 to 10 days. Eric spent a bit of time with Ethan afterward to make sure he was okay, and the little guy was doing great. Once Ethan is home, I will set up a baby naming for him at the temple.
The neonatologist called this morning and they moved Ethan's feedings to 40ml instead of 60 ml (2oz). Since yesterday he has lost another ounce (and this is with the feeding tube), his vitals continue to be strong. Last night his feedings were consistent with him eating about 40ml and then them giving the rest in his feeding tube. This morning they removed the feeding tube and finally took out the iv in his wrist. (He hasn't been getting iv fluids, but they left everything there in case he had to get back on them). As long as Ethan is consistently taking in at least 40ml at each feeding and he isn't losing any weight, he will get to come home in 24 hours (Monday). If he loses weight, he will either have to have his feeding tube put back in or they will just keep him until he can maintain or gain weight on his own.
Ethan seems to be much happier with having fewer wires and being able to be in clothes and swaddled. I was able to go visit with him for his 2:30pm feeding and he ate 42 ml for me in 30 minutes. They would like him to be eating 40ml within 20-25 minutes. He was awake when I was there and I just loved being able to hold him for a few minutes before and after his feeding. While at the hospital, I did find out that Ethan passed his hearing test (which is great news).
Either Eric or I will be back there tonight for his 8:30pm feeding.
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for our little man.
The neonatologist called this morning and they moved Ethan's feedings to 40ml instead of 60 ml (2oz). Since yesterday he has lost another ounce (and this is with the feeding tube), his vitals continue to be strong. Last night his feedings were consistent with him eating about 40ml and then them giving the rest in his feeding tube. This morning they removed the feeding tube and finally took out the iv in his wrist. (He hasn't been getting iv fluids, but they left everything there in case he had to get back on them). As long as Ethan is consistently taking in at least 40ml at each feeding and he isn't losing any weight, he will get to come home in 24 hours (Monday). If he loses weight, he will either have to have his feeding tube put back in or they will just keep him until he can maintain or gain weight on his own.
Ethan seems to be much happier with having fewer wires and being able to be in clothes and swaddled. I was able to go visit with him for his 2:30pm feeding and he ate 42 ml for me in 30 minutes. They would like him to be eating 40ml within 20-25 minutes. He was awake when I was there and I just loved being able to hold him for a few minutes before and after his feeding. While at the hospital, I did find out that Ethan passed his hearing test (which is great news).
Either Eric or I will be back there tonight for his 8:30pm feeding.
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for our little man.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Ethan's Day 9 Update
And another day is in the books for our little guy. Today was one of our more difficult days, but it was difficult for Jayme and me, not for Ethan. Ethan is continuing on the path towards recovery, but his pace of improvement has slowed. He is still breathing fine, and we found out for sure, that the PDA valve in his heart we were concerned about has closed completely. This is great news. In addition, Ethan is now completely off his IV, which is also good news. That means all his sustenance is coming from his bottles now. Tomorrow will be another big day for him, has daddy will be visiting him in the morning to say some prayers, as the doctors perform his circumcision.
The hang up that we are having is that he is not yet putting down a full 2oz bottle just yet. Tonight for example, he only downed 1.5 oz in his allotted feeding time. Although the numbers aren't bad, they aren't yet where the docs want him to be. So now the game plan has changed. Right now he still has a feeding tube, and they are using that tube to feed him whatever portion of the 60ml he is not eating through the bottle. Tomorrow, they plan on removing the tube, and letting him eat just from the bottle. If he does not drop weight, then it is still possible that we could get him home on Monday. If he does drop weight though, they will reinsert the feeding tube, and we will have to wait a few days until his eating picks up. Obviously, we are a little bummed that he may not be coming home as soon as we had hoped, however, the most dangerous of his problems, the PPHN, is now resolved, and his lungs are now well developed. Although their is some frustration and disappointment that we are dealing with right now, at the end of the day, we all feel quite lucky that in a few more days, this will all be behind us. That thought, and all of your support, has allowed for us to keep our spirits high.
Until tomorrow night all.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
The hang up that we are having is that he is not yet putting down a full 2oz bottle just yet. Tonight for example, he only downed 1.5 oz in his allotted feeding time. Although the numbers aren't bad, they aren't yet where the docs want him to be. So now the game plan has changed. Right now he still has a feeding tube, and they are using that tube to feed him whatever portion of the 60ml he is not eating through the bottle. Tomorrow, they plan on removing the tube, and letting him eat just from the bottle. If he does not drop weight, then it is still possible that we could get him home on Monday. If he does drop weight though, they will reinsert the feeding tube, and we will have to wait a few days until his eating picks up. Obviously, we are a little bummed that he may not be coming home as soon as we had hoped, however, the most dangerous of his problems, the PPHN, is now resolved, and his lungs are now well developed. Although their is some frustration and disappointment that we are dealing with right now, at the end of the day, we all feel quite lucky that in a few more days, this will all be behind us. That thought, and all of your support, has allowed for us to keep our spirits high.
Until tomorrow night all.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
Eric's Birthday
Yesterday was Eric's birthday and a very special one. His office had a birthday/baby shower party for him. His friends and coworkers decorated his desk with balloons and streamers and birds (ha). His friends took him out to lunch and we went out last night with a few friends. I am sure Eric would rather have not had to work on his birthday, but all in all it was a really great day for him.
When Eric came home we sat down and did cards and presents from the kids (I haven't had a chance to go and get Eric's present with everything going on). Loryn bought her daddy a chocolate bunny, which she refers to as her's. Not surprising on her part as she did that with the treat that she got for me for my birthday. And as for Ethan, I realized on Thursday night I didn't have a card from him (since I wasn't expecting him here yet), so I went out yesterday and bought one and had the nurses ink his feet and put them in the card.
Tonight we will go out and celebrate his birthday with some friends and family at dinner.
Ethan's Day 8 Update
Eric's Update:
Hello all...
Well today was an interesting day. It started off real well. Ethan eat well all night long, and his bilirubin count was down. They took him off the lights today, and they decided to increase the volume at a more rapid pace. The doctor that spoke to Jayme this morning even indicated that they could wind up sending him home early. Then they did his last echo, although we have not gotten the results back on that yet.
Then later today, Ethan did keep up with the increase in volume of formula. As a result, the reinserted his feeding tube, so that they could give him the formula he did not finish. Tonight I went to feed him, and they nurse filled the bottle with 50ml. That is almost 2 full oz. In the 20min they gave him to eat the bottle, he finished 35ml, so they fed him the last 15ml through the feeding tube. Then Jayme went into the room, and the nurse informed her that until he is eating the full 2oz through the bottle, they won't be sending him home. She also told Jayme that she does not expect this to happen by Monday.
This is a little upsetting because it is in stark contrast to what she was told by the doctor 10 hours earlier. Especially considering he has not back slid at all, it is a little disturbing. Part of what is upsetting is that when Loryn was born, she was not eating a full 2oz until she was about a month old. She was just a slow eater. even now, she doesn't typically eat all that much. At 30 months, she has only gained 19 lbs since birth. My mother says that both my brother and I were slow eaters too. Every kid is different, and if everything else is ok with him, I think they need to think this through. Tomorrow I will be talking with the doctor, not the nurse, and I will inform him of my thoughts. Then we can see what his thoughts are, and go from there. Jayme is upset right now. I am just a little annoyed.
All in all, Ethan is still improving every day. That is what is most important. The rest will take care of itself.
Tomorrow, I will let everyone know how my discussion goes with the doctor, and we will let everyone know if there are any changes. Till then...
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
______________
Jayme's Perspective:
Yesterday was a trying day for us with the nurses. In the daytime, Ethan had his same nurse again (Denise). I like her, she isn't always as talkative, especially yesterday as she was so busy with a new baby, she has been with Ethan now 4 of the days he has been in there, which is helpful to have the same nurse repeatedly. She is the one that put the feeding tube back in when I was with Ethan. At his 11:30am feeding yesterday, he was given 35 ml and took 30, so not a big deal they didn't force that back on him. At 2:30, he was given 40ml and took maybe 25 (he spit some of it back out), and so they had to put 15ml in his feeding tube. If they had made him go within a 20 minutes time period like last night's nurse did with Eric, he would have had more in his feeding tube.
There are some inconsistencies with what the nurses are saying, which is a bit frustrating and something we are planning on mentioning today.
When I called this morning, they did stop his iv fluids earlier this morning. Which is great news. Now they can stop using my baby as a pin cushion. Poor kid has so many bruises. This also means that we are starting the 24-48 hour observation of how he does while eating only from a bottle (and apparently feeding tube-for now). With the iv out, today Ethan should be getting his hearing screening and possibly his circumcision. We will know more when the neonatologist that is on today calls us.
Eric will send out an update later tonight with how Ethan is doing on Day 9 in the hospital.
Also, thank you for all the calls and emails on your concerns for how I am doing. I am doing fine. Just very tired trying to balance trips to the hospital and spending time with Loryn. As far as my health goes, I am healing well and losing weight much faster (so far) than I did with Loryn. I definitely have more inches to go, but as of yesterday, I only have 9 pounds left to lose to get to my pre pregnancy weight. I can't wait to get back to the gym as I feel that will help to give me a bit more energy.
Hello all...
Well today was an interesting day. It started off real well. Ethan eat well all night long, and his bilirubin count was down. They took him off the lights today, and they decided to increase the volume at a more rapid pace. The doctor that spoke to Jayme this morning even indicated that they could wind up sending him home early. Then they did his last echo, although we have not gotten the results back on that yet.
Then later today, Ethan did keep up with the increase in volume of formula. As a result, the reinserted his feeding tube, so that they could give him the formula he did not finish. Tonight I went to feed him, and they nurse filled the bottle with 50ml. That is almost 2 full oz. In the 20min they gave him to eat the bottle, he finished 35ml, so they fed him the last 15ml through the feeding tube. Then Jayme went into the room, and the nurse informed her that until he is eating the full 2oz through the bottle, they won't be sending him home. She also told Jayme that she does not expect this to happen by Monday.
This is a little upsetting because it is in stark contrast to what she was told by the doctor 10 hours earlier. Especially considering he has not back slid at all, it is a little disturbing. Part of what is upsetting is that when Loryn was born, she was not eating a full 2oz until she was about a month old. She was just a slow eater. even now, she doesn't typically eat all that much. At 30 months, she has only gained 19 lbs since birth. My mother says that both my brother and I were slow eaters too. Every kid is different, and if everything else is ok with him, I think they need to think this through. Tomorrow I will be talking with the doctor, not the nurse, and I will inform him of my thoughts. Then we can see what his thoughts are, and go from there. Jayme is upset right now. I am just a little annoyed.
All in all, Ethan is still improving every day. That is what is most important. The rest will take care of itself.
Tomorrow, I will let everyone know how my discussion goes with the doctor, and we will let everyone know if there are any changes. Till then...
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
______________
Jayme's Perspective:
Yesterday was a trying day for us with the nurses. In the daytime, Ethan had his same nurse again (Denise). I like her, she isn't always as talkative, especially yesterday as she was so busy with a new baby, she has been with Ethan now 4 of the days he has been in there, which is helpful to have the same nurse repeatedly. She is the one that put the feeding tube back in when I was with Ethan. At his 11:30am feeding yesterday, he was given 35 ml and took 30, so not a big deal they didn't force that back on him. At 2:30, he was given 40ml and took maybe 25 (he spit some of it back out), and so they had to put 15ml in his feeding tube. If they had made him go within a 20 minutes time period like last night's nurse did with Eric, he would have had more in his feeding tube.
There are some inconsistencies with what the nurses are saying, which is a bit frustrating and something we are planning on mentioning today.
When I called this morning, they did stop his iv fluids earlier this morning. Which is great news. Now they can stop using my baby as a pin cushion. Poor kid has so many bruises. This also means that we are starting the 24-48 hour observation of how he does while eating only from a bottle (and apparently feeding tube-for now). With the iv out, today Ethan should be getting his hearing screening and possibly his circumcision. We will know more when the neonatologist that is on today calls us.
Eric will send out an update later tonight with how Ethan is doing on Day 9 in the hospital.
Also, thank you for all the calls and emails on your concerns for how I am doing. I am doing fine. Just very tired trying to balance trips to the hospital and spending time with Loryn. As far as my health goes, I am healing well and losing weight much faster (so far) than I did with Loryn. I definitely have more inches to go, but as of yesterday, I only have 9 pounds left to lose to get to my pre pregnancy weight. I can't wait to get back to the gym as I feel that will help to give me a bit more energy.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Ethan's Day 7 Update
1 week old, and better every day. For the first time since he was born, there were really very little changes.
He is still under the heat lamps to break apart his bilirubin, but his count is declining. They are hoping to remove him from the lamps tomorrow.
That will leave us with only two steps remaining to get him home. First one is that they want him taking 2oz from a bottle. Right now he is at 20ml, and at 11:30p tonight that will up to 25ml. With 60ml = 2oz, that means we are almost half way there in only 1 day !!! The other good thing about him taking in more formula, is every other feeding, they are also reducing his IV volume. He is at 13cc now, and they keep kicking that down by 1.5cc at a time.
The second step will be for him to pass his final echo, and his hearing test. Although these both sound easy, the hearing test has me a tad concerned. Infants who have had PPHN sometimes have hearing troubles as a result. I am not sure of the science behind it, but this is what I have read, and been told by the docs. Then in addition to that, Ethan's daddy has very poor hearing on top of that, so I am praying that I did not pass down those traits to him.
If all continues to go well, and right now all involved believe it will, our little monster will be home with his family on Monday.
Tomorrow is another day, and I will again provide another update for those who are interested. Thanks again everyone, for all of your continued support.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
He is still under the heat lamps to break apart his bilirubin, but his count is declining. They are hoping to remove him from the lamps tomorrow.
That will leave us with only two steps remaining to get him home. First one is that they want him taking 2oz from a bottle. Right now he is at 20ml, and at 11:30p tonight that will up to 25ml. With 60ml = 2oz, that means we are almost half way there in only 1 day !!! The other good thing about him taking in more formula, is every other feeding, they are also reducing his IV volume. He is at 13cc now, and they keep kicking that down by 1.5cc at a time.
The second step will be for him to pass his final echo, and his hearing test. Although these both sound easy, the hearing test has me a tad concerned. Infants who have had PPHN sometimes have hearing troubles as a result. I am not sure of the science behind it, but this is what I have read, and been told by the docs. Then in addition to that, Ethan's daddy has very poor hearing on top of that, so I am praying that I did not pass down those traits to him.
If all continues to go well, and right now all involved believe it will, our little monster will be home with his family on Monday.
Tomorrow is another day, and I will again provide another update for those who are interested. Thanks again everyone, for all of your continued support.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Ethan's Day 7 -Early Morning Update
Since we have been home, I call to check on Ethan around 2am and 6am every morning. When I called at 2am, his nurse was out on her break and the other nurse asked me to call back to get an update. When I called at 6am, I was put on hold as Ethan was now eating ( I seemed to have a knack for mealtimes today).
Ethan has been a very good boy since we left him last night at 6:30pm. Not too fussy for the nurses and he has been taking to his feedings well. When we left he was on 5ml (1 tsp) every 4 hours, which they increased to every 3 hours sometime around midnight. He has been taking that very well and has had no residual. His neonatologist has said that they can start to increase his feedings, so at 6am, he was given 10ml and he also gave a nice burp and went to sleep instead of fussing for more food. So happy they are starting to feed him more :)
His schedule now will be feeding every 3 hours, and at every other feeding if he is handling things well, they will increase his food intake by 5ml. After they do an increase, the next feeding they will decrease his IV fluids by 1.5ml. This is a huge step in the right direction as we want him off the iv.
Our next update from the hospital will come when we get our daily call from the neonatologist. It is my goal to be back at the hospital around lunch time in order to visit Ethan.
On a side note-Loryn has been asking to visit the "baby room" several times a day. Last night when watching Kermit the Frog on tv, she asked him "what's wrong?" followed by asking him if "he wanted to go to the baby room too". She is very interested in seeing her baby brother and all the other babies and she loves to go to the hospital and look into the window of the nursery on the other side of the floor from the NICU.
The next update will be from Eric later tonight.
Ethan has been a very good boy since we left him last night at 6:30pm. Not too fussy for the nurses and he has been taking to his feedings well. When we left he was on 5ml (1 tsp) every 4 hours, which they increased to every 3 hours sometime around midnight. He has been taking that very well and has had no residual. His neonatologist has said that they can start to increase his feedings, so at 6am, he was given 10ml and he also gave a nice burp and went to sleep instead of fussing for more food. So happy they are starting to feed him more :)
His schedule now will be feeding every 3 hours, and at every other feeding if he is handling things well, they will increase his food intake by 5ml. After they do an increase, the next feeding they will decrease his IV fluids by 1.5ml. This is a huge step in the right direction as we want him off the iv.
Our next update from the hospital will come when we get our daily call from the neonatologist. It is my goal to be back at the hospital around lunch time in order to visit Ethan.
On a side note-Loryn has been asking to visit the "baby room" several times a day. Last night when watching Kermit the Frog on tv, she asked him "what's wrong?" followed by asking him if "he wanted to go to the baby room too". She is very interested in seeing her baby brother and all the other babies and she loves to go to the hospital and look into the window of the nursery on the other side of the floor from the NICU.
The next update will be from Eric later tonight.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Ethan's Day 6 Update
Another day older, and our little boy continues to get better. Today Ethan had a really good day. Last night, Ethan decided he was tired of all of the breathing tubes, so he ripped them out. The nurses decided to let them stay out, and see if he could handle breathing without them. Sure enough, he did exactly that. He kept breathing, without desaturation all night long, and also all day today.
This morning's x-ray showed more growth in the lungs, and that is absolutely wonderful. He is doing very good with his lung growth and we couldn't be any happier about that. He also, as I mentioned yesterday, got his first meal through a feeding tube. He did alright with it, but this morning they found a little bit of brown substance in his belly. They believe that is was blood, ut they think it could have been from all of the tube being inserted and removed from him. As a result, they only allowed him a teaspoon of formula, four times today. He did however take it from a bottle, and that is wonderful. If there is no further evidence of blood tomorrow, they are planning on upping the quantity of formula.
And despite how good all of this news is, the best news of the day was that Jayme and I both got the chance to hold our little guy today. Jayme held him for a few hours in the middle of the day, and she got to feed him. Then I had my chance to do the same after work this evening. It was really a special moment for each of us.
The doctors tell us they love the improvements he has made, and they still expect that we will be able to get him home on Monday. We are all very excited, but we are trying to remember that things can change on a dime, so we are trying not to get too excited just yet.
That is all for tonight folks. We are all very excited, and Jayme, Loryn and my mom are all already asleep. Momentarily, I will be joining their ranks. Thanks again for all of your wonderful words. The emails we get in response to these posts have been very appreciate by all of us. Thanks again, and I will send out another update tomorrow.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
Ethan under the lights. This is where he was supposed to be resting all day. (He had a mind of his own and wanted to be held all day). Hopefully his little temper tantrum won't force him to stay under the lights for more time.
Mommy feeding Ethan for the first time
Ethan in mommy's arms after he was done eating. They let me hold him for an additional 30 minutes. :)
After being put back into his incubator, Ethan proceeded to cry for an hour straight with no way to soothe him. The nurse decided he should be held again. He sure knows how to manipulate the system. As soon as I was holding him, he was quiet and back to sleep. (he stayed with me for about 2 hours)
Daddy getting to hold Ethan for the first time
This morning's x-ray showed more growth in the lungs, and that is absolutely wonderful. He is doing very good with his lung growth and we couldn't be any happier about that. He also, as I mentioned yesterday, got his first meal through a feeding tube. He did alright with it, but this morning they found a little bit of brown substance in his belly. They believe that is was blood, ut they think it could have been from all of the tube being inserted and removed from him. As a result, they only allowed him a teaspoon of formula, four times today. He did however take it from a bottle, and that is wonderful. If there is no further evidence of blood tomorrow, they are planning on upping the quantity of formula.
And despite how good all of this news is, the best news of the day was that Jayme and I both got the chance to hold our little guy today. Jayme held him for a few hours in the middle of the day, and she got to feed him. Then I had my chance to do the same after work this evening. It was really a special moment for each of us.
The doctors tell us they love the improvements he has made, and they still expect that we will be able to get him home on Monday. We are all very excited, but we are trying to remember that things can change on a dime, so we are trying not to get too excited just yet.
That is all for tonight folks. We are all very excited, and Jayme, Loryn and my mom are all already asleep. Momentarily, I will be joining their ranks. Thanks again for all of your wonderful words. The emails we get in response to these posts have been very appreciate by all of us. Thanks again, and I will send out another update tomorrow.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
Ethan under the lights. This is where he was supposed to be resting all day. (He had a mind of his own and wanted to be held all day). Hopefully his little temper tantrum won't force him to stay under the lights for more time.
Mommy feeding Ethan for the first time
Ethan in mommy's arms after he was done eating. They let me hold him for an additional 30 minutes. :)
After being put back into his incubator, Ethan proceeded to cry for an hour straight with no way to soothe him. The nurse decided he should be held again. He sure knows how to manipulate the system. As soon as I was holding him, he was quiet and back to sleep. (he stayed with me for about 2 hours)
Daddy getting to hold Ethan for the first time
Ethan's Day 5 Update
Eric's update:
Well today was another good day for our little fighter. Jayme and I are really proud of the little guy for continuing to improve. Early today, the doctors did another chest x-ray. They again saw improvement over yesterday, and this along with his strong vitals, gave them the confidence to remove the c-pap machine, and replace it with a cannula. As I mentioned yesterday, this is another big step forward. All day long Ethan remained on the cannula, and had no "desat" episodes. In fact, by this evening, the cannula was only providing him 21% oxygen, which is equal to the oxygen volume in the air that we all breathe every day. This is leading the docs to believe that the PDA valve in his heart is continuing to close, and this means that we are one step closer.
Another big step forward today came in the form of nourishment. Up until today, the only nourishment Ethan was getting was from the IV. Today, they cut back on his IV volume, and did his first tubular feeding. He is not quite ready to jump on a bottle just yet, but that will be his next step if his improvement continues. The plan is to continue to ween him off the IV feeding, and make him reach his nutritional needs get me through formula, just like he is supposed to.
Although the news was primarily positive, we did have a little bump with his bilirubin count going up. He is very jaundice right now, and because his body is so focused on breathing and growing his lungs, it is not doing enough to break down the bilirubin. The docs placed him under a heat light today, and they expect him to be there again tomorrow. These lights are designed to break down the bilirubin so that the baby doesn't have to do it all alone.
All said, today was a real good day for our little guy, and we feel as if we are one step closer to having him home with us. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support. We will check back in tomorrow with another update.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
***Jayme's Update:
While I was visiting with Ethan in the evening, he was as usual being the little fighter that he is started to pull once again on his tubes. Not surprising, he pulled his feeding tube out. This is no big deal as he wasn't being fed at the time and they can replace that easily. He also decided he was done with the canula and continued to pull it out of his nose to chew on it, or just try to push it off his face. The nurse let him keep it off to see how he would fare. She and I sat there watching him for a few minutes, which then turned into 45 minutes before I left. Ethan kept his oxygen levels stable the entire time, which was a huge milestone for him. Especially if you consider he was very agitated last night with all the tubes and the head covering to keep his eyes protected with the lamp on him. He has a strong little voice and a mind of his own.
He has learned to like a pacifier and has a decent suck. So hopefully the transition to bottle will be easy. Once he is off the lamp for his bilirubin, then he will be moved to a crib and not the incubator he is currently in. This means, that we will actually be able to hold him. YAY!!!!
In the morning, they will repeat all of his usual tests and do another chest x-ray.
Again, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers and just can't wait to bring our little boy home.
Well today was another good day for our little fighter. Jayme and I are really proud of the little guy for continuing to improve. Early today, the doctors did another chest x-ray. They again saw improvement over yesterday, and this along with his strong vitals, gave them the confidence to remove the c-pap machine, and replace it with a cannula. As I mentioned yesterday, this is another big step forward. All day long Ethan remained on the cannula, and had no "desat" episodes. In fact, by this evening, the cannula was only providing him 21% oxygen, which is equal to the oxygen volume in the air that we all breathe every day. This is leading the docs to believe that the PDA valve in his heart is continuing to close, and this means that we are one step closer.
Another big step forward today came in the form of nourishment. Up until today, the only nourishment Ethan was getting was from the IV. Today, they cut back on his IV volume, and did his first tubular feeding. He is not quite ready to jump on a bottle just yet, but that will be his next step if his improvement continues. The plan is to continue to ween him off the IV feeding, and make him reach his nutritional needs get me through formula, just like he is supposed to.
Although the news was primarily positive, we did have a little bump with his bilirubin count going up. He is very jaundice right now, and because his body is so focused on breathing and growing his lungs, it is not doing enough to break down the bilirubin. The docs placed him under a heat light today, and they expect him to be there again tomorrow. These lights are designed to break down the bilirubin so that the baby doesn't have to do it all alone.
All said, today was a real good day for our little guy, and we feel as if we are one step closer to having him home with us. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support. We will check back in tomorrow with another update.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
***Jayme's Update:
While I was visiting with Ethan in the evening, he was as usual being the little fighter that he is started to pull once again on his tubes. Not surprising, he pulled his feeding tube out. This is no big deal as he wasn't being fed at the time and they can replace that easily. He also decided he was done with the canula and continued to pull it out of his nose to chew on it, or just try to push it off his face. The nurse let him keep it off to see how he would fare. She and I sat there watching him for a few minutes, which then turned into 45 minutes before I left. Ethan kept his oxygen levels stable the entire time, which was a huge milestone for him. Especially if you consider he was very agitated last night with all the tubes and the head covering to keep his eyes protected with the lamp on him. He has a strong little voice and a mind of his own.
He has learned to like a pacifier and has a decent suck. So hopefully the transition to bottle will be easy. Once he is off the lamp for his bilirubin, then he will be moved to a crib and not the incubator he is currently in. This means, that we will actually be able to hold him. YAY!!!!
In the morning, they will repeat all of his usual tests and do another chest x-ray.
Again, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers and just can't wait to bring our little boy home.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Ethan's Day 4 Update
So today Ethan did very very well, and both Jayme and I are so happy. Last night, he was doing very well, so they made the decision to extubate him. So they took out the tube to his lungs, and placed him back on the nasal c-pap that he was on two days ago. His oxygen saturation remained strong even after this, and that is a wonderful sign. The they did his daily x-ray, and they also did his second echo.
The x-ray showed continued development of the lungs, and that is really wonderful. The attending physician said that this shows to him that he is becoming increasingly capable of producing his own surfactant, which is essential for him to get better. We were also told that the echo is showing that the PDA valve in his heart is starting to close up. This indicates increased pulmonary blood flow, and the beginning of the end of his PPHN. It is not over yet for him, but he is improving every day and that is all we can ask for.
Jayme spent a good amount of time with him today, and she had the opportunity to change diapers, and even had the chance to pick him up, albeit briefly, while they moved some things around under him. When I visited this evening, I changed his diaper for the first time, and I also got to take his temperature. They are letting us interact with him more physically now, because he is less irritable about it.
If his improvement continues throughout tonight, tomorrow will bring with it some more changes. As long as his saturation levels remain strong, tomorrow they will remove the c-pap, and replace in with a cannula, which is a thin tube that rests under his nose, and delivers oxygen. Unlike the c-pap, the air from the cannula will not be pressurized. Should he take to this well, and maintain his O2 saturation, they also plan to try and feed him a small amount from a bottle tomorrow. Before Ethan can come home, he has to be able to eat, so this will be a big step for him. The doctor warned that it could take a little time before he catches on to this because of some of his respiratory distress, but he expects that it will not take too long. The also have designs on moving him out of his incubator, and into a crib sometime in the next two days if his progress continues.
The doctor told me tonight, that based on his improvement thus far, and his expectations for the next few days, he thinks it is completely reasonable for us to expect to have Ethan home with us on Monday the 11th. He reminded me that this is completely dependent upon Ethan, and his continued improvement, but it is still a nice target for us to have.
Tomorrow is another day, and with it, hopefully more good news, and of course another update to email to you all. Thanks again for everyone's continued support.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
The x-ray showed continued development of the lungs, and that is really wonderful. The attending physician said that this shows to him that he is becoming increasingly capable of producing his own surfactant, which is essential for him to get better. We were also told that the echo is showing that the PDA valve in his heart is starting to close up. This indicates increased pulmonary blood flow, and the beginning of the end of his PPHN. It is not over yet for him, but he is improving every day and that is all we can ask for.
Jayme spent a good amount of time with him today, and she had the opportunity to change diapers, and even had the chance to pick him up, albeit briefly, while they moved some things around under him. When I visited this evening, I changed his diaper for the first time, and I also got to take his temperature. They are letting us interact with him more physically now, because he is less irritable about it.
If his improvement continues throughout tonight, tomorrow will bring with it some more changes. As long as his saturation levels remain strong, tomorrow they will remove the c-pap, and replace in with a cannula, which is a thin tube that rests under his nose, and delivers oxygen. Unlike the c-pap, the air from the cannula will not be pressurized. Should he take to this well, and maintain his O2 saturation, they also plan to try and feed him a small amount from a bottle tomorrow. Before Ethan can come home, he has to be able to eat, so this will be a big step for him. The doctor warned that it could take a little time before he catches on to this because of some of his respiratory distress, but he expects that it will not take too long. The also have designs on moving him out of his incubator, and into a crib sometime in the next two days if his progress continues.
The doctor told me tonight, that based on his improvement thus far, and his expectations for the next few days, he thinks it is completely reasonable for us to expect to have Ethan home with us on Monday the 11th. He reminded me that this is completely dependent upon Ethan, and his continued improvement, but it is still a nice target for us to have.
Tomorrow is another day, and with it, hopefully more good news, and of course another update to email to you all. Thanks again for everyone's continued support.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
Ethan's Update - Evening, Day 3
When we came home in the afternoon, the nurses in the NICU had given us a package for our daughter. Inside there was a little doll with a diaper and a coloring book with crayons. Loryn has loved to practice putting the diaper on her new doll and has been coloring up a storm. While Lisa and I went out to visit with Ethan, Eric and Loryn set up the swing in the living room and practiced how we would swing Ethan when he gets home. Loryn thinks he should swing "higher" and Eric has been trying to convince her that Ethan needs to be pushed softly and slowly. Curious to see how this all plays out. Loryn also may have a cold, so we are watching her very closely to see if we need to take her to the doctor. She is a bit clingy right now, and we think it has to do with the fact that she knows something is wrong. She continues to ask us where her brother is, and we keep reminding her that he is in the hospital because he is "sick". We continue to show her pictures and video and she loves to see him.
At 8pm, we were able to go back to visit Ethan in the NICU. Eric stayed home with Loryn and Lisa and I went to go and see Ethan. I had called around 5pm to check on him and was told that he was still doing very well but they did have to move his iv from his hand (again). Poor kid is having his iv moved every 2 hours and was running out of places to put it. They warned me that it may be placed in his scalp. So I did prepare myself going in for that. Yup, that is where they stuck it. And it appeared, they had to try a few times. Poor baby now has pieces of his hair missing (looking like he is going bald) and he has bruises all over. As Eric put it, "he looks like he got into a fight". I was very worried about him, considering that he isn't on pain medication anymore, but the nurse said he was fine and his levels have stayed stable. They lowered the amount of oxygen support they were giving him just a little bit and even let me help take care of him. I was able to again take his temperature and change his diaper and also help to clean off and moisten his lips. (I am having trouble uploading the video-if you want to see it, please send me an email)
He definitely is a feisty little kid. He kept trying to take off his heart rate monitor, so for an hour, I kept moving his hands and putting the stickers back on his chest. Ugh, I really wish he could understand that hearing beeps going off, is not a comforting sound.
I called to check up on how he was doing at about 2:30am and again at 6:15am (Monday April 4th). They took out the breathing tube, and he was put back on the c-pap machine. Ethan is breathing entirely on his own, but with a little help from the c-pap machine. His oxygen levels are at 29 and they are administering the pressure at +6. He is resting comfortably. After his chest x-ray and echo cardiogram this morning, they will decide what to do next. He had to have his iv moved again, I think it was moved to his arm this time.
We brought a few blankets for him, so that he could have a brightened up little area that was less hospital and a bit more like home. We also left a disposable camera so if there are any more firsts, we won't have to continue to miss them.
At 8pm, we were able to go back to visit Ethan in the NICU. Eric stayed home with Loryn and Lisa and I went to go and see Ethan. I had called around 5pm to check on him and was told that he was still doing very well but they did have to move his iv from his hand (again). Poor kid is having his iv moved every 2 hours and was running out of places to put it. They warned me that it may be placed in his scalp. So I did prepare myself going in for that. Yup, that is where they stuck it. And it appeared, they had to try a few times. Poor baby now has pieces of his hair missing (looking like he is going bald) and he has bruises all over. As Eric put it, "he looks like he got into a fight". I was very worried about him, considering that he isn't on pain medication anymore, but the nurse said he was fine and his levels have stayed stable. They lowered the amount of oxygen support they were giving him just a little bit and even let me help take care of him. I was able to again take his temperature and change his diaper and also help to clean off and moisten his lips. (I am having trouble uploading the video-if you want to see it, please send me an email)
He definitely is a feisty little kid. He kept trying to take off his heart rate monitor, so for an hour, I kept moving his hands and putting the stickers back on his chest. Ugh, I really wish he could understand that hearing beeps going off, is not a comforting sound.
I called to check up on how he was doing at about 2:30am and again at 6:15am (Monday April 4th). They took out the breathing tube, and he was put back on the c-pap machine. Ethan is breathing entirely on his own, but with a little help from the c-pap machine. His oxygen levels are at 29 and they are administering the pressure at +6. He is resting comfortably. After his chest x-ray and echo cardiogram this morning, they will decide what to do next. He had to have his iv moved again, I think it was moved to his arm this time.
We brought a few blankets for him, so that he could have a brightened up little area that was less hospital and a bit more like home. We also left a disposable camera so if there are any more firsts, we won't have to continue to miss them.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Ethan's Update - Mid Day, Day 3
Hey Everyone...
After a rough night last night, today has been a nice change of pace. We met with both Jayme and Ethan's doctors this morning, and they each had good news for us. Jayme's doctor said she was doing wonderfully, and signed her release papers. Ethan's doctor told us that last night's episode was to be expected, and although scary, ultimately helped him out. Ethan is stronger today than he was yesterday, and thanks to the intubation tube, he is more well rested today too. They have seen additional progress in his chest x-ray from this morning. And according to the doctor he is doing great.
By mid morning, Ethan was doing so well, that they took him off the ventilator, and put him back on the c-pap (albeit intrapulmonary this time). He is back to breathing all on his own now, and the c-pap is only adding 2% more oxygen than what is found in the air that we all breathe. They have also decided to take him off the morphine that he has been on since Friday, so now he is opening up his eyes to try and take in the world around him. Jayme and I each had the chance to touch him a little more today, and Jayme even had the opportunity to change his diaper, take his temperature, and to wash his face off. It was really comforting for both of us to get to see her start being mommy. My brother and his family also came by the hospital this morning, and spent some time with us which was very nice.
At 1:30p, Jayme was released from the hospital. Although us leaving without him was very difficult on both of us, having the interaction with him this morning was really helpful in softening the blow. We went out to lunch with my brother, his wife, and our nephew after leaving the hospital, and now we have gotten back home to spend some time with Loryn. Later this evening, Jayme and my mother will be heading back to the hospital to see Ethan, and I will stay home with Loryn. The next few days are looming to be difficult ones for us, but the promise that Ethan is getting better, and will be home soon is very soothing to us right now.
Again, we thank you all for your continued support, and as we know more, we will continue to share.
After a rough night last night, today has been a nice change of pace. We met with both Jayme and Ethan's doctors this morning, and they each had good news for us. Jayme's doctor said she was doing wonderfully, and signed her release papers. Ethan's doctor told us that last night's episode was to be expected, and although scary, ultimately helped him out. Ethan is stronger today than he was yesterday, and thanks to the intubation tube, he is more well rested today too. They have seen additional progress in his chest x-ray from this morning. And according to the doctor he is doing great.
By mid morning, Ethan was doing so well, that they took him off the ventilator, and put him back on the c-pap (albeit intrapulmonary this time). He is back to breathing all on his own now, and the c-pap is only adding 2% more oxygen than what is found in the air that we all breathe. They have also decided to take him off the morphine that he has been on since Friday, so now he is opening up his eyes to try and take in the world around him. Jayme and I each had the chance to touch him a little more today, and Jayme even had the opportunity to change his diaper, take his temperature, and to wash his face off. It was really comforting for both of us to get to see her start being mommy. My brother and his family also came by the hospital this morning, and spent some time with us which was very nice.
At 1:30p, Jayme was released from the hospital. Although us leaving without him was very difficult on both of us, having the interaction with him this morning was really helpful in softening the blow. We went out to lunch with my brother, his wife, and our nephew after leaving the hospital, and now we have gotten back home to spend some time with Loryn. Later this evening, Jayme and my mother will be heading back to the hospital to see Ethan, and I will stay home with Loryn. The next few days are looming to be difficult ones for us, but the promise that Ethan is getting better, and will be home soon is very soothing to us right now.
Again, we thank you all for your continued support, and as we know more, we will continue to share.
Ethan's Update - Early Morning, Day 3
Well they said this journey was going to be like a "rollercoaster" and the last 20 hours have been just that for us. Yesterday for the most part was a really good day for Ethan. After the doctors confirmed the diagnosis of RDS and Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN) with the morning's echocardiogram, they felt more confident in their treatment plan. He was on the C-PAP machine, and he was getting stronger and stronger all day long. His assisted oxygen level dropped from an avg of 45% to 31% which means he was doing a lot more breathing on his own, and his oxygen circulation was pretty good. He had good color, and was resting comfortably.
He was doing so well, that at around 5pm, they let me touch him for the very first time. On the day he was born, when he came out, the nurses had him, and were cleaning him up. I took a few pictures, but did not have the chance to hold or touch him. Then they gave the baby to Jayme to hold for a few minutes, and immediately after that they noticed the breathing troubles, and Ethan was taken by the nurses, and all I was allowed to do was follow along as they rushed him from check-up to check-up and then to the NICU where he was placed in an incubator. Yesterday, they allowed Jayme and I to reach into the incubator and place a hand on his head, and the other on his feet. We were not allowed to rub him, or move our hands in any way, but at least we were able to make actual physical contact. Things seems to be moving in the right direction.
Then at 7ish yesterday evening, things started to change. First his IV in his hand started to have problems as the injection site started to swell. This resulted in them having to move the IV to the other hand. Then, his extremities started to have circulation issues, so they had to remove a tube in his belly to treat that problem, but that meant they had to up the feeding volume in his hand. This later proved to be an issue, so they had to move the IV site, yet again into his foot. Then things relaxed until about 3:30 am. Around that time Ethan started to fatigue. All of his hard work over the last few days, trying to breathe, and fighting for air, and just getting accustomed to being here in the "outside world" wore him out. As a result the muscles in his chest just tired out too much and his breathing became very labored. With him fighting for each breath, even with the c-pap on and turned all the way up, the doctor made the decision that it was time to intubate. This means removing the c-pap, and instead inserting a tube directly into his lungs through his mouth. This tube gets connected to a ventilator, and this allows for him to have to "do less" to breathe.
After they did that, his breathing started coming much easier, and he was able to relax and re-saturate his body with air. They took blood cultures and they found that through fighting so much to breathe, Ethan used up all of the Surfactant that his lungs had produced over the last day or so. Surfactant is the substance in the lungs that allow for the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs to maintain their shape and elasticity. Because the surfactant is essential for Ethan to continue to develop, they decided to administer his first dose of synthetic surfactant. Their hope was that this first dose would stop his decline, and then depending on how he reacts to the dose, possibly administer some additional doses to help him improve.
At 6:30 this morning they gave him his first dose of the surfactant, and he took it very well. His chest immediately stopped straining, and his O2 saturation rose back into the high 90% range, which is exactly where he belongs. He did so well with it, that they were again ale to reduce the amount of oxygen the ventilator was supplying, dropping it from 45% down to 38%. He is now resting peacefully, and it appears he is recovering his strength.
As far as long term prognosis, the doctor assures us nothing has changed. This little downturn may ultimately result in a slightly longer stay in the hospital, but other than that, they still expect that when he does come home, he will be a completely happy, healthy baby.
It has been another emotionally exhausting night for Jayme and I. Jayme has finally fallen asleep, which is an absolute must as she still needs to focus on getting her own self back to full strength. For me, I am just emotionally spent right now, trying to be strong for Jayme, Ethan and Loryn, and I am again beyond the point of being able to sleep. I guess sitting here writing this all down is kind of my own "therapy" if you will.
The plan is for them to release Jayme from the hospital later this morning, and that likely means another difficult emotional step as we have to leave the hospital without our son. He will however continue to receive the excellent care that he needs to get better and that to me is the most important part. Over the next week, Jayme will be spending a lot of time here at the hospital visiting with Ethan, while my mother stays up here with Loryn. On Monday, I will return to work, so that I can retain the vacation days I need to take off and help Jayme whenever Ethan is better and ready to come home.
Thank you all for your continued thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. and we will keep the updates coming as we learn more.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
He was doing so well, that at around 5pm, they let me touch him for the very first time. On the day he was born, when he came out, the nurses had him, and were cleaning him up. I took a few pictures, but did not have the chance to hold or touch him. Then they gave the baby to Jayme to hold for a few minutes, and immediately after that they noticed the breathing troubles, and Ethan was taken by the nurses, and all I was allowed to do was follow along as they rushed him from check-up to check-up and then to the NICU where he was placed in an incubator. Yesterday, they allowed Jayme and I to reach into the incubator and place a hand on his head, and the other on his feet. We were not allowed to rub him, or move our hands in any way, but at least we were able to make actual physical contact. Things seems to be moving in the right direction.
Then at 7ish yesterday evening, things started to change. First his IV in his hand started to have problems as the injection site started to swell. This resulted in them having to move the IV to the other hand. Then, his extremities started to have circulation issues, so they had to remove a tube in his belly to treat that problem, but that meant they had to up the feeding volume in his hand. This later proved to be an issue, so they had to move the IV site, yet again into his foot. Then things relaxed until about 3:30 am. Around that time Ethan started to fatigue. All of his hard work over the last few days, trying to breathe, and fighting for air, and just getting accustomed to being here in the "outside world" wore him out. As a result the muscles in his chest just tired out too much and his breathing became very labored. With him fighting for each breath, even with the c-pap on and turned all the way up, the doctor made the decision that it was time to intubate. This means removing the c-pap, and instead inserting a tube directly into his lungs through his mouth. This tube gets connected to a ventilator, and this allows for him to have to "do less" to breathe.
After they did that, his breathing started coming much easier, and he was able to relax and re-saturate his body with air. They took blood cultures and they found that through fighting so much to breathe, Ethan used up all of the Surfactant that his lungs had produced over the last day or so. Surfactant is the substance in the lungs that allow for the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs to maintain their shape and elasticity. Because the surfactant is essential for Ethan to continue to develop, they decided to administer his first dose of synthetic surfactant. Their hope was that this first dose would stop his decline, and then depending on how he reacts to the dose, possibly administer some additional doses to help him improve.
At 6:30 this morning they gave him his first dose of the surfactant, and he took it very well. His chest immediately stopped straining, and his O2 saturation rose back into the high 90% range, which is exactly where he belongs. He did so well with it, that they were again ale to reduce the amount of oxygen the ventilator was supplying, dropping it from 45% down to 38%. He is now resting peacefully, and it appears he is recovering his strength.
As far as long term prognosis, the doctor assures us nothing has changed. This little downturn may ultimately result in a slightly longer stay in the hospital, but other than that, they still expect that when he does come home, he will be a completely happy, healthy baby.
It has been another emotionally exhausting night for Jayme and I. Jayme has finally fallen asleep, which is an absolute must as she still needs to focus on getting her own self back to full strength. For me, I am just emotionally spent right now, trying to be strong for Jayme, Ethan and Loryn, and I am again beyond the point of being able to sleep. I guess sitting here writing this all down is kind of my own "therapy" if you will.
The plan is for them to release Jayme from the hospital later this morning, and that likely means another difficult emotional step as we have to leave the hospital without our son. He will however continue to receive the excellent care that he needs to get better and that to me is the most important part. Over the next week, Jayme will be spending a lot of time here at the hospital visiting with Ethan, while my mother stays up here with Loryn. On Monday, I will return to work, so that I can retain the vacation days I need to take off and help Jayme whenever Ethan is better and ready to come home.
Thank you all for your continued thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. and we will keep the updates coming as we learn more.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Ethan Update #2
Hello all...
Jayme, Loryn and I wanted to fill everyone in on what we learned about our newest addition. Last night Ethan was kept on a C-PAP machine while he slept, so that there was a continuous flow of oxygen being supplied to him. Over all he did pretty well, only having three "episodes" where his breathing suffered. This morning they did another chest x-ray, and his lungs do look a little bit improved, although they said it could be from the oxygen he was receiving. In addition, it seems that the blood cultures they took are going to be coming back negative, which means he is not fighting any infections, which is good. As of this morning, the doctor said that he is even more confident that what we are dealing with is RDS and a minor case of PPHN which is high blood pressure in the lungs which is also known as pulmonary hypertension. They still have to do an echocardiogram this afternoon to confirm the PPHN. *** They did the update and Ethan does have PPHN. He is also slightly jaundice. They will be monitoring his bilirubin levels.***
What this means is that the current course of treatment (C-PAP to assist with breathing and simple time to allow the lungs to finish developing) seems to be the right course of treatment. The doctor told us that recovery time is highly variable, but we are looking at a minimum of 4 more days, but more likely 9-13 more days before we will be able to bring Ethan home.
Jayme on the other hand is recovering wonderfully. She is a bit anxious as a result of worrying for our son, and as a result is not yet sleeping well, but the docs are going to try and help her with some meds that should help her relax and get some rest.
Loryn is enjoying her time with her Grandma, but is also anxious to meet her brother. She cryed a little yesterday when Grandman took her home from the hospital, and has been very vocal today about spending going to the hospitalto see Mommy, Daddy, and E-Fin as she calls him.
For those wanting to visit today, we are all in a better frame of mind after the doctors reassurances and some sleep, so all are welcome to come visit. Obviously trips to the NICU to see Ethan are unlikely, however, Jayme, Loryn and I would love the company. Please just call either Jayme or I before you come by so we can ensure everyone has places to sit when you come on over.
Thank you all again for you words of encouragement and support. We are very luck to have family and friends like you all in our lives.
Jayme, Loryn and I wanted to fill everyone in on what we learned about our newest addition. Last night Ethan was kept on a C-PAP machine while he slept, so that there was a continuous flow of oxygen being supplied to him. Over all he did pretty well, only having three "episodes" where his breathing suffered. This morning they did another chest x-ray, and his lungs do look a little bit improved, although they said it could be from the oxygen he was receiving. In addition, it seems that the blood cultures they took are going to be coming back negative, which means he is not fighting any infections, which is good. As of this morning, the doctor said that he is even more confident that what we are dealing with is RDS and a minor case of PPHN which is high blood pressure in the lungs which is also known as pulmonary hypertension. They still have to do an echocardiogram this afternoon to confirm the PPHN. *** They did the update and Ethan does have PPHN. He is also slightly jaundice. They will be monitoring his bilirubin levels.***
What this means is that the current course of treatment (C-PAP to assist with breathing and simple time to allow the lungs to finish developing) seems to be the right course of treatment. The doctor told us that recovery time is highly variable, but we are looking at a minimum of 4 more days, but more likely 9-13 more days before we will be able to bring Ethan home.
Jayme on the other hand is recovering wonderfully. She is a bit anxious as a result of worrying for our son, and as a result is not yet sleeping well, but the docs are going to try and help her with some meds that should help her relax and get some rest.
Loryn is enjoying her time with her Grandma, but is also anxious to meet her brother. She cryed a little yesterday when Grandman took her home from the hospital, and has been very vocal today about spending going to the hospitalto see Mommy, Daddy, and E-Fin as she calls him.
For those wanting to visit today, we are all in a better frame of mind after the doctors reassurances and some sleep, so all are welcome to come visit. Obviously trips to the NICU to see Ethan are unlikely, however, Jayme, Loryn and I would love the company. Please just call either Jayme or I before you come by so we can ensure everyone has places to sit when you come on over.
Thank you all again for you words of encouragement and support. We are very luck to have family and friends like you all in our lives.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Ethan Scott
After 13 hours in labor (9 of which were considered active labor at the hospital) and about 10-15 minutes of pushing, our little boy arrived into the world at 11:15am on Friday April 1, 2011. His weight was 6 pounds 11 ounces and he was 19 3/4 inches long.
Ethan was born 3 weeks early and his lungs are under developed for being 37 weeks. He is currently in the NICU and is on a c-pap machine for the apnea and iv fluids and oxygen for the RDS (respiratory distress syndrome). Due to the fact that when he gets upset he stops breathing, we are not allowed to touch him yet. We were originally told he could be in the hospital between 3-5 days or as much as 2 weeks. After speaking to Ethan's doctor in the NICU, Ethan has been put on antibiotics to fight a possible infection, he is on morphine to take the edge off, and he will be in the hospital between 10-14 days.
Ethan was born 3 weeks early and his lungs are under developed for being 37 weeks. He is currently in the NICU and is on a c-pap machine for the apnea and iv fluids and oxygen for the RDS (respiratory distress syndrome). Due to the fact that when he gets upset he stops breathing, we are not allowed to touch him yet. We were originally told he could be in the hospital between 3-5 days or as much as 2 weeks. After speaking to Ethan's doctor in the NICU, Ethan has been put on antibiotics to fight a possible infection, he is on morphine to take the edge off, and he will be in the hospital between 10-14 days.
Email Eric sent out this afternoon
Hey all...
First, thank you all for the many good wishes on the arrival of Ethan. I want to fill everyone in as to what is going on because I am not sure that i am going to be able to call everyone individually.
Last night Jayme started having contractions around 8pm. She called her Dr, and they told us to measure them, and call back if they got stronger or closer together. By midnight they were getting worse, so we called again, and they told us to come to the hospital. At 2am Jayme was slightly dilated, so they told us to walk around the halls for a bit, to see what happened over the next 2 hours. By 4am, Jayme was much more dilated, and they admitted us to Labor and Delivery. hings progressed quickly from there, and at 11:14 this morning, Ethan was born.
Unfortunately, him being only 37 weeks along, his lungs are not yet fully developed, and he has a condition known as RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome). When he is calm he is fine, but when he starts to cry he stops breathing. He has been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit here at the hospital for the next few days. They have him on a breathing machine, and they are hoping that this will exercise his lungs and aid in their continued development. In addition they may inject him with surfactant, which will also help with his continued development.
At this point it looks as if he is going to be in the NICU for at least five days or so, but possibly more. This means when they release Jayme on Sunday, we will be heading home without our son. Many of you have called or emailed asking when you can visit. We appreciate the concern, but for tonight at least, Jayme and I want to spend time together and with Loryn. For those of you who want to come visit, feel free to come on by anytime after 9am tomorrow. Again, we appreciate your concern, but we are both a bit scared right now, and we feel like some time together is what we need.
As things change, I will keep you all informed. Thanks again, for all the thoughts, prayers, and encouragements.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
First, thank you all for the many good wishes on the arrival of Ethan. I want to fill everyone in as to what is going on because I am not sure that i am going to be able to call everyone individually.
Last night Jayme started having contractions around 8pm. She called her Dr, and they told us to measure them, and call back if they got stronger or closer together. By midnight they were getting worse, so we called again, and they told us to come to the hospital. At 2am Jayme was slightly dilated, so they told us to walk around the halls for a bit, to see what happened over the next 2 hours. By 4am, Jayme was much more dilated, and they admitted us to Labor and Delivery. hings progressed quickly from there, and at 11:14 this morning, Ethan was born.
Unfortunately, him being only 37 weeks along, his lungs are not yet fully developed, and he has a condition known as RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome). When he is calm he is fine, but when he starts to cry he stops breathing. He has been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit here at the hospital for the next few days. They have him on a breathing machine, and they are hoping that this will exercise his lungs and aid in their continued development. In addition they may inject him with surfactant, which will also help with his continued development.
At this point it looks as if he is going to be in the NICU for at least five days or so, but possibly more. This means when they release Jayme on Sunday, we will be heading home without our son. Many of you have called or emailed asking when you can visit. We appreciate the concern, but for tonight at least, Jayme and I want to spend time together and with Loryn. For those of you who want to come visit, feel free to come on by anytime after 9am tomorrow. Again, we appreciate your concern, but we are both a bit scared right now, and we feel like some time together is what we need.
As things change, I will keep you all informed. Thanks again, for all the thoughts, prayers, and encouragements.
Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach
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