Farewell to 2010

Hello,

Claire returned to the pediatrician earlier this week and continues to do fabulously.  She weighs six pounds and four ounces and has caught up with the average newborn in size.  Claire is too big for her preemie diapers and has graduated to the newborn size.  Of course they are a little big but she will grow into them soon.  Her hair continues to grow & is so pretty - I think there is some natural curl and wave! 

Dr. Frank assures us that Claire is doing fabulously.  She is trying to hold up her head and there is some bobbing and weaving going on but she is getting better at the task.  We started her on medication to regulate her bowels and she is happier with less gas and grunting.  She is now "regular" and doesn't require suppositories - woo hoo!  Breast feedings are going a lot better now too and Claire is able to nurse without difficulty.  What a journey and how very proud we are to see Claire conquer every task that is required of her.  It makes sense looking back that of course breast feeding would be a challenge due to her petite size. 

Claire's big sister's came to visit today and both remarked on how "grown up" she is looking.  She has out grown her tiniest preemie clothes and some of the smaller newborn sizes as well.  I have separated her clothes by size to ensure that she spends time wearing all of the cute outfits that have been given to her.  We will keep some of the preemie outfits so that Claire can dress her dolls when she is bigger.

What a year 2010 has been.  We are so very pleased that our wish to become a family has come true and that despite Claire's early arrival, she is thriving.  We thank each and every one of you for checking in on Claire's blog.  We have felt the power of your positive thoughts & prayers and Claire's amazing progress is
truly a result of all of your support and love.  Her team of medical providers have provided us with excellent medical care and resulted in her fabulous outcome. 

We look forward to 2011 and the many surprises in store as Claire continues to grow.  It is anticipated that she will meet her developmental milestones based on her due date, not her actual birth date.  Knowing Claire, she may surprise us and meet them earlier rather than later.

We wish you all a healthy, prosperous, and exciting new year.  Embrace your loved ones and keep some Holiday Magic in your life throughout the New Year 2011!


Love,
Denise & Alan       

Happy Holidays!

Hello,

Well as luck would have it, and a lot of love & prayers, our Baby Claire now weighs 6 pounds 1.5 ounces.  Alan's Christmas wish has come true and he is a very happy Daddy.  She is growing and changing so much in just the 3 weeks that she has been home.  If she had been born on her due date, she would be 2 weeks old today!

We have had recent issues with our little Claire and gas.  Yes, I think all parents encounter this issue at some time or another.  We started her on Mylicon drops made for babies and the result is amazing.  She is no longer crying due to gas discomfort.  Right now she is laying beside me in a very lovely quiet alert state.  She is taking in the world around her and completely content.  She is wearing a very cute pokadot outfit from her Aunt Mary Lou and Cousin Meghan and is really looking forward to her first Christmas Morning.

We couldn't be more pleased and are so very happy with the blessings and good fortune that this year has brought to us and our new family.  I had always imagined what it would be like to have a child and to celebrate the Christmas season.  My expectations have been exceeded and we do appreciate the fact that if not for the many prayers and good wishes, our journey would have been much more difficult.  Let our experience be proof that dreams can come true and it is never too late for second chances. 

"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus".  We do believe!!!!   

Merry Christmas and wishing you all love and a joy-filled holiday season.

Love,
Denise & Alan

Hello,

Claire has completed her second visit with the pediatrician and now weighs 5 1/2 pounds - she is thriving since coming home from the hospital!!  Last night she slept for 5 hours which was such a nice reprieve from the wee-morning feedings.  Of course she is likely to return to the 3-4 hour schedule but we are gradually adjusting.  If Claire is napping, I try to rest too.

Claire's hair is the prettiest chestnut color and it is starting to grow.  She continues to be a really good baby but the last three nights included a midnight bewitching hour.  Thankfully the rocking chair has provided great comfort for her fussiness and for me too.

I have received my Christmas wish for Claire to come home on December first.  Alan's wish is that Claire will weigh six pounds by Christmas Day.  She has passed her due date of December 10th and continues to do very well.  I think that Alan's wish will come true too and that she will surpass six pounds soon.

We wish you all a very happy holiday season and that you will enjoy time with your family and loved ones.  As always, thank you for your support, loving thoughts, and prayers for our Baby Claire.

xo,
Denise & Alan



     

One Week Post Homecoming

Hello -

What a difference a week makes!  Of course we are learning to live with sleep deprivation but with Alan's night owl and my early morning routines, we are making the best of our new life with Claire at home.

Claire saw the pediatric opthalmologist yesterday and her eyes are perfect - our next visit will be in one year - woo hoo!  Today we saw the pediatrician and Claire has gained weight and now has reached five pounds two ounces and measures 17 1/2 inches long.  The doctor is pleased with her progress and we return in a week to monitor her growth.  If she continues to do well, we will stop the additional calorie supplement and maintain feedings on breast milk and formula as needed. 

It has been fun to get to know Claire.  She is a very content little soul and only cries when she needs a diaper change or is hungry.  Rarely she will fuss without any reason but is easily consoled.  Claire is quite a talker - she coos and squeaks and has periods when she is very wide-eyed and alert taking in the world around her.  She looks totally cute in pink and tolerates being dressed in the latest baby fashions.  

Luckily for me, she has saved her worst diaper changes for Alan - call it good timing on my part!  We are very happy to have Claire at home and taking care of her has been quite easy, all things considered.  We aren't certain exactly what the Christmas tree will be like this year - the season has come along quickly and we haven't even given it a thought.  We have been focused on our Baby Claire and adapting to life at home.  Fortunately, there are no more daily trips to the hospital!

Thank you again for your support.  The kind thoughts and prayers have been working for our Baby Claire.

More soon - likely weekly updates from now on.

xo,
Denise and Alan

A Sweet Homecoming

Hello -

Oh happy day....finally...our precious Claire has come home to start our family chapter.  She is now 4 pounds and 10 ounces and took 67 cc's from the bottle this morning.  We were discharged around 1:00pm and got home by 1:30pm.  No problems so far and we feel confident we can handle her cares here at home.  It is so much quieter and no alarms to contend with - what a relief.  And no more trips to the hospital!

We spent time this morning with Claire's pediatrician who happens to be one of the doctors that has cared for her in the NICU.  We covered all areas of concerns including feedings, elimination, and sleep.  She has an eye exam scheduled next Monday and we see the Pediatrician again next Tuesday.  She continues to do very well and we are so happy to finally have our baby at home. 

Big sister's Emma and Mary have come to visit and become acquainted with Claire.  She has been a little star and loves spending time with her sisters.

Bella photos took pictures today before we left the hospital.  You can take a look at http://www.bellababyphotography.com/  with password 1018clairealoha.

We will continue updates as Claire grows and becomes her own person.  Thank you so much for all of the kind thoughts and prayers.  We are so happy to share our homecoming and the day that we are finally together again.  It was a dream come true for me as I wanted Claire home on December first, and here we are on 12/1/10.

With Love,
Denise and Alan

Soon....

Hello Everyone,

What a fabulous two days for Claire with great accomplishments!  Yesterday the NG tube was removed as she has tolerated bottle feedings over the last 24 hours.  And, today she was moved into an open crib to see how well she can tolerate life outside of the isolette.  If she continues to do well, she may be home this week!!!

Claire continues to tolerate bottle feedings and had her first tub bath yesterday.  We were given a demo and then it was Claire's turn.  She cried at first and when she finally figured it out, she really liked it :)  She wasn't too slippery and I feel very confident that we will do well at home.  Only two tasks remain on the patient teaching list - infant car seat and CPR video.  After that, we will be good to go to begin our new life with Claire at home.  It has felt like we have a baby on lay-a-way and can only visit briefly!!  Claire weighs in at an impressive 4 pounds 5 ounces and is taking 37cc's per feeding.

Needless to say, we are totally excited that a new day is dawning and we are almost thru the tunnel.  The last six weeks have been a whirlwind and unless you have experienced life in the NICU, mere words can not describe the environment and emotional impact of life in the NICU bubble.  We remain extremely thankful for the doctors and nurses of the NICU whose skilled hands and caring hearts have assisted Claire to grow and develop outside in the real world.  Today she is six weeks and has reached 38 weeks gestation.  If we were still pregnant, she would have two weeks to go until her due date of December 10th.  What a strong baby and how very proud we are of Claire that she has done so very well.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.  This journey would have been even more challenging if not for the support of all our loved ones and friends and family.

More soon,

Denise & Alan 

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello,

At this time of year we take time to reflect on our many blessings.  We are thankful for good health, loving friends and family, and our supportive work families. We are especially thankful for the gift of Claire and her team of medical professionals that have assisted in her progress since birth five weeks ago.

Speaking of Claire, she is edging in on 4 pounds and is currently weighing 3 pounds 14 ounces!  Her doctor said she is starting to be a "chubber" - yay for Claire!!  She is still working on mastering suck, swallow, and breathing coordination and has been doing beautifully on the bottle.  The breast is still a challenge but we know that she will figure it out soon.  Her feedings have been increased to 32 cc's and she is starting to show more personality.  So far she seems to be a very mellow child but time will tell.

We look forward to Claire coming home but it still depends on her ability to tolerate oral feedings.  We are told that she can take off quickly once she has mastered the art of suck coordination so it is a matter of time.  The medical staff will advance Claire to an open crib when she is eating better which will be followed by her release to home.  We remain patient with the process and thank you all for your continued support.

Wishing you and your families a lovely Thanksgiving holiday.

xo,
Denise & Alan

Hello,

Today Claire has reached 37 weeks gestation and weighs 3 pounds 10 ounces! She is slowly learning to eat via bottle and has successfully latched to the breast.  Her feedings are up to 30 cc's and she is gaining weight as expected and is looking more like a chubby baby.  Alan is going to update the blog so you can view more recent photos.

Claire is spending more time awake during our visits as we are taking part in her feeding schedule.  She is very bright-eyed and attempts to focus on our faces which is so cute. We will be visiting again shortly and will update you soon.  The nurses have all fallen in love with Claire and visit her in our absence - even the L&D  nurses that cared for us when I was in the hospital!

Thank you for your support.

xo,
Denise & Alan

Hello,

Claire is officially one month old today!  She has been moved to the less intensive care "suite" with the other feeder/grower babies - a huge milestone.  Claire took an entire feeding on Tuesday of 28cc's via bottle!!  She hasn't repeated that performance and is averaging around 18cc's as of today.  The best news is that she is learning to coordinate suck/swallow/breathe sequencing which is necessary for her before she can come home. 

Claire's feedings have been increased to 30cc's which she is tolerating well.  She has had an occasional residual during the night-time but the doctor is not concerned.  We know that she will continue to progress and will successfully tolerate all oral feedings as she masters the art of eating.  The isolette temperature is gradually decreasing and she is tolerating time out of the isolette.  We look forward to when she can transfer to an open crib.

Alan and I are now able to take Claire out of the isolette and return her without the nurse's assistance.  We are enjoying more time with Claire, especially the hands-on cares.  The bassinet has been set up and is ready for Claire when she can come home.  It will happen when Claire is ready which is estimated within two weeks.  She currently weighs three and a half pounds - woo hoo!

Thank you for your support and good wishes.  More soon.

xo,
Denise and Alan   

Hello,

Claire had her first bottle feeding yesterday and was able to take 18cc's...hooray for Claire!!  She is having more issues with the breast but this will come in time.  She is interested but doesn't quite know how to coordinate the suck as it is more work for a small baby on the breast.

Claire now weighs 3 pounds 7.5 ounces and is fast approaching 4 pounds.  The calories have been increased in her feedings to assist weight gain and she begins vitamin supplements as well today.  The nurses have let us hold Claire and walk around the unit which has been wonderful.  Alan was able to hold and walk with her today and he was a very proud Dad.  He took her temperature and changed her diaper too which helps to keep him in the loop.  He doesn't see Claire as often as I do so it is nice for him to spend time with cares to share 1:1 time with Claire. 

Claire is considered a "feeder and grower" now so the stress of the NICU has definitely decreased and our visits are more relaxing now.  Thank you again for all of your support.  We will write again soon.

xo,
Denise & Alan

Hello,

Claire has reached 36 weeks gestation today and tomorrow she will be one month old!  Today was a wonderful day as the IV was discontinued.  She is up to 28cc feedings via gavage and is doing well.  She latched on today without any difficulty and even had her first small feeding.  The evening nurse was wonderful and unhooked all of the monitors so that I could hold Claire and walk around the NICU with her in my arms.  It was the first time that I have been able to hold her un-tethered and it was so special.  The light at the end of the tunnel is starting to grow brighter :)

The goal now is for Claire to continue to increase her feedings as tolerated, introduce the bottle and nipple feeds, and wean her from the isolette to an open crib.  When she is able to demonstrate continued weight gain, can maintain her body temperature outside the isolette, and is free of any illness or issues, she will then be able to come home.  I know her discharge day is coming soon as the staff has started to do a lot of teaching related to care while at home and making sure that we have everything in place and are ready for Claire.

We remain positive and are so very proud of Claire.  She is doing her job of sleeping, eating, and growing very well.  Considering she is still a month away from her due date, she has made remarkable progress.  Thank you all again for your kind thoughts and prayers.  Your support has truly helped our family through this process of learning more than we ever thought we needed to know about preemies.  More soon...

xo,
Denise & Alan

Hello All,

It has been a busy week with visiting Claire twice daily at the hospital.  The current goal is to work with Claire so that she can learn to coordinate suck/swallow/breathe activities.  She is a little trooper and doing well.  She fatigues pretty quickly but is very alert and wide-eyed with the entire process called nonnutritive sucking.  She is showing more interest and latching on so her progress is great.

Claire is up to 20cc's with her gavage feedings and the IV is slowly weaning.  She will start bottle feed supplementation when she has demonstrated that she can tolerating her gavage feedings.  So far her tummy is doing well and her residuals have been small. 

Alan and I continue to provide more cares as we visit.  Hopefully the IV will be discontinued within the next few days which will free Claire from one more monitor.  Speaking of monitors, we are beginning to become accustomed to the chiming but it does give you pause.  Thankfully Claire's monitors have quieted as she is stable with few issues.  Typically they will alarm due to positional issues. 

Claire is no longer the smallest baby in the NICU.  She is still the senior resident but she is doing fabulously.  We hope she will be able to come home by Thanksgiving (we are keeping our fingers crossed) but are ready for an early December date if the additional time is needed by Claire.  We will post a new blog tomorrow
when Claire has reached 36 weeks gestation.

Love,

Denise and Alan

Hello All,

Claire is nearly 3 pounds 4 ounces and 15 3/4" long.  She is up to 16 cc for her gavage feedings and is doing well with minimal residuals!!  She is wearing clothes now so we have brought her preemie onesies to the hospital so that she can wear them before she outgrows her preemie wardrobe.  If she continues to do well, there is a possibility that she will be able to come home for Thanksgiving.  It is more likely that she will be ready to come home the first week of December. 

The IV may come out by the end of the week if Claire continues to tolerate increasing volumes with her feedings.  This will be a huge milestone for our daughter.  The current focus is for transition to oral feedings.  She isn't too interested right now but we are confident that she will do well.  Claire has proven that she is a great fighter and a strong baby.     

Claire is good-tempered and only fusses if there is a reason.  We are providing cares now and she barely cries with diaper changes.  She has begun to open her eyes more frequently and she is so cute as she tries to focus on our faces.  Claire continues to do her job of sleeping and growing.  We are so happy with her progress and are able to hold her more frequently now.  I am visiting twice daily now and am able to spend more 1:1 time handling Claire.

We are going to visit again this evening and I will update you soon.  Thank you all for your support.

xo,
Denise & Alan      

Baby Claire is 3 weeks old today!

Wow - what a difference a week has made!  Claire is doing beautifully.  She is gaining weight & growing and tolerating time outside the isolette.  I was able to hold her yesterday for nearly 2 hours and assisted with her cares during that time.  She was very alert and awake prior to her dinner and had her little eyes open and was very expressive.  It was a treasure as we don't see her awake much as she spends her time sleeping and growing.  Sisters Emma & Mary and boyfriend Zach visited Claire too.  As I was holding her outside the isolette, they were able to better see her up close and personal.  They were happy to spend time with their little sister and look forward to the time when they can hold her.

Today was Alan's turn.  He held her for over an hour and put her into her first outfit.  She is actually ready to wear clothes so we are thrilled!!  We will also start to be more active in her care as she is now stable.  It is time for us to get ready for the transition when she is ready to come home.  I will begin spending time in the NICU twice daily to start nippling which will prepare Claire for oral feeds.  She is still being fed via gavage feedings and is up to 12cc's.  So far she is tolerating the feedings but it could still be a little while until she is ready to be up to full speed.  Her IV is slowly decreasing as the volume of her gavage feedings are increasing.  Once Claire has learned what the breast is all about and can coordinate suck/swallow, she will likely take off and start making greater leaps.

We are s-l-o-w-l-y starting to breathe easier but this continues to be a day by day process.  The good news is that she has remained stable and as she grows larger, her incidence of preemie issues will decrease.  We are extremely thankful that Claire continues to do well.  Thank you all for the positive thoughts, prayers, and good wishes. 

More soon,

Denise & Alan

Hello,

Baby Claire now weighs 3 pounds 1 ounce!  We are so very happy that our daughter continues to do well.  She is getting 8cc feedings every 3 hours.  The feeds are being advanced slowly to allow her tummy to digest the breast milk.  She is being followed closely and hopefully she will continue to tolerate gradually larger feedings.  She remains in the isolette which allows her to continue to grow and put on weight.

Claire is now the senior member of the NICU ward :)  There are 10 babies currently receiving care which is keeping the staff busy.  I was able to hold Claire today again which was wonderful - for an hour!  She slept most of the time but cooed on occasion, became cranky when it was time to eat, and then mellowed again and was quite alert with eyes wide open after eating.  She is so incredibly cute - I can't wait until she can come home.   Alan called while I was visiting Claire and I placed him on speaker phone so that he could talk to her.  Claire recognized his voice and opened her eyes!

We learned that there is a car seat test that Claire will need to pass before she comes home.  It is likely that she will be less than 5 pounds when she is ready for discharge and the test is required for preemie or small babies.  Basically they will monitor her to make sure that she is in proper position which will allow for appropriate oxygenation.  It is an easy test - she just sits in the car seat with the pulse ox monitor in place for an hour.  We haven't reached this milestone but it is nice to know what is around the next corner.    

Claire, Alan, and I appreciate all of your support - thank you for checking in.  I will visit Claire again tomorrow and and will update you as to her progress.

Thanks again,

Denise & Alan

Hello again,

Claire weighs 2 pounds 13 ounces today!  The IV line has been discontinued and she only has the PICC line in place.  Her feedings were increased to 7cc today and so far so good.  She is doing very well and has become a boring patient again.  We had a nice talk with the Neonatologist and the feedings will be gradually increased with a close eye on the TPN/lipids which will decrease as she tolerates the gavage feedings.  The doctors are very happy with her progress as she approaches 35 weeks gestational age.  They have been great at including us in Claire's care plan and keeping us constantly updated as to her progress.   

Claire tolerated being held again today and of course I loved every minute of our time together.  The NICU had a pair of twins arrive as we were leaving today.  That brings the baby total to 10 at this time.  There are student nurses providing cares which reminded me of being a nursing student back in the day.  Two local colleges, Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University, have nursing programs which rotate students into the NICU. 

Alan took some photos of Claire today so we hope to add a few new pictures soon.  We remain thankful for Claire's amazing progress and continue to look forward to the day that she can come home.

Thank you for your support.  We appreciate all of the kind thoughts and prayers.

More soon,
xo
Denise & Alan

Hello,

Claire graduated to a bigger diaper today.  Actually, the next size is too big but can be folded to fit her as the smaller mini size is getting a little snug.  She continues to tolerate her feedings and increased to 5cc's every three hours today.  She is doing what she does best, sleeping and growing which is what she would be doing if she was still in the womb. 

The next milestone is around the corner.  The doctor tells us that after 21 days of life, the risk for premie-related issues decreases.  As Claire will be three weeks old on Monday, November 8, 2010, we will begin to breathe a little easier after that date.  Claire continues to do well.  I was able to hold her again and she snuggled right in and was cooing - so very sweet.  The nurses love to take care of her and everyone says she looks just like Alan.  We are happy that she has had another good day and has begun to gain weight.   

Thank you for the positive thoughts and prayers.  We appreciate the support.

More soon,
xo
D

Hello -

Claire weighs two pounds eleven ounces!  She is tolerating her feeds for two days now which is a great sign of her recovery.  The doctor will advance the feedings to correspond with her weight gain.  It will be a gradual process but hopefully the slower pace will agree with Claire and we won't have any additional problems with her tummy.

Alan was able to hold her skin to skin and enjoyed the time with Claire.  We changed her diaper and took her temperature too.  She still needs to be in the isolette to monitor her temperature and the other monitors continue to measure her heart rate and respiratory status.  Because she is a premie, she is still learning how to monitor her breathing and temperature.  The monitors are necessary to keep her stable and notify the Rn's of any change in her status.  This is a slow process but we know the hospital is exactly where Claire needs to be.  It is difficult to leave her but we know that she will come home when she is strong and safe to start life with us.

The NICU was very busy today.  I think the baby count was 9 which included the triplets which were transferred into the NICU when we were visiting.  There was a lot of staff present from MD's to RT's - a very busy place to take care of the littlest ones as they start life!

We remain positive and know that Claire will continue to thrive.  The nursery furniture was delivered today, the bassinette should be delivered by the end of the week, and we ordered the car seat and stroller today. We are slowly getting the house ready for Claire's arrival.  In that sense, it is a good thing that she isn't ready to come home because we don't have everything in place quite yet.  Of course we would make do if she was able to come home before we were ready. :)

Again, thank you for all of the good wishes.  Your support means so much to us!

More soon,
xo
D

Baby Claire is 2 weeks old today!

Hello,

Claire is doing great - she has gained a little weight and will start feeds again today.  All of her lab work and x-rays are normal so she has done well following the latest hiccup in her recovery.  We were able to hold her again yesterday.  It is called kangaroo care which is skin to skin contact for mommy and baby.  She was very relaxed and showed no signs of distress so clearly our little one is starting to do well outside the isolette.

We will visit again today and I will provide an update after our visit.  The NICU is busy once again - three new babies admitted yesterday and triplets expected on Tuesday.  Claire is in good company - she remains small but is very feisty and full of energy. 

Thank you for all of your kind thoughts and prayers.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

xo,
D   

Happy Halloween

Hello -

Claire had an eventful Saturday - she completed an echocardiogram to check her heart and she was normal.  She also had lab work which shows a negative blood culture so the tummy issue was caught early and she is recovering well.  The bili lights are off and her color has returned to normal.  Hopefully they will start feeds either later today or tomorrow.  It will be a slow process but hopefully she will do better this time and avoid any additional delays so that she can pack on the weight and grow.  Alan & I think she is bigger and can tell that she is growing, even if it is just a little. 

We will visit Claire this afternoon and hopefully be able to hold her again.  There are just two babies in the NICU now so Claire is getting wonderful care.  Alan plans to take some photos today so we should have some new pictures for your soon.

Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.  We are doing well and watching Claire's progress, one day at a time.  We can't wait until the day that she can come home.  More soon.

xox,
D  

Good morning -

We had a great visit last night with Claire.  I was able to hold her and she was so responsive to us.  She opened her eyes and was looking at both Alan and I, focusing on our faces.  She clearly knows our voices and touch and it was heart warming to see her recognition of us.  She continues to recover from her tummy issue and if the x-rays from this morning are normal, they will start the feeds again later today.

Claire remains under the bili-lights but her color has already improved and she looks so much better.  The nurses tell us that she remains feisty and is quite determined to sleep in her own positions and is quite content to do it her way.  Sound like anyone we know???!!  We are so happy and thankful that she is doing well.  We will visit again this afternoon and will update you after the next visit.

Again, thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.  Comments are welcome on this blog if you would like to post your thoughts.  More soon.

xo,
D

Good news - Claire is stable!  Alan and I visited last night and she looked so much better.  The bili lights have returned to treat her jaundice and she continues on bowel rest.  The plan is to resume feeds on Sunday as long as the tummy x-rays remain normal.  Her lab work is normal and the antibiotics will likely be discontinued on Sunday.  If all continues to go well, she may start nippling next week.  She continues to like her binky and is demonstrating a good suck.  Her current weight is 2 pounds 5 ounces - woo hoo!  We will visit again tonite.  The doctor just called and gave me an update and stated that "she looks healthy and normal".  All very good news. :)

Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers.  They are working and assisting Claire as she learns to live outside the womb in the real world.

xo,
D

Baby Claire is 10 days old today!  She had a rough day yesterday but has stabilized and is doing much better today.  As she is a premie, her tummy is still immature and she was unable to tolerate the gavage feedings.  Her belly became inflamed and she was started on antibiotics.  They also had to place as picc line which will remain in place until she graduates to oral feedings.  The medical plan is to allow her tummy to rest and they will resume gavage feedings slowly in about a week.  In the meantime, she will continue to receive nutrition thru her IV and x-rays will continue to monitor the inflammation. 

The good news is that despite her ordeal, she gained 10 grams yesterday.  The NICU RN said that this type of set back is not unexpected for a premie baby but Claire has never really acted like a sick baby.  She remains feisty and continues to breathe on her own without assistance.  The jaundice has returned due the stress of her belly inflammation and she has resumed treatment under the bili-lights.  We spoke with the neonatologist this afternoon and he stated that she has had a good day and remains stable.  Alan and I will visit this evening and I will update again after we see her today.

Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers.  Claire, Alan, and I appreciate your support.

xo,
D 

Big sisters Emma and Mary visited Claire along with Alan and I today.  She was sleeping and gave an occasional smile during their visit.  The doctor continues to report that Claire is thriving and is "mature".  She is tolerating her feeds and they have been increased to 11cc.  She will continue to be monitored and will remain in the isolette until shortly before discharge. 

As Claire begins to gain weight and shows consistency, we will start nippling to see how she tolerates the breast or bottle.  We are hopeful that she will continue her amazing progress and be able to come home sooner rather than later.  It is still anticipated that she will be in the hospital for at least a month.  We hope that she will be home in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  The timing is all up to Claire and her schedule.  The present goal is to gradually increase her feeds and calories to allow weight gain and growth.  As she grows stronger, she will then increase her activity which will include nipple feedings.  She does like her binky and I know she will continue practicing until we can graduate to the next step.

I was able to hold Claire today and have learned the power of a Mother's love.  It was so hard to leave her today - she was bright-eyed and trying to focus on her doll rattle that we left for her in the isolette.  She is so incredibly sweet and cute - of course I am a bit biased but I have fallen in love with our tiny daughter.

There are currently five babies in the NICU.  Two little boys have been roommates since Claire was admitted, one little girl will go home tomorrow, and there is a new baby boy as of today.  The little girl's mommy gave Claire a premie outfit as her daughter is too big for it to fit her.  It is a little big for Claire right now but it will fit her when she is ready to wear clothes.   She is a little Island girl right now and is snug and content in her isolette wearing just a diaper and a hat on occasion. 

We were also given a knitted baby blanket that was made by one of the hospital volunteers - all of these generous gestures and the fact I am hormonal reduced me to tears when it came time to leave Claire today.  The doctor and nurses were all supportive of me and I remain confident that they are providing her the best care possible.

Claire was practicing sucking today and she is a real trooper.  Alan gave her a taste of breast milk while she was getting her lunch today and she really liked it.  He also changed her diaper and helped put her back into the isolette.  He did a great job and while it has been a long time since he last changed a diaper, he has the technique down.

I am doing okay - today was a bit of a challenge as yesterday was a busy day running errands.  I pay a price if I am too busy and right now my focus is on daily visits with Claire, breast pumping, and rest.  Alan has been wonderful and very attentive to tasks that need to be done around home allowing me to rest.

We are happy and pleased with Claire's progress.  She is considered a "boring" patient which is perfect.  She just needs time to grow and gain weight.  Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.  Our little Claire continues to thrive.  More soon.

xoxox,
D

Hello -

Alan and I visited Claire today and her nurse was "Rosie" for the day.  We found that Claire no longer needs her umbilical line which was discontinued and she now has a peripheral line in her left wrist.  It is all wrapped up and looks a bit like a boxing glove.  Given that Claire is described as feisty and robust by her neonatologists, the boxing glove suits her just fine.  She may need a central line in the future but for right now, she is doing well with just the peripheral line.

Claire has an indwelling NG cathether that is threaded thru her nose and is placed into her stomach for gavage feedings.  This will remain in place until she successfully tolerates bottle and/or breast feedings.  Of course all of the other monitors remain in place to monitor her breathing, temperature, heart rate, and oxygenation.  Because she is so small, the lines can seem a bit overwhelming but really they are just in place to make sure that she is doing well and if any change does occurs, the RN's will be alerted immediately.

The nurse took Claire out of the isolette and placed her on my chest so I was able to hold her skin to skin which felt oh-so-wonderful.  We aren't able to hold her much yet as she is still so small so the times that we are able to handle her are very special.  Alan was able to place her back into the isolette and he enjoyed holding her as well.  Speaking of the isolette, it allows Claire to maintain her body temperature and is very similar to her own personal spa.  She is quite toasty and enjoys sleeping soundly in comfort.

Claire has gained weight and has returned to her birth weight of 2 pounds, 3 ounces.  Her feeds have been increased to 8cc and today she received my breast milk while I was holding her.  The nursing staff has been great in allowing us to be as involved in Claire's care as possible.  As she grows and adds weight, we will be able to do more for her.  Right now I am happy that I can provide breast milk for Claire and she is able to receive good nutrition and antibodies from me to help her to grow strong.

Today has been another good day for Claire.  She is exactly where she needs to be in order to grow strong and catch up with her early arrival.  We thank you all for your sweet thoughts & prayers and we will continue to provide Claire's progress, one day at a time.
 
xoxo,
D

Claire is almost one week old today - she is doing fabulously and no longer needs oxygen and is breathing room air on her own.  They have increased her feedings with half of the feeding being breast milk - learning to use a breast pump has been quite the experience!  As Claire continues to tolerate her feedings, the IV feeds will decrease with eventual transition to breast/formula feedings only.  All of her lab work and diagnostics have been completely normal and she just needs to grow and put on weight.  We visit her daily and today I was able to hold her and she smiled for Alan - she already knows how to pose for the camera.

More tomorrow - thank you for your warm thoughts and prayers.

xoxo,
D

Baby Claire is Born!

Family and Friends,

A modern miracle was born on October 18th, 2010 at 4:09 PM, PST.
Her name is Claire Aloha Louise Demianeau Wnuk. A long name for a very small baby! 
She weighed in at 2 pounds 3 ounces and measured 14 1/2" inches long.

Claire was delivered by cesarean at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa.  She was
thirty-two weeks and one day old.  Denise had been in the hospital for one week under
bed rest and observation.  Our OB, Dr. Pflum, had been monitoring Denise very closely and
felt the time had arrived to deliver Claire.

It turned out to be the correct decision.  Claire was very active in the womb and managed
to put two knots in her umbilical cord.  Drs. Pflum and Kahl see about one in a hundred
births with a single knot in the umbilical cord but neither had ever seen a double knot! 
Claire is determined to stand out from the very beginning.

Although her age is young and her birth weight is small, she is very healthy.  Her heart rate,
breathing, and body temperature are all good.

We will keep you up to date on Claire as she continues to grow.  Thank you for your
prayers and kind wishes.

Alan and Denise