It has been a busy 4 months with 2 little ones at home. Little Calista continues to do awesome at home. She has had 2 ear infections and isn't gaining weight very fast but these things are just minor. At her 4 month appointment, the doctor recommended we go see a physical therapist because her neck muscle was tight since she was always looking to the right and not so much the left. At 4 months, she is 9 pounds 9 ounces and 23 3/4 inches long. She is our peanut!
Bo is a very doting big brother. He is so sweet to her! In fact, I have yet to see any twinge of jealousy! He loves to bring her toys and blankets. "Calista like a toy." "Calista like a blanket." Although it sounds more like "Keelista wike a bwanket" so cute! He is big into Thomas and anything trains. Still likes basketball, but a definite big shift to the trains. He likes the Huskers, and Cowboys (this makes his mommy very happy!!). The video below is of him throwing the bones like the Blackshirts (Husker defense). The second one is of Calista cooing. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Life in the NICU - Update
I need something in writing so the days to blend together while we're in the NICU. So here it goes
July 14 - Calista Mae Wilkinson was born at 5:08 pm. She is 5 pounds, 6 ounces and 18.5 inches long. The NICU nurses barely made it to my room before she was born - yeah that's how fast labor was. After checking her out, they let me hold her for 30 seconds before taking her to the NICU. Kyle doesn't get to hold her. Bo and Grandma Deb come to see her in the delivery room. Later, I go to see her with my delivery nurse and my mom. She's in her isolette, grunting because she's trying to breathe but can't. They had her hooked up to Comfort Flow oxygen - forced oxygen. She sounds awful. Later that night, they switch her to a CPAP machine and she gets some relief. IVs are started.
July 15 - Still hooked up to the CPAP and she looks pitiful with it on. Still not allowed to eat by mouth.
July 16 - Very swollen from CPAP, especially in her face. Somewhere between July 15 and July 16, the doctor says that if this doesn't work, they will consider intubating and giving her surfactant (the hormone she's missing in her lungs). This will immediately fix her breathing problems, but they do not want to do it if they don't have to. Started on 10 cc of breast milk.
July 17 - Has a hard day. Given Lasix to get rid of her extra fluid, and taken off CPAP. Back on Comfort Flow oxygen. Billi lights started today for 24 hours. Up to 20 cc of breast milk. She has problems keeping her IV in, so they start an umbilical line.
July 18 - Off billi lights. Nurse tells us we won't be able to hold her until the umbilical line comes out, which would be Wednesday when she's off antibiotics.
July 19 - Off oxygen. Does awesome most of the day off of it. New nurse tells me I can hold her during her feeding!! :-) Kyle comes during lunch hour and he gets to hold her for the first time. She desats (drop in oxygen level) later in the day and they put her back on comfort flow.
July 20 - Get to "practice" breastfeeding. She latches great! Get to hold her twice today during feedings. Off of oxygen now completely since 1 am that morning.
July 21 - 1 week birthday! She gets a bath, a crib (no more isolette!), clothes, and more practicing breastfeeding. The nurses do not want to wear her out by trying to breastfeed. She sleeps through her bath - very relaxed little baby! I believe at this point she is taking 2 - 6 cc of breastmilk by nursing.
July 22 - present (July 28). Breastfeeding going good, she just tires easily. All she has to do is "wake up" and eat without needing her feeding tube. Up to 50 cc at this point. We introduced the bottle on Sunday and she does good with that too. I think this has to be the most frustrating part because she's not sick anymore. Doctor says there is a method to their madness and she really does need to wake up and not miss any feedings otherwise she could get sick and end up back in the NICU or hospital. By July 26, her highest breastfeeding intake is 34 cc
July 28 - Happy 2 week birthday! She has been doing great at breastfeeding today! She actually breastfeeds better than she takes a bottle :) I took a quick walk around the NICU and felt very fortunate that Calista is not as sick as some others. Not that I can see or am being nosy, but when there is a sign on the door that says "Caution" or "Enter quietly, I'm growing" you know there are some really premature babies down here. I have thank God she is healthy and will be going home soon. :) She also has been gaining weight at the rate of an ounce a day -- awesome!! She had a great day intake-wise - a new record of 36 cc by breastfeeding. I have a feeling we will be going home soon, but time will tell.
July 30 - Calista had a great night! They are letting her eat from a bottle whenever now. One of the nurses frustrated me at the 11 pm feeding - not her nurse - because once she was done breastfeeding, I wanted to try the rest from a bottle. They have to warm up the milk regardless if it goes through the feeding tube or the bottle. She did not want to me to try the bottle. Whatever. The 2 am feeding went awesome, and the nurse bolus in the remaining 6cc. I should have asked for a bottle then but oh well. At the 5 am feeding, she ripped out her feeding tube (Go Calista!). And it never got put back in - even though a nurse practitioner told her day nurse that she better go ahead and put it back in because she didn't think Calista could do it. Did she ever prove her wrong. She did great all day.
July 31 - Still doing awesome. New nurse practitioner says we will be out of here in "a couple of days" if she continues to do well. She says to go ahead and bring in her carseat for the carseat test (make sure she doesn't have any apnea spells), and they will do her hearing test. She passes both with flying colors.
August 1 - We are going home!! Both the Dr. and nurse practitioner agreed that if Calista had a good night, they were ok with letting her go home. This makes for one happy momma!
July 14 - Calista Mae Wilkinson was born at 5:08 pm. She is 5 pounds, 6 ounces and 18.5 inches long. The NICU nurses barely made it to my room before she was born - yeah that's how fast labor was. After checking her out, they let me hold her for 30 seconds before taking her to the NICU. Kyle doesn't get to hold her. Bo and Grandma Deb come to see her in the delivery room. Later, I go to see her with my delivery nurse and my mom. She's in her isolette, grunting because she's trying to breathe but can't. They had her hooked up to Comfort Flow oxygen - forced oxygen. She sounds awful. Later that night, they switch her to a CPAP machine and she gets some relief. IVs are started.
July 15 - Still hooked up to the CPAP and she looks pitiful with it on. Still not allowed to eat by mouth.
July 16 - Very swollen from CPAP, especially in her face. Somewhere between July 15 and July 16, the doctor says that if this doesn't work, they will consider intubating and giving her surfactant (the hormone she's missing in her lungs). This will immediately fix her breathing problems, but they do not want to do it if they don't have to. Started on 10 cc of breast milk.
July 17 - Has a hard day. Given Lasix to get rid of her extra fluid, and taken off CPAP. Back on Comfort Flow oxygen. Billi lights started today for 24 hours. Up to 20 cc of breast milk. She has problems keeping her IV in, so they start an umbilical line.
July 18 - Off billi lights. Nurse tells us we won't be able to hold her until the umbilical line comes out, which would be Wednesday when she's off antibiotics.
July 19 - Off oxygen. Does awesome most of the day off of it. New nurse tells me I can hold her during her feeding!! :-) Kyle comes during lunch hour and he gets to hold her for the first time. She desats (drop in oxygen level) later in the day and they put her back on comfort flow.
July 20 - Get to "practice" breastfeeding. She latches great! Get to hold her twice today during feedings. Off of oxygen now completely since 1 am that morning.
July 21 - 1 week birthday! She gets a bath, a crib (no more isolette!), clothes, and more practicing breastfeeding. The nurses do not want to wear her out by trying to breastfeed. She sleeps through her bath - very relaxed little baby! I believe at this point she is taking 2 - 6 cc of breastmilk by nursing.
July 22 - present (July 28). Breastfeeding going good, she just tires easily. All she has to do is "wake up" and eat without needing her feeding tube. Up to 50 cc at this point. We introduced the bottle on Sunday and she does good with that too. I think this has to be the most frustrating part because she's not sick anymore. Doctor says there is a method to their madness and she really does need to wake up and not miss any feedings otherwise she could get sick and end up back in the NICU or hospital. By July 26, her highest breastfeeding intake is 34 cc
July 28 - Happy 2 week birthday! She has been doing great at breastfeeding today! She actually breastfeeds better than she takes a bottle :) I took a quick walk around the NICU and felt very fortunate that Calista is not as sick as some others. Not that I can see or am being nosy, but when there is a sign on the door that says "Caution" or "Enter quietly, I'm growing" you know there are some really premature babies down here. I have thank God she is healthy and will be going home soon. :) She also has been gaining weight at the rate of an ounce a day -- awesome!! She had a great day intake-wise - a new record of 36 cc by breastfeeding. I have a feeling we will be going home soon, but time will tell.
July 30 - Calista had a great night! They are letting her eat from a bottle whenever now. One of the nurses frustrated me at the 11 pm feeding - not her nurse - because once she was done breastfeeding, I wanted to try the rest from a bottle. They have to warm up the milk regardless if it goes through the feeding tube or the bottle. She did not want to me to try the bottle. Whatever. The 2 am feeding went awesome, and the nurse bolus in the remaining 6cc. I should have asked for a bottle then but oh well. At the 5 am feeding, she ripped out her feeding tube (Go Calista!). And it never got put back in - even though a nurse practitioner told her day nurse that she better go ahead and put it back in because she didn't think Calista could do it. Did she ever prove her wrong. She did great all day.
July 31 - Still doing awesome. New nurse practitioner says we will be out of here in "a couple of days" if she continues to do well. She says to go ahead and bring in her carseat for the carseat test (make sure she doesn't have any apnea spells), and they will do her hearing test. She passes both with flying colors.
August 1 - We are going home!! Both the Dr. and nurse practitioner agreed that if Calista had a good night, they were ok with letting her go home. This makes for one happy momma!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Update
I really need to get better about writing on here! Bo is fast approaching 2 years old and is becoming more and more like a little boy. He is talking more, putting words together to form two and three word sentences. And still makes up words for things. I think the only new ones are "nut-ohs" for fruit snacks and "bum" for vitamin. He is starting to use real words in place of his made-up words. Of course, his favorite is his "minay" which is his basketball hoop. The boy is obsessed with his minay. He could shoot hoops all day! I think we have a basketball star in the making..haha!
Fittingly enough, we are having a basketball-themed birthday party and I'm going to once again attempt to make his cake...stay tuned for the results!
The boy that once was attached to his binkie or "beyo" is now almost done being weaned. We started by not letting him have it unless he was in the car, or at naptime or bedtime. Then I cut out the car, that met some resistance but he got over it fast. Now he looks at books and sometimes holds his wooden monkey. Two nights ago, I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't give it to him at bedtime. He asked a few times but I simply said "No beyo." and turned on his soother to distract him. Amazingly it worked! I hope he keeps this up. Last to go will be naps simply because he's at daycare with other kids in the room and I'm afraid he will have a meltdown.
I also have been working on having him walk into daycare and walk out to the car. He loves to walk now instead of being carried but for some reason, that minay is too much for him and he just wants to go play (they have one outside on their front deck). He'd get so far, and then he want to play instead of go inside or leave. Anyway, I shouldn't be carrying him all the time for too much longer with being preggers and all, so I figured it was time to start. The last few days, he's walked in with me, holding my hand, takes his jacket off (still with my help)..he gives me a kiss goodbye and goes in with the rest of them. He's turning into quite the little boy! Makes me sad a little..
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| From Spring/Summer 2010 |
Fittingly enough, we are having a basketball-themed birthday party and I'm going to once again attempt to make his cake...stay tuned for the results!
The boy that once was attached to his binkie or "beyo" is now almost done being weaned. We started by not letting him have it unless he was in the car, or at naptime or bedtime. Then I cut out the car, that met some resistance but he got over it fast. Now he looks at books and sometimes holds his wooden monkey. Two nights ago, I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't give it to him at bedtime. He asked a few times but I simply said "No beyo." and turned on his soother to distract him. Amazingly it worked! I hope he keeps this up. Last to go will be naps simply because he's at daycare with other kids in the room and I'm afraid he will have a meltdown.
I also have been working on having him walk into daycare and walk out to the car. He loves to walk now instead of being carried but for some reason, that minay is too much for him and he just wants to go play (they have one outside on their front deck). He'd get so far, and then he want to play instead of go inside or leave. Anyway, I shouldn't be carrying him all the time for too much longer with being preggers and all, so I figured it was time to start. The last few days, he's walked in with me, holding my hand, takes his jacket off (still with my help)..he gives me a kiss goodbye and goes in with the rest of them. He's turning into quite the little boy! Makes me sad a little..
Friday, December 11, 2009
Updates
This month has gone by way too fast! I wanted to sit down and write an update on Bo. (I have no memory, so ya know this type of stuff helps jog my memory down the road.)
- We welcomed Cade Joseph Wilkinson into the family on Dec 10th. Bo's going to have another boy cousin to play with!!
- We are now battling sinus infection #2. Right after SI #1 ended, SI #2 started. It could be worse but I just want him to be healthy for awhile! It's no fun for him or us.
- Snow days! We stayed home on Tuesday because Bo was under the weather and because of high winds and 10 in of snow, we all stayed home Wednesday. It was fun to have a nice, relaxing day at home...although I'd rather use vacation when I want to use it. Thank goodness for our friend Keith who was able to take me to work the next day.
- Bo is starting to repeat us more and make new words. Both the cats are "Ma" (probably because of Max), Zoe is "Rara" or "Rolo" (the daycare's dog). Knows about 5 different animal sounds, his favorite being a "Neigh!" That's what horses are called - Neighs. He's got quite the vocabulary now.
- He's taken an interest in potty training, but a small interest at that. He tugs at his diaper when he's going to go #2 and loves to say the word "Potty" and sit on his potty seat.
- Books! He loves to be read to! Books with sounds or flaps are his favorite. (Or if they have a Neigh in them ;) )
Here's a recent picture:
- We welcomed Cade Joseph Wilkinson into the family on Dec 10th. Bo's going to have another boy cousin to play with!!
- We are now battling sinus infection #2. Right after SI #1 ended, SI #2 started. It could be worse but I just want him to be healthy for awhile! It's no fun for him or us.
- Snow days! We stayed home on Tuesday because Bo was under the weather and because of high winds and 10 in of snow, we all stayed home Wednesday. It was fun to have a nice, relaxing day at home...although I'd rather use vacation when I want to use it. Thank goodness for our friend Keith who was able to take me to work the next day.
- Bo is starting to repeat us more and make new words. Both the cats are "Ma" (probably because of Max), Zoe is "Rara" or "Rolo" (the daycare's dog). Knows about 5 different animal sounds, his favorite being a "Neigh!" That's what horses are called - Neighs. He's got quite the vocabulary now.
- He's taken an interest in potty training, but a small interest at that. He tugs at his diaper when he's going to go #2 and loves to say the word "Potty" and sit on his potty seat.
- Books! He loves to be read to! Books with sounds or flaps are his favorite. (Or if they have a Neigh in them ;) )
Here's a recent picture:
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| From winter/christmas 09 |
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Surgery
Bo had his 18-month checkup on Tuesday. He fought every single bit of it. From the temper tantrum in the waiting room, to refusing to cooperate with the nurse on height and weight checks to the doctor listening to his lungs and checking his ears. He is 23lbs 3oz, and 32 3/4inches long. We did find out that Bo does have an inguinal hernia that will require surgery. It's not bad yet, but it will be - because his passageway is still open...something that should have closed by 1 year of age. The passageway is so big, the doctor was able to stick his pinkie finger through it. If left untreated, his small intestine could make its way into the opening/passageway and its blood supply would get cut off. We are scheduling the surgery for the beginning of the year, unless its an emergency situation before then. I am switching to low deductible insurance for him and I, and the surgical place is ok with waiting until then. I am ok with it now, probably because its a couple months off still. I might be a nervous wreck on surgery day.
Keep him in your prayers!
- Pray that he won't develop a serious hernia between now and the 1st of the year
- Pray that surgery goes well. The doctors would have steady hands with such a small body.
Keep him in your prayers!
- Pray that he won't develop a serious hernia between now and the 1st of the year
- Pray that surgery goes well. The doctors would have steady hands with such a small body.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
How Sweet is This?
Sorry for the lack of posts...I don't even have a lame excuse for my absence. Bo is almost 17 months, and just as fun as can be! He now has 6 teeth, and still has all his curls! They can be a little unruly, especially if he has bedhead, but nothing that a little squirt of the bottle won't fix! And I think I can officially say that after about 5 or 6 months, he now has no problems going to other girls..er, women. Granma Deb is very relieved at this.
Likes: "Shooting" hoops, anything to has to do with being outside, Dadda, graham crackers, milk, his blankie, brushing his teeth and his bath.
Dislikes: getting dressed, diaper changes, and having to go inside if he's having too much fun outside.
He is understanding more what we say. If I say something he knows and likes, he will give a little laugh. Now if we tell him it's bath time, he will walk to the bathroom -- even if he's outside!
We have been working on a few signs. Now that he knows the sign for Please, the sign for More went out the window. I am trying to teach him "Thank You" which is similar to blowing a kiss, and on Monday night after doing the sign for Thank you, he kissed his hand like he was blowing me a kiss. I had to get a video of it.
Likes: "Shooting" hoops, anything to has to do with being outside, Dadda, graham crackers, milk, his blankie, brushing his teeth and his bath.
Dislikes: getting dressed, diaper changes, and having to go inside if he's having too much fun outside.
He is understanding more what we say. If I say something he knows and likes, he will give a little laugh. Now if we tell him it's bath time, he will walk to the bathroom -- even if he's outside!
We have been working on a few signs. Now that he knows the sign for Please, the sign for More went out the window. I am trying to teach him "Thank You" which is similar to blowing a kiss, and on Monday night after doing the sign for Thank you, he kissed his hand like he was blowing me a kiss. I had to get a video of it.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Vacation
Had a great time with my family in Idaho the past week. The Sawtooth Mountains are beautiful and Bo did great on the plane rides and camping. He loves to be outdoors so it was perfect for him. On the plane he would stand on our laps, and say "Hi!" over and over to the people behind us. Anyone who sat behind us loved it. He also thought take-off was funny.
Every day we did something different. One day was a scenic drive, another was a beach day at the glacier-lake (Bo loved it anyway!) another was a hike, one day we went on a 1/2 day horseback ride. And of course fishing. Here are a few pics:
Every day we did something different. One day was a scenic drive, another was a beach day at the glacier-lake (Bo loved it anyway!) another was a hike, one day we went on a 1/2 day horseback ride. And of course fishing. Here are a few pics:
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| From Sawtooth Vacation 09 |
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| From Sawtooth Vacation 09 |
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| From Sawtooth Vacation 09 |
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| From Sawtooth Vacation 09 |
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| From Sawtooth Vacation 09 |
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