1 Step Back....

Dear Samuel,

2 steps forward. 1 step back.

Today, we may have found the cause for the recent ABD's. Since none of the tests came back positive for anything, the nurses decided to test you for RSV (RSV Info). The test came back positive. They didn't think you had this due to the lack of "secretions" from your lungs but unfortunately you do have it.

The working theory is that you have had this since Sunday or Monday, which would explain the ABDs you have had this week. The good news is that you seem to be tolerating this very well, as your oxygen needs have not really changed (You were at or around 50% O2 when we were there today). Having said that; our nurse did tell us that it may get worse before it gets better and that it peaks around 7 days (We are on day 3).

So, while this is not ideal it IS at least an explanation to all of the ABD's and hopefully you will be able to kick this sooner than what the nurses expect.

Your weight was down slightly today to 1 pound 11.9 ounces. Your weight is now "on the radar" for the doctors. Not a concern yet, but you need to start gaining some weight bud. But for now, we need to focus on kicking this RSV.

Get better little one. Sleep well.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Bath-time Fun!

Dear Samuel,

Today was bath day. FINALLY!

You weren't exactly thrilled with this whole bath thing, but trust me...you needed it.

The cool part was that you didn't really have any de-sats during bath time. We were a little worried it would wear you out but I think you ended up liking it. 

We worked on some kung-fu......

Mama was happy :) 

Took some video of bath time too: 

Otherwise, everything else is status quo. You had a few of the ABD's today, but they are occurring far less than yesterday. Looks like the caffeine that they are giving you is working!

Your weight is up to 810 grams!! 1 pound 12.5 ounces for the layperson (We are starting to learn the nurse-speak).

Today was good pal, let's have more days like today......

Love,
Mom and Dad

Acronyms for Everyone!

Dear Samuel,

Not a whole lot of change today, which is what we like.

You did have a few ABD's today (We are learning all kinds of acronyms through all of this....ABD stands for Apnea, Brady, De-Sat) but nothing like you did yesterday; at least anything prolonged. Unfortunately, (Or Fortunately?) this is fairly common in premies. However, all of the tests/cultures that they took yesterday have all come back negative still. One thing they did to counteract these ABD's was to increase your overall dose of caffeine but split it into two doses per day. So far, this seems to be doing the trick.

Other than that, there hasn't been any change today. Your weight is barely up at 1 pounds 11.9 ounces

Your mom and I only came down once today. We think Isaac got us both sick and don't want to run the risk of giving it to you. We are hoping to give you that bath that you desperately need, tomorrow.

I'm glad that these are starting to be short and shorter. I can't wait for the day when I can stop writing these! Not that I don't like talking/writing about you.....Just that I can't wait until the day when we get to take you home.

Love,
Mom and Dad

A Small Scare

Dear Samuel,

Well, you gave us a bit of a scare today......

Every time we have had a bath scheduled, you seem to weasel your way out of it by having a "bad" day (Last time you came back positive for your infection, another time you had been having a rough day with de-sats). Today you began to have an apnea attack (Meaning you stopped remembering to breath...very similar to sleep apnea) and de-saturate. Enough so, that your nurse said that your color changed and you looked "mottled" (blotchy, spotty). At one point, you had a 3 minute span of time where they had difficulty getting your saturation levels and heart rate back to normal. There was a small chance you would have had to be re-intubated (vent tube) if they were unable to get your levels back but luckily that wasn't the case.

Of course, by the time your Mom and I got there all of your levels were A-Okay for around 2 hours. Sometimes, we think your nurses like to lie to us....When you are having a good day before we get there to visit, you de-sat right when we walk in. If you are having a bad day, we walk in and everything is fine. But really, your nurses are awesome...you just like to do the opposite of what they tell us.

Your doctors and nurses ran a bunch of tests to try to find the cause of this little spell but everything came back negative (Blood tests will be cultured for 5 days again). X-Ray showed NO signs on pneumonia, so that's good.

Some small changes today, in terms of feedings. You were bumped up to 15 ccs of breastmilk every 3 hours being feed over a 2 hour period with an hour between feedings to vent bubbles out of your tummy. They also had to bump up your respiration rate to 30 bpm after you little apnea spell. O2 was back down to 48% when we left for the night.

Your weight is still at 1 pound 11.5 ounces.

So, we are supposed to give you a bath tomorrow. This better not happen again!

Love,
Mom and Dad

Baby Yoga

Dear Samuel,

Sorry for not posting last night....We may have freaked some people out. All is well though, because (Say it with me) "No News is Good News", when it comes to our little journey.

One BIG thing that has happened is that you no longer have an IV!! The infection(s) is no longer present in your blood stream, as the culture came back negative after the full 5 days of culturing.
The only things that are now hooked up to you are your breathing tube, feeding tube, plenty of monitors and your makeshift headgear that keeps your mouth shut (Needed for respiratory purposes).

They continue to tweak your feedings to try and get the right balance of nutrients. You are now up to 13 ccs of "fortified" breastmilk every 3 hours. The "fortified" part means that it's donor milk combined with mom's milk to boost your calorie intake; among other things (Like today, your sodium was tweaked a bit). This, we hope, will help bring your weight up (We are in the planning stages of a "2 pound party").

Another thing is that you retaining some fluids that makes you look a bit puffy. A diuretic was added to your food intake to help with this (layman's terms: You need to pee more).

One thing we were FINALLY able to catch on video, was your little Baby Yoga sessions. When you are on your tummy (which is A LOT, because you hardly ever de-sat when you are on your tummy) you like to do some yoga and push yourself into downward dog. According to our nurse today, this is actually common among premies (You can hear some of the explanation in the video) but the gist is that because premies have such a low body mass they are able to push themselves up with their legs. A "normal" 7 or 8 pound baby could NOT do this, because their body mass is far greater than yours. Check out the video:



One last thing.

We just wanted to let you know how blessed you are to have such great Family, Friends, and Community. Your Mom and I have received so much support; it's absolutely incredible. From gifts, to notes, to hugs, to texts and on and on and on.....we have been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of so many people (Some, your Mom and I have never met). So, we thought we should take the time to say "Thank You". From our family, to yours: Thank You.

Sleep well little one.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Christmas Day

Dear Samuel,

Not much news to report today.....which are days that we like.

The only real news from today was that, yet another IV had to come out. The good news is, that you only have 24 hours left to have one in anyways (Antibiotics need to run their course, even though the infection is gone). As I'm typing, you do NOT have anything poking you! They are going to try again at 2:00 a.m. and if they are unsuccessful with placing the IV, they may forego putting one in.

Otherwise, your mom and I came down twice to see you today and did a little photoshoot.

To all of the readers of Sammy's blog.....Merry Christmas from the Parr's! (Hopefully this counts as our Christmas cards. We sort of got sidetracked this year and didn't get to send any out this year).

You keep impressing us AND the NICU staff, buddy. This is going to be our first and last Christmas in the hospital. Your mom and I can't wait until next year already.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Christmas Eve

Dear Samuel,

This may be a tough few days for your mom and I. We are SO excited to celebrate Christmas with your brother, Isaac. He's finally starting to "get it". At the same time, we can't stop thinking about that we can't all be together on Christmas. It's heart-wrenching pal.....I feel like we are the worst parents in the world for not being there with you every second of every day; especially on Christmas.

Although, we may feel this way now, I'm quite certain that there is a lesson in all of this for us and that God has a plan for us. I'm already thinking of next Christmas, and just how special it will be. It makes me think of all of the things we take for granted in this life; especially the people. Buddy, let me tell you, if there is one thing I have learned in life is that we need to make the most of the time that we have with each other. Because one day, that person will be gone and all of things you wanted to do or say will be too.

So, to everyone reading this letter.......Cherish the time you have with your loved ones. Parents, give your kids a big hug and tell them how much they mean to you. Kids, hug your parents back and tell them how much they mean to YOU!


Today, was kind of a short day. We didn't get to see you much, but I think we made the most of the time we had. Your mom got to hold you again today AND you had your eyes wide open for us.

They moved you IV from your head to your arm. We are still hopeful that you can get it out on Friday, after the antibiotics have run their course. 

Otherwise, everything is status quo. Just the way we like it. No surprises. 

Thank you to everyone who has sent cards, gifts and well wishes. We are truly blessed to have such great people in our lives! 

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year! 

Sleep tight buddy, we will see you tomorrow. 

Love,

Mom and Dad

Moments in Time

Dear Samuel,

There are moments in life that stick with you....Winning a big game, Meeting your mom, Seeing how beautiful she looked when she was walking down the aisle at our wedding.

Tonight, I had one of those moments.

Both your Mom and I got to hold you today. We're both hoping that this is a trend that can continue as you keep getting bigger and stronger. 

In other news.....

We are past the 72 hour mark on your blood culture coming back negative (or not coming back at all, I should say). This is awesome news because the tentative plan right now is to remove your IV as soon as the 26th. One less thing that would need to be hooked up to you! 

Speaking of your IV, they actually had to move it to a vein in your head! Apparently, it's a better place to get at your veins from instead of your arm or leg. 

Your feedings have been taken up to 11 ccs per every 3 hours. Hopefully this helps with chunking you out a bit. It has so far, as you are up to 1 pound 10.4 ounces. 

So glad that you have had a few good days in a row. Let's keep it rolling! 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Short and Sweet

Dear Samuel,

Today was an awesome day. Because it was so awesome, I'm really tired...so I'm going to make this somewhat short.

Your infection. Gone.
Disclaimer: For the most part, its gone. We are past the 60 hour mark of having a negative culture. They are still keeping you on antibiotics for another 7-10 days though just to make sure we completely got it.

Your breathing. Like a Champ.
You are still on the CPAP machine and doing really well. When we there tonight, you only had about 5 to 10 de-sats...which, compared to the other night is a complete 180. You WERE on 60% O2 though, which is up a bit but your RR (Respiration rate) is down to 20 (When you were on the vent this number was up around 40 to 50).

Blood Sugar. Stabilized.
They took you off of your insulin drip today, because your numbers were reading in the mid 100s (Tonight was around 130).

Hemoglobin. Well, not quite sure but I bet it's up.
You had another transfusion today, because your Hemoglobin had dropped to around 9.0. I have a feeling this may be helping with your O2 saturation levels as well.

If you have a good overnight, your Mom may get to hold you again. We are praying that you do.

See you bright and early buddy.

Love,
Mom and Dad

You must be this tall to ride......

Dear Samuel,

I get the feeling you are going to like roller coasters.

Yesterday, you had us frustrated, emotional, nervous, excited.......and on and on. Today was, as the song goes, "Easy like Sunday morning" (Okay, kind of cheesy, I know).

You are really impressing the doctors with how well you are tolerating the CPAP. It's been 36 hours since you had the tube taken out and so far you are showing no signs of having to re-intubate. When we were there tonight, your vent settings were at 46% O2 and 55 RR (Respiration Rate). The respiration rate is a bit high, but you need to start doing some of this breathing stuff on your own buddy.

They are going to weigh you again tonight or tomorrow morning, but at your last weigh in you were at 1 pound 11.9 ounces. Your mom wants you to be at 1 pound 13 ounces (Just remember, she gets what she wants....so I suggest being at that number).

One noteworthy thing is that you are being started on an additional antibiotic because your vent tube tested positive for an infection. Now, it's not definitive if you have another infection for sure but the antibiotics you are on would not fight this new possible infection (Hope you followed all of that).

Blood sugar has been sort of settling down a bit (Upper 100's) and your insulin has been taken down to about a drop an hour.

So, if today was the "drop" on the roller coaster I hope we don't have a "climb" tomorrow. Let's stay on the fun part for a while.......

Love,
Mom and Dad

Patience

Dear Samuel,

They say that patience is a virtue......

We are a generation of "instant gratification". Movies and TV shows are OnDemand, answers to trivia questions are found instantly with our phones, 1-click ordering on Amazon. I think because your Mom and I have been conditioned to this in our everyday lives makes this seem all the more difficult. We just want this to be done. For you to be healthy. For you to come home.

With that said, you have not ceased to amaze us with your incredible strength and will. It's that strength and will that keep us going; day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.

Today was a a "milestone" day. Your vent tube was extubated and replaced with a CPAP machine. Just so you know, your tube was gross.....It's no wonder there was some sort of bacteria growing in there. It was a weird shade of yellow when they pulled it out. This was also the first time your mom got to see you without any vent in your mouth (and I snapped a picture):

They did try using the lowest level CPAP machine (only gives off oxygen) but you did not react well to it and had a lot of de-sats. They switched you over to a CPAP machine that gives you both oxygen and respirations, so that it helps you to remember to take breaths on your own. With this machine, you seem to be doing "OK". We are still seeing some de-sats, but your mom and I think that there weren't more tonight than there was last night. Either way, the staff tells us that it's a win just to have the tube out! There is still a chance that you will need the tube to be put back (a different one obviously) but there will be a lot of variables that go into this decision (blood gases, skin color, etc.).

Blood Sugar has been down today/tonight as well (Last reading tonight was ~90). Your mom and I think this is related to getting your vent tube out and whatever bacteria/infection was in there (But we aren't doctors...we only play ones on TV). We're hopeful this will be the cure to chasing your blood sugar numbers.

Patience. A lesson you are teaching us. One of many, I'm sure, you will teach us. Hopefully, we can repay the favor. 

Stay strong little one. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Honeymooner's Once Again

Dear Samuel,

Just when we thought the Honeymoon was over......

Today, was a much better day than yesterday bud. First, your blood culture that was taken on Wednesday morning still has not grown anything. Meaning that your infection MAY be gone.

During rounds today Dr. Gozi (Not her actual name..I think its spelled Ngozi) decided to take your vent settings down to help prep you for possible extubation (A $10 word) tomorrow. Now, this will hopefully serve two purposes; 1) The culture on your vent tube came back positive for bacteria which can mean a possible infection in your lungs or simply just bacteria in your tube; and 2) TO GET THE TUBE OUT!! They would switch you over to a CPAP machine, obviously, but this would be a huge step forward!

We are still chasing blood sugar levels but were able to stabilize them tonight a bit. The last reading we had was around 180 tonight when we were there.

They had to switch your IV from your foot into your forearm and now you have a "board" on your arm. This makes your arm semi-immobile but you are dealing with it well.

One thing your mom and I got to witness today was tummy time. You LOVE being on your tummy (At least your O2 loves you being on your tummy). We also saw you push with your legs today and raise your butt in the air, almost like you were trying to do a push up. I think you are A LOT stronger than what you lead us to believe.

Your left eye is also pretty much all the way open (You can see his right eye in the picture above).

Hoping you have a good night pal so that we can maybe take your tube out tomorrow.

To be continued........

Love,
Mom and Dad

The Honeymoon's Over

Dear Samuel,

They told us this would happen.......

2 steps forward, 1 step back. We didn't want to believe them but in the back of our minds we sort of knew it would come.

Luckily, it's nothing "serious" although it can get a little frustrating. The past few days now your O2 saturation drops for no apparent reason especially while laying on your back. I guess this is not an uncommon stage with Premies with the O2 sats dropping and their oxygen intake on their vent going up (You are up to 60% oxygen....when you were first born you were at 21%). While it's good to know this isn't uncommon, it still doesn't make it any easier when your alarms go off every few minutes......

As far as we know, your infection is still there as well. The blood culture that was done on Wednesday was "clean" today, but so was the one from Monday at 24 hours of being cultured. It's once we hit the 48 hour mark is when it comes back positive. They have started treating this infection more aggressively by upping your antibiotics.

We still are chasing your blood sugars all over the map. Tonight's reading was 237 (They want it to be around 100). They have upped your insulin again to try and regulate it.

There was some GOOD to today though....

You did open your left eye just a bit today. It's about halfway "unfused". My guess is that you will have it fully open tomorrow morning when we come and see you. We can't wait to see both of them open!

We are all in for a long haul buddy.....but I think we have a pretty good thing going. You keep fighting and so will we.

See you tomorrow pal.

Love,
Mom and Dad

A Short Report.....

Dear Samuel,

Not a ton to report today.......

Your weight is up to 1 pound 10.5 ounces!

You are still battling with "de sating" (O2 dropping unexpectedly). During Rounds today, your doctor told us that they do NOT think it is your PDA opening up. So, for now, we can rule that out. I think we are still going with the assumption that this is being caused by the infection.

Speaking of your infection, they took a blood culture on Monday that came back today and was positive for an infection. They also drew one today to be cultured for 48 as well. You are still on antibiotics to help stave off said infection.

Blood Sugar has been better today.....not so many big swings (150-180). You are still on insulin but have held steady at a very low dose. Hoping we can get this under control, so there can be one less thing going into your IV.

Your IV was also switched to your other leg today, and you are now in a "board" so that you can't flex your ankle too much where your IV is. This is good and bad, as the foot that didn't have the IV is in is used for testing your blood sugar and is getting sort of raw.

Otherwise, the doctors are very impressed with the progress you are making. Let's kick this infection and start working on getting you porked out!

See you tomorrow buddy.

Love,
Mom and Dad

An "Eye Opener"

Dear Samuel,

Today, your mom and I saw you open your right eye for the first time. It was pretty cool, because we were there for the very first time you did it. You SHOULD have some big blue eyes, but it was a little difficult to tell. You keep working on the left one, but aren't quite there yet....hopefully tomorrow. I wish I would have grabbed my camera, but I was kind of caught up in the moment (I think you will understand).

Otherwise, it was kind of a rough day.

We are still fighting to keep your O2 saturation (sats) to stay within the acceptable range. The theory, before today, was that this was being caused by the infection you had/have. Now the hypothesis is that it may be your PDA in your heart that is open (More info here). Now don't worry, this is a very common thing seen in premies and a lot of the nurses and doctors were surprised this wasn't open right after you were born. There are a few options to treating this: 1) Do nothing and see if it closes on it's own again. 2) Treat with medicine (you actually had this after the first few hours of being born). 3) Surgery (which would occur long down the road).

You are also still struggling with your blood sugar spiking. This morning when we were there your blood sugar was at 80 but when we saw you tonight it was up around 290. The working theory on this, is that the infection is still causing these spikes. However, they drew a blood culture yesterday and so far after 24 hours it came back negative......EXCEPT when they found the infection the culture came back negative after the first 24 hours and did not see it until 48 hours.

Overall, though you are still doing really well and we can't wait until you open that other eye!

One thing you do need to know is that there are A LOT of people who are thinking and praying for you buddy. To give you an idea, this blog now has over 11,000 page views in a little over a week.....That's nuts. It's really kind of overwhelming. Just know that you have a great family, great friends and a great community all rooting for you.

Sleep tight little man.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Up and Down

Dear Samuel,

Today was a bit of a struggle. Not bad, just a bit.

You are fighting off an infection in your blood stream (They can't tell us exactly WHAT this infection is, just that it is one) that is messing with your Blood Sugar and O2 sats. They feel that this infection is what was causing your blood sugar to spike from high to low.  You were started on antibiotics every 18 hours

For now, it sounds like your blood sugar has leveled off and you are no longer on insulin. Which is great, but you have been struggling with your O2 sats, as they will now drop unexpectedly from your optimal range (88-94%). However, when it does drop you are able to recover quickly which is a good sign.

This morning was busy. It was decided that your "Central Lines" needed to come out and it was OK that they came out because you got up to "Full Feeds" today (9 ccs of calorie fortified breast milk every 3 hours). First, they drew some blood for a culture to check the infection, as well as a fungal culture. Then, they placed a peripheral IV in your leg to take the place of the Central Lines that were in your belly button. Next, they removed the Central Lines from your belly. So, two fewer tubes but one more went in.

During all of this commotion you were a champ. Your sats only dropped once when you were getting poked and prodded. I think it was because you got to hold on to mommas hand during the whole thing.....but I might be biased.

Get some rest tonight buddy and fight off that infection.

Love,
Mom and Dad

In a Holding Pattern (Pun Intended)

Dear Samuel,

Today was one of those "once/twice in a lifetime" kind of days. Today was the day your Momma got to hold you for the first time. It took 4 nurses to take you out of your incubator and get you over to momma, but I think it was well worth it. I was lucky enough to have my camera ready to capture some of these moments:

You also got to experience your very first Packer's game (With No sound....thank the Lord). Unfortunately, I shouldn't have mentioned anything about a "streak" in a previous post. So, I'll take this one....my bad. 

After a few minutes on momma's chest I think you were all snuggled up and fell asleep for about 30 minutes.

They finally got to the bottom of why your Blood Sugar has been spiking. The did a blood culture on Friday and finally this morning were able to tell that you have some sort of infection in your blood stream so you were started on antibiotics immediately. Hopefully, that will fix this problem we've been having.

You continue to have really gross looking diapers (which is a good thing, because it means you are getting rid of all of that bilirubin).

Your feedings were upped again to 8 ccs every 3 hours. Our goal is to get you to 10 to 12 ccs every 3 hours. If you can get there, we may not have to do the PICC line (which would be awesome).

Hopefully, we will get a chance to give you a bath tonight....That's where we are heading right now!

See you soon.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Rolling Along

Dear Samuel,

Another good day today buddy.

This morning you had a respiratory test where they removed the ventilator to see how you could handle breathing on your own. You made it about a minute and a half before you got too tired to breath on your own. It was sort of expected that you wouldn't "pass" this test yet, but we need to start prepping you for life without the vent. They are going to do this "test" every few days from here on out.

You had another head scan today that you passed with flying colors. This lifts the IHV protocol (keeping your head still and your body "midline") that helped prevent any brain bleeds.  Not that anyone is going to jostle you around now, but there isn't as much fear about causing any damage to your brain.

We are also still chasing your blood sugar as it keeps spiking in opposite directions (high to low). As of tonight, you were at 292 (which is in the acceptable range). They are working on finding the right mix of nutrients and insulin to keep your blood sugar in a good place.

Your feedings were upped to 7 ccs of breast milk today as well.

We aren't trying to get our hopes up, but they did tell us that we might be able to actually hold you tomorrow. I can't begin to tell you how happy this will make your momma (and me, of course). If you are having a good day and your vitals are still good, we should get to hold you! I'm bringing my camera with tomorrow just in case so we can capture some shots.

Sleep well tonight pal, big day tomorrow.

Love,
Mom and Dad

P.S. Since you were born both the Packers and Badgers (Mens Bball) are undefeated. Let's keep that streak going......

The Blood Sugar Chase

Dear Samuel,

Today was another good day......Momma and I came down and did a little photo shoot for you (I'll post another page after I edit them) but for now, here is one unedited.

The only thing that the nursing staff has been fighting with for the last 24 hours was your Blood Sugar. It has been fluctuating from low to high and back again. Finally, this morning they slowed down the game of giving you insulin and then switching back to sugar water and it seemed to stabilize your blood sugar (Around 150 is where they want you to be....you were spiking at 300 and dropping all the way down to 50). 

Your bilirubin was up again today, so they brought back the "bili" light (This time your eye covers had sunglasses on them). Hopefully, this will be one of the last times we have to have the Bili light because you had 2 more BM's and that will help get rid of all that bilirubin. 

They also upped your food intake today as well to 6 cc's every 3 hours. Now we just need you to start getting bigger and stronger....We need to PUMP...you UP! 

Also had one more blood transfusion tonight because of all of the blood draws they have been doing. Your hemoglobin was around 11 (which is about twice as high as momma's right now). All in all the transfusion went well. 

Overall the doctors are amazed at the progress you keep making. Keep it rolling buddy! 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Everybody Poops

Dear Samuel,

What a HUGE day you had! From our perspective, two really BIG milestones.

1. BM (Poop for the layperson)
The doctors were beginning to get concerned that you had not a BM yet and upped your suppositories to try and help things along. Well, apparently it worked because your nurse said it was a pretty big one.

2. Weight
At your weigh-in this morning at 2:00 a.m. you were back to your birth weight of 1 pound 6.2 ounces!

I think both of these milestones may have something to do with the fact that you are now receiving 5 ccs (milliliters) of breastmilk every 3 hours (up from 3 ccs).

We did have a Scare today too. This morning as the radiologist was reading your X-ray, they called up to the NICU nurses to alert them that they saw something in your lungs and that it was possible that lung could collapse. As soon as that happened your vitals started to drop. The nurses started suctioning some "gunk" out of your lungs, moved you around to get some further X-rays and started prepping to put in a chest tube. As the new X-rays were being looked at by the radiologist they weren't able to see the gunk in your lungs anymore. As the day wore on the nurses left the equipment for the chest tube in your room to ward off any "evil spirits" and so far it seems to have worked. They also started some Chest PT (essentially a little massager/vibrator) to break up the gunk in your lungs. Ever since that little scare this morning, your vital stats have been great and you have been resting for most of the day.

Here's a picture of when your Mom and I came to visit tonight.

Never thought I would be so happy for someone to poop, but I guess that's what happens when you become a parent. Sam, we are so excited and proud to be your parents and looking forward to the journey ahead. You have defied the odds so far, let's keep it going.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Home (For some of us)

Dear Samuel,

It was a big day for Momma today. The doctor told her she could go home today....which is bittersweet. We are able to sleep in our own bed tonight and see your big brother Isaac. BUT we have to leave you at the hospital. I think we are beginning to realize just how hard this is going to be.....

Not much change for you today. They let you take it easy today because of your day yesterday. Your weight came back up a little to 1 pound 5.9 ounces...so almost back to your birth weight. During "Rounds" this morning your doctor decided to tweak some of your vent settings which seemed to do the trick with stabilizing some of your O2 stats.

They also decided to up your feedings of breast milk to 3 cc's every 3 hours, which is great! You still haven't had a "BM" but they are encouraged that they can hear digestion in your stomach.

We were able to do some more "hand hugging" today and you grabbed momma's finger with your tiny little hand. I'm glad I thought to grab my phone to catch this precious moment:

We came back down to see you tonight and not much change (which we like). The only thing is was that your Blood sugar is a bit high. They started you on some Insulin this morning, which is supposed to bring your blood sugar back down, but it's only kept climbing. 

Otherwise, you looked really peaceful today and it looked like you were getting a lot of rest. 

Looking forward to sleeping in our bed tonight, but always thinking of you buddy. Sleep tight. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

"He's got Spunk"

Dear Samuel,

Wow, what a busy day......Where should we start?

When your mom and I came down to see you this morning we caught your "team" in the middle of "Rounds". And when I say "Team", I mean about 10 people! A lot of people have a vested interest in you bud.

You were weighed and measured (1 pound 4.5 ounces and 12 inches long). You had an ultrasound on your heart (Still haven't heard back from the cardiologist but initial assessment looked normal). You had an ultrasound on your head to check for any brain bleeds and this test came back normal. During the ultrasound on your head, I guess you put your hand on the ultrasound tech's hand to help him out with your test......This was all before lunch!

Then this afternoon the doctors wanted to try and insert a PICC line to replace the one in your umbilical cord, as it can only be in there for about 2 weeks max. They tried 3 times in 3 different spots but because you are so little they weren't able to get it set.  This procedure made you even MORE tired. Your O2 levels dropped quite a bit in the afternoon because of all the "action" during the day, so we had the Respiratory Specialist in adjusting levels on the ventilator to try to figure out what was going on. After about an hour, they figured out that your vent tube was too far in. They took it out less than a centimeter and everything seemed to be back on track.

One of the highlights of our day was that we finally got to touch you (The nurses called it a "Hand Hug"). Momma said that you kicked her when she gave you her hug. This isn't the first time and probably not the last......

I was a little nervous at first because you are SO little. It's also super hot in your incubator; about 93 degrees and 80% humidity. This made me and mom sweat a bit AND it's also warm in your room too (I don't think you have thermostat gremlins like momma does though). 

One other thing from tonight was that you actually pulled your feeding tube out! Please don't do it again, but I don't blame you, I'd probably do the same. The nurse told us that you've got a lot of "spunk". 

Late tonight, they are just kind of letting you rest. The ventilator is doing quite a bit for you because of the LONG day you had (50 bpms and 80% O2). You looked pretty wiped when we came to say goodnight. 

Sleep well little one...Bring that "spunk" back tomorrow. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Test Day

Dear Samuel,

Just a quick update from this morning.

Today was your "test" day. You weighed in at 1 pound 4.5 ounces and were 12 inches long. They did an ultrasound on your heart and did not appear that there were any holes (However, this needs to be reviewed by the cardiologist to make sure).

Otherwise, when we came down to see you this morning you looked really relaxed and sleepy. Guessing you were tuckered out from all of the tests this morning. All of your numbers have been rock solid still (Heart Rate has been staying around 170; O2 Levels @ 88; Ventilator RR @ 40 bpms; 02 @ 26%). 

We are excited because the nurses are going to show us how to "hold" you in the incubator (They call it a "Hand Hug"). Your mom and I are really excited! 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

No News is Good News

Dear Samuel,

Not much in the way of updates tonight, which is awesome.

Doctors gave you another dose of surfactant to help with your lung development just as a "reserve" to help with any future problems and not because you "needed" it. You are taking some oxygen from the ventilator but only 30% (Room air is 21% OR what you and I breath with normal breaths) AND that is a side effect of the surfactant. So, needless to say, you are still doing awesome.

One thing I watched you do today....and it scared the crap out of me....was when I was in the room alone with you, you were being so active that your Respiratory monitor was going off the chart and then back down to 0 (I saw it go up to 160 bpm and then all the way down to 0). Well, as it turns out, you were SO active that you finagled ($10 word of the day) the monitor off of your arm.

Tomorrow will be a big day for tests though. They will be doing ultrasounds on your head and heart and also an "echo" on your heart (Possible Edit: Your mom and I can't remember exactly). They will also be measuring you and weighing you again to see how we are progressing.

I was able to leave the hospital for a bit tonight and take your big brother Isaac to the Christmas Train in Sparta tonight. I didn't really know what it all entailed, but I guess its a train with lights on it and they do a small concert:

Apparently, Isaac didn't like it too much.....

One last note, in your mom's room there are thermostat gremlins. One minute it's a sauna, the next you can hang meat. She does have a conspiracy theory going about the nurses possibly manipulating the thermostat in some weird psychological experiment. I think it's just hormones. And I end up cold. No one wins. 

Sleep tight little man. 

Love, 

Dad

Useful Info

Dear Samuel,

Today has been another good day so far. All of your numbers have been Rock solid. The nursing staff keeps telling us how amazing it is that you are doing this well. Just so you know, we want to keep hearing that.

As far as updates, there isn't a whole lot to report. You have been "eating" 1 cc of breast milk every 3 hours now and also having it swabbed on your cheeks to help with oral care (If you were Napoleon Dynamite, I think you would probably say "My lips hurt real bad!").

Otherwise, the blood transfusion you had last night went really well and they still have you under the Bili light. I took some video of you moving around a little bit last night.

There's actually more news with your mom today. She decided that it would be best if she got a blood transfusion too, as her hemoglobin was down to 5.4 (Apparently normal is around 11?). Other than that, she has been doing great. When we went down to see you this morning, she was able to walk down the hall by herself (which is pretty impressive for having a number that low). Our doctor had a hard time believing us actually......

So, because of this blood transfusion, the doctors want us to stay another day/night. It looks like we will be here until Wednesday now....well, we will be here regardless just not as a patient.

Also, some useful info for all of your family, friends and well-wishers. Right now, the only people allowed to visit you in the NICU are me and your mom. This might not change until this weekend. Your doctor says it beneficial to have a quiet environment with little to no stimulation, especially in these first few days. Another restriction is that any visitors have to be over the age of 18 and cannot have any cold or flu like symptoms (So that means you won't be able to meet your older brother Isaac for a while.....don't worry though, he's plenty busy with Thomas the Train).

We are at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI.
Samuel's Room # (NICU): 5763
Betsy's Room #: 5860

Psalm 127:3-5 - Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. 

Status Quo....sort of

Dear Samuel,

Today was about maintaining the status quo. All of your numbers (Heart Rate, O2, BPMs) were well maintained and in the range we want throughout the day. However, we did have some new stuff pop up today.

Late last night, the doctors and nurses (who are awesome by the way) put you under the "Bili" light to help with your bilirubin. There is no cause for concern for jaundice, but they wanted to be proactive. The pictures turned out kind of cool with a blue glow.

This morning, there was some talk of taking you off of the ventilator and switching to a C-Pap. Which, in my opinion, is a great sign. It was just talk though because you aren't quite ready for it to come out yet. Later on in the day, you started getting tuckered out from all the breathing you've been doing on your own and they had to put your ventilator back up to 40 breaths per minute.

Another thing that happened today was we had to give you a blood transfusion, since your hemoglobin was starting to dip a bit. This went well and you didn't have a negative reaction to it.

The doctors decided it was time to put a feeding tube in today too. So, unfortunately, you have another tube going down your mouth BUT you were able to begin taking in breast milk to start helping you grow.

You had a wet diaper today! Yes, we're excited about that because not only was it 18 cc's it means that your kidneys are working great!

Your Mom is doing great too, bud. She's one of the toughest women I know....she hasn't hardly had any pain killers (I think it's the German coming out in her) only Ibuprofen. The other stuff makes her sick, so she just doesn't take it. She was up and moving around today and isn't hooked up to a pole anymore. I have to say......you, me and Isaac are pretty lucky guys.

Sleep tight little one.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Samuel Richard Parr

Dear Samuel,

Today was the day you were born......We weren't expecting you quite yet, but either way we were really happy to finally meet you. You were born at 2:50 a.m. and only weighed 1 pound 6.2 ounces. That's REALLY tiny buddy, but the doctors thought that it was best that we meet you now instead of later.

When you first arrived, your mom and I heard you cry. You have no idea how excited we were to hear those little whimpers.....we weren't expecting to hear you at all! We only got to see you for a few minutes before you were whisked away to the NICU to get poked and prodded.

Once you were in the NICU, they called you a Rock Star from the start. Your heart rate (140-180 bpm), O2 levels, and breathing have all been great. Throughout the day, they have reduced your ventilator from breathing 40 breaths per minute for you, down to 30 and finally down to 20 (You have been averaging around 50 breaths per minute, meaning that you are taking 30 of those while the ventilator is doing 20 of them).

All of your Grandparents got to meet you today as well and I can tell that they really can't wait to hold you (I know the feeling). You were also baptized by Pastor Hefti today too. Talk about a busy day!

Keep fighting Sam. There are a lot of people that want to meet you.

Love,
Mom and Dad