Utah Baby Shower

2 lb 7 oz

Holding My Baby

I got to hold Emmalynn for the first time like a full term baby (instead of kangaroo care on my chest) for about 3 minutes! They were switching out her bed and so they detached her from everything and the respiratory therapist just gave her puffs of air. She didn't even flinch! Her bath wore her out today. I have to say this picture makes her look big...and she is getting bigger! The doctor says she has some impressive cheeks. I just said it's a weight distribution problem, haha!

Staph & New Doctors

This cute girl is such a fighter. She has developed a staph infection in her arm and knee (which pediatric infectious diseases thinks is pretty gnarly). They think they caught it in time (thanks to one of her primary care nurses noticing Emmalynn not quite acting like herself) and she's on a few antibiotics. She also has fluid in her lungs which is possibly pneumonia. Again she is on antibiotics and is getting 3 types of breathing treatments. The good news is she isn't acting sick and is still growing.

After a bad extubation experience 2 days in a row for Emmalynn along with getting staph, we felt an overwhelming need to get a second opinion about Emmalynn's cares from the other doctor group in the NICU. We were so very impressed and really didn't hesitate to switch over. Her new doctors are so awesome and her tentative plan of action is to get over the infection, grow a little bit more, have heart surgery (15 minute bedside surgery to close her PDA), grow some more and then be successfully extubated! It's all about timing for these little ones and she's the one in control so we will see.

Clothes?!

Last night Miss Emmalynn got a relaxing sponge bath. I even gave her a little scalp massage and back rub that she actually enjoyed! When we were done her nurse surprised me with the tiniest smock to dress her in! Her first time wearing clothes! Yes I realize she doesn't have a bow on to match but she was going to bed and her hair was still drying {see it all fuzzy}. I think I wore her out!

Wide Awake

I just LOVE it when Emmalynn is wide awake! This was after daddy held her for 2 1/2 hours. She just laid there and listened to my voice and even smiled a few times. Anytime we do her cares or I open her isolate and start talking to her she tries to turn to where my voice is. Sometimes she only peaks her eyes open since everything is still super bright and over stimulating. This particular day though was so adorable! She definitely know her momma!

Happy 1st Father's Day

For Father's Day Emmalynn let daddy cuddle with her for 2 1/2 hours!

2 lbs

She did it! She hit 2 lbs today! Go Emmalynn!

So Close....

Emmalynn had such a great day yesterday! She was very rested and LOVED having mommy do kangaroo care with her! Here she is waving hi last night after her cares and being weighed. She is so close to 2 lbs (like 10 grams)! Fingers crossed for tonight! Go Lil' Miss!

Photo Shoot

A perk to having one of your best friends as a photographer is having her come capture some of the tiniest and tender moments in your life! Thank you Sarah (Moments Defined Photography).

1 Month

I can't believe Emmalynn is 1 month old already! It seems as though time has stood still and flown by all at once. She really is doing so good and we feel very blessed. 

At 1 month old, Emmalynn is 1 lb 14 oz and 13 inches long! She smiles when mommy talks and sings to her and loves to hear daddy read books. She is getting so strong and even turned her head to the other side (which is a no no with her tubes) and pushed onto her back. She likes having her hands up by her face and being swaddled, but sometimes likes to stretch out completely. She tried milk on her lips for the first time and her eyes flew open in excitement and she smacked her lips. Her feedings are going great and she gets 18 ml of milk every 3 hours that they add a fortifier to so she gets extra calories. Her kidneys seem to have (finally) kicked into gear too! The doctors still call her 'the little one' and her nurses always say she could just fit in their pocket.

Her cute nurse decorated her room and we brought in cookies for the doctors and nurses to celebrate!

The next party on the agenda (hopefully this week) is her 2 lb party!

Pray For Pee!

Lil' Miss Emmalynn made it off the ventilator for 39ish hours! Yay! It was just enough time to tell the doctors she's still not ready, and they were able to find out that she was big enough for the next size tube so she won't have an air leak. She is much more comfortable and resting. 

Now we have a new challenge. She didn't pee for a few days and after a kidney specialist saw her, he told us she has acute kidney failure. The good news is, after a diuretic and blood transfusion, she peed! They also put her on a low dosage of dopamine for blood flow to the kidneys and she peed again! This morning however, she didn't pee. So now they are giving her a little cortizone to see if her lack of that hormone will help the kidneys function and another dose of a diuretic.

Who knew our worries and prayers would be about pee?! And yes...we've been praying for pee! I am so grateful for prayer and even more grateful for a worthy husband who, with the help of my uncle John, was able to give Emmalynn a priesthood blessing for the healing of the sick. I have a testimony of blessings and faith in their power. We will continue to pray for pee and that her kidneys will begin to function on their own.

Last night while Phillip read Emmalynn scriptures he read this verse that to us means a lot right now.

Mosiah 24:14

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

No Vent...For Now

My heart always skips a beat when I hear my phone ring and the caller ID says it's the hospital. The doctors and nurses are always quick to say Emmalynn is fine, which is a relief. Yesterday I got a call from the nurse practitioner saying she was doing great with an update since I wasn't there for rounds, but then I got another call a little while later so of course I worried. She told me Emmalynn was still doing fine but there was a large air leak with her vent so she was being extubated. An air leak happens when the esophagus has grown and the vent tube is too small so air gets around it. Last week when they extubated her it was a big decision and not only did the doctors discuss it and argue, but the respiratory therapists and the nurses did too. She was extubated and was trying really hard to hold her own for about 12 hours. The nasal cannula was too big and kept slipping out. So she was reintubated. It was a good thing though because her tube needed to be changed since it can cause bacteria. Also, it gave her throat and lungs a break because every time they suctioned her they got a tinge of blood so it was rubbing somewhere. The first time they extubated her she was 2 days old and was able to do it for 4 hours. Last week she proved she wasn't quite ready and still too small. So fast forward to yesterday. There was no discussing or choices, it just needed to be done. If they have to reintubate her she will have that air leak again because she is too small (imagine that) for the next tube size up. For now she is still doing okay and we may just make it to 24 hours! Her sats go down but she slowly brings herself up and sometimes her heart rate goes down, but it goes back up. She is a fighter and trying and I think she likes not having the vent in because she turns her head and looks around! She is so strong already!

Check out her preemie binky compared to a regular newborn one! It looks big for her mouth too! She hasn't cried, but she did sneeze a few times and it was so fun to hear her make sounds! She often smacks her lips and has put her fingers in her mouth a few times!

How YOU Can Help

The most common questions I get are how are you doing and how can I help? For the record, I am doing great! I feel blessed to be surrounded by so much love and support. If you know me, it's hard for me to ask for help or delegate things. I just tend to take on projects and do them myself. I forget that service is good for others and that people genuinely want to help. Well friends, I just had major surgery, a micro preemie baby, and I spend my free time with my daughter at the hospital, so get this...I am asking for help! I know it's a shock!


The NICU is in need! If you need a service project idea, or summer activity for your kids, look no further. The following ideas will not only benefit the lives of other babies and families, but will directly help our little Emmalynn and us! I encourage you to get involved as much or as little as you can.


IDEA #1:
Blankets! The NICU is always in need blankets. They not only swaddle babies, but they cover their isolates to keep them dark, and line their bedding with them. You can purchase blankets, make them, or donate ones in good condition. You can even just donate fabric! The only fabric not accepted is fleece. They LOVE flannel as it is so soft on the babies skin, however, the blankets that go on top of the isolates are usually 100% cotton. Lets talk sizes. They need all sorts of sizes. Receiving blankets are the most common size which are roughly a yard (36 x 36). They like a few smaller ones too so they can swaddle the micro preemies, about 16 x 16. The ones on top of the isolate vary. We have seen rag quilts and tied quilts, which are usually 4ft x 4ft. There really are no rules as the NICU is just so grateful for the donations. If you do want Emmalynn to have a specific one that only she will use that's okay, you just need to let us know and it will only go in her drawers and laundry.


IDEA #2:
NICU approved smocks!

These really are so simple! The pattern is found HERE. These are great because preemie clothes are very expensive and don't always allow the doctors and nurses quick access to the babies. They prefer flannel and if you are serious about making some but need fabric, just contact me.

IDEA #3:

Hats!

These crazy adorable hats were made by my talented friend Valerie for Emmalynn and her NICU friends. If you know how to crochet, you can find micro preemie patterns HERE, but of course they need other sizes too as some babies in the NICU are full term.

Emmalynn is so tiny that the hats don't fit her yet, but we did find a size that would work for her. Can you believe that this hat is made from a pair of socks?! Too cute right?! HERE is the tutorial.

As with the other projects, if making these items is too hard or you don't have time, you can always buy them and donate them.

IDEA# 4:

Parent Packages! This idea was submitted by the nurses and we quickly realized why. When you have a preemie and you helplessly sit by your child's bedside, it really is more for your peace of mind. The nurses and monitors do the work at this point for these precious little ones. Parents need things to do to pass the time. Here is a list of items that we are including in the packages. You can donate these items, or just donate money for us to purchase the items.

pen

notebook (for journaling the events)

game/puzzle book (word/sudoku)

hard candies

gum

kleenex

IDEA #5:

Books/toys/puzzles/games! They have a cute little family center where we can step away for a break or during a procedure. The family center needs a few more items to keep little ones busy.

As many of you know, Phillip reads a story to Emmalynn each night. This is such a good thing for these preemies because they know mommy and daddy's voices. We always bring in our own books, but this is why it would be nice to have a better collection in the family room so other parents can read to their babies.

IDEA #6:

Mommy Smell Squares! It is so important for these little ones to know their mother's smell, especially when some of these babies aren't held for weeks. The mommy smell squares are worn by the mom, then placed on the babies head or next to their face.

This idea only takes scrap fabric! They accept all different sizes, the most common being 5x5 and 4x8. That being said, they really aren't measured and anything would work. They ask that you either zig zag stitch of surge around the edges to keep the squares from fraying. These can be 100% cotton or flannel.

IDEA #7:

Scrapbook supplies!

When a baby gets admitted to the NICU they are made a cute name banner and a scrapbook page.

On certain holidays, cute little cards are made for the parents and families.

All these items are made by the nurses and staff. They could use not only donated scrapbook items to create these things, but they would also love pre-made items.

If you want to and/or are able to help with any of these ideas, feel free to email me with questions about how and where to donate items. Fabric items need to be washed in a special detergent, which I have, so again just contact me. Thank you for everyones love and support. We are hopeful that others will help us pay it forward to the amazing NICU that is taking care of our little one.

Eat and Grow

I love it when they tell me Emmalynn has no tests or poking/prodding for the day and her only job is to eat and grow. This morning when we went to see her before church she had gotten a bath, had her bedding changed, was swaddled for the first time, and had a sassy hot pink bow in her hair. This picture helps you get an idea of how little she is compared to Phil's hand comforting her.

Playing Dress Up Already

We played dress up for just a minute with Emmalynn last night since she was awake and alert and opened her eyes a ton while we talked to her! 

One of my best friends from high school is crazy amazing at crocheting and she whipped up a bunch of adorable hats in a few different sizes for Emmalynn and her NICU friends. She was worried they were so tiny! I think we scared her a little in the picture because we were laughing at how big it was on her itty bitty head!

Although this picture is blurry because we can't have the flash on and it was so dark in her isolate, I had to have a picture of her first bow! She looked so sweet in her dainty light pink bow! Sorry baby girl, but this will be the first of MANY bows!

She's So Tiny...

Yep, my daughter is VERY tiny! Everything is too big for her!

This set of cute little stickers is actually supposed to go on a white onsie to see Emmalynn's progression each month. Obviously it is just as big as she is, haha. We will continue to do this each month and maybe by the time we get to 6 months she can actually wear it! Love my little peanut!

Here is a photo of an XS Preemie diaper and a Newborn diaper. She drowns in the XS Preemie diaper and they actually have to fold it in half!

This is her blood pressure cuff compared to the size of a pen. It goes on her leg and it kinda fits.

And although this is blurry, here are our wedding rings around her little arm.

Daddy

This was the moment I fell even more in love with my husband.

We always teased that he would be the dad that let his daughter do his hair and paint his nails and of course he'd have a real tea party with her! I think he secretly liked the idea of having a daddy's girl.

When I took this picture, I got teary eyed because I realized I was capturing a moment that was priceless. In this moment I saw a daddy who adores his daughter, who isn't afraid to be involved in every aspect of her critical cares, and who would do anything to protect her. I saw a daddy who was living in the moment not letting in any distractions. And guess what...I get to relive this moment every night. I know she likes him reading her a bed time story because her stats are so good, but I think he loves it even more. He is so animated and tells the stories in such a fun way. He really is the best daddy. And what's even cuter...he tucks her in too (puts her blanket over her isolate).

I love this man. I am so lucky.

Memorable "Firsts"

The "first" time I held my baby. I will never forget her warm little weightless body against me. She loved the kangaroo care and let me hold her for an hour and a half. I can't wait to do it again!

Daddy was so jealous, but he knew it was important for Emmalynn to know mommy's smell and we were told miracles happen when moms kangaroo care with their babies. If her body gets warm, mine will cool down, and if hers gets too cold mine will warm up. When he does get his turn I know he will just LOVE it!

The "first" time I got to feed my daughter. It may not be the normal way, but it still counts! She got 5 ml of my milk (yes I diligently pump every 2 hours for her). As you can see it goes in that syringe and then gravity pulls it down into her feeding tube that is in her mouth and goes straight to her little tummy.

Changing my daughters diaper for the "first" time. I was SO scared. She is so tiny...you have to be so careful...there's a million wires...oh and she can't be lifted too high so blood doesn't rush to her head...wait did I mention watch out for all the wires?! I did it though, and I am getting pretty good at it. Phil likes to do it right now. We'll see how he feels in a year!