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
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
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
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
Friday, October 29, 2010
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
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
Thursday, October 28, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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
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
Monday, October 25, 2010
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
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
Sunday, October 24, 2010
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
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
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
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