Emergency C-section and a 23 week old infant. Ugh.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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Congratulations!

I know what a big step the taking a bottle is. We went through a lot of tube feedings before that fateful day. I actually kept Emmy’s final tube–she pulled it out one day and held it up to the nurses as if to say, “I’m done with this.” Something told me it would be her last one and it was.

Emmy came home at 4 pounds and one ounce. She had met all other requirements for going home except the weight and the nurses were threatening to secretly sew quarters into her diaper to make her over the four pound mark!

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Well. the news from the eye exam today is not unexpected, but it’s not exactly good. She has a level 2 retinopathy, which means her retina, or more specifically, the blood vessels leading to her retina, are overdeveloped and the retina is being pulled out of shape. Retinopathy is graded by levels, level 0 being the mildest retinopathy, and 5 being the worst. The doctor is hopeful that it may correct itself, and all we’re doing right now is waiting. If it doesn’t correct itself, there are treatments, including laser surgery to cut away some of the extra blood vessels and try to deal with the retina.

It could be nothing at all, long term. Or it could be that she’ll need strong glasses. Or it could become a detached retina, glaucoma, cataracts or a dozen other eye conditions up to and including total blindness. We just have to wait and see. And pray, of course!

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This little girl has been in my thoughts non-stop for ages now. I’m sorry to hear about the results of today’s exam, but with the fight Caleigh has in her, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be nothing. Something tells me she’s not letting anything get her down.

(And I don’t want to fill up your email, but her item is almost finished - I got a little ahead of myself thinking I had it done when I said, so I really do intend to send it:) that wasn’t me blowing smoke - it’s earmarked for Miss Caleigh herself, and as soon as I finish that last stitch, it will be on it’s way to her).

E.

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I wanted to let you know you’re in my thoughts daily also. I loved the updated pictures and she’s 100% adorable. I know she’s still small, but she looks huge to me now.

Such a cutie, keep us updated, many of us out there checking your updates and hope for all great things for your family.

I’m glad the big hat is off her head, it just wasnt flattering. She really is so cute!

Looking forward to the day we get to see her going home outfit.

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I’m so pleased Caleigh’s doing so well. Hopefully soon she’ll be home and bothering her brother full-time.

StG

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Emmy had ROP. She had the surgery and her eyesight is perfect now except for having no extreme peripheral vision. The hardest part was that she had to be reintubated for the surgery and went back to parenteral nutrition instead of breast milk for three days. I hope everything is okay for your little one.

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Bwahaahaahaahaa!

Guess who drank 3 bottles today! Well, ok, 2 and a half. She sucked her morning bottle down so quickly the nurse decided to give her another shot this afternoon. Gulp, gulp, gone. So she got another one tonight. Got half of that one down before looking at us like, “Uh…I don’t think so. I feel sooooo stuffed!” and going back to sleep.

happy dance

And she’s in a crib now! A real, honest-to-goodness regular ol’ baby crib, open to the air. She was actually too hot in the isolette, and is holding her temperature just fine in the open air. She had NO apnea or brachycardia today, just a few cases of desating (low oxygen levels.)

Tomorrow I get to try to breastfeed her!

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Whatta lush :wink:

She’s so gorgeous I could gobble up those toes!

No, really. She’s beautiful

Frame this for a wedding present to her husband in 25 years.

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Her hands look like… baby hands. She now got fatty little fingers. :slight_smile:

I am so glad your baby is doing OK. Please keep us posted.

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At the risk of sounding cliche and false: she looks a lot like you. Seriously, I can definitely see the resemblance. (Assuming that the woman I see in the pictures is you, that is). Very cool :slight_smile:

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Man, Caleigh is rockin’ and ROLLIN’!
Seriously, she came out of her isolette sooner than my son did, and he was a 30 weeker.

She looks really fantastic too.

Woo-those apnea alarms are looooouuud.
So well worth it for the peace of mind, but LOUD.
:smiley:

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We were away for a long weekend, and came back to a 5 pound, 2 ounce little chubber who’s taking half her feeds by bottle! She also has a new toy - a swing, which she absolutely loves. Her nurse says she’ll stay awake and happy, eyes wide open, swinging away. They actually have to take her out of it to get her to go back to sleep!

(Wow! Not seeing her for four days was really tough - but how amazing to see her so changed!)

Her eyes are still the same - level 2, zone 2 ROP. That’s good - means it’s not getting worse. She’s still getting them checked twice a week. They’re still hopeful it will resolve itself.

I finally met her physical therapist, who is quite happy with her movement. She doesn’t move her legs a lot, but she does move them enough to alleviate concern. I’m going in tomorrow afternoon during her PT time to learn how to exercise her myself.

I also met the developmental psychologist, who is also happy. She says Caileigh can hold a “conversation” with her eyes and is turning her head towards a voice in very appropriate ways. I did notice today that most of the normal newborn reflexes have developed, including the Moro (startle), plantar and palmar flexion (grabbing with her toes and fingers) and Babinkski (spreading of toes and fingers), as well as blinking to bright light. IANANeonatal Development Specialist, but those all sound like good things to me - they’re supposed to be present at birth, and are kicking in before her due date. Really the only one not present is the rooting reflex, which I catch her doing every once in a while, but not all the time. Maybe it will come, maybe not - not all newborns have a strong rooting reflex.

She’s on a plain ol’ nasal cannula now, getting 21% oxygen (called “room air”, because it’s the same % as the oxygen in the room), and doing pretty well with that. The nurse isn’t even turning her oxygen level up when she’s taking a bottle now.

We’re a little anxious that her coming-home-day might coincide with the baby shower my sister-in-law is throwing near the end of May. What a delicious dilemma! :smiley:

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WhyNot, that absolutely rocks. Thanks for sharing the pictures of your little punkin. This has been quite a ride for you and the rest of the WhyClan and I’m glad it’s turning out good for all concerned!

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WhyNot, that’s wonderful news! I’m so glad to hear that little Caileigh is growing and developing as she should be!

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So glad to see this update, I was wondering how it was going.

Last Saturday I walked in the March of Dimes Walkathon to raise money and awareness for premature birth, and I was thinking about all 3 babies here. It was a great turnout and we raised money for a great cause. When I decorated my son’s stroller before we started I added a pink balloon in honor of Ally, Emma and Caleigh. It was so inspiring to see all the babies there who were premature but heartbreaking to see pictures of the babies who did not make it. So much can be done for them now but it is still so hard to go through.

Hopefully soon you will be able to take her home, she sounds like she is doing great!

Hampshire if you still keep up with this thread I just wanted to let you know I am still praying and thinking about you.

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I think Velma said it best!

Hampshires, know that you are still in all of our thoughts and prayers.

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Whynot, great news. Please keep updating

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Well, it looks like Caileigh may be coming home next week!

She’s breathing on her own, with no support except when eating. She’s been given extra oxygen while eating, but her nurse is going to try feeding her without it today. She’s taking all her feeds by bottle. She weighs 5 pounds, 12 ounces!

I gave her a bath yesterday, and she almost cried! (She’s such a quiet baby, I’ve heard several squwaks from her, but never a sustained cry.) It was very cute, actually. My mom and grandma came in and held her, and she loooooves both of them. She was very active with Mom, feeling her hands, waving her arms, making noises and generally being cute. With Grandma she was very different - very intense and quiet. She was just staring into her eyes and at her very red shirt while Grandma talked to her about Grandpa (deceased now 8 years). Then Caileigh got the hiccups and made us all laugh.

Her eyes are still the same, which is good. The doctor told me that retinopathy tends to peak in badness around term, and then to resolve. She’s only 2 weeks away from term, so it’s unlikely to take a drastic turn at this point. Prognosis if it remains where it is: she’ll likely be nearsighted. Considering the level of nearsidedness in our family anyway, we probably won’t notice a difference. She had a terrible reaction to the eyedrops used prior to her eye test thiough, so no more Cyclomydril for this little lady!

She gave us a bit of a scare with her hearing, flunking the basic screening 3 times. However further, more intensive, testing has shown that the hearing in her right ear is perfectly normal, while the hearing in her left ear is not. Again, it may correct itself as she grows. We’re going to do another test in a month to keep an eye (or an ear!) on it. Mom mentioned that she has a student who is profoundly deaf in one ear, and other than needing to sit on a certain side of the classroom to hear her better, you’d never know it.

I’m just really anxious to have her home; I’m so sick of the hospital. On the other hand, I’m terrified to have her home, without all those wonderful nurses and monitors and safety nets!

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Oh that is just so wonderful :slight_smile: Absolutely amazing :slight_smile:

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turns cartwheels

Yay! Go Calleigh!