Oxygen Hood

Ella has had a good day, according to her nurse and doctors. Miss Ella is currently under an oxygen hood. She actually loves it and seems to be much happier under it, because she can move all she wants. She is not hooked up to anything to help her breathe. Instead, she is in a little "bubble" that is blowing humidity and oxygen inside. There is a spout that it is blowing from, and as she is lying there, she "smiles" as it is blowing on her. She wiggles so that is blows at different spots on her face. I am not sure when she will change back to C Pap or nasal cannula, I am just happy she is happy and comfortable for the time being.

She is eating again. So glad! She is up to 2 pounds 11 ounces. All the grandparents have seen her this weekend and they all agree that she is filling out more and you can tell she has gained a little.

She had another blood transfusion today due to her blood gas levels being low. She tolerated it well and her coloring was better when we saw her today.

They are treating her as if she has an infection, although it is not a positive from the lab yet. She acts as though she is not feeling well, so they are going to keep her on the antibiotic to stay on the safe side. They also pulled her PIC line yesterday, because bacteria will stick to any foreign object so they pulled it to make sure it is not the source of the infection.

I look forward to holding her in my arms in the morning.

Thanks for the prayers!

Challenging Day

Ella had a challenging morning. She is currently on the ventilator to help her breathe. She is not taking deep enough breaths without it, and she is having a lot of alarms going off. The doctor also noticed some swelling around her neck area. He also ordered for the nurse to start her on an antibiotic, because her body is acting like it has an infection and they want to catch it before it becomes a problem.
Her sugars are high and they have reduced the amount of sugar that is going into her fluids. Her sugars will continue to be checked regularly throughout the day. Labs are ordered for the morning to check her gases to see if there is a concern for infection.
Her afternoon is going better with no alarms going off since we were there. She is resting comfortably. Good news for now!

Two Steps Back...

Sleepy Girl Picture

(Please read BOTH posts from today--this is the 2nd/later of the two)


The Doctor called this evening and said that Ella was having trouble taking deep breaths, and she was concerned and going to make some changes. She was going to put Ella back on C-Pap (which Ella is going to hate because she is not able to move very much while on the C-Pap apparatus). They are also going to give her a blood transfusion because they know her blood gases are going to fall from being switched back to C-Pap.


They are going to hold one of her feedings, because she will be under a lot of "stress" using the C-Pap again...
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I just spoke to the nurse and she said Miss Ella is resting, the blood transfusion is going well and that she is comfortable and sleeping right now on the C-Papa. I will call again before I go to bed for another update.

Please pray that things turn around and we head in the positive direction again, soon!

Two Steps Forward...

Ella weighs 2 pounds 7 ounces and is 3 weeks old!!

(Read BOTH posts from today)


Ella has had a good week, taking little steps in the positive direction.

Her bilirubin level has gone down, so she was able to go off the jaundice light on Tuesday. Yea, Ella! She has also been weaned off of C Pap and is currently on nasal cannula only. Wednesday was her first day on full nasal cannula and she did great. She continues to have monitors go off, telling us she is not taking deep breaths, so we verbally remind her to take deep breaths. She listens to her mommy and daddy and the monitors stop. She also continues to have the occasional “B” episodes and resolves them on her own.

They have determined that her tummy is not able to digest the amount of sugar in breast milk, so she is currently on a pre-digested formula. This will be used for a few days until her stomach is working better and able to fully digest food on her own.

The NICU staff also moved her feeding tube from her mouth to her nose, so that her mouth is free. So this week we have been able to see her without her jaundice protection glasses and without her feeding tube in her mouth! We can actually see her face and she looks so much like Carter.

Carter is adjusting well…we have taken two steps back on potty training(forward steps now), he has not been eating well, he is very clingy to us….all we hear is normal and he is just adjusting. He always said Ella was going to, “ROCK HIS WORLD!”

I have loved spending so much time with her and holding her. Ella is such as sweet baby.

Hiccup Girl

Ella had the hiccups today while we were there. Soft, sweet, squeaky hiccups!

This is a VIDEO that you can watch. Click on the "play" button under the picture to view it. Make sure your volume is on so you can listen.

Sweet Ella Time

We were able to hold Ella for over an hour today! I loved every minute of it!
Carter was tired by the end, and fell asleep in the car.

The pictures above are of the big brother and little sister, Daddy and Carter in Ella's room, Mommy holding her with Carter and Ella's board in her NICU room. We have decorated her board with a family picture and a picture of Carter. Today the March of Dimes staff had a family activity making valentines. The pink heart is the one Carter made for Ella....with mommy and daddy's help.

Ella has had a great day. She is up to 5 cc's on her food, and it is increasing every 12 hours. She is also able to be on the nasal cannula 6 hours a day! I am so glad because we can tell she is much more comfortable on it, rather than the C Pap.

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Miss Ella had a great day today! We hope we have many more like today in the days ahead.

She was able to be put on Nasal Cannula for 3 hours today and did great! I think she loved being off the C Pap- she is able to move so much more on nasal cannula. They will continue to do it for 3 hours every shift (12 hour period) and slowly increase the time she is able to be on it.

Her blood gases were good and she is eating well! Thanks be to GOD!!

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers!