Milestones in the NICU are proud moments. Whether, it's graduating to the Progressive Care Unit or giving your baby his or her first bath...they are moments you will NEVER forget. We were kind of past the extremely critical point, but obviously still dealing with a baby whose course could change at any moment. We had already celebrated a couple of these milestones in the last few weeks, and we were about to celebrate another.....
Liam had hit the 2 pound mark & for anyone who has had a baby born as little as Liam, you will know that 2 pounds is HUGE !!!! What a porker !!! ( kidding...lol )
I wanted to believe that everyone was as happy about this news as we were....and that Liam was out of the woods, but we were shaken back down reality rather quickly one day shortly after that....my mom had gone to the dr ( my family dr as well ) for an appointment, and was thrilled to share Liam's big milestone.....with little emotion, she flatly said to my mom.. " you know, babies born that early don't generally do very well "
Are you f'ng kidding me !?!?! Who says that !?!?! Let alone someone in her profession......needless to say that afternoon when I went to visit Liam , I stood in front of his isolette bawling uncontrollably like the biggest moron ever !! One of the nurses came over to me and asked if everything was ok, and I couldn't help but tell her what the doctor had said....she looked at me and said " he is amazing, and will continue to be amazing , just sit and talk to him and he will be perfect in your eyes forever " .
That is the heart of a NICU nurse.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Miam is 3, and I have sucked at blogging......
As I was scrolling through Facebook updates last night, I came across a friend whose wife is blogging a medical journey of her own, and I realized that it's been almost a year since I've done anything with this page. Sheesh, whoever was following it, has long moved onto something a little more exciting & current.....lol !!! I can't even believe where the last year has taken us, and I hope to catch you all up as best as I can. Life is never boring with a now 3 year old who tells me things that make my heart melt, and then sometimes makes me want to drink in the closet .....I hope some of you who enjoyed our story will find us again ...it's fun to share, and still somewhat therapeutic 3 years later......
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Just a quick update on the last 6 months....
I can't wait to get back to sharing our story, but in order to have that story eventually catch up to the present....I need to share a few things. A lot of you who read this blog, are friends from home that I've kept in touch with through Facebook...so many of you already know this....for those who are just moms and dads, living your own journey of miracle babies, and the scary world of prematurity....I am actually a single mom now....it's been a long road in itself...but Liam has a great dad, and we both want only the best for our little miracle (..... monster may be more applicable these days..lol ) We continue to share in our roles as parents, and remain friends.
On a happier note, I have started dating a great guy...he is so wonderful with Liam, and I can't wait for them to share all those fun "boy adventures" together !!!
In August we moved out to the country, where Liam has so much space to play and roam around. Of course he has his moments where I want to sell him to the gypsies ( is that legal ?? ) but we have so much fun together !!! He's so curious, and fun....he loves to chase the cats (screaming cat cat at the top of his lungs ) looking back at me wondering why they are running for their lives...lol !! He is talking a little more everyday...I laugh because I tell everyone he has 5 really clear words....are you ready for this ??? BUM, BOOBIES,PEE,DIRTY and POO !!! What a boy he is !!! He is 25 pounds now...and has crazy curly hair (that his mother keeps short ) WHY ??? WHY, did he have to have curly hair...why couldn't he have his fathers hair ??! Anyways, all in all, life is pretty good.....back to the story !!!
PS...quick funny from the other day ( on how his little brain works ) I tried to get him to help me pick up the pinecones in the yard....epic failure...as he told me that it was POO !!!
On a happier note, I have started dating a great guy...he is so wonderful with Liam, and I can't wait for them to share all those fun "boy adventures" together !!!
In August we moved out to the country, where Liam has so much space to play and roam around. Of course he has his moments where I want to sell him to the gypsies ( is that legal ?? ) but we have so much fun together !!! He's so curious, and fun....he loves to chase the cats (screaming cat cat at the top of his lungs ) looking back at me wondering why they are running for their lives...lol !! He is talking a little more everyday...I laugh because I tell everyone he has 5 really clear words....are you ready for this ??? BUM, BOOBIES,PEE,DIRTY and POO !!! What a boy he is !!! He is 25 pounds now...and has crazy curly hair (that his mother keeps short ) WHY ??? WHY, did he have to have curly hair...why couldn't he have his fathers hair ??! Anyways, all in all, life is pretty good.....back to the story !!!
PS...quick funny from the other day ( on how his little brain works ) I tried to get him to help me pick up the pinecones in the yard....epic failure...as he told me that it was POO !!!
Has it really been 6 months !?!
I can't even believe it's been 6 months since I last blogged !!! I have no excuse for such laziness.....oh wait I do !!! His name is Liam, and even though he's the light of my life, he's no longer mommy's little snuggler....he's a toddler...yes, a toddler, in the throes of the terrible twos !!! He bites, and hits, and screams (usually only in public, where others stare at the horrible parent who can't control her child..lol )
I'm excited to start blogging again, and hope that everyone will continue to enjoy Liam's story !!!
I'm excited to start blogging again, and hope that everyone will continue to enjoy Liam's story !!!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Holding Liam....& a very first poop !!!
What a title !!! I know one day, I will be in big trouble for all the naked pictures, and descriptive blogging, but for now..what he doesn't know won't hurt him...lol !!!
The first week or so, was really spent trying to figure out what kind of course Liam was going to take. No one would sit down and tell us if the outcome would be good or bad...only time would tell. Just as every extra day that I was able to carry him was important..so were the "uneventful days" of the NICU. On days where they thought they could push a baby a little further, they would try..and Liam was no exception. As they felt he was doing better, they would see if he could handle a lower rate of ventilation..but that wasn't always the case, so they would monitor him very closely.
We hadn't been able to hold Liam at this point, he was now 6 days old. I'll admit I was dying to hold him...but utterly terrified at the idea as well. Up until then I was nervous if someone handed me a 7lb newborn baby...realistically how do you hold a 1 lb 8 oz baby !?!
Liam, was in a Giraffe Omni Bed...a incubator that costs more than most cars....it helped maintain a constant temperature...weigh him...do almost everything, so as to a ) avoid as little interruption as possible, and b) really try to recreate a sense of the womb for a baby born too soon. When we arrived at the hospital that day...Liam's nurse gave us a rundown of his day andfor the first time allowed us to touch him with the bed open. I was excited, but terrified thinking about all the cooties flying through the air ( ya, I'm a dork ). We were able to really see him....what an amazing feeling !!! As it turned out, Liam had his very first poop while we were there....yes, proud mom moment !!!! His nurse thought it would be a great time to get our little man all cleaned up, and give him nice fresh bedding..so she asked if I would hold him. I remember looking at her in sheer horror, and actually telling her "NO WAY" . She just smiled at me and said "you can do it".....so she changed him, and carefully lifted all the wires and tubes, and asked me to hold my two hands out. As gently as she picked him, she placed his head in the palm of my hand, and his lower half in the other....I think I forgot to breathe for a moment....I wish I could explain the feeling !!! No, it wasn't a snuggle or anything like that, but it was still AMAZING !!!! It only lasted a minute or so, as you have to move very fast, as to keep them warm..so before I knew it he was back in his bed, but I will never forget it for as long as I live .....
The first week or so, was really spent trying to figure out what kind of course Liam was going to take. No one would sit down and tell us if the outcome would be good or bad...only time would tell. Just as every extra day that I was able to carry him was important..so were the "uneventful days" of the NICU. On days where they thought they could push a baby a little further, they would try..and Liam was no exception. As they felt he was doing better, they would see if he could handle a lower rate of ventilation..but that wasn't always the case, so they would monitor him very closely.
We hadn't been able to hold Liam at this point, he was now 6 days old. I'll admit I was dying to hold him...but utterly terrified at the idea as well. Up until then I was nervous if someone handed me a 7lb newborn baby...realistically how do you hold a 1 lb 8 oz baby !?!
Liam, was in a Giraffe Omni Bed...a incubator that costs more than most cars....it helped maintain a constant temperature...weigh him...do almost everything, so as to a ) avoid as little interruption as possible, and b) really try to recreate a sense of the womb for a baby born too soon. When we arrived at the hospital that day...Liam's nurse gave us a rundown of his day andfor the first time allowed us to touch him with the bed open. I was excited, but terrified thinking about all the cooties flying through the air ( ya, I'm a dork ). We were able to really see him....what an amazing feeling !!! As it turned out, Liam had his very first poop while we were there....yes, proud mom moment !!!! His nurse thought it would be a great time to get our little man all cleaned up, and give him nice fresh bedding..so she asked if I would hold him. I remember looking at her in sheer horror, and actually telling her "NO WAY" . She just smiled at me and said "you can do it".....so she changed him, and carefully lifted all the wires and tubes, and asked me to hold my two hands out. As gently as she picked him, she placed his head in the palm of my hand, and his lower half in the other....I think I forgot to breathe for a moment....I wish I could explain the feeling !!! No, it wasn't a snuggle or anything like that, but it was still AMAZING !!!! It only lasted a minute or so, as you have to move very fast, as to keep them warm..so before I knew it he was back in his bed, but I will never forget it for as long as I live .....
It's been a while ....
I realized tonight just how long it's been since I've blogged !!! Life with a toddler is a BIT hectic.....that may be an understatement, and I'm probably a bit whiny...compared to my girlfriends who get through their days with 2 or 3 monkeys....some with 5 !!! ( you know who you are SUPERMOM !!! ) There are days, I want to hide in the closet with a bottle of wine...I just don't know how you all do it !!! These days, I spend most of my time refilling the toilet paper , as Liam's new favourite past time is unrolling the roll of toilet paper..and REALLY...do I want to spend my free time rolling it back up !?!? And, when he isn't doing that, were now throwing ourselves to the ground and kicking our feet as soon as the word "NO" is uttered, or dinner can't consist of cookies and pudding !!! Why, oh why is everyone that's been there before us ALWAYS right !?!? Why do they grow up so fast !?!
Other than that though, Liam is doing so so well !!! He is now 23 lbs 15 oz...has a few more strands of hair...and five gleaming white teeth ( yes, he has used them on me ) He isn't walking quite yet...but he is almost there !! He will walk around pushing a toy, sometimes walk holding my hand..but hasn't quite taken those steps on his own yet. Were anxious for the spring weather to get out and explore, and do all the fun stuff he wasn't quite big enough for last year .
We have lots of fun stuff to share, but in the meantime, I will try to continue our journey from where I left off.......
Other than that though, Liam is doing so so well !!! He is now 23 lbs 15 oz...has a few more strands of hair...and five gleaming white teeth ( yes, he has used them on me ) He isn't walking quite yet...but he is almost there !! He will walk around pushing a toy, sometimes walk holding my hand..but hasn't quite taken those steps on his own yet. Were anxious for the spring weather to get out and explore, and do all the fun stuff he wasn't quite big enough for last year .
We have lots of fun stuff to share, but in the meantime, I will try to continue our journey from where I left off.......
Friday, January 20, 2012
Just when everything was looking up.....
We'd had a few really positive days, and it really felt like we were on the right track.....too bad no one prepared me for a scene out of ER !!!! When Liam was born, he had an umbilical catheter, two tiny little tubes that were half hidden by his humongous diaper. The goal over the first few days was to take that catheter out and insert a PIC line, which is basically a different IV, usually inserted into a larger vein in the arm or leg. We knew that they had had some difficulty trying to insert this PIC line....but figured that it was just a matter of time. Mind you, it honestly seemed like an impossible task, even for such trained people...how do you find a vein in a 690 gram baby !?!? The staff was great at letting us know if something had changed with Liam, or if he needed something changed to his treatment...if we weren't at the hospital, they ALWAYS made sure to call us at home....although, my heart always stopped when the caller ID would light up Private Name....I was always a bit panic stricken...what if ?! what if something had happened, what if he had stopped breathing, what if he had a seizure...OMG...honestly...how I'm still relatively sane is a good question ( no smart ass comments here please..lol )
I hadn't heard from the hospital that morning, so I assumed that everything was going well ( no new is good news right ?? ) ....I made my way into London...drove the 30 minutes it took to get there...it always felt like it took forever...lol....scrubbed up...and walked into the main unit. I could see that they were working around a baby, and as I made my way to Liam's incubator, I realized they were working on Liam....all I saw was BLOOD...blood all over the place !!!! What in the hell !!!!??? Why had no one called me, and what were they doing !?!?! I just wanted to scream and cry, and grab Liam and run !!!! ( not sure where...lol ) They hadn't let me know that they were going to try the PIC line, because I think they felt confident that they would finally be successful...Liam's veins had another idea !!! It was the most horrific sight ever !!! Needless to say the PIC line was not meant to be for Liam, and his umbilical catheter remained for a while longer.....
I hadn't heard from the hospital that morning, so I assumed that everything was going well ( no new is good news right ?? ) ....I made my way into London...drove the 30 minutes it took to get there...it always felt like it took forever...lol....scrubbed up...and walked into the main unit. I could see that they were working around a baby, and as I made my way to Liam's incubator, I realized they were working on Liam....all I saw was BLOOD...blood all over the place !!!! What in the hell !!!!??? Why had no one called me, and what were they doing !?!?! I just wanted to scream and cry, and grab Liam and run !!!! ( not sure where...lol ) They hadn't let me know that they were going to try the PIC line, because I think they felt confident that they would finally be successful...Liam's veins had another idea !!! It was the most horrific sight ever !!! Needless to say the PIC line was not meant to be for Liam, and his umbilical catheter remained for a while longer.....
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