Sick Day, December 2, 2010

My poor little guy and I are having a sick day on the couch today. He was running a fever of 100.5 last night which is much higher than his normal 97.8ish body temperature. He was crying in, what it seemed like, pain. There wasn't much that we could do to console him but luckily we had gotten some sugar ease from the doctor which helped him relax; sugar ease is a water/sucrose mixture that helps babies calm down and relaxes their muscles. We called the doctor and were told to give him Tylenol every 4 hours which brought his temperature down some but not much. He has also been throwing up and going from one extreme to another with either not using the bathroom (#2) or having diarrhea. We have spent the day on the couch and have rested all day. He seems to be feeling better but is still pretty hot. Please pray that our little guy feels better! He looks so sad that it breaks my heart! I do not like seeing my baby in pain!

December 1, 2010- 2 months old

Happy 2 month Birthday Levi Blake!!
         Our little man is getting so big! These two months have flown by but have been by far the greatest 2 months of our lives! We started out having Levi a month and a half early and spent 2 weeks in the NICU. It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the hospital but we finally got home!
        Levi is Mr. Personality!! He smiles all the time and is beginning to giggle and laugh. He can lift his head up and he can stand up and actually support his weight, he is going to be walking before we know it! We went to the Doctor today and he has almost doubled his birth weight, weighing 8 lbs and 6.5 ounces and is 21 inches long!!! He is definitely growing but is still only in the 5th percentile in height and weight :) I think he is going to take after his daddy in size! He had to get 3 shots, 2 in one leg and 1 in the other. He did not cry other than when the medicine was actually being dispensed, such a trooper. He loved the Doctor that we saw today, she was a cute young doctor. He did not cry during the appointment but started crying when she left, He is definitely going to be a lady's man (daddy says just like him...HAHA).

      We got to see Santa today and he didn't even cry! He kinda blended in with Santa so in the picture he is trying to lift his head so he can be seen, such a smart boy! He asked Santa for a puppy for Christmas (mommy kinda helped with that)!
       I have lost my milk supply and I am unable to nurse now. We have been giving him formula for 2 days now and we are having a rough transition. Please keep him in your prayers that he will be able to make the transition from my milk to formula and that he will begin to feel better!
        Tomorrow is my last day of maternity leave! I am definitely sad about it and I am already feeling anxious about leaving my little man. I am lucky that I am going back on a Friday so that I will have the weekend with my little man and that it will hopefully not be to overwhelming. We are blessed though to have schedules that will allow one of us to be at home with Levi at all times other than 2 Saturdays a month in which MeMe and NaNa will get to watch him.
I have to say we have a pretty good life these days. We are lucky to have good paying jobs as well as great support from our family and friends and we could not ask for more!!!!

October 8, 2010

HAPPY ONE WEEK BIRTHDAY LEVI!!!

MOMMY AND DADDY LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

We go to bed every night and wake up every morning thinking about our little guy. It breaks our hearts to be so close to him yet so far away!

 The first thing we do in the mornings is go see little Levi and get an update from his doctors. This morning was a good morning for Levi. His jaundice levels went down so he was taken off one of his bililights, Thank God!! His platelet levels went down again so they are still fighting with the idea of checking my blood. The doctors said it could either be that he is still technically not supposed to be here which could make his platelets low or that mine are still attacking his. They are going to check his levels again in the morning, which means another heel stick L. Our baby is beginning to look like a pincushion! He is still having a little trouble keeping his body temperature up so we are going to be in the incubator for a few more days. His jaundice is making him have bowel movements quite often, which is causing him to lose weight, the more weight he loses the harder it is to keep his body temperature stable. They started fortifying his milk to increase the calorie count of the breast milk from 20 calories to 22 calories. Hopefully this will help the little guy gain some weight.

            I was able to go to a scrapbooking event yesterday sponsored by the March of Dimes. I got to socialize with other moms with babies in the NICU and their stories are so inspiring. Thank God for other strong moms that love their babies and I am so thankful for the time we got to spend with one another.

So Levi is doing so much better than even two days ago. We are pushing through each day and trying not to focus on the past but focus on the beautiful future that Levi and our family have ahead of us.

October 7, 2010.

Derek and I decided that the best way to keep everyone updated about our little guy Levi is to journal in a blog daily. We are pushing through each day with minimum sleep and trying to make to the best out of the situation and everyday. It seems like just when we get good news of Levi reaching a milestone we are set back with more disappointing news about another health issue arising.

Levi was born 4 weeks early due to lack of movement in the womb. I had an emergency c-section last Friday morning and he was born at 6:25 am, weighing in at a whooping 4 pounds 14 ounces and measuring 16 inches in length. He was born with the cord wrapped around his neck twice and was not receiving the appropriate amount of oxygen. Levi was taken into the nursery for observations and then was quickly moved to the NICU where he was placed on oxygen, a feeding tube, an IV, and every other monitor that they could find.

            So, we are now on day 6 of being in the NICU. He weighed 4 pounds and 11 ounces last night but they say it is normal for babies to lose some weight after they are born. They are increasing his milk intake by 5 cc’s just about every day so he can gain some weight. He is currently snuggled between 2 bili lights to treat his jaundice and looks like a cute little glowworm. They check his blood platelet levels every morning for they were extremely low but seem to increase every time they do the test. They may send me to the lab to get my blood drawn because they believe my platelets might not match his, which would cause mine to attack his. His breathing is stable and his heart rate is looking good so praise God for that. The nurse today said that he is looking real good so hopefully that means more good news for the future. We have been blessed with the most kind and caring nurses to take care of our miracle and could not be happier with the results thus far. I thank God that Levi was able to stay in the womb as long as he did and that we were able to deliver Levi without more complications than we had. Sitting by Levi everyday and listening to the stories of the families around us has also definitely encouraged me. Things could definitely be worse and I should thank God everyday for the blessings that He has provided us with and for the progress that Levi has made.
            We are currently staying at home right now and going up to the hospital every 3 hours to spend time with our little man. We are able to change his diaper and feed him outside of the incubator, which is also a blessing.
            Please keep my family and especially Levi in your prayers! Pray that Levi keeps getting healthier and that Derek and I receive enough rest.