8 Days Old

***I'll finish catching up the timeline post soon, but figured I better post "real time" information in case I don't have time to finish the previous post today.***

MONDAY, MARCH 19th

Updated 6:45p.m.

Ashton has had an overall good day.  She did require another round of "blood products", but that is more of a precautionary measure at this point so I'm not taking it as a bad thing for today.  As I posted below, Ashton had a round of vent. changes and heart medicine reduction around 10:30 this morning and she did well.  So well, that she had a second round of vent changes around 1:30 AND SHE DID GREAT.  She has been resting peacefully and calm most of the afternoon.  They didn't start the picc line today, so we will most likely face that tomorrow.  Shift change is from 6:30-7:00 every morning and evening in the NICU.  During this time everyone, including parents, have to leave so the nurses and doctors can transfer the patients to the night staff.  As much as I hate leaving her, it forces me to get out her "pod".  I am so amazed at the wonderful day God provided for our sweet angel today and I'm trying to be reassured and comforted.  Knowing that the life at 30 weeks gestation/8 days old in the NICU is a roller coaster makes me cautious about getting too excited. 

Philippians 4:6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ. 

Specific Prayer Requests:
1. That Ashton continues tolerates the reduction in her heart medicines.
2. That her echocardiogram shows improvement in her heart function.
3. That the insertion of her picc line goes smoothly.

Today our sweet angel is 8 days old.  I remember when Brady was a week old--I was taking pictures and celebrating our first couple of days home as a family of three (well, four counting Chloe').  With Ashton we are celebrating hours not days as a family of four (okay, five), ventilator changes not hours slept between feedings, and good blood gas results not days without gas pains.  We are choosing to celebrate ALL of these things.  Ashton has been with us 8 days longer than the doctors in Midland said she would and I try to remember this every time we hit a bump in the road.

Ashton had a good night last night.  Her oxygen rate stayed stable and her assessments went well.  When I got to the hospital at 7:00a.m. this morning, the battery of tests had already started.  Ashton had a "pediagram" (x-ray of her tummy and chest), an echocardiogram, and a blood gas all before 9:00a.m.  Around 10:00 the team of doctors and nurses made their rounds and saw Ashton.  The neonatologist and cardiologist were happy with her blood gas and was ready to make changes to her ventilator.  They also said we have to start a picc line to deliver her medications because her umbilical line can only be used a maximum of 14 days and he doesn't like using them more than 10.  All in all around 10:30 they decreased her ventilator pressure, lowered the dosage amount of one of her heart medicines, and discontinued one of the saturation measurements AND SHE DID GREAT with these changes.  So much so, that at noon they were talking about making further adjustments to her ventilator.  Well, lunch time is over and I need to get back to Ashton.  Thanks again for all of the prayers and support you guys are sending our way--they mean more to our family than we could ever express.


Brandi