Good News

Virginia was extubated again on Saturday and has been doing great on NIP! Below is a quick summary of the different types of respiratory support that Virginia has been on or will eventually be on:

endotrachial tube and ventilator: a tube placed directly into the airway that delivers direct breaths with specified pressures and oxygen concentration.

NIP: Prongs placed in the nostrils that provide intermittent breaths with specified pressures and oxygen concentration.

CPAP: same as the NIP but instead of providing breaths it provides continuous pressure.

Nasal Cannula: Prongs placed in the nostrils that provide continuous pressure at a lower rate than CPAP.

Everyone is very happy with how Virginia is doing off of the vent. Her settings are fairly low and she is on "room air," meaning the oxygen concentration is the same that you or I breath everyday (21% oxygen). She has had very little apnea and her breathing is nice and comfortable.

Now that she is extubated she has been sucking on a pacifier and let us hear her first cry. Even 7 weeks after most people hear their baby cry for the first time, it was still the most beautiful sound in the world.

our little burrito with her big pacifier

Happy Holidays from Virginia

In Lieu of Holiday Cards this year, we are e-wishing each of you a very happy holiday season. We are so happy to celebrate Virginia's first christmas together as a family.

bright eyes

Virginia has been more alert lately, letting us see her pretty eyes. She has developed a reputation for being extra expressive and lets her nurses know exactly what she wants. Some may say that she has developed a reputation as a diva...

1 pound...

Virginia now weighs 1 full pound bigger than her birth weight. She is getting bigger and stronger each day and her doctors are getting her prepared to try to take her off the vent again in the next week. We could use LOTS of prayers that the second attempt is successful and that she stays off of the vent.

Virginia has had a very good week save for about 24 hours mid week where she was retaining too much fluid and needed a round of diuretics. After receiving the diuretics she was significantly better in a matter hours. Her doctors have restarted her daily diuretics, which should help keep the fluid under control. She was on these about 2 weeks ago, but her kidneys were too sensitive to them so they had to discontinue the daily dose and give a different diuretic "as needed." The problem with that was determining when she needed the intermittent dose, like earlier this week where it took her having a bad day to know that she was in need of the medication. So far her kidney levels are great on the daily dose, so we are hoping that it stays that way.

She also had her first eye exam this week. Her eyes looked normal for her age and prematurity and will be checked again in 2 weeks.

Our growing girl is now 15.3" long and about 2.5 lbs and we are finally seeing her get a little chubby. She is getting more beautiful each and everyday. She will hate me for this in about 15 years, but check out her double chin below :)

Specific prayers that we could use this weekend:
That her doctors are able to successfully take her off of the ventilator and that she is able to stay off.

That Virginia continues to steadily gain weight.

That Virginia is able to handle her daily diuretics.

Just a few Photos

Virginia loves her new snuggling blanket, which was knit by her great grandmother :)

Big Girl Clothes

Some of Virginia's nurses have started dressing her in big girl clothes! She is now 2 pounds 4 ounces and will start fitting into the rest of the adorable clothes that Dylan sent her very soon.

Virginia has been doing really well since she has been back on the vent. Her settings and oxygen requirements are well below the settings that she had before they transitioned her to the NIP. We are praying that she continues to do well and that they can try to take her off the vent again in the next week or so. She now gets about 1/2 an ounce of food every two hours and continues to impress the doctors and nurses with how well she handles the feedings.

We are so thankful for all of the good thoughts and prayers that are sent to Virginia everyday.

A Step Back

Unfortunately Virginia's doctors reintubated her yesterday. They did a chest xray in the afternoon and she simply wasn't keeping her lungs full enough and needed the added pressure that the endotrachial tube and vent provide.

While this is frustrating and disappointing we are thankful for a number of things:

She lasted over 24 hours off of the vent and had only one apnea episode.

She was initiating her own breaths comfortably.

The reintubation did not have to be done urgently and went very smoothly.

Virginia just needs to gain some weight and strength before attempting the change again.

Thank you for your continued prayers.