Pinke.com

Yesterday was a HUGE day for our little peanut (and his parents)! After 50 days in the NICU we finally got to bring our 4 lb. 5 oz. preemie home! It just so happens that he was 36 weeks and 1 day old. It was bittersweet leaving the NICU. We were so excited to finally begin our new lives with our baby but yet had gotten used to the life in the NICU and had come to depend on the nurses and doctors there. It was a scary thought to bring him home without monitors to watch his every breath and a nurse to be at his bedside 24/7. We begged a few of the nurses to come home with us…

Before going home, he had to pass a carseat test and he did - with flying colors! He liked his carseat so much that his nurse that day let him stay in it for a nap. He also will be coming home with a little oxygen. They felt he needed it sometimes when he eats, he just gets so excited and sometimes chokes on his food and therefore stops breathing momentarily. Already, he’s getting much better at eating and breathing. The O2 guys showed up last night to deliver his oxygen and we now have enough for a year. We’re thinking of hosting an oxygen party - BYOC (Bring your own canula).

Long ago we decided that we have the BEST friends and they proved that to us again. We came home to be huge banner hung in our greatroom that said, “Welcome Home Camden” fully decorated with a monkey and bananas of course. Our fridge was stocked with meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and there were red roses on the table. All compliments of our very sneaky friends who decorated while were were picking up Camden from the hospital. We sure are lucky to have such special people in our lives!

So last night was our first of many sleepless nights. He was a big noise maker and grunter last night and just couldn’t seem to get comfortable unless we were cudding him. So what else could we do but cuddle on him all night long (I don’t think either one of us complained one bit though). It’s much darker and quieter at home and I’m sure the little guy just doesn’t know what the heck is going on. Today he met his pediatrician, Dr. Sachs, who said he looks great for being so little. We’ll have our second appointment next Tuesday.

So the next chapter in our lives has begun and we’re scared silly, but so thrilled to have him home. We’re anxious for our family and friends to meet the wonder boy in the near future. We’re so thankful to have him and you all in our lives.

Much love,

Jolie and Ryan

4 Comments »

Camden is now 46 days old!  Can you believe that?  Ryan and I cannot believe that he’s been in the NICU for 46 days.  It seems like time is flying by - as I’m sure his entire life will fly by.  We’d better not blink!  Our little one is now 4 pounds, 1 ounce and is out of the isolette and into a crib.  He’s a big boy now!  The only real obstacal to bringing him home at this point is how much he eats from a bottle.  He needs to take all of his feedings from a bottle (or from me) before they’ll let him go home.  Right now, he’s only taking a little more than half.  He just gets so pooped out!  It’s hard work for a little one.  Ryan equates the whole process to taking up running.  At first it’s more difficult if you’ve never been a runner before, but with practice it becomes easier and not as tiring.

If all goes well this week, the doctors are optimistic that we’ll have the little peanut home by next weekend!  YIKES!  We are freaking out a bit by this news, but in a good way.  A couple of days before he comes home, Ryan and I will sleep at the NICU in the family room with Camden.  He’ll be on monitors still so we won’t have to stand over him all night watching his breathing (hehe -we’ll do that when we bring him home ;0)).

We hope you had a restful weekend.

xoxo

jolie

1 Comment »

It’s hard to believe, but we’re back on track and our little 4 pound turkey is doing better than before. I walked into the NICU yesterday morning to hear a baby crying as loud as can be. You’ll never guess who was a hungry hungry hippo. Our not-so-quiet little peanut. He was moved back into his original “home” and wanted some food - NOW! Something looked different to me when I saw his face, then I realized that there was NOTHING on it for the first time ever! No stickers to hold his nasal tubing, no NG tube (for eating). I then learned that he was on complete room air and breathing perfectly AND he decided to pull out his feeding tube as well. He sure has become a little turkey this week! The nurse thought this would be a perfect time to try bottle feeding him. I, of course was nervous because I hadn’t bottle-fed him yet and was nervous he would stop breathing especially since he was no longer on oxygen. But, with her help we gave it a try. Instead of chugging his food, he ate slowly and calmly and didn’t turn blue once! Didn’t even set off any alarms the entire time. I even got a couple of good burps. I was so proud of our little guy! Last night, he took 3 out of 4 feedings with a bottle and was a champ!

I guess all that rest from surgery gave his lungs some time to figure out the whole breathing thing on its own and he’s now figuring out the suck, swallow, breathe process. WOW! More good news is that the IV came out last night and they increased his feedings each time and got him up to 40 mL. She said in the next couple of days he’ll get into a crib too. We’re amazed at his progress. He looks so good and healthy and our hope has been restored. What an emotional rollercoaster Ryan and I have been on!

This morning, Teri (she’s been Camden’s nurse more than anyone) asked us if we had anything we needed to get done at home. She told us we’d better get it done in the next week because this little one will be coming home sooner than we think. Now we’re freaking out for a whole other reason. We’re hoping we get to take a NICU nurse home with him.

So of course we’re thankful for many reasons today. This morning we were thankful for poopy diapers because our hernia boy hadn’t pooped since surgery. Yay poopy once again. We never thought in a million years that we’d be thankful for poop. Welcome to parenthood! We’re also so thankful for the support and love we’ve received from our family and friends. We couldn’t have made it though without you all! Lastly, we’re so thankful for the care the wonderful nurses and doctors at Littleton Hospital have given us these last 7 weeks. We’re are so fortunate.

Love to you all!

Jolie, Ryan, Camden, and Dakota

No Comments »

It was a good day today!  This morning Camden was still on the respirator but was getting tired of the tube in his mouth (can’t blame the guy).  The doctor said enough was enough and wanted it removed.  She ordered caffeine to wake him up a bit (he was still very sleepy) and it sure did work!  He was waking up and trying to suck his thumb, so the nurse modified his pasifier so he could suck on that until the respirator was out.  He was happy as can be when he got hold of that one!  Then the nurse was removing the tape that holds the respirator tubing in place and Mr. Camden showed us how much he wanted the tubing out and pulled it out himself!  We laughed - he told us!  His head was then put under an oxydome which has oxygen filled with humidity piped directly into the dome to assist his breathing.  Already, he looked much happier and I felt much better about his condition.

A few moments later the nurse let me hold him for the first time since early Sunday morning.  I can’t tell you how good it felt to hold my little peanut again and to see him so alert.  We were both content.  To make this day even better, at noon today he was given his first feeding since the operation.  He’s only given 1/2 an ounce for now (which is a little less than half of what he was getting before surgery).  They’ll build his feedings back up to where they were at 34 mL in no time.

So, we’re getting over this hiccup in the road. Our little tough guy is doing better today than yesterday and I’m thinking tomorrow will be even better than today.  Our doctor’s words were, “Never trust a preemie,” and we learned that the hard way Sunday morning. Thank you for your prayers, phone calls, and love.  We give Camden lots of kisses each day and tell him who they’re from.  A friend of mine told me today that in their family they make sure each person gets 1,000 kisses a day.  I think that’s going to be our new motto too!

We’ll continue to keep you posted.

Love you!

jolie

No Comments »