For whatever reason, I have had quite a time using this blogspot site. I have also heard from several people that it is not the most user friendly when it comes to leaving comments. To make things easier all around, I am going to use Caringbridge.org from here in out.
Please go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ethanmiller
Thanks-
Arika
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Roller Coaster
I was thinking the other day about when the preemie Cabbage Patch kids came out and how I wanted one so bad. Their diapers were so small and they were just so tiny and cute. Now I think it is a little strange that they would even make a preemie baby doll... The Cabbage Patch dolls did not have to stay in and isolator they did not have all the tubes and wires. You could buy them just like any other baby doll and take them home. That is not so much the case when you have a preemie of your own. You are thrust into a world that is so completely foreign and unknown. And they do not ease you in, from day one, there you are on the scariest roller coaster ride of your life. In my 8 days of experience, there have been really high highs and really low lows... there is no pause, there is no fast forward.... We just have to function, even when it feels impossible. Somehow, we have to keep going.
The good news is, Ethan got a new ventilator for Easter. He was taken off the oscillator and put on a conventional ventilator. This new machine gives Ethan a lot more respiratory responsibility. He is breathing a lot more on his own and his oxygen levels are fairly low. Switching over the machines was quick, easy and uneventful. He is responding well and his lungs look great. He also had a cranium ultrasound that looked at his brain and it came back normal. The issues we are dealing with now are in my sweet little boy's belly. He has a very swollen belly and his coloring is off. His heartbeat went up a pretty significant amount today and they are worried that he has an infection. Infection's in a baby as premature as him is very scary because he does not have the immune system to fight it off. They are running tests to determine if he does indeed have an infection but in the meantime, they are starting him on antibiotics to be on the safe side. The problem could be as simple as him still having meconium that needs to come out (meconium is the first poopy of babies, the tar-like substance). I HOPE that is the case... Leave it to my child to get everyone all worked up thinking the worst and the situation is simply that he needs to take a poopy!! I hope we know more tomorrow about what is actually going on. For now, let's pray for poop.
That is the update for now, I think we will know more soon and I will continue to update things here. As always, thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and loving gestures... We appreciate it all more than we will ever be able to express.
With love-
Randy, Arika and Ethan
The good news is, Ethan got a new ventilator for Easter. He was taken off the oscillator and put on a conventional ventilator. This new machine gives Ethan a lot more respiratory responsibility. He is breathing a lot more on his own and his oxygen levels are fairly low. Switching over the machines was quick, easy and uneventful. He is responding well and his lungs look great. He also had a cranium ultrasound that looked at his brain and it came back normal. The issues we are dealing with now are in my sweet little boy's belly. He has a very swollen belly and his coloring is off. His heartbeat went up a pretty significant amount today and they are worried that he has an infection. Infection's in a baby as premature as him is very scary because he does not have the immune system to fight it off. They are running tests to determine if he does indeed have an infection but in the meantime, they are starting him on antibiotics to be on the safe side. The problem could be as simple as him still having meconium that needs to come out (meconium is the first poopy of babies, the tar-like substance). I HOPE that is the case... Leave it to my child to get everyone all worked up thinking the worst and the situation is simply that he needs to take a poopy!! I hope we know more tomorrow about what is actually going on. For now, let's pray for poop.
That is the update for now, I think we will know more soon and I will continue to update things here. As always, thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and loving gestures... We appreciate it all more than we will ever be able to express.
With love-
Randy, Arika and Ethan
Friday, March 21, 2008
More pictures
Daddy's hand
Ethan & Mommy holding hands
1st time changing Ethan's diaper
Ethan and Mommy...
Catching some rays....
Sportin' my hat and glasses...Home, Bittersweet, Home
Randy and I are home. Needless to say, it is bittersweet. Leaving the hospital on Wed. was undoubtedly the toughest thing I have ever done. It was like I was standing outside of myself as it happened. We saw other new mommy's getting helped to their cars, sitting in the backseats next to their baby's, so eager to get their baby home... I just kept thinking, this is not the way it is supposed to be. All I wanted to do was be with my baby, not driving away from him. But I can find solace in leaving him there with so many wonderful people who are taking such good care of him.
Words cannot begin to describe the collection of people who work in the NICU. Maybe they are all being paid huge salaries and that is why they are there but I think it is more likely that each one was hand picked by God to do the job they do. We have made so many friends there and each time we walk in there are more friends to meet. This whole experience has been so overwhelming but I am continuously overwhelmed by the staff over there. They are so patient and answer the millions of questions we have over and over again. They never act annoyed, no matter how many times we call, even if it was not too long since the last call. They listen to our worries and ease our minds... They suggest ways to get good photos and teach us the best ways to touch our baby. They call us mom and dad as if that has been our names forever.... They even dress Ethan in his Carolina hat and some of them are Duke fans.... They are all our angels. They are our family. We appreciate every last one of them.
On to the little man... Ethan is doing great! Yesterday was a big day for Ethan. He had his chest tube removed and is responding well. He is much more comfortable with it out and because it is gone he is on a lot less sedation medicine, which means he is more alert and more feisty. He had an echo on his heart and things look good there too. They have stopped feeding him for now cause he was not responding well, which was probably because he had not gone poopy. But that all changed yesterday too when we celebrated the first poopy! (Ashley, you told me once that we would celebrate poopy! - Heck yeah!!!) So they should start his feeds again today. And best of all, he is ready to be taken off the oscillator and moved to a much less supportive system. So all is progressing well for Master Ethan! Today should be another big day for the little fella.
So please keep us in your prayers this Easter weekend and I will continue to update things here to let you all know how your prayers are working! I cannot believe all the people who have reached out to us, some of you who do not even know Randy or I. I wish I could thank each of you personally and respond to each phone call, email or comment but please know it does not go unnoticed. We are so blessed to be in the thoughts and prayers of so many.
Check back soon for more pictures.. Ethan did have jaundis and has been sun bathing some.. He looks so handsome in his sunglasses!!
Much love to you all-
Arika, Randy & Ethan
Words cannot begin to describe the collection of people who work in the NICU. Maybe they are all being paid huge salaries and that is why they are there but I think it is more likely that each one was hand picked by God to do the job they do. We have made so many friends there and each time we walk in there are more friends to meet. This whole experience has been so overwhelming but I am continuously overwhelmed by the staff over there. They are so patient and answer the millions of questions we have over and over again. They never act annoyed, no matter how many times we call, even if it was not too long since the last call. They listen to our worries and ease our minds... They suggest ways to get good photos and teach us the best ways to touch our baby. They call us mom and dad as if that has been our names forever.... They even dress Ethan in his Carolina hat and some of them are Duke fans.... They are all our angels. They are our family. We appreciate every last one of them.
On to the little man... Ethan is doing great! Yesterday was a big day for Ethan. He had his chest tube removed and is responding well. He is much more comfortable with it out and because it is gone he is on a lot less sedation medicine, which means he is more alert and more feisty. He had an echo on his heart and things look good there too. They have stopped feeding him for now cause he was not responding well, which was probably because he had not gone poopy. But that all changed yesterday too when we celebrated the first poopy! (Ashley, you told me once that we would celebrate poopy! - Heck yeah!!!) So they should start his feeds again today. And best of all, he is ready to be taken off the oscillator and moved to a much less supportive system. So all is progressing well for Master Ethan! Today should be another big day for the little fella.
So please keep us in your prayers this Easter weekend and I will continue to update things here to let you all know how your prayers are working! I cannot believe all the people who have reached out to us, some of you who do not even know Randy or I. I wish I could thank each of you personally and respond to each phone call, email or comment but please know it does not go unnoticed. We are so blessed to be in the thoughts and prayers of so many.
Check back soon for more pictures.. Ethan did have jaundis and has been sun bathing some.. He looks so handsome in his sunglasses!!
Much love to you all-
Arika, Randy & Ethan
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Pictures!
Maybe I will get better at this but this is the only way
I can figure out posting pictures for now.
Mommy and Ethan - love at first sight!
I can figure out posting pictures for now.
Mommy and Ethan - love at first sight!
Proud Daddy sharing the news!
Hanging out in my new place!
Go Heels!
Takin' it easy!
Giving new meaning to March Madness!!!
No more waiting...
Sunday morning started with reports of more "dips" in the baby's heart rate, another ultra sound and more blood work. With about 4 minutes left in the Carolina game Sunday afternoon, the doctor came into the room and said she had all the results and the blood flow in the umbilical cord had begun to reverse and the baby was no longer safe inside of me - we have to get Poppy out.
The plan was to induce me and see how the baby reacted when I started having contractions. I was moved to labor and delivery, began the induction and was put on a magnesium drip to keep from having seizures. They were going to run a test to see how the baby reacted to 4 contractions within 10 minutes and if the heart rate stayed in a safe range, we would proceed with the induction, if not we would have a c-section. Once the contractions started, I learned that was another test I failed. I was no longer a good incubator for the baby. Immediately, they started prepping me for surgery and dressed Randy like the Michelin man... My family left the room and Randy and I headed to the OR.
At 8:32 pm on March 16, 2008 Ethan James Miller was born. He came out bright-eyed and beautiful. His daddy was able to be with the NICU doctors while they got him set up with a breathing tube and I got a brief look and a quick kiss before he was taken to the NICU. Ethan weighed 1 lb 13 oz and is 13.5 inches long. He the sweetest, smallest baby I have ever seen. He is everything we dreamed he would be.
Ethan came 91 days before the due date. He is only 27 weeks old. Because of his prematurity, his lungs are not fully developed and he needs help breathing. He got the tube inserted immediately and on Monday Ethan was doing great! The NICU doctors follow a protocol to move them to the least supportive method so they were going to take the tube out and move him to a bubble CPAP (I am fairly certain but probably prone to making mistakes in all this technical jargon). Unfortunately, Ethan did not respond well. His little lung collapsed and he got air around them. They had to put him on an oscillator ventilator, which is a breathing machine and insert a chest tube that constantly removes any air collecting around his lungs. This was a step backward but we understand that we are on a long ride that will have many ups and downs. The hope is the chest tube will be removed in a few days and he will come off the oscillator. The longer a baby is on these machines, the more their lungs are depend on them and the tougher it is to get them off. Ethan was on 100% oxygen yesterday and his numbers have already come all the way down to the lowest setting so he will be ready to come off the oscillator soon! What a strong boy he is!!
Last week at this time, I was admitted to the hospital. Today we are the proud, proud parents to this beautiful little boy that has completely stolen our hearts. The Lord works in mysterious ways. But how certain we are that the Lord is indeed working in Ethan, Randy and I. The huge outpouring of support and prayers brings us such comfort. I am completely blown away by the number of people who have given us their love, encouragement and prayers. We love and thank each and every one of you from the very bottom of our very full hearts.
As for me, I am doing well. Since delivery is the "cure" for preeaclampsia, I am "cured". It can take up to 6 weeks for my blood pressure, liver and kidneys to return to normal but all is looking well. If all the tests turn out okay, I will go home from the hospital tomorrow.
Ethan is here for the long haul. He must stay until he is at least 34 weeks. He was born at 27 so it will be 7 weeks minimum until they let us take him home. There are no visiting hours at the NICU so Randy and I will be burning up the road between High Point and Winston. Unfortunately, since it is flu season only Randy and I can visit Ethan. Those restrictions may be lifted in April or May but as for now, we will have to share Ethan with you through pictures. Which, I am hoping to post after I write this. You will see what a handsome little fella he is and I am sure it will be no surprise that he is sporting his Tar Heel pride!!
Please keep the prayers coming and I will continue to post here as often as possible.
With much love-
Randy, Arika and Ethan
The plan was to induce me and see how the baby reacted when I started having contractions. I was moved to labor and delivery, began the induction and was put on a magnesium drip to keep from having seizures. They were going to run a test to see how the baby reacted to 4 contractions within 10 minutes and if the heart rate stayed in a safe range, we would proceed with the induction, if not we would have a c-section. Once the contractions started, I learned that was another test I failed. I was no longer a good incubator for the baby. Immediately, they started prepping me for surgery and dressed Randy like the Michelin man... My family left the room and Randy and I headed to the OR.
At 8:32 pm on March 16, 2008 Ethan James Miller was born. He came out bright-eyed and beautiful. His daddy was able to be with the NICU doctors while they got him set up with a breathing tube and I got a brief look and a quick kiss before he was taken to the NICU. Ethan weighed 1 lb 13 oz and is 13.5 inches long. He the sweetest, smallest baby I have ever seen. He is everything we dreamed he would be.
Ethan came 91 days before the due date. He is only 27 weeks old. Because of his prematurity, his lungs are not fully developed and he needs help breathing. He got the tube inserted immediately and on Monday Ethan was doing great! The NICU doctors follow a protocol to move them to the least supportive method so they were going to take the tube out and move him to a bubble CPAP (I am fairly certain but probably prone to making mistakes in all this technical jargon). Unfortunately, Ethan did not respond well. His little lung collapsed and he got air around them. They had to put him on an oscillator ventilator, which is a breathing machine and insert a chest tube that constantly removes any air collecting around his lungs. This was a step backward but we understand that we are on a long ride that will have many ups and downs. The hope is the chest tube will be removed in a few days and he will come off the oscillator. The longer a baby is on these machines, the more their lungs are depend on them and the tougher it is to get them off. Ethan was on 100% oxygen yesterday and his numbers have already come all the way down to the lowest setting so he will be ready to come off the oscillator soon! What a strong boy he is!!
Last week at this time, I was admitted to the hospital. Today we are the proud, proud parents to this beautiful little boy that has completely stolen our hearts. The Lord works in mysterious ways. But how certain we are that the Lord is indeed working in Ethan, Randy and I. The huge outpouring of support and prayers brings us such comfort. I am completely blown away by the number of people who have given us their love, encouragement and prayers. We love and thank each and every one of you from the very bottom of our very full hearts.
As for me, I am doing well. Since delivery is the "cure" for preeaclampsia, I am "cured". It can take up to 6 weeks for my blood pressure, liver and kidneys to return to normal but all is looking well. If all the tests turn out okay, I will go home from the hospital tomorrow.
Ethan is here for the long haul. He must stay until he is at least 34 weeks. He was born at 27 so it will be 7 weeks minimum until they let us take him home. There are no visiting hours at the NICU so Randy and I will be burning up the road between High Point and Winston. Unfortunately, since it is flu season only Randy and I can visit Ethan. Those restrictions may be lifted in April or May but as for now, we will have to share Ethan with you through pictures. Which, I am hoping to post after I write this. You will see what a handsome little fella he is and I am sure it will be no surprise that he is sporting his Tar Heel pride!!
Please keep the prayers coming and I will continue to post here as often as possible.
With much love-
Randy, Arika and Ethan
Saturday, March 15, 2008
We're hanging in here!
A huge thank you to all of you who have been supporting us. We have received lots of beautiful flowers, great gifts and visitors! We appreciate it, and most of all appreciate the overwhelming amount of prayers.
We've made it to the weekend and are doing pretty good. It has now been explained to us that preeclampsia can effect so many different areas, my kidneys, liver, blood pressure but it can also effect the baby. Which has unfortunately started to happen. The big change over the last few days is that there have been some "dips" in the heart rate of the baby. This is caused by the blood flow restriction in the umbilical cord. As you might suspect, blood flow restriction is not a good thing. I have been told that if we were further along, we would have a baby right now. But since we are still so early, we are continuing to buy as much time as possible. I am constantly hooked up to a monitor so we are aware when these dips are happening. I am also having doppler ultrasounds daily to see the blood flow and we can stay on top of the situation and react accordingly when it gets to that point. It is hard to say how long we will be able to hold out. As the doctor explained to me, things usually get worse as opposed to better but there are situations where things can stabilize. I think if we could stabilize where we are now for a few more weeks at least, that would be great.
I have been making all sorts of deals with Poppy, and he/she had a really good night last night so I think my offers are under consideration... As of now, Poppy can have any car he/she wants on his 16th bday, the promise of no student loans, oh yeah, and I also said that if he/she is eager to come meet us because he wants to watch the Heels win the tournament, no need to rush... we can win next year too! (So, if anyone knows how to get in touch with Roy Williams, please pass it my way)...
In all seriousness, we could not feel better about where we are and the excellent care we are getting so far. If I can get off the monitor, we will be able to go tour the NICU and have a better idea of what to expect once Poppy is here. There are lots of doctors who travel in packs and everyone is so patient and kind. I know we are blessed to be at this hospital.
We are pretty settled in here and are ready to stay for the long haul. I think Randy is getting used to his cot and he is doing a great job keeping things afloat outside of these 4 walls. But again, neither of it could be done without all the support we have been receiving.
Thanks again to all!
Love, Arika, Randy & Poppy
A huge thank you to all of you who have been supporting us. We have received lots of beautiful flowers, great gifts and visitors! We appreciate it, and most of all appreciate the overwhelming amount of prayers.
We've made it to the weekend and are doing pretty good. It has now been explained to us that preeclampsia can effect so many different areas, my kidneys, liver, blood pressure but it can also effect the baby. Which has unfortunately started to happen. The big change over the last few days is that there have been some "dips" in the heart rate of the baby. This is caused by the blood flow restriction in the umbilical cord. As you might suspect, blood flow restriction is not a good thing. I have been told that if we were further along, we would have a baby right now. But since we are still so early, we are continuing to buy as much time as possible. I am constantly hooked up to a monitor so we are aware when these dips are happening. I am also having doppler ultrasounds daily to see the blood flow and we can stay on top of the situation and react accordingly when it gets to that point. It is hard to say how long we will be able to hold out. As the doctor explained to me, things usually get worse as opposed to better but there are situations where things can stabilize. I think if we could stabilize where we are now for a few more weeks at least, that would be great.
I have been making all sorts of deals with Poppy, and he/she had a really good night last night so I think my offers are under consideration... As of now, Poppy can have any car he/she wants on his 16th bday, the promise of no student loans, oh yeah, and I also said that if he/she is eager to come meet us because he wants to watch the Heels win the tournament, no need to rush... we can win next year too! (So, if anyone knows how to get in touch with Roy Williams, please pass it my way)...
In all seriousness, we could not feel better about where we are and the excellent care we are getting so far. If I can get off the monitor, we will be able to go tour the NICU and have a better idea of what to expect once Poppy is here. There are lots of doctors who travel in packs and everyone is so patient and kind. I know we are blessed to be at this hospital.
We are pretty settled in here and are ready to stay for the long haul. I think Randy is getting used to his cot and he is doing a great job keeping things afloat outside of these 4 walls. But again, neither of it could be done without all the support we have been receiving.
Thanks again to all!
Love, Arika, Randy & Poppy
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