Rooming In

-We arrived at the hospital today around 3 p.m., we walked into the NICU with nervous anticipation knowing that it would be the last time we walked through the doors to "scrub up" and "visit Daniel". We met with the Apria Healthcare rep (Apria is the home health agency supplying Daniel's o2 tanks, apnea monitor and pulse-ox monitor). We were trained on how to use the o2 tanks and the monitors. We took Daniel off all the hospital's monitors and hooked him up to the monitors that we will use at home. We said goodbye to the day shift nurses and headed to our room for the night. The nurses said that Daniel was "all ours" but that they would be there at the "push of a button". Richard headed out to get some supper and to pick up a few things at Wal Mart. I loved having Daniel all to myself for a few minutes. We met with one of the many doctors that had cared for Daniel (Dr. Campbell. She went over all the discharge instructions and all the follow up appointments (slightly overwhelming). All the day staff nurses came to say goodbye again before heading home. We have grown so close to the NICU nurses and the OB nurses and we shed some tears as we said our goodbyes. We gave each of the nurses a "nurse angel pin" and a thank you note to show our appreciation for taking such great care of Daniel and loving Daniel in their own special way. We are looking forward to walking out of Southern Hills Medical Center with our baby boy tomorrow.

Chubby Cheeks

-Daniel has chubby baby cheeks! Daniel's current weight is 3 pounds, 13 ounces.....4 more ounces and we will have a heavy weight (4 pounder). Daniel is doing very well, just eating and growing. There is one minor complication.....he is having to be reminded to breathe when he eats. They are going to do a blood count tomorrow to see if Daniel is anemic. If he is he will get another blood transfusion to "perk him up" and hopefully help with his breathing.

Eating and Growing

-Daniel is eating and growing! His feedings are up to 32ccs every 3 hours (30ccs equals 1 ounce). He is still working on eating and breathing (suck,swallow,breathe), he gets 2 bottle feedings a day and the rest of his feeds are through a NG tube. He has started to show signs of hunger and he is not really patient and thinks he should not have to wait to eat. He seems to think that he deserves ALL the attention and will "make" his alarms ring every time his nurses start to give other babies attention.
-We have said this many times and really we can't say enough how thankful we are for all the prayers that have been said for Daniel and continue to be said for Daniel. We could not have made it this far without all the prayers and support that we have.
-All the eating is paying off.....Daniel now weighs 3.5 pounds!

7 Days

-A lot can happen in 7 days. God created the world in 7 days (actually 6, he rested on the 7th). Daniel has performed some miracles of his own in the past 7 days.-Daniel reached the 3 pound mark, he is no longer a 2 pounder! His current weight is 3 pounds, 4 ounces. He is averaging an ounce a day in weight gain which is exactly what he should be gaining.
-A healthy, full term baby is born with the ability to eat (suck, swallow and breathe). A premature baby has to develop the skills to eat (suck, swallow and breathe). Daniel has begun learning to suck, swallow and breathe. He gets one bottle a day for practice. Daniel burns calories when he drinks from a bottle, it's an aerobic exercise. Daniel's practice time will increase as his ability to suck, swallow and breathe gets stronger.-Daniel is starting to control his own body temperature and he has started wearing clothes, very small clothes.
-A lot of babies born early have anemia and will receive one (some many) blood transfusions while in the NICU. Daniel received his first transfusion this week - an ounce of blood - it really perked him up.

-Daniel had an eye test on Thursday. The test was to check for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). ROP occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow and spread throughout the retina, the tissue that lines the back of the eye. Daniel's test results were negative, meaning he does not have ROP. He will have a repeat eye test in 3 months.

Awake and Alert

-Happy 1 month birthday!
-Newborns sleep a lot, preemies sleep a lot more. Daniel stayed a wake during our visit today. He was very alert (for a preemie) and checking out his surroundings. After he ate, Mommy rocked him to sleep. What a precious moment!
--We got the results back from the repeat ultrasound. The bleed has not dissolved but it has not increased either. It's not the news that we really were hoping for but it is still good news. Thank you for your prayers.

Hungry (and a Prayer Request)

-Daniel was not very happy when we arrived at the hospital today. It was time for him to eat and he knew it and he was making sure that everyone else knew it too. We fed him. Mommy held the feeding tube and Daddy helped Daniel hold the pacifier in his mouth. (Daniel gets a pacifier during "feedings" so he will associate sucking with eating.) After Daniel was finished eating we burped him, spent some time snuggling and changed his diaper before putting him in his isolette. We love getting to do the "little things" for Daniel, it makes us feel like "real parents".
-We want to end this post with a prayer request. Daniel will have a repeat head ultrasound sometime tomorrow. Please pray that the bleed has not gotten worse, infact the ultimate prayer would be that the bleed has totally dissolved.

Almost

-Daniel is almost 3 pounds, his current weight is 2 pounds, 11 ounces - only 6 more ounce to go.
-Daniel is almost eating a full ounce at every feeding, he is currently eating 22 ccs - only 8 more ccs to a full ounce.
-Keep up the good work Daniel!

Father's Day (in July)

-Daddy celebrated Father's Day a month late - he was able to hold Daniel for the first time yesterday. Daddy and Daniel enjoyed their "bonding time".
-Daniel is continuing to gain weight, his current weight is 2 pounds, 10 ounces. The goal is for Daniel to gain an ounce a day. (Nanny, Granny2 and Mommy have all said that they would donate some fat if it would help.)
-Daniel's feeds have been increased, he is now getting 16 ccs of milk every 3 hours. As of Friday he is no longer getting nutrients and lipids through the IV, he is getting all his nutrients and fats through milk. He will stay off the IV as long as his blood sugar stays under control.
-We are so happy that Daniel's growth and health is headed in the right direction.

Thank You

-We wanted to take some time to thank everyone for your thoughts, calls, visits, food, gifts and especially the prayers that have been received since Jenny was hospitalized and Daniel arrived. These past few weeks have not been easy, it's so hard to see Daniel lying in the hospital with tubes, etc. and know there is nothing that you can do to make him better. Your prayers and support have helped keep us going and even though we have not really taken the time out to thank you please know how much you are appreciated.

Tough Little Guy

-It's hard to believe that Daniel is 3 weeks old but really should not be "here" for another 8 weeks. The miracles we have seen the last 3 weeks is amazing. We are so thankful to the wonderful team of doctors (Neonatologist), the amazing NICU nurses and most importantly the Great Physician.
-Daniel was moved to a new bed on Friday (a step-up). Daniel is now in an isolette. He has been in a warming bed that provided heat and easy access so the nurses and doctors could provide care - start IVs, etc. Daniel's move is a step up for a few reasons - 1.) Daniel is not as critical so the doctors and nurses do not need easy access to start IVs, etc. 2.) Daniel is ready to "learn" how to control his own body temp and the isolette will help him "learn" this very important task.
-Daniel's feeds have been increased to 8ccs of fortified breast milk every 3 hours. (5 ccs equals a teaspoon) The breast milk is fortified to add calories (breast milk is 21 calories, Daniel is getting 28 calories) Daniel's feeds are going slow, he is not tolerating all his feeds, he has really been struggling to digest the milk. The doctor has decided to continue the feeds instead of stopping them - some babies just require a little extra food to get everything moving.
-Daniel is still having some A&B spells, the doctor said that a lot of babies grow out of the A&B spells around 34 weeks (adjusted age). Daniel is 32 weeks (adjusted age).
-Daniel is being weighed nightly now that he is not as critical. His weight last night was 2 pounds, 9 ounces. He's growing!

Safe in Mommy's Arms

-Daniel is doing great for a 2 pound baby, born 11 weeks early. He has been off CPAP and on nasal cannula since Tuesday. He has been having A&B spells which is very common in preemies. Apnea spells occur when a baby stops breathing for 20 seconds or more and is accompanied by a slow heart rate (bradycardia). He is being treated with medication (caffeine citrate) and will continue the medication until he is Apnea free.
-Yesterday was Daniel's "2 week birthday" and he received the best gift ever - Mommy held Daniel for the first time - a perfect gift for Daniel and for Mommy.

Night Time Call

-When we called to check on Daniel tonight we were told that Daniel had his first bath. (I cried. I was jealous of the nurses....I should give Daniel his first bath.) Daniel was still doing well on nasal cannula, the 02 did have to be turned up so he is no longer breathing room air. I forgot what percent of oxygen that he is on - room air is 21%. Daniel will start eating again tomorrow - he will eat 1 teaspoon of expressed breastmilk every 6 hours. Daniel has gained 5 ounces, his current weight is - 2 pounds, 8 ounces.

Daniel's Indepence Day Celebration

Profiletweaks.com - Free Glitter Graphics

-When we arrived at the hospital for our visit today we were surprised to see Daniel off the CPAP and breathing room air thru the nasal cannula. The perfect way to celebrate Daniel's first Independence Day.

A Few Complications

-A head ultrasound showed that Daniel has a grade 1 intraventricular hemorrage (IVH). IVH is a collection of blood in and around the ventricules of the brain. The doctor said that a grade 1 bleed is very mild and should resolve itself. He explained it to us in this way - if there were several children in one room - half the children born with a grade 1 brain bleed and the other half were born without a brain bleed - you would never know which children were born with a bleed and which children were born without a bleed. Another ultrasound will be done in a few days to see if the bleed has increased, decreased or stayed the same. Please pray with us that the bleed resolves itself.
-A chest x-ray done on Saturday showed that Daniel's lungs are very hazy. This could be a sign of Chronic Lung Disease. The doctor said that it is still too soon to make an official diagnosis. There will several x-rays completed before Daniel is discharged and an official diagnosis will be made when Daniel is bigger (at discharge).
-Daniels feeds were stopped for a day to due residual (undigested food) in his stomach. The doctor feels like he just needs a little break from eating. Daniel's digestive system is immature and may not be able to break down food. This is a common problem in preemies.
-Despite all the complications - Daniel is a fighter and is hanging in there.

Chillin' On CPAP

-Daniel is doing well. He was having a hard time keeping his stats up on the nasal cannula and working hard to breathe, the decision was made to put him on CPAP on Tuesday. It is very rare for a little guy like Daniel to go from vent to the cannula - Daniel gave it his best shot. While this is a step back it is still a step in the write direction. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) delivers pressurized air to the baby's lungs and assists the baby with breathing but does not breathe for the baby. Daniel is breathing on his own.
-Daniel has started eating. Daniel is being fed 1 teaspoon of expressed breastmilk every 3 hours through a feeding tube that has been placed down his throat. He is also getting nutrients and lipids (fats) through an IV, he'll be packing on the pounds soon. Speaking of pounds.....Daniel has gained 3 ounces and his current weight is 2 pounds, 3 ounces.

Off the Vent

-Daniel's platelet count was low (64,000) - 50,000 is critical. The doctor thought it would be better to give Daniel a blood transfusion now instead of waiting for the count to drop to the critical point. Daniel received the transfusion early this morning and did well with it. We were told that Daniel made need several transfusions during his NICU stay.
-One of the many lines, wire going into Daniel is a central line. The central line is currently going into a vein in his belly button. This is common for tiny babies. Doctors try not to leave this line in for too long due to a high risk of infection and blood clots. The doctor tried to move the central line to Daniel's arm today but was unsuccessful. Daniel's veins are too tiny.
-When we talked to the doctor this morning she said that Daniel was ready to come off the vent but that she would wait until tomorrow since he was stressed out from having the central line moved. Carol (one of Daniel's wonderful nurses) called us around 2:30 this afternoon and told us that Daniel was off the vent on a nasal cannula and that he was tolerating the change well. The doctor had decided to try the central line again and was successful (the central line is now in his arm), she also decided to let Daniel have a trial without the vent.
-We were so excited to see Daniel's sweet little face tonight. He looks A LOT like Daddy. We were there for Daniel's nightly "cares" - diaper change, temps, weigh-in, etc. Daniel is back up to his birth weight - 2 pounds and Mommy got to hold Daniel (for a very brief second) while the nurse changed his bedding out.
-We are grateful for the good news today. We are thankful that Daniel's health/development is headed in the right direction. Thank you for praying with us for our little man.

A Father's Love

Comparison - Life Size Toys

Daniel's Heart

-Daniel has had a pretty big, eventful day today for a little guy.
-The phototherapy lights has been turned off - Daniel is no longer jaundice!
-The Neonatalogist thought she heard a heart murmur and called in the Cardiologist. The Cardiologist confirmed the Neonatalogist's findings - Daniel does have a heart murmur. This is very common in preemies. The official diagnosis is Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). PDA is a heart defect common in preemies. Everyone is born with a large artery in their heart (Ductus Arteriosus) that normally closes on it's own right after birth. However some babies, especially preemies need a medicine to close the ductus. Daniel will receive 3 doses of a medication to close the ductus. If the medication does not work the ductus will be closed with surgery. (We are praying that the medicine does work.)
-Daniel's vent settings having been turned down and he is currently at 12% oxygen. The doctor said that if Daniel continues to adjust well to lowering the vent settings then he will be off the vent by Tuesday.

Mommy's Discharge

-Daniel is still hanging on, still fighting hard. There have not been a lot of changes. He continues to be weened from the vent and is adjusting well to the changes. Granny2 (aka Pam) arrived last night bearing gifts (a milkshake for Mommy and a bear for Daniel). She met Daniel and spent the night with Mommy. (Thank you Granny2.)
-Pop-Pop (Jenny's dad), Aunt Sarah and Elizabeth (Jenny's aunt and cousin) and Nanny all came to see Daniel today.
-Mommy was discharged from the hospital today. It was hard leaving Daniel. There will be many miles traveled over the next several days and weeks.
-Thank you for all your prayers for Jenny and Daniel. We ask that you continue to pray with us for our little boy.

Miracle Drug

-Daniel is doing better today, he doesn't seem to be as struggling as much as last night. He received 4 doses of a medicine containing surfactant, one of Daniel's doctors told us that this medicine was a miracle drug. Surfactant is a soapy like substance that coats the lungs and prevents small air sacs in the lungs from collapsing.) Full term, healthy babies are born with enough of this substance coating their lungs - babies born early usually require a dose or multiple doses of a medicine containing surfactant. Daniel is S-L-O-W-L-Y being weened from the vent. He is currently on 35% oxygen and is doing well, still breathing above the vent. The doctors/nurses/respiratory therapist will work daily to ween him from the vent, it will be a SLOW process and pray he is able to tolerate the changes each time.

The First 24 - Holding On

-Daniel made it through the first 24 hours which seems to be the most critical time in a preemie's life. He is on a ventilator to assist with his breathing, he was started out at 60% oygen and is now down to 40%. He has been breathing above the ventilator which is a very good sign that his lungs are functioning. Daniel's blood sugar was low but they were able to get it elevated and under control pretty quickly. Daniel is jaundice (very common in preemies) and is being treated with phototherapy.
-Jenny (aka Mommy) was very sick last night and was not able to see Daniel. She woke up this morning ready to see her boy. One of her favorite nurses (Peri) helped Jenny get cleaned up and took her to see her baby boy. Nanny was there too for this very special time. Daniel's nurse (Carol) was so kind, sweet and passionate with explaining everything to Jenny.
-Nanny had to go back to Savannah this afternoon, she did not want to leave and has plans to return on Saturday with Pop-Pop. Richard (aka Daddy) is staying at the hospital tonight and Pam (aka Granny) is planning to come tomorrow to meet Daniel and stay with Jenny.
-Daniel has been struggling with his breathing tonight. His nurse (Laura) said the nursery had been busy today and all the activity seemed to stress him out. They moved all the crying babies to another party of the nursery and Laura told everyone that "Daniel's area" must be kept quiet. Daniel is only a day old and already ruling the world. (Laura, thank you for watching out for our little man.)

Daniel Jackson Lloyd Arrives (11 weeks early)

-Daniel Jackson Lloyd arrived today at 2:55 p.m., weighing 2 pounds and measuring 13.5 inches long. Jenny (a.k.a Mommy) developed pre-eclampsia and Daniel had to make his apperance 11 weeks early via emeregency c-section after an ultrasound showed the blood flow through the umblical cord was reversed. (Daniel was not getting any blood flow/nutrients.) Daniel is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Southern Hills Medical Center in critical but stable condition. Mommy is at Southern Hills Medical Center recovering. Daddy is at home getting some much needed rest. Nanny (Jenny's mom) is staying at the hospital tonight. Please keep all our family in your prayers. Our plan is to use this site to keep all our family and friends up-to-date on how Daniel is growing and developing.