Four Pounds of Sweetness

Guess who's up to 4 lbs, 0.8oz today? Despite an eventful day on Friday still learning to eat and getting a bath, Adam gained 1.7 oz! He is doing just super.

Today my mom came over to help keep us functioning at our house. She's doing laundry and cooking a pot of chicken and noodles that smells just yummy. Moms are good for getting things taken care of, aren't they? With all the running back and forth from the hospital, you definitely figure out what is priority and what is not, and many things have just been let go, which is okay until you can't find clean clothes (that fit) and things start to feel chaotic. She is much appreciated (and thanks David, for sounding the alarm while you had to work). Smart men know that when they can't fix it, its time to call the mother-in-law. :o)

Running back and forth to the hospital is starting to wear on us, so we would definitely appreciate your continued prayers for Adam as well as for us, that our rest is multiplied. Thank you!

Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving yesterday! David and I went in to find our boy decked out for the holiday. And to beat it all, our little turkey was sleeping with this grin on his face. I guess he thought it was funny to sleep with a turkey on his head!

Adam had another great day and the doctors called him "boring". This is a great thing! We love when they can't think of much to change for him. One doctor said we were just "feeding and feathering" him right now. He is doing better and better eating (as long as he is awake) and is getting more volume in his feedings now. Three feedings each day are formula feedings for extra calories, and sometimes these don't agree with him (especially the multivitamin with iron), but we need this to help him grow bigger. We can really tell a difference in his face and in his belly that he is a growing boy!

His weight at midnight, early Friday morning was 3 lbs, 15.1 oz (1 oz weight gain from Thursday's 3 lbs, 14.1 oz). Grow baby, grow!

Big Boy Bed

Monday and Tuesday were both good growing days for Adam. On Tuesday, Adam's weight was up to 3 lbs, 11.9 oz. David and I had several errands and appointments to make in between feeding times, and by the end of the day, we were worn out. Adam, however, slept peacefully :o).

On Tuesday, Adam was moved to an open crib. His nurses kept the isolette beside his new bed so that he could be moved to it if his temperature was not maintained. So far, however, Adam has done well, and his temperature has been within range. He is very bundled now - he has a onesie, an outfit, a warmed blanket bundled and a small fleece blanket on top, with a hat on to top it off. He is so cute! He had several feeding times where he was very alert and is getting better at eating. Please continue to pray for this. He needs to maintain his temperature and keep gaining weight in the new crib and he needs to learn to eat better so the NG tube can be taken out.


I think Adam was a little confused by this new bed!

I went back to work on Tuesday for a few hours in the afternoon. This is the plan for until Adam comes home. I wasn't looking forward to it because I would rather be with Adam, but I have to remind myself why I am doing it. Hopefully, this will allow me more time with him when he does come home.

The baby's weight early Wednesday morning was 3 lbs, 13.3 oz! Can you believe how great he is growing?

Tonight my family is having Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house, and I am looking forward to all of the good food! I am sure many people will be traveling today, so have a Happy Thanksgiving! We have much for which to be thankful.

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land." - Psalm 95:1-5

Lisa can drive!

I am so happy to be able to drive myself again! I go back to the doctor today for a quick follow-up and should be allowed to take the keys again. I have been very fortunate to have so many people cart me to and from the hospital for the past week and a half, with even more people offering to give me a ride. I have found it very difficult to accept everyone's help all of the time. I know that this was likely something that God needed to teach me, and I know that many people have enjoyed feeling like they could help (and getting to see Adam). Thank you to everyone who helped or offered.

Adam's weight update for Monday (I wish I had a graph for this): 3 lbs, 10.4 oz (1.4 oz gain). He is on his way to 4 lbs!

An Early Thanksgiving

Adam has done really well so far eating by mouth. He still receives supplements each feeding by his tube but he is getting the hang of it and will increase to two feedings by mouth each day starting on Monday.

His temperature has been great and since Saturday his isolette temperature has been at 28 degrees Celsius which is the goal. Once he shows that he can maintain his temperature well, he can move to an open crib. There are positives and negatives to this. He needs to be in an open crib prior to going home, of course, and there are less restrictions for the length of time that we can hold him. However, he is now using less energy to stay warm and can use more to grow, and we have gotten quite used to him being in the isolette. The baby in the open crib next to Adam seems really out in the open to us! I think we are becoming germaphobic! (Is that a real word?)

Its really funny because when I thought about myself having a baby, I imagined myself being more like a mom with a second child - realizing that some germs are good and I can't protect the baby from everything. I did realize, however, that I wouldn't know for sure how I might act until the baby was born. Because of Adam's prematurity and all of the precautions that we take in the NICU, I have grown quite used to thinking about protecting him from unnecessary germs and contact. Maybe I'll grow out of it as he grows bigger and stronger, but for now I must admit that I have become a Purell Mom.

Saturday was also the first day that we gave Adam a tub bath. This was really fun for me. David was busy at the time and not at the hospital because we thought it would be another sponge bath, so we were both sad that he missed it. My grandmother had come back to see Adam for the first time since he was born. She came into the room the same time that the bath was starting and was able to help support his head and wash his back. This absolutely made her day! My mom was able to watch through the window (along with some passers-by - sorry Adam) and she took pictures for me. Sorry for the glare - she wasn't familiar with my camera.


Later in the afteroon three of my friends hosted a baby shower for me. This was my second shower and it had a different feel to it since now Adam is already here. We had a great time and Adam is all set for the day that his world grows bigger than the little room he lives in now. Plus, it was great to catch up with friends and family. (Thanks Bridger, Brandy, and Jessica!)

In the evening we went to dinner with all of David's family to celebrate Thanksgiving (I'm telling you, this was a busy day). It isn't often that we are all together so this was a blessing and we had a lot of fun. We all missed Adam being there and talked about how excited we are for him to be part of the family. Certainly, we have a lot for which to be thankful.

Extra 1/2 Pound

Adam continues to make great progress! The nurse worked with me on Friday to show me a few bottle-feeding tips for preemies and Adam seemed to get the hang of it a little bit better. He ate a total of ~8-10 mL. I spoke with one of his doctors again today and she is very pleased with how he is doing. His bilirubin has dropped again so today we were able to take the big sticker off of his forehead. I feel like I haven't seem him without that thing very many times so it is nice to have some new skin on which to plant kisses!

Weight update for early Saturday morning: 3 lbs, 8.4 oz! (another 1.5 oz gain) He has gained 1/2 lb since his birth!

The Baby Lotion Smell

This is Adam at the next feeding time AFTER the first bottle experiment. I think it wore him out for almost the entire day yesterday! He was a little tired when we got to the hospital yesterday morning, and the nurse had done a full assessment on him since it was the beginning of her shift. He had a bit of a surprised look on his face when he had his first taste from the bottle, and it took him a minute to figure out what to do. Eventually, he was making all of the motions, and we could see him swallowing and his little jaws were working it. I completely expected half of the milk to be gone when we gave him a little break, but when we held up the bottle, ~ 1 mL was gone! We gave it another try until Adam was fast asleep. So total for Day 1 was 3 mL. Not bad - he did a little bit and hopefully got used to the idea. There were other times during the day where he was more awake and really liked his pacifier and he probably would have done better at those times. I can't wait for him to try it again today.

No other real changes yesterday. I spoke with one of Adam's doctors yesterday and he thinks he is doing really well. He only had one apnea episode within 24 hours. In other news, I forgot to mention that his cord stump fell off two days ago. Unrelated to that, I was able to put baby lotion on him for the first time on Thursday. His skin was starting to look dry in some places from being under the light and in a heated isolette. He smelled so good afterwards! Isn't baby lotion one of the best smells ever?

Weight update: Midnight/Friday morning - 3 lbs, 6.9 oz! (1.4 oz gain)

Adam's Personal Photographer Visits...

Bottle Day!

Thursday marks the day that Adam will be 32 weeks adjusted gestational age, which is the point where babies first can try to bottle feed. This will be an exciting morning! We will do this once a day for the first few days, depending on how it is tolerated. Adam has been good about sucking on his pacifier or fingers from the time he was born. It is a little more difficult for preemies to learn to suck, swallow, and breathe so we will see how he does and soon we can try breastfeeding.

Wednesday Adam had a weight gain up to 3 lbs, 4.9 oz (over an ounce weight gain) and I just now called to check on him and his weight at midnight was 3 lbs, 5.5 oz.

One of the nurses on Wednesday talked to us about the importance of tummy time for babies (and preemies). Because of the "Back to Sleep" campaign, which showed a decreased risk of SIDS for babies who slept on their back (and now the recommendations also include preemies at home) many babies end up with misshapen heads due to too much time on their backs, since this would also include time in strollers, bouncers, swings, etc. This can even affect development. While Adam is in the hospital and hooked up to monitors, he is also allowed to sleep on his sides and on his belly but when he comes home he will also have to be "back to sleep". We learned about rotating his head positions as well as his orientation in his crib when he sleeps in his room, since babies tend to turn toward the door (where the action is and the food comes from, right?). But tummy time several times a day is important, and for his size, tummy time can mean lying on my chest with his hands near his head. As he grows stronger, he will be able to push his head up and look around, strengthening his neck muscles too. He can already do this a little bit. But Mom absolutely LOVES getting to hold him like this, as he is all curled up and cozy, and there are benefits for both of us.

Thank you still for your prayers and pray that he continues to grow and stay healthy and starts to outgrow the apnea episodes.

Eat, Sleep, and Dirty Diapers

I thought this pacifier gives a good reference for size.


Here's a shot at Dad's first time with changing clothes. Note: Mom actually did this first!

These are pics of Mom's first time putting on his clothes -- even some preemie clothes are big right now!

Monday was a pretty cold day in Lex, even with occasional flurries throughout the day. David's sister Sarah took the day off to come up and be my driver since I still have a week left before I can drive again. It was David's first day back to work which I know was difficult for him. He and I went in early for a feeding time and he stayed until he went to work. Then Aunt Sarah came to visit. Both of Adam's grandmas stopped by in the evening. He is well loved to be sure, and I can just imagine how many people would be there if there weren't restrictions! By the time David came back after work he was ready to get his boy back.

The CT scan of his head turned out perfectly normal, and besides that the day went well. Adam did a lot more sleeping today and was less awake before feeding times - he would usually only open one eye at a time! He was also started on a vitamin with iron.

Today David's mom will be my driver for the day. Adam's weight early this morning was 3 lbs, 3.8 oz! Chunky, huh? Today we learned that once he starts gaining weight, the goal would be an average weight gain of about an ounce per day.

One week birthday!

In honor of the one week birthday yesterday, here are some of the pictures that my friend Jessica took right after Adam was born. A couple of these are on here from earlier posts, but here they are in bigger sizes and credit given where credit is due - thanks Jessica!

On Sunday morning Adam gained weight up to 3 lbs, 2.3 oz and since his bilirubin was down, he no longer has to be put under the lights. Sometimes the higher levels makes babies more drowsy and he had been wearing his "bili shades" all the time. Now he can go back to wearing clothes! Dad and I helped with a sponge bath on Sunday morning and then learned about the lights getting turned off so I was able to dress him for the first time (pics to come later) which made my day. We asked if we should bring clothes to the NICU for him to wear but it sounds like its difficult to keep them straight so most babies wear the clothes the nurses have in the NICU. Adam spit up a little bit at a feeding later in the day so Dad got to try his hand at dressing Adam too. Neither of us were proficient at this; hopefully we did not burn too many calories wiggling him around to fix the snaps on the legs! At least he doesn't fuss.

Thank you for your continued prayers; continue to pray for Adam's weight gain. This morning (early Monday) I called and he was up to 3 lbs, 3 oz and is still tolerating his food well! Today he gets a CT scan of his head, which is routine for preemies. Hopefully everything is fine. We enjoy your comments very much.










**This is the sign that is still on his bed. If we had seen his name written out before, maybe we could have chosen a name quicker! Doesn't it look good?








**This was the first time that I was able to hold him; I was so thrilled that the nurses had waited to allow me to hold him first. It was difficult to wait until I was allowed to go see him while so many people had already seen him but I was so happy to know that he was breathing completely on his own. Holding him for the first time was so relaxing for me!

Saturday

Dad and I are starting to get the hang of being home and traveling back and forth to the hospital. Adam had a good day on Saturday as well; only a couple of episodes of bradycardia, where his heart rate drops a little below normal. Most of the time he brings it right back up on his own. Sometimes, though, he needs a little reminder. This is very common for premature babies and for that reason he has been on caffeine for a few days now. Maybe that means he will like Mountain Dew - oh no! That is a good reason why we love having him on the monitors at the hospital until he gets a little bit bigger and can outgrow those episodes.

The highlight of the day was both Mom and Dad were able to hold Adam for almost an hour each at different feeding times since his feeding pump is at such a slow rate. This is definitely a win-win situation since it is good for him and keeps him from spitting up and good for us since it takes longer. When we get there for feedings, Adam is always wide awake and most of the time has his hands in his mouth - a hungry boy! It doesn't take long once he starts eating for him to get to sleep.

We also did a little shopping today to work towards finishing Adam's room so it will be ready for him when he comes home. We shopped for a few necessities and also bought a bookshelf today. We will do more when Mom can walk around a little better. When we start organizing the room we will post some pictures.

A Change of Scenery

Adam had a really good day yesterday and had no events through the night. He was taken off of his IV so now is getting all his nutrition through his belly. He was moved to a different part of the NICU overnight. I'm not sure that there's any major significance in this except that we did not see any other babies on IVs in that room. We are just really glad that the nurses prepared us for the move before we came in to find him not in his original spot! The nurses have been wonderful, though, so I am not surprised that they have thought to tell us just about everything. The little corner where he used to be was very drafty, so we always felt like we could not hold him very long or he would start getting cold.

He weighed 3 lbs, 1.3 oz last night, so had a small decrease, part of which could have been the IV itself. If he does not maintain his weight, he will likely have a fortifier added to his milk or some high calorie formula given as a supplement. Since the volume of his feedings has almost reached goal, he has spit up a couple of times, once while Daddy was holding him. This seems to be related to how fast he is fed. When we are there we are able to hold and keep the rate slow by gravity feeding but he may go on a pump for his other feedings to make sure we don't fill his little belly too fast. Four teaspoons is a lot for this little guy - he started with 1 ml each feeding.

Morning update

I really meant to mention last night that Adam went all day with the same IV yesterday! Even better is that the doctor told us this morning that he plans to stop the IV feedings today around 3PM. Adam needs to keep tolerating food well in his belly and he can do without one more line!

Mommy and Daddy home from CB

Today was busy from the start as we were preparing all day for going home. Emotionally, it was a tough day because we had to leave the hospital without the baby. Again, we could feel everyone's prayers as we were able to stay positive, thinking about how great Adam is doing overall and that we are leaving him in such great hands. There are many other families with babies in the NICU who live out of town and only get to come back a couple of times each week to visit, so we are reminded of how fortunate we are to live a few minutes away. We can also call anytime to find out exactly how he is doing. Plus, we always have something to look forward to.

We left this afternoon and came home to unpack and doze a few minutes before we came back for his 6 and 9 PM feeding times. It is so great to get to take part in his care; we both even look forward to diaper changes! When he is wrapped all snuggly in the blanket like this we call him our little burrito, for he really is about the size of a regular burrito at Chipotle! (The large sticky thing on his forehead in the picture below provides a little skin window to check his bilirubin frequently without sticking him.)

We have noticed since he was born that he LOVES to stretch out. I always think of newborns as all curled up or loving the fetal position. Maybe its because Adam never grew big enough to get crowded in my belly, but he is constantly stretching. We cracked up today because he looked like he could have been sleeping in a hammock when he was leaned up against this little snuggle thing and had one leg thrown over the side of it and a look of satisfaction on his face.

I just called to check on his weight as this usually happens at the midnight care time. Last night I thought it was safe to round 3 lbs 1.8 oz up to 3 lbs, 2 oz. Tonight, however, he weighed 3 lbs 1.9 oz so really he is at least maintaining his weight - I just didn't realize how exact we really have to be! We were warned from the start that he would likely lose weight before gaining and so far he has never dropped below his birth weight, so praise the Lord!

First bath; one less monitor!

Tonight David and I went to Adam's midnight care time and were so excited to see that it was time for Adam to get his first bath since his birthday. One of Adam's biggest issues due to his gestational age is temperature control, so now he is in an incubator and we try to limit holding him to a couple of times a day for ~20 minutes each. Because of this, it was more of a good sponge bath than tub bath but fun nonetheless and we were able to take a few pictures. Mom and Dad might be able to help with the bath more next time but today Mom was happy to get to hold him while his bedding was changed!

After unhooking him from everything, the NICU nurse said it was okay now to take Adam off his pulse ox monitor that wraps around his little foot. She was going to double check with the doctor, but since he had not had any issues with it so far, its likely that it will get to stay off. That's one less wire hooked to him and one thing closer to going home! He had gained a little today so is now up to 3 lbs, 2 oz. Small steps...

One thing specific to pray for is about Adam's IV line, which has been replaced 4 times in little more than 24 hours! First his hand was puffy, and now he is on his third one on his head. Apparently he inherited bad sticking veins from his momma, and with the combination of his feedings through his IV (TPN), it is difficult to have a line last a long time. It sure makes it hard to see him have to get stuck with needles so many times, but if he continues to tolerate the increase in feedings through his tube, hopefully he can stop needing the IV in the next couple of days. Overall, he is doing great and winning the hearts of all his nurses so far!

So what happened?

David and I were right on track for preparing for our precious baby boy to arrive...in January! His due date was 1/15/09 so you can imagine our surprise and fear when my water broke on Election Day - 11/4/08. I was at my Bible study at my friend Amanda's house and we had had a great evening. Looking back, nothing was even unusual about that day as far as my pregnancy was concerned. I guess it was just time!

I immediately called David when I left and he looked up the phone number for me while I drove home to meet him. The doctor on call for my practice said I should definitely come in to the hospital so I met David at our mailbox and we headed straight there. Sure enough, we were informed the membrane had ruptured for whatever reason - could have been infection, a small problem in the membrane formation or even the baby kicking that may have caused it. We felt much better when the nurse and doctor told us that many women go weeks after their water breaks before having the baby, and at 29 weeks and almost 6 days, they were confident they could get me to 30 weeks and hopeful that I could make it to 32 weeks which would be a big milestone for our little guy's development. We WERE suprised, however, to learn that however long it was, I would be in the hospital until the baby came. Wow.

So long story made short, I made it from Tuesday until Sunday (30 weeks, 3 days) and was making plans for being at the hospital for awhile. I felt fine except for some occasional contractions that were to be expected. A ton of friends and family stopped or called to let us know how much we were in their prayers, and we will never forget that. I felt so much peace, even after becoming suddenly helpless and bedridden that I know God's hand was upon us and we were being lifted up by so many. There were occasional dips in the baby's heartrate on the fetal monitor and they coincided with my contractions. Though the baby compensated well, the doctors were fearful that if I started into labor, the position of the umbilical cord would make it dangerous for the baby, so it was time to deliver. Because the baby was in breech position, I had to have to have a C-section. At 1:42 PM, Adam Carson Strunk was born. He was 3 lbs, 0.5 oz and 16.5 inches long. And perfect!

First Post

Hello everyone

We have so many friends and family who love our little man that we decided to start a blog so that everyone can follow his progress with us. As he reaches milestones or his condition changes we will post updates to share with everyone.

Thanks for all the love and prayers

Lisa & David