MRI November 15th

On Tuesday, November 15th Olivia had an MRI! She was such a good little girl. They had to give her some medicine that would make her sleepy so she would be still during the MRI and she did it. The results came back from Primary's that there is still some damage, but because she is not showing any signs at all her chances of them effecting her to severely are less. We just have to keep an eye on her and she will start some different kinds of therapy to help just in case.

Nurse V getting Olivia all ready for her MRI. Thanks Nurse V!

Nurse J and Nurse V, we're all in the elevator heading down to radiology.

Olivia doing super well!

RT MJ came also to make sure little miss didn't have any breathing troubles!

Nurse V, RT MJ and Nurse J after the MRI was successfully done! Good Job Olivia!

After she got back to her room her medication gave her some side affects. She stopped breathing so RT MJ had to come in and give her some breaths with the Neo Puff machine. A bit scary but she kicked right out of it. NNP Barb had to come and check it all out too. Thanks for all the help that day for sure!

Sunday's are Great

Took some pictures today that I like a lot. Plus after almost two days of sleeping Olivia decided to wake up. Love her bright eyes. And we haven't had a family picture for a long time so, enjoy.

Chunky Baby!

As of today Olivia is 4 pounds 11 ounces! She has been fluctuating a little since she is nursing and eating from a bottle, it takes some extra work to do those things. She is doing great at eating IF she wakes up, she does not like to be woken up to eat and really it's not even worth trying because she won't eat if we wake her up. So, it's gotta be on her time.
The whole nursing thing is getting difficult though. I love to nurse her, but my body it just not increasing the amount I make to feed her. She tries and tries to nurse for like 15 to 30 minutes and then she's hungry so I have to giver her a bottle which takes her more time and energy. It probably seems like not a big deal, but in the world of the hospital it is. If it takes her an hour to eat it messes up her schedule and then it messes with my body to produce. It's just becoming a pain. And on top of that she doesn't eve want to wake up. The last two days she's hardly eaten! (Don't worry she still gets her feeding tube feeds :)
Well enough about that rant. Really all is well. She is doing great and she is getting cuter and cuter by the second. NNP B said today in rounds that she would feel comfortable sending her home at that point IF she ate all 8 feedings. So, it's just a waiting game. The nurses say that she will just wake up one day and be ready to eat all day, but in the meanwhile it's just a guessing game.

She is getting better at the bottle and is fantastic at nursing. She still de-sats a little when she is eating, but she's getting better.

She loves cuddling with her daddy. In the past few weeks she has started to love being held and having her back rubbed and her head. It was just like a blink and she all of a sudden started acting more and more like a full term baby.

Loving being with her daddy. And I'm pretty sure Tay is just smitten by her. If you all think I am spoiled, watch out because this little one might try and beat me.

There she is getting SO big. It actually made me sad the other day because I was afraid she was going to be big before I even got to take her home. Some days I feel like I will go home when she can walk with me because she grows so dang fast.

She's such a happy girl. She's starting to realize that she is controlling those things we call her hands and it's so fun to see her trying to figure out what they are doing in her way. :)

My baby Olivia

There she is laying on my lap. She loves that binki and yes she can hold it in herself. She loves to wiggle out of her blankets and loves to have her feet uncovered. She figured out how to squirm all the way to the bars of her crib on my birthday. Nurse T took a picture to show us how she found her screaming. I only have a print, but I'll figure out how to get it up.

I got to celebrate my birthday a couple of times, which if so normal if you know me even a little. On the 8th I spent the day with my magnifecent husband and my favorite relative Stephanie came from up north and took me to lunch. Thanks relative! Then on the 12th I got to have a lunch celebration with the nurses because it was nurse S's birthday so we had a little party and that night (see picture above) some of my bestest friends around came and had a pizza party with me. Thanks to all of you! I had a great birthday!
Well friends and family Olivia is wonderful and thanks to so many prayers from you both Tayce and I are sain and healthy. Thank you so very much for your support. Love you all!

Spick and Span

Olivia had a bath today, this is her getting all dried off. She was so awake and being cute. Then we got her dressed. She's almost grown out of her smallest preemie clothes! Can you believe it?

Pictures for Aunt Joan

I love my baby girl! They said this afternoon she might be home before thanksgiving !! Wow, seems sorta crazy.

Big Girl

Olivia is doing so well! They are talking about going home every day. It is so crazy that this journey is coming to an end already. Super crazy. I am so grateful for so many prayers being answered.

HOME!?!?

Sorry no pictures, but I wanted to post this new information.

4 Pounds 5 Ounces!
Eyes are completely developed!
She' on low flow (this is less air pressure and it is something she can go home on).
Today in rounds Dr. Carroll said "let's talk about what she needs to do to go home?" WHAT! Yippee!

• Wean off of her Caffeine (right now she gets some every 6 hours)
• Nurse or bottle feed all the time (right now she can nurse 2 times a shift, 4 times a day)
• Not need some of her medicines she is getting (on the 9th she'll have her labs done to see if she is keeping her sodium and potassium up, which will mean she doesn't need certain medicines that she gets).
• Car seat test. 

That's all! :) The hardest one is the feeding one, because if it's no her idea to nurse she doesn't really do it, but if it is her idea she's a pro. This morning she nursed for 20+ minutes and didn't need anything to top her off. She waited until the next feed to eat. :)
Well there is the update, we might get to go home sooner then we thought, but it's just a day by day thing. Depends on how she eats basically.

68 Days Old

Olivia is doing wonderful. She is such an amazing baby. It amazes me every day to see what she accomplishes. She is now able to breastfeed 2 times a shift, so 4 times a day. I try not to push her. If she is showing signs of wanting to I totally let her, but if she is sleepy and not interested I don't mess with it. The reasoning behind that is because many times these itty bitty babies will take longer to learn if they are pushed. I have had a lot of my NICU mom friends that have given me the advice to take your time in learning to eat and things and they are right, she does a lot better when I do it on her time instead of my time.
Olivia loves her crib, she wiggles around and keeps her temperature up, so well that we don't even have to wrap her up too tight with lots of blankets. If she has clothes on and a blanket she stays plenty warm. She's doing well with breathing, she still needs her caffeine, but her flow is down to a rate of 2! After her eye exam today (Friday) they are going to put her on low flow and she'll give that a try, if her eyes are fully developed. Low flow is a lot let puffs of air to remind her to breath, but it still has oxygen for her.

October 31st, Olivia's first Halloween and her first time outside! In the picture from right to left is Nurse M, Boss J, Olivia and I, and RT MJ. Picture taken by Dr. Ridout.

Here we are in the St. George Sunshine!

Sorry the picture is dark, I took it with my phone and I don't have the flash on because miss Olivia doesn't like that much and most of the time her room is not very bright.

Here she is in clothes that fit. This outfit is from Debbie, thank you!

Big huge yawn. She loves to sleep, like mother like daughter! :)

My beautiful baby sleeping on me!

I hope you can see this, her hat is the one I took a while back that was WAY too big for her. Now it fits and its darling. Thank you NNP Beckie for making her the cutest hats.

This is what happens when the sun is shining on her and she's trying to sleep (we keep her window open in the day). She pulls things over her face so she can sleep. What a girl.

Life in the NICU isn't the easiest place to live. It's been a long long two months, but at the same time I feel like time is flying by. I have got to the point that I am sorta going a little crazy or driving everyone else crazy here because I am in the need of social interaction. Now that Olivia is in an open crib and flu and RSV season are upon us she can't have visitors and that means some lonely times. I am so excited about nursing her 4 times a day! But it means I have to be at the hospital a lot and if any of you know me well, I dislike the hospital with a passion close to the disliking of the dentist (not quite though). The staff here at the NICU are fantastic, I couldn't ask for better people taking care of Olivia and lets be honest me :) But, I am feeling that my journey here is coming to a close so it makes me a little antsy to be home in my beautiful Cedar City ( I know it's cold, but I love it anyway.)
Have a great weekend friends and family and followers I don't even know. We love you!