Getting closer to home

Riley just keeps getting better every day. Her C-PAP pressure was turned down to "4" today, and O2 needs have been hovering at/under 30. We had a long talk with Dr. Hsiao, our neonatologist, today discussing this among other things. He said that if she continues on her current path, she should be taken off the C-PAP in the next couple days! At that point she'll still have oxygen needs, so will have nasal cannulas (like the kind you see on elderly people with emphysema) delivering oxygen to her lungs, but without the back-pressure of the C-PAP. She would also be able to attempt breast and bottle feeding. If she can latch on quickly, and does good on the cannulas, then she would be ready to come home. Of course, this also depends on her not having any more spells of apnea/bradycardia (A/B). She has been having about one A/B every few days, but the latest ones have been mostly related to her phenobarbital levels being too low. That will all need to get worked out before she can go home as well. Based on all this information, we are guessing we have a few weeks left before we get to bring our little girl home.

She had her eye exam done again. They do this every few weeks to make sure the constant flow of oxygen doesn't lead to problems in her retinas. Once again, she passed with flying colors! She'll probably have one more before she comes home, as well as a hearing test. In the next few days, she'll be getting her 2-month vaccines - 5 shots all together. It is kind of a relief that we won't have to deal with a cranky baby at home for this round. We all know how much they love those shots!

In other news, we are going around tomorrow to visit day-care centers. Since she'll be coming home soon, and Pam will have to return to work after 4-6 weeks, then we don't have much time to figure this out! If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment and let us know. We'd like something on the northeast side of town. Riley will likely be coming home on an apnea monitor, have regular medications to administer in her food, and it is also possible she'll still be on the oxygen. Because of this, we are looking more towards centers rather than in-home.

Here's a few photos from yesterday and today...

Riley likes to say her prayers when going to sleep.

She was very alert and awake for this picture. If we are there after her changing and the start of her feeding, she usually has her eyes open and will look at us for a few minutes, before falling back asleep. Look at that red hair! Where does that come from?

Today's holding was very rewarding. I got there right after they did the CPT treatment (vibrator on the chest), and suctioning. She was NOT a happy camper and was "screaming" and crying pretty bad - and when I say screaming, you could barely hear it but could tell she wasn't liking it. But as soon as I picked her up and held her in my arms, she calmed right down. Made me feel like I was doing something right.

And here she is with her K-State purple blindfold on. Because of today's eye exam, her pupils were dilated and had to be protected from the light. The nurses knew exactly which color to put on her! Can't wait to have her wearing the rest of her Wildcat clothes waiting for her at home.