Big news!

My oldest kiddo....he who cannot tolerate a skinned knee so well, or a splinter in his finger, or really even the slightest scratch...has yanked out one of his teeth (again). This is the 3rd tooth he has lost, and the 3rd tooth he has yanked out on his own. I find it so funny that he can pull his own teeth! I also find it funny that at 8 years old, he has only just lost his 3rd tooth! He has about 8 loose teeth though, so if they start falling out close together, we may have a problem!


Can you see how the remaining top tooth now has space on both sides of it. It's kind of funny (and VERY country) looking!

Second news I am excited about tonight is this: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100629/ARTICLES/100629642

She is going to make a difference in so many families lives in our area. The lack of a pediatric surgeon at our hospital was the #1 reason Riley had to go to Duke. Knowing what I know now, I am not so sure I would not have preferred him to go up there anyway, with all the other experts up there, but still...so many kids have to be transferred to Duke or Chapel Hill for relatively more minor issues, that our hospital can more than handle with a peds surgeon on staff.

PLEASE Pray for Riley!!!!!!!

We were woke up this morning about 4am by one of the neonatal nurse practitioners. Riley was having issues with his tube feeds and they began to investigate of course and that brought about an xray. This showed signs of something they are calling Necrotizing Enterocolitis (not real sure if I have the spelling right and right now, I am NOT googling it out of fear). I do know it's a intestinal infection though. Anyway, she told us they were stopping the feeds and putting back in his IV and going to continue IV nutrition and add antibiotics to that. It sounded like a step backwards obviously but we didn't get real feelings of alarm, just disappointment. Went down there shortly before 8am for his 8am "touch time" and all hell broke lose basically. The doctor came in and told us about NEC and basically, it can be like it is right now (which is distended/sore belly, not tolerating feeds, etc) or it can be REAL bad. We'll leave it at that. They sent us back to my room a few minute ago as they are going to start giving him some stronger pain medication as the distended belly causes pain, but the stronger pain medication causes shallow breating and so they are going to intubate him (put tube down his airway to breathe for him). The doctor is also going to consult with Chapel Hill and Duke and Riley may be flying out of here today (or at any point in the near future) to receive surgery for this at one of those places at the spur of the moment. Needless to say....this is MOST upsetting news to us and we were completely flabbergasted as was the doctor. He was FINE yesterday other than the rapid breathing.  I have come back to my room and requested the nurse page my on-call doctor right away to get me discharged. Discharged or not, I WILL be on that flight or driving at the speed of light to Duke or Chapel HIll if he goes. He will also be getting a central line put in for his medications so they don't have to keep sticking him.

 

This could be bad. Please please PLEASE pray for Riley and ask everyone you know to do so as well. Its pretty upsetting when the Dr is speechless about it.

 

If you want to get up with us, you will likely have to leave us a voicemail on one of our cell's. We do not get reception in teh NICU and I imagine that is where we will be all day today.  You can email me. I will be checking it, but just don't be upset if no response personally. When there is news, I will likely just post it here so everyone has access adn I don't forget to update a random person via email.

 

all i can say is just pray

--
Lindsey

Not much to say today

Today there isn't much to report.

 

Riley is getting food via a tube in his mouth that goes down to his stomach. He pulls this out regularly.

 

They had to move his IV from his foot to his head.

 

His chest xray this morning still showed fluid in his lungs, although that seems to be improving. But is showing signs of Respiratory Distress Syndrome now. So although one thing is improving, another is becoming an issue and the overall effect is he is still breathing WAY too fast.

--
Lindsey

Riley's off CPAP!

At least for now :o) Well, since 1pm today he has been. He's a scrappy little thing and has succeeded in yanking off/out every tube/wire/iv on him at least once today. They went ahead and transitioned him down from CPAP to just a nasal cannula. This means I actually got to SEE his little face and head of hair. Now he really needs a bath. There are spots of "yuck" still on him and his hair really needs to be washed. Hopefully soon. He has done REALLY well on the cannula. Well, when he leaves it alone and it stays in his nose. He likes to yank it out of nose too and that makes his oxygen saturation go down (not REAL low, just lower than they like), and so the nurse or I have to put it back in for however long he will leave it. He is on his stomach now and we are being quiet and hands-off and he's doing well keeping still, leaving his cannula alone, resting and healing. At any point he could have to go back to the CPAP, which of course would be a step backwards, but for now, we're thrilled.

 

I have been pumping since yesterday and they store it in a refridgerator in the NICU. He was allowed to eat that today from the syringe. Hopefully he'll be eating for real soon, now that he's on the cannula. Yay for him!

 

I am doing well. All the stories were true...repeat C-sections are SO much easier than the first. Well, that and the incentive of getting myself up and about so I could go down to see my baby probably helped quite a bit as well ;o) I walked down there everytime but once today (that would be 4 times total so far), and only reason I didn't walk that time, is I walk pretty slow, and Jay was in a hurry so I rode.  I'm tired and hoping to sleep better tonight than I did last night. I have taken/needed very little pain medication. I had 1 vicodin yesterday, otherwise, just 600mg Motrin. No pain meds overnight at all. This morning I took nurse up on offer of 2 vicodin and ibuprofen since I didn't have any meds overnight and then nothing till just a bit ago when I took another Motrin. The vicodin makes me too sleepy and that combined with the warmer thing on Riley's bed makes me barely able to hold eyes open. I have been in the NICU the majority of the day today. I'm content just staring at him and waiting for a dirty or wet diaper to change. Oh. Sent Jay out to get me a cheesesteak/fries and lemonade for dinner. YES! Had a Mountain Dew earlier. Next will be Ben and Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and then my taste buds will be completely happy from my insulin-dependent deprivation. 

 

So here are a few pics of him without the CPAP. Enjoy! (ok the one of Travis is from yesterday WITH cpap, but I couldn't include it earlier and seriously, how cute is it?! He is SO proud).

 

--
Lindsey

Welcome Riley!

Yesterday, October 1st, Riley Jay made his appearance to the world. He was born at 10:26am, weighing 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19.5 inches long. 

 

He is currently in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN). Basically, the short story of that is his lungs are real "wet" and that causes him to have to breath really fast to get enough air in. Obviously there is more to it than that, and you can google TTN for more information if your interested, but that is the short version. :o) It sounds like we should expect him to be in the NICU for a few days at least.

 

Travis is in love with his new little brother and cannot hardly wait to hold him. I got to hold him this morning which was WONDERFUL! Compared to the other babies in the NICU, he's huge. But compared to Travis when he was a baby, Riley is sooooo tiny!

 

He looks like he has a headfull of dark hair, although I haven't seen him without a hat on yet, but have peeked underneath the hat.

 

So here is just a couple pictures....none are great in terms of what he looks like because he has the CPAP mask on, but you can get a little peek. And yes....he has a hat on with pink ribbons. They needed a hat that is special for the cpap mask and ties the wires up for it and they wanted a tighter one and the pink one was all they could find at the time. I'm hoping it gets poop on it and they have to find a more boyish one soon :o)

 

More pictures soon!

--
Lindsey

--
Lindsey

--
Lindsey

--
Lindsey

--
Lindsey