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.