Stadter Boys

Stadter Boys - Day 11 - May 10, 2003 Mother's Day

Jonathon Walter - Day 11

William Nathaniel - Day 11

Jon is fine. He's eating more and has not had any problems.

Will has hit a setback. He has had to go back on the respirator.

His color and activity level have fallen and his blood chemistry has begun to show signs of stress and possible infection. We are very concerned.

Stadter Boys - Day 12 - May 11, 2003

Jonathon Walter - Day 12

William Nathaniel - Day 12

Will remains stable. They're not sure what the problem is--it could be an infection, it could be something as drastic as a brain hemorrhage.

His signs continue to be weak, but he is stable on the respirator. They're doing tests for everything, administering antibiotics and meds for most of the suspected problems, but there haven't been any strong indicators of a specific problem.

Stadter Boys - Day 13 - May 12, 2003

Will is still okay, doing much the same. They're concerned about his low blood pressure, suspecting possibly a leaking thyroid gland.

The other scans for brain or heart problems have come back negative. He's getting hydrocortizone and dopamine to get his blood pressure up.

Stadter Boys - Day 14 - May 13, 2003

Jon got his IV out and is feeding very well. He only has minor heartrate reduction and apnea spells, completely typical for his current young gestational age, only 30 weeks today.

Will is improving. There's some indications from his liver scan of a possible blood infection, but nothing is culturing. They're giving him antibiotics that will help if something is there. He's also received a blood transfusion to help get his blood count and O₂ saturation normal.

They removed his IV in case it had been contaminated or the source of the infection. Now, though they gave him one in the top of his head (!).

Stadter Boys - Week 3 - May 14 to 20, 2003

Jon's starting to regulate his own heat level, rather than needing his bed to help keep him warm. Good progress! He's also up to 15cc's of milk every 2 hours, and loves his binky.	Will looks to have turned a corner. They did a chest X-ray and saw that his right lung was partially collapsed due to the location of the respirator tube. They moved it and he's doing much better. His blood pressure is holding steady and he is taking more responsibility for his breathing as they wean him back off the respirator. They may take him off it tomorrow.

Stadter Boys - Week 4 - May 21 to 27, 2003

Jon continues to do well, he's now up over 3 pounds and getting 18cc's of milk every 2 hours. He's gaining an ounce to an ounce and a half a day on average. He's still on the nasal canula but they're gradually weaning him off of it. Sometime between 32 weeks, where we are now, and 34 weeks most babies outgrow the apnea episodes and start breathing room air.	Will came off the respirator and is doing well. Will was well enough to be moved from the most critical section of the NICU and be kangaroo'd for the first time! He only was held for an hour because he seemed to be getting a little cold, and we didn't want to stress him. He's also been moved over to the isolette next to his big brother.

Stadter Boys - Week 5 - May 28 to June 3, 2003

Jon's eating 20cc's every two hours now! He got to nuzzle with Mom for the first time and looks like he's going to take to eating from a bottle just fine. (May 30) He's had a small setback and seems to have some gastric reflux which caused him to have an aspiration, food back up his windpipe that caused a heartrate reduction. They're treating it with Prevacid, which he gets to take with Hershey's chocolate to mask the bitter flavor. The irritation may have been happening for awhile because his little nose was so stuffed up he was having trouble breathing, turns out the reflux had gone up the throat to the back of the nasal cavities and caused swelling, so he's back on the respirator while the swelling goes down. (June 1) Jon's cultures have come back and do show a bacterial infection, they're treating him with antibiotics and he's doing fine. Still gaining weight, and up to 3 pounds 8 ounces now. (June 3) Jon's back off the respirator and on the CPAP machine which is just blowing room air in his nose to help keep his airway open and he's doing great.	Will is really doing much better now. He's up to 2 pounds 8 ounces and starting to grow a bit faster. He's back to just being on the nasal canula (he'd gone back to the CPAP for a week after coming off the respirator). He's been kangarooing with Mom and Dad and really hates being bathed. All boy already. (May 30) Will got to nuzzle with Mom for the first time, and looks like he's going to take to eating the normal way just fine. This little peanut is stronger than he looks!

Stadter Boys - Week 6 - June 4 to June 10, 2003

Jon broke the 4lb mark! He's 4 pounds exactly. They've started him on a trial back on the nasal canula for 4 hours twice a day, and he did great on his first try, then when they put the CPAP back on him he threw such a fit they got permission to just put him back on the canula permanantly. Do I sense a stubborn streak in the works? (June 5) Jon's been holding his temperature fine so they turned the heater off on his isolette and he gets to wear his first clothes! Still a bit big, but he'll grow into them. (June 7) Grandma and Aunt Judy got to hold Jon for the first time today. (June 9) Jon gets his first infant massage from Mommy and we think he enjoyed it. (June 10) Up to 23cc's every two hours and growing like a weed Jon is now 4lb 3ou and 18 inches long! We're hoping they'll start him on bottle feedings this week, that's our last thing to master before he can come home.	Will gets his first infant massage and turns into a jello baby, he definitely likes it. He was so cute and relaxed afterward that he even slept through his diaper change. (June 5) His blood work came back and showed that he's started making his own blood cells, something most full term babies don't even do for a few months. This is great news, it may mean that he won't need any more transfusions. (June 7) Will is up to 2lb 10ou and looks like he's finally starting to put on weight. (June 10) Will's all the way up to 2lb 14.7ou and is 16 1/2" long, his little cheeks are finally starting to look a little chubby, he's also much more alert before his feedings now and will search around if he hears Mommy or Daddy talking.
Stadter Boys - Week 7 - June 11 to June 18, 2003

Jon is still on the nasal canula, but pretty much just getting room air. They want to wean him off it before they start him on bottle feeding but they need to wait for his stamina to build up. He's started producing his own red blood cells now, so it's just a matter of time. (June 12) Jon has graduated to an open crib! No more isolette for this boy. (June 15) Fathers Day. Jon's up to 4lb 9oz and growing like a weed. Daddy got to hold both boys at the same time last night, another first. They seemed fascinated looking at each other.	Will needed another blood transfusion this week, he's making his own blood cells but the docs were taking more out than he could keep up with. He's having a little problem with reflux still, but he'll outgrow it soon, hopefully. (June 11) Will finally breaks the 3lb mark! He's on his way. (June 12) Will's having some trouble with his sinus's being all dried out from the nasal canula. They tell us this happens with alot of the babies, but it's hard to watch him be so uncomfortable. They have to suction him frequently and he does NOT like that, I'm sure it doesn't feel very good. Poor baby, hopefully he'll outgrow the need for it soon and his little nose can heal up. (June 15) Fathers Day. Will is up to 3lb 3.5oz, he's growing steadily now and getting bigger every day. Both boys had their eyes and hearing checked and passed with flying colors.