Going into a Crib Tonight (or tomorrow)

I am so excited because Elizabeth is getting into an open crib tonight or tomorrow whenever another baby goes home today. She now weights a whopping 4 lbs and 4 oz! Almost up 2 lbs from her birth weight. She is 17 inches long. She was six weeks old on tuesday. She is wearing clothes now and is swaddled in a blanket..they do that in order to get them ready to go out of the isolet. She is taking more bottles everyday..up to 2 per shift and maybe a third. Oxygen is about 21% - 25%. She absolutely hates getting her temp taken and her diaper changed. She loves her binkie! I can't wait until she gets to come home!

4 Pounds

Elizabeth is now 33 wks gestationally...6 weeks tomorrow. She weighs 4 lbs 0.5 oz and is 17 inches long. Since she finally made it to the 4 lb mark she can now go into a open crib so over the next couple of days...the nurses will lower her isolet temp gradually and begin the dress her. She also began to bottle feed on the 11th and so far she has taken the full feeds of 3 of her bottles. Her oxygen sits from about 21-25 and 21 is room air. She just needs to stay there and have good oxygen stats. I can not wait to get her home...

Bunny Pictures

Bunny pictures of Elizabeth

Thanks U of U Hospital

Transfusion

We just found out that Elizabeth has to get a blood transfusion because her red blood cell count was 19 when it was supposed to be 40. So she's pretty sick, but the nurses also think that when she gets her count back up then her a's and b's will also get better. Because that can cause having a's and b's. So around midnight she'll probably get the blood. And in another 8 hrs she'll get another. And we'll see how she does. And also in the morning she has to get a lab anyway to check to see if her liver is functioning. Mainly because she has been on the photo lights so much...much more than normal. But they can give her a med for that if needed its actually a med for seizures which is kinda weird.

4 weeks old---tomorrow

It is crazy to think that elizabeth is going to be 4 weeks old tomorrow. And then a month old on the 7th. I can't believe how much time has passed...it doesn't seem that its been that long since she was born. And I can't believe that we've been in slc for almost a month! Elizabeth is doing well...she got moved out of room 2 which is the very low birth weight area and moved into room 7...its more open and its for the better babies. Elizabeth is still having a few As & Bs which is apnea and bradycardia...when she forgets to breath and so her heartrate decreases dramatically. She already had a grade 2 since I've been here. Its just where they have to stimulate her a bit to breathe. Also the stupid monitor thing is very sensitive to movement. Elizabeth is a wiggler. Shes is on 24 mls of breast milk every 3 hrs but since she is on continuous feeds it equals to 8.5 mls every hour. They put her back on photo therapy lights again today. Because her bili ruben level got high enough. (its pretty much just jaundice) so we just have to wait until her liver kicks in and takes over. Shes a little bit anemic now but it wouldn't do any good to transfuse her because at 6 weeks her bone marrow will start making red blood cells and transfusing her would only set her back that much more. Still on nasal canula which is normal oxygen tube that fits into the nostrils siting about 30 percent oxygen on that. Yesterday she broke through the 3 pound mark! She is now 1371 grams or 3 lbs 0.5 ounces. And she got measured yesterday and she is 17 inches long. Only 2 more months (hopefully) of nbicu and she gets to come home. I can't wait!