He's gonna be a big boy!!

The nurse has already weighed Logan for the evening and he weighs.........2 lbs., 15 oz.!!! The nurse said his little cheeks and belly are filling out. This is so great! We're so proud of him. He also got his bath and his bed sheets changed. He was wide-eyed and wiggling after his bath. But the nurse said he's on his tummy now and sleeping. His carbon dioxide levels were still around 52 this morning, so still no changes on his si-pap machine. He is tolerating his feedings of 23 ccs well and pooping on his own with no enemas. I feel like he's doing so much and I wish I could be there to see them all. I'm hoping to get back up there around Sunday or Monday.

My sister and I ran to Baby Depot this afternoon and bought a bassinet, crib, and mattress. That was fun. We are only going to put up the bassinet for awhile though.

A couple small changes

Well Logan has been stable again today. They took the pic line out of his foot, so all of his nutrition is through breastmilk now. He still has an IV port in his hand in case he needs more blood. But that is the only line that is "stuck" in him. The nurse told me that he will get all medications orally, and my response was, "but he can't swallow yet!" She informed me they just put the meds. in through his feeding tube. Whew! In the next few days or so, they will begin fortifying the breastmilk to help him bulk up even more! He is getting 23 ccs of milk now (up 1 cc from yesterday) and this is considered full feeds for him. His sodium levels have normalized. (He has been getting a little extra sodium the last couple of days). He is still on the same si-pap settings. Please pray that his carbon dioxide and ph levels will continue to go down to a more normal level. Thank you everyone.

Hello everyone. Well Logan's new weight is 2 lbs., 11.7 oz. So he gained 1.1 ounces! Keep it up, buddy!! Nothing is too new this morning. He is still tolerating his feedings which is great. His carbon dioxide level was down just a little from 55 to 52. At least it's heading downward. No new orders had been written yet, so the nurse didn't have alot to report. She asked me how I was feeling, and I told her a little better. She said she would take some pictures of Logan for me, that she and Logan would have a "photo shoot" today. Isn't that cute! I'm not sure how she will get the pictures to me. I don't know if she can e-mail them or not. Hopefully she can!

A not sure what to think day

Well Logan has been fairly stable so far today. I called his nurse this morning and she said that his feedings were going fine, but that his carbon dioxide level was back up to 55. I was somewhat frustrated after hearing this, so I asked her to have the doctor call me when he had a minute.

He called a few hours later and gave me a head-to-toe report. He said that Logan had very good color and was "crawling around like a Marine" in his bed. He was pleased with how Logan looked and acted. He said that for as sick as Logan had been, he was surprised that his carbon dioxide levels weren't higher. So he is pleased with them for now. He also said that his blood transfusion being done after his diuretic med. yesterday may have upped his carbon dioxide levels for today. He said that he feels like Logan is progressing nicely and that growing healthy lung tissue will simply take time and patience. Oh, something I don't seem to have much of. He said it will take around 4-6 more weeks before Logan is well enough to even think about coming home, which is what we expected. He also said that Logan is doing well with his feedings and that he is on "full feeds" now, which means he is getting total nutrition from breastmilk. The doctor said that in a few days, they will start adding supplements to his milk, like vitamins and iron, to help him get everything he needs. He also said they will likely take out the line supplying fluids soon as Logan really doesn't need this anymore.

The doctor said that the only thing that worried him was that I sounded like I had a cold and that if Logan would get this virus in his lungs, it would be a major setback. So basically he was telling me to stay away until I am 110%, and even then he told me to wear a mask for 2-3 days. So Danny and I are home for awhile, unfortunately. I am so ready to hold him. It almost makes me crazy, but I know I need to stay away from him for his sake.

He will get weighed again tonight. Hopefully he has continued to gain. Please pray for his little lungs and that they will continue to heal and develop. This seems to be his biggest issue. Thank you.

Nothing really new

Logan has had a stable day. The doctor did increase his feedings to 22 ccs every 3 hours. So far he is tolerating this well. Let's hope this continues!! His blood transfusion went well. He does not get weighed tonight, but the nurse did change his bed linens and she said he tolerated this well.

I miss him so much, but I know I can't be around him when I'm sick. And I'm scared for Danny to be around him for fear that Danny might end up sick from being around me. I'm not sure when we will get back to Springfield, hopefully soon.

Thank you everyone for your comments and prayers. I'm am reassured daily that God is with Logan and helping him (and us) through all of this. Please continue to pray that he will tolerate his feedings and that his carbon dioxide levels will remain low. Good night.

Another stable day

Well Logan is having a pretty good day. He is tolerating his feedings of 20 ccs, so far no increase in his feedings. He had a good bowel movement around 11:00 p.m. last night. His urine output has been good both yesterday and today. His blood gas this morning was good. His carbon dioxide level was 46, down from 53 yesterday. This is good news. Now he just needs to consistently keep them in the low to mid forties. Please pray that this will happen. I know God will take care of him.

His hemacrit was a little low today, so he is getting a blood transfusion this afternoon. This is the 3rd one he has had total, but the first since his first week of birth. I believe this is fairly common. No changes on his si-pap machine that I know of.

That is all for now. I am feeling a little better, my throat doesn't hurt as bad, but my nose is still runny. Hopefully I'll feel better by tomorrow evening.

A few small changes

Hello again. There are only a few small changes to post. His new weight tonight is 2 lbs., 10.6 oz.!! That is almost a 1 1/2 oz. gain from last night. Keeping gaining buddy! He is up to 20 ccs of milk and the doctor stopped his lipids this evening. The only other nutrition (besides breast milk) is 1 ml of fluid every hour. This is just to keep the line open in case they would need to get something through his system quickly. Hopefully this line will come out soon!

According to his night nurse he is doing well with his increased feedings. Please pray it stays that way. He will get another blood gas in the morning. Please pray for low carbon dioxide levels. Thanks everyone. Have a good night.

P.S. Danny and I drove home this evening because I felt worse after my nap. I have a sore throat, runny nose, stuffed up ears, headache, etc. I did not want to contaminate Logan or anyone else in the room so we came home tonight instead of tomorrow. Hopefully we will both be well on Tuesday evening so we can head back up. I'm ready to hold him again! Of course, so is Danny!

Back from St. Charles

Well we got back to Springfield around noon today. It was good to be back. We had a good time at the wedding. Ashley looked absolutely beautiful of course and the reception was really nice. The weather was nice as well.

I am on the verge of a cold, with a slightly runny nose and sore throat, so I really haven't gotten close to Logan today. Danny, Lauren, Mom, and Dad all sat with him for awhile this morning and then everyone but Danny left for home. I'm really hoping I feel better tomorrow so I can ask to do more k-care with Logan. Well, maybe if I can't, Danny can.

Logan has not had too many changes over the weekend. His blood gases have been fluctuating some, either in the mid-forties or low-fifties. The doctor said that he wants them consistently in the low forties before he starts weaning him off the si-pap machine. Please pray that he will have more consistent blood gases that are in the low forties.

He pulled his feeding tube out twice yesterday. He really likes to hold onto it for some reason. They have increased his feedings to 19ccs every 3 hours over a 2 hour period. So far he appears to be tolerating this well. Please pray that he continues to do so. They have stopped his TPN feedings, but he is still getting a fluid mixture and lipids (fats) through an IV. When he stops these two, they can remove the IV.

They weighed him last night and he weighed 2 lbs., 9.2 oz. This is a 1 1/2 ounce increase over just a 12 hour period! His weight can fluctuate though depending on many things, but hopefully he will just continue to put on weight!!

A good day

Well Logan has had another good day. Praise God for that. The doctors have not been in his nursery to write any new orders yet today (slow, huh?), so he is still on the same si-pap settings. He had another good blood gas this morning and has been on 25-30% oxygen all day. The nurse just said that he is in his bed "doing his exercises" and holding onto his feeding tube and she is afraid he might pull it out. She said she might get him another tube to hold on to.

He is tolerating his feedings well today and has not had hardly any residual left! They also did a head echo last night and it came back normal! No evidence of bleeding in the brain. I did not know the doctor had this test scheduled, but this is wonderful news that it was normal!!

Danny and I are off to St. Charles soon for Ashley's wedding. I will probably not be posting again until Sunday afternoon, as I will likely not have access to a computer until then. So please do not get nervous if I don't write anything for a few days! Thank you for all of your prayers and please continue to pray that he tolerates his feedings and that he continues to have good blood gases. Also, please continue to pray for his neighbor, Jayden. Thanks.

3 weeks old today!

Well our little Logan is 3 weeks old today. That is so hard to believe. He is doing well this morning. Nothing too new yet, the doctors had not made their rounds when I called about 8:30. He did have a bowel movement on his own this morning, so that is good. He has been doing fairly well with his 15 ccs, he had about 2 ccs left over during his night feedings and his nurse this morning said he had about a half of a cc left over from his 5 a.m. feeding.

The night nurse weighed and measured him and gave him a bath last night. She said he tolerated this very well. Good job Logan!! He weighed, drum roll please, 2 lbs., 6.8 oz. So he gained about 1 1/2 ounces from his last weigh, and he is 14.4 inches long. He has grown almost half of an inch. Keep it up buddy, you need to put some fat on those bones! After all of these events, the nurse said she cleaned out his mouth and gave him a mini pacifier. She said he sucked on it a little bit. Oh, I wish I could have seen it. It was surely the most adorable thing ever!! She said he will have it in his bed from now on, so maybe we can try it on Sunday.

I will post more after I talk to the nurse again. Please pray that he continues to tolerate his feedings.

Just a few new changes

Hello everyone. There isn't too much to post today. Logan is doing well and on the same settings on his si-pap machine. He had another good blood gas this morning. Right now the nurse said he is hovering around 25% oxygen, which is good. She said he has been pretty active in his bed, not really crying, just moving alot. He must miss his mom and dad, maybe even grandma!

They gave him a microenema this morning and he had a good bowel movement around noon. They have increased his feedings to 15 ccs every 3 hours over the 2 hour period. He gets his first increased feeding at 5 this evening. Please pray that he handles this well.

They have also stopped the antibiotics as no infection was growing in his blood culture. This is so great! They will weigh and measure him tonight, so I will update once I find out this information.

God must have decided to let him have a non-exciting day, since I can't be there. This is more than ok with me. Danny and I sure do miss him already. Sunday seems so far away, we don't know if we can wait that long to see him again.

BIG NEWS!!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I got to hold Logan this evening! The doctor had written a one-time order (for now) for me to do kangaroo care with him, which means he lays on my chest skin-to-skin. This obviously promotes bonding and also growth and development for him. It was so awesome, I really can't describe how incredibly amazing it was to finally hold my little boy. Hopefully there will be much more of that in the near future! Dad got to watch, but he will get his turn very soon. I held him for about an hour and fifteen minutes and he did very well. He did not de-sat once. He whimpered for about 5 sec., but that was it. The rest of the time he just slept. Dad even bothered him and he was fine with it!

Also in big news, Dad changed his first diaper tonight. It was only a wet diaper, no poopy diapers yet. He did a great job!

We left Springfield around 7:00 p.m. I am going to try and stay home until after Ashley's wedding this weekend. We'll see how that goes. At least I left on a very positive note!

I definitely give thanks to God for such a wonderful day. I hope there are many more to come. I will post a few pictures tomorrow. I left the camera in the car.

A better and brighter day

Hello everyone. Logan is having a much better day today. He is doing well with his feedings and they are increasing him from 9 to 12 ccs of milk every 3 hours over a 2 hour period. The doctor wants to get him on all milk feedings and off of the TPN feedings. So hopefully he will handle this increase well. He also pooped on his nurse this morning! Oh well, I'm sure that's not the first time it happened to her.

His blood gas was very good this morning! His carbon dioxide level went down from 55 to 43, which is great! The doctor was very pleased, but said he wanted another blood gas in the morning before he turns down the machine. That is fine with me for now.

The doctor also said that Logan is not showing any signs of infection from his blood culture. This is such great news! They are going to continue the antibiotics until tomorrow and then stop those.

So Logan is having a good day. This is such a relief and blessing. Please pray that he continues to tolerate increased feedings and that his blood gases continue to look good.

I would also ask everyone to say a special prayer for Logan's neighbor. This little boy was born at 23 weeks and weighed only 1 lb., 4 oz. He is 1 1/2 months old and was on the same si-pap machine as Logan, just at lower settings. This morning, he had to go back on the ventilator. Please pray for him and his family and that he will be able to get back off of this sometime soon. Thanks.

A stable day

Well Logan has had a little better day than yesterday. As I mentioned earlier his carbon dioxide level had gone down to 55 (which is at the high end of normal), but the doctor wanted it lower still, so he increased Logan's breaths per minute to 20 from 15 to try and help with this. He will have another blood gas in the morning to determine his carbon dioxide levels. Please pray that these levels will drop into the normal range.

The doctor increased his feedings to 9ccs every 3 hours and they are still dripping it in over a 2 hour period. Logan really seems to do well with his milk this way. He has digested most of it over a 24 hour period, he just had 1-2 ccs of his 11:00 feeding left over this morning and that's basically it. This is great because the doctor said his feedings are crucial to him developing healthy lung tissue. Please pray that these continue to go well.

Logan has not really been agitated today, not near as much as yesterday. Thank God for this. I wonder if maybe he just didn't feel well yesterday. He cried only once for me today, when I changed his diaper around 5 p.m. Oh and Dad took Logan's temperature for the first time today! I think Danny is getting more comfortable with touching and messing with Logan.

Another day

Well Logan had a pretty good night. When Danny and I went to visit him last night, he was settled down and sleeping fairly well. He started his two new antibiotics for possible pneumonia, an asthma medication, and a diuretic to help get any fluid out of his lungs. On his blood gas this morning, his carbon dioxide level was down from 58 to 55, so a little better. They turned down one of the pressures on his machine after that.

He is tolerating his feedings at 7ccs spread over a 2 hour period, which is fantastic! The nurse gave him another enema around 5 a.m. and he had a large bowel movement around 8 a.m., so maybe that will make him feel better.

I think that is all for now. Thank you for all of the positive comments and prayers. I know they are working.

A not so good day

Well I spoke with the doctor this morning and things are not as well as I'd hoped. One of his blood cell counts was high (likely the white blood cell count) which can be indicative of an infection, so they did a CRP and a blood culture to look into that further. They also did a chest x-ray to look at his lungs and they were still hazy. The doctor said that he had some dark lines on his x-ray which may indicate pneumonia, a partially collapsed lung, or neither. He doesn't know yet. They are starting him on two antibiotics to stop the pneumonia if that's what's going on. He also tested positive for some ureathrocyte (??), which the doctor said is very common and causes chronic lung disease. He cannot take any medication for this because the med. causes decreased bone and dental growth. The doctor did say that this ureathrocyte will go away on its own in "normal time", whatever the heck that means. The doctor is also trying his feedings at 7 ccs every 3 hours, but letting the milk run in over a 2 hour period to aid in digestion. He said that feeding is the key to Logan's health because the more he eats and grows, the more healthy lung tissue he will develop and that's what he needs.

It has been a very frustrating day. The ups and downs are intense and unpredictable. I have never felt more helpless in my life. Please pray that he will get through this round of infection if that's what is taking place, that he will tolerate his feedings, and that his little lungs will get stronger and clearer each day. Thanks everyone.

A few setbacks-here comes the rollercoaster

Well it appeared that Logan had tolerated his new lower settings on his sy-pap machine yesterday, but no blood gas was done until this morning. Unfortunately, his carbon dioxide levels were back up from 51 to 59. His new doctor, Dr. Sherman, is going to turn up his machine a little, likely from 10 breaths per minute to 15 and "a few other things." I will find out what these are when I get to the hospital in a few minutes. Logan has not tolerated his feedings as well as previous days. He gets 5 ccs per feeding, and usually has 1-2 ccs left over in his belly before the next feeding. They are still feeding him right now, please pray that his little belly will learn to handle this much and that he can continue with his feedings.

My mom and I got to watch his get his first bath last night. Well actually it was a sponge bath, but I don't think he cared for it too much. He was pretty wide-eyed through the whole thing! Sorry we don't have any pictures, we didn't know they were going to do it. They also weighed him last night and he still weighs 2 lbs., 5 ozs., which is pretty close to what he was last time they weighed him, just a tiny bit less. I also got to kiss him on the head since they had him out of his bed. That was nice.

Well that is all for now, please pray that Logan will get used to his sy-pap machine and will keep his carbon dioxide levels down. He will have to do this on his own to continue to lower settings. Also please pray that he will tolerate his feedings. Thank you all so much for your comments and encouragement!

Keep crossing your fingers, actually praying

Well Logan had a good night on his new machine and his blood gas this morning showed that his carbon dioxide level was down from 57 to 51, so that is great news! When we got to the hospital this morning, the Dr. for today wanted to turn him down from 20 breaths per minute to 10. Mom and I were a bit nervous about this and after some deliberation, I talked to the resident about this and she went and got the doctor again. I asked if maybe he could be turned down to 15 for awhile and see how this went. The Dr. assured me that 20 to 10 was really a minimal jump and that he would assess Logan at any time to make sure he was doing ok with this new jump. So he went down to 10 around noon. So far so good. Please pray that he will do well with this lower setting.

I also heard him cry for the first time today. It was very sad. It was just a quiet cry, but he was upset, and of course the nurse was bothering him, which he doesn't like. Then she flipped him to his belly and he went back to sleep.

They also increased his feedings to 5ccs every 3 hours. This is equal to a teaspoon. When the nurse was giving him his 11:00 feeding this morning, she pulled some back out of his feeding tube again. I asked the doctor about this and he said it was normal to have some left in their bellies every once in awhile because sometimes the babies just are not hungry or they have some residual milk or spitup left. He said he was not worried about Logan's feedings at this time, but would monitor it. Please pray that he tolerates these as well. He needs to gain some weight!!

Cross your fingers

First I just want to say, yes, I started this blog so that everyone who wanted to could keep up on Logan's progress and development, but I really get a lot out of it as well. It is very therapeutic for me to write what I am feeling, and even more therapeutic when my friends and family write me uplifting and inspirational comments. I must say that earlier this afternoon, I was a bit frustrated and scared that Logan was having a setback, but he is acting like a trooper as usual and behaving for now on his new machine.

His carbon dioxide levels dropped from 63 to 57 from his 4:00 to 6:00 blood gas. He is getting about 20 breaths per minute on this new machine at about 33% oxygen. He seemed to be getting used to it when we left around 7:00. Of course, he was lying on his belly then, his favorite position. His caffeine dose was also upped from 6 to 10 to help increase his respiratory drive (don't know the measurement). When he got his 5:00 feeding, about 3 ccs of his last feeding did not get digested and came back up in the syringe when the nurse pulled it up. He was given another 4ccs, because the nurse practioner said that this was normal when they get put on the sy-pap and that his stomach may have had too much air in it. However, his 8:00 feeding went fine and no milk came back up in the syringe. He had another poopy diaper for Mom around 5:00. Thanks buddy! I just called the nurse for his 10:00 blood gas, it was the same as the 6:00 so no changes for tonight. His carbon dioxide levels are still a bit high, but he is doing pretty good. Hang in there Logan. You're doing awesome!! Well that is all for tonight, thanks for reading and giving me a boost of much needed encouragement.

Even more small changes

Hello all. Sorry it once again took me so long to post. I have had a very busy day and have not been able to get to a computer until now. Logan has had a very eventful day. The weekend Dr. increased his feedings to 4 ccs every 3 hours and he is tolerating that fine for now. Please pray that he will continue to tolerate his feedings. I got to change my first poopy diaper this morning, sorry no pictures! His ventilator was turned down from 20 breaths to 15 breaths per minute and he tolerated that fine.

Danny's mother and sister came up this afternoon and when we all got back to the hospital around 2:30 p.m., Logan was off of his ventilator and on the cy-pap machine. He did not seem to enjoy this machine as it is a mask that fits over his nose and then wraps around his head to stay attached. He was very squirmy and seems a little agitated with it. He was scheduled for a blood gas at 4 to see how he is doing. I am getting ready to go back in his room now to check for the results. Please pray extra hard that he will tolerate his new machine and will not have to go back on the ventilator. This has been an extremely taxing day and I am really trying to turn all of my worries over to God. Sometimes this is just difficult to do. Logan is definitely a fighter and I'm certain that God will give him the strength to get through this.

More small changes

Sorry I haven't posted yet today, we haven't been back to the apartment yet. He is up to 3 ccs of milk every 3 hours. To put this in perspective, 5ccs is a teaspoon! So he's not getting a lot of milk, but he's doing well so far!! They did a blood gas this morning and his carbon dioxide levels were still a little high, but they lowered his vent settings from 22 breaths per minute to 20 breaths per minute. The doctor said this will be his lowest vent setting before they go to the sy-pap machine. They are going to try to extubate his over the weekend and switch to this new machine. Please pray that he does well with this transition. He also had a bowel movement on his own last night!!

No new changes

Logan has been fairly stable all day. He gets upset when he has to lay on his back and when he gets his diaper changed. I took his temp. tonight and changed his diaper. He was actually attempting to cry, it was so heartbreaking, but good to see him moving and attempting those things. Then the nurse rolled him over on his belly and he was much better. He attempts to open both eyes, and gets one of them open fairly wide but the other one only a little. He is still doing well with his 2 ccs of milk every 3 hours, which is fantastic. The doctor said tonight that they have to take his feedings slowly so he doesn't get a stomach infection and so his intestines are trained properly. The doctor also said that he will get another blood gas in the morning and they will determine what to do from there, hopefully wean him down more on the ventilator. Please pray that he will have a good blood gas in the morning and will tolerate a lower setting on the ventilator.

A small change

Hello all. There really isn't much to report right now. Logan had his vent settings lowered to 22 from 25 this morning after his blood gas. He is still taking 2ccs of milk every 3 hours and doing well with it. He was pretty squirmy this morning which was making his oxygen sats go haywire, but I think he was calming down as we were leaving. I haven't spoken with the doctor today to see what his plan is, but I plan on finding him this afternoon. I think that is all for now!

A bump in the road

Hello all. First of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog and leaves me so many uplifting, kind, and spiritual comments. Your comments leave me feeling refreshed and hopeful for a new day and help me carry on. It also makes me realize how many people really do care for Danny, Logan, and me. Thank you all very much.

Well, Logan had a bit of a setback today. He had to go on the ventilator around 1:30 p.m. His blood gases were getting worse and his carbon dioxide levels were rising. I spoke with his doctor and he said that when they re-intubated him, they suctioned him, and they got a very large ball of mucous out of his windpipe. The doctor thought this may have been blocking his airflow and making it difficult for him to breathe on his own. So maybe this was part of the problem. His blood gas at 4 was back to normal so all vent settings will stay the same tonight and he will get another blood gas in the morning. Then they will lower his vent settings from there and then try to take him off the vent again either tomorrow afternoon/evening or Friday, depending on Logan and the doctors. Please pray that things will work out this time and he will get off the vent soon.

On a more positive note, they have increased his feedings to 2ccs every 3 hours and he is doing very well with these. He received his last ordered enema today and had a good bowel movement this afternoon.

He also opened one eye a little this evening after the nurse had bothered him. He must have been looking at his cousin, Elissa, who had come to visit him. They are both still a little swollen but hopefully they will both open soon!

Let's all be cautiously optimistic

I am getting ready to go back to Springfield with my grandparents. I came home with Danny last night. I spoke with the nurse this morning and his morning blood gas looked good, so they have attempted to take him off of the ventilator. He is off of it for now and is on a sy-pap (spelling?) machine. This is a cross between a ventilator and a C-pap machine. This machine still gives him so many breaths per minute and some pressure, but it is not a tube down his throat. It is a mask that goes over his nose and mouth, so hopefully he will like this better and tolerate it. He is currently on 40-50% oxygen, 15 breaths per minute, and 10 pressure (not sure what that measurement is). They are getting another blood gas around 2 p.m. He is also tolerating his feedings. Thank the Lord for this because feeding is sometimes difficult for these little guys. He had another small bowel movement overnight and he is getting his last enema today. They weighed him last night and he weighed 2 pds., 7 oz., which is basically what he weighed when he was born. He has lost 4 ounces from last time, but he lost mainly fluid from the edema. So this is a good thing. Well please pray that he will tolerate his new breathing machine and he can keep that tube out of his throat. Thanks for all your prayers, they are definitely working!!

More milk for Logan

Well I spoke with the doctor this afternoon and they are increasing his feedings to 1cc every 3 hours! Good work, Logan! He will stay on the same vent settings for the rest of the afternoon and night, because he is only getting one blood gas per day now (in the morning). The doctor said that he was going to take out his tube, but his blood gases weren't excellent yet, so just a little more time. The doctor said that he does not have a blood infection, but he does have a small lung infection. The one antibiotic that he is taking will take care of this. He is on it for 7 days. The doctor said this type of infection is common since there is a foreign body in his lungs and they are not used to this. I got to rub the back of his head today and he actually seemed to like it! The nurse also said that I can start changing his diaper and taking his temp. if I get there at the right time. Keep it up buddy! You're doing very good work, Logan!!

Another stable morning

Well Logan had a good evening and is stable again this morning. His vent settings are still the same as yesterday and he is lying on his side. He looks pretty comfy. His creatinin and BUN levels are dropping even more which is good. His chest x-ray looked very similar to yesterday's. His blood culture is not growing any bacteria right now which means no infection as of now, but it can still develop, so let's pray that it won't. He is still getting antibiotics as a precaution. He will get another micro enema around noon to help him poop, and he is still getting 1 cc of breastmilk every 6 hours. The nurse today used the first milk I pumped which will likely have some colostrum in it, which she said may help him poop more on his own. She said it sometimes acts like a laxative.

A stable evening

There really isn't a lot to report this evening. Logan is stable and still lying on his belly. His head looks much better as I mentioned earlier. His blood gases throughout the day have looked very similar, his carbon dioxide is a little high, so all vent settings are still the same. His creatinin and BUN levels (tests of kidney function) went down today, which is good. The nurse said that he is urinating well. He also had a small bowel movement after he got the enema! Good work, Logan. He has had a few ccs of milk and is doing well with it, thank God for that. He will advance slowly though. He is moving around more and it is so adorable to watch him move his arms and legs and bunch up his bottom!!

A fairly stable day

Well Logan has been fairly stable today. He really seems to be enjoying his new bed. He is moving around a lot and some of his swelling has gone down. The back of his head is not as swollen so that is good. He is still on the same ventilator at 25 breaths per minute and 14 pressure. He has been on these settings since last night. The doctor said he will likely remain on this ventilator for 2-3 more days. They are waiting to see if he has some kind of infection in his lungs. His white blood cell count was high yesterday so they started him on antibiotics just to be safe. We will not know for sure until tomorrow or the next day if there really is an infection. The doctor said that even if there is these antibiotics will kill it. He has also started with his tube feedings!! He got 1 cc (or 1 ml) of breast milk through his feeding tube around noon. He will get 1 cc every 6 hours to start with and will progress from there. Please pray that his little intestines can handle this. The nurse said that some preemies have difficulty with feedings for awhile. He also received a micro enema today to help him have a bowel movement since he has not had one yet.

Danny went to donate blood today at the blood bank, and if it tests out ok, then they will start using his blood when Logan needs a blood transfusion.

Back in Springfield

Well Danny and I made it back to Springfield around 6:00 p.m. We went straight to the hospital and Logan is in his new bed and seems to be enjoying it. The doctors thought they might wean him off of the ventilator totally today, but when he got down to the machine breathing 10 breaths a minute for him, his oxygen sats went a little haywire, so they decided to keep him on the ventilator overnight and let Dr. Nimavat decide the course of action in the morning. So right now he is on 15 breaths per minute from the machine and he is breathing on his own about 35 or more breaths per minute. Hopefully sometime tomorrow they will be able to take him off the ventilator. He will then move to a C-PAP machine, which is a mask that goes over his nose and mouth. It provides extra pressure when he breathes, but he does all of the actual breathing himself. They are giving him medicinal caffeine daily to stimulate his respiratory drive. They inserted a pic line in his foot and took the lines out of his umbilical cord. The nurse said that the doctors like to wait at least 24 hours after the umbilical cord lines are out, and then they may start trying some breast milk through a feeding tube, but just a very small amount at a time (1-2 ccs). He is also off of his sedation medications and is able to move around a bit. Hopefully this will help his swelling go down.

Please pray that he will be able to wean off of the ventilator sometime soon and be able to tolerate breathing on his own. The nurse did tell us though that these preemies often have to go back on the ventilator at some point because they will likely have a setback or two that will require extra help breathing. Let's hope that Logan will skip this. His daddy wanted me to say how incredibly proud of our little boy we are for being so strong and tolerating all of this new equipment.

A very good Saturday evening and night

Logan had a very good Saturday evening and night. I guess he likes to show off when his mom and dad aren't around!! He was able to wean off of his nitric oxide!! He was also put on a new ventilator that allows him to breathe above the machine. He started off where the machine was giving him 40 breaths per minute. He has weaned to 25 breaths per minute in a little over 12 hours. He is also taking 25 breaths per minute by himself!! He has been weaned off of the dopamine and his bloood pressure is stable according to the nurse. They are also going to stop giving him so much sedation medication and let him wake up and attempt to breathe more on his own. So that is great news!! Hopefully he will do well with all of this new found freedom. His nurse said that sometime today he will move to an isolette bed like all of the other preemies in the room. She said this will allow him to move around more and also be in a quieter environment. I'm sure he will enjoy that. He gets another blood gas around 9 a.m., so I am planning on calling back after church. Ah, it's going to be nice to go to church this morning. I have a lot to be thankful for this morning.

Another good day

Mom and I went to the hospital this morning and Logan was still doing well. He was down to 3 on his nitric oxide and his other vent settings were down as well. He was down to 23% oxygen. He was also lying on his belly again. On his chest x-ray they thought he might have an air bubble outside his lung so they repeated the chest x-ray this afternoon and everything looked fine. The nurse said his lungs looked fine, just a little hazy. He just had a blood gas at 2 and it looked fine, so they lowered his nitric oxide to 2. They are hoping he will be able to wean off of this completely within 24 hours. Everyone cross your fingers!! They have also stopped the dopamine for now which was helping with his blood pressure. Another blood gas is scheduled for 6 p.m. His poor face is swollen and one of his eyes is quite swollen. His hands have started to swell as well. The nurse said that all of this swelling will subside after he is able to move around a bit.

Mom and I came home today and Danny and I are planning on returning tomorrow afternoon. Thank God that it has been another stable day!!

An even brighter afternoon

Well today truly was an answer to all of the prayers that we have been praying. I was afraid I would miss the doctor because we didn't make it back to the hospital until about 5:30, and he is the only one that is supposed to give us the test results. I actually ran into him at the entrance to the children's hospital and he stopped me. Someone please tell me that wasn't a godwink (thanks Julia Michels). He informed us that the heart echo was normal and that the valve was still closed, so NO surgery. Thank God for that. He also informed us that the head ultrasound was normal, so no bleeding in the brain. Whew! He said that Logan would just need more time to overcome his lung disease and that we would attempt to wean and/or lower some of his vent setting and breathing medication. He actually went down more on the vent settings when we were there this evening and he was on 27% oxygen, which is fantastic. I am being cautiously optimistic because he has attempted to wean a bit before and had trouble with it. Hopefully he will handle it better this time and he will wean a little slower. His blood gases have been good all day so this is helpful for weaning as well. He was also laying on his belly this evening and looked very comfy. The nurse said that little babies like him love lying on their bellies. She also said this position is good for lung expansion. So he really did have a great day, but let's hope that he can withstand this weaning ok on his own.

A brighter day

Hello all, today is looking to be a better day for Logan. He is still mostly sedated, although he hasn't had any sedative since about 8:00 a.m. He is on about 33% oxygen and the other vent settings are about the same. His blood gases have been looking good and his chest x-ray showed that his lungs are looking better today than yesterday. Thanks goodness!! He had his head ultrasound very early this morning, but we will not know the results until possibly tomorrow morning. We are still at the hospital right now and he will be getting his chest echo very soon as the tech was in another pod with another preemie and was then going to see Logan. Dr. Nimavat said that he should have these results by 3 or 4 this afternoon. He also had a does of steroids to help increase his blood pressure and help reduce the inflammation in his lungs. The nurse seemed to think that his duct had reopened, but the doctor told me that his gut feeling was that it had not, so we will soon find out. Thank you everyone for all of the prayers, and please continue to pray that little Logan will progress each day and that he will get stronger each day.

I also wanted to say that Logan is one week old today and his cousin Morgan is 27 today. Happy Birthday Morgan (I know you read this each day!! :))

We just got back from the hospital again. He was fairly stable and still sedated for the most part. He had taken Atavan at 2:45 and they were giving him Morphine when we left around 4:30. His oxygen sats were stable and his oxygen level was around 47%. His blood gases have been good this morning and afternoon. Hopefully after a few more good ones, they will be able to lower his vent settings. I spoke with his doctor again and he said that Logan will go ahead and get both the chest echo and head ultrasound tomorrow. With the chest echo, they will be able to determine if the heart valve has reopened. If it has, this may be the reason that Logan is unstable while he is not sedated. So please pray for good test results and that Logan will become more stable on his own.

Rough Day

Logan is having a rough day today. He is very agitated and the nurse has given him 3 different sedatives. He finally calmed down when Mom and I were leaving around noon. His oxygen sats are stable as long as he is sleeping, but they go a little haywire when he is awake and agitated. I spoke with the respiratory therapist today and she said that with these little guys it seems like they are really sick for awhile and then they get up over the hump and they get better quickly. It would be really nice if Logan could get over that hump. It seems like he's just stuck right now. The doctor increased his nitric oxide to 7, up from 5, to see if this would stabilize his oxygen sats. The doctor said that his lungs looked about the same from yesterday. His blood gas was a little better this morning than last night. He is still urinating a good amount, but tests of his BUN and creatinin levels of kidney function are still elevated, so the chest echo is postponed for now. This is because even if the heart valve has re-opened, he couldn't start the medication until his kidney numbers improved. He may or may not have his head ultrasound tomorrow depending on his level of agitation. They put up a sign above his bed that says, "Please be very quiet. I don't feel well. Love, Logan" and they also closed the nursery doors to try and keep the noise level down for him. Hopefully he will get over this hump soon.

My mom and I went over to the hospital this morning and Logan was pretty much the same as he was yesterday and last night. His oxygen sats were all over the place this morning, going from 74% up to 100%. The doctor said this is quite normal for little guys whose lungs are not mature yet. They have left the nitric oxide on 4.9-5 for the last day or so. Hopefully they can decrease that soon. The doctor came in and talked with me for a few minutes. He said that Logan's lungs looked better today. Yeah! He also said that his kidney function is improving and that he is urinating more than yesterday. His color is better and his head is not as shiny as it was. He does have some swelling on the back of his head, which the doctor said is normal since he cannot move his head around. The swelling in his limbs has almost gone away. He is moving around alot and it is so cute to watch his little arms and legs move and kick. The doctor said that he will get another chest echo either tomorrow or Friday to make sure the heart valve is still closed. He is also scheduled for a head ultrasound for Friday to check for any bleeding in the brain. Please pray that both of these tests turn out fine. He is such a little fighter and any amount of progress we make is a huge blessing.

Back in Springfield

My mom and I got back to Springfield today around 1:00 p.m. We checked into the Ronald McDonald house and then went over to the hospital. My aunt, Vana, and uncle, Don, were here to see Logan as they were heading home from Chicago. Logan has been pretty stable today. They tried to take him off of the nitric oxide last night, but he did not like that, so he is back on it at 5 parts per million. They said they will wean him off of this slowly and hopefully he will be off of it by the end of the week. His ventilator was at about 30% oxygen, which is pretty normal for him. Regular room air is 21%. He has not had to take any insulin today. He had to have some the last couple of days as his blood sugar was somewhat high. They decreased the dextrose in his TPN nutrition and that seems to have done the trick! They are also decreasing the dopamine that he is getting for his blood pressure. His blood pressure is remaining stable as they decrease the medication, so that is good. He does get a few doses of morphine during the day to keep him from being so agitated, but they said he is getting it much less often than he used to. I spoke with his doctor and he said that our biggest concern right now is his lungs and making sure they develop appropriately and then they will worry about feeding. He also said that his heart valve has closed, but that is could reopen. I asked him for the statistics of this happening, and of course, he could not give me any. So please pray that it will remain closed. We plan on going back over to the hospital after shift change, probably around 7:30 p.m.

A quick trip home

Hello everyone,

I got the idea of starting this blog from my grandma's Sunday school class. Thanks guys! So this way everyone can keep up with Logan's progress. First of all, I want to thank everyone for all of their cards, phone calls, visits, and especially, prayers. I know that both Logan and I have been on many prayer lists, and that many more people have been praying for us. Thank you all so much. It means alot to both Danny, me, and Logan. Since today is my first post, I will start with Logan's status as of today. He is still on an oscillating ventilator with about 33% oxygen, nitric oxide for his lungs, on TPN for nutrition, and a few other medications. One of the biggest issues right now is that a valve in his heart has not closed yet, which is common in preemies. He has had 3 doses of medication for this and a chest echo this afternoon to see if it has closed. Actually as I'm writing this, I just got a call from Logan's nurse and she said the preliminary results show that Logan's heart valve has closed!! Thank God for answered prayers. At least this small battle seems to be over. She also reported that he will likely get off of the nitric oxide medication for his lungs tonight. Great news! Well that is all I can think of for now. I will post again soon.