Baby Eagan - NICU Day 20

 Eagan had another echocardiogram today. His PDA shows no change from the last echocardiogram. At this point his doctors want to try another three doses of Indomethacin to attempt to close the PDA. For now, his doctor thinks we can avoid surgery, which I am ecstatic about! Overall, Eagan had another great day.

I love these little eyes!

This is how we snuggled today. His whole little swaddled body fits in the palm of my hand!

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb 5 oz - Although weight gain is normally a good thing, Eagan's doctors are a bit concerned that he gained so rapidly yesterday but is not being fed.

Length 
14" - Our first updated length!
 
Breathing
Eagan is still on CPAP and doing awesome! He really hates the CPAP but we would much rather him be on CPAP than the ventilator. Hopefully he can move to a nasal cannula in a few more weeks.

His carbon dioxide levels were still elevated today and his lungs are hazy on the x-rays.

Vitals
Eagan had no apneas but a few minor and one major bradycardia today.

Vein Access
Eagan now has a PICC line in his arm. His arm has to be kept on an arm board now because he is bending it too tightly and it is cutting off the flow of his medications.

 
Medications
Indomethacin has been restarted for the next 3 days.

Vancomycin is being given for a few more days. 

He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection. His most recent cultures are all negative.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day. 

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings have been discontinued until the Indomethacin doses are all given.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat). His lipids are increased to 0.8 ml per hour.

Transfusions
April 27 - Transfusion #8

April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation. 


Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will be back in three days to repeat the echocardiogram

Eagan's eyes will be examined this week. Both of his eyes are now almost all the way open.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 19

Eagan had a pretty calm day. The only big event was when he ripped an IV out of his arm. His nurse and I could not figure out how he did it. The arm with the IV was securely taped with a foam board. Eagan and I were able to have an awesome two and a half hour kangaroo session. He is the best little snuggle buddy! He did awesome while I held him and once we put him back in bed, he just curled up and continued to sleep. Sleeping babies are growing babies! 
Please pray for positive results when the cardiologist comes to do his echocardiogram. It is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow but could be a day late. 

Sucking on his little fingers.

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb 3 oz - Eagan is really starting to look very healthy.

Length 
14" - Our first updated length!
Breathing
Eagan is still on CPAP and doing awesome! He really hates the CPAP but we would much rather him be on CPAP than the ventilator. Hopefully he can move to a nasal cannula in a few more weeks.

His carbon dioxide levels were elevated today. This is a probable symptom of the PDA. For now, they are closely monitoring this.

Vitals
Eagan had no apneas but a few minor bradycardias today.

Vein Access
Eagan now has a PICC line in his arm. He had an IV but pulled it out by himself this afternoon.

Medications
Indomethacin has been completed as of tonight. 

Vancomycin is being given for a few more days. 

He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection. His most recent cultures are all negative.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day. 

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings have been discontinued until the Indomethacin doses are all given.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat). 

Transfusions
April 27 - Transfusion #8

April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation. 


Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will be back as soon as tomorrow repeat the echocardiogram.

Eagan's eyes will be examined this week. Both of his eyes are now starting to open.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 18

Eagan had a total of four attempts to place a PICC line. Finally we had success! I am beyond thrilled that he was able to avoid the CVL surgery. Although the PICC line placement is still a lot of stress for his little body, it is exponentially less than the surgery would have been. 

This morning Eagan stopped breathing. He has done this a few times in the past two days but has recovered on his own. This time, he had to be bagged. His nurse said he was at the point where his whole little body had lost all color and was gray. Unfortunately, I have witnessed this once with Eagan and a few times with Evelyn. I am so thankful for the amazing nurses and respiratory therapists that Eagan has taking care of him. 

 Eagan was worn out while I was there and slept almost the whole time except when I changed his diaper, took his temperature, and changed his pulse oximeter.

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb 2 oz - The blood transfusion really puts his weight up!

Length 
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is still on CPAP and doing awesome! He really hates the CPAP but we would much rather him be on CPAP than the ventilator. Hopefully he can move to a nasal cannula in a few more weeks.


Vitals

Up until yesterday, Eagan had no serious apneas or bradycardias after he was extubated. These have become more frequent but are most likely due to his extreme prematurity and are becoming more often due to the stress that his tiny body has been under with infection, the PDA reopening, and the increase of feedings.

Vein Access
Eagan now has a PICC line in his arm and an IV is still in place in case he needs a transfusion.

Medications
Indomethacin is being given in four doses to attempt to close the PDA again.

Vancomycin is being given for a few more days. 

He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection. His most recent cultures are all negative.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day. 

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings have been discontinued until the Indomethacin doses are all given.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat). 

Transfusions
April 27 - Transfusion #8

April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation. 


Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will be back in three or so days to repeat the echocardiogram.

Eagan's eyes will be examined next week. Both of his eyes are now starting to open.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 17 - PDA and CVL

Eagan is always a tough little fighter and is managing the NICU roller coaster with such strength. Mommy on the other hand, well, let's just say he is showing me up. I have handled a lot so far with Eagan - delivery, the first 24 hours, extubation and reintubation, but surgery and anesthesia, that is something I want no part of. Yet, on this roller coaster no one really gets to say what they want. Eagan is facing two possible procedures.

His cardiologist came in today and preformed a very extensive echocardiogram. The positives were his heart is normal and healthy and also shows no sign of infection, something the doctors thought might be there. Unfortunately, his PDA has reopened. The plan now is to try to treat the PDA again with the Indomethacin and then do another echocardiogram. This also means that the 5 cc of breast milk Eagan was getting will be discontinued until the Indomethacin doses are completed. He is now a hungry, fussy boy. If it hasn't closed, the cardiologist wants to do surgery to ligate or close off the PDA.

Because his heart shows no signs of infection, his PICC line can be replaced. Two attempts were made to place the PICC line but both failed. Tomorrow, his doctor will decide if another attempt should be made or if they should go straight for a CVL. Placing the CVL, central venous line, requires two incisions therefore anesthesia is necessary. This would also mean Eagan would have to go back on the ventilator for the surgery then be weaned off again.

When Eagan was on the ventilator, if he fell asleep the ventilator basically breathed for him. We are now encountering issues with Eagan falling asleep and forgetting to breath. He relaxed while I held him today and fell into a deep sleep. This is great because deep sleeps help preemies grow. The problem is he stopped breathing. After rubbing his chest, he came back up on his own, but this is very scary and something a close eye will need to be kept on.

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb - He lost an ounce but that really isn't much in the NICU world.

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is still on CPAP and doing awesome! He really hates the CPAP but we would much rather him be on CPAP than the ventilator. Hopefully he can move to a nasal cannula in a few more weeks.

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan has no PICC line now and now has an IV in his left arm.

Medications
Vancomycin is being given for a few more days. His CRP is down to 1.2, so as long as it continues to go down, we can discontinue this medicine.

He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection. His most recent cultures are all negative. His white blood cell count is down to 53,000. Hopefully the Amphotericin can also be stopped soon because it is caustic on his veins.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings have been discontinued until the Indomethacin doses are all given.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions
Eagan had transfusion #8 today because his hematocrit was low.

April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.


Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will be back in three or so days to repeat the echocardiogram.

Eagan's eyes will be examined next week. Both of his eyes are now starting to open.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 16 - First Look

Today, I held Eagan swaddled for the first time. It really felt like a "normal" baby experience, minus all the tubes and cords. Yesterday, his eyelids were still fused. I noticed today as I held him that he really seemed to be trying to open his eyes. All of the sudden, there was a little dark area where his eyelashes used to touch. You could very much see his excitement over this! I am thrilled about it. I do not get to experience a lot of things, like seeing, holding and touching my baby whenever I want. This time, I was able to have an experience that other mothers don't get. I was the first face my baby saw! Not only do I get to hold a miracle, I can witness them every day!

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb 1 oz - He is eating great and gaining his weight back!

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is still on CPAP and doing awesome! He really hates the CPAP but we would much rather him be on CPAP than the ventilator. Hopefully he can move to a nasal cannula in a few more weeks.

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan has no PICC line now and still has the IV in his right arm.

Medications
Vancomycin is being given until the CRP is lower.

He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection. His most recent culture appeared to be negative so we are making progress, but his white blood count is up to 70,000. I met with his infectious disease specialist who thinks the increase may be partially due to stress.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings increased to 5 cc of breast milk every 3 hours.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions
April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were still down today. He didn't need the bili lights at all.

Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will be back in tomorrow for another echocardiogram.

If Eagan will decide to open his eyes, they will be examined next week. Right now his eyelids are partially fused together so the nurses think he might be earlier than we thought. His left eye is really starting to open.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 15 - First Binky!

It was so good to see my boy and get to hold him for a long while today! Eagan is doing awesome on CPAP and a lot of the issues we have had recently are starting to resolve. His head ultrasound showed no change! This gives us so much hope about what we face down the road. He is just as feisty as ever, pulling out his CPAP nose piece. As I was holding him, he kept trying to suck my fingers so we gave him his very first, very tiny binky!

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
1 lb 15 oz - He is back down to birth weight, but he is really working very hard on CPAP so he is burning more calories.

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is still on CPAP and doing awesome! He keeps the nurses busy by pulling the nose piece out.

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan has no PICC line now and had to have his IV moved to his right arm.

Medications
Vancomycin is being given until the CRP is lower.

He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection. His most recent culture appeared to be negative so we are making progress.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings increased to 2.2 cc of breast milk every 3 hours.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions
April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were still down today. He didn't need the bili lights at all.

Upcoming Tests


If Eagan will decide to open his eyes, they will be examined next week. Right now his eyelids are still fused together so the nurses think he might be earlier than we thought. His left eye looks like it will open soon.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 14 - CPAP!

Eagan had a GREAT day today! He has been on CPAP all day, his infection levels are down, and he is feisty as can be. He will only let the nurses lay him on his tummy. He is very cranky on his back. Eagan also had his head ultrasound today but we will not have the results until tomorrow.

We moved into our new house today. I had ever intention of going to see my boy. Chaos quickly took over and my time frame to go see him before shift change, 6:45-8:00, was gone. I miss my baby so much since I only saw him for a brief moment yesterday and not at all today. Tomorrow, I get to go see him bright and early and spend our normal time together. I promise to take lots of pictures!

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb 2 oz - Sounds good to us!

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan's doctor decided to go ahead and put him on CPAP! This was a big surprise but he is doing great. His oxygen is at 45% while he gets used to the new breathing assistance.

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan has no PICC line now and had a new IV put in.

Medications
Eagan's CRP, C-reactive protein, is now down further to 0.4. Vancomycin is being given until the CRP is lower.

His white blood cell count is down to 45,300.  He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings increased to 1.6 cc of breast milk every 3 hours.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions
April 23 - Transfusion #7

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were still down today. He didn't need the bili lights at all.

Upcoming Tests
Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 13

Today was a very busy day. We closed on our very first house and we move in tomorrow. I am thrilled to have a place to bring Eagan home to and give Eli and Evelyn rooms that I can really make their own.

Eagan had a very busy day also. I went to see him this morning but really was only able to see him for five minutes because he had to have several labs and procedures done. Today is the first day I have not taken a picture of him. Unfortunately, his white blood count is very elevated again and his blood cultures are coming back positive. He has a systemic yeast infection. His PICC line has been removed so the infection does not spread due to the line. The downside is he will need multiple IVs placed and arterial sticks. Once his blood cultures start coming back negative, a new PICC line will be placed if possible. If a PICC line cannot be placed, due to how tiny and fragile Eagan's veins are, he will need a central line. Placing a central line requires anesthesia and is considered a surgery. Two incisions are made, one in the chest and one in the neck. Please be in prayer that the infection clears up quickly and a PICC line can be placed again.

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb - Still holding steady!

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is on an oscillator and doing well. He is still breathing room air (21% oxygen).
His doctor wants to move him directly to CPAP but we are waiting until after the possible central line placement, as he would need to be on the ventilator or oscillator for the procedure.

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan has no PICC line now and had a new IV put in.

Medications
Eagan's CRP, C-reactive protein, is now down further. Vancomycin is being given until the CRP is lower.

His white blood cell count is up to 49,000.  He is getting Amphotericin for the yeast infection.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings were resumed tonight at 1 cc of breast milk every 3 hours.

Eagan is still getting vitamins and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions
Eagan got transfusion #7 today.

April 22 - Transfusion #6

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were still down today. He didn't need the bili lights at all.

Upcoming Tests
This week, the head ultrasound will be repeated.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 12 - Great Day!

Eagan's PDA is almost completely closed! His cardiologist thinks it will finish closing by itself and requires no further treatment. This is absolutely great news!

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
2 lb - We are happy with this!

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is on an oscillator and doing well. He is still breathing room air (21% oxygen).
His doctor plans to move him to the conventional ventilator and then trying CPAP after that.

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan has a PICC line in his right arm.

He also has an IV in his leg. He really gets irritated by this one because his leg has to be on a foam board to keep the line stabilized.

Medications
Eagan's CRP, C-reactive protein, is now down to 2.5. Vancomycin and Gentamicin are still being given until the CRP is lower. A blood culture came back positive so we know we are treating the issue properly now.

His white blood cell count is down to 21,000. His doctor no longer thinks he has an infection, but that his body was preparing to get the infection that I had due to the premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Zithromax has been added just in case.

Eags is getting Diflucan because he has a yeast infection in his throat, most likely from the intubation tube.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Eagan's feedings were resumed tonight at 1 cc of breast milk every 3 hours.

Eagan is still getting vitamins through his PICC and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions
Eagan received transfusion #6 today.

April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were still down today. He didn't need the bili lights at all.

Upcoming Tests
This week, the head ultrasound will be repeated.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 11

Eagan's PDA sounds significantly better to his neonatologist today. We will find out for sure Sunday or Monday. He still has some bleeding from the pulmonary hemorrhage but they think that when the PDA closes completely this should stop. Overall, today was a lot better.

 I just wanted to say thank you again for the prayers that have been sent up for Eagan. All the words of encouragement and comments I have received since our journey began have really helped keep me going. Some days it is really hard to recover from surgery, take care of Eli and Evelyn, pump breastmilk every 3 hours for Eagan, and make the trip to the NICU. The outpouring of love and prayers our family has witnessed is just amazing. Our family and friends have been so great, whether watching my kids or just calling or texting to check on us. All of my mommy group ladies that have checked in on us so often have been some of Eagan's biggest prayer warriors! Again, thank you so much! Eagan is proof of the power of prayer.

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
1 lb 15 oz - He hasn't been weighed yet today, so this is yesterday's weight.

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is on an oscillator and doing well. He is still breathing room air (21% oxygen).

His most recent blood gas test was good in all areas!

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan also has a PICC line in his right arm.

He also has an IV in his leg. He really gets irritated by this one because his leg has to be on a foam board to keep the line stabilized.


Medications
Indomethacin has been started to close the PDA. Three doses will be given. His last dose was today. He reacted well overall to the medication.

Eagan's CRP, C-reactive protein, was down from yesterday. Vancomycin and Gentamicin have been started. A blood culture came back positive so we know we are treating the issue properly now.

His white blood cell count was down even more today. His doctor no longer thinks he has an infection, but that his body was preparing to get the infection that I had due to the premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Zithromax has been added just in case.

Eags is getting Diflucan because he has a yeast infection in his throat, most likely from the intubation tube.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Because of the Indomethacin, Eagan's feedings are cancelled until he has received all three doses of this medication. This medicine can slow down his intestines so giving him breastmilk during this time would be dangerous and could lead to a serious problem called NEC.

Eagan is still getting vitamins through his PICC and lipids (a healthy fat). His lipids were increased today.

Transfusions
April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were down today. He didn't need the bili lights at all today.

Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will do another echocardiogram to find out if the PDA closed.

Next week, the head ultrasound will be repeated.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.

Baby Eagan - NICU Day 10 - Prayers Needed

Last night, Eagan had a pulmonary hemorrhage.This is bleeding from the lung. He has blood in his endotracheal tube. After this was suctioned out, he has only had small traces of blood. I met with a cardiologist today because his neonatologist believed that the hemorrage was caused by a PDA. The cardiologist preformed an echocardiogram and determined that Eagan does have a PDA. Patent ductus arteriosus, PDA, is a condition where a fetal blood vessel, the ductus arteriosus, fails to close after birth. After birth, this vessel is no longer needed and must close to establish normal blood flow. His doctors have started Indomethacin to try to close the PDA. He will have another echo Sunday to see if the PDA is closed. Please be in prayer that the medication works and he will not need another round of medicine or surgery.

I was able to do kangaroo care with my sweet boy for two amazing hours this afternoon. Eagan slept extremely well and did not get agitated even one time.

My favorite part of the day.

When he lays on my chest, he looks like a little tree frog.

Some of the gear in Eagan's room.

A new, comfy resting position for my boy.

He is such a hairy little monkey.

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
1 lb 15 oz - Eagan is down 2 ounces but that is just part of the NICU, ups and downs.

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is on an oscillator and doing well. He is still breathing room air (21% oxygen).

His most recent blood gas test was good in all areas!

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan also has a PICC line in his right arm.

He also has an IV in his leg. He really gets irritated by this one because his leg has to be on a foam board to keep the line stabilized.

Medications
Indomethacin has been started to close the PDA. Three doses will be given.

Eagan's CRP, C-reactive protein, was elevated today. This is a protein found in the blood. A normal result is .1, but Eagan's result was 4. An elevated CRP can be a sign of infection. Vancomycin and Gentamicin have been started until his blood cultures come back in 24 hours.

His white blood cell count was down today. His doctor no longer thinks he has an infection, but that his body was preparing to get the infection that I had due to the premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Zithromax has been added just in case.

Eags is getting Diflucan because he now has a yeast infection in his throat, most likely from the intubation tube.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is now on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Because of the Indomethacin, Eagan's feedings are cancelled until he has received all three doses of this medication. This medicine can slow down his intestines so giving him breastmilk during this time would be dangerous and could lead to a serious problem called NEC.

Eagan is still getting vitamins through his PICC and lipids (a healthy fat).

Transfusions
Eagan had transfusion #5 today to make up for the blood he lost due to the pulmonary hemorrhage.

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were down today. He was on the bili lights in the morning

Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will do another echocardiogram to find out if the PDA closed.

Next week, the head ultrasound will be repeated.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.