Gaining Weight

So Kyleigh had her first check up with the pediatrician today. She has gained weight. She now weighs 5 lbs 7 1/2 oz. Way to go Kyleigh!!! Dr. O'Kelley was pleased with her weight gain and said we could stop supplementing the NeoSure but to keep a check on her weight to make sure she doesn't drop down lower. I'm so glad we don't have to use the supplement, rather we can opt to use if needed. The SmartStart nurse also came by the house today to help mommy with feeding and she will be back on Friday. She will check Kyleigh's weight and report it back to the doctor so that we don't have to trek into the office each week.  

Chuckles

Seems like Kyleigh has a sense of humor already. My mom was here visiting today and Kyleigh gave out the biggest chuckle and smile. It was absolutely adorable. She has had a really good day but we still can't seem to keep her awake despite the hammer banging in the backyard with construction. But no worries, I'm sure she will be wide awake tonight when I want to sleep! 

Night vs Day

So last night was much better as Kyleigh didn't scream and cry the entire time. However she is more alert and awake at night between 10:30pm-2:30am thanks to the nurse shift changes at the NICU and times for her assessments the past week she is use to being up at this time. So we will work on that and can accept that as long as she is happy. She had her first sponge bath at home this morning and boy did she hate it --- really hate it. She screamed and cried and gave pitiful sounds and faces. But she smells so much better! 

As for Daddy, he went to the doctor this morning. Turns out that was a good idea and he is now on antibiotics because one ear is red (could have caused the fainting feeling) and chest congestion is on the brink of bronchitis (coughs). Hopefully the medicine they gave him will help him get to feeling better much sooner. 

First Night at Home

So things didn't exactly go as well as we had hoped for our first night. From about 10:30pm to 2:30 am she screamed and cried. She didn't want to be put down, didn't want to eat, didn't want the pacifier, didn't want to be rocked but didn't want to be put down. It was miserable. To top it all off Dennis was completely out of it due to some cough medicine that he took to help with his horrible cough that was nagging him. So I was tackling the mighty Kyleigh alone and very sleep deprived. It seems she was struggling with gas pains. The only thing that had changed was her diet. The hospital had us using Neosure as a supplement to the breastmilk once we came home but in the NICU they only added Human Growth Fortifier. She became uninterested in eating, very fussy and very gassy. So I called the pediatrician this morning and finally heard back from them after lunch. We stopped the NeoSure for now to give her system time to readjust. It seems to have helped. She is back to eating 60+ cc each feeding so far. Not sure if the NeoSure changes the taste of the milk and that is why she wasn't eating and due to excessive crying became gassy, or if it was the food I ate last night, or if it is the formula compound. So we will reintroduce each factor one at a time. Both children are asleep - beautiful! Of course it won't last long as Kyleigh will need to eat soon but as long as she isn't fussy then we will be just fine. Dennis is finally feeling better. In fact, my parents came over for a short period of time so I could sleep and just about the time they arrived Dennis started feeling better. I can only hope he continues to feel better and able to help me more with the kids. 

We are Home!

Kyleigh came home at noon today and she has been extremely sleepy. She hasn't been interested in feeding. She has only eaten twice since coming home and only taken 30 cc - 35 cc. I hope it is only because of the big transition home today. She is sound asleep in her crib and Kaitlyn is heading to bed too. Mommy is hoping to get a nice relaxing bath and get some shut-eye soon. 

A Long First Night

We had a good night but it was long and tiresome. She sleeps well but when Kyleigh wakes she is impatient and ready for food immediately. She screams with loud shrills when she awakes and is hungry. Often her diaper needs to be changed and she doesn't tolerate being changed before being fed very well. I can tell she has a stubborn streak already. However, she feeds very well now and is happy as soon as she eats. I love it when she smiles (even if they say it is gas!).  She passed her car seat test and is getting some lab work done this morning before returning to my room. So I'm going to go and rest a few minutes before she returns ready to eat. 

Overnight Stay

I am at Women's spending the night with Kyleigh. She is in the mommy and me room on the NICU floor. She is monitor and cords free and it is great. I can treat her as if we are home, change her clothes, feed, etc but all in the safety net of knowing the nurses are only a few steps away if I need them. She is doing great. She weighed in at 5lbs 2 oz again, 19 inches long, and head circumference of 32. She is growing! Daddy and Kaitlyn are spending the night at home. They had a good day today, Daddy got much needed rest and Kaitlyn played all day long with her toys in her PJ's and was such a happy girl. Soon, if all goes well tonight then we will be home and one big happy family tomorrow. 

PS. The carseats we had didn't pass inspection so we had to purchase a new one tonight (YIKES) but it will be worth it when we get to bring her home. Now we just need her to sit in the seat for the 1 hour test and pass. 

Merry Christmas 2008

We had a wonderful Christmas morning despite the sleep deprivation. Kaitlyn was so excited to see her new kitchen and jump on her trampoline. It kept her occupied for  quite some time this morning. Then we enjoyed a delicious Christmas breakfast that Dennis prepared (with a little pancake help from my brother). It was great to have my brother, Liz, my parents and Grandparent Fosters' at our home Christmas morning. Nana was unable to join us because Papa Jerry was at Wesley Long with kidney stones (ouch!). After breakfast we opened more presents (or should I say Kaitlyn opened more presents) and she loves them all. She even helped open the presents for Kyleigh. After a brief nap we all headed to the hospital to wish Kyleigh a very Merry Christmas. 

She had on her onesie that said "Mom and Dad's Best Christmas Present Ever" - so cute and a little santa hat. She was sleeping so well. Aunt Liz and Uncle Chris were able to spend a little bit of time with her and holding her before feeding time. She was hungry and did well with attempting breastfeeding and the bottle. Kaitlyn, mawmaw, pawpaw and daddy came to visit too. Kaitlyn gave Kyleigh a "Backyardigans" stuffed animal for Christmas. She loved on her sister with head rubs and a few kisses. It was so sweet. 

We were told today that we should know by morning if Kyleigh is going home on Saturday. This means I will spend the night at the hospital with her on Friday night to get used to caring for her without the monitors. She also has to pass the carseat test. It's a one hour test where she is buckled in and put on the monitors for heartrate and respiration. As long as she maintains a stable monitoring for the hour she passes. We are so excited about the possibility of her coming home so soon. 

Keep praying. Dennis and Kaitlyn are starting to feel a little under the weather tonight. Pray that they will recover quickly and not spread it to me or Kyleigh. 

Many blessings to all and a very Merry Christmas! 

The IV is OUT

Kyleigh has done so well that they took the IV out today. It was so great to see her without her little hand all taped up to a tube. She also got a bath today. I was unable to be there during the bath because I had such a bad headache and needed the rest. The nurses have nicknamed her "Stinky" because in the past 24 hours she has had some major blow out diapers and they stink badly. It is a good thing she is a cutie because they don't mind changing her diapers, they just laugh and smile about it. We hope all of these poopies have helped bring down her billirubin count as it has risen to above 13 and is close to the number that would require her to have phototherapy. She passed her hearing screening today as well. Woohoo! She is making such great progress. The doctors' ordered an echocardiogram as a precautionary since she had one done while I was pregnant. We should get those results in the next day or so. 

As I type Dennis is putting together Kaitlyn's biggest Christmas present- a new kitchen set. She is going to love it. I just hopes she appreciates the blisters that her daddy obtained while piecing it together. She was excited as we baked sugar cookies tonight for "Ho Ho" as she calls Santa Claus. She didn't want to go to bed but we told her Santa doesn't come unless you sleep through the night. She went off to sleep within a few minutes. 

Here's to a soon to be eventful day tomorrow. Merry Christmas everyone! 

A Good Day for Kyleigh

Kyleigh had a good day with feeding. In fact, her feeding tube was removed and she took from a bottle at each feeding and even took to the breast for a short period of time. She had many alert feedings with both eyes open and spent time smiling and making cute noises today. The nurses have fallen in love with her and it is so nice to see them interact with her in the same loving manner that I give her. She weighs 5 lb 1 oz and may come off the IV soon as she will have her billirubin checked again tomorrow for the jaundice. Tomorrow will be her first bath at the NICU and that is a big deal. She will also get to wear one of her Christmas onesies tomorrow after the bath. I can't wait to get pictures of her in her onesie and santa hat. She will not see an ENT doctor while in the NICU. They have decided to do this as out patient and refer her to DUKE ENT. She already has an appointment at Duke Eye Care with Dr. Freedman (Kaitlyn's doctor) for January 12th to have a full exam and ultrasound. Then they scheduled her first surgery for January 14th as it is imperative that her first eye be operated on by 4 weeks of age so that the second eye can be operated on 4 weeks later. The doctors said today that if she continues to improve we could look to bring her home in 3-4 days. YEAH!!! God is answering our prayers for her health. We are still praying for continued progress, safe keeping of our health and strength and grace for handling Kaitlyn's frustration and tantrums. Merry Almost Christmas Everybody! 

Special Time with Mommy

Today was hard as Kyleigh has not been interested in feeding at all. She has been very sleepy. The physical therapists assured us this is normal and best for her to sleep if she is not interested in feeding. So they have relied on her feeding tube for many feedings today. At her 5pm feeding, using the tube, she was able to have some special mommy time. I was able to give her "kangaroo care" and nuzzle her skin to skin while she fed through the tube. I held her like this for almost an hour. It was such a blessing to spend that time with her. During that time her stats were perfect. It's amazing that when the nurse took her to put her back in the bassinet her stats immediately changed like she knew that mommy was no longer holding her. We came to the realization today that she will most likely not be at home this Christmas. That was a hard thing to admit. But Kaitlyn is very aware of Christmas and still needs mommy and daddy to carry on. We are hoping our family agrees to still celebrate Christmas at our home that morning so that Dennis and I are not left grieving Christmas too. Then we can visit with Kyleigh in the afternoon. It will be hard not having her home but even harder ignoring Christmas day altogether knowing others are celebrating with their families. So pray for us that we continue to grow strong as a family unit and that the health and well being of all of us is guarded. With the sicknesses going about I am fearful of any of us catching even a cold that would separate us from Kyleigh.  

Home is Incomplete

We came home tonight but Kyleigh stayed behind for special care at the NICU. She had a horrible feeding last night. She continued to struggle with feeding until they put a feeding tube in today. Tonight before we left she took almost 15 cc with a special bottle. We were so proud of her. She still had some trouble with "blue" spells. The doctors, specialists, and PT should see her tomorrow. They are also checking her for jaundice. Kaitlyn is home tonight and asleep (we hope for the entire night). Dennis and I are sad but hoping to rest well and get back to her in the morning. Keep praying for her continued health and our strength. 

NICU Update

Kyleigh has had two successful feedings in NICU tonight. At 5:30pm she ate 14 cc of NeoSure using the slow flow nipple bottle. It was great to see her alert and sucking so well on the bottle. She did not have any more "dusty blue" episodes during this feeding. When she fed again at 7:30 she ate 11 cc using the medium flow nipple and again had no "dusty blue" episodes. The nurse described her as being alert. We tried to be there during that feeding but it was right at nurse shift time and we missed it. They are going to let me try to feed her at 10:30 pm. I was able to spend time with her during her alert time after the 7:30 feeding. She was so adorable and I enjoyed being by her side. I am praying that our feeding at 10:30 is just as successful.

NICU

Kyleigh is headed for the NICU due to her O2 levels and poor feeding. She is being hooked up to an IV and closely monitored in the Step 2 part of NICU. Looks like mommy and daddy have to go home without her tomorrow and our hearts are completely broken.

Prayers Needed

I just couldn't bring myself to make the phone call to tell everyone about Kyleigh. We found out this morning that she will be undergoing eye surgery on both eyes at Duke sometime between age 3-6 weeks. She also has a small hole in her soft cleft palate. We don't know what this will bring but the likelyhood of another surgery is lurking around the corner. Dennis and I are just devastated that our beautiful angel is having such a hard beginning to life. We have cried so much today and aren't feeling up to talking on the phone or entertaining guests. We haven't shared this news with even our entire family yet. We do have a church member that is filtering our calls and needs, Kristy Johnson at 337-5743 or 295-7058. We may need help with Kaitlyn at times during this trial we are facing but I'm sure our family is going to be there to support as much as possible. Dennis or I will call as soon as we are comfortable talking. Thanks.

Crystal

A Baby is Born

Kyleigh Grace Foster
December 19, 2008
3:10 pm
5 lbs 2 oz
18 3/4 in long
Head full of Hair
Beautiful Little Angel

Induction Set

We will be going in to the hospital on Friday morning at 5:15 for an induction to deliver baby girl. Please join us in prayer that all will go well with delivery and that baby girl will be healthy and of a good weight. We desire so much for her to come home with us when we are discharged from the hospital. Kaitlyn will be going to Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house tomorrow night so that her sleep and schedule will not be disrupted. They will bring her to the hospital to meet baby sister in the afternoon. I will update the blog upon return home with baby girl. 

Not Quite Ready Yet

They sent me home from the hospital today - Praise God! I have felt a little better and my protein levels, although on the increase are not at a danger zone for me or baby yet. So they sent me home to rest. I am to go back to the doctor on Wed and they will let me know my scheduled induction date, possibly Friday. I was glad to be home tonight. I was able to spend time with Kaitlyn as I sat on the couch and we played matching games, puzzles and passed the ball back and forth. She was a ball of giggles tonight. 

What's her name?

Right now we refer to her as "Baby Girl". We didn't tell Kaitlyn's name until birth and after much debate stuck with this tradition for Baby Girl 2. So, for those that have been anxiously awaiting the announcement of her precious name, you may not have to wait much longer. Stay tuned...

Baby on the Way

Well it has been an eventful past few days. I went to my doctor Wednesday morning due to vomiting and extreme painful contractions/pressure. After finding high levels of protein in my urine she decided to send me to the hospital to get checked out. They ended up admitting me after doing blood work and an ultrasound. They are playing it safe and did a 24 hour urine check. That test came back confirming that my levels are indeed high and I could be on my way to having pre-eclampsia. So we knew I would be here until Friday. Friday came and the doctors (both mine and the Women's Fetal Care) decided it was best to keep me over the weekend and repeat the 24 hour urine test on Sunday. So today I am repeating this test, tomorrow repeat the labs and ultrasound. My doctor informed Dennis that there is a strong possibility she will induce labor tomorrow if the tests come back confirming that levels are indeed rising. They are trying to prevent me from becoming sick. We are just praying that baby girl is ready with her weight, lungs and ability to feed. I am 36 weeks today. So, come tomorrow we may just have an addition to our family. Keep us in your prayers.

Welcome to Our Blog

We are finally online and think this may be the best way to keep in touch with family and friends as we enter a new phase of our family. Soon we will be adding an additional little girl to our household. She is due to arrive Jan 11th but could come sooner. Mommy is on bed rest right now to try and give her time to grow more before her arrival. Daddy is working hard to keep the house going, taking care of Kaitlyn and mommy, and working full time. Kaitlyn is doing well despite the many transitions that she is dealing with this past week or so. I hope to add some photos soon.